Review 2023 National Draft Review Thread II [McKercher, Z.Duursma, Goad, W.Dawson, Hardeman, Maley]

[SpiderBurton22]

Here's Twomey's write up of McKercher. Comparison to Eroll Gulden. From watching his highlights his acceleration and speed is something Merrett doesn't have.

 

[Eggs11]

Twomeys phantom draft is out.

Cal Twomey's Phantom Form Guide: Top draft prospects' November ranking

AFL.com.au's draft guru Cal Twomey delivers his fifth Phantom Form Guide ahead of the 2023 National Draft

www.afl.com.au

Duursma and Kerch with the first two picks and Curtin as an outside chance.

DeMattia, Gothard, Green and Goad mentioned with our later picks.

Not sure about DeMattia but the rest make sense. Sounds like Cal expects us to take a ruck.

 

[Sphynx]

DeMattia, Gothard, Green and Goad mentioned with our later picks.

Not sure about DeMattia but the rest make sense. Sounds like Cal expects us to take a ruck.

Also linked us to Hardeman.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

Cousins / Kerr?

I was thinking that Kerch looks like Cousins with the way he arches his back, has a low centre of gravity and how he zooms away, always continuing to run.

 

[shinboner magic]

Sell duursma to me

 

[Psicosis]

Good points.

Don’t see Duursma as a fit whatsoever.

The notion that any of this group of best teenagers in the country aren’t a “fit” for a side as bad as ours, is some of the most ridiculous s*** I’ve read.

 

[perplexed]

We’ve finished 18th and 17th in the last two years and I’m worried that while we continue to trot out the AFL’s worst backline in living memory and fail to address it we’ll finish down there every year no matter how good our midfield is

This. We keep hearing how we are trying to build a team to win flags, yet pretty much every premiership team's strength is a backline full of guns. You can improvise a forward line, as Richmond and Collingwood have, but you need elite players in defense. We have none at the moment (unless Sheezel is staying there). Until we address this (and not with DFA's and late picks) we are taking the piss.

 

[Merlin007]

Out of the top 6 I think Sanders in the most rounded prospect, all the rest I have at least some level of concern about how their game will transition to AFL.

Reid - has he just been bullying smaller players? No obvious best position and not the best tank. May end up more Cam Rayner than Dustin Martin.

Watson - Height obviously, how will he adjust his game to bigger bodies. Versatility at AFL level.

McKercher - One sided, inconsistent kicking. Versatility? He shrugs tackles quite easily in juniors but I don’t think he’ll get away with that at AFL level. Defensive intent isn’t the best either.

Duursma - On the softer side, will his game transition to AFL? Do a he have enough tools to be able to transition to the midfield?

Curtin - Best position? Can he play as a genuine tall or will he just be a tall flanker.

Good points. I guess there's no perfect player, so who's got the elite traits?

On McKercher, I noticed in the clip posted by noobermensch (for which, thanks again), that his right foot kicking was reasonable - no great penetration, but he twice hit up a lead inside 50 on his non-preferred. So yes, one-sided, but still competent on his right when needed. Agree completely that he won't be fending off tackles in the AFL like he does in juniors, so he'll need to get less ambitious in that facet. But then in terms of elite traits, he has speed through traffic like a shark through a school of pilchards, so on balance, he's a keeper for mine

 

[The Filth Wizard]

Come out of those three picks with a ruck prospect, key tall and a small lockdown defender type/small forward and we should be stoked. Even better if we snare a slider. Hopefully our last pick comes into the 40’s and we fix another need missed above (seems the area for a KPF slider).

 

[Mixed Results]

I tried my best to turn Twomey's article into a Phantom and came up with the following. I've left out the academy and F/S players, as it's the only way to let the website get to our pick 15.

We'd have the next two picks on the board, which from Twomey's article you could expect to be Will Green and Taylor Goad as available linked players, or Edwards, Jiath, Roberts, and Murphy as best available.

 

[Merlin007]

Sell duursma to me

This makes a reasonable sales pitch. The scoreboard impact is one thing, but look at his hands around the contest and in transition

 

[Shinboner1]

We're desperate for key backs, if we go through the draft without taking 1-2. I'll be very disappointed

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

The notion that any of this group of best teenagers in the country aren’t a “fit” for a side as bad as ours, is some of the most ridiculous s*** I’ve read.

The type of player he is I see no value in selecting him in the top three.

On the list of NMFC positions that require elite talent, HFF with small possibility to run through the middle is at the bottom.

 

[Psicosis]

The type of player he is I see no value in selecting him in the top three.

On the list of NMFC positions that require elite talent, HFF with small possibility to run through the middle is at the bottom.

Pardon me, I didn’t realise we have such a wealth of elite talented HFF’s!

 

[rooboy335]

Sell duursma to me

All year long I was never keen on Duursma, barely even watched any of his highlight vids all the way through because I thought we had way too many of his type on our list already had my sights on McKercher/Watson/Curtin.

The more we've been linked to him throughout this post season, the more I've wanted to see why. I think the best way to sell him to any doubters would be to ask, did you ever watch Sheezel this year especially when he played off half back and thought "gee I wish we had two of him, one forward and one back"?

I think that's potentially what we could have by getting Duursma. Obviously not the exact same players but I think their similarities are that they are composed with the ball, both have genuine class, and can have an impact in multiple positions. Duursma may not have as high a footy IQ as Sheezel, but has a bigger frame, is a genuine aerial threat and is probably just as dangerous around goal as Sheeze which is saying something.

If we draft him I could definitely see him starting in Harry's role and Harry moving forward, or vice versa. And he has also shown positive signs when he's had stints in the middle. Honestly though I don't think we can lose with whomever we pick at 2 and 3.

 

[spurs]

Out of the top 6 I think Sanders in the most rounded prospect, all the rest I have at least some level of concern about how their game will transition to AFL.

Reid - has he just been bullying smaller players? No obvious best position and not the best tank. May end up more Cam Rayner than Dustin Martin.

Watson - Height obviously, how will he adjust his game to bigger bodies. Versatility at AFL level.

McKercher - One sided, inconsistent kicking. Versatility? He shrugs tackles quite easily in juniors but I don’t think he’ll get away with that at AFL level. Defensive intent isn’t the best either.

Duursma - On the softer side, will his game transition to AFL? Do a he have enough tools to be able to transition to the midfield?

Curtin - Best position? Can he play as a genuine tall or will he just be a tall flanker.

That’s why imo we take McKercher and Sanders

 

[noobermensch]

Good points. I guess there's no perfect player, so who's got the elite traits?

On McKercher, I noticed in the clip posted by noobermensch (for which, thanks again), that his right foot kicking was reasonable - no great penetration, but he twice hit up a lead inside 50 on his non-preferred. So yes, one-sided, but still competent on his right when needed. Agree completely that he won't be fending off tackles in the AFL like he does in juniors, so he'll need to get less ambitious in that facet. But then in terms of elite traits, he has speed through traffic like a shark through a school of pilchards, so on balance, he's a keeper for mine

Yes that was part of the reason for the new video series. There are no perfect draft prospects, so I wanted to focus on the features of their play, what they do best.

One thing I havent seen mentioned enough for McKercher is his bravery and relentlessly attacking mindset. I also love Sanders as a prospect but I think its a point of difference between the two. Sanders will most often try to sidestep into space and pause to assess his options. Not a terrible thing, but certainly a safer choice. McKercher more often takes the braver option, running at the opponent and putting them under pressure. He doesnt take the first option with the quick handball if he sees a more damaging and attacking choice to take another 10 meters with a burst and getting clear for a more damaging disposal. Will this style of play hold up at the next level? Who knows... I think it will.

 

[gustaaf]

DeMattia, Gothard, Green and Goad mentioned with our later picks.

Not sure about DeMattia but the rest make sense. Sounds like Cal expects us to take a ruck.

I'm actually hoping we'll pick Edwards over Green and Goad with one of our later picks. Someone here did mention that there is a negative with him on a more personal rather than footy ability level, but didn't go into what that negative is. Can anyone shed any light on that? His jumping ability is superior to the other ruck prospects and has some good speed for a 206cm player, with some claiming he is now 208cm. He can also take pack marks and is well regarded for his smart tap work. All of that reads like a good future ruck investment. Has some exposure to seniors footy, but only at the reserves level.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Pardon me, I didn’t realise we have such a wealth of elite talented HFF’s!

Zurhaar, Sheezel, Thomas, Curtis, Stephenson.

Then let’s look at our KPD’s:

Corr, Logue (Cooked for 2024), Dawson, Pink (LOL).

The backline is a warzone. It continues to be ignored, and we continue to suck balls.

 

[DocSholl]

The type of player he is I see no value in selecting him in the top three.

On the list of NMFC positions that require elite talent, HFF with small possibility to run through the middle is at the bottom.

He's just as likely to end up as a prolific forward 50 target, of which we have precisely one.

 

[Passmore]

Draft for talent. Trade, FA, DFA for need. It's not rocket science.

Sent from my SM-A908B using Tapatalk

 

[lockheed]

Out of the top 6 I think Sanders in the most rounded prospect, all the rest I have at least some level of concern about how their game will transition to AFL.

Reid - has he just been bullying smaller players? No obvious best position and not the best tank. May end up more Cam Rayner than Dustin Martin.

Watson - Height obviously, how will he adjust his game to bigger bodies. Versatility at AFL level.

McKercher - One sided, inconsistent kicking. Versatility? He shrugs tackles quite easily in juniors but I don’t think he’ll get away with that at AFL level. Defensive intent isn’t the best either.

Duursma - On the softer side, will his game transition to AFL? Do a he have enough tools to be able to transition to the midfield?

Curtin - Best position? Can he play as a genuine tall or will he just be a tall flanker.

These are also my concerns. Every player carries a fair amount of risk. But nonetheless, any of these will be an improvement on those who are currently on our list.

 

[justroyal]

Could Duursma play mid?

Going by Sonja’s email, another two of Harry and George = McKercher and Sanders

 

[Makeshift Park]

Sell duursma to me

I don't need him sold to me per se, he's clearly a goal-kicking machine.

But what I would like someone to sell me is Duursma over Curtin: what part of Duursma's skillset will translate to AFL football better than Curtin's?

Both look great aerially, but only one is key position height.

Duursma looks cleaner and faster at ground level, but Curtin is stronger, and his contested game looks more impressive.

Add all that to Curtin's versatility - which seems unparalleled by anyone in the top 10 this side of Reid - and the prospect of the tall utility just seems compelling to me.

 

[Gasometer]

Lest we forget