Senior 14. Connor O'Sullivan (2023-)

[hamG]

Interesting question: Did we take Joel with his #14 guersey to the draft with intention to give it to any player we took with our 1st pick or did we take spare blanks just in case we didn't get the right target?

I will say the number was going to whoever we took, and ya'll should stop speculating on 'future captain' shit.

Unless you want to speculate on Tom Stewart, go hard for #44.

 

[Footy Smarts]

Interesting question: Did we take Joel with his #14 guersey to the draft with intention to give it to any player we took with our 1st pick or did we take spare blanks just in case we didn't get the right target?

I will say the number was going to whoever we took, and ya'll should stop speculating on 'future captain' s**t.

Unless you want to speculate on Tom Stewart, go hard for #44.

Knowing now that we rated him higher than Caddy it was probably a 90% chance we ended up with O'Sullivan. So sending Joel with the number 14 was a decision made with him in mind.

Unless O'Sullivan was taken early in a massive surprise the only way we wouldn't have got him was if someone like Sanders or Curtin was available at our pick or at a pick we were willing to trade up to. But it's unclear that we even rated either of them higher than O'Sullivan. It doesn't sound like we threw the farm at the Curtin pick.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Interesting question: Did we take Joel with his #14 guersey to the draft with intention to give it to any player we took with our 1st pick or did we take spare blanks just in case we didn't get the right target?

I will say the number was going to whoever we took, and ya'll should stop speculating on 'future captain' s**t.

Unless you want to speculate on Tom Stewart, go hard for #44.

He either rocked up with two (one blank one not) or he was giving it to whoever.

Either or really. Happy to give him 14 even if he never makes the leadership group

 

[D BRIDGE]

He either rocked up with two (one blank one not) or he was giving it to whoever.

Either or really. Happy to give him 14 even if he never makes the leadership group

He was the Allies captain so probably will be a leader down the track in one way or another.

 

[Hamingja]

I wouldn't read anything into the number personally.

It is pretty standard practice for us to hold over the number of a significant retiree for a year, then hand it over to the first pick the year after, no?

Then they usually just go lowest to highest for the jumpers based on the draft order unless someone has a real preference for a certain number, father or son whatever.

 

[Shadow89]

Wholesome:

 

[Oisin_the_Goat]

Knowing now that we rated him higher than Caddy it was probably a 90% chance we ended up with O'Sullivan. So sending Joel with the number 14 was a decision made with him in mind.

Unless O'Sullivan was taken early in a massive surprise the only way we wouldn't have got him was if someone like Sanders or Curtin was available at our pick or at a pick we were willing to trade up to. But it's unclear that we even rated either of them higher than O'Sullivan. It doesn't sound like we threw the farm at the Curtin pick.

I don't think we were ever going to trade up as in hindsight there was too much talent in the latter picks.

 

[moond0g]

Knowing now that we rated him higher than Caddy it was probably a 90% chance we ended up with O'Sullivan. So sending Joel with the number 14 was a decision made with him in mind.

Unless O'Sullivan was taken early in a massive surprise the only way we wouldn't have got him was if someone like Sanders or Curtin was available at our pick or at a pick we were willing to trade up to. But it's unclear that we even rated either of them higher than O'Sullivan. It doesn't sound like we threw the farm at the Curtin pick.

I wonder how much higher they rated O'Sullivan than Caddy, and how much it was the addition of the extra pick that swayed them.

i.e., they may have ranked Caddy and O'Sullivan similarly, but essentially the decision became Caddy vs. O'Sullivan + Mannagh, which perhaps made it easier.

 

[D BRIDGE]

I wonder how much higher they rated O'Sullivan than Caddy, and how much it was the addition of the extra pick that swayed them.

i.e., they may have ranked Caddy and O'Sullivan similarly, but essentially the decision became Caddy vs. O'Sullivan + Mannagh, which perhaps made it easier.

I think we will possibly never know.

They will always say what they said "rated them the same" so that it doesn't confirm to Essendon that we got one over them.

I'd just love to know our true opinions on the situation... There would be so many layers to it, but they won't come out and say anything overly specific.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

I don't think we were ever going to trade up as in hindsight there was too much talent in the latter picks.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. Let's review this draft in a few years

 

[Gazza Greatness]

So excited to see Connor O'Sullivan playing his first senior game on Sunday against the Kangaroos, just love this kid as he's going to be a ripper for us for many, many years to come.... great selection by Wellsy, Mackie and the boys!

 

[#6 Thorp #7 Selwood LOL]

Looked shockingly comfortable at AFL level. Got involved early with a "veteran" style play and rarely looked like a newbie. Encouraging signs for the young fella.

 

[Footy Smarts]

That first play where he held off his opponent while being held and tapped it down to a teammate oozed class.

 

[Generalissimo]

That first play where he held off his opponent while being held and tapped it down to a teammate oozed class.

The run-down tackle was nice as well.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

That first play where he held off his opponent while being held and tapped it down to a teammate oozed class.

That was really good. Loved it

 

[cats_09]

 

[Gazza Greatness]

I'm fully aware it won't happen but I'd love to see Connor O'Sullivan play against West Coast in the final AFL home and away round with a view of him playing in the finals if he performs at a higher enough level. We've been struggling in patches with a few of our veterans this year and the side certainly has benefited when we injected some pace with hungrier younger players in Shaun Mannagh and Lawson Humphries with whom both have a high level of skill and class with excellent vision and disposal, along with a 'willing commitment' of applying plenty of 'defensive pressure' which with some of the veterans at times this year has been sadly lacking.

With Connor, I can see the club has gone down the SDK route with him being a very young but extremely talented tall defender who's got a way to go to grow into his body, so they're allowing him to learn his craft via the VFL, which is fair enough. But having watched Connor play in the VFL, including last weekend's game against Sandringham, there's just so much upside to this kid and although he has at present a lighter frame, I still think he's more than capable with his class, pace and versatility of playing some excellent AFL football.... 'just not key position'. So with that being said, at 198cm it can be argued that we really don't have a position for Connor in the side, which is a reasonable assessment, however Connor at 198cm is a highly skilled and versatile player for his height with a 'creative mindset and excellent hands', along with excellent pace and endurance and IF 'out of left field' he was given the opportunity, even at this very early stage of his development and career, we maybe in for a very pleasant surprise.

 

[Oisin_the_Goat]

I'm fully aware it won't happen but I'd love to see Connor O'Sullivan play against West Coast in the final AFL home and away round with a view of him playing in the finals if he performs at a higher enough level. We've been struggling in patches with a few of our veterans this year and the side certainly has benefited when we injected some pace with hungrier younger players in Shaun Mannagh and Lawson Humphries with whom both have a high level of skill and class with excellent vision and disposal, along with a 'willing commitment' of applying plenty of 'defensive pressure' which with some of the veterans at times this year has been sadly lacking.

With Connor, I can see the club has gone down the SDK route with him being a very young but extremely talented tall defender who's got a way to go to grow into his body, so they're allowing him to learn his craft via the VFL, which is fair enough. But having watched Connor play in the VFL, including last weekend's game against Sandringham, there's just so much upside to this kid and although he has at present a lighter frame, I still think he's more than capable with his class, pace and versatility of playing some excellent AFL football.... 'just not key position'. So with that being said, at 198cm it can be argued that we really don't have a position for Connor in the side, which is a reasonable assessment, however Connor at 198cm is a highly skilled and versatile player for his height with a 'creative mindset and excellent hands', along with excellent pace and endurance and IF 'out of left field' he was given the opportunity, even at this very early stage of his development and career, we maybe in for a very pleasant surprise.

Best team in this week IMO bar SDK. We need to be ruthless and not give the Eagles a sniff. Next year will be COS year.