AFL Player # 2: Sam Draper - The mullet hath returneth - 22/6

[Dave]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2025
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 20, TheUnicorn

 

[TheUnicorn]

View attachment 1329790

I bought the "Kale Hooker" Shirt last year it's sick!

 

[VelvetSledge]

 

[Lore]

So he brought a disposable film camera to photo day (old school!) and it looks like they've found somewhere to get the photos developed haha

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

So he brought a disposable film camera to photo day (old school!) and it looks like they've found somewhere to get the photos developed haha

 

[BIGBUDDA]

Big year for Sammy Draper. He’s got the mullet, A list mids to work with, some steady competition from Phillips and Bryan, and is so unpredictable and energetic that it’s infectious to watch and I’m sure be a team mate of. He’s a fair way off, but he has the feel of a max gawn

11

Max Gawn

Age

33

Ht

209cm

Wt

110kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.1

4star

K

7.4

3star

HB

6.7

4star

CL

2.8

4star

HO

35.3

5star

D

18.5

4star

K

11.5

4star

HB

7.0

4star

CL

3.5

4star

HO

29.2

5star

D

8.4

3star

K

3.6

2star

HB

4.8

4star

CL

1.0

3star

HO

15.6

5star

type moving forward. The boys love him and he is going to be a huge presence out there where he will feel bigger than what he is which is already huge!

 

[faible]

Big year for Sammy Draper. He’s got the mullet, A list mids to work with, some steady competition from Phillips and Bryan, and is so unpredictable and energetic that it’s infectious to watch and I’m sure be a team mate of. He’s a fair way off, but he has the feel of a max gawn type moving forward. The boys love him and he is going to be a huge presence out there where he will feel bigger than what he is which is already huge!

The entire team seems to absolutely love the bloke don't they?

You just see them all get around him when he kicks a goal, and seems like the kind of bloke that makes everyone walk a bit taller. Having a big ruckman who isn't afraid to throw their weight around gives some real confidence to the midfielders.

 

[Pweter]

This guy is a Jack Russell in a Rottweiler's body. Loyalty to his pack, unbridled enthusiasm, a little bit naughty, thinks he can take on anyone and anything (remember him and Nic Nat going at it?).

I just love his attitude. We need to see more of these types of characters in sport.

I really hope he has an injury free run at it, he's got untapped potential where we don't really know what his ceiling is. I look forward to seeing his development play out week on week.

 

[ghostdog]

The entire team seems to absolutely love the bloke don't they?

You just see them all get around him when he kicks a goal, and seems like the kind of bloke that makes everyone walk a bit taller. Having a big ruckman who isn't afraid to throw their weight around gives some real confidence to the midfielders.

Drapes doing Zumba gave everyone license to do Zumba, with no judgment attached.

 

[Lore]

The entire team seems to absolutely love the bloke don't they?

You just see them all get around him when he kicks a goal, and seems like the kind of bloke that makes everyone walk a bit taller. Having a big ruckman who isn't afraid to throw their weight around gives some real confidence to the midfielders.

I remember the one or two games Bellchambers threw his weight around and I made a similar comment… reckon I got my head ripped off for saying it too. Someone has to lead the charge and it might as well be the mullet.

 

[BIGBUDDA]

The entire team seems to absolutely love the bloke don't they?

You just see them all get around him when he kicks a goal, and seems like the kind of bloke that makes everyone walk a bit taller. Having a big ruckman who isn't afraid to throw their weight around gives some real confidence to the midfielders.

Bloody oath! He has all the enthusiasm to stay in the game at all times. Staying in the game is difficult. You should be able to as a ruckman since you are around the ball at all times but when your ruck is irrelevant well then usually your team is too. A perfect example is Mummy. Bloke can barely move but found a way to stay in the game and be one of the most effective low disposal rucks to ever play IMO. Once Sammy Draper understands the game more and where to stand behind the play/down the line he will be a top 5 AFL ruck very soon.

 

[faible]

I remember the one or two games Bellchambers threw his weight around and I made a similar comment… reckon I got my head ripped off for saying it too. Someone has to lead the charge and it might as well be the mullet.

Bellchambers could do it at times no doubt, but isn't the manic angry bigman that Draper appears to be.

 

[faible]

Bloody oath! He has all the enthusiasm to stay in the game at all times. Staying in the game is difficult. You should be able to as a ruckman since you are around the ball at all times but when your ruck is irrelevant well then usually your team is too. A perfect example is Mummy. Bloke can barely move but found a way to stay in the game and be one of the most effective low disposal rucks to ever play IMO. Once Sammy Draper understands the game more and where to stand behind the play/down the line he will be a top 5 AFL ruck very soon.

Draper has all the athleticism that Mumford never did too, and seems to enjoy smashing blokes almost as much as Mummy did.

 

[BrunoV]

He's top 3 most important to our team, with Ridley and Stringer.

There is no one else on the list who can do what he does with his quality.

That physical presence around the ball is an important part of adding weight to a light midfield. He should really become a powerful marking presence around the ground, too. He was almost there last year.

He's an unusual combination of the attitude and physicality of the smaller more punishing rucks, like Mumford and Nakervis, with the athleticism of the followers like Martin and Marshall and the height and reach of a big ruck (with out being a giant which starts at Gawn's 208cm) to makes him a potentially elite tap ruckman.

It's why I'm wary of the comments that Bryan could be better. Draper has something like Gawn's aerial game in him with something close to being Mumford like at ground level. I don't think we've seen that combination before, not in a rig that gets around the ground like a Martin or Marshall.

I don't think Bryan's clear advantage in football nous and class counts for as much when it comes to ruckmen.

The bar is set for Bryan at a ridiculous level, particularly for a guy who is going to add 15 to 20 kgs when one of the things that makes him potentially special is his athleticism. Draper started that journey 10 kgs heavier which means it's natural for him.

I also dont really see any competition between the 2 anyway. Bryan is a guy we can develop as a key/forward to play second ruck when he has the quality to play as a number 1. If he can develop a quality contested marking game his attributes are more suited to playing as a key forward.

Leave it to Draper to grind opponents into submission for Bryan to then jump all over them.

I think we throw a bit of caution to the wind and start straight away. Bryan's probably not ready but I like the idea of freeing Wright and building a forward combination with Bryan.

 

[Ambrosia]

He's top 3 most important to our team, with Ridley and Stringer.

There is no one else on the list who can do what he does with his quality.

That physical presence around the ball is an important part of adding weight to a light midfield. He should really become a powerful marking presence around the ground, too. He was almost there last year.

He's an unusual combination of the attitude and physicality of the smaller more punishing rucks, like Mumford and Nakervis, with the athleticism of the followers like Martin and Marshall with the height and reach of a big ruck (with out being a giant which starts at Gawn's 208cm) to makes him a potentially elite tap ruckman.

It's why I'm wary of the comments that Bryan could be better. Draper has something like Gawn's aerial game in him with something close to being Mumford like at ground level. I don't think we've seen that combination before, not in a rig that gets around the ground like a Martin or Marshall.

I don't think Bryan's clear advantage in football nous and class counts for as much when it comes to ruckmen.

The bar is set for Bryan at a ridiculous level, particularly for a guy who is going to add 15 to 20 kgs when one of the things that makes him potentially special is his athleticism. Draper started that journey 10 kgs heavier which means it's natural for him.

I also dont really see any competition between the 2 anyway. Bryan is a guy we can develop as a key/forward to play second ruck when he has the quality to play as a number 1. If he can develop a quality contested marking game his attributes are more suited to playing as a key forward.

Leave it to Draper to grind opponents into submission for Bryan to then jump all over them.

I think we throw a bit of caution to the wind and start straight away. Bryan's probably not ready but I like the idea of freeing Wright and build a forward combination with Bryan.

I know he's not that good but Scott Lycett is the closest comparison I can think of for Sam Draper attribute wise. Draper is a superior athlete and has shown a much better ability to impact stoppages at ground level though.

 

[faible]

I know he's not that good but Scott Lycett is the closest comparison I can think of for Sam Draper attribute wise. Draper is a superior athlete and has shown a much better ability to impact stoppages at ground level though.

More athletic Mumford?

Less athletic Natanui? (But with a better tank)

 

[BrunoV]

I know he's not that good but Scott Lycett is the closest comparison I can think of for Sam Draper attribute wise. Draper is a superior athlete and has shown a much better ability to impact stoppages at ground level though.

Ground level Lycett is probably the biggest of the guys who really throw their weight around, at least he'll be the biggest until Draper fills out. Interesting thing about Lycett is that he was pure gas for the first 5 or 6 years of his career. His body shape has really changed in the last few years. It's a bit of a cautionary tale for Bryan. He might not need all the weight and being lighter, KPP weight, might enable him to be something even better than a quality number 1 ruck (where he'll likely have to stack the weight on).

Lycett is an average tap ruck. It's a strange thing that there are so few guys that are a well rounded. It's usually all grunt or all hit outs.

I should also mention that Preuss is by far the scariest and biggest of the physical rucks but he can't get on the park or around the ground.

 

[ant555]

His timing in the ruck was off the other day. Seemed to be jumping too early. Did not do much around the ground either.

 

[BrunoV]

Was horrible v Dogs

 

[Keystone agony]

Yeh i was expecting much more. Happy to give a reprieve for the first preseason game for the year

He had to go up against 2 rucks. Didnt get an Oscar Allen

12

Oscar Allen

Age

25

Ht

196cm

Wt

96kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.8

2star

K

6.6

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.4

4star

G

1.1

4star

No current season stats available

D

8.6

3star

K

5.8

3star

HB

2.8

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.0

4star

G

1.2

4star

or JSOS for example at any time

 

[ScrappyCoCo]

He is going well however he needs to start clunking marks down the line I feel. 1 mark for the game is not enough. Aim for 6 and if you take 3 or 4 its ok.

 

[Schnitzengruben]

For a bloke who looks like he'd murder you for looking at him a moment too long, he's had a few soft moments lately. Needs to to work on his tap-work too, completely out of sync with our mids.

 

[Big Slam]

Hot take: Draper is not it.

Doesn’t matter if you have great size, athletic ability and aggression, you still need to know how to play footy. And he doesn’t.

He’s at risk of being one of those players who gets by on his “potential” label bur never lives up to it.

He might have already hit his ceiling. What we see today might be as is good as he’s ever going to get.

Doesn’t matter if you have 50% more more hit outs if you don’t have the ruck craft to palm the ball to areas that benefit your mids.

Nick Bryan is better. He’s just not built as well as Draper.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Get the ball away from Draper now please.

I cringe whenever he has it.

Ball drop is shit.

Shows no initiative.

Yes!
He's built like a brick shithouse but that means **** all if you don't know what to do after taking a mark.

How has no one got him working on smarts and ball drop?

Nick Bryan and Peter Wright from now on please.

Oh, and please target one of Broadbent, O'Keeffe, Elliott, McLarty, Luke Brown

16

Luke Brown

Age

32

Ht

181cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.1

4star

K

8.9

3star

HB

5.2

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

2.0

4star

MG

273.4

4star

D

11.7

3star

K

9.3

4star

HB

2.4

2star

M

3.4

3star

T

1.4

2star

MG

273.4

4star

D

9.0

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

3.6

3star

M

3.2

4star

T

1.4

4star

or Will Verrall please.

 

[ant555]

Needs to work a lot on his game craft. Stuff like standing too far back when players are looking to kick it to him on the lead and the ball does not reach him or other players run past him. It was like watching T- Bell all over again. They are not going to fix his ball drop. He started footy too late and it is going to be what it is.
Just has to be in position to mark the ball more often which he has not been.
Make it simple for him. 60 meters down the line and not 80.

 

[TheGrizz]

All the people ending Draper's career - please note the following:

1. He has played 23 games TOTAL and has had 2 serious leg injuries in the first part of his career. The reason he looks lost out there at times is because he is still so raw in terms of playing within elite football structures and systems

2. Teams are now planning for him. He made some teams look silly last year and so now teams and oppo ruckmen are planning around how to mitigate his effect

3. Now he is young, and the above can be rectified and worked through with appropriate support and development

Now I agree that he had some soft efforts yesterday, and his first two weeks have been underwhelming.
But calling him a bust and saying an even LESS experience Bryan is the answer after one bad fortnight is the definition of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

R.E.L.A.X