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

 

[ant555]

He has time to improve but he has to be better . His concentration level is average . He is out of position a lot of the time and he has no idea how to mark the footy at times. He has a lot of X factor stuff that hides the really poor aspects of his game. If we are going anywhere he has to have another level. Will be an interesting watch.

 

[brain taylor]

more of a brand than a ruckman rn

 

[MiguelM]

Marking practice with Phillips all week please!

 

[naraku]

If he wants to take the next step, he needs to be able to take some contested marks.

 

[fairbump_playon]

Needs to be less mural and more real

 

[ant555]

If he wants to take the next step, he needs to be able to take some contested marks.

100% and not just at FF.

 

[Eleven 38]

Winning goal of the year has set him back a bit I reckon.

Needs to get back to basics of rucking with the odd bit of flair while he still learns the game and providing a target on the wing coming out of defense.

 

[fairbump_playon]

When he's good it all looks freakishly athletic and unconventional.

When he's bad it looks like he doesn't come from a footy background and hasn't mastered a bunch of the basics.

Last night there was an annoying amount of Essendon players getting out-bodies & outmanouvered in marking contests, even when not giving away height.. Draper included. He really needs some heavy support on his marking craft. He only takes contested marks when he has a free run at the footy. If he has to prop and body he often doesn't even halve. Guy is a massive unit and should be harder to move off the line.

 

[citizen-erased]

He has time to improve but he has to be better . His concentration level is average . He is out of position a lot of the time and he has no idea how to mark the footy at times. He has a lot of X factor stuff that hides the really poor aspects of his game. If we are going anywhere he has to have another level. Will be an interesting watch.

Has me incredibly frustrated
75% of the time he looks the rookie pick project
25% he does amazing things

We arent so blessed that we can drop him and honestly flip isnt gonna be #1

Do we roll the development dice and play Bryan with draper focusing on being more of a forward

Zerk - baldwin - bryan - weid - draper

 

[Dudoro]

B grader with a couple of nice highlights. Dodoro gotta look at drafting a ruckman.

 

[ant555]

Has me incredibly frustrated
75% of the time he looks the rookie pick project
25% he does amazing things

We arent so blessed that we can drop him and honestly flip isnt gonna be #1

Do we roll the development dice and play Bryan with draper focusing on being more of a forward

Zerk - baldwin - bryan - weid - draper

At some stage we will want to play Bryan even though he is not the answer to the problems right now. Give Flipper a couple of weeks break and maybe Sam 1 week and give Bryan 3 games to have another crack.

 

[citizen-erased]

At some stage we will want to play Bryan even though he is not the answer to the problems right now. Give Flipper a couple of weeks break and maybe Sam 1 week and give Bryan 3 games to have another crack.

Ryan and jamieson/williams into goldy and pittonet isnt the worst run of games to get him in for.
And draper is there to support

 

[BomberFan355]

That bump off and goal from Joey was embarrassing. Hardly made a contest around the ground. Was frustrating to watch.

 

[DapperDon]

Very frustrating to watch at the moment, he is still young in ruckman terms so I still have faith, but he 100% needs to start taking those important marks around the ground and when playing forward. What annoyed me on Saturday was him making the contest but not actually competing when he got there. Just stayed flat footed and watched his opponent take mark after mark uncontested. Destroyed us structurally.

 

[BomberFan355]

What annoyed me on Saturday was him making the contest but not actually competing when he got there. Just stayed flat footed and watched his opponent take mark after mark uncontested.

That was the frustrating part, he got there but did nothing.

 

[Petrify]

A week is a long time in footy. His center square work in the last quarter is a big reason why we won this week. If you missed it, go watch his handball to Zerrett who then passed it to Stringer for the goal. I don't think there's many ruckmen in the league who could do that.

 

[Maddogm]

A week is a long time in footy. His center square work in the last quarter is a big reason why we won this week. If you missed it, go watch his handball to Zerrett who then passed it to Stringer for the goal. I don't think there's many ruckmen in the league who could do that.

Yeah, that was slick

 

[naraku]

Had scans for hip/leg after WCE match.

 

[citizen-erased]

Had scans for hip/leg after WCE match.

looked to be getting a bit of work on it during the game. was hard to tell given the broadcast gave it 5s coverage between this weeks episode of "Where's Sheed....oh, he's sitting down for a bit" and the mystery of the missing boots

probably not the game to be throwing Phillips/Bryan at. Goldy still doing alright.
am hoping Bryan gets full game time this week and the sub was management more than anything.

 

[faible]

His best is elite, his worst is pretty useless, just needs to improve his worst games to a passable level and that’ll be enough.

The ground level ability for a ruckman is such a weapon, but he also looks like a guy who didn’t grow up playing footy. Lacks some of the more basic elements of marking, spoiling and holding his position body-on-body. There really shouldn’t be many (or any) players that can move him off the line. He’s taller and heavier than Hawkins.

 

[TheUnicorn]

His best is elite, his worst is pretty useless, just needs to improve his worst games to a passable level and that’ll be enough.

The ground level ability for a ruckman is such a weapon, but he also looks like a guy who didn’t grow up playing footy. Lacks some of the more basic elements of marking, spoiling and holding his position body-on-body. There really shouldn’t be many (or any) players that can move him off the line. He’s taller and heavier than Hawkins.

If Mason Cox can do it Draper can do it!

 

[Godzke]

Had scans for hip/leg after WCE match.

.... and? cleared?

 

[ant555]

His best is elite, his worst is pretty useless, just needs to improve his worst games to a passable level and that’ll be enough.

The ground level ability for a ruckman is such a weapon, but he also looks like a guy who didn’t grow up playing footy. Lacks some of the more basic elements of marking, spoiling and holding his position body-on-body. There really shouldn’t be many (or any) players that can move him off the line. He’s taller and heavier than Hawkins.

Is he elite even at his best? Sure he can do the odd X factor thing but most of what he does is average. I think people get seduced by the odd flash of excitement when he does something out of the ordinary.
I am not calling his best elite until he shows he can take more marks around the ground. Be better with his hit outs and not ball watch and let the opposition ruck get way .

 

[cAsEy_18]

Is he elite even at his best? Sure he can do the odd X factor thing but most of what he does is average. I think people get seduced by the odd flash of excitement when he does something out of the ordinary.
I am not calling his best elite until he shows he can take more marks around the ground. Be better with his hit outs and not ball watch and let the opposition ruck get way .

I think aspects of his game are elite, when you compare to other ruckman at least. In particular, his follow up work at centre bounces is up there with the best.

As you say, consistency is his issue, as well as getting to at least average/good standard in other areas that a ruckman should (Eg: around the ground marking)

 

[citizen-erased]

Is he elite even at his best? Sure he can do the odd X factor thing but most of what he does is average. I think people get seduced by the odd flash of excitement when he does something out of the ordinary.
I am not calling his best elite until he shows he can take more marks around the ground. Be better with his hit outs and not ball watch and let the opposition ruck get way .

i cant think of anything he does that is elite.....maybe other than the celebration stuff.

Not to knock him cos he's doing a decent job as the only capable ruckman on our list, but i can't imagine he breaks into the top 10 ruckman in the comp.