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

 

[naraku]

.... and? cleared?

Didn't let the cat out of the bag. He said along the lines of "getting a bit banged up been a ruckman".
Hoping it was just precautionary.

 

[VelvetSledge]

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.

Elite haircut

 

[Keystone agony]

Hes a different ruck to the rest. More in the NicNat mould

Limited stats but bigger impact

Thought his marking vs WCE was also very good on the weekend

Also touch wood but his durability is starting to be really good

Weve seen all Xerri, Hickey, DCAM, Witts, Nank, S.Darcy, Gawn, Ladhams, Stanley, NicNat, Pittonet get injured a fair bit

 

[Yoda_]

Huge test this week against one of the more under rated rucks of the last two decades. Todd Goldstein

17

Todd Goldstein

Age

36

Ht

201cm

Wt

101kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.2

3star

K

5.7

2star

HB

7.5

5star

CL

3.1

5star

HO

32.5

5star

D

16.7

4star

K

9.3

4star

HB

7.4

4star

CL

7.0

5star

HO

32.9

5star

D

5.2

2star

K

2.6

1star

HB

2.6

3star

HO

10.0

5star

and his basketball background will ensure he tries to stay involved in the around the ground build up for North. Draper will have his work cut out to keep pace.

If injury concerns are true and he does pull out, then Phillips needs to at least break even, that goes a long way to winning one of the more key duels on Sunday afternoon.

 

[Godzke]

Hes a different ruck to the rest. More in the NicNat mould

Limited stats but bigger impact

Thought his marking vs WCE was also very good on the weekend

Also touch wood but his durability is starting to be really good

Weve seen all Xerri, Hickey, DCAM, Witts, Nank, S.Darcy, Gawn, Ladhams, Stanley, NicNat, Pittonet get injured a fair bit

Reading about Crisp hitting 200 consecutive games prompted me to find out who is the current consecutive game holder at essendon and sure enough its draper with 44 games.

Next essendon players are Nic Martin (31) and Mason Redman (17).

Next ruckman is Sean Darcy (28) although he's injured now. Rowan Marshall on 26.

Sent from my SM-S911B using Tapatalk

 

[Big Slam]

Thought he had his best game ever against North relative to actual ruck craft - and against a quality tap ruckman in Goldstein.

Draper’s timing, jumping and open hand palming was superb this game.

Love to see it.

 

[ghostdog]

Thought he had his best game ever against North relative to actual ruck craft - and against a quality tap ruckman in Goldstein.

Draper’s timing, jumping and open hand palming was superb this game.

Love to see it.

Yep, some excellent distribution, especially to players hitting the ball at speed. That checkside snap though

 

[Lore]

Struggling with a hip injury, so they planned to sub him out, give him a little less game time going into the bye and hopefully get him right for the second half of the year.

So spake Scott at the post-game press conference

 

[Gabe251]

His kick is somewhat woeful lol.

 

[Old Campaigner]

So much for not playing blokes injured

 

[BrunoV]

As I see it:

1. he is playing injured and has lost his power and drive;

2. he drank his own bathwater and has been trying to ruck like Steve McKee, before that rule change that ended his career, with the aim of 10 pack busting clearances a game. This has blown up his timing completely because as good a tap ruck as he is, I don't know if his natural craft and guile is that good;

3. a coach thought 2 would be a good idea and it has had the same result.

He has been diabolical these last 3 or 4 weeks.

 

[maskmcgee]

 

[joey_jo_jo]

Judging from Scott's presser I dont think Drapes is playing this weekend. Will be interesting to see how we set up against Darcy/Jackson who are both in good form atm.

 

[Zach Package]

As I see it:

1. he is playing injured and has lost his power and drive;

2. he drank his own bathwater and has been trying to ruck like Steve McKee, before that rule change that ended his career, with the aim of 10 pack busting clearances a game. This has blown up his timing completely because as good a tap ruck as he is, I don't know if his natural craft and guile is that good;

3. a coach thought 2 would be a good idea and it has had the same result.

He has been diabolical these last 3 or 4 weeks.

Injured.

Looks like we’re going to give him another week.

 

[BrunoV]

Injured.

Looks like we’re going to give him another week.

Can I say this is the outcome I hoped for?

It should be easier to recapture his form.

 

[Zach Package]

Can I say this is the outcome I hoped for?

It should be easier to recapture his form.

It’s also the outcome that makes the most sense. I would have thought Phillips would have been dropped by now but he’s ample cover if we’re trying to nurse Draper through at the same time.

 

[Petrify]

If Darcy doesn't play and it is a wet game its not the worst one for him to miss. Jackson isn't an amazing tap ruckmen so Phillips can hold his own. Might even be a good game to give Bryan a run around as the main ruck

 

[eth-dog]

Listed as "test". Hope we don't risk it.

 

[Lore]

Sitting on a plane for several hours with a hip issue is less than ideal, even with a tall person seat upgrade. Makes sense not to drag him across the country, and has been foreshadowed for a couple of weeks.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Didn’t like Scott’s comments ..”could be more could be less weeks…we just don’t know”

 

[Call Me Cake]

My mantra is let players miss if it's to get their body right. I'd rather risk losing than hampering the long-term development of an important player.

 

[Lore]

Probably gonna lose anyway coming off the bye, so it's basically a free hit to try and get him right

 

[Beerfish]

Probably gonna lose anyway coming off the bye, so it's basically a free hit to try and get him right

That's the spirit!

 

[Hamez]

Another big man down


Essentially 4-5 weeks since being ‘tactically’ subbed out in the Carlton game.

 

[cAsEy_18]

Another big man down


Essentially 4-5 weeks since being ‘tactically’ subbed out in the Carlton game.

Nah they never said tactically. They were actually very open about it was a hip injury and that he’d had it for a while.