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

 

[craffles]

Give Nik Cox a big preseason, chuck in the ruck rather than wasting a wing spot. Pay Draper contract out and delist.

 

[DERO]

Going

 

[Bjchan13]

Is the immature ****wit slowly being coached out of him as the year has gone on? Has looked better

 

[SpeckieMcVeigh]

Very very good today. Took a few big marks in the forward line and around the ground. Also evident how much fitter he is than Bryan at this stage of their careers.

 

[naraku]

Yep, quite good today.

 

[bommer16]

Played a good game today. Want to see more. Effort was there all day.

 

[crackers65]

I just don’t trust him.

 

[Petrify]

He was excellent. And his set shot isn't that bad from range. Him & Bryan combo is definitely something to work with

 

[MarkJohnson#1]

“The difference”

 

[Bunk Moreland]

He will always do dumb shit, but he showed his value today which is his presence. He has a huge impact on the game with his ability to win or at least halve contests in the air.

 

[Blind Turn]

Theres been a couple of occasions where he’s taken a big pack mark to stop one last thrust from the opposition in a close game this year. It’s moments like that which make you realise just how important he might be in the years ahead.

You iron out his rough edges. Then you have a unique weapon.

 

[Goat Hird]

He's actually marking the ball now

 

[sup3rfish]

Its the kick out of ruck that bugs me. There was a clear one i think in the last, edged his oppo under the contest, took the ball, should have handballed to parish but instead dumped kicked to the goal square which resulted in a rushed behind.
Actually take that back, that was the difference.

 

[DapperDon]

Just watched the last quarter again and had to laugh when he took the mark in the dying seconds and all his team mates all yelled and held up their hands telling him not to play on like he was Forest Gump running out the stadium after a touchdown.

 

[ant555]

Took some marks. Me like this.

 

[ant555]

Just watched the last quarter again and had to laugh when he took the mark in the dying seconds and all his team mates all yelled and held up their hands telling him not to play on like he was Forest Gump running out the stadium after a touchdown.

I was hoping he would do the flippity fish again

 

[Skipper_]

Played probably the best 3 quarters of his career and then his worst in the last.

 

[CBombers17]

As annoying as some of the easy misses and other dumb shit can be he's improving. And given his age and that he came to the game late the upside could still be pretty high. I think we need to stay the course with Draper (unfortunately at times).

 

[Darealrath]

Just had to halve those contests at the end.

 

[brutus76]

He's almost 26 and is playing one very good game to 3 MEH games

Is this as good as he gets?

Would Bryan or Visentini be as good or even better when they get to the same age?

Is he as good as Xerri, Bailey Williams or Jackson who are the same age or younger?

 

[TheFrenchCut]

Personally hate that he's spending as much time deep forward as he is, but I think his play in general is showing good signs of late. Is making better decisions more regularly and when he has a realistic chance, he's taking grabs more often than he used to.

 

[MarkJohnson#1]

Better than 2 Metre Non-ComPeter up forward…

 

[Nicholas61]

Gives genuine joy - like when he kept soccering it off the ground then kicked it into a Sydney players head.

 

[ScrappyCoCo]

Liked his game last night. Working hard on as few things to improve. His goal kicking around the corner was new and I didn't mind it. Also, it seemed as if he realized he could use his ruck skills around the ground...instead of just bring bringing the ball to ground when out of position marking, he was palming it to our advantage (or trying to). Noticed this 3 or 4 times and it was very deliberate and something I had not noticed him doing much before. He assisted Stringer in that goal and nearly gave him another in the first.

If he could actively look to tackle every time after a ruck contest (like Xerri does), set a goal, 5 plus tackles per game, I am sure it would take him to another level.

 

[Bjchan13]

Im not letting Draper go unless it gets us a best 22 physical ruck around the same age in return. His strenghs are starting to shine through consistently and he has matured as the year has gone on. Only 26. He compliments Bryan well and both can coexist for a long time in my opinion. Playing Draper as a ruck/fwd is not the reason our forwardline has been dogshit this year. He is not causing the balance issues.