2013 DRAFT discussion thread: Rookie Draft complete

[Demon 16]

There have been plenty of drafts where I was initially disappointed with 1 or 2 of our picks - but I am genuinely happy with the look of each of our 3 new players tonight.

 

[Cannon82]

Wrapped to get JKH but pretty underwhelmed by Salem's highlight package and stats. Can anyone with any knowledge of the topic say why he was a top 10 pick? Seems like another massive reach i mean he only averaged 15 disposals a game at the champs and 22 a game at TAC level and wasn't an AA. Don't see how we pick him over the likes of Sheed and Dunstan.

Just had a look at that highlights package and it didn't show too much. A few decent shots at goal and a few loose possessions running off the half back line. Certainly not a lot of evidence of a laser left foot?

Still, we've got him now, and if he bulks up a bit and develops the way a normal good footballer should, he won't find it hard to lock down a spot in the side somewhere. Given our glut of tall forwards as well as Howe, I reckon he'll start on the half back flank when he does get a gig.

Glad we picked up this Kennedy-Harris. We need a good small forward - it's nice to rotate midfielders through the forward line, but I'd rather we have a specialist like Thomas or Betts who jag 3 or 4 goals every now and again.

Don't know much of this Jayden Hunt, but thought we could've speculated on Marsh from WA with pick #57. A lightning fast 3rd tall would be a terrible match up for the opposition when we've got Hogan, Clark, Howe, etc floating around.


A few other comments:
Collingwood - Scharenberg, Freeman and a dud pick on that Marsh from WA... thieving bastards.
GWS - added Boyd, Kelly, McCarthy and Lobb along with Martin to the other 20 odd first round picks on their list. Bastards.
Hawthorn - interesting that with Hodge, Sewell, Burgoyne, Mitchell, etc all very close to the exit door that they went with outside run / forward players?
St Kilda - Billings, Dunstan and Acres. In a few years, punting McEvoy might look like pure genius. Those are 3 pretty good names to start out a rebuild.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Salem the safe option at 9 IMO, hard as nails, good kick, not as much 'upside' as others, but as we Melbourne supporters know, upside is a very dirty word.... Happy to have him.

We needed a small forward so glad we used our second pick on one.

Hunt, Brighton Grammer, James Strauss without the BP price tag attached to it. Selected in a spot amateur footballers should be.

Safe draft, give me this over the BP 'watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat' rocky and bullwinkle style any day.

 

[Sylvia Saint]

Salem to me looks like a safe and sensible selection. Looks to be a smooth operator. Collingwood would have taken him at 10 if we took Freeman, the Hawks apparently rated him the third best prospect (I got this from an unsubstantiated post on Demonland) so it's nice to know we haven't pulled another Molan, Gysberts, Cook type name out of left field.

Everyone's a winner on draft day - will wait for the "Salem over Freeman? What were we thinking?" posts that will surface at some stage in 2014.

 

[DeeWong6996]

Not sure what people are complaining about. It's not as if we chose Salem over Scharenburg or Aish. The only other player I rate higher, that hadn't gone yet was Sheed.

Disciplined, bigger bodied mid, good in the clinches, can run/spread and is a beautiful kick.

 

[CWaffles]

After reading this I couldn't be more happy with our decision.​

He took on feedback early in the season went and worked on it and has turned it into a strong part of his game! ​

Lets hope he continues works hard over the next 4 or so months and earns his spot.​

WEAKNESSES​

Gut running was perceived as something Salem could work on earlier in the season but he went away and did that, which was obvious in his beep test at the combine, when he ran 14.5. It was a big tick in the eyes of recruiters. He is learning to use that in games, too, by demanding the ball more out on the ground. ​

​

 

[bing181]

Not sure how anyone could be surprised by Salem. Most pundits had 9 and 10 being Salem and/or Freeman, which is how it panned out.

 

[LeverPuller]

Also.

A Jay and a Jayden to add to the Jacks, Joneses, Jameses...

 

[PureFooty]

My brother played at Dragons with him for a couple of seasons, he always told me that he was the best kick at the club, and one of the best he's ever seen. He reckons, that Freeman is a jet as well, so it would've been a win-win regardless, where getting a bloke who he honestly thinks will be in the top 1% of ball users in the comp, who is also quite quick, whilst the pies got a strong bodied, fast outside type. I'm happy with him, a few pre seasons into him and Toump, and you've got 2 outstanding users. I like this Jayden Hunt, reminds me of Sam Blease, not afraid to burn the opposition, however he seems a bit tougher than Blease, but definitely lacks the class finish. JKH also excites me, glad we went out and targeted a small forward. He is small, and he isn't lighting quick, but he has footy smarts and is very agile and evasive. From the footage, he reads the play very well, and we might have a no 1 small forward at our club, who we probably haven't had for many years.

 

[zeeCFC]

Tyson, Toumpas, Trengove, Salem, Viney

If Roos can get the most out of these guys you'll be making up for all these losses in time.

 

[zeeCFC]

Salem is a jet by the way. Very similar to our Kade Simpson.

 

[RedLegs#5]

JKH is extremely well spoken. Not that it matters, but he's probably the most articulate/literate AFL player I've ever seen on Twitter, too. Knows how to use his apostrophes, which is more than can be said for most of the rest of the league.

Looks like a serious player. Not the quickest I've seen but knows how to run (if that makes sense) according to his role, and knows how to find and use space as well. Good kick too, and hard at it. Great hands too, and has an eye for the ball.

Salem has really great skills. Will be one of our best kicks which is something we really need in our midfield if we're going to make the most of our inside 50s, especially with our legion of tall forwards. Only Watts and Toumpas in the middle are really anywhere near elite kicks at the moment. Fantastic mark too. Is a bit in the mould of a Nathan Fyfe type. Has some serious pace.

Tossing up between Salem and Freeman, I think it might have come down to Freeman's speed advantage being far outweighed by Salem's huge kicking/marking advantage. Salem's a harder player too.

No one should underestimate this quality in the kid. Probably the toughest midfielder in the 2013 draft. Freeman (our only other realistic option when it came to our pick) will most likely turn out to be of real quality too.

Salem has the potential to be the exact kind of player Roosy loves. Was expecting them to take him.

 

[tigs2010]

Salem will end up 2nd/3rd best player in this draft. Good get.

 

[tigs2010]

Salem to me looks like a safe and sensible selection. Looks to be a smooth operator. Collingwood would have taken him at 10 if we took Freeman, the Hawks apparently rated him the third best prospect (I got this from an unsubstantiated post on Demonland) so it's nice to know we haven't pulled another Molan, Gysberts, Cook type name out of left field.

Everyone's a winner on draft day - will wait for the "Salem over Freeman? What were we thinking?" posts that will surface at some stage in 2014.

Hawks weren't the only ones. He's a star.

 

[Tough Kent]

Jayden grew six cm this year. Played off half back for Brighton Grammar under Robert Shaw and apparently outshone some of his TAC Cup teammates. Played in a couple of rep games late in the year and did well.
Has never lifted a weight and is a project player, but Jayden sounds like he has huge upside.The club did a lot of research on this boy and kept their cards pretty close to their chest. I know these are edited highlights but he looks super quick and a good user of the footy. http://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/2013-11-21/draft-pick-57-jayden-hunt-highlights

 

[Djcjdees]

Alrighty well we do need speed and good users of the footy so i won't knock that. Hopefully he's as good as you guys say!

Agreed. If he can kick, that pretty much puts him in the 22 anyway because we all know we have some players that can't

 

[Theo X]

Not sure what people are complaining about. It's not as if we chose Salem over Scharenburg or Aish.

Yeah, but the dodgy Collingwood/WC draft-tampering pick swap cost us one of those two.

 

[Tulip]

Yeah, but the dodgy Collingwood/WC draft-tampering pick swap cost us one of those two.

Ahem, Jack Viney

 

[dee64]

After watching the brief highlights package of Jayden Hunt, he reminds me of another late bloomer in Isaac Smith. He looks raw boned, but love his acceleration and penetrating kick. Interested to see how he goes at Casey next year.

 

[Bluelegs]

Salem interview

 

[ponsdale]

Some info on Jayden Hunt.

Ran a 11.18sec for 100m in the Div2 final of the APS Athletics (page 6). Seems like great kid. Only really got his body into gear after the growth spurt. Probably played more tennis before then.

 

[Devastating Boris]

Did anyone else take from the interview with Roos at the draft that we weren't going to take Kelly with 2? Aish, Billings maybe. Interesting. He was honest he kept saying "nothing against Josh but..."

 

[Flyswatter]

so does picking up Kennedy-Harris pull the rug out from under Jetta in terms of rookie spot?

 

[dee64]

Did anyone else take from the interview with Roos at the draft that we weren't going to take Kelly with 2? Aish, Billings maybe. Interesting. He was honest he kept saying "nothing against Josh but..."

No doubt that we rated 2 quality players (Tyson + pick 9) ahead of either Kelly, Aish or Billings. Some people in the media pump up some early draftees like Kelly as being exponentially better than pick 9, despite the draft history proving different.

IMO, our strategy made sense, but we won't know for 2-3 years.

 

[Devastating Boris]

No doubt that we rated 2 quality players (Tyson + pick 9) ahead of either Kelly, Aish or Billings. Some people in the media pump up some early draftees like Kelly as being exponentially better than pick 9, despite the draft history proving different.

IMO, our strategy made sense, but we won't know for 2-3 years.

Yeah definitely but I was referring to the point where he actually came out and said that we would have gone a different way to Kelly at 2 if we kept it.