Game Day 2019 AFL Draft

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A mate of mine knows a recruiter at Gold Coast. According to this recruiter they don’t rate Bianco at all. They reckon he is too small to make it.
I reckon they are wrong, but I know two thirds of FA about anything.

This coming from a club who has botched the last decade of handouts and then required more handouts.
 

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This coming from a club who has botched the last decade of handouts and then required more handouts.
They could have done better, but i think their early selections weren’t too bad they could have been comoetitaice and played finals if they could have kept their team together.
 
This coming from a club who has botched the last decade of handouts and then required more handouts.
I didn’t say they know what they’re on about.
 
Ya’ll know that it’s a new recruiting team at Gold Coast right?

They’ve only been on the job for two drafts now.
Kall Burns has literally been a head recruiter for two years with ridiculously high picks and was a part of the old recruitment team. He has no real track record yet, outside the shitful recruiting at GC that he was involved in before Cameron took over as list manager.

Forgive us for not trusting his judgement over Hine.
 
Kall Burns has literally been a head recruiter for two years with ridiculously high picks and was a part of the old recruitment team. He has no real track record yet, outside the shitful recruiting at GC that he was involved in before Cameron took over as list manager.

Forgive us for not trusting his judgement over Hine.

I’m hardly an expert on Gold Coasts recruiting teams iterations, but they seemed to have done ok at the draft before Cameron arrived.

Before Cameron, Burns was primarily a data analyst in the recruiting department, that’s low on the recruiting totem pole.

He might have been part of the team, but would have had minimal input.

Cameron didn’t have a great record with Gold Coast either. Especially when he made that lopsided pick trade with West Coast, right before leaving Gold Coast to join West Coast.


As for Bianco, a lot of teams passed on him before you picked him with your second pick.

He’s certainly skilful, but he’s short, lacks genuine speed and is not a noted defensive specialist. And there have been questions about the lack of a contested side to his game.

But in a shallow and even draft, at some point he simply becomes to good compared to those left on board. So you draft him.

The question will be, can his advanced skills compensate for his stature and pace.
 
I’m hardly an expert on Gold Coasts recruiting teams iterations, but they seemed to have done ok at the draft before Cameron arrived.

Before Cameron, Burns was primarily a data analyst in the recruiting department, that’s low on the recruiting totem pole.

He might have been part of the team, but would have had minimal input.

Cameron didn’t have a great record with Gold Coast either. Especially when he made that lopsided pick trade with West Coast, right before leaving Gold Coast to join West Coast.


As for Bianco, a lot of teams passed on him before you picked him with your second pick.

He’s certainly skilful, but he’s short, lacks genuine speed and is not a noted defensive specialist. And there have been questions about the lack of a contested side to his game.

But in a shallow and even draft, at some point he simply becomes to good compared to those left on board. So you draft him.

The question will be, can his advanced skills compensate for his stature and pace.
A certain ex Hawthorn captain says hi - the modern obsession with height is laughable.
 
A mate of mine knows a recruiter at Gold Coast. According to this recruiter they don’t rate Bianco at all. They reckon he is too small to make it.
I reckon they are wrong, but I know two thirds of FA about anything.
Agree, 'too small' doesnt make sense to me. Unless his listed height is wrong. Lachie Neale slipped to pick 50 in 2011, probably because he was 'too small'.
 
A certain ex Hawthorn captain says hi - the modern obsession with height is laughable.
In today’s game, if you’re short, you’ve got either be exceptionally talented, or athletically gifted to make it at AFL level.

Agree, 'too small' doesnt make sense to me. Unless his listed height is wrong. Lachie Neale slipped to pick 50 in 2011, probably because he was 'too small'.
And this actually demonstrates my next point.

Lachie Neale doesn’t play a position where his lack of height can expose him as much or as often against bigger, taller opponents.

Still, we went a recruited a big bodied midfielder in CEY to play as a body guard for Neale for the next time we play Carlton and Patrick Cripps.


Where as Bianco is going to be playing more of an individualised position.

He’s going be to playing on opposition small forwards or half forwards. He doesn’t have the pace, physical or athletic gifts to defend the Charlie Cameron’s, Connor Rozee’s or Izak Rankine’s of the AFL.

And most teams these days have multiple quality small and medium forwards, so it’s not easy to hide a small defender on an opposition’s weaker small forward.

And as an offensive option, he doesn’t have the pace to burn off many of the competitions outside players.
 
In today’s game, if you’re short, you’ve got either be exceptionally talented, or athletically gifted to make it at AFL level.


And this actually demonstrates my next point.

Lachie Neale doesn’t play a position where his lack of height can expose him as much or as often against bigger, taller opponents.

Still, we went a recruited a big bodied midfielder in CEY to play as a body guard for Neale for the next time we play Carlton and Patrick Cripps.


Where as Bianco is going to be playing more of an individualised position.

He’s going be to playing on opposition small forwards or half forwards. He doesn’t have the pace, physical or athletic gifts to defend the Charlie Cameron’s, Connor Rozee’s or Izak Rankine’s of the AFL.

And most teams these days have multiple quality small and medium forwards, so it’s not easy to hide a small defender on an opposition’s weaker small forward.

And as an offensive option, he doesn’t have the pace to burn off many of the competitions outside players.




Will Christensen be playing in 2020?
 

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In today’s game, if you’re short, you’ve got either be exceptionally talented, or athletically gifted to make it at AFL level.


And this actually demonstrates my next point.

Lachie Neale doesn’t play a position where his lack of height can expose him as much or as often against bigger, taller opponents.

Still, we went a recruited a big bodied midfielder in CEY to play as a body guard for Neale for the next time we play Carlton and Patrick Cripps.


Where as Bianco is going to be playing more of an individualised position.

He’s going be to playing on opposition small forwards or half forwards. He doesn’t have the pace, physical or athletic gifts to defend the Charlie Cameron’s, Connor Rozee’s or Izak Rankine’s of the AFL.

And most teams these days have multiple quality small and medium forwards, so it’s not easy to hide a small defender on an opposition’s weaker small forward.

And as an offensive option, he doesn’t have the pace to burn off many of the competitions outside players.
Hopefully Cam Raynor comes good for you guys.
 
In today’s game, if you’re short, you’ve got either be exceptionally talented, or athletically gifted to make it at AFL level.


And this actually demonstrates my next point.

Lachie Neale doesn’t play a position where his lack of height can expose him as much or as often against bigger, taller opponents.

Still, we went a recruited a big bodied midfielder in CEY to play as a body guard for Neale for the next time we play Carlton and Patrick Cripps.


Where as Bianco is going to be playing more of an individualised position.

He’s going be to playing on opposition small forwards or half forwards. He doesn’t have the pace, physical or athletic gifts to defend the Charlie Cameron’s, Connor Rozee’s or Izak Rankine’s of the AFL.

And most teams these days have multiple quality small and medium forwards, so it’s not easy to hide a small defender on an opposition’s weaker small forward.

And as an offensive option, he doesn’t have the pace to burn off many of the competitions outside players.
Looks like a wingman at AFL. Needs to build his tank. But pace and being defensively exposed shouldn't be a concern.
 
In today’s game, if you’re short, you’ve got either be exceptionally talented, or athletically gifted to make it at AFL level.


And this actually demonstrates my next point.

Lachie Neale doesn’t play a position where his lack of height can expose him as much or as often against bigger, taller opponents.

Still, we went a recruited a big bodied midfielder in CEY to play as a body guard for Neale for the next time we play Carlton and Patrick Cripps.


Where as Bianco is going to be playing more of an individualised position.

He’s going be to playing on opposition small forwards or half forwards. He doesn’t have the pace, physical or athletic gifts to defend the Charlie Cameron’s, Connor Rozee’s or Izak Rankine’s of the AFL.

And most teams these days have multiple quality small and medium forwards, so it’s not easy to hide a small defender on an opposition’s weaker small forward.

And as an offensive option, he doesn’t have the pace to burn off many of the competitions outside players.

I take your point regarding Bianco's speed, height and contested game. They're all the reasons he fell. I don't however think they're insurmountable limitations for his position.

Focussing on what he does have is elite skills, decision making and footy nous. You're overstating his foot speed as a weakness. His combine testing had him above average for speed and agility. I'd draw a line through that argument.

There are knocks on his contested game which is interesting. It's a focus of our recruiters and they don't tend to pick poor one-on-one players, so I'm interested to see more of Bianco to gauge if it is a weakness or if its overstated. I wonder if it's more an issue of strength which can be worked on.

I also reckon there is usually room for a more offensive small defender on most teams. For example we currently play a high half back (Aish's old role) that is usually sitting on less dangerous forwards so reckon height is less important there. In any case there are a lot of examples of smaller defenders at Bianco's height making a real go of it.
 
In today’s game, if you’re short, you’ve got either be exceptionally talented, or athletically gifted to make it at AFL level.


And this actually demonstrates my next point.

And you've actually proven my point.

The modern game is obsessed with one single type of physiology for midfield / utilities players because it suits the CURRENT game style.

NOT because that physiology is innately better than any other type of physiology.

The pressure on clubs through list restrictions and salary caps has seen a forced reduction in recruiting options which has resulted in a unhealthy reliance upon one single game plan league wide.

This can only result in cookie cutter play league wide if it is allowed to continue and the complete degradation of the game we love into a cardboard replica of the once virile animal into a tame and bland pet taught to perform for the somnolent masses on Monday night football.

You and 95% of the footballing and general public have swallowed this balloon juice, blindly bleating the same rubbish as the idiot sporting press with no thought to the medium / long term consequences for the game.

PFFFTTTT.
 
In today’s game, if you’re short, you’ve got either be exceptionally talented, or athletically gifted to make it at AFL level.


And this actually demonstrates my next point.

Lachie Neale doesn’t play a position where his lack of height can expose him as much or as often against bigger, taller opponents.

Still, we went a recruited a big bodied midfielder in CEY to play as a body guard for Neale for the next time we play Carlton and Patrick Cripps.


Where as Bianco is going to be playing more of an individualised position.

He’s going be to playing on opposition small forwards or half forwards. He doesn’t have the pace, physical or athletic gifts to defend the Charlie Cameron’s, Connor Rozee’s or Izak Rankine’s of the AFL.

And most teams these days have multiple quality small and medium forwards, so it’s not easy to hide a small defender on an opposition’s weaker small forward.

And as an offensive option, he doesn’t have the pace to burn off many of the competitions outside players.
Jayden Short is a small halfback wnd doesn’t have elite pace that I am aware of, he has made it on his kicking skill and ability
 
Will Christensen be playing in 2020?
Possibly spends most of the season in the NEAFL.

Hopefully Cam Raynor comes good for you guys.
Hopefully he does. He’s looked good in the three training sessions I’ve been to. Looks trimmer and is running better. Still has massive legs.

And you've actually proven my point.

The modern game is obsessed with one single type of physiology for midfield / utilities players because it suits the CURRENT game style.

NOT because that physiology is innately better than any other type of physiology.

The pressure on clubs through list restrictions and salary caps has seen a forced reduction in recruiting options which has resulted in a unhealthy reliance upon one single game plan league wide.

This can only result in cookie cutter play league wide if it is allowed to continue and the complete degradation of the game we love into a cardboard replica of the once virile animal into a tame and bland pet taught to perform for the somnolent masses on Monday night football.

You and 95% of the footballing and general public have swallowed this balloon juice, blindly bleating the same rubbish as the idiot sporting press with no thought to the medium / long term consequences for the game.

PFFFTTTT.
What are the consequences?

All sports evolve. Especially once they go full time professional. And professional environments evolve as technology and science evolve.

You move with the times, or be left behind and become extinct.

If you have two players with equal skills and equal athletic ability, but one player is 10cm taller, with a 10cm greater wingspan, who do you draft?

It’s no different to natural selection and evolution. The dominant species will take over.

The human species is growing taller. Each generation is taller than the previous generation.

This becomes more prominent in the sporting arena.


However we are still just a National game, played in a country with a small population, and an even smaller population from which our players come from.

There are few genuinely international level athletes in our sport.

So there is still a place in our game for players of different stature and ability.
 
Possibly spends most of the season in the NEAFL.


Hopefully he does. He’s looked good in the three training sessions I’ve been to. Looks trimmer and is running better. Still has massive legs.


What are the consequences?

All sports evolve. Especially once they go full time professional. And professional environments evolve as technology and science evolve.

You move with the times, or be left behind and become extinct.

If you have two players with equal skills and equal athletic ability, but one player is 10cm taller, with a 10cm greater wingspan, who do you draft?

It’s no different to natural selection and evolution. The dominant species will take over.

The human species is growing taller. Each generation is taller than the previous generation.

This becomes more prominent in the sporting arena.


However we are still just a National game, played in a country with a small population, and an even smaller population from which our players come from.

There are few genuinely international level athletes in our sport.

So there is still a place in our game for players of different stature and ability.
Who knows whether he will make it or not. No different to any other player; particularly those outside the top dozen or so. We could find fault in almost every young kid is we wanted to pick their game apart. Bianco has both good and bad characteristics. It’s a matter of what a club is valuing in that player and whether they believe there is the aptitude to work on the shortcoming. The Pies have a fairly good record in developing these players to help get the most out of them.
A smart player will most likely be better than a great athlete. Is Bianco a ‘smart’ fort baller? Probably. He was after all the captain in the U/18 so most likely is leadership material. That suggests he is willing to work hard on his game to give himself the best opportunity.

The Lions chose Aish as a top 10 player. He was slow, not tall and slightly built. Maybe similar to Bianco although Bianco has really good kicking skills and is clean.

He was a pick in the 40s. I’d be more concerned with your number 1 draft pick coming into his 3rd season and looking like he hasn’t developed and maybe won’t end up being the player he was expected to. There were questions on his tank, and it looks as though those concerns were warranted. Maybe the question marks on Bianco are warranted, who knows? All I know is that he wasn’t the number 1 pick in the draft so we can live with that.
 

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Game Day 2019 AFL Draft

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