Game Day 2023 AFL Draft Live discussion Rd1, 2-4 and Rookie Draft

[Mr Meow]

Anyone want to post a best 22 (23) for 2024 or is that more isolated thread worthy?

Interested to hear people's thoughts?

I just posted mine in the best 22 thread. Title could be with changing now that the draft has passed though; I didn't think a new thread was necessary.

 

[FootyLad0]

Can someone please explain how Essendon paying a 2nd rounder to move up one spot for a guy we were never going to take gives them an A- but Wells and Macks shrewd Drafting strategy only got a B?

 

[Pollywaffle]

Blicavs primary ruck with Neale as back up, or Conway primary ruck with Blicavs as back up - these options can work.

Probably a mistake if they play Blicavs as a primary ruck as he will get too banged up .
Just stay as the ‘Swiss Army knife‘ of the team where he excels. 2nd ruck deep in quarters, where his running makes him an extra mid but let’s remember he ain’t getting any younger. Injuries will start to take their toll and we need to reduce our reliance on him at some point.

 

[winty]

I don't know the answer, but it looks like he missed a couple games before the MSD. Looks like he may have been injured in round 5?

View attachment 1858547

Round 6 might've just been a bye though - same with Round 14 and Round 21.

 

[Mr Meow]

Probably a mistake if they play Blicavs as a primary ruck as he will get too banged up .
Just stay as the ‘Swiss Army knife‘ of the team where he excels. 2nd ruck deep in quarters, where his running makes him an extra mid but let’s remember he ain’t getting any younger. Injuries will start to take their toll and we need to reduce our reliance on him at some point.

I wouldn't do it as a first option. The few games Stanley is injured, I'm not sure Conway is ready to take over without help and Neale just isn't a primary ruck.

 

[year of the cat]

Can someone please explain how Essendon paying a 2nd rounder to move up one spot for a guy we were never going to take gives them an A- but Wells and Macks shrewd Drafting strategy only got a B?

Basically got Mannagh as a free hit with that trade. Excellent business.

 

[D BRIDGE]

Thought we might target a lockdown small defender late such as Philactides but he wasn't taken by anyone. Lawson Humphries could provide run and carry from Def 50 but looks more a playmaker.

It's certainly still a deficiency on our list unless Mullin comes through quickly.

I wouldn't be against us trying Willis as a small defender in the VFL.

 

[Warhorse]

Thought we might target a lockdown small defender late such as Philactides but he wasn't taken by anyone. Lawson Humphries could provide run and carry from Def 50 but looks more a playmaker.

It's certainly still a deficiency on our list unless Mullin comes through quickly.

Humphries played backline in WAFL but I agree. I think we lack run and a lock down small forward.

 

[Mr Meow]

Humphries played backline in WAFL but I agree. I think we lack run and a lock down small forward.

O'Connor playing defence permanently and perhaps Mullin taking a few strides forward could help in 2024. I'd say it's a draft need for next time out, even so.

 

[Warhorse]

Can someone please explain how Essendon paying a 2nd rounder to move up one spot for a guy we were never going to take gives them an A- but Wells and Macks shrewd Drafting strategy only got a B?

Apparently a whole bunch of clubs were trying to trade with us to grab Caddy. We could have good more but would have missed the top 10 talents out of this draft and gained heaps more capital for the next draft.

I also think Essendon nailed their last 2 picks. A quality lock down defender and a small defender who provides run and drive. I would give them an A - the only question mark is whether Caddy is as good as they think.

 

[Warhorse]

O'Connor playing defence permanently and perhaps Mullin taking a few strides forward could help in 2024. I'd say it's a draft need for next time out, even so.

There were a lot of back pockets and flankers in this draft. I would have liked to grab one

 

[terry_bright]

SDK did have his progress slowed by covid and no vfl

I reckon Covid played a factor in the drafting of Wiltshire & Humphries in particular. The years they would have put themselves in the shop window were effectively wiped out and they had to show their wares in other leagues.

 

[dangerwood]

"With the 64th Pick of the Draft, Geelong selects dangerwood from Geelong BigFooty threads and his couch at Home"

A lot of credit to my parents, Paddy and Joel.

 

[year of the cat]

There were a lot of back pockets and flankers in this draft. I would have liked to grab one

Probably my only slight criticism of our draft was that we could have taken Freijah or Roberts with a trade of a future 3rd or 4th.

 

[calder_daddy]

Can someone please explain how Essendon paying a 2nd rounder to move up one spot for a guy we were never going to take gives them an A- but Wells and Macks shrewd Drafting strategy only got a B?

It really doesn’t make much sense
All the talk was how good Essendon was going up 1 pick made them look
But in reality we went one back and got a extra pick in the 30’s for nothing
The carry on by Ablett on the coverage about Dodo was borderline creepy

 

[calder_daddy]

Love it:

If he can’t play footy then he will get a job in our media post career

They love cringeworthy posts

 

[BORIS332]

It really doesn’t make much sense
All the talk was how good Essendon was going up 1 pick made them look
But in reality we went one back and got a extra pick in the 30’s for nothing
The carry on by Ablett on the coverage about Dodo was borderline creepy

Essendon are "the winners of the draft" every year, yet haven't won a final in two decades.

 

[PzBlinky]

There were a lot of back pockets and flankers in this draft. I would have liked to grab one

Outside of midfield, would be my #1 area of concern right now. Bews has done a reasonable job for us but don't think we can consistently rely on him going forward, Mullin is too green, which leaves O'Connor as the best choice... and he's OK I guess, but would've loved someone who specialises in that role.

 

[Warhorse]

It really doesn’t make much sense
All the talk was how good Essendon was going up 1 pick made them look
But in reality we went one back and got a extra pick in the 30’s for nothing
The carry on by Ablett on the coverage about Dodo was borderline creepy

We had other offers for that pick which were arguably much better. And Essendons late picks look very good to me

 

[year of the cat]

Outside of midfield, would be my #1 area of concern right now. Bews has done a reasonable job for us but don't think we can consistently rely on him going forward, Mullin is too green, which leaves O'Connor as the best choice... and he's OK I guess, but would've loved someone who specialises in that role.

Time will tell, but Roberts looked an ideal candidate for that role for us when he slipped as far as he did.

 

[terry_bright]

We had other offers for that pick which were arguably much better. And Essendons late picks look very good to me

It all comes down to how highly rated O’Sullivan was by our recruiters.
They obviously rated him better than what a higher pick could yield in next year’s draft.
We will see if the club made the right call in 5 years time.

 

[D BRIDGE]

I like the look of Edwards as a long-term ruck prospect.

Obviously it's not an exciting pick because you just know it's gonna be years before we see him.

 

[terry_bright]

It really doesn’t make much sense
All the talk was how good Essendon was going up 1 pick made them look
But in reality we went one back and got a extra pick in the 30’s for nothing
The carry on by Ablett on the coverage about Dodo was borderline creepy

Dodoro has been head of recruitment for 15 years and failed to compile a list worthy of winning a final in that time.
And he’s had plenty of early picks at his disposal during that time.
If he was at Geelong, I hope we would have shown him the door well before getting to 15 years of abject failure.

 

[Hinkley29]

Nah some will drop out like menegola did this year (i know that was injury related but still) and how higgins and dahl did the year before etc.

Tuohy a big chance to play 2s with knevitt and now mannagh options for the MF/wing spots.

Rohan under pressure with all of henry dempsey and now manmagh and wiltshire genuine hff options.

I think bews will drop out but we dont have an obvious like for like replacement there probably mullin and we reshuffle (someone like oconnor becomes the lockdown small).

Conway to develop his engine to take over from stanley and cos to phase kolo out (although that one might take 2-3 years). Blicavs and danger will be the trickiest to replace (clark will play a lot this year though as will knevitt) but otherwise its easy to see where the transition comes from.

I pretty much agree with all of this, except Bews dropping out.

He had an injury affected 2023, but he is not that old (he will play all of 2024 as age 30) and his 2022 was great. I feel like reports of his demise have been greatly exaggerated.

I also think that if Blicavs is actually replaceable (which is highly doubtful) then COS might be the guy. Medium term, Max Holmes could be the Aldi-version replacement for Danger.

 

[calder_daddy]

We had other offers for that pick which were arguably much better. And Essendons late picks look very good to me

We gave up absolutely nothing and they gave us a pick in the 30’s it’s not rocket science to know who won that trade.