Player Watch 2023 AFL Draft Pool Discussion Thread

[Strapping Young Lad]

Same rule applies to this thread as other years, keep it on topic about the kids.
Don’t get bogged down on what other teams might do or where they will finish.

Trade speculation belongs here.
That's also where you can discuss your mock drafts or pick trades.

Any McCabe, Dear or Maginness talk belongs here.

 

[triangulation_squared]

I don’t know how anyone can watch that then say they want Curtin. It boggles my mind.

The

I don’t know how anyone can watch that then say they want Curtin. It boggles my mind.

The left and right foot check side conversion is quite impressive. My only fear with another high draft pick key position player is that we thought we were doing the right thing with Beau Dowler and Mitch Thorpe and DGB and ended up with SWA.

 

[Billyc]

I don't know if he'll be the best player down the track. He definatly won't win a brownlow and most likely will never be a captain but...

from selfish perspective, I want to go to the footy and watch the wizard cause absolute havoc in our f50. I want the best small forward in the comp in brown and gold. I want X factor. I want exciting goals and freakish marks. I want Geelong defenders left shaking their heads in total disbelief. I want the fun back in my footy viewing again.

My sentiments exactly. We have been a dull side for years. I reckon we will go with others but I’d love Watson. I’m holding out hope that the coach gets a decent say as he is a big fan.

 

[TylerDurden]

The
The left and right foot check side conversion is quite impressive. My only fear with another high draft pick key position player is that we thought we were doing the right thing with Beau Dowler and Mitch Thorpe and DGB and ended up with SWA.

I'm the same.
Since Bud and Rough we've struggled to draft them at the top end. Scares me.

Take Wiz.

 

[kirbatron]

Watson's lack of defensive pressure is my only concern with taking him so high , Cyril and pickett had/have that in spades. I think it's something that comes naturally and while he might improve at it I don't think it will ever be his strong point.

watch the video just below your post. 7.25min

 

[FB19]

Maybe you should allow for different opinions.

That would be a novel concept on BF!

 

[Ned Ryerson]

I don’t know how anyone can watch that then say they want Curtin. It boggles my mind.

Because I want a player who can do more than one thing. If Watson is a bust at being a small forward on the big stage then he’s done. Curtin has far more versatility.

 

[Blackhawk42]

A showcase of The Wizard at his best over the course of the 2023 season.

A lot of posters have been lamenting the possibility of Watson at pick 4 due to simply being a small forward. A LOT of these highlights involve plays all over the ground.

Dylan Moore with Chris Judd explosiveness.
Going to be devastated if we pass on him honestly.

 

[TylerDurden]

A lot of posters have been lamenting the possibility of Watson at pick 4 due to simply being a small forward. A LOT of these highlights involve plays all over the ground.

Dylan Moore with Chris Judd explosiveness.
Going to be devastated if we pass on him honestly.

Yep. And imagine him in a proper AFL system and weights program. My God.

 

[Bugs1977]

Yep. And imagine him in a proper AFL system and weights program. My God.

I love the campaigner in him TD. The thought of him and Ginni getting under the oppo backlines skin excites me. As I've mentioned before I'll get on board with whomever we draft but geez it will suck if we have to watch this kid kick bags against us.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

I love the campaigner in him TD. The thought of him and Ginni getting under the oppo backlines skin excites me. As I've mentioned before I'll get on board with whomever we draft but geez it will suck if we have to watch this kid kick bags against us.

Thankfully it’s usually absolute C-graders who tend to come out of nowehere and kick bags on us.

 

[tl92]

Looking thru current sports people around the same height as the wizard who are doing OK

Lionel Messi 1.7m greatest soccer player of all time. Would you draft Ronaldo over Messi as he can play other positions?

Alexander Volkonovski, current world champ MMA 1.68m I certainly wouldn't think he'd have any issues with defensive pressure in the AFL.

 

[lethalselbow]

Looking thru current sports people around the same height as the wizard who are doing OK

Lionel Messi 1.7m greatest soccer player of all time. Would you draft Ronaldo over Messi as he can play other positions?

Alexander Volkonovski, current world champ MMA 1.68m I certainly wouldn't think he'd have any issues with defensive pressure in the AFL.

Aside from headers, only the goalie takes marks. AFL is geared towards height.

All that said, there's always room for a vertically challenged talent like Watson. He is a freakish talent.

 

[Hawk1986]

Happy with whoever we choose.

But if we want Curtain, lets go all in.

• Trade 4 to Dee’s for 6 & 11 (and other swaps as needed)
• Trade F1 to Cats for 8 (and whatever else needed)

Take 6, 8, 11.

6: Curtain
8: Caddy
11: Windsor/Wilson etc
Then McCabe in the teens.

Only trade with dees once Duursma/McKercher off the board. And obviously we can trade with cats regardless of Dees move.

 

[tl92]

Happy with whoever we choose.

But if we want Curtain, my dream scenario is to go all in.

• Trade 4 to Dee’s for 6 & 11 (and other swaps as needed)
• Trade F1 to Cats for 8 (and whatever else needed)

Take 6, 8, 11.

6: Curtain
8: Caddy
11: Windsor/Wilson etc
Then McCabe in the teens.

Only trade with dees once Duursma/McKercher off the board. And obviously we can trade with cats regardless of Dees move.

I’d be open to this if we got dees F1 in there too, so we aren’t completely out of next years draft

 

[bigbuddyboy]

Watson kinda moves like GAJ. Reckon I’m stoked with Zane, curtin or wiz at our pick. Selfishly want wiz though for the excitement factor.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

The best example of a short NBA player in the last 5 years is Isaiah Thomas, a 2 time NBA all star at 1.75m in basketball shoes. He was drafted 60 which was a steal. The trend in NBA is going extremely tall, but there is much higher risk with tall players breaking down with injuries. I think Messi is comparable as there is a distinct height advantage a striker gets from being tall.

Volk fought up a division and still cracks 1.8m fighters in the face without any problems.
Imagine Wiz coming on as a super sub with fresh legs and running out of the centre bounces with Jai and Conor Nash providing screens.

These aren’t great ways of proving your point in the context of Watson. No sane NBA GM is going to use a top 5 pick to draft IT. He’s a journeyman who had a couple of good seasons and even when he did Danny Ainge couldn’t wait to sign Kyrie Irving instead because the Celtics were never going to win a championship with IT at point guard.

And now Watson is just going to be a super sub? We are going to use pick 5 on a burst player?

I’m really not sold on these arguments. I’ll take the ready made kid who has already capably played against men and can already play two positions and could possibly develop in others given his size and skill set.

No doubt Watson is a talent, but you’re not exactly selling him as one. These arguments are like saying ‘Napoleon was about 170cm and he conquered most of Europe, imagine what Watson could do!!!’.

 

[CHUBBSS]

I for one would be pissed it we drafted Curtin, O’Sullivan and McCabe we don’t need 3 key defenders in the one draft.

Sounds like a premiership backline, you might be on to something

 

[Tomohawks]

I don’t know how anyone can watch that then say they want Curtin. It boggles my mind.

He won't stick too many tackles at AFL level watching those highlights and his desire to chase and tackle is just average for a small forward. He's no Kossie Pickett if that's the type we're looking for and that's why we take Curtin the classy tall we desperately need. The Wiz certainly knows where the goals are and has X Factor but we need a more physical, pacy pressure small forward to balance out our list given that Ginnivan has now arrived. This view may boggle your mind but we need Key Position players to start developing now with this list that we're putting together more than a small forward who may not deliver on his potential due to his physical limitations against AFL sized players.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Sounds like a premiership backline, you might be on to something

Sicily will be 29 by the start of the season too. DGB is now trialling as a forward. Why people are against stocking up on talented tall defenders after watching our defensive performances the past half a decade really bewilders me.

 

[lethalselbow]

Why would Geelong trade 8 for our F1 ??

Wish they would but can't see the upside for them in the deal. Surely they're on the rebuild

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Why would Geelong trade 8 for our F1 ??

Potentially not liking what they see this draft and banking on us struggling again next year.

 

[Jim Prideaux]

My sentiments exactly. We have been a dull side for years. I reckon we will go with others but I’d love Watson. I’m holding out hope that the coach gets a decent say as he is a big fan.

Not ideologically against Watson by any means, I reckon he looks great, just feel Curtin fills a bigger need. Do you not think it a bit defeatist to pick a player because we’ve struggled picking certain players in the past?

 

[FB19]

Happy with whoever we choose.

But if we want Curtain, my dream scenario is to go all in.

• Trade 4 to Dee’s for 6 & 11 (and other swaps as needed)
• Trade F1 to Cats for 8 (and whatever else needed)

Take 6, 8, 11.

6: Curtain
8: Caddy
11: Windsor/Wilson etc
Then McCabe in the teens.

Only trade with dees once Duursma/McKercher off the board. And obviously we can trade with cats regardless of Dees move.

Edit: added f3 to trade.

So KL shared that we rejected dees offer of 4,62,63 for 6,11,42. The problem with that deal is 42 isn’t much use to us given McCabe and already having 3 x 40s picks. It would certainly make matching McCabe and dear an absolute formality.
Instead I would keep 63, drop 42 and have dees add their f2 and f3. This would allow us to also trade our f1 now or in the future. Or having 2 f2 picks could allow us to trade up the order with one of the clubs with a first round bid match.
Hawks 2023: 6,11,44,47,49,63
Hawks 2024: f1,f2(pies),f2(dees),f3(dees) - I call these picks the double Stephen May death ride!

Osullivan Wilson McCabe Dear for me. Remember we only really have 4 list spots with the commitment to wingard and stephens.

 

[Tomohawks]

So KL shared that we rejected dees offer of 4,62,63 for 6,11,42. The problem with that deal is 42 isn’t much use to us given McCabe and already having 3 x 40s picks. It would certainly make matching McCabe and dear an absolute formality.
Instead I would keep 63, drop 42 and have dees add their f2. This would allow us to also trade our f1 now or in the future. Or having 2 f2 picks could allow us to trade up the order with one of the clubs with a first round bid match.
Hawks 2023: 6,11,44,47,49,63
Hawks 2024: f1,f2(pies),f2(dees) - I call these picks the double Stephen May death ride!

Osullivan Wilson McCabe Dear for me. Remember we only really have 4 list spots with the commitment to wingard and stephens.

I don't mind that at all. Getting Caddy instead of say Wilson would be a big thumbs up for me with the forward half in more need of attention than midfield. Wilson can certainly play though and wouldn't complain too much if we took him in this scenario. I like the idea of two big key defenders arriving in order to grow with the young team we've got coming together.

 

[FB19]

I don't mind that at all. Getting Caddy instead of say Wilson would be a big thumbs up for me with the forward half in more need of attention than midfield. Wilson can certainly play though and wouldn't complain too much if we took him in this scenario. I like the idea of two big key defenders arriving in order to grow with the young team we've got coming together.

On reflection we hold the power make the dees throw in f3 as well. Then we could also trade an f2 to come back in should we want to.