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.

 

[Brant]

I’m torn atm with pick 3.

On one hand if McKercher is available I feel he would just finish off our midfield nicely and be that explosive inside / outside mid that we prob need. On the other hand we really need to add some talent into our forward half and Watson is a certainty to be a 500 goal 10yr small forward.

Clearly need both...

 

[The Chad and I]

Hard pass on McKercher for our first pick.
He's competitive and an accumulator, but his disposal is rather sloppy.
Good finishing with the 2 goals, but I saw very little that impressed in general play to warrant using our first pick.

We simply don't need his type in a midfield with Ward, MacKenzie, MacDonald, Day, Worpel and others
Curtin and Watson much preferred IMO.

OK, i need to revise this first take.

McKercher looks to me like an undersized guy who is actually excelling as an inside midfielder.
Given his small stature and where he is winning a lot of the ball, that may account for some of his ordinary disposal in many instances (shuffling handballs, rushed kicks etc).

What really stands out though is his running, kicking skills, and vision the moment he gets half a yard of space.
He burns the opposition if he gets on a run and finishes with devastating precision.

As a receiver/outside player who is more than comfortable on the inside, McKercher presents as an elite prospect.
I would not want to recruit him as an inside midfielder. He just isn't equipped to be that good at senior level doing it as his primary role, and IMO would not justify our first pick as we simply do not need another inside mid.

As a receiving/outside player with precision skill and runs like the wind, and is also hard as nails - if that is how we see him, then I would be comfortable taking him at our first pick.

I still want Curtin with our first pick though.

 

[hawkguru]

Caddy is the one I want apart from Walter he is the best key forward in this draft. I've never seen him get out positioned or out marked and once the ball hits the deck he is just as good at ground level to win the possession. Looks already built and won't need 4 years of development. Shades of Curnow/Gunston/Roughead about him

 

[The Chad and I]

Caddy is the one I want apart from Walter he is the best key forward in this draft. I've never seen him get out positioned or out marked and once the ball hits the deck he is just as good at ground level to win the possession. Looks already built and won't need 4 years of development. Shades of Curnow/Gunston/Roughead about him

I really like Caddy.
He's got a huge tank, works hard, is versatile, footy smart and versatile.
He'd be perfect for a Gunston-like role.
Unless he puts on significant size/growth, i don't see him as a KPP at all, but that's ok.
We need another Gunston, but pick 3 might be a bit high for him.

 

[The Chad and I]

Curtin is Our Man:


Can play all over the park, sweep behind the ball, uses the ball exceptionally well, great competitive spirit.
We need him in our forward line, rotating on the ball like Roughead used to.
I am surprised so few have gotten behind this so far.
He would elevate our team in so many ways.

 

[The Chad and I]

If Caddy slides beyond pick 10, I hope we can manage to trade back in and pick him up.
Not for a direct pick of a future 1st, but perhaps a swap of Future 1st round picks plus later picks.
That would move our list in the right direction and pretty much cover our need for marking forwards.

 

[Brant]

Curtin is Our Man:


Can play all over the park, sweep behind the ball, uses the ball exceptionally well, great competitive spirit.
We need him in our forward line, rotating on the ball like Roughead used to.
I am surprised so few have gotten behind this so far.
He would elevate our team in so many ways.

Seems pretty quick. I thought there were question marks over his speed, or was that just relating to his ability to play midfield?

 

[Jazzfan]

Talk was Curtin struggled forward, and is very much a key defender who recently showed capability mid.

Obviously we need a key defender also, but interesting if we take Curtin with McCabe.

McKercher might be just too good to pass if there, Watson brings goals to which we're still too reliant on Punky for.

 

[hawkheart]

No judgement, but is getting Watson a bit like getting Cody Weightman

3

Cody Weightman

Age

23

Ht

179cm

Wt

75kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

6.5

2star

K

4.0

2star

HB

2.5

2star

M

2.0

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

1.0

4star

D

6.5

1star

K

4.0

1star

HB

2.5

2star

M

2.0

2star

T

1.0

2star

G

1.0

4star

D

6.5

2star

K

4.0

2star

HB

2.5

3star

M

2.0

3star

T

1.0

3star

G

1.0

4star

? Small, clever, kicks goals? Similar type?

 

[tl92]

.

Talk was Curtin struggled forward, and is very much a key defender who recently showed capability mid.

Obviously we need a key defender also, but interesting if we take Curtin with McCabe.

McKercher might be just too good to pass if there, Watson brings goals to which we're still too reliant on Punky for.

Haynes dump if it eventuates must generate serious thought to Reid.

Have to go a forward. biggest area of need. Imo you just don’t use a top 10 pick on a key defender, you can find them elsewhere. Top forwards are harder to come by.

 

[VandoHawk]

No judgement, but is getting Watson a bit like getting Cody Weightman? Small, clever, kicks goals? Similar type?

Watson is more like Papley (with a higher ceiling).
Delean plays like Weightman.

 

[TylerDurden]

Watson is more like Papley (with a higher ceiling).
Delean plays like Weightman.

He's more Stephen Milne than anyone.

If we get him, he's gonna light the joint up.

 

[Tall Tales and True]

Reckon' we need x factor ... a game changer ... another fan favourite ~ Nick Watson, come on down!

On SM-S916B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Sixpence]

Delean plays like Weightman.

So he dives and falls over looking for frees?

 

[westhawk]

Curtin is Our Man:


Can play all over the park, sweep behind the ball, uses the ball exceptionally well, great competitive spirit.
We need him in our forward line, rotating on the ball like Roughead used to.
I am surprised so few have gotten behind this so far.
He would elevate our team in so many ways.

Totally agree, if he is there at our pick then have to take him. No one else in this draft is as versatile as he is. Could be a star from CHB, Mid and CHF. Is great by foot and can take a great mark.

 

[TylerDurden]

Totally agree, if he is there at our pick then have to take him. No one else in this draft is as versatile as he is. Could be a star from CHB, Mid and CHF. Is great by foot and can take a great mark.

Sounds like a Pavlich type to me.

 

[westhawk]

Sounds like a Pavlich type to me.

Has been likened to him over here. Is a better field kick I think though, which is why he can be a real handy mid if needed.

 

[Walshawk]

.

Have to go a forward. biggest area of need. Imo you just don’t use a top 10 pick on a key defender, you can find them elsewhere. Top forwards are harder to come by.

Yes but you can win a flag with an average forward line (Dees, even Pies now), but you need an A grade backline. Sicily will be 29 this summer.

 

[FB19]

So sounds like we are all agreed. We take Curtin McKercher Watson Caddy McCabe. OK sleepy Mark you have our requirements.

 

[Brishawk]

Curtin is Our Man:


Can play all over the park, sweep behind the ball, uses the ball exceptionally well, great competitive spirit.
We need him in our forward line, rotating on the ball like Roughead used to.
I am surprised so few have gotten behind this so far.
He would elevate our team in so many ways.

Yeah im on the curtin train also but somehow i think he ends up at west coast.

 

[Topiary]

No judgement, but is getting Watson a bit like getting Cody Weightman? Small, clever, kicks goals? Similar type?

Smaller, but better.

 

[Nash88]

Love the look of Watson at our pick, provides absolute X Factor and we need small forwards as Breust, Wingard will be gone soon as well as potentially Brockman who I really hope sticks around. McKercher looks very good but I think our midfield is stacked as it is. Curtin is a No based our list and it’s requirements currently in my opinion.

 

[Back Pocket Rocket]

If Curtin can play CHF then he is a big yes.

 

[TDS7]

Curtin is not a lead-up forward. He's been tried there, but his strengths lie in his incredible reflexes and reaction time. This makes him a great defender, he makes decisions quickly to combat what his opponent is doing. This doesn't translate as a deep forward, he isn't as innovative on the lead and doesn't really crash packs to bring the ball to ground. That being said, I really want him to have a run as a CHF who pushes way up the ground a la Cameron, Cadman, and Roughie. He isn't half the lead-up threat those three (projecting out for Cadman) are, but his ball use up the ground and ability to provide an option out of defence allow Lewis to play deeper, then overlap to get clear for the last kick inside 50 once Lewis leads up. He takes the game on, has blinding skills, and critically has the tank to run up the ground. One of the problems our team has is that there's only one Sicily out there winning one-on-ones and setting up the play. Getting Curtin might let us have two snipers with great marking and a tank that lets them run out games. If we were to get him, I'd hope we play him as a third tall to start off and let him run loose up the ground, rather than stick him in a structure as a 2nd tall who can't get up around it. He's not a game-winner in my eyes, just a very solid player who gives us an option up and down the ground.

He's still not my preferred pick at 3, that is solidly Colby if he's available, but he's still got the potential to be a machine anywhere on the ground. If we want true stars, Colby, Watson, and Duursma (as a forward, not running through the midfield) are our best bets. Duursma's time as a mid soured me a bit on him, but his games as a forward are just so productive and effective that it's hard to overlook him. I'd see him playing like Phillipou this year, third-tall with the skills to play up the ground but really at home around goals. I wouldn't put him anywhere near the midfield, he's such a good forward and trying to play him somewhere we don't need him to play is just silly. Watson has the best single trait you can ask from any player, diligence. Hard work will always lead to fruition with the talent he has. We've seen how good Moore is as a high half-forward, and no offence to Moorey but Watson is a few steps above him in skills and athleticism. With Sam Mitchell at the helm, I'll back any young player with Watson's drive to become the best possible version of themselves.

Since I haven't done any of my usual big profiles yet (that's for later in the week), here's a quick top 20.

1. Harley Reid
2. Colby McKercher
3. Jed Walter

4. Nick Watson
5. Zane Duursma
6. Ryley Sanders (Not for us, but this kid will be a star)
7. Daniel Curtin
8. Connor O'Sullivan
9. Ethan Read
10. Nate Caddy

11. Jake Rogers
12. Darcy Wilson
13. Oliver Murphy
14. Mitch Edwards
15. Jordan Croft
16. Will McCabe

17. Jack Delean
18. Koltyn Tholstrup
19. Archer Reid
20. Joel Freijha

I've got a week off so I'll have a stab at a few write-ups and match reviews. Drop any requests for players/games and I'll see if I can fit it in. That 4-16 range is really tight, I'd be thrilled with two or three players in that group +McCabe.

 

[Todman]

Chalk in a win against Freo in round 24. They will have given up because they cant make finals.