Opinion 2023 AFL Draft Prospects

[Mofra]

There are quality small forwards who will go later in the draft of we miss Watson and Collard.
Callinan from Tassie looks like a lively type and finished the year off well. Should be available with one of our later picks. His dad Ian was a SANFL star who was a mature aged AFL recruit for the Crows

 

[weltschmerz]

I'd never heard of him until watching a champs game and you couldn't take your eyes off him. He had longer hair then and was like an angry paddle pop lion.

He'll be a gun, only question is over a lack of second position, like Libba

I love that because it's also exactly how I've described Harry DeMattia

 

[weltschmerz]

There are quality small forwards who will go later in the draft of we miss Watson and Collard.
Callinan from Tassie looks like a lively type and finished the year off well. Should be available with one of our later picks. His dad Ian was a SANFL star who was a mature aged AFL recruit for the Crows

Plus there's Shaun Mannagh from the VFL

 

[Mofra]

Plus there's Shaun Mannagh from the VFL

He projects as more of HF type than crumber but I'd take him as a rookie in a heartbeat. Might be hard to get a gig though since we added Harmes

 

[Pugz89]

They've been linked to Duursma for months now. I suspect they take him if available

Id say Duursma and McKercher. Not sure they take Curtin tbh.

 

[Mojorisin]

It's Caleb Windsor who Twomey was referring to.

He seems pretty set that we'll be taking Watson or Sanders.

After re-listening it was Melbourne he linked to Leake at 11 and Windsor at 9 to the Bombers.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

I agree we need Sanders for long term but we are wasting Bont’s prime years rebuilding.

It only seems that way because we're underperforming.

If we'd performed to expectations this year, we would be widely praising our ability to contend while simultaneously getting good quality kids through the door.

 

[Dogman 1]

There are quality small forwards who will go later in the draft of we miss Watson and Collard.
Callinan from Tassie looks like a lively type and finished the year off well. Should be available with one of our later picks. His dad Ian was a SANFL star who was a mature aged AFL recruit for the Crows

If callinan is half as good as his father he will be ok. Ian should of played a long time before he did.

 

[Dav1d]

I'd never heard of him until watching a champs game and you couldn't take your eyes off him. He had longer hair then and was like an angry paddle pop lion.

He'll be a gun, only question is over a lack of second position, like Libba

The ruck

 

[Mofra]

If callinan is half as good as his father he will be ok. Ian should of played a long time before he did.

Kicked 3 in his last game at u18 level.
An (admittedly under done) Watson kicked 1 in the same game.

Seems to have some 'natural' instinct.

 

[Mojorisin]

Kicked 3 in his last game at u18 level.
An (admittedly under done) Watson kicked 1 in the same game.

Seems to have some 'natural' instinct.

Also played good footy in the midfield and defence.

 

[hatescaptcha]

I’m onboard with Sanders. Could help strengthen our midfield as early as next year. He’ll get a run in the centre when someone needs a rest. Libba successor.


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[House_of_Dahl]

There are quality small forwards who will go later in the draft of we miss Watson and Collard.
Callinan from Tassie looks like a lively type and finished the year off well. Should be available with one of our later picks. His dad Ian was a SANFL star who was a mature aged AFL recruit for the Crows

Yeah if we take Sanders or Curtin, then Callinan would be a great late pick option if available.

 

[Bonti 5416]

It only seems that way because we're underperforming.

If we'd performed to expectations this year, we would be widely praising our ability to contend while simultaneously getting good quality kids through the door.

Yeah i hear you. Trust me I’m the patient optimistic bulldogs type and have been happy that we have been quietly going about a rebuild since 2016 and Timmy English.

We definitely performed well below par and hopefully all of these off season coach changes improve that.

I’m more meaning that Watson improves our 2024/25 flag tilt more so than Sanders. Suppose it depends how wide you think the window is but with a few big contract free agents at the dogs we need to atleast go close in 2024 to keep them and keep this upward trajectory. Watson helps that more than Sanderd IMO.

All year we had Jamarra, Weightman, Naughton, Lobb as only genuine forwards. Another one in the mix makes it a more potent mix

 

[Mojorisin]

Yeah if we take Sanders or Curtin, then Callinan would be a great late pick option if available.

Callinan, Gothard, Charleson, Sanchez and Anastasopoulos are all draftable.

 

[Euku]

We Will Be Happy with WHO we get at pick 6, we dont get much of a choice bit whoever we get we are a better team, we its what we do with our later picks which IS More interesting

 

[doggiesin08]

Recent Larke Medal winners:
22 Will Ashcroft
19 Deven Robertson
18 Sam Walsh
17 Oscar Allen
16 Jack Graham
15 Josh Schache
14 Christian Petracca
13 Dom Sheed
12 Lachie Whitfield
11 Stephen Coniglio

Actually seems like a reasonable indicator which surprises me tbh. Schache the only real outlier, and possibly Graham although he was drafted late anyway

Yeah not bad but not a guarantee of solid to elite given from a Dogs perspective we’ve had former winners in Josh Schache, Andrew Hooper and Sam Power on the list (plus for completeness Southern and Kolyniuk some time back).

 

[NthBondiDoggies]

Our most valuable player is arguably Libba. Sure Bont is the best player / but Bont goes out and Macrae is able to step up. Trelor out and Smith steps in. English out and Lobb/Darcy, Jones-Keath, Naughton and JUH can be covered with Lobb and Darcy and Khamis and now Croft.

Libba out and West or García are a long way off that level - contested inside mid?

Libba has gone way past where we thought he could get to and that Is fantastic but Sanders in would be fantastic.

Watson would be great and happy if we get him - top teams have better small threats and this would make us much more dangerous.

But - we have Artie who has shown really good signs and Charlie Clarke was showing a bit towards the end of the year and will be better with a preseason.

Also have West and García, Scott and McNeil who are closer to being best 22 forwards than Mids.

Also think Caleb could make this his own - just such a talented smart player and with his tank can move up the ground.

 

[CaptainMurphy]

What's everyone's order of preference currently, out of the available top five (McKercher, Duursma, Curtin, Sanders, Watson)? Might be interesting to make a combined ranking for this board, with enough responses. Get a sense of who we collectively prefer. Mine is

1. McKercher
2. Curtin
3. Watson
4. Sanders
5. Duursma

 

[weltschmerz]

What's everyone's order of preference currently, out of the available top five (McKercher, Duursma, Curtin, Sanders, Watson)? Might be interesting to make a combined ranking for this board, with enough responses. Get a sense of who we collectively prefer. Mine is

1. McKercher
2. Curtin
3. Watson
4. Sanders
5. Duursma

McKercher, Watson, Sanders, Curtin, Duursma. Watson and Sanders just about interchangeable and Sanders might rank above Watson depending on my mood.

 

[House_of_Dahl]

What's everyone's order of preference currently, out of the available top five (McKercher, Duursma, Curtin, Sanders, Watson)? Might be interesting to make a combined ranking for this board, with enough responses. Get a sense of who we collectively prefer. Mine is

1. McKercher
2. Curtin
3. Watson
4. Sanders
5. Duursma

McKercher then Watson for me. Can't decide after that!

 

[doggiesin08]

Our most valuable player is arguably Libba. Sure Bont is the best player / but Bont goes out and Macrae is able to step up. Trelor out and Smith steps in. English out and Lobb/Darcy, Jones-Keath, Naughton and JUH can be covered with Lobb and Darcy and Khamis and now Croft.

Libba out and West or García are a long way off that level - contested inside mid?

Libba has gone way past where we thought he could get to and that Is fantastic but Sanders in would be fantastic.

Watson would be great and happy if we get him - top teams have better small threats and this would make us much more dangerous.

But - we have Artie who has shown really good signs and Charlie Clarke was showing a bit towards the end of the year and will be better with a preseason.

Also have West and García, Scott and McNeil who are closer to being best 22 forwards than Mids.

Also think Caleb could make this his own - just such a talented smart player and with his tank can move up the ground.

Its a reasonable argument but I might raise you Liam Jones. The gap between Jones and Gardy / cooked-Keath is bigger than Libba to the next best inside mid.

 

[Bonti 5416]

Our most valuable player is arguably Libba. Sure Bont is the best player / but Bont goes out and Macrae is able to step up. Trelor out and Smith steps in. English out and Lobb/Darcy, Jones-Keath, Naughton and JUH can be covered with Lobb and Darcy and Khamis and now Croft.

Libba out and West or García are a long way off that level - contested inside mid?

Libba has gone way past where we thought he could get to and that Is fantastic but Sanders in would be fantastic.

Watson would be great and happy if we get him - top teams have better small threats and this would make us much more dangerous.

I absolutely love Libba, but no way is he more important than Bont. Definitely the next most important in team. But with Treloar in there too and Bont can hunt also, we have decent cover as ball hunters. Treloar and Lib both closer to sunset than sunrise so Sanders makes perfect sense. I wont be dissappointed if we get him, seems like he is going to be at least a quality ball hunter at AFL level.

But he is a similar to what we have in terms of a 2024 flag tilt (i know you dont draft for one year but you dont get too many chances to win flags either)


“But - we have Artie who has shown really good signs and Charlie Clarke was showing a bit towards the end of the year and will be better with a preseason.”

Agree Arty has shown enough to suggest he makes it, especially that patch where he had some crucial moments a few weeks in a row, the carlton win most notably. What do you think his best role is? High half forward? Or crumber?

Charlie Clark could still make it at the next level but has a fair way to go and fair bit to prove. In draft year he seemed like the Brett Daniels type, high possession, high half forward, work hard up and then work hard back to crumb. Still got a fair way to go to make it as that but hope he does because thats a spot we desperately need filled and it would be awesome if its already on the list. Bit of a wild child too, got some growing up to do i hear. Not expecting too much in 2024 but would love to be wrong.

Also have West and García, Scott and McNeil who are closer to being best 22 forwards than Mids.

Also think Caleb could make this his own - just such a talented smart player and with his tank can move up the ground.

Ill give you westy, he finally proved he could be consistent for four quarters and week to week in the back half of the year. Still hope he gets more midfield minutes but he will always spend time forward. Hard as a cats head just needs to keep building his tank. Heart and soul type, love him.

I’ll also give you Anthony Scott, although he rotates through a lot of positions but his best work in 2023 was as a forward. Knowing bevo he stays as utility and thats not such a bad thing but not dissappointed to see his name on team sheet as a forward.

I saw something in Garcia early on but he just hasn’t kicked on. Not had much luck with injury and he is very small without much pace or significant trickery. Not sure what his contract status is but i imagine if this is his last year then he will have to show significant improvement to be at the dogs in 2025.

Same can be said for McNeil, burst on scene in 2021 but just hasn’t kicked on. Got even less confidence in him still being on list in 2025. What are hisnafl traits?

This is what worries me about drafting small forwards later in draft, we have tried this with McNeil, Honeychurch, with no success. In fact Milesi has not had much success in any position late in draft. Could even argue not much outside of first round. Give me some names of small forward who will still most likely be there in the 40’s and ill happily look into them.

Getting Watson just about completes our forwardline for the next 7-8 years. The kid has been kicking bags at the highest junior level for 3 years, had tricks and weapons our current crop dont have. Sanders replenishes what we already have so the transition is seemless. Learning off Libba for a few years touch wood is possibly the best apprenticeship he could ask for. But i want Libba with another medal around his neck, he deserves that.

Both are needs. Watson more immediate IMO. Want to see some more silverware and i actually think its a possibility in 2024/25. Having said that, I am a dogs nuffy so may have rose coloured glasses.

 

[doggies ftw]

McKercher, Watson, Sanders, Curtin, Duursma. Watson and Sanders just about interchangeable and Sanders might rank above Watson depending on my mood.

Nailed this to a tee for me too

McKercher > Watson=Sanders >>>> Curtin >> Dursma

 

[Mojorisin]

Nailed this to a tee for me too

McKercher > Watson=Sanders >>>> Curtin >> Dursma

Watson, McKercher, Sanders, Curtin, Duursma for me.

I also think Watson would fit in with our group the best and be the most marketable of the crop.