Opinion 2023 AFL Draft Prospects

[LondonBulldog]

I thought that was the decision for drafting Charlie Clarke last year, and he didn't even get a single game in 2023.
I don't think it's just the small fwd's job to keep the ball in, defence is a team effort with a good defensive structure if the ball gets turned over.
Our defensive game plan is sorely lacking, the players looked lost a lot of the times.

And that's why if Curtin is available the club would be mad not to draft him. A potential star in the making, does everything well and can play multiple position. Great mark, kick, reads and play well and moves like the Bont. Yet I think he will be gone.

 

[LittleG]

And that's why if Curtin is available the club would be mad not to draft him. A potential star in the making, does everything well and can play multiple position. Great mark, kick, reads and play well and moves like the Bont. Yet I think he will be gone.

I would take Curtain. Play him in the midfield and get him involved in the defensive zone. He can play inside but also read the play well enough to play a rôle defensively away from the pack against a HHF.

He could become a great inside midfielder in his own right too.

I would take him ahead of Watson, Duursma and Sanders. Sanders being my next choice.

 

[Smiley Boy]

Have been told we want Sanders not Watson

 

[Charlie Bucket]

Too much love for Curtin imo.

197cm, kinda defender, maybe midfielder. Has potential disaster written all over it.

He’ll become a massive man in the next few years. Can already see his physical growth between early season highlight packages to later season. At 197cm and probably weighing closer to 100kg’s once he finishes filling out, I think he’ll struggle in a midfield role. Firstly any pace he has (not a lot already) will cop a hit, any agility also. Your ability to pick up ground balls gets harder also.

Name a player above 195cm that’s been agile enough and played any significant role in a midfield group? Big midfielders are all the rage, but there has to be a point they become too tall and big. 197cm and 100kg’s is way above that threshold I reckon.

This leaves a key defensive role for him, which I’m certainly not sold on.

I still think he’s an oversized flanker that’s convinced many he’ll become the next Bont on a couple of side steps seen in his highlights.

 

[dergert]

As long as we get Lual I don't care

 

[True Dog]

Too much love for Curtin imo.

197cm, kinda defender, maybe midfielder. Has potential disaster written all over it.

He’ll become a massive man in the next few years. Can already see his physical growth between early season highlight packages to later season. At 197cm and probably weighing closer to 100kg’s once he finishes filling out, I think he’ll struggle in a midfield role. Firstly any pace he has (not a lot already) will cop a hit, any agility also. Your ability to pick up ground balls gets harder also.

Name a player above 195cm that’s been agile enough and played any significant role in a midfield group? Big midfielders are all the rage, but there has to be a point they become too tall and big. 197cm and 100kg’s is way above that threshold I reckon.

This leaves a key defensive role for him, which I’m certainly not sold on.

I still think he’s an oversized flanker that’s convinced many he’ll become the next Bont on a couple of side steps seen in his highlights.

I guess time will tell what impact Curtin will have. As for his size Bont is 194/96kgs and moves OK and Curtain looks to have a yard on him pace wise. IMO his size is more of an advantage than a hindrance.

 

[flipper83]

Too much love for Curtin imo.

197cm, kinda defender, maybe midfielder. Has potential disaster written all over it.

He’ll become a massive man in the next few years. Can already see his physical growth between early season highlight packages to later season. At 197cm and probably weighing closer to 100kg’s once he finishes filling out, I think he’ll struggle in a midfield role. Firstly any pace he has (not a lot already) will cop a hit, any agility also. Your ability to pick up ground balls gets harder also.

Name a player above 195cm that’s been agile enough and played any significant role in a midfield group? Big midfielders are all the rage, but there has to be a point they become too tall and big. 197cm and 100kg’s is way above that threshold I reckon.

This leaves a key defensive role for him, which I’m certainly not sold on.

I still think he’s an oversized flanker that’s convinced many he’ll become the next Bont on a couple of side steps seen in his highlights.

For all the excitement to unearth the next Fyfe, Bont or Cripps there really haven't been that many come through.

It feels like there are a couple who get the 'Bont' tag every year but they never deliver on that hype.

Compared to key position players, where most of the prospects coming through are pushing 200cm which is a big change from what we would see 10 or 15 years ago, if anything it feels like the trend is moving back towards smaller midfielders.

Maybe its the speed of the game that requires greater agility or the Bont/Cripps/Fyfe were just outliers.

 

[Charlie Bucket]

I guess time will tell what impact Curtin will have. As for his size Bont is 194/96kgs and moves OK and Curtain looks to have a yard on him pace wise. IMO his size is more of an advantage than a hindrance.

Not sure about the size comparison to Bont.

Ones 9 years in to his career, the other who’s bigger already is still playing U18’s. And will only get bigger.

Size is definitely an advantage in today’s modern game, but it becomes a hinderence at some stage. 197cm and 100kgs+ is pushing it imo.

 

[TiAn_]

I guess time will tell what impact Curtin will have. As for his size Bont is 194/96kgs and moves OK and Curtain looks to have a yard on him pace wise. IMO his size is more of an advantage than a hindrance.

Mark Blicavs and Conor Nash move pretty well at 198cm and 100kg & 95kg. Our best pressure forward is 195 & 95. The measurements are irrelevant, it’s the athletic profile and/or playing style that matter.

 

[Bulldogs85]

A Doggies supporter Growing up

 

[doggies ftw]

For all the excitement to unearth the next Fyfe, Bont or Cripps there really haven't been that many come through.

It feels like there are a couple who get the 'Bont' tag every year but they never deliver on that hype.

Compared to key position players, where most of the prospects coming through are pushing 200cm which is a big change from what we would see 10 or 15 years ago, if anything it feels like the trend is moving back towards smaller midfielders.

Maybe its the speed of the game that requires greater agility or the Bont/Cripps/Fyfe were just outliers.

I agree the trend is going back towards small midfielders, but the best of the best are still big units ie Bont, Trac, Oliver etc. as always a blend of both is ideal.

These types were all the rage a couple of years ago and everyone’s trying to find the next Bont and you get comparisons every year, at the end of the day height/size is neither here nor there, it just depends on their skillset and their size plays into that. To actually find a really big unit who has the skillset, athleticism & craft required to be a genuine midfielder it’s very very rare. But if they do have that skillset then yeah I’m taking the 195cm guy over the 180cm/80kg every day of the week.

Curtin looks like the closest thing I’ve seen come through the system, not saying he gets to that level but I don’t think it’s just a lazy ‘190cm+ player plays midfield, next Bont’ call like usual. He actually has some very similar traits.

Gotta remember Bont for a large part of his junior career was just a tall flanker who could maybe move into the midfield too, we identified he could and the rest is history. If we think Curtin genuinely could then you take him, but it’s not as simple as oh he’s 196cm he’ll never be a midfielder IMO.

 

[LittleG]

A Doggies supporter Growing up

IF we didn’t have Croft, I quite liked him for our pick. Shame….

 

[Mojorisin]

IF we didn’t have Croft, I quite liked him for our pick. Shame….

I'm a huge fan.

 

[LittleG]

I'm a huge fan.

I would have been happy with Leake, an outside runner and a defensive mid.

I guess we could always target Leake for a trade….

We will get a KPD and a top line talent…. So I guess that is good.

 

[Charlie Bucket]

I'm a huge fan.

Me too. Unfortunate that we’ve no chance to draft.

 

[dergert]

I'd rather Leake than Sanders tbf.

 

[Bulldogs85]

IF we didn’t have Croft, I quite liked him for our pick. Shame….

Club could pull a surprise and select Leake on draft night

 

[LittleG]

Club could pull a surprise and select Leake on draft night

It’s not that big of a surprise. I watch the Allies games…. He was very good.

 

[flipper83]

I agree the trend is going back towards small midfielders, but the best of the best are still big units ie Bont, Trac, Oliver etc. as always a blend of both is ideal.

These types were all the rage a couple of years ago and everyone’s trying to find the next Bont and you get comparisons every year, at the end of the day height/size is neither here nor there, it just depends on their skillset and their size plays into that. To actually find a really big unit who has the skillset, athleticism & craft required to be a genuine midfielder it’s very very rare. But if they do have that skillset then yeah I’m taking the 195cm guy over the 180cm/80kg every day of the week.

Curtin looks like the closest thing I’ve seen come through the system, not saying he gets to that level but I don’t think it’s just a lazy ‘190cm+ player plays midfield, next Bont’ call like usual. He actually has some very similar traits.

Gotta remember Bont for a large part of his junior career was just a tall flanker who could maybe move into the midfield too, we identified he could and the rest is history. If we think Curtin genuinely could then you take him, but it’s not as simple as oh he’s 196cm he’ll never be a midfielder IMO.

I guess my concern is selecting players in the hope that they might become something that they currently aren't.

When Bont and Fyfe were drafted and became midfielders they were a novelty (barring kouta)

They may not have got as much opportunity to play as mids as juniors because they weren't what coaches identified as typical midfielders.

I don't think it would happen now because junior coaches are so much more aware of the potential for bigger players to play on ball and will give any tall player who shows reasonable coordination and agility a chance on ball.

Hence we've seen Curtin play on ball, and while he showed a lot in those games, I think there are important traits that midfielders need to have like spacial awareness, composure, aggression and intensity at the ball on the ground, that he hasn't displayed.

These are some of the things I love about Sanders. He has an innate ability to time and place his handballs so that the receiver is released into space rather than trouble and his possessions rarely get cut off or intercepted.

And at 186 cm he is only one cm shorter than Petracca.

I can't see Curtin ever being a first possession mid like Cripps, Bont or Fyfe. He could become a sort of Jordan Dawson distributor with others feeding him, which wouldn't be a bad outcome but I'm not really seeing Bont.

 

[murphy's twin]

I guess my concern is selecting players in the hope that they might become something that they currently aren't.

When Bont and Fyfe were drafted and became midfielders they were a novelty (barring kouta)

They may not have got as much opportunity to play as mids as juniors because they weren't what coaches identified as typical midfielders.

I don't think it would happen now because junior coaches are so much more aware of the potential for bigger players to play on ball and will give any tall player who shows reasonable coordination and agility a chance on ball.

Hence we've seen Curtin play on ball, and while he showed a lot in those games, I think there are important traits that midfielders need to have like spacial awareness, composure, aggression and intensity at the ball on the ground, that he hasn't displayed.

These are some of the things I love about Sanders. He has an innate ability to time and place his handballs so that the receiver is released into space rather than trouble and his possessions rarely get cut off or intercepted.

And at 186 cm he is only one cm shorter than Petracca.

I can't see Curtin ever being a first possession mid like Cripps, Bont or Fyfe. He could become a sort of Jordan Dawson distributor with others feeding him, which wouldn't be a bad outcome but I'm not really seeing Bont.

Sanders and Bailey smith will be a deadly combo for the next decade.

 

[Charlie Bucket]

Club could pull a surprise and select Leake on draft night

It’s not that big of a surprise. I watch the Allies games…. He was very good.

Considering Leake would’ve been around our first pick, before we traded it for pick 6, I think selecting him now would be a bit of a surprise.

I’m tipping the club would’ve known what type of player he was 3 weeks ago before pulling the trigger on that pick trade.

 

[Pugz89]

Considering Leake would’ve been around our first pick, before we traded it for pick 6, I think selecting him now would be a bit of a surprise.

I’m tipping the club would’ve known what type of player he was 3 weeks ago before pulling the trigger on that pick trade.

But that's discounting the fact we moved up to ensure we got ahead of a Croft bid. I doubt where Leake would have been selected came into the decision at all. It was done to ensure we got a pick in before any potential bid on Croft.

 

[Charlie Bucket]

But that's discounting the fact we moved up to ensure we got ahead of a Croft bid. I doubt where Leake would have been selected came into the decision at all. It was done to ensure we got a pick in before any potential bid on Croft.

I’m not saying Leake was part of the decision to trade out with those picks. I’m saying the opposite. If Leake was being considered, we would’ve kept our first and taken Croft with our next and some scraps.

At the time, Leake wasn’t in the top 10 discussions as far as I’m aware, so would’ve been there to draft with our first.

To now draft him with pick 6 would be a big surprise imo.

 

[Bulldogs85]

Talks about his son Jordan

 

[Bulldogs85]