- May 23, 2019
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McKercher
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AFLW 2024 - Round 6 - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
Opinion 2023 AFL Draft Prospects
- Thread starter Dav1d
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McKercher
Next year is the time to draft a mid, going to be absolutely stacked for talent. This year there is a Reid McKercher Sanders for mids at the top and then not much else available. I am a big fan of Sanders and his likely the only one available if he doesn't get given to North, however he isn't exactly the style of Mid we need.
- Sep 22, 2008
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Need to find a way to turn our hand into a decently high pick (ie inside top 15) best available mid, Croft (100% he starts as a defender IMO) & Lual and I’m stoked with that haul. Fits our needs perfectly.
Then on top of that using future picks for a Flanders/Hollands or similar young trade target would be perfect.
Would be a decent injection of youth coming through to help transition the midfield, which is all we desperately need IMO.
I’m quite happy with the future of our backline & forward lines, the changes in these lines need to be off-field.
Mofra
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- Dec 6, 2005
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I'd be happy to take Ollie Murphy with our first, trading pick 11 up a few spots to grab him (ensuring we're ahead of a Croft bid).
Then trade back into the second round and grab Tholstrup/McAuliffe.
Of course we could keep our first picks and just convince James Jordan to sign with us as a FA. The kid can play
- Sep 4, 2014
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I like Murphy and would be happy with him, but I would be concerned we are spending too much on talls when there's other good small options available. If we were to trade up a couple places I'd prefer Wilson. And if we were to trade back into the 2nd round, I was hoping for Windsor, though it seems he's rising up fast. I would be happy with any of Tholstrup/Gothard/Lual/Sanchez/Johnston though.
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Mofra
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We're in a weird situation of flagging an interest in mids months out from the draft where in past years we've been pretty well set on 'best available'.
I suspect we end up with a forward/mid type who we develop to take mid rotations in time.
Zane Duursma if we trade up come on down. Start off as a HHF eventually graduating to inside mid. A good starting point in the eventual rebuild of the midfield group
- Sep 4, 2014
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May not be available. Sounds like Hawks a super keen on him.
This from a recent herald sun article
HOW THE TOP 10 COULD PLAY OUT
The half-dozen AFL recruiters canvassed on Thursday believe the Roos are the only club with a shot at trading up the No. 1 overall pick, despite GWS and Melbourne being keen to enter the Harley Reid equation.Some believe Curtin is clearly the No. 2 best prospect available (Jed Walter will go to the Suns, and the Roos are a good chance to force a Suns bid given he would have fit them perfectly as a key position need).
The Roos could trade up for Reid (handing the Eagles the Port Adelaide first-rounder they have from the Jason Horne-Francis trade), or just let West Coast take Reid and keep pick two.
At pick two they would surely have to consider Curtin given their desperation to shore up their defensive stocks.
North Melbourne could have the No. 3 live pick with Ben McKay free agency compensation (and could secure NGA prospect Ryley Sanders).
But after Reid and Suns-bound Walter, Watson is in a tight group of four with Tasmanian midfielders Colby McKercher and Ryley Sanders and 189cm Vic Country mid-forward Zane Duursma.
Rivals believe Hawthorn loves Duursma as that mid-sized marking forward to help Mitch Lewis, with the Hawks also putting significant time into researching Watson.
Duursma is clearly more of a need for the Hawks, who have added a trio of midfielders in Jy Newcombe (mid-season pick), Josh Ward (pick 7, 2021) and Cam Mackenzie (pick 7, 2022) in the past three years.
If Watson did drift to Melbourne’s pick, the Demons are admirers of him and basically have a free hit with a pick (currently pick 5) they took from Fremantle in the Luke Jackson trade.
Having taken Matthew Jefferson at pick 15 last year as a developing key tall they could easily bolster their forward line with Watson.
The Western Bulldogs have picks 11 and 17 and would love to trade into that top six (to get one of Reid, Watson, McKercher, Duursma, Sanders) with the Suns the only likely option for them to trade with.
But the Dogs want another elite inside mid, even while rivals wonder why they don’t use the one they have in Bailey Smith in that position.
Even GWS is interested – they currently have Richmond’s pick 6 and their own pick 9 – but are aware Watson will likely be gone by then.
Mofra
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There is also the option to trade that pick 11 down to pick 9 by using 17 for future picks, then using those future picks to trade back into the draft post-Croft bid.
GWS get a third first rounder for a two pick downgrade, we get three first round (or two first round and one early second round) talent.
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Loves to crash a pack, loves blokes who are competitive. He’ll be alright Crofty.
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- Sep 22, 2008
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Agreed, that sort of athleticism and more importantly competitiveness and I see a very high floor for Crofty, I think he makes it it’s just a matter of how much of his upside he fulfils for mine.
The marking is a bit of a worry but he’s so so slight, we’ve seen how much Marras has improved when everyone was pretty concerned about it early days. Not everyone’s a Naughty (or Darcy) from day 1. Reminds me a lot of young Moore in that regard.
His goal kicking looks crap though but his footskills in general play look alright, just screams CHB for mine
- Sep 4, 2014
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The difference is, Jamarra was an elite mark at junior level though. I'm not sure I can think of a player that has gone from a decent mark at junior level to a very good to elite mark in the AFL?
The more I see of him the more I think he’d convert into an elite defender.
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- Sep 22, 2008
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Yeah fair, it’s one part of a players game that doesn’t usually go from a weakness to a genuine strength. I think it’s more something that a player shows they have the ability to do, but maybe develops more consistency with strength and fitness?
It depends on where you see Crofts ability now? You’d know better than me but from the little I’ve seen he looks capable but inconsistent which is what gives me hope that it develops reasonably strong.
With his skillset I wouldn’t think he needs to get to an elite level to be a very good player though, especially as I see his future in defence where we know it’s a lot easier to mark the footy, and more importantly just doesn’t get out marked, his long limbs and closing speed will be crucial there.
How was English in his junior years? It was a big concern for mine early days at AFL level and has now developed to a very high standard
- Sep 4, 2014
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English was a very good intercept mark at junior level, but a very poor mark forward. He has certainly improved his marking and it's not a bad example. It's pretty hard to say how much his marking has improved forward with a proper defender at his back. His 2021 as a forward wasn't great particularly in some of those finals from memory.
Croft I'd label as a very good mark on a lead even with pressure at his back. In a contest I think he's average though and it's something he's going to find himself more in at the next level. Contests well, but I find he often double grabs at the ball which most AFL defenders will swat away.
I tend to think he's better suited to defence as well. Not totally convinced on his field kicking skills though.
If we are after a defensive Mid my choice would be Kristian Ferronato.
His coach at Northern Knights Anthony Rocca said earlier in the year
“We’ve got a boy in our team Kristian Ferronato, he’s from a basketball background but he’s an inside bull. He’s strong as an ox, loves tackling, is hard to tackle, and he just turns up constantly from contest to contest. Obviously there’s things he can work on but those two have impressed me pretty highly.”
Should be available at the back end of the draft and has been posting high possession, Tackle and I50 numbers in the Talent League.
His coach at Northern Knights Anthony Rocca said earlier in the year
“We’ve got a boy in our team Kristian Ferronato, he’s from a basketball background but he’s an inside bull. He’s strong as an ox, loves tackling, is hard to tackle, and he just turns up constantly from contest to contest. Obviously there’s things he can work on but those two have impressed me pretty highly.”
Should be available at the back end of the draft and has been posting high possession, Tackle and I50 numbers in the Talent League.
What are the knocks on him seems like a winner but he's in no top draft rankings I can find everything I did find seems great
- May 23, 2019
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Could be that he'd mostly focused on basketball.
Not the best disposal by foot is his knock.
Seems to rush disposals and jams the ball on his foot at the first opportunity.
He also hasn't shown he can play a secondary position so that will put him behind guys like Stevens who has shown he can also play in defence.
- Sep 4, 2014
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Not a bad call, he's had a very good back end of the season. Got a good bit of mongrel in him.
I quite like Jake Smith as a defensive mid also. If he was in any other state, I think he would have been playing nationals.
Well if we lose to cats we will probably finish 11th which gives us pick 8. Should be able to draft a decent player before the Croft bid
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