Preview 2023 National Draft Preview Thread [currently: #2, #14 (PA), #19 (PP) #40, #52, #60]

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Better Loosen Up said:
Yep. It never plays out. People who make this call seem to completely ignore the fact that the other naturally gifted runners are also going to improve in an AFL environment. The gap only widens. We've seen it enough times for ourselves already.

No speed or no tank is a no go.

And if you can't kick, you can get suffed too!
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I don't think that it works like that. You don't need Reid/Wardlaw to be the best runner in the AFL. You just need them to be able to run out a game.

If there's other players who can run out two games then good for them. They can play VFL and AFL on the same day.
 
Is Connor O'Sullivan a better/worse/equal prospect than Curtin ?
 
FootySmartSimpson said:
We have been pantsed on the outside for way too long.

Sheezel was just about the only thing that half kept us in games with his guy running, defensive application and possession retention.

The other player is Scott who continues to present and do the fundamentals well.

Having three elite runners in our midfield would make a huge difference.

I feel we should trade 1 of the top 2 for another top 5 pick+ and get Kerch and Watson, while picking up an O’Sullivan or Caddy.
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I think we all agree outside run is a need, but I'll keep repeating this until the cows come home: You don't need to address every list need with a high-end pick.

I also agree with Sphynx RE: Mckercher strength's being his ability to play on-ball and provide run from there. The fact he's a good runner does not automatically mean he'll make an elite-level winger.

He's a great midfielder, and it's easy to suggest he can just play at half back or wing, but the reality is he's done his best work as a midfielder and drafting him with the idea of playing anywhere but there is a waste of his talent.

I think LDU, Wardlaw, Sanders, TT, Simpkin, Phillips, Powell is an excellent group of midfielders, and that's without adding in guys like Reid, Sheezel, PC and Zurhaar potentially running through the middle from time to time. If we want wingers, Freijah should be there at the Port selection, go hard for Liam Henry and add guys like Dylan Stephens.

Adding Mckercher would also severely impact our ability to be flexible with our 1st rounder next year or the year after. If we finish bottom 5 again, the likelihood of a midfielder being the best selection is extremely high from this far out.

I love Mckercher as a talent, and he's going to be an exceptional player at AFL level, but from a list management point of view it really does hamstring us with high-end selections over the next couple of years.
 
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Souup said:
I love Mckercher as a talent, and he's going to be an exceptional player at AFL level, but from a list management point of view it really does hamstring us with high-end selections over the next couple of years.
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Please don’t mention hamstrings and high end picks with reference to us.
 
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Beep tests and the like are just an indicator of fitness, almost every AFL draft kid is pretty good, some are track and field althetics kids. But meh. Tanks for that test can be trained.

In the end they will not dictate a lot about them, particularly those high end picks who are gifted as footballers.

Unlike every single game, you will never run on adrenalin during a ****in beep test. Some players have a lot more capacity to activate that adrenalin into their systems than others because they live for the contest.
 
czero said:
Beep tests and the like are just an indicator of fitness, almost every AFL draft kid is pretty good, some are track and field althetics kids. But meh. Tanks for that test can be trained.

In the end they will not dictate a lot about them, particularly those high end picks who are gifted as footballers.

Unlike every single game, you will never run on adrenalin during a *in beep test. Some players have a lot more capacity to activate that adrenalin into their systems than others because they live for the contest.
Click to expand...

Ben Cunnington approves this post.
 
cornes has the biggest hard on for bashing north, suggesting we shouldn’t get PP if McKay walks and we get compo on FC last night. Barrett also suggesting the afl shouldn’t give us the 1st pick given the club hasn’t climbed the ladder in three years, despite the draft literally being a means to equalise the competition across the league year to year. Also funny how they are quick to jump on us but forget other hand outs and assistance for clubs like GC and Collingwood.

Wish we just did some shrewd deals to grab GC pick and of GWS’s first rounder with a Haynes salary dump and have like 5/6 first round picks along with McKay compo and any assistance package the AFL approves just to watch their little minds explode all through 2024. Would then call for any flags we win in the coming years to have an asterisk for the assistance we got despite the number one pick for finishing last, McKay compo, and ports pick from JHF literally being nothing that was given to us by the AFL as as part of any package.
 
Souup said:
I think we all agree outside run is a need, but I'll keep repeating this until the cows come home: You don't need to address every list need with a high-end pick.

I also agree with Sphynx RE: Mckercher strength's being his ability to play on-ball and provide run from there. The fact he's a good runner does not automatically mean he'll make an elite-level winger.

He's a great midfielder, and it's easy to suggest he can just play at half back or wing, but the reality is he's done his best work as a midfielder and drafting him with the idea of playing anywhere but there is a waste of his talent.

I think LDU, Wardlaw, Sanders, TT, Simpkin, Phillips, Powell is an excellent group of midfielders, and that's without adding in guys like Reid, Sheezel, PC and Zurhaar potentially running through the middle from time to time. If we want wingers, Freijah should be there at the Port selection, go hard for Liam Henry and add guys like Dylan Stephens.

Adding Mckercher would also severely impact our ability to be flexible with our 1st rounder next year or the year after. If we finish bottom 5 again, the likelihood of a midfielder being the best selection is extremely high from this far out.

I love Mckercher as a talent, and he's going to be an exceptional player at AFL level, but from a list management point of view it really does hamstring us with high-end selections over the next couple of years.
Click to expand...

Why not trade the F1 to GC, take the small forward while he is there in Watson?
 

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REID LIKELY DONE FOR YEAR AMID TASSIE STAR’S MINI SCARE

An array of likely first-round picks are set to be sidelined for most – if not all – of the remainder of the 2023 season.

Bendigo Pioneers star Harley Reid is highly unlikely to play again this year, with the No. 1 pick favourite set to be placed in cotton wool after suffering a minor knee injury on the weekend.

Reid was in the midst of another powerful, breathtaking display – he booted 2.2 from six disposals in one-and-a-half quarters – against the GWV Rebels on Sunday before jarring his knee in a contest. He came from the ground and didn’t return for the rest of the match.

With the Pioneers sitting 10th on the Coates Talent League ladder and a chance of a wildcard spot, Reid isn’t expected to play another game for them this season. Yet he’ll still head into November’s draft as the red-hot favourite to be taken with Pick 1 after an outstanding draft campaign, which has seen him claim back-to-back All-Australian gongs and Vic Country’s MVP award, as well as produce impressive VFL outings for both Carlton and Essendon.

Reid wasn’t the only top-five prospect to suffer an injury scare on the weekend, with Tasmanian star Colby McKercher failing to finish his side’s 70-point win over Calder on the field.


After a hot start to the game that included two goals from 14 disposals, McKercher suffered a foot injury as a result of a tackle and finished the match on the bench.


While the pain subsided throughout the day, McKercher is expected to be sidelined for a week or two.

McKercher, a ball magnet with a terrific workrate and excellent left-foot kick who’s been likened to Essendon captain Zach Merrett, surged into top-five contention after an outstanding national carnival for the Allies, averaging 33 disposals, six marks, six clearances and five inside 50s across four games.

Reid and McKercher join Suns academy star Jed Walter on the top draft prospect injury list. Walter carried a knee injury for most of his brilliant national championships campaign. And while he hasn’t required surgery, no unnecessary risks have been taken with him in recent weeks.

Fellow first-round prospects Will McCabe (Central Districts) and Koltyn Tholstrup (Subiaco) have also been sidelined in recent weeks. McCabe – a key defender and Hawthorn father-son prospect – has been unavailable due to a foot injury, while Tholstrup has missed a month due to a groin issue – although the latter is expected to return to Subiaco’s WAFL league side in the coming weeks. West Adelaide’s Will Patton has been out since July after undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery.

Glenelg prospect Ashton Moir is also not expected to play another game this season.

Glenelg missed out on the SANFL Under 18 finals by 0.2 per cent despite a three-point win over Sturt on the weekend, in which Moir kicked two goals from 10 disposals and six marks. Prior to Saturday‘s win, Moir had played three consecutive reserves games for Glenelg.


But even though Glenelg sits on top of the SANFL reserves ladder with a 15-2 record with one round left, foxfooty.com.au understands Moir is unlikely to return to the reserves side, with the South Australian set to focus on his preparation for October’s national draft combine.

After entering the season as a top-10 prospect, Moir has endured a rollercoaster draft year where he’s struggled for consistency across all levels. Yet recruiters are well aware of the mid-sized forward’s incredible, freakish talent, which he displayed as a bottom-ager for South Australia last year.

Rival clubs believe West Coast has interest in Moir, who’s an Eagles fans and has family based in WA.


TOP FIVE STATE OF PLAY AFTER STUNNING RESULT

Barring a Gold Coast mishap at Blundstone Arena on Saturday, North Melbourne will finish the home and away season on the bottom of the AFL ladder and, subsequently, with Pick 1 in the national draft.

West Coast’s shock win over the Western Bulldogs and subsequent elevation to 17th has significantly doused trade speculation that had been bubbling for most of the season.

There’d been ample conjecture around how willing star Harley Reid – rated by most AFL recruiters as this year’s No. 1 draft prospect – would be to start his career in an Eagles jumper. And, subsequently, how willing would West Coast be to trade its first pick – considering its interest in top WA prospect Daniel Curtin – and how aggressive would North be in its pursuit of the selection.

North, for now, has its hand on the prized selection – and Reid, barring a major curve ball, looms as the club’s next big thing.

What happens from Pick 2 onwards, though, will be a major point of interest and contention for the rest of the season.

For starters, West Coast mightn’t even hold Pick 2, with free agent Ben McKay set to leave North Melbourne and the Roos then to receive a first-round compensation selection, which would be Pick 2.

And if the Kangaroos do ultimately get their hands on the first two picks of the draft, could they spoil West Coast’s plans and pinch Curtin from the WA-based club? North Melbourne last month indicated it was keen to draft a key defender this year, with list boss Brady Rawlings telling members he was “aware we haven’t picked very tall over recent seasons”.

Rival clubs have told foxfooty.com.au in recent weeks they wouldn’t be surprised if the Kangaroos took Curtin – who had 14 disposals on the weekend in his third consecutive WAFL league match for Claremont – with a top pick. Although there are suggestions the Roos might like to pair Colby McKercher with fellow Tasmanian star Ryley Sanders – a top-10 midfielder who’s tipped to end up at the club as a pre-listed NGA prospect as part of North’s priority assistance application. Sanders, who won this year’s Larke Medal as the best player of the Under 18 national championships, kicked 1.3 from 35 disposals for the Sandringham Dragons on the weekend.

But dynamic 189cm Gippsland Power forward Zane Duursma is coming with a rush in the back-half of the season.

After a six-goal haul against the Pioneers, Duursma delivered again on Saturday, booting 4.1 from 15 disposals against the Oakleigh Chargers, impressing scouts with his cleanliness and ability to hit the scoreboard.

Duursma has now kicked 12 goals from his past three games, which followed a match-winning performance for Vic Country against Vic Metro in the national carnival and an impressive VFL outing for the Casey Demons.

“He’s a star. If he’s not a top-three pick, I’ll go he,” one recruiter told foxfooty.com.au.

If neither North Melbourne or West Coast picks Duursma, don’t expect him to slide past Hawthorn, which holds Pick 3 and has been linked to the goalkicker.

Gold Coast holds Pick 4, but is likely to trade that pick away considering they’ll need draft points to secure their academy graduates. Power forward Jed Walter should receive a rival club bid before the selection – possibly after Reid is selected – while ruck Ethan Read and midfielder Jake Rogers are also chances to receive top-10 bids.

But the Suns’ pick could slide to No. 5 should they beat the Roos and Fremantle goes down to Hawthorn — which would make Melbourne happy, considering it holds the selection tied to the Dockers’ finishing position as a result of last year’s Luke Jackson trade. The Demons have also been linked to Duursma, who’s played a couple of games for their VFL affiliate Casey, but it seems highly unlikely now he’ll still be on the board at that pick.

MORE TASSIE BOLTERS AS CADDY STARS AGAIN

The Tasmania Devils are poised to finish on top of the Coates Talent League at the end of the home and away season as the list of possible draft prospects continues to grow.

The Devils sit first with a 9-3 record and a percentage of 150.8 after their thumping 70-point win over the Calder Cannons.

While McKercher and Sanders are widely regarded as Tassie’s top-two chances this year, Launceston product James Leake has a growing fan club among AFL scouts and is looming as a first-round bolter.

After a strong start to the season playing as a composed rebounding defender, Leake on Sunday kicked 4.1 from 13 disposals playing purely as a forward. It comes a month after his influential performance against the Geelong Falcons, where he was swung forward and kicked three third-quarter goals while taking several excellent marks. One recruiter told foxfooty.com.au it’d be a major surprise if Leake wasn’t taken within the first 25 selections.


Another Tassie prospect to impress on the weekend was Jack Callinan, who showed off his footy smarts and athletic profile in a high back role, finishing with 21 disposals. Callinan — the son of former Crow Ian Callinan – had previously shone as a dynamic small forward, showing off his goal nous and dynamism both in the air and at ground level.

Launceston’s Arie Schoenmaker (1.0 from 21 disposals) and North Launceston’s Heath Ollington (2.3 from 15 disposals) also cashed in on the Devils’ dominance in attack, while medium defender Geordie Payne finished with 18 disposals and a season-high 12 marks. The Adelaide Crows have been linked to Payne, who’s averaged 19.4 disposals and 5.1 rebound 50s for the Devils in a consistent 2023 campaign.

For the Cannons, Bulldogs father-son prospect Jordan Croft kicked 2.2 from nine disposals and six marks. Most clubs believe Croft will attract a bid in the middle of the first round.

Meanwhile, top-10 prospect Nate Caddy had another dominant Coates Talent League outing, booting 4.3 from 20 disposals and 11 marks for the Northern Knights against Sandringham and taking his goal tally to 23 for the year.

At 192cm, Caddy doesn’t have the height to be a key forward at AFL level – which is why clubs have been impressed with his ability to pinch-hit in the midfield and at centre bounces this year. Scouts, though, said Caddy would likely have to improve his aerobic capacity to have an on-ball impact at AFL level.

Caddy’s Knights teammate Will Green continued his rise up the ranks, winning an intriguing ruck battle against Sandringham’s Vigo Visentini and playing arguably his best game since the champs as he finished with 15 disposals, six marks and 19 hit-outs. Green has elevated his standing across the back half of the year, impressing AFL clubs with his running power around the ground and up forward, mobility and competitiveness.

ELSEWHERE …

– Eastern Ranges star forward and top-10 prospect Nick Watson booted 1.3 from 20 disposals against the Geelong Falcons in a game where he played a variety of roles, spending a lot of time on the wing and up forward, as well as a stint behind the ball. Teammate Caleb Windsor, who kicked 1.2 from 22 touches, is also gaining fans at AFL club level as a hard-running wingman who’s starting to have more impact forward of centre.

– Gippsland 203cm forward-ruck Archer Reid continued his strong finish to the year, finishing with 17 disposals and five marks after booting 11.2 from his previous three Talent League games. After a quiet start to the year that had scouts questioning where he truly sat in the draft pool, Reid is back in the first-round mix.

– Oakleigh Chargers defender Nathan Philactides racked up 30 disposals in his side’s win over the Power. The Vic Metro representative’s ability to find the ball is unquestionable, but clubs have question marks over his decision-making and ball use, making him a tough prospect to place at the moment.

– GWV Rebels 176cm small forward Lachlan Charleson lit up Bendigo on Sunday, booting a whopping 8.4 from 22 touches in the Rebels’ 48-point win over the Pioneers. Charleson played three games for Vic Country in this year’s national carnival but never hit great heights, booting 1.4. But he showed off his forward craft on Sunday in devastating fashion. Rebels teammate George Stevens continued his recent purple patch of form, racking up 29 disposals and 12 tackles.

– Recruiters were stoked to see Cooper Simpson have an eye-catching four-quarter performance in Dandenong’s win over the Murray Bushrangers. Simpson, who was hampered by a thigh issue this year, booted 2.1 from 22 disposals after starting on a wing then moving into the midfield. Speedy, cool under pressure and clean with ball in-hand, Simpson is a big moments player that steps up when his team needs him most. Teammates Harry DeMattia (0.2 from 21 disposals), Kade De La Rue (3.1 from 17 disposals) and Billy Wilson (1.0 from 31 disposals) also impressed for the Stingrays.

– First-round prospect Darcy Wilson played a lonehand for the Bushrangers, continuing his strong and consistent form with 1.1 from 28 disposals, six marks and five tackles. While he‘s impressed as an inside midfielder for Murray, scouts see him playing as a high-running forward/winger at AFL level. Fellow top-end player Connor O’Sullivan played all over the ground, with stints in defence, up forward and in the ball in his 13-disposal display.

– Outside Victoria, small forward Jack Delean was the match-winner for South Adelaide’s Under 18s side, booting 4.2 from 11 disposals after kicking two goals each in two SANFL league matches. And WA captain Riley Hardeman had another 28 disposals and six tackles for Swan Districts’ colts side
 
tmcrae92 said:
cornes has the biggest hard on for bashing north, suggesting we shouldn’t get PP if McKay walks and we get compo on FC last night. Barrett also suggesting the afl shouldn’t give us the 1st pick given the club hasn’t climbed the ladder in three years, despite the draft literally being a means to equalise the competition across the league year to year. Also funny how they are quick to jump on us but forget other hand outs and assistance for clubs like GC and Collingwood.

Wish we just did some shrewd deals to grab GC pick and of GWS’s first rounder with a Haynes salary dump and have like 5/6 first round picks along with McKay compo and any assistance package the AFL approves just to watch their little minds explode all through 2024. Would then call for any flags we win in the coming years to have an asterisk for the assistance we got despite the number one pick for finishing last, McKay compo, and ports pick from JHF literally being nothing that was given to us by the AFL as as part of any package.
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It would be quite ironic, if we net pick 1 due to an interchange infringement, Sydney get us pick 2 as well for McKay being the heir apparent to sooky Rampe, and then we use the money we would have paid McKay to net another top pick and a salary dump player.

We should build a statue of Rampe pointing outside Arden street.
 
What an insane amount of discussion. Reid is so far above any of the draft this year apart from Jed who we can't draft. If we get no 1 we lock him in and really there should be no discussions at all and you pop the corks and go on a three week bender. Anything elsle is surplus, this kid would be in our top three bnf if he played this year. Finally we got one.
 
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