2023 young talent time

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Fox footy saying that Mitch Edwards is now entering top 5 calculations in the ND after this weekends games.
I know he’s a ruck forward but jeez a top 5 pick level talent to match a bid on would have been nice in this year of having no first rounder.

Worth watching GC suns too. If they finished 10th and had say, pick 10, I wonder could we trade them some second round picks to get that pick 10?

Eg we could swap out F2 for pick 32 and pick 38 this year with someone, then give the suns pick 21, 32 and 38 for pick 10.
We would basically be swapping 2 second round picks for a pick in this years top 10, while still retaining our F1 next season.
They are going to need A LOT of points.
I think if the suns finish too low and end up with pick 6 or lower, it won’t be possible IMO.
Shame the AFL wouldn't let us match unless he gets to pick #41

Would have been nice.
 
Mitch Edwards in action against Carlton VFL does some good stuff here and there, and with his mobility you can see why he would be in demand.

 

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I rate Edwards. Highly.

It’s yet another highlight of the AntiFremantleLeague that we don’t get to match bids on our decent NGA kids. Changed that rule just in time. You campaigners.

They made the ruling when Edwards was about 14 and probably not even in our NGA at the time. The AFL aren't that smart.
 
They made the ruling when Edwards was about 14 and probably not even in our NGA at the time. The AFL aren't that smart.
Sure, but they definitely don't want us getting someone like him and would have been thinking it was going to happen in the future. Possibly many times. But even with that logic, making it go out to pick 40 is beyond pathetic. Take the middle ground like pick 20 cutoff. Matching with no discounts or even a surplus. So many options to make it actually worthwhile to invest in academies.

Meanwhile GC look like having a top 5 pick, plus two others who might go in the top 40. The phantom trial currently on has all their picks as matching bids.

Having said that, for Edwards it might be in our best interest for the rules to be as they are. Otherwise he would get bid on and we'd match with pick 20ish and there goes our best chance of getting someone we need more than a ruck.

I'd like to see him disappear off the radar with some kind of bogus story like an attitude or head injury problem (slapped his head in the early 4th quarter on that video above ... that would be a good start). Worked with WC and Darling.
 
I know it wasn't because of Mitch but the change to 40 only happened last year. We lost a fair crack at Motlop before we lost a fair crack at Edwards while the Bulldogs (of all clubs - their previous history of involvement with and development of indigenous talent being precisely five-eigths of ****-all) jag JUH.

40 extends past the point where there is a selfish incentive to actually run the academies properly. Give us some reward for doing it right.
 
Sure, but they definitely don't want us getting someone like him and would have been thinking it was going to happen in the future. Possibly many times. But even with that logic, making it go out to pick 40 is beyond pathetic. Take the middle ground like pick 20 cutoff. Matching with no discounts or even a surplus. So many options to make it actually worthwhile to invest in academies.

Meanwhile GC look like having a top 5 pick, plus two others who might go in the top 40. The phantom trial currently on has all their picks as matching bids.

Having said that, for Edwards it might be in our best interest for the rules to be as they are. Otherwise he would get bid on and we'd match with pick 20ish and there goes our best chance of getting someone we need more than a ruck.

I'd like to see him disappear off the radar with some kind of bogus story like an attitude or head injury problem (slapped his head in the early 4th quarter on that video above ... that would be a good start). Worked with WC and Darling.


I don't agree with the rules either and I certainly think that the AFL do SFA to help us but to think the NGA rules were designed particularly to stifle us is just crazy.
 
I know it wasn't because of Mitch but the change to 40 only happened last year. We lost a fair crack at Motlop before we lost a fair crack at Edwards while the Bulldogs (of all clubs - their previous history of involvement with and development of indigenous talent being precisely five-eigths of *-all) jag JUH.

40 extends past the point where there is a selfish incentive to actually run the academies properly. Give us some reward for doing it right.

Agree. Not a lot of point having an academy anymore.
 
I don't agree with the rules either and I certainly think that the AFL do SFA to help us but to think the NGA rules were designed particularly to stifle us is just crazy.
Let's face it, the AFL have NEVER, EVER, done anything to assist us. NEVER have, and never ever will.
 
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Let's face it, the AFL hav eNEVER, EVER, done anything to assist us.NEVER, and never ever will.
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I don't agree with the rules either and I certainly think that the AFL do SFA to help us but to think the NGA rules were designed particularly to stifle us is just crazy.

I didn't mean they were designed particularly to stifle us. JUH was the main one who probably kickstarted the change. The rule changes were designed to appease the big boys like WC, Collingwood, Carlton, Richmond, Geelong. A club we are not part of. They have other ways to give themselves a leg up, so want to cut off the alternative means for the minnows like Freo, Bulldogs, Saints, etc. And the AFL is more than fine with that. And even if it was not specifically aimed at us, we happen to be the ones with arguably the most to lose based on how our NGA has been producing draftable kids.
 
Best thing we can hope for is GC draft Edwards. That's our best chance of getting him back in Freo colours one day.
 
Wouldn't he want to play for West Coast with his brother?

Who knows. He's in our academy so presumably he has some affiliation with us, and his brother is 'only' a WAFL top up player for them.

By the time he comes back in this hypothetical I doubt he's going to be playing much WAFL.
 
So (whilst I am stuck at home with Covid) in the lead up to the mid season draft, thought I would pose this hypothetical question:

Assuming we can see into the future and that Ashton Moir AND Koltyn Tholstrup are available at our first pick, what do (1) we do with today's mid-season pick, and (2) who do we pick with the second round pick at the end of the year?
 
So (whilst I am stuck at home with Covid) in the lead up to the mid season draft, thought I would pose this hypothetical question:

Assuming we can see into the future and that Ashton Moir AND Koltyn Tholstrup are available at our first pick, what do (1) we do with today's mid-season pick, and (2) who do we pick with the second round pick at the end of the year?
Moir seems like he’s moved into the don’t touch unless it’s like no risk for me. I think Walls has shown we value character very very highly and a guy who seems to go at 50% onfield most of the time is not someone Walls will pick. Tholstrup for me given we don’t have any immediate list concerns and there’s a decent chance he would be best available at the pick.

Apparently we don’t think Hansen Jnr gets to us so I wouldn’t be surprised to see us pass if all the guys we like are gone
 

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2023 young talent time

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