Opinion 2024 AFL Draft - Nights 1 & 2, from 7pm AEST

[bedford]

Off the top of my head, Espn and Fox had him outside 50 and Fox had him at 86. I guarantee you I’ll find way more estimates outside 50 than inside 30.

I tell you what if anyone goes by Fox they will never know , because they don't know F all

 

[bedford]

Re: Dattoli and Bowman, I think it depends on how our midfield and taller forwards (Buller, Hamling) go. Magor was drafted as a medium forward but moved back to get involved because we couldn't win it out of midfield / had no forward structure and targets. If our mids struggle, Buller remains battling injury issues and Hamling is the lone decent KPF option, then we might have to move Dattoli into the middle and Bowman to half back to just get involved. We do seem to have been more competitive this year though. I think another mid and a KPF might have helped with that, but we'll rest Ladhams there and maybe Snell, Francis see some time forward as well.

Bice should really only come in if there's injuries to Blakey, Roberts, Florent etc. Maybe if Florent or Blakey hit a form slump like they did this year. And even then with Jmac fit again, Lloyd etc we should have cover in half back options already.

Paton likewise, only if Cunningham, Fox have injuries. But it's good to have younger backup.

Bice will go close to round 0

 

[BloodySwan]

Our club knows how to build a list. Might not get every pick right but they're onto something

 

[Bloods86]

Definitely not criticising the players we drafted, they could be talented, I just worry we drafted for the wrong positions, that the Swans recruiters, or Longmire, did not recognise our teams deficiencies.

They say the worst thing a club can do is not realise where their list is at. Usually this is said for teams that are over the hill and need to rebuild but whose coach and senior advisers have decided to have one last crack at the flag (Hawthorn drafting Mitchell/Omeara and Richmond drafting Taranto/Hopper for example) but in this case the expression could also be used for clubs that just don't recognise a list weakness, a weakness that is keeping us from winning the flag.

I think we recognised need in Bowman and Andrew, Dattoli as a mid. Were they the players I'd have picked, no, and I do agree we probably needed a bit bigger KPD. But just have to hope they've seen things that can't be gleaned from draft profiles, videos versus other options.

 

[Bloods86]

Bice will go close to round 0

If he's that good and replaces by merit the likes of Blakey, Lloyd, Roberts, Florent then OK.

 

[RUNVS]

I think we recognised need in Bowman and Andrew, Dattoli as a mid. Were they the players I'd have picked, no, and I do agree we probably needed a bit bigger KPD. But just have to hope they've seen things that can't be gleaned from draft profiles, videos versus other options.

The problem is even with Dattoli as a mid, we need some bigger mids. We have so many that are around about the 180cm range, but very few that are closer to 190cm. Our midfield is very small compared to most and it can cause them to get bullied when the ball is contested.

 

[Kbroome]

If he's that good and replaces by merit the likes of Blakey, Lloyd, Roberts, Florent then OK.

Tbf Bice is probably seen as a massive upgrade on Magor and an actual playable player if we have an injury in the back half flankers. Don't think he replaces Blakey, Lloyd Roberts or Florent just yet but have a feeling Lloyd will start to decline in the next 12-18 months and Bice will be right there to replace him

 

[Caj]

Our club knows how to build a list. Might not get every pick right but they're onto something

We’d be screwed without our academy picks

 

[bedford]

If he's that good and replaces by merit the likes of Blakey, Lloyd, Roberts, Florent then OK.

Better than Campbell

 

[Kbroome]

The problem is even with Dattoli as a mid, we need some bigger mids. We have so many that are around about the 180cm range, but very few that are closer to 190cm. Our midfield is very small compared to most and it can cause them to get bullied when the ball is contested.

Max King next year is a 191cm midfield/fwd with crazy agility and leap.

To add to this there was only 5 mids above 190cm selected in the 71 selections and none in the 25+ rookie selections. Thats 5 in 100 and 4 of them were Langford, Smilie, Allen and Hynes which we didn't have access to given they were taken before our first pick. That left Jack Ough as the only tall midfielder left in the draft and he was taken at 36 which is before our third selection.

The only other tallish mid would be Hugh Boxshall 188cm taken at pick 45.

 

[BloodySwan]

We’d be screwed without our academy picks

Yeah, that's why we have the academy. Because we lose players like Dawson and Mitchell. It doesn't mean we can only pick academy prospects.

 

[Bloods86]

The problem is even with Dattoli as a mid, we need some bigger mids. We have so many that are around about the 180cm range, but very few that are closer to 190cm. Our midfield is very small compared to most and it can cause them to get bullied when the ball is contested.

Mills coming back into midfield helps, at 188. Rowy isn't short. Heeney plays above his height.

Height isn't everything either. I think there was like 1cm difference between our mid group and the Cats in 2022. They were just more mature, solid units. Neale and Ashcroft are small, didn't hold them back.

 

[Bloods86]

Better than Campbell

Campbell should be in the F50, but I don't trust the club to realise that.

 

[Bloods86]

Tbf Bice is probably seen as a massive upgrade on Magor and an actual playable player if we have an injury in the back half flankers. Don't think he replaces Blakey, Lloyd Roberts or Florent just yet but have a feeling Lloyd will start to decline in the next 12-18 months and Bice will be right there to replace him

Magor should have been back in the F50, but I definitely don't trust that the club realised that

 

[bedford]

Max King next year is a 191cm midfield/fwd with crazy agility and leap.

To add to this there was only 5 mids above 190cm selected in the 71 selections and none in the 25+ rookie selections. Thats 5 in 100 and 4 of them were Langford, Smilie, Allen and Hynes which we didn't have access to given they were taken before our first pick. That left Jack Ough as the only tall midfielder left in the draft and he was taken at 36 which is before our third selection.

The only other tallish mid would be Hugh Boxshall 188cm taken at pick 45.

Crazy lol

 

[Wheresbuddy]

Mills coming back into midfield helps, at 188. Rowy isn't short. Heeney plays above his height.

Height isn't everything either. I think there was like 1cm difference between our mid group and the Cats in 2022. They were just more mature, solid units. Neale and Ashcroft are small, didn't hold them back.

Neale is listed at 178cm (looks more like 170-175cm to me having seen him in real life) and Ashcroft listed at 182cm (again in real life looks more 175 -178cm). Dunkley is listed at 191cm. On average, Heeney, Rowie and Chad were comparable in height on GF day. Difference was all 3 Lions built like the proverbial out house, very strong and hard to beat collectively and one on one. Our boys need to bulk more over the summer.

 

[tombomb]

The problem is even with Dattoli as a mid, we need some bigger mids. We have so many that are around about the 180cm range, but very few that are closer to 190cm. Our midfield is very small compared to most and it can cause them to get bullied when the ball is contested.

I don't think it is so much about height or size.

Neale and Ashcroft aren't big, but they can absorb pressure and still do really good things with the ball. Some of their work in tight in the GF was so far above anything our midfield is capable of besides Heeney.

Our fundamental problem imo and the reason our form fluctuates so wildly is that we don't have enough class in the middle of the ground to cope when an opposition brings sustained pressure.

In most games, the pressure drops off or fluctuates during a game, or isn't there to begin with and then players like Gulden and Warner and Blakey can dominate. But in a game like the GF, it doesn't drop off.

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

We recruited well for our storied zone defence.

 

[bedford]

Just put on the Bice thread than there is a story by McKirdy that has just dropped , Riley is a swans fan

 

[Caj]

Yeah, that's why we have the academy. Because we lose players like Dawson and Mitchell. It doesn't mean we can only pick academy prospects.

I’m not debating the merits of the academy, just noting that our non-academy drafting had been sub par in recent years

Hopefully this years crop bucks that trend but we’ve gone high risk high reward

 

[SeanM]

I don't think it is so much about height or size.

Neale and Ashcroft aren't big, but they can absorb pressure and still do really good things with the ball. Some of their work in tight in the GF was so far above anything our midfield is capable of besides Heeney.

Our fundamental problem imo and the reason our form fluctuates so wildly is that we don't have enough class in the middle of the ground to cope when an opposition brings sustained pressure.

In most games, the pressure drops off or fluctuates during a game, or isn't there to begin with and then players like Gulden and Warner and Blakey can dominate. But in a game like the GF, it doesn't drop off.

Yeah I thought Neale and Ashcroft damaged us with their ball winning ability and handpass skills in tight contests. Rather than by outsizing our mids.

 

[tombomb]

Yeah I thought Neale and Ashcroft damaged us with their ball winning ability and handpass skills in tight contests. Rather than by outsizing our mids.

As soon as Heeney was injured, they had lengths on every midfielder on our team in that part of the game.

Same problem in 2022 with Dangerfield and Selwood.

 

[rustycrate]

Yeah, that's why we have the academy. Because we lose players like Dawson and Mitchell. It doesn't mean we can only pick academy prospects.

and Nankervis, Darcy Cameron. Other players don't want to move to Sydney. Even father sons like Dunkley would rather play in Melbourne. That is OK.
We need more players from home staying home.
Look at Warner. We also have two of them and the best one won't dispel rumors of moving back to WA. This will be one of the biggest news stories of 2025.
Victoria has about 70% of the draft players. GWS players don't go to Sydney. They usually find a club back in their home state, usually Victoria. Like I said. That is OK.
The Academy just evens it up.

 

[BloodySwan]

I’m not debating the merits of the academy, just noting that our non-academy drafting had been sub par in recent years

Hopefully this years crop bucks that trend but we’ve gone high risk high reward

And my original comment is we know how to build a list.

Our recent drafts have been poor, however we still have a strong young team and the large bulk of it isn't reliant on the academy

 

[LukeParkerno1]

If he's that good and replaces by merit the likes of Blakey, Lloyd, Roberts, Florent then OK.

Roberts to the midfield Lloyd basically plays wing these days