2024 Draft Thread.

[Parkysp]

I agree with Scrappy - King is and always will be a handicap on having a fully functioning forward line. I will go as far to say we wont play in a GF with King in the side. Caminiti is full of energy and effort and gives everything for his team mates. He doesn't have the raw talent of Max but his enthusiasm for the game puts him well in front in my view.

Im sorry everyone he plays for the Saints but I dont rate him and believe he will never reach the potential you all dream of. He strikes me as the sort of kid that could just pack up his bat & ball and walk away from the game tomorrow eg Tom Boyd. Not someone you build a club around...

Next year will tell the story, I'm with many others on here that says he needs to play up the ground. At 24 he's off his footy P Plates now, even for a tall. Output is what we need to see. Footy clock is tick, tick, ticking.

 

[stfan]

Keen to see what Hammer can do next year. A couple of years in the system, he has improved aspects of his game in particular his goal kicking and could be ready to go to another level.

Caminiti is a very good mark. Vice like one grab hands that clunks like "Buckets " used to. Plus he is a very good judge of the ball in flight who you often think looks out of position, but only because he is judging the ball better than his opponents.

He just needs to improve the other aspects of his game, which he is already doing.

I have great faith that once he he does that , that he will have also gained strength and mass and so will make a very handy key forward, who we can also swing down back on occasion.

King, Caminiti and Sharman are all different players. Add in our mediums and small and we will have a pretty decent forward line.

 

[Mr Platinum]

Our biggest need is our midfield

Imagine walking away with Trainor and Armstrong

If we had a draft like that we’d be set for the next 15 years with our KPP’s! Rome wasn’t built in a day, this list build really started with the King draft. Trout and co royally ****ed the list for a decade, what a disaster that era was. Now he’s at Essendope selecting Tsatas over Pou

 

[Michael Goodinski]

If we had a draft like that we’d be set for the next 15 years with our KPP’s! Rome wasn’t built in a day, this list build really started with the King draft. Trout and co royally ****ed the list for a decade, what a disaster that era was. Now he’s at Essendope selecting Tsatas over Pou

Long may that halfwit, Elshaug, keep advising the dopers. Hopefully he ruins their list for a decade just like he ruined ours.

 

[BrutThough]

Much more confident in Hammer than Keeler. I think Keeler might make it but with no real confidence. He does the sublime but consistency and impact still very patchy.

Not every pick is a definite star no matter how high they are. There are usually one or two absolute stars in most drafts top 10s, a few above average and a few GOPs then a couple of spuds/busts. Pick 6 is cursed as well. It's got one of the worst hit rates of any pick. I think they say pick 46 out performs it.

I have Hammer as an above average for his age so I would think the chance of getting an upgrade are slim. I think Stavro claimed that the Saints rated him as a top 5 pick level talent even.

Of course Keeler is patchy. He's a 20 year old KPP being throw every few weeks between defence and forward. But his talent and skill level is sublime. With some consistency, he has a real change of being a damanaging player and filling that fwd/ruck role we've been lacking.

This supposed 'curse' on a pick isn't going stop any decent list manager from trading or improving their list with a deal that included that pick.

Caminiti is a good kid but if he is considered a top 5 talent on our list, than our list is not in a good place.

 

[Tommy Wigs]

Of course Keeler is patchy. He's a 20 year old KPP being throw every few weeks between defence and forward. But his talent and skill level is sublime. With some consistency, he has a real change of being a damanaging player and filling that fwd/ruck role we've been lacking.

This supposed 'curse' on a pick isn't going stop any decent list manager from trading or improving their list with a deal that included that pick.

Caminiti is a good kid but if he is considered a top 5 talent on our list, than our list is not in a good place.

Interested in the late season move of Keeler into the forward line again. When he first started in defence I thought he was so far out of his depth it was laughable. But he improved out of sight down there. Having a big unit sitting right in the way like bloody Gov or Weitering would be nice.

Was it just some experience (if so, why move fwd now)? Failed experiment? Purely need with other tall forwards out?

 

[stavro#4]

Much more confident in Hammer than Keeler. I think Keeler might make it but with no real confidence. He does the sublime but consistency and impact still very patchy.

Not every pick is a definite star no matter how high they are. There are usually one or two absolute stars in most drafts top 10s, a few above average and a few GOPs then a couple of spuds/busts. Pick 6 is cursed as well. It's got one of the worst hit rates of any pick. I think they say pick 46 out performs it.

I have Hammer as an above average for his age so I would think the chance of getting an upgrade are slim. I think Stavro claimed that the Saints rated him as a top 5 pick level talent even.

What did I say?

 

[BrutThough]

Interested in the late season move of Keeler into the forward line again. When he first started in defence I thought he was so far out of his depth it was laughable. But he improved out of sight down there. Having a big unit sitting right in the way like bloody Gov or Weitering would be nice.

Was it just some experience (if so, why move fwd now)? Failed experiment? Purely need with other tall forwards out?

As the season progressed, there were many times during match sim that I thought Nas had the ball the way he moved and kicked it out of defence. Someone that tall shouldn't be as silky as he is.

Going to be really interesting to see which end we train him during pre season, especially with the Battle opening now in defence. After that month fwd at Sandy, he was back to defence in the last training session of the year so maybe we are keeping both options open and try to develop him as a swingman type?

 

[Ads734]

So because I said he has a game that’s not hard to love it means I love Josh Smillie?

I mean if it translates to AFL level the comparison is Cripps. So I don’t imagine many Carlton fans don’t love his game

He’s much faster and more explosive than Cripps. More penetrating kick as well. Reminds me far more of David Mundy.

 

[Ads734]

As the season progressed, there were many times during match sim that I thought Nas had the ball the way he moved and kicked it out of defence. Someone that tall shouldn't be as silky as he is.

Going to be really interesting to see which end we train him during pre season, especially with the Battle opening now in defence. After that month fwd at Sandy, he was back to defence in the last training session of the year so maybe we are keeping both options open and try to develop him as a swingman type?

agreed. He does things where you just shake your head and wonder how. Wish we’d given him a game at the end. Just hope he has a ripper pre season.

 

[stavro#4]

Interested in the late season move of Keeler into the forward line again. When he first started in defence I thought he was so far out of his depth it was laughable. But he improved out of sight down there. Having a big unit sitting right in the way like bloody Gov or Weitering would be nice.

Was it just some experience (if so, why move fwd now)? Failed experiment? Purely need with other tall forwards out?

His best form was definitely forward. It was natural. It had Xfactor it was exciting.

He was kicking goals. Jumping on heads.

He would get thrown in the ruck.

Slightly disappointed we didn’t blood him at the end of the year.

 

[g_TRAIN]

His best form was definitely forward. It was natural. It had Xfactor it was exciting.

He was kicking goals. Jumping on heads.

He would get thrown in the ruck.

Slightly disappointed we didn’t blood him at the end of the year.

Feel like his next step is to be able to create a contest when the ball isn't kicked to his advantage and just stay competitive in the contest for longer

He's good with a run and jump, on the lead and in space but from what I could tell unlike say Hammer he doesn't crash packs, bring the ball to ground and compete in the clinches.

Hope he makes it. Personally I think his best position could be as 70% ruck 30% forward but that's a gut feel as he hasn't really been tried and testing in that role at all.

 

[stavro#4]

He’s much faster and more explosive than Cripps. More penetrating kick as well. Reminds me far more of David Mundy.

Either way.

For what he is. He is the most unique prospect in this draft pool.

Which is why - if I had pick 1. I would use it on him.

Highest ceiling/biggest bust etc etc.

 

[MightySaint]

Does Keeler actually have a contract for next year?

 

[botts]

Does Keeler actually have a contract for next year?

Not yet

 

[SaintWrld]

Does Keeler actually have a contract for next year?

Signed 1 year extension 2 months ago. Unsure why the club isn’t announcing resignings

 

[SteeleSaints]

Interested in the late season move of Keeler into the forward line again. When he first started in defence I thought he was so far out of his depth it was laughable. But he improved out of sight down there. Having a big unit sitting right in the way like bloody Gov or Weitering would be nice.

Was it just some experience (if so, why move fwd now)? Failed experiment? Purely need with other tall forwards out?

During my foray to the club a couple of weeks ago I spent a bit of time chatting with Isaac. He is a great kid who said he preferred to play forward with the freedom of chopping out in the ruck. I also think thats where he plays his best footy, he adds something unique in both positions. He still needs to grow into a mans body he is a tall skinny 20yo, but when he does we are going to have an absolute ripper on our hands. He is such a lovely kid what a win for our club that Adelaide over looked him as an NGA.

I didnt ask him about his contract but he said he was going home to SA the day of their break and was looking forward to seeing his parents as he hadnt seen them for sometime. He did say he loves the club and living in Melbourne however.

I believe the move to defence was to help his development and to basically to get him working harder. You cant just give one effort in defence you get exposed really quickly, its something he still needs to keep working at but he has improved. There is no doubt he was an improved version of himself when he was returned forward for the last few games of the year. He is another kid who will benefit of getting more time of playing in the ruck, as good as Campbell has been he did stymie the development of Heath & Keeler.

Zak Jones was also present and we discussed his contract situation and said he had no idea. I was surprised to hear he hadnt had any feedback about his second half of the year given he had played so well. It is a current day list management ploy to keep players hanging, but its a pretty shitty way to treat people in my view.

The other little titbit was when getting a selfie with Nasiah was how tall he was. Im 187cm and he towered over me he would be as tall or taller than Wilkie now. I was amazed at how obliging the players are with supporters these days its fantastic.

 

[Miha]

Signed 1 year extension 2 months ago. Unsure why the club isn’t announcing resignings

He gone

 

[_Maximus_12]

Wouldn’t be surprised to see someone like Port come for Keeler. OOC, they need a successor to Dixon and he’d be relatively cheap.
Hope not as I think he projects to be a great player if he can fulfil his potential

 

[akaifu]

Wouldn’t be surprised to see someone like Port come for Keeler. OOC, they need a successor to Dixon and he’d be relatively cheap.
Hope not as I think he projects to be a great player if he can fulfil his potential

Their successor to Dixon is Ollie Lord along with Marshall and Georgiades

 

[SteeleSaints]

Wouldn’t be surprised to see someone like Port come for Keeler. OOC, they need a successor to Dixon and he’d be relatively cheap.
Hope not as I think he projects to be a great player if he can fulfil his potential

I dont think he is out of contract and we would be crazy to let him go, he is our future tall forward/ruckman. That would one of the worst list management decisions the club has made in recent history. Given time and development he will hold down a key forward post or even the main ruck role, he will be something like Jackson. People seem to think every kid needs to be playing AFL in their first couple of years and if they dont they should be moved on.

Be patient Im confident the kid will be a star!

 

[Tommy Wigs]

As the season progressed, there were many times during match sim that I thought Nas had the ball the way he moved and kicked it out of defence. Someone that tall shouldn't be as silky as he is.

Going to be really interesting to see which end we train him during pre season, especially with the Battle opening now in defence. After that month fwd at Sandy, he was back to defence in the last training session of the year so maybe we are keeping both options open and try to develop him as a swingman type?

Yeah, I agree. Looking forward to him early days at pre season training. He may even be best roaming the ground as a ruck just doing freakish stuff as and when he pleases.

 

[Tommy Wigs]

During my foray to the club a couple of weeks ago I spent a bit of time chatting with Isaac. He is a great kid who said he preferred to play forward with the freedom of chopping out in the ruck. I also think thats where he plays his best footy, he adds something unique in both positions. He still needs to grow into a mans body he is a tall skinny 20yo, but when he does we are going to have an absolute ripper on our hands. He is such a lovely kid what a win for our club that Adelaide over looked him as an NGA.

I didnt ask him about his contract but he said he was going home to SA the day of their break and was looking forward to seeing his parents as he hadnt seen them for sometime. He did say he loves the club and living in Melbourne however.

I believe the move to defence was to help his development and to basically to get him working harder. You cant just give one effort in defence you get exposed really quickly, its something he still needs to keep working at but he has improved. There is no doubt he was an improved version of himself when he was returned forward for the last few games of the year. He is another kid who will benefit of getting more time of playing in the ruck, as good as Campbell has been he did stymie the development of Heath & Keeler.

Zak Jones was also present and we discussed his contract situation and said he had no idea. I was surprised to hear he hadnt had any feedback about his second half of the year given he had played so well. It is a current day list management ploy to keep players hanging, but its a pretty shitty way to treat people in my view.

The other little titbit was when getting a selfie with Nasiah was how tall he was. Im 187cm and he towered over me he would be as tall or taller than Wilkie now. I was amazed at how obliging the players are with supporters these days its fantastic.

Great post

 

[_Maximus_12]

I dont think he is out of contract and we would be crazy to let him go, he is our future tall forward/ruckman. That would one of the worst list management decisions the club has made in recent history. Given time and development he will hold down a key forward post or even the main ruck role, he will be something like Jackson. People seem to think every kid needs to be playing AFL in their first couple of years and if they dont they should be moved on.

Be patient Im confident the kid will be a star!

I didn’t say I don’t want to keep him.. I agree I think he has the tools to make it and impact significantly.
I’d hope that he has signed a contract.

 

[SteeleSaints]

He’s much faster and more explosive than Cripps. More penetrating kick as well. Reminds me far more of David Mundy.

I agree on the Mundy likeness with Smillie, but dont think speed is one of his assets.

Mundy was a very good player who won 2015 AA, won Freo's B&F. If Smillie can show Mundy's grit, hunt for the ball and his leadership he will become a really good player. He is only a kid but I get the impression a lot of his hype revolves around his size but he doesnt use it that well. He may become a very good player but for me I think there will be better options available for our club.