Preview 2024 National Draft Preview Thread

[LB2Snake]

I've mentioned this before but it continues to stand out with every clip that I watch... Armstrong's quick decision making is an absolutely elite AFL quality. It's one of the most important qualities that determines a star player, in my opinion.

He's a player who has 2-3 actions in a sequence where most KPFs have 1.

The play at 3:45 in the clip below is a perfect example of it paying off. He is positioned to run onto the spoil, but it doesn't happen, so he tackles, then the split second that the ump signals a free he is sprinting forward into space. And he gets a goal out of it.

But even the play at 3:39. It's a nothing play but he's in that marking contest and before he even lands he is already thinking about how he is going to hunt the ball and apply pressure.

Just don’t muck around and take him at 2.

 

[The Nostradamus]

KPF order for me

Shanahan
Armstrong
Gerryn
J Whitlock
Faull
sims

 

[chubbspeterson]

KPF order for me

Shanahan
Armstrong
Gerryn
M Whitlock
Faull
sims

No Jack Whitlock? You crazy

 

[The Nostradamus]

No Jack Whitlock? You crazy

You beat me before I corrected it

 

[DuckYeah]

I'd like Gerreyn, as well, but you missed the point. He got a goal there because he ran into space before anyone else clicked to it. It's a simple example but it's a trend through all of his clips.

Most star players are star players because they do simple shit a step ahead of other players.

Hmmm ambiguous, reckon theres a little more go it. I get it, CCJ would just stand there.. Larky would lead backwards.. pink would drop the mark..

Ive seen our captain burn players who find space. We need smart observers with peripheral vision to find the bloke in space *sigh

 

[SKD]

195cm is not 'undersized' at all...

On SM-G991B using BigFooty.com mobile app

My bad, thought he was 193cm. I like the look of the Whitlock brothers.

 

[kool kangas]

KPF order for me

Shanahan
Armstrong
Gerryn
J Whitlock
Faull
sims

Mine would be:

Armstrong
Shanahan
J Whitlock
Gerryn

 

[chubbspeterson]

Hey North fans, do you guys expect your club will pick a Key position player at 2 or one of the top prospect midfielders?

Hard to know at this point. Usually best talent but what we do in trade week might have an impact I think.
If we got in a few mature mids like say Parker and Macrae, then there's not much point taking a mid with pick 2.
Some media talk we are looking to split pick 2 like WCE, so I'd be thinking that's to address the spine if we do that.

 

[ansonholt]

2 players I can't see the fuss with - FOS and Trainor.

Conversely I find Jagga mesmerising and am surprised he isn't spoken about even more.

Jagga will end up the best player from this draft. I hope it's with us.

I don't see and never have seen what all the fuss is with FOS. In relative terms compared to some of the other mids at the top tier. I like Draper though. However, it's Jagga for me, please.

He gets a mountain of it, every time, is quick, can tackle, makes great decisions and does so quickly. Never hesitates. Then goes again and again until not needed any more. I have to hope Richmond want FOS and the North selectors see Jagga as next best after that.

 

[chubbspeterson]

Jagga will end up the best player from this draft. I hope it's with us.

I don't see and never have seen what all the fuss is with FOS. In relative terms compared to some of the other mids at the top tier. I like Draper though. However, it's Jagga for me, please.

He gets a mountain of it, every time, is quick, can tackle, makes great decisions and does so quickly. Never hesitates. Then goes again and again until not needed any more. I have to hope Richmond want FOS and the North selectors see Jagga as next best after that.

Jagga is very good but I wouldn't say he's quick, he's a quick decision maker and doesn't waste possessions, but his slight frame is a query for me at the next level. He's probably the safest bet in the draft. I'd be surprised if he doesn't go at 1.

 

[zoomba23]

Jagga is very good but I wouldn't say he's quick, he's a quick decision maker and doesn't waste possessions, but his slight frame is a query for me at the next level. He's probably the safest bet in the draft. I'd be surprised if he doesn't go at 1.

Bit like Will Phillips was the safest bet in the draft. Albeit with a COVID-shaped asterisk

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

Facetious or you think he's the #1 pick?

No, I think he's certain to be picked by Richmond.

 

[Ichiro #51]

I think the G-Train is in a very good paddock…
View attachment 2108553
Then again, competition for Big Monk in the canteen may be prudent

He had two or three pies on the go from memory.

 

[The Talent Scout]

I reckon we're more likely to look at Matt Whitlock over Jack. Would give us three hulk swingmen (when he eventually fills out) with Chom and Will Dawson, not to mention he's a proven goalscorer too.

Maybe, a good player, but if we are going to be the side I think we are going to become then we get a true key forward, why should it be different when we get our elite midfielders, when we've had the chance we go the best mid, so the logic should apply both ways to getting our gun key forward, to many times teams try and get greedy and say, "look, he can play defence and forward (swingman), solves a few issues and he's not that far from the other highly rated key forwards, lets take him".

While the couple of highly rated key forwards we didn't take tear it up for other clubs while our swingman becomes a honest goer and gives everything he has but never becomes that player who can win you games of footy off his own boot. Lets not get greedy here folks, there are three potential gun forwards in this draft, lets at least get one of them if not the best of them.

Again that's just my take, there are plenty who don't think Harry is going to be that good, the same with Kayle and some think that Jobe is the best key forward and that Tom Sims should be picked, at the moment there is no right or wrong, probably until three or four years down the track when we will know for certain, is it worth the risk with this team we are putting together and going through all this pain, we need to think about this very carefully, about what choices we make at this draft and who we bring in through the trade & free agency period.

I believe with Will Thursfield in control of our recruiting and Brady and also Alastair having his input, we are finalizing our gun team this year, we have waited so long and put up with quite a bit, if we nail this draft and free agency period I'm very confident nobody will be laughing or joking about our team for a long long time, lets not play it safe, lets just go for it.

 

[R00StaR]

Maybe, a good player, but if we are going to be the side I think we are going to become then we get a true key forward, why should it be different when we get our elite midfielders, when we've had the chance we go the best mid, so the logic should apply both ways to getting our gun key forward, to many times teams try and get greedy and say, "look, he can play defence and forward (swingman), solves a few issues and he's not that far from the other highly rated key forwards, lets take him".

While the couple of highly rated key forwards we didn't take tear it up for other clubs while our swingman becomes a honest goer and gives everything he has but never becomes that player who can win you games of footy off his own boot. Lets not get greedy here folks, there are three potential gun forwards in this draft, lets at least get one of them if not the best of them.

Again that's just my take, there are plenty who don't think Harry is going to be that good, the same with Kayle and some think that Jobe is the best key forward and that Tom Sims should be picked, at the moment there is no right or wrong, probably until three or four years down the track when we will know for certain, is it worth the risk with this team we are putting together and going through all this pain, we need to think about this very carefully, about what choices we make at this draft and who we bring in through the trade & free agency period.

I believe with Will Thursfield in control of our recruiting and Brady and also Alastair having his input, we are finalizing our gun team this year, we have waited so long and put up with quite a bit, if we nail this draft and free agency period I'm very confident nobody will be laughing or joking about our team for a long long time, lets not play it safe, lets just go for it.

Im pumped. F1 to Crows for 4 and 25. 2 Draper, 4 Armstrong, 22 GMan + pick 25 Lets go!

Theres great top end talent to be had next year, but that trade all but ensures we have the players we need and want. We may not get a speedy mid/ fwd we need or a key fwd of Armstrong's talent, so are we really giving up that much? Gets them all on the list and we get cracking!

 

[SKD]

Would be absolutely disastrous for Richmond if they skip on Jagga @ 1. Would be licking our lips if that was the case… could possibly be one reason why we would be hesitant to trade pick 2…

 

[DuckYeah]

Would be absolutely disastrous for Richmond if they skip on Jagga @ 1. Would be licking our lips if that was the case… could possibly be one reason why we would be hesitant to trade pick 2…

We should be drafting on needs this year. Every other draft gone by, pick best available at the first bite. Not this year, the talls are too good to pass on.

 

[SKD]

We should be drafting on needs this year. Every other draft gone by, pick best available at the first bite. Not this year, the talls are too good to pass on.

True, but if we don’t trade our pick and it’s Jagga or Armstrong(or any KP) @ 2, I know who I’m taking..

 

[DuckYeah]

True, but if we don’t trade our pick and it’s Jagga or Armstrong(or any KP) @ 2, I know who I’m taking..

Yeh GTrain. Best KPF in the comp and will end up bagging 800+ goals in his career. I havent seen a young KPF like that. If Logan McDinald is pick 4. Gerreyn is pick 1

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Yeh GTrain. Best KPF in the comp and will end up bagging 800+ goals in his career. I havent seen a young KPF like that. If Logan McDinald is pick 4. Gerreyn is pick 1

Geez no need to put pressure on the kid.

I rate Gerreyn, but Logan was kicking plenty of goals in the WAFL seniors in his top age year whereas, Gerreyn was mostly playing Colts.

 

[R00StaR]

Geez no need to put pressure on the kid.

I rate Gerreyn, but Logan was kicking plenty of goals in the WAFL seniors in his top age year whereas, Gerreyn was mostly playing Colts.

I know which id prefer to have

 

[The Talent Scout]

Im pumped. F1 to Crows for 4 and 25. 2 Draper, 4 Armstrong, 22 GMan + pick 25 Lets go!

Theres great top end talent to be had next year, but that trade all but ensures we have the players we need and want. We may not get a speedy mid/ fwd we need or a key fwd of Armstrong's talent, so are we really giving up that much? Gets them all on the list and we get cracking!

Exactly! Some people are always worried about next years draft if we trade in "futures", but why? If we did do something like this we don't need to worry about next years crop and use that first round pick for better talent to come to our club like in a trade. "But what if we are in the bottom 2/3 again next year"? So what, I think we're at the stage where this year the talent we seek is right here staring at us in the face. We can fast forward our rebuild by twelve months and anyway we will be at least taking 3 players next year if we do this.

Now some people will say/think we are not at the stage to do this, really? Is it the same people that watched us play the way we did after the bye? Lastly, my favourite is "We can't get everything in this draft", um, yes we can and then we can forget about the draft and get into the mindset of positive thinking and winning and the rest will take care of itself. If you listen to the naysayers it will always be "next years draft" and "not this year" and we're not ready + this player or that player next year, NO, lets do it this year and start the rise!

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Ollie Hannaford is coming home with a wet sail in the tail end of the season. A move into the forward line has paid huge dividends for both him and the Rebels as his bags of goals have helped to propel them on an excellent run of form. He's high energy, quick and agile with a low center of gravity which lets him weave through traffic, he's surprisingly strong and capable of out wrestling opponents, and most importantly of all, he has more than a touch of audaciousness with the footy.

Re watched the game yesterday afternoon, and I have to say that's up there this season as far as a well-rounded small forward performance goes. Think that's a better game than some of the better games Berry, Alger and co have played this year.

What surprised me most, is his genuine class as a finisher, that dribble goal in the 4th quarter was elite. I didn't rate his disposal at the start of the year, but he is a really neat kick. I think the fact that he is like a pitbull with his defensive effort would be really appealing to us with a later pick too.

You'd have to think he'd be pushing top 30-40 now off the back of his last month.

 

[Souup]

Re watched the game yesterday afternoon, and I have to say that's up there this season as far as a well-rounded small forward performance goes. Think that's a better game than some of the better games Berry, Alger and co have played this year.

What surprised me most, is his genuine class as a finisher, that dribble goal in the 4th quarter was elite. I didn't rate his disposal at the start of the year, but he is a really neat kick. I think the fact that he is like a pitbull with his defensive effort would be really appealing to us with a later pick too.

You'd have to think he'd be pushing top 30-40 now off the back of his last month.

Not high enough I reckon - top 20 and a chance for top 15.

89cm vertical
2.901 20m sprint
7.788 agility
960 yo-yo

 

[R00StaR]

Exactly! Some people are always worried about next years draft if we trade in "futures", but why? If we did do something like this we don't need to worry about next years crop and use that first round pick for better talent to come to our club like in a trade. "But what if we are in the bottom 2/3 again next year"? So what, I think we're at the stage where this year the talent we seek is right here staring at us in the face. We can fast forward our rebuild by twelve months and anyway we will be at least taking 3 players next year if we do this.

Now some people will say/think we are not at the stage to do this, really? Is it the same people that watched us play the way we did after the bye? Lastly, my favourite is "We can't get everything in this draft", um, yes we can and then we can forget about the draft and get into the mindset of positive thinking and winning and the rest will take care of itself. If you listen to the naysayers it will always be "next years draft" and "not this year" and we're not ready + this player or that player next year, NO, lets do it this year and start the rise!

Spot on and summed up my thoughts perfectly.

Ive rarely thought splitting picks or using future firsts a great idea, but this years draft has been a bit different largely because i see our list 80% done and the key pieces right in front of us now. Draper, Armstrong and GMan would be perfect, i dont see us doing much better waiting a year.

Our list is probably now 90% done, the rest we get done mainly via trading and FA. But yes there is a phycological aspect there where the list knows theres no young saviors coming, we are it. Let the squad galvanise and get on with winning!

Crows might bite as our pick might net Shape on its own, or at least give them the picks to trade for whatever pick he'll go even if thats pick 1.