Rumour 2024 Rumours and Speculation (Rumours total 25, last 28th August)

[BigBoSS_Riot]

This kind of scenario might rest on what we can do with players we have. IF, and I have spitballed this one before, Collingwood are keen on Keane and he wants to go, being under contract, the very least we should be able to garner is a decent 2nd rounder - could we bundle up a 2nd with the Melbourne 2nd to get into the back end of the 1st round with a side that needs points? IF that was possible, then GC might move if we could offer them that 1st and our F1 for both players. That still leaves us with our 1st this year for the mid we absolutely need. We would then just need to offload some players for back ended picks to ensure we have the points for Welsh.

But if this played out, we would have done very well (assuming both players actually want to come to us)

Out:
Keane
Melbourne 2nd
F1

In:
Lukosius
Moyle

That would leave us with Murray/Worrell/Butts as our KPD trifecta (which is strong), but Borlase as the only depth player. Though we could always get another one with a low pick. I wouldn't be opposed to that.

I'm not convinced that Gold Coast would want a low first rounder. More likely, they'd want a package deal of seconds and thirds. It all depends on where their academy players fall though, which we won't know for a while.

 

[Crow till I die]

That would leave us with Murray/Worrell/Butts as our KPD trifecta (which is strong), but Borlase as the only depth player. Though we could always get another one with a low pick. I wouldn't be opposed to that.

I'm not convinced that Gold Coast would want a low first rounder. More likely, they'd want a package deal of seconds and thirds. It all depends on where their academy players fall though, which we won't know for a while.

I hear you but Hinge also plays 3rd man intercept if needed so I would not be too worried about cover in that role. Its 3 KPD's and 2 intercepts. Lukosius can also fill that role of 3rd man intercept from half back if needed in that scenario.

The thing with GC is they have another 3 1sts this year (currently 8, 11 & 20). They will be wanting ready to go players and points and possibly shifting some draft capital into next year. I would actually love to target that pick 8 of theirs - Lombard who is in their academy is projecting as a high end mid. Maybe to coax them, we just need to let them know we are right into Lombard and may bid on him (before their 1st pick) and it will burn a high end pick of theirs if they match. Its why I speculated earlier that they might be enticed by our F1 if we low finish this year as it might look like a top 10 pick next year - that way they don't burn it this year and still have a couple of 1sts to play with to get points and a player or 2 they want.

Maybe what I am thinking is, our club needs to get very aggressive to try and sort out our midfield this draft and they can target a club like GC to try and get an extra top end pick to get 2 top 10 mids this time round

 

[FR0GGY]

So apparently Ryan Daniels is the go to in the west and he says no to curtin.

 

[BigBoSS_Riot]

I hear you but Hinge also plays 3rd man intercept if needed so I would not be too worried about cover in that role. Its 3 KPD's and 2 intercepts. Lukosius can also fill that role of 3rd man intercept from half back if needed in that scenario.

The thing with GC is they have another 3 1sts this year (currently 8, 11 & 20). They will be wanting ready to go players and points and possibly shifting some draft capital into next year. I would actually love to target that pick 8 of theirs - Lombard who is in their academy is projecting as a high end mid. Maybe to coax them, we just need to let them know we are right into Lombard and may bid on him (before their 1st pick) and it will burn a high end pick of theirs if they match. Its why I speculated earlier that they might be enticed by our F1 if we low finish this year as it might look like a top 10 pick next year - that way they don't burn it this year and still have a couple of 1sts to play with to get points and a player or 2 they want.

Maybe what I am thinking is, our club needs to get very aggressive to try and sort out our midfield this draft and they can target a club like GC to try and get an extra top end pick to get 2 top 10 mids this time round

I'd forgotten about that minefield from last trade period. Are the other two tied to Melbourne and WB?

On the topic, the first draftee power rankings just dropped. Only one GCS academy player in the top 25 (Lombard at 10), so they're definitely in a good position. Obviously a lot to play out from here though, and the draft crop seems to be pretty even.

AFL Draft Power Rankings: June 2024

Rookie Me Central's first AFL Draft Power Rankings for 2024 have dropped, featuring 25 of the nation's top prospects. See who made the cut!

central.rookieme.com

 

[Trigger13]

My intel/rumours so far:

Our targets: Moyle, Luko, Leek Alir, Josh Battle

26

Josh Battle

Age

26

Ht

193cm

Wt

93kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.9

3star

K

9.0

3star

HB

3.9

3star

M

5.0

5star

T

2.4

4star

MG

196.8

3star

D

11.0

3star

K

7.3

3star

HB

3.8

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

1.8

3star

MG

142.8

3star

D

10.8

3star

K

6.2

3star

HB

4.6

4star

M

3.4

4star

T

2.0

4star

MG

175.6

3star

, Perryman.
The Pear heavily into our old mate Tyson Stengle

18

Tyson Stengle

Age

26

Ht

175cm

Wt

71kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.3

2star

K

5.8

2star

HB

3.5

3star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.4

4star

G

1.1

4star

D

10.3

3star

K

5.3

2star

HB

5.0

3star

M

1.3

1star

T

2.0

3star

G

0.5

4star

D

8.8

3star

K

5.6

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.6

4star

G

1.6

5star

, Perryman and Shai Bolton

15

Shai Bolton

Age

26

Ht

176cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.3

3star

K

6.9

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.4

4star

D

12.7

3star

K

9.2

4star

HB

3.5

2star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.7

4star

CL

1.8

4star

D

9.2

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

4.6

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.0

1star

. Port confident of a ‘coup’ signing. Butters will return to Victoria at some point.

That’s all I got for now.

 

[maxlilly]

My intel/rumours so far:

Our targets: Moyle, Luko, Leek Alir, Josh Battle, Perryman.
The Pear heavily into our old mate Tyson Stengle, Perryman and Shai Bolton. Port confident of a ‘coup’ signing. Butters will return to Victoria at some point.

That’s all I got for now.

Don't worry about all that fluff
Whens Nicks getting Sacked ?

 

[1990crow]

My intel/rumours so far:

Our targets: Moyle, Luko, Leek Alir, Josh Battle, Perryman.
The Pear heavily into our old mate Tyson Stengle, Perryman and Shai Bolton. Port confident of a ‘coup’ signing. Butters will return to Victoria at some point.

That’s all I got for now.

So no mids? Lol AFC.

 

[Crowstar]

Imagine if we had Leek as an NGA player good one Hamish

 

[walterhobbs]

So no mids? Lol AFC.

Hopefully means we are taking our 1st rd this year into the draft to get a mid

 

[spenze]

Imagine if we had Leek as an NGA player good one Hamish

But what if he was bid on early, that'd mean we'd have spent a first rounder on a KPD

 

[1990crow]

Hopefully means we are taking our 1st rd this year into the draft to get a mid

No chance if we are getting Lukosius

 

[spenze]

I'd forgotten about that minefield from last trade period. Are the other two tied to Melbourne and WB?

On the topic, the first draftee power rankings just dropped. Only one GCS academy player in the top 25 (Lombard at 10), so they're definitely in a good position. Obviously a lot to play out from here though, and the draft crop seems to be pretty even.

AFL Draft Power Rankings: June 2024

Rookie Me Central's first AFL Draft Power Rankings for 2024 have dropped, featuring 25 of the nation's top prospects. See who made the cut!

central.rookieme.com

Didn't mind that, Welsh not even in the first 25

 

[walterhobbs]

No chance if we are getting Lukosius

Would rather the mid tbh! I like Luko but seems like it would be way too expensive considering he's contracted

 

[George Kramer]

My intel/rumours so far:

Our targets: Moyle, Luko, Leek Alir, Josh Battle, Perryman.
The Pear heavily into our old mate Tyson Stengle, Perryman and Shai Bolton. Port confident of a ‘coup’ signing. Butters will return to Victoria at some point.

That’s all I got for now.

Crikey, 3 defenders after using a top 10 pick on a defender last year. No mids in sight.

This club is ****ed.

 

[FR0GGY]

Crikey, 3 defenders after using a top 10 pick on a defender last year. No mids in sight.

This club is ****ed.

This one is on recruiting and list management.

 

[spenze]

This one is on recruiting and list management.

Kelly would be having some tough conversations with those boys, runs a very tight ship does Kelly

 

[BRL121]

Didn't mind that, Welsh not even in the first 25

What is going on here? Welsh didn't even make the list of also-rans. This looks very strange to me.

 

[1990crow]

What is going on here? Welsh didn't even make the list of also-rans. This looks very strange to me.

Yeah. Not buying it.
Kicks bags in state championships in 2 straight campaigns. Big part of U16 state success.
Recently kicked 8 playing for WWT U18.

Appears to still be growing.
Had a back injury so on limited preparation as well.

And not in in the top 25?

Lol.

 

[BRL121]

Yeah. Not buying it.
Kicks bags in state championships in 2 straight campaigns. Big part of U16 state success.
Recently kicked 8 playing for WWT U18.

Appears to still be growing.
Had a back injury so on limited preparation as well.

And not in in the top 25?

Lol.

Where was Michaelanney in last year's rankings? That would be a good case to look at, both FS.

 

[1990crow]

Where was Michaelanney in last year's rankings? That would be a good case to look at, both FS.

Max was coming from a lower base.
Welsh has been a highly ranked junior for a long time.

 

[BigBoSS_Riot]

Where was Michaelanney in last year's rankings? That would be a good case to look at, both FS.

Ashcroft is 3rd and Canporeale is 15th, so they aren't exactly turning a blind eye based on that.

Welsh is definitely a strange omission.

 

[huludicidal]

Yeah. Not buying it.
Kicks bags in state championships in 2 straight campaigns. Big part of U16 state success.
Recently kicked 8 playing for WWT U18.

Appears to still be growing.
Had a back injury so on limited preparation as well.

And not in in the top 25?

Lol.

Awkward height for an AFL forward prospect. If he was 196cm he’d be top 15 on this list.

He’ll end up anywhere in the pick 12-35 range when it’s all said and done. Have a great carnival and grow a few cm before the combine and it’ll be more like 12. Have a poor carnival and still measure around 192cm at the combine and it’ll be more like 35.

 

[1990crow]

Awkward height for an AFL forward prospect. If he was 196cm he’d be top 15 on this list.

He’ll end up anywhere in the pick 12-35 range when it’s all said and done. Have a great carnival and grow a few cm before the combine and it’ll be more like 12. Have a poor carnival and still measure around 192cm at the combine and it’ll be more like 35.

Doubt it. Most judges have him around 10 so far.
This post above was mocked on the draft board.

 

[adelaidecrows]

Crikey, 3 defenders after using a top 10 pick on a defender last year. No mids in sight.

This club is ****ed.

A ruckman is a mid......

 

[huludicidal]

Doubt it. Most judges have him around 10 so far.
This post above was mocked on the draft board.

“Most judges” had Arlo Draper in the top 15 at this stage a couple of years ago too. There was then widespread outrage from people who had these subjective rankings fed to them as gospel as this super amazing South Australian prospect with huge upside slipped to the 40s and was snapped up by the Pies. He was subsequently delisted after never debuting and no other club in the league wanted a bar of him on their rookie list.

“The draft board” is generally just a bunch of groupthink from non-experts who haven’t even seen most of the prospects play live, and even if they have, these people have little to no idea how to project whether certain traits project to the higher level. Ironically, a couple of the best and historically most reliable BigFooty posters from the draft board now work for RookieMe (who created the rankings in question) and no longer post on here.

Nobody knows for sure what the thoughts are re Welsh in clubland (which is all that ultimately matters) but regardless, there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge yet. Maybe he comes out and dominates the rest of the Championships as the absolute standout forward half player, and jumps into top 15 calculations? Maybe he doesn’t.

One thing that is really blatant though is that these days, if you’re a key forward or key defender, rightly or wrongly, you are more likely to slip in the draft if you’re under 195cm than if you’re a 196-206cm monster who can actually take contested marks against the Sam Taylor / Harris Andrews / Tom Barrass / Jacob Weitering type key defenders. The question will be asked “is Welsh actually a true key forward, or is he more of a Jake Stringer or Tim Membrey type?”

Welsh’s measurements, championships form, combine test results, interviews, and how well other guys in the draft pool are going will ultimately determine where he ends up, with “list needs” also a factor in who ultimately ends up bidding.