Combined Rankings 15-Oct
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Snuffaluphagus
Brownlow Medallist
- Sep 10, 2015
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List Mgmt. 2024 Young Talent Time (Drafting)
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Gerreyn if he had been drafted at the same time as Neale would have played every game Darcy, Jackson or Treacy would have been out injured.
It is a distinct weakness in our list that cost us a shot at finals. With Taberner, Kuek, and others gone, we haven't improved it
King Huskii
Norm Smith Medallist
- Apr 19, 2022
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Yes he is that's why I don't mind us looking at Shanahan
You could say the same about inside mids.
I only want outside mids/flankers with speed and class and small forwards.
I really don't want to go into the next year with no AFL quality forward pockets on our list.
Theoretically there's still plenty of room for development in Voss. Judging a key position player on their first few games ain't something you can do with a hell a lot of confidence.
Voss has a strong appetite for the contest and he is a bull in the way he goes at it. If he's able to find his feet at the level, at the very least he's someone who could ease some of the physical burdon on Treacy.
He is likely to need more strings to his bow to increase his selection opportunities though.
As I've said before, he'd be a great candidate for resident swingman status and it'd be brilliant if he's developed across the offseason in both defence and attack.
What do you think Bolton is? He’s also an AFL quality midfielder, hence why he usually doesn’t live in the forward pocket.
He would be a waste, if we left him as a deep forward.
He plays his best football getting up the ground, and running through the midfield.
I very carefully said forward pocket not small forward which is a different role.
- Jun 30, 2011
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Hang on wasn't there a quote from Briety or Walls about going best available at our first pick? With all the talk of North and Melbourne going tall and Richmond having so many picks don't be surprised if it ends up being an inside mid. Particularly one with a demonstrated second position.
Let’s be honest we NEED a forth and probably fifth inside mid to step up in support of Brayshaw, Serong and Young.
Of course it’s big ifs but if one or none of Johnson, NOD and Erasmus step up and we don’t get anyone in through trade we’ll be looking back in a few years asking ourselves why the **** we didn’t draft an inside mid.
And yes a second position and/or ability to to compliment the Brayshaw, Serong and Young is pretty important but certainly not against drafting an inside mid with pick 14.
Clarifying
When I talk about inside mids, I was talking about players like Fyfe and Erasmus.
Brayshaw, Serong, Young are also decent on the outside, especially Young.
I wouldn't call them inside mids, maybe centre square mids.
I would be happy with another Young, but not another Erasmus as you can fit one of these players in your team.
Taylor
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A player exactly like Erasmus in his pre draft profile would be drooled over. A midfielder who can play forward, we would all want him, he could rotate with Young- who was half back to high half back/wing in his draft.
We just need motivated bodies with weapons like speed or skills. If they are taller they can be less speedy as long as they catch the ball, if they are smaller they really need to be faster but it all balances out.
We get more tokens to spend on attributes with our earlier pick so hopefully there's a great footy player there we can find a space for in the team eventually.
We just need motivated bodies with weapons like speed or skills. If they are taller they can be less speedy as long as they catch the ball, if they are smaller they really need to be faster but it all balances out.
We get more tokens to spend on attributes with our earlier pick so hopefully there's a great footy player there we can find a space for in the team eventually.
An interesting read. This year, I really want speed and skills to be a priority for everyone we pick.
Image Credit: Michael Willson/AFL Photos
POSITION: Midfielder/Forward
SNAPSHOT: “A prolific tall ball winner who utilises his strength overhead to impact up forward, Erasmus is a prototypical goal kicking midfielder.”
Subiaco and Hale School product Neil Erasmus starred in the 2020 WAFL Colts Grand Final with a four-goal haul to put his name in lights, and hasn’t missed a beat since across multiple competitions. Erasmus finds the footy with ease when playing through the midfield as he balances his inside and outside work superbly, finding ways out of trouble with his evasion and clean hands. To go with this midfield craft, Erasmus is able to play as a target up forward, with his leading patterns and marking two traits which help him hurt the opposition in attack.
Strengths:
Accumulation
Consistency
Endurance
Overhead Marking
Scoreboard Impact
Leading Patterns
Improvements:
Kicking Consistency
Explosive Speed
After a standout 2020 WAFL Colts Grand Final performance, Erasmus continued to go from strength to strength in 2021, proving arguably the best player in the PSA season for Hale, the side he captained, and being a later inclusion to the AFL Academy squad which took on Geelong VFL. Erasmus was unsurprisingly involved in the WA Under 19 squad and performed well in the practice matches he participated in, before unfortunately missing out on championships proper against South Australia as his year was cut short by a corked quad.
As a midfielder, Erasmus is generally one of the main ball winners on the ground. Whether the target of the tap around a stoppage, winning it in a pack, or timing his run to receive it on the outside, Erasmus knows where to be to win the ball and almost commands it with his presence. A big strength of Erasmus’ once he wins the ball is his use by hand. Even in traffic or under a high amount of pressure, Erasmus generally spots out an option and handballs well, with his ability to keep his hands free in congestion a major part of that. How consistent Erasmus is with that accumulation, and his quality use by hand are impressive across all levels of competition, regularly getting above 30 disposals.
There aren’t many improvements that Erasmus needs to work on heading into the future, being a generally well rounded prospect. His kicking at times can be inconsistent, with his penetration and decision making generally sound but accuracy being something he can struggle with, particularly under pressure or on the run. His goal kicking accuracy had previously been a bit of a concern but is something he’s improved through the year, especially his set shots. Another area of improvement that would advance Erasmus’ all-round game is his explosive speed, which would help him create separation when leading more consistently or get away from opponents in the midfield more easily. At the moment, he is the type of player who covers good ground over time.
DRAFT PROJECTION: 6-12
SUMMARY:
With his effectiveness in the forward line as a strong marker with good leading patterns, Erasmus is one that should be able to play at AFL level early on for whichever club picks him up, and will be able to rotate through the midfield as he builds to a more permanent role through the guts. His endurance base and consistency bode well alongside his aerial tricks and scoreboard impact, all traits which have him firmly in top 10 contention.
Yea you need 5-6 options through there (I’m happy with guys like Bolton and Switta being the 6th option) but as you good as say at centre bounces there’s only three in there.
Hoping Johnson and NOD both come on tbh. It’d almost allow us to play with one wing in the side and use these two to split the skinny side winger role JOM currently occupies. Erasmus is very much an inside only mid so you have to move out one of Brayshaw, Serong or Young out of a significant amount of stoppages to make it work. Not sure it’s been worth it so far tbh - With Fyfe in the side it certainly isn’t.
Little bit worried about depth post 2026 too btw - not sure that’s a Pick 14 problem though.
- May 26, 2014
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Still frustrates me we never really tried Erasmus as a medium forward to get him into the team.
- Jun 30, 2011
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I agree we should be not relying on Johnson or Erasmus being AFL standard inside mids. Erasmus is still closer to a bust than making it in my view even if he's not quite in Dow territory yet. (He was looking much better the back month of the season. Don't give me any 'He just won a Simpson Medal' talk though people. Did it make Milan Murdoch an AFL player? Luke Meadows? Blakely?? Connor was 6 months younger at that point too). They might, again in particular Johnson. NOD becoming a FT inside mid is a fantasy imv. He can try and make the full strength team first on the near wing then worry about getting a rotation.
This doesn't mean we should reach past a flanker at 14, but if plays out that an inside mid is clearly the best available just take them.
That could well be Lindsay or Hotton. I’m fine with either.
Two theories - they don't think it's his best development path (they see a better alternative as working into the mid rotations), or what they saw of his attributes through training wasn't enough to convince them he could fulfil the role at forward level.
I agree though it did seem a little strange they didn't try it out more.
Seems odds on there's some requirement they're wanting him to meet developmentally. Especially given it's sometimes unclear why he gets dropped over others more worthy of the crosshairs.
Either that or his cards are marked with the current hierarchy.
(Of course there could be a number of other possibilities)
But it might be that if they've clearly defined a path for him and once he's where they want him to be, he'll be a regular.
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