List Mgmt. 2024 Young Talent Time (Drafting)

[go_the_dockers]

FWIW I do see lots of parallels with us this year and the 2006 Geelong positioning.

So hit the draft for one more year and we are set?

 

[AstonSouffle]

Disagree. No way we should be blowing 30k on a used caravan when a swag and a bus pass will do perfectly well.

Moving off metaphors, would have agreed with this until I had kids - now I need a caravan to tie their harnesses onto.

 

[arsesmart]

So hit the draft for one more year and we are set?

I'd plumb for more experience, as I think plenty of our key players are getting to prime age (if a little shy of it). We've lost experience every year for a while now to, so topping up a little more is probably warranted.

All up though, I just think next year we're likely have enough ingredients to explode. Anything high level and ready to go we can add to that will just reduce the need for luck.

 

[ignoramus]

Moving off metaphors, would have agreed with this until I had kids - now I need a caravan to tie their harnesses onto.

TBH, I was all bluff. I couldn't survive anything less than direct flights and a 4 and a half star hotel.

 

[Purple Suit]

We have reasonable depth on every line, that suggests to me that it's top up time - as long as we don't go out and buy an 80k caravan, when a used 30k one would do just as well (and better because you've also got 50k still).

But way too many people on here are saying get the 100k caravan, then realise after the fact they need a car to actually tow it, and they're in a holding pattern of debt for the next 5 years (see Port Adelaide, and Melbourne in the last few years).

We need to hold onto a draft pick (out of the major four that we have) and get Bolton, no ifs or buts - if they don't do this, the trade period will have been a lost opportunity.

I thought we were buying the car to tow it with this year with Bolton. It’s going to look strange to see a Lamborghini with a tow hitch.

 

[theGav56]

If Bo Allan was an elite kick he'd be the no.1 pick and easily.

He looks great.

With Erasmus and O'Driscoll looking viable best 23 next year, how would you see Allan evolving?

 

[ubiquitous226]

If Bo Allan was an elite kick he'd be the no.1 pick and easily.

And if my auntie had nuts she'd be my uncle.

 

[fnerd]

And if my auntie had nuts she'd be my uncle.

You know As time goes by in todays societal landscape that’s actually becoming more and more plausible

 

[Docker82]

Allen could easily go higher than where he is in Twomey's current rankings (12?). He's certainly not going 20. Fyfe, Cripps and Dangerfield have 5 of the last 10 Brownlows and they aren't great kicks either.

His strength in the contest and burst through and out of stoppage sure is something.

I really rate this guy but my view does come with the disclaimer I haven’t seen all the draftees play.

If we get Bolton and retain pick 10 for example I’m taking Allan every day of the week. He not the biggest need but I can’t see how he’s lasting that long - He’s going to be special.

If we take him we’ll still have Pick 27 and probably some scraps from the Bolton trade for Walls to play with.

 

[King Huskii]

I really rate this guy but my view does come with the disclaimer I haven’t seen all the draftees play.

If we get Bolton and retain pick 10 for example I’m taking Allan every day of the week. He not the biggest need but I can’t see how he’s lasting that long - He’s going to be special.

If we take him we’ll still have Pick 27 and probably some scraps from the Bolton trade for Walls to play with.

Long term Allan will be awesome

 

[Docker82]

I'd plumb for more experience, as I think plenty of our key players are getting to prime age (if a little shy of it). We've lost experience every year for a while now to, so topping up a little more is probably warranted.

All up though, I just think next year we're likely have enough ingredients to explode. Anything high level and ready to go we can add to that will just reduce the need for luck.

I think the experience we’ll lose this year is just normal tbh. Two serviceable former best 22 players who are now 30+ and have fallen out of favour completely.

Pretty sure our average age of our 2025 playing list will be up post draft on the age of what it was at the same time in 2024.

Touchwood but our mid-aged best 22 players look like staying which probably hurts more than losing players who are 30+.

 

[Ysaye]

I really rate this guy but my view does come with the disclaimer I haven’t seen all the draftees play.

If we get Bolton and retain pick 10 for example I’m taking Allan every day of the week. He not the biggest need but I can’t see how he’s lasting that long - He’s going to be special.

If we take him we’ll still have Pick 27 and probably some scraps from the Bolton trade for Walls to play with.

I think that's the key thing to take into consideration; peoples opinion on Allan would change if they had seen all the draftees in the same bracket being talked about play. Also take into consideration the biases of geography and the type of player versus the gaps in our list come into it when rating a player in isolation.

There are a few big midfield / flanker types, not outstanding kicks but theoretically can use their strength and momentum to bust through packs. For those looking for that kind of thing, Langford, Lalor, Smillie are all most likely getting picked before Allan. I know Twomey has him at 11 in his September guide, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him fall to 17-18 on the day.

Don't get me wrong; for a junior Allan has won a WAFL premiership and played in a way which suggests he has a strong future at an AFL level (I wouldn't use the word special but then that is just me). In terms of the broader pack of players, he's an interesting prospect I guess? Remove my WA bias and he probably falls further down the pack. If he is taken at 11 or 12 by a club, my best guess is that a few years down the track that that club to be "satisfied that they got value for the pick" but maybe would have missed 4-5 players that were much more impactful.

To reinforce that gut feeling at a state level, for mine Davis and even Gerreyn possibly had more impressive WAFL senior games this year and arguably have higher ceilings. They will also go a lot later than Bo Allan; that is just the nature of it.

 

[arsesmart]

I think the experience we’ll lose this year is just normal tbh. Two serviceable former best 22 players who are now 30+ and have fallen out of favour completely.

Pretty sure our average age of our 2025 playing list will be up post draft on the age of what it was at the same time in 2024.

Touchwood but our mid-aged best 22 players look like staying which probably hurts more than losing players who are 30+.

As a general rule the average age of say a best 26 that would be in a good position to contend, would be equal/above ~ 24.5 years.

Geelong is happy to bubble along with older teams because it'll keep them in constant contention mode, as long as the core of the best players has enough eliteness about it. Of course they have a happy "knack" of regularly topping up with elite and experienced talent.

We've managed to perform quite well, despite (just about) getting younger each year. But a more experienced squad, generally, could ride out the ups and downs better later in the season.

That's where an injection of experience, as well as the internal progression, will be so beneficial to really make the potential leap next year.

 

[Docker82]

As a general rule the average age of say a best 26 that would be in a good position to contend, would be equal/above ~ 24.5 years.

Geelong is happy to bubble along with older teams because it'll keep them in constant contention mode, as long as the core of the best players has enough eliteness about it. Of course they have a happy "knack" of regularly topping up with elite and experienced talent.

We've managed to perform quite well, despite (just about) getting younger each year. But a more experienced squad, generally, could ride out the ups and downs better later in the season.

That's where an injection of experience, as well as the internal progression, will be so beneficial to really make the potential leap next year.

I don’t think anything I said was incorrect or inconsistent with what you’re saying tbh.

Cutting older depth players who are now a fair way down the pecking order is just basic list management tbh. Has minimal impact on our depth IMO and no impact on our best 22.

People need to think of this when a washed up Fyfe and Walters retire next year and our average list age goes down.

 

[arsesmart]

I don’t think anything I said was incorrect or inconsistent with what you’re saying tbh.

Cutting older depth players who are now a fair way down the pecking order is just basic list management tbh. Has minimal impact on our depth IMO and no impact on our best 22.

People need to think of this when a washed up Fyfe and Walters retire next year and our average list age goes down.

Yes... replies can agree, disagree, augment or take it further in a direction. Generally the thumbs up would be an indication of agreement.

 

[noobermensch]

One for next year

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Fred Rodriguez was super impressive as a bottom ager for WA at this years champs, and showed more of the same in the futures game. Super clean at ground level and damaging with his disposals combining dash, elite decision making and solid ball skills to slice through the opposition.

 

[Wray27]

One for next year

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Fred Rodriguez was super impressive as a bottom ager for WA at this years champs, and showed more of the same in the futures game. Super clean at ground level and damaging with his disposals combining dash, elite decision making and solid ball skills to slice through the opposition.

Souths league side could have done with him this year.

 

[wakojako]

Souths league side could have done with him this year.

Wait till you see the pickups for next season.

 

[Dockeroo]

The ridiculousness of rating clubs in draft night, fully illustrated.

 

[arsesmart]

The ridiculousness of rating clubs in draft night, fully illustrated.View attachment 2126298

Of course it's ridiculous. Mostly (assuming) they know it is. But it's the way content is needed to be generated... silly judgements are seen as better than decent analysis (aka "sitting on the fence"). It's junk food essentially, but it'll attract clicks and people eat it up.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

McWalter has been named West Coast coach. Will this affect our pursuit of Bolton or is it all Ralph-driven nonsense that he could still go to the Eagles?

 

[Alfonz]

McWalter has been named West Coast coach. Will this affect our pursuit of Bolton or is it all Ralph-driven nonsense that he could still go to the Eagles?

Don't worry, Bolton is coming to Freo. Nothing surer. The only relevance for McQualter is it hopefully locks Baker in to WC.

 

[Walkingwounded]

Souths league side could have done with him this year.

With a name like Rodriguez is he part of our NGA?

 

[apuchar]

With a name like Rodriguez is he part of our NGA?

No. Unfortunately.

 

[nurries]

One for next year

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Fred Rodriguez was super impressive as a bottom ager for WA at this years champs, and showed more of the same in the futures game. Super clean at ground level and damaging with his disposals combining dash, elite decision making and solid ball skills to slice through the opposition.

Nice hands and pretty decent off both feet