Recruiting AFL Draft Watch 2024 - What do we do, we don't have a top 10 pick?

[P Money]

Weren't we 7th oldest in 2024? Or was it 7th 'most experienced' or something..?

Are you asking what I think it means for the team?

If so, I think we'll probably drop down a little, or at best remain around 11th. Which I'm personally fine with - two/three /four years toward the bottom with top 5-ish picks is my hope.

Bryan's going to struggle, with his first year (hopefully) as a full time AFL ruck. Caddy, who we appear to be building the forward line around, is a teenager. Losing Stringer, even though it clearly gives us a better balance, is going to leave a bit of a hole - I think even our fans that don't like him will understand that. Our KPD2 is going to be either 1) Laverde - incapable/undersized 2) Reid - 9 games in 4 years 3) Hayes - 0 games. You'd think a 19yo Roberts has to play based on his 2024 form.

Putting young teams out on the park seldom = wins, but if we don't do it, we're not going to escape this seemingly never-ending cycle of mediocrity.

On the other side of that, we also have a fair amount of older guys around, with the following all 25+

DEF: Laverde (29 in 2025 season), Redman (27), McKay (27), McGrath (27), Ridley (26)

RUC: Goldy (36), Draper (26)

MID: Shiel (32), Merrett (29), Parish (27), Setterfield (27)

FWD: Langford (28), Wright (28), Guelfi (27), Gresham (27)

I think the age demographic of the bombers is quite misleading. We are rebuilding, and regardless of the number of more senior players on the list, the vast majority of our most promising players are 23 and under. Our best 23 probably has one player over the age of 28 (Merrett), and we are desperately trying to phase out players like Laverde (29 in 2025 season), Goldy (36), Shiel (32), Setterfield (27) and Guelfi (27) for younger recruits with more talent/promise (Bryan, Reid, Hayes, Kako, Roberts, El Hawli and upcoming draft prospects).

The 'average age' metric which journos use to determine what position the list is at and whether/when they should be contending would probably suggest we should be pushing to win a final next year - the actual shape of the list and direction of the club says something very different.

The rhetoric of 'X club is older than Y club so should be further advanced' is pointlessly simplistic.

 

[yodellinhank]

Love that. I got extra coconut jelly with my Vietnamese.

Are you sure that's what it was?

 

[Runk]

I think the age demographic of the bombers is quite misleading. We are rebuilding, and regardless of the number of more senior players on the list, the vast majority of our most promising players are 23 and under. Our best 23 probably has one player over the age of 28 (Merrett), and we are desperately trying to phase out players like Laverde (29 in 2025 season), Goldy (36), Shiel (32), Setterfield (27) and Guelfi (27) for younger recruits with more talent/promise (Bryan, Reid, Hayes, Kako, Roberts, El Hawli and upcoming draft prospects).

The 'average age' metric which journos use to determine what position the list is at and whether/when they should be contending would probably suggest we should be pushing to win a final next year - the actual shape of the list and direction of the club says something very different.

The rhetoric of 'X club is older than Y club so should be further advanced' is pointlessly simplistic.

I remember when 27 was considered young.....

 

[faible]

I think the age demographic of the bombers is quite misleading. We are rebuilding, and regardless of the number of more senior players on the list, the vast majority of our most promising players are 23 and under. Our best 23 probably has one player over the age of 28 (Merrett), and we are desperately trying to phase out players like Laverde (29 in 2025 season), Goldy (36), Shiel (32), Setterfield (27) and Guelfi (27) for younger recruits with more talent/promise (Bryan, Reid, Hayes, Kako, Roberts, El Hawli and upcoming draft prospects).

The 'average age' metric which journos use to determine what position the list is at and whether/when they should be contending would probably suggest we should be pushing to win a final next year - the actual shape of the list and direction of the club says something very different.

The rhetoric of 'X club is older than Y club so should be further advanced' is pointlessly simplistic.

It's not helped by a number of our younger guys not being fit and available either.

Hopefully this year we see Reid get some continuity, Cox and Perkins show signs of life as AFL players, Hobbs get a clear injury run, Hayes have the strength to start to be a viable option at AFL level, Davey Jnr and Tsatas with another pre-season under their belt will help and Roberts to build upon a very nice finish to the season.

 

[Keystone agony]

I think 3..?

They've got 100+ extra games out of their picks compared to ours though.

Fair enough - depends on your definition of rebuild I guess.

I think thats because we were further down the line with the 'rebuild' as you said we were older. The older Kelly, Lav Heppell, Shiel, Setterfield, Stringers Goldys wernt getting the job done for us

Also coupled with injury

The hawks success outside of the coach has come from moneyball plays. Ginnivan, Meek, Scrimshaw, Impey, Amon ect

Josh Ward
Cam Mackenzie

Have hardly shot the lights our considering theyre one dimensional/small mids

 

[fairbump_playon]

I have revised my 2025 flag prediction back to 2026.

I hope no-one objects.

 

[Zach Package]

So we’ve cut pretty deep, DFA’s or 18 year old roughies in the back end of the draft?

We really want Ashcroft, Marshall and Lombard to go as high as possible and for Kako to slide a wee bit. All our late selections fold in and we’ll have another pick slide into the middle of the draft.

 

[Snake Charmer]

Down to 31 on the main list and 3 rookies. Interesting draft a head. I think we are a good chance to take 2 DFAs. How many live picks do we expect to take in the ND?

 

[jdstorm]

Down to 31 on the main list and 3 rookies. Interesting draft a head. I think we are a good chance to take 2 DFAs. How many live picks do we expect to take in the ND?

Rosa has said 3-4 publicly

 

[Yoda_]

Down to 31 on the main list and 3 rookies. Interesting draft a head. I think we are a good chance to take 2 DFAs. How many live picks do we expect to take in the ND?

maybe we trade in for an early pick, take Kako, one mid draft pick and leave a spot open for an SSP spot

 

[Keystone agony]

2 DFAs has to be looking likely, i wouldnt be against a late dart in the draft to take 5 either

Preuss
Jaxon Prior
Kako
3 drafted ~40-50s

Would also consider Kreuger and Reef Mcinness especially the latter over Preuss

 

[Cup_o_Jobe]

Would be surprised if it isn't something like this.

1. If no Kako bid by pick 8, trade out 28 and 31 for either two (2) F2s, or to one person for a (likely late) F1.
2. Match Kako bid using the rats and mice picks we have at back end of draft.
3. Trade back in when we see someone we like , either once (late 1st round) or twice (in 2nd round). Can deploy our war chest of future picks to get back in, especially when the likes of Richmond or GWS have eaten their fill. Unless we're getting back in to the 1st round I'd prefer to keep Melbourne's F1, but will have to see what the price is on the night.
4. Take 1-2 sliders at back end of the draft with our remaining selections.
5. Take a look at rookie draft of course but keep at least 2 spots open for train-on selections over summer.