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

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The problem with 2015 was drafting Alex Morgan who wasn’t even committed enough to do TAC cup footy properly, not Francis.

Luke Hodge had just piloted the Hawks to a three peat and Francis read like a more athletic Hodge that took hangers, a mistake I am willing to accept, the upside was incredibly high.

Morgan was an absolute stinker, even if there aren’t any world beaters after him that we missed.
 

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Someone post the ralphy superfooty article

Schitts Creek Please GIF by CBC
 

AFL Draft news: Essendon ponder play to get back into the 2024 draft after Isaac Kako bid​

The scenario that would most likely see Essendon trade back into the top 20 of this year’s draft can be revealed. Plus the reason for the club’s inactive trade period.

Essendon’s list team will spend a full day this week war-gaming the draft prospects they would be prepared to hand over a future first-rounder to secure as they ponder trading back into the 2024 draft.

Essendon will match a bid for Next Generation Academy small-forward Isaac Kako in next week’s draft, but are open to using Melbourne’s future first-rounder to get back into the draft after they secure the son of a former Iraqi army officer.
Yet the Dons will likely only offer up that future first-rounder if a player in their top eight on their draft board tumbles down the order, where the Dons could strike to secure a second player in the top 20 of the draft.

Essendon traded away its No.9 draft pick for the Demons’ future first-rounder and more 2024 points for Kako, aware that rival clubs would likely make the Dons use that pick to match a bid for Kako.

The club was aware of the example of Gold Coast academy player Jack Bowes, who Sydney bid on at pick 10 to ensure the Suns used an early pick.

The Dons believe they have made the right call, even if Kako slides down the order into the teens now that they do not have to make Essendon use that early selection.

Essendon plans to take four selections in the national draft and will have room for a rookie pick and two summer rookie slots, likely to trial an experienced player and a young player who misses the national draft.

The Dons traded out Jake Stringer to GWS for pick 53, aware he was unlikely to play in the club’s next premiership and aware of his lack professionalism with his body.

The Herald Sun understands Essendon will not pay any of his new two-year deal going forward despite the Giants pushing hard during trade talks for the Dons to top up his salary.

While fans were dismayed Essendon was so quiet during the trade period, the club believes bringing in B- or C-graders would only have lessened opportunities for exciting kids like Archie Roberts, Ben Hobbs, Elijah Tsatas, Zach Reid and Saad El-Hawli.

The Dons took El-Hawli – a 23-year-old mid-season pick last year – and he will get chances to play early after being injured almost as soon as he got to the Hangar last year.

While the Dons are excited about their draft plans, free-agency ruckman Sam Draper is likely to want to prove he can become one of footy’s elite ruckmen next year before signing a new deal. He told the Herald Sun in July he was “definitely” staying at Essendon, pledging his future to the club.

But he has played only 30 games in the past two seasons given injury issues.

With Adelaide circling and Draper sure to want to maximise his value, he will want to get the season underway with excellent form before giving away his free agency rights.

The club will speak to his manager Matthew Doughty again post-draft but the early indications are he will not sign an early deal.

“I love this club. They took a chance on me when no one else did,” Draper said in July.

“I was just some soccer player from Adelaide; they took a chance on me in the rookie draft, they put their faith in me at the time. I didn’t play my first game until about four years into my career. I love this club, I love the boys.”
 
Yeah thats fair enough and a pretty fair set of parameters to trade melbournes F1 back in at.

-After the Kako bid
-Use Melbournes F1 only
-Must be someone from our top 8 that has slid

Would be open to it, i just see this set of circumstances unlikely. Glad they are planning for it though and keeping all options in play.
 
Son of a former Iraqi army officer?

Ralph may be formally dressed but he’s casually racist.
I suppose its an interesting fact that isnt common amongst afl players. Was a strange time and way to drop that piece of information into an article though. It didn't really flow into the writing. Maybe in one of those in depth 2 page interviews it would come up naturally in conversation but Ralph seemed to want to squeeze it in anywhere he could. How is it racist though?
 
Yeah thats fair enough and a pretty fair set of parameters to trade melbournes F1 back in at.

-After the Kako bid
-Use Melbournes F1 only
-Must be someone from our top 8 that has slid

Would be open to it, i just see this set of circumstances unlikely. Glad they are planning for it though and keeping all options in play.
Love this visibility.
It’s not trade back in, or not, but trade in at this point of value.
That’s a clear plan that you can get behind…
 
I suppose its an interesting fact that isnt common amongst afl players. Was a strange time and way to drop that piece of information into an article though. It didn't really flow into the writing. Maybe in one of those in depth 2 page interviews it would come up naturally in conversation but Ralph seemed to want to squeeze it in anywhere he could. How is it racist though?

Not sure ‘son of someone that completed basic training at the royal military college Duntroon’ gets a run in this article if his last name is Smith.

It’s a talking point purely based on the fact that he’s Arab, is that not racist?
 
Not sure ‘son of someone that completed basic training at the royal military college Duntroon’ gets a run in this article if his last name is Smith.

It’s a talking point purely based on the fact that he’s Arab, is that not racist?
Haha that would be funny. Id say it could be a talking point based on the fact that it is specifically unique. Like it could definitely come up in conversation with Kako and maybe be slightly interesting. I want to give Ralph the benefit of the doubt that he clumsily wanted to show off he had "fun fact" rather than specifically writing it because he's from Iraq. Like i could see him writing the son of a swedish fighter pilot just as easily because he thought he had a unique fact about a player.
 

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Love this visibility.
It’s not trade back in, or not, but trade in at this point of value.
That’s a clear plan that you can get behind…
That would always be the case. Thats nothing new, not for our club or any club

People underestimate professional elite organisations it seems

The interesting thing is the top 8 on our list thats mentioned. Likely identifies a clear top 8 that suits our needs.

I cant see one of those mids or fwds being there at 15 onwards, unless our list is a bit different
 
Why does the trade back in need to be after the Kako bid? Surely if they trade it for the next live pick, it's still on. Other clubs can't bid on Kako if you have the next pick.
It can its just unlikely anyone will be giving up a top 14 pick

Id say we would need to offer 2 Future 1st for it considering a F1 and F2 = 14 not so long ago. Maybe with something coming back pending whether closer to pick 5 or 15

Obviously the further a bid gets out the more likely we can whilst hopefully having to give up less, just whether the player we like on the board is there or not is another matter

Its almost non existant of likelihood that we get back into the top 20 giving up just an F1
 
Not sure ‘son of someone that completed basic training at the royal military college Duntroon’ gets a run in this article if his last name is Smith.

It’s a talking point purely based on the fact that he’s Arab, is that not racist?
I think it’s a taking point because their father fought in a war. I don’t think it’s got anything to do with Kakos race.

Real racism is terrible. No need to go reaching for it when we have Senator Babet.
 
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That would always be the case. Thats nothing new, not for our club or any club

People underestimate professional elite organisations it seems

The interesting thing is the top 8 on our list thats mentioned. Likely identifies a clear top 8 that suits our needs.

I cant see one of those mids or fwds being there at 15 onwards, unless our list is a bit different
100% Agree professional organisations do it.

My comment was, “Love this visibility.” - we see what the plan is and can get behind it (or not).

Now we can move our BF debate
from : do we trade back in
to : is a top 8 on our list the right cut off point…
 
That would always be the case. Thats nothing new, not for our club or any club

People underestimate professional elite organisations it seems

The interesting thing is the top 8 on our list thats mentioned. Likely identifies a clear top 8 that suits our needs.

I cant see one of those mids or fwds being there at 15 onwards, unless our list is a bit different
I think you're mistaking our club for a professional elite organisation. I mean we seemingly didn't even have a comprehensive draft strategy until recently...
 

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