experienced player in the draft?

[Saveloy]

with seven spots to fill on the list for 2009, do u think the MFC should take an expereinced player with one of these picks rather than picking seven 18 year olds?
I think we should take at least one experienced player, whether they are an ex afl player such as leigh brown, damon white, cousins, peveril etc. Or we could take a player with experience from the SANFL, VFL or WAFL like geelong did with taylor last year. I just feel we need a player who has played against men before, rather than drafting seven raw 18 year olds.

I can see the arguments both for and against, as i am one that believes we should still focus on youth, but adding an experienced player could help with younger players development.

Thoughts?

 

[RandB]

At a time when we have reasonable youth stocks and limited leadership (as a spread of our list) it sounds like an idea to get at least one experienced player as we will add at least 6 youngsters this year. The only thing is, the type of experienced player we would need (to have any point) would be an accomplished player who would not only share the load but help develop the younger players. Marquee players like Judd or O'Keefe can do that but the slops that other clubs let go are not as likely. It very much comes down to which players are available but unless we could get an experienced player with at least 5 years left in him and plays a good brand of footy then I don't see the point.

 

[Bartram_Class]

I'd be for taking someone 22-23, who has shown a bit in the VFL (not unlike the Stef Martin pick last year).

 

[AFL is Number One]

Not a bad idea actually...makes sense...something like the Hawks going for a Stewie Dew .

If that type of person is in still in the draft and at minimal $$$ , I would probably go for him...but only with our final picks.( 6 or 7....preferably 7 )

If not, continue with our youth policy.

 

[Saveloy]

yer i guess its a bit of a difficult one. i rekon we should seriously look at an expereinced forward to go alogside miller. chad jones from w.c could be ok. or as you say a vfl listed player.
does anyone know of some tall forwards from the wafl, vfl or sanfl that would be worth a look at?

 

[darion]

Casey scorpions fullback Alex. Silvagni an ideal replacement for Nathan Carroll kept a lot of AFL players quiet with fellow backman James Wall had the best defence in the VFL till injured last year only 21 years old 192 cm 92kg

 

[master bate]

Casey scorpions fullback Alex. Silvagni an ideal replacement for Nathan Carroll kept a lot of AFL players quiet with fellow backman James Wall had the best defence in the VFL till injured last year only 21 years old 192 cm 92kg

We already have replacements in Martin, Garland, Warnock, Rivers and Frawley, it seems the Casey defence might be like the Sandringham forward line at the peak of it's powers - back in the days of Sauntner, Newton, Smith, Poyas, Motlop etc.

As for taking an experienced player I'd be all for it, but they have to be 24 or younger, and a tall forward might be the area I'd stay the most away from. We don't list cloggers getting games ahead of Newton, Watts and anyone else. Miller and Bate should keep opposition defenders honest and we are hardly on the verge of a flag and just short a full forward.

 

[saj_21]

I would be all for an "experienced player" providing they are no older than 23, our best bet would be to take a forward as that is what we are really lacking. But how many quality players are out there aged 20-23 that are good forwards in VFL, SANFL etc.???

 

[00Stinger]

Kade Carey????
Key position forward and probably the best player running around who is not playing AFL. Plus i think he is only 22-23

 

[McLean_4_Captain]

Kade Carey????
Key position forward and probably the best player running around who is not playing AFL. Plus i think he is only 22-23

Don't think so buddy, there are plenty of guys playing VFL, SANFL & WAFL who are much better then Carey. And i'd dare say there'd be quite a few in the AFLQ & some lower leagues better then him.

He's actually 25, 26 next year which is a bit old and he's not all that good. He's got his uncle ego, which would be fine if he even had a 10th of his talent. Throw in his criminal conviction from that incident a few years ago with Dane Swan. He's not exactly the model sort of character we want our younger players to be influenced by.

You also have to question why it's taken until the guy was 25 until he got to VFL level, which is the highest level he got to. And he only played 4 games of VFL with Geelong this year. Not the one for us.

 

[00Stinger]

Fair enough. But have you seen him play???
He has absolutely destroyed it in the Essendon football league which is a good football league indeed. Then he kicked 5 in his first VFL match. He is may not be a model citizen and a little too old then but there are not many better players outside the AFL.

 

[Pipefitter]

I do think we should draft an experienced key position with the ability to play forward. We cant afford to have another year like this. At least someone who can play a few years to help us be competitive up forward while the rest develop. The who that player is ive got no idea

 

[ImChafingAsWeSpeak]

How good an experienced player could we possibly get with our 6th-7th pick? Surely another team would pick them up earlier. And did we try for prismall or was he always going to Essendon? Surely someone like Prismall is better than the 3?th pick that may or may not be any good at all. And i'm with Master Bate, no point getting someone who is just going to take the spot of a youngster. How important is an experienced guy around the club? Not saying we should get cousins, but is there more they provide than just on-field performances?

 

[McLean_4_Captain]

Fair enough. But have you seen him play???
He has absolutely destroyed it in the Essendon football league which is a good football league indeed. Then he kicked 5 in his first VFL match. He is may not be a model citizen and a little too old then but there are not many better players outside the AFL.

Yes i have seen him play and he's the sort of player who can dominate a lower league but i don't think he'd do the same at a higher level.

The EDFL is a pretty good league (i've got mates who play in it), but there are better leagues in Victoria then it outside of the VFL. Absolutely destroyed is a fair stretch as well, he was in the best 6 of 13 games but was never BOG and he kicked 5 or more goals only 4 times. I'd say that he's a good player, one of the better players in the league, but that's not exactly absolute destruction.

He didn't kick 5 goals in his first VFL game, he kicked 3 and he finished with 8 goals from his 4 games, which is a decent return. He's not even a certainty to be on Geelong's VFL list next year and i just don't think he's good enough to play AFL. Add to that him not being a "model citizen" and being 26 next year, he's not someone i think we want at MFC.

And you keep saying he's "one of the best players outside the AFL", i'd think there'd be a few blokes playing in state leagues that might have something to say about that. Players like Pods, Sautner, Nahas, Biddlecombe, Picken and that's not to mention SANFL & WAFL players.

 

[DemonErrol1964 - dees]

If I had to choose a couple out of the list it would be 2 youngsters like, Darren Pfeiffer (as a Defender) and Fabian Deluca to contest our Ruck squad.

The only problem is that Pfeiffer was delisted by CARLTON

 

[00Stinger]

And you keep saying he's "one of the best players outside the AFL", i'd think there'd be a few blokes playing in state leagues that might have something to say about that. Players like Pods, Sautner, Nahas, Biddlecombe, Picken and that's not to mention SANFL & WAFL players.

If by Pods you mean James Podsiadly then I will cop that he is a gun. I actually went to school with him and played footy with him. He didnt start footy until year 12 and only played because a few mate of mine talked him into playing as we needed another tall. Could have been anything if he started at a younger age. However he's 27 now.

 

[The Dr]

ESSENDON has ruled out redrafting Tom Hislop, with the club completely severing ties with the discarded midfielder after allowing him to participate in pre-season training.
The Bombers cut Hislop, 20, last month after an injury-riddled seven-game career with the club that was littered with off-field disciplinary issues.
He was invited back to train at Windy Hill following his delisting, but has since ceased involvement with the club and has nominated for next week's NAB AFL Draft.
"I'm expecting Tom to be picked up in the national draft by someone," football operations manager Paul Hamilton told SEN on Friday.
"I don't think it will be us. I think it will be another club.
"He's no longer training with us as of this week, so we're happy for him to move forward.
"Sometimes if you get delisted and get a big kick, it can be the thing that really pushes you on to the next stage in your career, so we wish him the best and hope it works out for him."


Seems Hispop will be picked up by someone - would we be a chance?
Still only 20, obviously very talented, just needs to sort himself out off the field.
Would we be interested?

 

[stickman11]

If I had to choose a couple out of the list it would be 2 youngsters like, Darren Pfeiffer (as a Defender) and Fabian Deluca to contest our Ruck squad.

The only problem is that Pfeiffer was delisted by CARLTON

What about Ballintyne in WAFL. 75 goals, a little older and worth the risk.

 

[Beats]

What about Ballintyne in WAFL. 75 goals, a little older and worth the risk.

Which small does he replace in our forward line though?

 

[McLean_4_Captain]

What about Ballintyne in WAFL. 75 goals, a little older and worth the risk.

Good player and i'd be pretty surprised if he wasn't on an AFL list in 1 weeks time.

Beats, who is he going to keep out of the side? While Robbo has a few years left, we don't really have a strong replacement for him do we? We've got 2 opportunistic goal sneaks in Davey & Wona, and 2 HF/midfielders like Maric & Sylvia, but no small/medium sized marking forward, good for 40+ goals a year, like a Steve Johnson, Medhurst, Mark Williams, Robbo type player. That's how i see Ballantyne. Same deal with Rockliff, depends on who we've drafted up to this stage, but if he was a slider he'd be a massive steal at 64 (but i doubt he'll last that long).

All of that said, there are others i'd rather take, but we could do worse.

Whichever experienced player it is if we do take one, i wouldn't want us to use an earlier pick then 64 and there's a good chance of Ballantyne being gone by then. As far as recycled AFL players go Hislop's the one i wouldn't mind giving a go, but i'm not to keen on Hughes who's training with us Anyone know what he's done since being dumped by us to get to train with us again?

 

[Beats]

Good player and i'd be pretty surprised if he wasn't on an AFL list in 1 weeks time.

Beats, who is he going to keep out of the side? While Robbo has a few years left, we don't really have a strong replacement for him do we? We've got 2 opportunistic goal sneaks in Davey & Wona, and 2 HF/midfielders like Maric & Sylvia, but no small/medium sized marking forward, good for 40+ goals a year, like a Steve Johnson, Medhurst, Mark Williams, Robbo type player. That's how i see Ballantyne. Same deal with Rockliff, depends on who we've drafted up to this stage, but if he was a slider he'd be a massive steal at 64 (but i doubt he'll last that long).

All of that said, there are others i'd rather take, but we could do worse.

I'd say at least one of Maric/Sylvia/Bate(even though he's a bit bigger) would be that small/mid sized marking target, Say there's 6 field spots and 1 bench spot for forwards, I'd say Bate, Robbo, Miller, Maric, Sylvia, Davey and Wona fill those spots.
Sure it's not fantastic but I don't see him breaking in ahead of any of those guys, possibly Wona but now he's the face of our advertising I find it hard to think that he'd be dropped.
As a depth player he'd be close to the top of the list. But you've also got to factor in the draft picks which get used ahead of him, I'd expect at least 2 of 1,17,19,35 to be forwards, in which case he's keeping those players out of the side, and if he is better than them why wouldn't we use a high pick on him?

All that said, I'm not against us taking him, however I feel we have more pressing needs to adress than small/mid-sized forwards.