Herald Sun - Lions to snatch Tigers target

[captain blood 17]

It appears Lions are interested in Polec. We are in turn interested in a big body midfielder type in a kid called Reece Conca. So Tigerheads, who is Conca?

 

[foley_falcon]

Not sure I am going to take the HS as gospel. Polec will still be our first pick.

 

[The Rusty Trombone]

Pretty competitive draft , there has been alot of good press on Polec of late. Conca looks like a very versitile handy midfielder with great skills. Probably take Troy Taylors possy in a flash.

Very similar to Banfield from The Lions as I understand . Is a fanta pants as well .

I'm sure we'll get a beauty tomorrow regardless.

 

[PHX]

Could handle Conca being our pick just fine.

 

[Bruce Monteath]

I just hope we don't get too cute. Take the best available.

 

[nut]

I just hope we don't get too cute.

Read the posts properly....... he has red hair.

 

[pawleesee]

best available.... we've ben down this road before and its gotten us 30 years of SFA

 

[razor8]

Read the posts properly....... he has red hair.

Funniest quote on big footy this month!

 

[peggles]

i'd like to trust to club.
just cos a player isn't considered "best available" by the media doesn't mean he's not best available for us

 

[Dustin Credible]

Just what is the definition of 'best available' when it's meant to be splitting hairs between a large chunk of the first two rounds.

 

[TOOs_Finest]

Just what is the definition of 'best available' when it's meant to be splitting hairs between a large chunk of the first two rounds.

One of the stupidest terms going around, that I'm sick of hearing being over used with regards to draft picks. Ok, I agree it has a place and a time. But seriously, it seems to me there is David Swallow followed by daylight, then the rest. From pick two onwards, 'best available' depends on who you are talking to, thus making it an irrelevant term.

Hindsight often makes a mockery of the phrase 'best available'.

 

[UpTheGuts]

i'd like to trust to club.
just cos a player isn't considered "best available" by the media doesn't mean he's not best available for us

Fair comment.

We may be unreasonably comparing Conca to Polec, who is more an outsider with a nice left leg. Maybe with the recruitment of Houli, who is said to share those same traits, our priorities have altered and we should instead be comparing Conca to Atley, Caddy et al.

Pretty sure our well resourced recruitment team is not deliberately trying to stuff this up...

 

[Delids]

Could be Caddy


WEST Coast Eagles have all but committed to taking tough Victorian midfielder Andrew Gaff in this week’s AFL national draft.

• Jared Polec (left), Andrew Gaff (centre) and Josh Caddy have stormed into calculations for early AFL draft selection
  Getty Images

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Gaff’s powerful gut running qualities and smart decisions in heavy congestion around packs are among his many qualities understood to have finally won over West Coast recruiters.
The 18-year-old Victorian is expected to be taken by West Coast after careful consideration against top quality South Australian on-baller Jared Polec.
It has become roundly considered through AFL circles that new franchise Gold Coast will take West Australians David Swallow and Harley Bennell, as well as South Australian Sam Day in the first three picks.
But, it has not been as clear on just where West Coast and Brisbane might head with their first selections.
Another hard-nosed West Aussie has stormed into late calculations for a top-10 selection, with Perth ball-winner Reece Conca possibly heading to Essendon.
Conca’s manager Colin Young would not reveal which clubs have expressed interest in the feisty 18-year-old who finished the 2010 season playing senior WAFL level.
But his agent confirmed growing interest in the young star as the 25th annual AFL draft approached.
“I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Reece Conca slipped into the top 10. But that’s all I can say,” Young told sportsnewsfirst.
The Eagles are believed to have thrashed out whether to take Gaff or the brilliant Polec.
Brisbane coach Michael Voss and his talent scouts made similar assessments and with Gaff heading west it seems Polec’s explosive pace and classy left-foot disposal in the mould of highly decorated champion Lions pair of Simon Black and Luke Power and 2009 NAB Rising Star champion Daniel Rich will head north.
With Polec severely shortening in his prospects to head to Voss and his Lions at pick number five, Richmond are now understood to be preparing to pluck another hard-nosed midfield ball-magnet Josh Caddy at number six.
The Tigers are known to want more midfield ball-winning depth in support of exciting pair Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin to supply new goal-kicking revelation Jack Riewoldt.
Gold Coast join back in the selection race at number seven with the fourth of their privileged eight picks inside the first 13 selections.
The Suns are tipped to take another tall forward in Tom Lynch, before Essendon enter to most unique selection process in the draft’s 25-year history.
New Bombers coach James Hird has held lengthy discussions and planning sessions with his recruiting team with desperate intentions to inject pace and class into his midfield.
Being especially suited to run and carry the footy and deliver the footy long into Essendon’s forward line at home ground Etihad Stadium is believed to be a priority in Hird’s preference for the Bombers crucial first choice.
The Bombers are expected to take Victorian country inside ball-winner Shaun Atley, but could swing a surprise by choosing Conca.
It is a shared view among top recruiters that the tough midfielder, who was highly impressive at seniors level in struggling WAFL club Perth late into the 2010 season, will rapidly fit into an AFL team for much of next season.
Conca is ready to play and is known to have highly impressed Bombers decision makers.
Gold Coast then takes three consecutive picks at nine, 10 and 11.
The Suns are expected to snap up a ruckman-forward in South Australian big man Daniel Gorringe and another couple of midfielders Atley or Jayden Pitt from the talent-rich Geelong district and versatile Glenelg running-back Seb Tape.
With confirmation of Gaff, Polec and Caddy as early picks, previously highly rated Gippsland follower Dyson Heppell has drifted in favour.
The tall on-baller, playing midfield creative roles at around 189cm, could fall into the hands of emerging AFL finals contender Melbourne at the Demons first pick and number 12 overall.
The Suns have another at 13, followed by Adelaide and Geelong with their first pick at number 15 as part of trading and losing Gary Ablett to Gold Coast.
Adelaide is believed to be contemplating the value of classy East Fremantle outside ball-carrier Jamie Cripps while Geelong look certain to pluck clever North Ballarat winger Isaac Smith.
Top Victorian midfield hopes Ben Jacobs, Bill Smedts, Jayden Pitt and Luke Parker as well as South Australian ruckman-forward Pat McCarthy, WA’s tall forward Jack Darling and Calder Cannons key defender Matthew Watson at 195cm and 102kg appeal for slots between 16 and early 20s.

 

[ScallyWag1]

didn't everyone say brisbane were willing to trade brennan to move up in the draft, because they were desperate to get Heppell? that was only a week ago i read that somewhere.

besides we're missing the big issue. whoever it is that brisbane wind up picking, that poor kid has to play for crazy vossy up in brisbane.

 

[TimeFor11]

Conca can't be next best available. When Caddy, Heppell, and Atley still around.

 

[tugga]

Conca can't be next best available. When Caddy, Heppell, and Atley still around.

Have you seen them all play?

 

[Bruce Monteath]

Read the posts properly....... he has red hair.

Right you are nut. Gold.

 

[TimeFor11]

Have you seen them all play?

Haven't seen Heppell. Seen the rest of them. But Heppell from all reports a definite top 10

 

[kingy46]

im hearing we will take tom lynch at 6.. didnt think he would go that high but is a local boy and reckons they said they will probably take him

 

["The Roar Is Back"]

im hearing we will take tom lynch at 6.. didnt think he would go that high but is a local boy and reckons they said they will probably take him

The safest bet for Victorian clubs is to take Victorian or Tasmainian kids, none of this returning home juggernaut !!

 

[LuKe2428]

Please tigers, Just play it safe and get either Heppel or Polec. If we get this draft right then we could be set. If we can get Heppel and one of Parker or Hallahan. By Picking Heppel we can realise Deledio into the Midfield.
Then with our second pick get Parker or Hallahan who are both good in the Clearances. Mind you, Parker was ment to go top 5-6 a few months ago, Beating Scully and Bastinac in Dandenong's B&F last season.
Then with our 3rd Pick we can get a KPP or a ruckman, Remmeber we will be getting Miller in the pre-season draft so that one more KPP to allow Griffiths and Post to develop. If we can get Polec and Parker.
Our midfield would be, Cotchin, Martin, Foley, Polec, Parker wth Morton and either Conners or Edwards on the wings. Then next year we can just go for best KPP.

 

[strauchy]

if polec is taken at 5.. then it means nothing other than to pick HEPPELL! its as simple as that!
ive seen them play. Conca is a late teens pick! i know none of these players have been given the chance yet at AFL level, but i will be furious if we give up one of either Heppell, Caddy, Atley, Lynch, - all of them look better

 

[Punt_Road_Roar]

I'm not going to get all bent and twisted over who we pick up. you see it every year ... "YES we got XXXX player". Then a few years down the track a player picked a round later ends up being a better player. What will be will be, the best thing is our club right now is in the best shape it has ever been in finding decent playing talent.

 

[Agetigers]

We need Tom Lynch!!!!
Players like Polec,Atley, Caddy etc are in every draft. Dont make the same mistake Tiges.

 

[tugga]

I'm not going to get all bent and twisted over who we pick up. you see it every year ... "YES we got XXXX player". Then a few years down the track a player picked a round later ends up being a better player. What will be will be, the best thing is our club right now is in the best shape it has ever been in finding decent playing talent.

Well said.
These are my thoughts as well.
No point burning the house down if people don't get what they want. The point is, there's nothing any of us can do about it.