knightwheelrqr
Club Legend
- Sep 21, 2009
- 1,634
- 2
- AFL Club
- Collingwood
- Other Teams
- Chicago Bulls
Adelaide:
Rating: B+
Why: Talia is big time pickup and being available at 13 was a really nice pickup. James Craig was a real bargain. Although this draft gives Adelaide allot of extra key position depth for years to come, they don’t really have key position gaps, also was surprised not to see any small defenders or midfielders added , with McLeod, Goodwin and Edwards all nearing the end of their careers would really have expected to see some similar type players bought in. As well as this I can’t see many of these players being able to contribute right away, Adelaide’s premiership window is now and they should take their chance now while they still have it open before their players retire. Talia this coming season will be a handy backup key position defender and Craig might break into the ruck at some point in his 1st season but beyond that I can’t see anyone having a significant impact on this team right away. That said still a draft where they managed to get some very handy bigs in Talia and Craig, both of which were really good picks.
Brisbane:
Rating: B+
Why: Bartlett will be a fine addition and will add allot of speed, and might become the eventual replacement for Luke Power. Really good pickup at 27. Harwood I also rate really highly, quality inside midfielder who I think could become one of the best to come from this draft. As for Matt Maguire, another pick that is consistent with their offseason theme of picking up players with AFL experience to win a premiership now. Brisbane perhaps could have added in another player with AFL experience such as a Sam Power, but overall still a very solid draft.
Carlton:
Rating: C+
Why: Kane Lucas is a gem and sliding to 13 for Carlton was a bargain. At draft camp really impressed and he should develop into a really handy addition. Marcus Davies is another really nice midfield product who I can see also being a really nice player in the future. Overall this draft really lacked key position players, Carlton at nearly all key position posts have holes and have done nothing to address the loss of Brendan Fevola which I would consider the most disappointing part of their draft.
Collingwood:
Rating: A+
Why: Manage to get Luke Ball who will be instant inside help and against strong sides will make a huge difference. Really nice fit into the Collingwood midfield and will be a very handy addition. Josh Thomas is a top 30 quality player and to get him at 75 was a real bargain! Simon Buckley could also prove to be a very handy addition down back with Marty Clarke returning to Ireland and Shannon Cox retiring to provide some more drive out of defence.
Essendon:
Rating: B+
Why: Melksham will provide the midfield help, and was ultimately the player they wanted at 10. Carlisle at 24 was a real slider and will add great key position versatility being able to be played up forward or down back. Colyer will add great speed and will be replacement for Lovett, good fit into this side. While they got some handy players, they also let a few really good players slip by them. Could have added another ruckman in Gawn or possibly Christensen or Crichton at 33 who also would have been very handy. They let Aaron Black slip and let Bartlett and Duncan slip by them who they could have added at 26.
Fremantle:
Rating: B
Why: Adding Morabito was the right decision at 4, will be a great fit for them and will rip up Subiaco for a number of years. Most athletically gifted player in this draft. Also would rate Jesse Crichton as being a bargain at 49. Also Roberton and Bollenhegan both represent good value. The thing I don’t like in Fremantle’s draft was that they overpaid for Houghton and Fyfe in my view. Fyfe may not have been available at 36 but was more a mid 20s pick onwards in my view, and Houghton I expect would have lasted through till probably 52. So at 36 that might have meant that they could have selected Nathan Vardy. Another thing with the Fremantle draft I’m not all that keen on is that they probably didn’t address their key position needs as well as they perhaps could have and also they definitely could have done with another ruckman, currently Fremantle have no real backup for Sandilands and with him nearing 30, they really need atleast a few young ruckman to be developing.
Geelong:
Rating: A
Why: Very strong draft for Geelong! Done well once again! Vardy at 42 is one of the bargains of the draft as well as Christensen at 40! Surprised to see them skip on Joseph Dare and Dylan Grimes with their last selection but would think that Geelong would be very pleased with the way this draft worked out for them overall!
Hawthorn:
Rating: D+
Why: Not nearly as good a draft as they could have had. Really saw them having a much better draft than this! James Craig at 39 was a no brainer, he was available and skipping on him I believe to have been a big mistake. Craig would offer both a really nice young physically ready ruckman, but also someone who might be able to step back into a key position post if necessary. They also had the opportunity to select Vardy, who had slid, widely considered the best ruckman in this draft class. Grimley is more a developmental ruckman who I would have rated more as a late- rookie prospect. Hooper was another real surprise, one of their better picks and might mean that Rioli will be able to push up into the midfield which would be the idea of it. Overall this draft really doesn’t meet the objectives Hawthorn should have set out to achieve. They should be looking for AFL ready products who can contribute straight away because their premiership window is still open. They could have looked into guys like Barlow and Sewell for players that could have put immediate pressure on the 22 as opposed to a bunch of long term prospects. Hawthorn also have a significant ruck gap left by Robert Campbell which could have been achieved optimally by one of James Craig or Nathan Vardy who had both slid in this draft, also they could have taken Matt Maguire as instant key position defensive help who could have been a really handy addition. Personally really disappointed in Hawthorn’s draft and think they could have done much better than this!
North Melbourne:
Rating: A
Why: Got some amazing talent, just slipped to them. They made a good decision on Cunnington at 5, will fit the North Melbourne profile perfectly, personally would have taken Butcher, but I don’t think they will lose much sleep over that. Ryan Bastinac is a bargain at 21 and would not rate him far behind Tom Scully at all. Quality midfielder who I consider a definite 1st round quality guy and will be one of the best to come from this draft I expect. Aaron Black is a significant slider, at 25 was an excellent pickup and will be a nice long term prospect up forward. Has potential and at 25 too good to refuse! Overall a very good draft and North Melbourne should be very happy with this one. This draft they have set themselves up well for the future and I think will be a real top 8 chance next season.
Melbourne:
Rating: A
Why: Very strong draft. Tapscott at 18 will prove to be really handy and is a genuine match winner. Gawn at 34 is a really nice ruck prospect, youngest guy in the draft and looks like he still has allot of growth ahead, has had some injury troubles but has a very big body for his age which indicates that he could be a very nice player. Fitzpatrick also represents great value, can play some key position forward and is a super fast ruckman. To me the questionable choice for Melbourne was Gysberts who I rate more as a mid 20s prospect. Clearly Melbourne rate him highly. Also the other aspect about Melbourne’s draft I would knock is that they didn’t select a natural key position forward with any of their picks, which I would consider a need. Really surprised they didn’t go with Vardy, Carlisle or Black and instead chose Gysberts.
Port Adelaide:
Rating: B
Why: I’m never all that high on Port Adelaide’s recruiting and have to say the same this year. Butcher at 8, top marks, obvious choice and is an excellent pick to replace an aging Treadrea. At 9 I saw some better options, Lucas would have been my choice, had a great draft camp and consider him to be really impressive. Personally don’t rate Moore a top 10 prospect but instead more a 15 and onwards guy. Also at 16, while McMillian-Pittard is not at all a bad choice, I consider their home grown Tapscott who is a match winner to be a better fit, and also would say that Koby Stevens is also a better fit considering their midfield needs which probably weren’t addressed as well as they could have been. Not a bad draft and they definitely didn’t screw it up with Butcher. But the other selections I would definitely question as to whether they were the best fits for Port Adelaide.
Richmond:
Rating: A
Why: Personally really like Richmond’s draft. They had allot of selections and I don’t think they did a bad job at all with them. Griffiths at 19 is a really nice pickup, with Richardson retired they need a key position forward and this guy is a monster, if he can stay healthy could be a very nice pick! The other pick I really like is the big time slider Troy Taylor. Big fan of this kids game and really think that he could become one of the best players to come from this draft. Real excitement machine who fan will turn up to see. Overall a very solid draft and I think they should be very pleased with their selections got some bargains as well as some additional solid players.
St Kilda:
Rating: C
Why: Overpaid for Winmar. Sure he has talent but a guy I would be looking at with pick 60. Jesse Smith and Adam Pattison are consistent selections with St Kilda’s theme of recycling players. Just not sure whether either player would be a chance to break into this already excellent side. Both come across as short term depth players. Can’t say I’m high on this draft at all, Smith was the better of the selections and might prove to be a handy addition if he can get his body right, but I don’t see this draft helping at all long term and short term I would also question how strong this draft is.
Sydney:
Rating: B+
Why: Interesting draft. This draft will give Sydney something really different with some speed they have never had before. Not sure how well the speed will go on a small ground, but will have to wait and see. Personally I think Butcher and Lucas are better fits for Sydney stylistically, Rohan is not a bad selection at all and could become a special player. Jetta also I don’t think will be the best fit for Sydney, don’t see him developing into a star in this competition and after going with speed with the first selection might have probably gone with Jasper McMillian-Pittard or Luke Tapscott who with his big body and super boot would have been a perfect fit for Sydney. Reid will prove to be a really handy long term prospect down back and is a near bargain. Trent Dennis-Lane also I would consider relatively cheap and also a very nice pickup. Overall a very nice draft that meets Sydney’s needs really well. Will be pushing up to the top 8 again you would have to think, even with the loss of Jolly.
West Coast:
Rating: B
Why: Sheppard is a really nice pick and I think West Coast will be happy with him, definitely rate him over Jetta, just personally would have taken Butcher due to the key position hole up forward as opposed to going for another WA boy. Stevens is a really solid pickup and will offer immediate help in the midfield, slider who West Coast will be happy with. As for Weedon, not sure he was the right choice. With Aaron Black, Jake Carlisle, Callum Bartlett and Mitchell Duncan all available would have looked elsewhere for pick 22. Personally I’m disappointed that West Coast didn’t select atleast 1 key position prospect in this draft and with Hunter and Staker gone really thought that should have been a priority.
Western Bull Dogs:
Rating: D+
Why: This draft really surprised me as it did everyone else. Usually I’m a fan of the way the Western Bull Dogs draft, just not this year I’m afraid. I feel that they could have done allot more to help themselves. Ben Griffiths to me in the absence of Moore at 15 was their guy, big key position player who is a high risk, high reward pick that may have just payed off for them and have provided immediate help. He can also play some ruck which might also have been handy, at 198cm, and 99kg he is very much AFL ready, was really surprised to see them skip on him, they were high on him and I simply can’t see why they let him pass? Could see him having a big impact right away which is what they need now with players like Brad Johnson and Jason Akermanis nearing the end of their careers. Of all their selections possibly the most sound was Jason Tutt, he has had interest from many clubs and although this selection is too high for him clearly they didn’t want to risk him not being available at 63, which what I would have done with Griffiths at 15. Overall a draft that I can’t see helping them all that much at all, and really disappointed to see them when their premiership window is open to have such a weak draft. I expected allot better from them.
Rating: B+
Why: Talia is big time pickup and being available at 13 was a really nice pickup. James Craig was a real bargain. Although this draft gives Adelaide allot of extra key position depth for years to come, they don’t really have key position gaps, also was surprised not to see any small defenders or midfielders added , with McLeod, Goodwin and Edwards all nearing the end of their careers would really have expected to see some similar type players bought in. As well as this I can’t see many of these players being able to contribute right away, Adelaide’s premiership window is now and they should take their chance now while they still have it open before their players retire. Talia this coming season will be a handy backup key position defender and Craig might break into the ruck at some point in his 1st season but beyond that I can’t see anyone having a significant impact on this team right away. That said still a draft where they managed to get some very handy bigs in Talia and Craig, both of which were really good picks.
Brisbane:
Rating: B+
Why: Bartlett will be a fine addition and will add allot of speed, and might become the eventual replacement for Luke Power. Really good pickup at 27. Harwood I also rate really highly, quality inside midfielder who I think could become one of the best to come from this draft. As for Matt Maguire, another pick that is consistent with their offseason theme of picking up players with AFL experience to win a premiership now. Brisbane perhaps could have added in another player with AFL experience such as a Sam Power, but overall still a very solid draft.
Carlton:
Rating: C+
Why: Kane Lucas is a gem and sliding to 13 for Carlton was a bargain. At draft camp really impressed and he should develop into a really handy addition. Marcus Davies is another really nice midfield product who I can see also being a really nice player in the future. Overall this draft really lacked key position players, Carlton at nearly all key position posts have holes and have done nothing to address the loss of Brendan Fevola which I would consider the most disappointing part of their draft.
Collingwood:
Rating: A+
Why: Manage to get Luke Ball who will be instant inside help and against strong sides will make a huge difference. Really nice fit into the Collingwood midfield and will be a very handy addition. Josh Thomas is a top 30 quality player and to get him at 75 was a real bargain! Simon Buckley could also prove to be a very handy addition down back with Marty Clarke returning to Ireland and Shannon Cox retiring to provide some more drive out of defence.
Essendon:
Rating: B+
Why: Melksham will provide the midfield help, and was ultimately the player they wanted at 10. Carlisle at 24 was a real slider and will add great key position versatility being able to be played up forward or down back. Colyer will add great speed and will be replacement for Lovett, good fit into this side. While they got some handy players, they also let a few really good players slip by them. Could have added another ruckman in Gawn or possibly Christensen or Crichton at 33 who also would have been very handy. They let Aaron Black slip and let Bartlett and Duncan slip by them who they could have added at 26.
Fremantle:
Rating: B
Why: Adding Morabito was the right decision at 4, will be a great fit for them and will rip up Subiaco for a number of years. Most athletically gifted player in this draft. Also would rate Jesse Crichton as being a bargain at 49. Also Roberton and Bollenhegan both represent good value. The thing I don’t like in Fremantle’s draft was that they overpaid for Houghton and Fyfe in my view. Fyfe may not have been available at 36 but was more a mid 20s pick onwards in my view, and Houghton I expect would have lasted through till probably 52. So at 36 that might have meant that they could have selected Nathan Vardy. Another thing with the Fremantle draft I’m not all that keen on is that they probably didn’t address their key position needs as well as they perhaps could have and also they definitely could have done with another ruckman, currently Fremantle have no real backup for Sandilands and with him nearing 30, they really need atleast a few young ruckman to be developing.
Geelong:
Rating: A
Why: Very strong draft for Geelong! Done well once again! Vardy at 42 is one of the bargains of the draft as well as Christensen at 40! Surprised to see them skip on Joseph Dare and Dylan Grimes with their last selection but would think that Geelong would be very pleased with the way this draft worked out for them overall!
Hawthorn:
Rating: D+
Why: Not nearly as good a draft as they could have had. Really saw them having a much better draft than this! James Craig at 39 was a no brainer, he was available and skipping on him I believe to have been a big mistake. Craig would offer both a really nice young physically ready ruckman, but also someone who might be able to step back into a key position post if necessary. They also had the opportunity to select Vardy, who had slid, widely considered the best ruckman in this draft class. Grimley is more a developmental ruckman who I would have rated more as a late- rookie prospect. Hooper was another real surprise, one of their better picks and might mean that Rioli will be able to push up into the midfield which would be the idea of it. Overall this draft really doesn’t meet the objectives Hawthorn should have set out to achieve. They should be looking for AFL ready products who can contribute straight away because their premiership window is still open. They could have looked into guys like Barlow and Sewell for players that could have put immediate pressure on the 22 as opposed to a bunch of long term prospects. Hawthorn also have a significant ruck gap left by Robert Campbell which could have been achieved optimally by one of James Craig or Nathan Vardy who had both slid in this draft, also they could have taken Matt Maguire as instant key position defensive help who could have been a really handy addition. Personally really disappointed in Hawthorn’s draft and think they could have done much better than this!
North Melbourne:
Rating: A
Why: Got some amazing talent, just slipped to them. They made a good decision on Cunnington at 5, will fit the North Melbourne profile perfectly, personally would have taken Butcher, but I don’t think they will lose much sleep over that. Ryan Bastinac is a bargain at 21 and would not rate him far behind Tom Scully at all. Quality midfielder who I consider a definite 1st round quality guy and will be one of the best to come from this draft I expect. Aaron Black is a significant slider, at 25 was an excellent pickup and will be a nice long term prospect up forward. Has potential and at 25 too good to refuse! Overall a very good draft and North Melbourne should be very happy with this one. This draft they have set themselves up well for the future and I think will be a real top 8 chance next season.
Melbourne:
Rating: A
Why: Very strong draft. Tapscott at 18 will prove to be really handy and is a genuine match winner. Gawn at 34 is a really nice ruck prospect, youngest guy in the draft and looks like he still has allot of growth ahead, has had some injury troubles but has a very big body for his age which indicates that he could be a very nice player. Fitzpatrick also represents great value, can play some key position forward and is a super fast ruckman. To me the questionable choice for Melbourne was Gysberts who I rate more as a mid 20s prospect. Clearly Melbourne rate him highly. Also the other aspect about Melbourne’s draft I would knock is that they didn’t select a natural key position forward with any of their picks, which I would consider a need. Really surprised they didn’t go with Vardy, Carlisle or Black and instead chose Gysberts.
Port Adelaide:
Rating: B
Why: I’m never all that high on Port Adelaide’s recruiting and have to say the same this year. Butcher at 8, top marks, obvious choice and is an excellent pick to replace an aging Treadrea. At 9 I saw some better options, Lucas would have been my choice, had a great draft camp and consider him to be really impressive. Personally don’t rate Moore a top 10 prospect but instead more a 15 and onwards guy. Also at 16, while McMillian-Pittard is not at all a bad choice, I consider their home grown Tapscott who is a match winner to be a better fit, and also would say that Koby Stevens is also a better fit considering their midfield needs which probably weren’t addressed as well as they could have been. Not a bad draft and they definitely didn’t screw it up with Butcher. But the other selections I would definitely question as to whether they were the best fits for Port Adelaide.
Richmond:
Rating: A
Why: Personally really like Richmond’s draft. They had allot of selections and I don’t think they did a bad job at all with them. Griffiths at 19 is a really nice pickup, with Richardson retired they need a key position forward and this guy is a monster, if he can stay healthy could be a very nice pick! The other pick I really like is the big time slider Troy Taylor. Big fan of this kids game and really think that he could become one of the best players to come from this draft. Real excitement machine who fan will turn up to see. Overall a very solid draft and I think they should be very pleased with their selections got some bargains as well as some additional solid players.
St Kilda:
Rating: C
Why: Overpaid for Winmar. Sure he has talent but a guy I would be looking at with pick 60. Jesse Smith and Adam Pattison are consistent selections with St Kilda’s theme of recycling players. Just not sure whether either player would be a chance to break into this already excellent side. Both come across as short term depth players. Can’t say I’m high on this draft at all, Smith was the better of the selections and might prove to be a handy addition if he can get his body right, but I don’t see this draft helping at all long term and short term I would also question how strong this draft is.
Sydney:
Rating: B+
Why: Interesting draft. This draft will give Sydney something really different with some speed they have never had before. Not sure how well the speed will go on a small ground, but will have to wait and see. Personally I think Butcher and Lucas are better fits for Sydney stylistically, Rohan is not a bad selection at all and could become a special player. Jetta also I don’t think will be the best fit for Sydney, don’t see him developing into a star in this competition and after going with speed with the first selection might have probably gone with Jasper McMillian-Pittard or Luke Tapscott who with his big body and super boot would have been a perfect fit for Sydney. Reid will prove to be a really handy long term prospect down back and is a near bargain. Trent Dennis-Lane also I would consider relatively cheap and also a very nice pickup. Overall a very nice draft that meets Sydney’s needs really well. Will be pushing up to the top 8 again you would have to think, even with the loss of Jolly.
West Coast:
Rating: B
Why: Sheppard is a really nice pick and I think West Coast will be happy with him, definitely rate him over Jetta, just personally would have taken Butcher due to the key position hole up forward as opposed to going for another WA boy. Stevens is a really solid pickup and will offer immediate help in the midfield, slider who West Coast will be happy with. As for Weedon, not sure he was the right choice. With Aaron Black, Jake Carlisle, Callum Bartlett and Mitchell Duncan all available would have looked elsewhere for pick 22. Personally I’m disappointed that West Coast didn’t select atleast 1 key position prospect in this draft and with Hunter and Staker gone really thought that should have been a priority.
Western Bull Dogs:
Rating: D+
Why: This draft really surprised me as it did everyone else. Usually I’m a fan of the way the Western Bull Dogs draft, just not this year I’m afraid. I feel that they could have done allot more to help themselves. Ben Griffiths to me in the absence of Moore at 15 was their guy, big key position player who is a high risk, high reward pick that may have just payed off for them and have provided immediate help. He can also play some ruck which might also have been handy, at 198cm, and 99kg he is very much AFL ready, was really surprised to see them skip on him, they were high on him and I simply can’t see why they let him pass? Could see him having a big impact right away which is what they need now with players like Brad Johnson and Jason Akermanis nearing the end of their careers. Of all their selections possibly the most sound was Jason Tutt, he has had interest from many clubs and although this selection is too high for him clearly they didn’t want to risk him not being available at 63, which what I would have done with Griffiths at 15. Overall a draft that I can’t see helping them all that much at all, and really disappointed to see them when their premiership window is open to have such a weak draft. I expected allot better from them.
