Prediction National Draft 2024

[chaosball32]

It’s not ideal and clearly not something the club wanted. BUT, we improved our list this off season to the point where we should be aiming for top 4 if not the flag. Off season was still a huge win imo.

Trade period was definitely a win, getting Shai and not having any players request trades is massive for us.

Draft was a loss, didn’t address any list needs, got reemed by a few clubs and the only 1 of our 4 draftees that looks ready made is a surplus to our needs and likely won’t get much game-time next year. Not ideal considering we are coming into arguably the biggest year in our history, the next year could decide the future trajectory of our club.

Either way, no excuses. This team should definitely be pushing for top 4, they are good enough, maybe the most talented Freo team ever.

 

[Docker82]

I'll echo the sentiments a couple of others have stated, if our only complaint is losing our fourth string ruckman, then we've objectively had a really good off-season.

It might mean we do the delist and re-rookie thing in the future with the player that makes most sense rather than who is easiest to cut.

A fourth choice ruck isn't the worst player to learn that lesson on.

 

[Superkoops]

The real disappointing aspect was the afl and their decision not to have the NGA bidding system that we had either side of 2022/23. We missed a small forward in Motlop and more importantly Mitch Edwards. If we were able to select Mitch Edwards last year then we would have been in the position to delist a ruck which would have likely been Knobel. As it turns out we replace Mitch Edwards with Aiden Riddle. Riddle is a better fit down at Peel with Reidy. Unfortunately I’d see Knobel playing more games at Peel, which won’t help Knobel’s development.

 

[TheMcManusNose]

What a truly bizzare draft this has ended up being.

Honestly think the club looks like it got caught sniffing it's own farts this trade and draft period.

The saving grace is that it's really not that consequential now as compared to say a few years ago.

 

[FreoRicci]

Tabs is cooked. Him playing late in the season against Geelong instead of Reidy was the reason we lost that game. Tabs was subbed out for being completely s*#t and a liability. The flow on effect was our second ruck for the game was Voss. That should never be repeated.

Oh I know. It's just replacing like for like and not really going after the holes in the list.

It's effectively Bolton to replace Banfield and nothing else.

Reid, Erasmus, Johnson. Something has to give.

That means Brodie is gone, Is 2025 Fyfe's last year? and JOM surely gets delisted and Rookied end of next, due to his garbage contract.

 

[ROGS]

The real disappointing aspect was the afl and their decision not to have the NGA bidding system that we had either side of 2022/23. We missed a small forward in Motlop and more importantly Mitch Edwards. If we were able to select Mitch Edwards last year then we would have been in the position to delist a ruck which would have likely been Knobel. As it turns out we replace Mitch Edwards with Aiden Riddle. Riddle is a better fit down at Peel with Reidy. Unfortunately I’d see Knobel playing more games at Peel, which won’t help Knobel’s development.

As a regular Peel watcher i can 100% say Knobel is a far better long term prospect than Reidy, big time stuff up by Walls and list management people (cant blame Belly for this one)

 

[FreoRicci]

If we are honest here Knobel would of left once he developed anyway for a 3rd rounder. These guys want to play AFL not be stuck in the reserves. With how much we have invested in LJ and big Sean we will struggle to keep any good young backups long term. I get the argument he could have been a replacement for Sean if he can't get his body right but I think that conversation is a ways down the road.

Nicholls can also pinch hit in the ruck they mentioned and now we have Riddle to develop. We have Shai and a top 6 rated mid forward from the draft. Chill out people we did alright. Cooper and Delean should be much better this season after a year in the system and another preseason under the belt.

Are we the only club that overvalues and overrat ruck men? Significant draft capital and salary investment. Meanwhile rucks go in and out of clubs every single year.
Meek for example. Just feel like wasting time and space with having two 'elite' rucks when their output hardly stands out.
Knobel could easily develop a little bit more, get a second ruck gig and be okay. Exactly what Meek wanted in the end.

 

[Heave Ho Bro]

Are we the only club that overvalues and overrat ruck men? Significant draft capital and salary investment. Meanwhile rucks go in and out of clubs every single year.
Meek for example. Just feel like wasting time and space with having two 'elite' rucks when their output hardly stands out.
Knobel could easily develop a little bit more, get a second ruck gig and be okay. Exactly what Meek wanted in the end.

I think it was just a case of Jackson was too talented to pass up. Not often we get high end talent like that wanting to come to us. Upside is huge if Darcy can get his body right and Jackson we can't judge until he's 24/25 years old. But yeah we are the only club paying 2 ruckmen this much.

 

[FreoRicci]

I think it was just a case of Jackson was too talented to pass up. Not often we get high end talent like that wanting to come to us. Upside is huge if Darcy can get his body right and Jackson we can't judge until he's 24/25 years old. But yeah we are the only club paying 2 ruckmen this much.

Jackson is not a ruck. He's not. Wasting his useful speed and inside talent for him to be struggling against Nankervis, McInerney, English.

He needs to be in the midfield at times, go to the wing, then forward. He has the ability to have license to play everywhere and anywhere

 

[#1JohnHuttonFan]

lol. The Freo media team on the Freo FB story taking the piss with “John Longmuir”

 

[Superkoops]

Oh I know. It's just replacing like for like and not really going after the holes in the list.

It's effectively Bolton to replace Banfield and nothing else.

Reid, Erasmus, Johnson. Something has to give.

That means Brodie is gone, Is 2025 Fyfe's last year? and JOM surely gets delisted and Rookied end of next, due to his garbage contract.

I agree some of the long term contracts have caused problems. Hughes had 1 year to much. You could argue Brodie 2 years too long. JOM I don’t have as much an issue with but he will need to reinvent himself somewhat to get a game and 1 year too long can be argued. Fyfe and Walters really should have only done 1 year. Perhaps Worner as well 1 year too long. It is a fine line. If you just sign too many on 1 year contract extensions you’ll end up losing a few. Also depth is important. I’m not sure why they couldn’t have tried harder to trade Brodie and that could have freed up a list spot.

I think we can safely blame some of these longer term contracts on the loss of Knobel. Is it a disaster…no, but it certainly isn’t ideal.

Walls was just on 6PR and whilst they knew there was the possibility of Knobel being taken it was not expected. Knobel was committed to Fremantle for 2025 and Walls had been in regular contact with his manager.

It seems GC kept it very quiet and managed to pull a swifty on Freo and even Knobel didn’t see it coming.

We move on - Riddell looks a more athletic and more versatile tall. Riddell a bit behind in his development but to be honest Knobel unlikely to play and probable to spend more time in the reserves. Could be the best thing for his development.

 

[Clems Knee]

I am so impressed that there are so many Peel reserves watchers on this site.
The stands and Hayden Ballantyne

Hayden Ballantyne

Age

37

Ht

173cm

Wt

79kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.7

3star

K

9.2

4star

HB

3.6

3star

M

3.3

3star

T

3.1

5star

G

1.5

5star

No current season stats available

D

11.6

3star

K

8.2

4star

HB

3.4

3star

M

2.8

3star

T

1.2

3star

G

0.8

4star

wing must be packed for the morning game.

 

[Sewell21]

I remember when we picked up a ruck in the rookie draft nearly 20 years ago. So unco that he chopped half his toe off whilst mowing the lawn. Look how that turned out.

 

[freo_leo29]

Wish Footy and Friends was still going for the year, would love to hear from Deledio about his thoughts on Knobel

 

[Hazelsnuts]

View attachment 2173025
Has good tastes it seems.

4 ticks there - kid is gonna be a jet!!!
Go the Beach !!

 

[Heave Ho Bro]

Riddles highlights look good. He can move and has very nice hands. Already looks a better mark than LJ.

 

[ilikepotatoes]

I reckon it's more likely Knobel never plays an AFL game as opposed to him becoming an AFL level ruckman.

He's also been drafted to a team where he's 3rd/4th in line just like over here.

 

[thistimeforsure]

Make all the koolaide flavoured justifications you like those half a dozen WAFL games were VERY promising for a 19/20 yr old ruckman including giving our old mate Scott Jones the runaround one game

Jones gave Reidy all he could handle in the granny and was in the convo for best on in the first half

So the same set of posters who said ‘ don’t worry about the delisting ‘ a month ago are now ‘ saying don’t worry he’s the 4th string ruckman ‘ will be the same clowns saying ‘ don’t worry about Bolton it takes time to settle into a new club ‘ and don’t worry that our pressure is dogshit the coaches know what they are doing ‘


On iPad using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[JammoMonty]

I remember when we picked up a ruck in the rookie draft nearly 20 years ago. So unco that he chopped half his toe off whilst mowing the lawn. Look how that turned out.

Haha spoke to the great man this morning and well before Knobel landed at GC. Such GC move. Sandi is a big fan of Reidy and he’s decent depth for Freo. The only loss that will be felt for Knobel is at Peel reserves.

 

[mightymouse75]

Wallsy lost of lot of goodwill here it seems...



What are you calling Murphy then if Reid is Murphy?

Irish

 

[Purple Suit]

I wonder how many minutes of Knobel playing GCSs recruiters have actually watched.

I recon zero, they just read reports on Big Footy and thought he’s going to be the next Sandilands with all the talk around here.

It happens all the time, the kid with no opportunity is a gun while the blokes getting games are spuds. The echo chamber here seems to grow these thoughts exponentially.

It’s still dumb by the club if they wanted him.

 

[freo1997]

Irish

Call one of them Robocop

 

[Jezzitizle]

Trade period was definitely a win, getting Shai and not having any players request trades is massive for us.

Draft was a loss, didn’t address any list needs, got reemed by a few clubs and the only 1 of our 4 draftees that looks ready made is a surplus to our needs and likely won’t get much game-time next year. Not ideal considering we are coming into arguably the biggest year in our history, the next year could decide the future trajectory of our club.

Either way, no excuses. This team should definitely be pushing for top 4, they are good enough, maybe the most talented Freo team ever.

Disagree we didn’t address list needs. Having another developing kpf is a need, if Voss has a good year in the wafl and can’t break into the 22 teams will come calling.

Reid isn’t a need per se but gives us depth with Fyfe and Omeara at the back end of their careers, and with Ras and Dris not certain to be b22.

Carr is a Freddy cover, high marking running machine, playing high half forward on the open side. Banners is the only other contender for that role but is hit and miss. Passionate Freo man too, love that.

Knobel a bummer but losing our fourth string ruck is not the end of the world, would have probably gone elsewhere to continue his career in the next two years.

The only absolute gap we had was the gap Shai Bolton was targeted for, and they delivered on that. Every other role is just about upgrades, and we may get that from the existing squad.

 

[DQ 4EVER]

Just getting Reid in the draft from our position is a win in my books.
I was focusing more on the Vic Country boys in the game against Metro, but the one Metro kid I really liked was Reid.
As for the other 2, if they come on it is a bonus.
I do like the look of Carr, however

On SM-G960F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[freo84]

I thought we did well this draft and trade period.

I jump on to bigfooty and people are melting over losing one player...we've been leaking best 22 players for years and the biggest melts I've seen are for Knobel.

Let's all take a breath and see how our new recruits go before bashing the club.