The Official 2011 Fremantle Draft Thread

[DockerLand1]

I haven't forgotten it - i'm just taking into account the rookie draft and hoping that it completes the 'big picture'. If we don't rookie any KPP prospects I will then proceed to lose my shit.

Already there, it didnt work for us with Shepheard, Sibosado or Houghton. What makes them think that all of a sudden we are going to be able to pick up a winner at a bargain basement price?

Serious clubs like Geelong and the Pies took tall KP Forwards with their first few picks and yet Freo have decided that there was no talent there worth picking up.

When I heard Scott say that Kersten was a chance to break into the 22 next year if things go well I lost it. Having picks that were far superior to the Cats experts have indicated that they (apart from GWS obviously) had an excellent draft picking up their KP players.

With the draft over for another year, most experts agree the Cats enjoyed an outstanding night. Here is some analysis:

Emma Quayle - The Age

At the start of the night, the Cats were congratulated by AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou for the premiership they won two long months ago. Giants aside, they might have finished on top for a second time

Jay Clark - Herald Sun

Loaded up with two marking forwards with their two first picks. Kersten looks a bargain at 34. the 29 yo ruckman Stephenson came from the clouds

Jason Phelan - afl.com.au

The Cats came into the draft late, but can lay claim to having the best draft of the lot.

WA forward Joel Hamling (No. 32) is the key prospect they were after, Shane Kersten (34) is a bullocking forward rated inside the first round and lightning-fast flanker Jordan Murdoch (48) was everyone's late tip to bolt into the first round.
​

Needless to say, I feel that we did not address our most pressing issues. It appears that we will be using our current forward options to kick our winning scores. Fingers crossed that Pav moves forward permanently and has a fully fit JA and Kep to assist Mayne and Ballas. Please God make it work well!

 

[Chris25]

Did I travel back in time to last night?

 

[Nickos66]

Yesss.

 

[DockerLand1]

Did I travel back in time to last night?

That is right Chris. I am back and here to express my opinion and if you dont like it have a cup of my favorite drink for people who claim that they know everything about everything.

Have a nice day!

 

[E Shed]

I'm with you DL1. If Geelong think Kersten is the real deal that's practically a guarantee. These guys have picked up Menzel, Cristensen, Duncan among others with value picks.I just don't understand our thinking. This is not angry ranting. This is me expressing my feelings about our drafting.

FFS even West Coast picked up another tall!

 

[Selggad]

It's seems obvious our strategy is to trade or go through the rookie draft. Our history of developing KPPs is very ordinary. I don't really have an issue with this but I'm generally pretty cruisy about things

 

[longwaytogo]

Have they played a game of afl yet !!!! think some people are jumping the gun a bit .

 

[Arcassius]

Have they played a game of afl yet !!!! think some people are jumping the gun a bit .

We wouldnt be supporters if we didn't go off half-cocked and suggest we could run the club better than the people who are paid to run it full time

 

[Patty_Moz]

The more I think about it the more I like what the recruiters did last night. Its pretty obvious that the plan is to try build a midfield like the Eagles, Geelong and Brissy did in the past.

First up I was p****d that they didnt get guys to support Pav and Mcpharlin to try win a premiership but I think the truth is that these guys arent going to win a premiership in their time at the club and the coaching staff are buying into that delusion. It will be another 3-4 yrs before our midfield is really dominating so as long as we take KPP's in the next few yrs we will still have time to develop them.

 

[longwaytogo]

We wouldnt be supporters if we didn't go off half-cocked and suggest we could run the club better than the people who are paid to run it full time

I put in a application in for the st kilda job , never got a reply pity!!

 

[Selggad]

The more I think about it the more I like what the recruiters did last night. Its pretty obvious that the plan is to try build a midfield like the Eagles, Geelong and Brissy did in the past.

First up I was p****d that they didnt get guys to support Pav and Mcpharlin to try win a premiership but I think the truth is that these guys arent going to win a premiership in their time at the club and the coaching staff are buying into that delusion. It will be another 3-4 yrs before our midfield is really dominating so as long as we take KPP's in the next few yrs we will still have time to develop them.

This is a bitter pill, but may be close to the mark

 

[Droppa Grogan]

Someone said something like this earlier, but if we picked Tunbridge, Bosley, Frost or Manson people probably would've been happy... notwithstanding the fact that 17 other clubs proved they were unworthy! Just like 16 or so clubs that didn't think Kersten was worth picks 12 through 34.

OK, moving on. Go local sporting team, woo.

 

[dominguez]

First up I was p****d that they didnt get guys to support Pav and Mcpharlin to try win a premiership.

Headland, Solomon, Bradley, Tarrant, Josh Carr, Heath Black, McPhee, Tarrant?

 

[Chris25]

If Geelong think Kersten is the real deal that's practically a guarantee.

But then you could ask why they took Hamling ahead of Kersten. Hamling is as physically developed as Joel Houghton and Tony Notte, yet he went before Kersten.

For all we know, our list could have been...

#1 - Sheridan
#2 - Crozier
#3 - McInnes
#4 - Schade
#5 - Elton
#6 - Bootsma
#7 - Forster

And it just so happened that all the talls we rated as being first round quality were taken.

We could have had Joel Hamling, Shane Kersten, Jordan Kelly, Michael Talia, Tom Curran, Jordan Lockyer, Patrick Weardon, Jackson Paine and Nathan Blee on that list too. Knowing that nobody of Forster's class would be available at 58, we decided to go with the best available player. While making the reasonable assumption that at least one of those nine KPPs would indeed be available at 58.

It's not to say we didn't rate any talls, perhaps things just didn't go our way. And considering only one U18 KPP was drafted after pick 51, it looks like the other teams rated the remaining KPPs exactly the same as us.

 

[Patty_Moz]

The more I think about it the more I like what the recruiters did last night. Its pretty obvious that the plan is to try build a midfield like the Eagles, Geelong and Brissy did in the past.

First up I was p****d that they didnt get guys to support Pav and Mcpharlin to try win a premiership but I think the truth is that these guys arent going to win a premiership in their time at the club and the coaching staff are not buying into that delusion. It will be another 3-4 yrs before our midfield is really dominating so as long as we take KPP's in the next few yrs we will still have time to develop them.

(Had to correct that)

 

[The Night Shift]

Some of you guys must have the weekend lotto numbers, right?

 

[PapaJ]

...
We could have had Joel Hamling, Shane Kersten, Jordan Kelly, Michael Talia, Tom Curran, Jordan Lockyer, Patrick Weardon, Jackson Paine and Nathan Blee on that list too. Knowing that nobody of Forster's class would be available at 58, we decided to go with the best available player. While making the reasonable assumption that at least one of those nine KPPs would indeed be available at 58.

It's not to say we didn't rate any talls, perhaps things just didn't go our way. And considering only one U18 KPP was drafted after pick 51, it looks like the other teams rated the remaining KPPs exactly the same as us.

That's my take on it too. I think our guys may have been aiming at one of those tall options falling to the 50's and stuck with the 'best available' policy with the first 3 picks which is basically what all teams do (barring low/rookie picks).

 

[Selggad]

(Had to correct that)

You know there is an edit button at the bottom of your own posts, next to the "Quote" button?

 

[theGav56]

I have to say I am very interested to see what Lyon as a coach makes of this out on the oval. It sets a really good challenge for him.

Forward; He will need to manufacture a forward line, and it will be significantly different to the Saints. He has some firepower, but there is no easy formula for him just to throw up. Talent-wise there is no question that we can load up with Pavlich, Ballantyne and Fyfe as very potent weapons. And the support team is pretty capable. The big question is clearly about the other tall(s) who may inhabit the forward zone; MJ, Bradley, JA especially, with Mayne as an almost tall. I wonder if Z may get some NAB Cup time forward.

In terms of the recruits it is too early to expect Crozier to come in given his body size, but every supporter will be looking forward to his debut date. I could see Little Lachie rotating with Ballantyne, who seems to be peaking at a midfield berth. Definitely needing a rookie listed player or two with some decent height. Taking both Turnbridge and Lee would balance things for me, and keep watching Moeller and Head for signs of a saviour.

Midfield; We are pretty different to how the Saints went about it in the midfield. Bodies not as strong or hard at it. But we definitely have some big bodies there with Mundy, Barlow, Morabitto, Lower etc. Feels to me like our group of mids has an edge in class, even though it is still developing.

I think it is going to be difficult for the new recruits to walk in to the team. Sheriden you would think would have a shot, and perhaps Neale for his clearance work.

Backline; Our backline is ok in the immediate future. A couple of nasty injuries would be ugly though. I am very interested to see what Lyon makes of MJ, and also what happens with Anthony. And I am going with an assumption that Dawson comes and is best 22.

Is there room for Forster, because he sounds classy. Grow him into a cross between Grover and Mundy and I'd be happy.

 

[scon]

We're going some sort of Barcelona model;the road the Bulldogs trotted.
Get a big mob of characters whose ability is to play unbeaten all over the place!
I reckon Harvey suggested it.

 

[tesseract]

More than happy with our recruiting staff and from what I have seen of Crozier he will be a good get. Still would have liked the big full forward, but perhaps they arent as important in modern footy.

Fremantle will get that big bodied FF in Qualum Wilson come the rookie draft.

 

[Seppo]

We're going some sort of Barcelona model;the road the Bulldogs trotted.
Get a big mob of characters whose ability is to play unbeaten all over the place!
I reckon Harvey suggested it.

I kinda agree somewhat. Being ahead of the curve and looking at other sports for models of success.

I read a decent article recently that explain Barcelonas 'Total Football' model and they recently dropped more played who were too one dimensional and played a specific role.

I see what we are trying to do with recruiting the best available Mids and maybe develop a gamestyle where we hold possion with silky skilled, endurable midfielders that follow the ball around the ground.

Imagine 10 Messi's on the field at once.

The only way I see this breaking down is the opposition counter attacking by air with bigger bodies...

 

[DockerLand1]

I have to say I am very interested to see what Lyon as a coach makes of this out on the oval. It sets a really good challenge for him.

Forward; He will need to manufacture a forward line, and it will be significantly different to the Saints. He has some firepower, but there is no easy formula for him just to throw up. Talent-wise there is no question that we can load up with Pavlich, Ballantyne and Fyfe as very potent weapons. And the support team is pretty capable. The big question is clearly about the other tall(s) who may inhabit the forward zone; MJ, Bradley, JA especially, with Mayne as an almost tall. I wonder if Z may get some NAB Cup time forward.

In terms of the recruits it is too early to expect Crozier to come in given his body size, but every supporter will be looking forward to his debut date. I could see Little Lachie rotating with Ballantyne, who seems to be peaking at a midfield berth. Definitely needing a rookie listed player or two with some decent height. Taking both Turnbridge and Lee would balance things for me, and keep watching Moeller and Head for signs of a saviour.

Midfield; We are pretty different to how the Saints went about it in the midfield. Bodies not as strong or hard at it. But we definitely have some big bodies there with Mundy, Barlow, Morabitto, Lower etc. Feels to me like our group of mids has an edge in class, even though it is still developing.

I think it is going to be difficult for the new recruits to walk in to the team. Sheriden you would think would have a shot, and perhaps Neale for his clearance work.

Backline; Our backline is ok in the immediate future. A couple of nasty injuries would be ugly though. I am very interested to see what Lyon makes of MJ, and also what happens with Anthony. And I am going with an assumption that Dawson comes and is best 22.

Is there room for Forster, because he sounds classy. Grow him into a cross between Grover and Mundy and I'd be happy.

Word is that JA is going to be playing a big part of the forward line in 2012. Very fit and healthy and hopefully Pav is going to be there to help him out with Ballas and Mayne.

 

[freoextra]

I think it is seriously looking like Clarke is playing as a key forward next year

 

[chinggis77]

Just saw our pickups.

Bit surprising as most on here seem to agree.

Bondy tends to stick with a few features we have come to known - elite kick, great endurance, hard to match up on (e.g. Crozier).

Bit surprised we passed on Lockyer at 29 for a similar player. I would of thought Lockyer has more versatility in that he can go forward and at 192cm can pinch hit at KPP. Has a bit of aggro about him as well.

Maybe Bondy´s long term strategy is to load up on best available, hope the kids turn out to be guns, leaving the list with an oversupply of talent which puts us in a much better position to trade in a PROVEN KPP in future.