Competitions WCE Board Mock Draft 2023

[Keys]

Draft Order and Selections

ROUND 1 :

1. West Coast - Harley Reid
2. Gold Coast - Jed Walter (Matched bid)
3. North Melbourne - Colby McKercher
4. North Melbourne - Zane Duursma
5. Hawthorn - Connor O’Sullivan
6. Western Bulldogs - Ryley Sanders
7. Melbourne - Daniel Curtin
8. Gold Coast - Ethan Read (Matched bid)
9. GWS - Nick Watson
10. Western Bulldogs - Jordan Croft (Matched bid)
11. Gold Coast - Jake Rogers (Matched bid)
12. Geelong - Nate Caddy
13. Essendon - Ollie Murphy
14. Adelaide - Darcy Wilson
15. Melbourne - James Leake
16. Hawthorn- Will McCabe (Matched bid)
17. Sydney - Archer Reid
18. St Kilda - Caleb Windsor
19. Adelaide - Arie Schoenmaker
20. North Melbourne - Will Green
21. GWS - Harry DeMattia
22. North Melbourne - Lance Collard
23. North Melbourne - Riley Hardeman
24. Collingwood - Charlie Edwards
25. Adelaide - Taylor Goad
26. St Kilda - Ashton Moir
27. Carlton - Koltyn Tholstrup

ROUND 2 :

28. West Coast - Zane Zakostelsky
24. Gold Coast Matched bid
29. Geelong - Archie Roberts
26. Gold Coast Matched bid
27. Gold Coast Matched bid
30. Carlton - Tew Jiath
31. Richmond - Will Patton
32. Brisbane - Caidyn Cleary (Bid not matched)
33. Essendon - Mitch Edwards
30. Gold Coast Matched bid
35. Gold Coast - Will Graham (Matched bid)
35. Collingwood - Angus Hastie
36. Fremantle - Phoenix Gothard
37. Essendon - Jack Delean
34. Gold Coast Matched bid
38. West Coast - Cooper Simpson
36. Gold Coast Matched bid
39. Brisbane - Joel Freijah
40. St Kilda - Luke Lloyd
39. Gold Coast (surplus from Read bid) Matched bid
41. Richmond - Charlie McCormack (Bid not matched)
41. Gold Coast (traded from Melbourne) Matched bid
42. Western Bulldogs - Luamon Lual (Matched bid)
43. GWS - Billy Wilson

ROUND 3 :

41. Hawthorn Matched bid
44. Sydney - Koen Sanchez
45. Fremantle - Logan Morris
44. Hawthorn Matched bid
45. Western Bulldogs Matched bid
45. Hawthorn Matched bid
47. Western Bulldogs Matched bid
46. Brisbane - Riley Weatherill
49. Western Bulldogs Matched bid
50. Western Bulldogs Matched bid
47. Sydney - Wil Dawson
47. Western Bulldogs Matched bid
48. North Melbourne - Liam Fawcett
49. West Coast - Lachie Charleson
50. Fremantle - Nathan Philactides

ROUND 4 :

51. Carlton - Joe Fonti
52. Port Adelaide - Kane McAuliffe
53. Hawthorn (surplus from McCabe bid) - Clay Hall
54. Geelong - Kade De La Rue

ROUND 5 :

55. West Coast - Shaun Mannagh
56. Geelong Harvey Johnstone
57. St Kilda - George Stevens
58. Geelong - Pass

ROUND 6 :

59. St Kilda - Will Lorenz
60. Port Adelaide - Bodie Ryan
61. Western Bulldogs
62. Melbourne (traded from Gold Coast)
62. Gold Coast Matched bid
63. Western Bulldogs - Pass
64. Western Bulldogs - Pass
65. Gold Coast Matched bid
66. Gold Coast Matched bid
65. Hawthorn - Pass
66. Gold Coast - Pass
67. Gold Coast - Pass

NB: I have removed picks that clubs aren’t going to use based on Cal Twomey’s analysis of how many selections each club is expected to make

 

[Obeanie1]

With Pick 14 Adelaide Crows select Darcy Wilson.

An athletically gifted 186cm outside mid that will slot in on the Adelaide Oval wing using his pace to break the lines and his cannon boot to pump it into Tex and Co. HE can also push forward and can sniff out a goal with 9 kicked from 11 games with the Murray Bushrangers this year.
His combine testing was elite with the top score for the running vertical and high finishes in the standing vertical, agility and 2km time trial tests.

UseR2006 you're up.

Would love this guy on the wing for us. Crows pick spot on, hence interest in trading for it.

 

[Hoskin300]

This is a tough one. What this shows is that list wise, North really should take Curtin at 3 or they are going to be desperately hoping that Murphy makes it through to 20. I'm looking for a key defender in the 20-25 range and if both O'Sullivan and Murphy are off the table it is a bit of a reach to the next tier KPD's.

So to round out the 5 first round selections. With pick 23 North Melbourne select Riley Hardeman 188cm/75kg.
The WA captain will have the added benefit of helping with the transition for Collard. Riley is a good intercept defender who reads the play well and delivers well on his left foot. He has a great footy iq and leadership qualities which are badly needed inside Norths defensive half. He is fast and can provide dash off the half back line while also having the ability to play taller then his 188cm. He is a good solid all round defender that will provide consistency and dependability in defense.

and the moment you've been waiting for, your up ArdentEagle

Pretty likely that Schoenmaker and Archer Reid make it to their third and fourth picks. No way Murphy gets taken so high as well. They will be able to take tall key position players at minimum with those three picks.

 

[dinnaz]

Would love this guy on the wing for us. Crows pick spot on, hence interest in trading for it.

Yep, & he's my smoky for a real early surprise- jumping into the top handful of picks.

 

[Hook461123]

No way will the Dogs take Sanders if Watson is on the board.

Hawks take a CHB and then draft another CHB as a father son late in the 1st? A Watson / Duursma at 4 and a father son CHB at 18 solves two issues.

North take only one tall, a ruck, with its 5 first round picks? With a list full of mids and flankers and a desperate need for tall defenders and fowards?

Hmmmmmmmm.

Apart from Curtin at 3, interested to see what talls you would’ve taken at those picks?

 

[CountryLad]

Apart from Curtin at 3, interested to see what talls you would’ve taken at those picks?

Very possible that clubs won’t help Nth get Reid by splitting picks but on draft night once Reid is off the board that clubs such as Geelong, Melbourne or GWS would look to move up to pick 2 or 3 and therefore get Nth into a position to chase those top talls.

Even though the Nth board would laugh this out of the room because they have convinced themselves on McKercher and Duursma this would be a better draft

Pick 3 Curtin (Tall Utility)

Pick 6(Dees) Caddy ( kpf)

Pick 11 ( Murphy) ( kpd)

Pick 15 Trade into next year giving them 2 1st round selections

Pick 17 Green (Ruck)

Pick 18 best available.

Gives them 2 picks in the first round next year, there own pick probably pick 1-3 and someones f1 probably in the teens.
Grab talls this year and running types next year.

 

[Hook461123]

Very possible that clubs won’t help Nth get Reid by splitting picks but on draft night once Reid is off the board that clubs such as Geelong, Melbourne or GWS would look to move up to pick 2 or 3 and therefore get Nth into a position to chase those top talls.

Even though the Nth board would laugh this out of the room because they have convinced themselves on McKercher and Duursma this would be a better draft

Pick 3 Curtin (Tall Utility)

Pick 6(Dees) Caddy ( kpf)

Pick 11 ( Murphy) ( kpd)

Pick 15 Trade into next year giving them 2 1st round selections

Pick 17 Green (Ruck)

Pick 18 best available.

Gives them 2 picks in the first round next year, there own pick probably pick 1-3 and someones f1 probably in the teens.
Grab talls this year and running types next year.

Agreed.
Curtin, O’Sullivan, Murphy, A Reid could all be off the table by their teens picks. If they can trade pick 2 or 3 for two of them it would be a win IMO.
However apparently Rawlings has staked his job, his reputation and his family on holding 2 of the top 3 picks. Well according to the North guys in the #1 pick thread.

 

[Obeanie1]

Apart from Curtin at 3, interested to see what talls you would’ve taken at those picks?

I would have used the three late 1sts on talls.

Not on two flankers of which they have plenty
.
North have Larkey and that's it.

They are desperate for tall forwards and defenders.

 

[Hook461123]

I would have used the three late 1sts on talls.

Not on two flankers of which they have plenty
.
North have Larkey and that's it.

They are desperate for tall forwards and defenders.

Yeah ok, which ones

 

[Obeanie1]

Yeah ok, which ones

This draft has plenty of talls to select from.

Unlike next year.

 

[Hook461123]

This draft has plenty of talls to select from.

Unlike next year.

Yeah all the first round talls like Curtin, O’Sullivan, Reid, Caddy and Murphy were gone. McCabe, Croft, Read, Walter unavailable. That’s a lot of talls in the first round yet none available. I took Green. Interested to hear what talls you would’ve taken

 

[dinnaz]

Yeah all the first round talls like Curtin, O’Sullivan, Reid, Caddy and Murphy were gone. McCabe, Croft, Read, Walter unavailable. That’s a lot of talls in the first round yet none available. I took Green. Interested to hear what talls you would’ve taken

2/3 is too early, 15/17/18 is too late
The problem with taking more midfielders is that you cant play them all- so there's no need for McKercher if that means Phillips, Thomas & Powell have to be cut out of rotations.

Trading #2 or #3 seems a no brainer if you can get a player you want in a tall, a bonus future pick/ upgrade #18, plus Duursma. Also will North use #57 or are there no list spots? Its worth a shot at a rookie ruck there.

 

[AsterixTheGaul]

So with 5 picks I got.
McKercher - best mid available
Duursma - Harley Reid lite
Collard - X factor small forward
Green - Best ruck available
Hardeman - Solid general defender
Not a bad haul but was hoping for at least one of either Murphy or Reid to be their at 20.

Hence the benefit for Norf to deal with Dees and get 6 and 11

No drama in who you drafted at those levels but a haul like this will see the bowl beggars stay down for longer

 

[ArdentEagle]

It's a hard one isn't it...No trades allowed this draft.
Of who was left in Rucks, does Green have the potential to spend a lot of time forward? He's a pretty good mark isn't he?

Of all the other guys left who can take a grab, players like Logan Morris, Patrick Weckert are all too short.

That leaves Weatherill which would have been very early, or Will Dawson which is the same.

His hands were tied I recon (bar Curtin at 3)

 

[dinnaz]

Hence the benefit for Norf to deal with Dees and get 6 and 11

No drama in who you drafted at those levels but a haul like this will see the bowl beggars stay down for longer

I think there's decent variety. Lock in a mid, small fwd, a half forward- that's 3x players long term. (unless there's a dummy spit which shouldn't be taken into account in a mock draft)
Can take a few shots with late picks on talls and hopefully churn out another Larkey or at least a Full Back (HEdwards quality?). The problem I see is that you are then forced next year to take a tall early with most of the list already in place which leaves you with with the same dilemma of overspending.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

GWS Giants' first round picks:

Pick 9 (was 7)
Nick Watson - Vic Metro/Eastern Ranges/East Ringwood JFC - DOB: 24/02/05 - 170cm/68kg - small forward

Nicknamed 'The Wizard', Watson is an excitement machine who belies his small stature to change games and create quite the highlight real. Described by Rookie Me as "an electric small forward with innate goal sense and elite ground level craft", Watson kicked 14 goals from four games in the National Champs and was named in the All-Australian team.

Why him? Good question. As I said at the time, if trades were allowed I would have looked to trade back this pick as I didn't really like any of the options for GWS. Watson has been widely reported to be a massive flight risk for interstate sides, and the Giants have had their fill of those lately. However, the only other player in the open pool who's rated at a similar level is Nate Caddy, and I feel like GWS took a similar player with a high pick last season in Cadman, plus as a Vic Metro boy he might be just as much of a flight risk. I felt like any other player would have been a reach, so I decided to make Watson's worst nightmare come true on the basis that if (when) he asks for a trade home he'll command a pretty high price.

Who else? As I said, Caddy was the other obvious pick inside 10. I also thought about Caleb Windsor as a bit of a bolter.

Pick 21 (was 16 )
Adam Harry DeMattia - Vic Country/Dandenong Stingrays/Edithvale-Aspendale JFC - DOB: 11/09/05 - 184cm/77kg - midfielder/utility

A talented cricketer who famoulsy filled in for Australia in a Boxing Day Test, DeMattia is reportedly a quality individual as well as a versatile footballer. Rookie Me summarises the Vic County co-captain as "an explosive athlete with speed to burn". Able to play a number of positions, he may start in the Giants' backline with Watson in the forward line.

Why him? Best available, and I think a good fit for GWS. After taking Watson earlier I feel like DeMattia will be more likely to want to hang around and repay the side that showed faith in him. He'll fit in well with the young crop of players they've got coming through, including Cadman, Rowston, Jones etc from last year's draft, Callaghan, Ash, O'Halloran etc.

Who else? There's a few players I like around this range, and I would have liked to split the earlier pick to get a couple more of them. Apart from Windsor and Leake who were taken shortly before DeMattia, there was a couple of others who I won't name yet on the unlikely chance they're still around at the next pick.

 

[AsterixTheGaul]

I think there's decent variety. Lock in a mid, small fwd, a half forward- that's 3x players long term. (unless there's a dummy spit which shouldn't be taken into account in a mock draft)
Can take a few shots with late picks on talls and hopefully churn out another Larkey or at least a Full Back (HEdwards quality?). The problem I see is that you are then forced next year to take a tall early with most of the list already in place which leaves you with with the same dilemma of overspending.

It would be so Norf to take a bunch of smalls and utilities when the draft is strong on talls

 

[Hook461123]

It would be so Norf to take a bunch of smalls and utilities when the draft is strong on talls

Yeah and trading for 1 doesn’t help that either. It definitely feels like the draft would’ve been better if I could’ve split 2 or 3. Seems obvious now

 

[3agles87]

Yeah and trading for 1 doesn’t help that either. It definitely feels like the draft would’ve been better if I could’ve split 2 or 3. Seems obvious now

The players you took are fine with a mix of talents and positions. Most teams would be happy with that.

The fact your hands were tied by the better talls being off the board by the mid teens demonstrates the tricky position some of Norths picks fall relative to needs and player rankings. Rawlings would get crucified for that haul, but if he can’t trade some of those picks to hit the sweet spot on draft night he will need to reach to get what they really need or risk missing out for talent they don’t need.

 

[AsterixTheGaul]

The players you took are fine with a mix of talents and positions. Most teams would be happy with that.

The fact your hands were tied by the better talls being off the board by the mid teens demonstrates the tricky position some of Norths picks fall relative to needs and player rankings. Rawlings would get crucified for that haul, but if he can’t trade some of those picks to hit the sweet spot on draft night he will need to reach to get what they really need or risk missing out for talent they don’t need.

I suggest the Duursma pick will attract interest to Hawks Dees and Dogs.

Worst case would be 3 and future R3 for 6 and 11

if Norf walk away with McKercher O’Sullivan, Murphy Green and some handy others, a great draft

 

[Doashuey]

At drinks at the cricket so I'll be quick. Adelaide will go for super athletic South Australian ruck in Goad at 25. Write up to come.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

Mop

 

[3agles87]

I suggest the Duursma pick will attract interest to Hawks Dees and Dogs.

Worst case would be 3 and future R3 for 6 and 11

if Norf walk away with McKercher O’Sullivan, Murphy Green and some handy others, a great draft

Would be pretty hard for them not to be optimistic about that haul.

Can’t remember who posted it, but the question is have they left their hunt for talls too long in the rebuild. My guess is probably not, but even With a draft as you have outlined they will need a bit more patience to get the talls AFL ready and may end up with a narrower window than desired.

By then, I can only hope it becomes a Tassie problem as they absorb the Roos.

 

[Mop]

With pick 26 St Kilda select Ashton Moir from Genelg.

A medium forward with flair and X factor, Moir was touted as a possible top 5 pick during his underage season.

However, he definitely underperformed this season. Rumoured to have a niggling hip injury limiting his explosiveness and ability to compete.

With all the potential in the world, Moir could yet prove to be the bargain of this years draft.

 

[Mop]

ToastieBoy18

 

[Carbine Chaos]

I'll throw in a zesty prediction that Moir will go undrafted.