One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => Richmond Rant => Topic started by: TigerLand on June 16, 2024, 02:09:17 PM
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It's coming home
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Under no circumstances should we win another game and will lose to North which give us pick 1.
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Inb4 AFL give it to Norf anyway as a priority pick and we end up with pick 3.... >:(
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Tbh after yesterdays effort against Hawthorn I think we will struggle to win another game this year,
😰😰🐯😰🐯😥
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Go north
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Go north
Umps have other ideas.... ::)
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This post is aging well
😂
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lmao
Daicos the most protected player in the game....Clarko not tanking at all by taking off Phillips who was shutting him down and bringing on his cooked mate Shiels.... :shh
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lmao
Daicos the most protected player in the game....Clarko not tanking at all by taking off Phillips who was shutting him down and bringing on his cooked mate Shiels.... :shh
Clarko is a tanking piece of poo. Has form and did the same thing at Whorethorn
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lmao
Daicos the most protected player in the game....Clarko not tanking at all by taking off Phillips who was shutting him down and bringing on his cooked mate Shiels.... :shh
Clarko is a tanking piece of poo. Has form and did the same thing at Whorethorn
Lmao, yet if we keep tanking for pick 1 that's ok
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Fair out umpiring was a disgrace. Clarko tanking king. Still think we lose to North and we get Pick 1 anyway.
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Fair out umpiring was a disgrace. Clarko tanking king. Still think we lose to North and we get Pick 1 anyway.
Have to lose every game. Tanking can never be discussed due to our injury toll. This is the perfect time to do it
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Why the buzz around pick 1. Doesn't seem like a clear cut choice this year (at this stage).
Pick 2 if we end there will yield a decent player also.
Most important part is to get multiple first rounders in (top 10-12).
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Why the buzz around pick 1. Doesn't seem like a clear cut choice this year (at this stage).
Pick 2 if we end there will yield a decent player also.
Most important part is to get multiple first rounders in (top 10-12).
I’m on the pick 2 train. Don’t want the spoon.
Didn’t think we’d get anywhere near it anyway with the players coming back, but after yesterdays performance I’m not so sure anymore.
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Inb4 AFL give it to Norf anyway as a priority pick and we end up with pick 3.... >:(
Which has worked well for us in the past.
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The way we're going, North will smash us, and we should lie down and take it.
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Inb4 AFL give it to Norf anyway as a priority pick and we end up with pick 3.... >:(
Which has worked well for us in the past.
Yeah O'Sullivan, Smith & Smillie all seem pretty safe bets but there's no Dustin Martin this year...and I doubt Norf would pass them up if there was.... :shh
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Probably old skool here but can’t accept the logic of getting beaten so as we get high draft picks .
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Probably old skool here but can’t accept the logic of getting beaten so as we get high draft picks .
Short term pain for long term gain...it's the way the system is set up.....don't hate the player, hate the game.... :shh
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I don’t think we are trying to lose , with injuries and our stars aging , plus by winning flags a reduced draft hand , we just have run our race , and we need a rebuild , I don’t expect us to improve greatly for a couple of years .
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Players don't try to lose...even if it sometimes looks like they do... :shh
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If we need to bottom out to secure high draft picks , then how do we explain the Swans and Geelong and to a lesser extent Port Adelaide who don’t bottom out but are always challenging
What do they do that we haven’t ?
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You really asking why Swans & Geelong never bottom out? As for Port they just tread water...never been a serious challenger..... :shh
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If we need to bottom out to secure high draft picks , then how do we explain the Swans and Geelong and to a lesser extent Port Adelaide who don’t bottom out but are always challenging
What do they do that we haven’t ?
Swans have an absurd amount of talent via academy. Look at their list and see for yourself.
Geelong has been extremely well managed. They haven't overpaid players, have traded well, drafted well, brought in picks by paying wages to guys like Bowes etc. Perhaps it's the geography but there seems to be an attraction to them for guys like Cameron and Dangerfield.
Port stink and have never been the real deal.
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If we need to bottom out to secure high draft picks , then how do we explain the Swans and Geelong and to a lesser extent Port Adelaide who don’t bottom out but are always challenging
What do they do that we haven’t ?
Acquiring Cameron and Dangerfield is a huge reason.
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Geelong also got crazy lucky with father sons.
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If we need to bottom out to secure high draft picks , then how do we explain the Swans and Geelong and to a lesser extent Port Adelaide who don’t bottom out but are always challenging
What do they do that we haven’t ?
Acquiring Cameron and Dangerfield is a huge reason.
That’s not really a reason though is it. You could say the same thing about us with acquiring Lynch and Prestia.
They do have the country Victoria factor that entices a lot of players from rural backgrounds as well as have gotten some gun father son picks.
I also wouldn’t consider them perennial contenders either. Between their 2011 & 2022 flags, they were mostly pretenders with a horrible finals record.
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I also think they fluked that last flag myself but that's just my opinion.
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If we need to bottom out to secure high draft picks , then how do we explain the Swans and Geelong and to a lesser extent Port Adelaide who don’t bottom out but are always challenging
What do they do that we haven’t ?
Acquiring Cameron and Dangerfield is a huge reason.
That’s not really a reason though is it. You could say the same thing about us with acquiring Lynch and Prestia.
They do have the country Victoria factor that entices a lot of players from rural backgrounds as well as have gotten some gun father son picks.
I also wouldn’t consider them perennial contenders either. Between their 2011 & 2022 flags, they were mostly pretenders with a horrible finals record.
So… are you saying that acquiring lynch and Prestia weren’t big reasons for our dominance ?
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If we need to bottom out to secure high draft picks , then how do we explain the Swans and Geelong and to a lesser extent Port Adelaide who don’t bottom out but are always challenging
What do they do that we haven’t ?
Acquiring Cameron and Dangerfield is a huge reason.
That’s not really a reason though is it. You could say the same thing about us with acquiring Lynch and Prestia.
They do have the country Victoria factor that entices a lot of players from rural backgrounds as well as have gotten some gun father son picks.
I also wouldn’t consider them perennial contenders either. Between their 2011 & 2022 flags, they were mostly pretenders with a horrible finals record.
So… are you saying that acquiring lynch and Prestia weren’t big reasons for our dominance ?
We're saying you picked three of the worst examples of clubs you could have to make a point....one that 's been heavily advantaged by COLA and academies so nearly every draft is awesome for them regardless of where they finish, another kissed on the dick by father sons that also has a geographical advantage & appeal that's unique in the competition and a third that's won nothing and has missed the finals 5 times under it's current coach who's been there since 2013... :shh
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If we need to bottom out to secure high draft picks , then how do we explain the Swans and Geelong and to a lesser extent Port Adelaide who don’t bottom out but are always challenging
What do they do that we haven’t ?
Acquiring Cameron and Dangerfield is a huge reason.
That’s not really a reason though is it. You could say the same thing about us with acquiring Lynch and Prestia.
They do have the country Victoria factor that entices a lot of players from rural backgrounds as well as have gotten some gun father son picks.
I also wouldn’t consider them perennial contenders either. Between their 2011 & 2022 flags, they were mostly pretenders with a horrible finals record.
So… are you saying that acquiring lynch and Prestia weren’t big reasons for our dominance ?
We're saying you picked three of the worst examples of clubs you could have to make a point....one that 's been heavily advantaged by COLA and academies so nearly every draft is awesome for them regardless of where they finish, another kissed on the dick by father sons that also has a geographical advantage & appeal that's unique in the competition and a third that's won nothing and has missed the finals 5 times under it's current coach who's been there since 2013... :shh
You must not have noticed I didn’t make the original post… instead I pointed out a main reason as for Geelong’s sustained success. No danger or Cameron and they wouldn’t have been the same. You can argue the reasons for why they attracted the 2 free agents but danger just wanted to go home, which can happen for any club. They got lucky.
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My apolgies.... GigantOR, SimonatOR - easy mistake to make...... :moosegrin
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I wasn’t saying that Cameron or Danger acquisitions wernt reasons for their dominance. I may have just jumped into a thread mid convo and didn’t bother to read the full thing but I thought you were suggesting those acquisitions were a reason why they have managed not to bottom out so I compared it to our ones of a similar nature because that hasn’t stopped us having to do so.
I will also say this, I strongly believe the cats are on their way down. I know it may not look it on the ladder as it currently stands but they were 6-0 to start the season and have since gone 2-5. I just don’t see the elite young talent on their list that is going to propel them to their next flag. If I’m being honest though I have been saying this for a few years now and they have managed to stay in the top half of the ladder.
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I wasn’t saying that Cameron or Danger acquisitions wernt reasons for their dominance. I may have just jumped into a thread mid convo and didn’t bother to read the full thing but I thought you were suggesting those acquisitions were a reason why they have managed not to bottom out so I compared it to our ones of a similar nature because that hasn’t stopped us having to do so.
I will also say this, I strongly believe the cats are on their way down. I know it may not look it on the ladder as it currently stands but they were 6-0 to start the season and have since gone 2-5. I just don’t see the elite young talent on their list that is going to propel them to their next flag. If I’m being honest though I have been saying this for a few years now and they have managed to stay in the top half of the ladder.
Until they somehow manage to entice Reid over...who'll be paid unders to play for his boyhood club while coincidentally buying some prime farmland with 1000 head of cattle worth almost as much if not more than his entire contract..... :shh
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Don’t forget the free fords for him and every single person he’s ever spoken to.
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History shows you don't need to do a North and be bottom 2 for half a decade to stockpile talent, but it does show high end drafted talent is part of every premiership team. In the last 20 years, WCE of 2018 are really the only exception to needing top 10 players drafted onto your list as part of the premiership reciepe. So you could argue without top 10 players you have a 1/20 chance to win a premiership, and that 1/20 has traded in top 10 drafted player. WCE being the exception of no top 10 player drafted into a premiership team had 2 x pick 11s, 1 x pick 13 and 2 top 10 players injured in Nic Nat and Gaff for the GF. So the exception to the rule of needing to draft in top 10 players to create a premiership side has a large asterix on it.
Examples:
Cats era had Bartel (8), Mackie (7), Selwood (7)
Hawks era had Buddy (5), Rough (2), Hodge (1)
Dogs Bont (4), Macrae (6)
Eagles Duggan (11), Sheed (11), Hurn (13) but traded in Kennedy (3) plus Darling (26) should have been pick 1-5 if he didn't have his off field issue pre draft.
Tigers had Martin (3), Cotchin (2), Vlastuin (9)
Dees Petrecca, Oliver, Salem
Cats Selwood (7), drafted in top 10 talent in Dangerfield (10), Rohan (6) and Cameron who would have been top 10 if he wasn't a pre selection by GWS.
Pies had Daicos (2), De Goey (5)
This is not to say we should finish last and tank all our games to get access to the best possible pick, as we will get a top 10 pick next year anyway, at worst pick 3. So you could argue it's negilible, however I like the idea of giving the most access to the pool of talent possible to increase the chances of nailing that top 10 player which is so important to our future success.
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If the Cats lose to the Blues they will go to a 1 win from their last 6 games with a game against the Bombers at the G to come.
Those bastards biggest leg up is the biggest home ground advantage of all clubs in the AFL. Always tough to beat with the crowd, the ground dimensions and the crappy weather layered over the weekly leg up they get from the umpires….
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Make that 2-6 for the club that never needs a rebuild
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Make that 2-6 for the club that never needs a rebuild
They’ve now lost 6 of their last 7 after an incredibly cushy first 7 weeks.
Have Bombers, Hawks and Pies so we are about to see where they really sit.
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I hope we don't finish bottom as some have suggested I feel we don't need to. Look at the 2017 draft? Cam Raynor not a pick ones hole IMO. Id have Balta and TDK before him.
Knowing our luck we will finish bottom and pick 3 ends up being a superstar
Second or third last is fine. If it was 2023 the conversation would be different.
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Yup. Don’t want the spoon. Plenty of drafts have been had where the best player didn’t go no.1. I don’t follow the draft to any great length but I haven’t heard anything about there being a clear no.1 in this years anyway.
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Norf leading the Suns at 3/4 time. The Roos will jump above us if they win.
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Dimma still can't win at Marvel even with his new toys :whistle.
Anyway, we're now last holding pick 1.
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With what seems a really strong draft, would anyone consider doing a North and trading pick 1 for 2 picks in the top 10?
E.g pick 2 and 6 (or whatever is equivalent)
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The plan is working.
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lol Dimma
:cheers :cheers :cheers
Serves you right
Wonder what Stewie Dew is thinking right now .. one of the good guys in footy, that was absolutely shafted ..
Will be great to see the Suns capitulate
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With what seems a really strong draft, would anyone consider doing a North and trading pick 1 for 2 picks in the top 10?
E.g pick 2 and 6 (or whatever is equivalent)
Would not trade pick 1 unless we got 2 and 3 or 3 and 4.
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Toss up between O'Sullivan & Smillie for me ...good chance we'll pick Lalor though....hearing we don't rate Smith as highly as others.... :shh
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We need to finish last imo. I don’t advocate tanking but let’s just put lynch on ice.
Having no. 1 pick would be big for the club, gives the fans some excitement. We will end up with 2 picks in the top 10 imo and probably 3-4 in the top 20.
Nail this draft and we are set up for our next dynasty.
We need to draft 2 top midfielders and a key fwd.
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The trouble is recruiters and only recognising we are lacking Key position players now!
We are using mid season and rockie drafts to recruit them and the chances of a 100 gamer by recruiting in these drafts are slim.
Obviously we have been a victim of our own success but if we continue to recruit on best available and on money ball and not on a needs basis we will continue to have glaring gaps in our list!
If we waste our picks this year and next couple we are in for bottom finishes for quite a few more years .
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Camboon, as frustrating as this year has been for us, it could be a blessing. With Tassie starting to gain access to young talent from 2027, we have 2-3 years to load up on young midfield talent. I’m an advocate for free agency when targeting key forwards and believe we have the nucleus of a good key back structure with Balta, Gibcus, Miller and potentially Blight. Anyone bottoming out in 3 years is going to find it bloody tough to bounce back with Tassie and potentially a 20th side coming into the comp in 4-5 years.
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We need to finish last imo. I don’t advocate tanking but let’s just put lynch on ice.
Having no. 1 pick would be big for the club, gives the fans some excitement. We will end up with 2 picks in the top 10 imo and probably 3-4 in the top 20.
Nail this draft and we are set up for our next dynasty.
We need to draft 2 top midfielders and a key fwd.
Fingers crossed we get it right
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I agree with you , but even vg key forward cost first rounders , I am suggesting we don’t have picks to waste in the next few years and need to recruit well and for needs , when Tassie comes in they will throw the sink at key forwards as goods one are rare but wingers and flankers no so much
we could have got a few in the lest couple of years that Melbourne and Freo got if we recruited on a needs replacement basis
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We have one massive advantage with where our list is
HRT is correct , we can target a key forward in free agency
Massively front end the contract
We are still a power club that players will want to be a part of
Two years of pain for many years of contending in the near future would be handy
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We need fast mids. Taranto and Hopper, if fit, are able to do the grunt work but don't have breakaway pace like Butters and Rozee at Port.
Definitely should get a key forward. Lots of FA money with Lynch, Dusty, Prestia, Grimes and Broad pretty much all guaranteed to retire in 3-15 months then there's possible trade outs like Short, Graham, Bolton, Baker etc.
Loads of money to trade or bring in a FA key forward.
If we get a draft forward, trade/FA, I think we'll be fine and at least one of Kosi, Lefau or Gray can play 3rd fiddle.
Backline actually looks like we might be OK.
Our midfield is as slow as a wet weak, it's horrible to watch unless Bolton is in there.
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Anyone who thinks we don't need to draft a kpf with a pick that isn't from the boondocks of the draft is either delusional or has the memory of a goldfish ...they seem to forget we drafted Jack with pick 12 and developed him ourselves or think all we did was just go grab Lynch as a free agent and that was it ...he wasn't even here for the first flag ffs... :propeller
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Anyone who thinks we don't need to draft a kpf with a pick that isn't from the boondocks of the draft is either delusional or has the memory of a goldfish ...they seem to forget we drafted Jack with pick 12 and developed him ourselves or think all we did was just go grab Lynch as a free agent and that was it ...he wasn't even here for the first flag ffs... :propeller
For me the bottom line is that we should be drafting a KPF prospect every year.
Plenty of good ones slide and IMO there are so many high draft range KPF's that fail badly I'm not convinced that using P1 on one is a good idea.
Patton, Boyd, McCartin all good examples of flops.
Then you look at guys like Larkey, Lewis etc and think surely if we just grab one every year and work on them, keep them for structural reasons etc, we should get one to come good.
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Anyone who thinks we don't need to draft a kpf with a pick that isn't from the boondocks of the draft is either delusional or has the memory of a goldfish ...they seem to forget we drafted Jack with pick 12 and developed him ourselves or think all we did was just go grab Lynch as a free agent and that was it ...he wasn't even here for the first flag ffs... :propeller
Treacy and Van Rooyan also say hi
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I think Larkay is the only player in the top 5 of Coleman for the past decade who wasn't a top 20 pick. Could be wrong, but if I am it's very close.
Can't pick a KPF as Pick 1.
Id love us to have Pick 1, compo for Bakes maybe mid to late round 1 and end up with Blues pick 1 with their father son points acquisition.
Pick Smillie at 1 and then go for the best KP forward available in the teens.
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I'm leaning towards O'Sullivan.
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I think Larkay is the only player in the top 5 of Coleman for the past decade who wasn't a top 20 pick. Could be wrong, but if I am it's very close.
Can't pick a KPF as Pick 1.
Id love us to have Pick 1, compo for Bakes maybe mid to late round 1 and end up with Blues pick 1 with their father son points acquisition.
Pick Smillie at 1 and then go for the best KP forward available in the teens.
In the last 10 years, how many top 5 contending Coleman medallists were a top 5 pick or even a top 10 pick?
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7 were a top 10 pick that finished top 5 in the Coleman in the last 10 years.
Naughton
McKay
De Goey
Buddy
Josh Kennedy
Daniher
Betts
Also a few others to add to Larkey
bruest
Hawkins ( father son )
Taylor walker
Ben brown
Jack darling
Jack Gunston
Tom papley
Josh Bruce
Oscar Allen
Moral of the story is as far as key fwds go it can be a real luck of the draw
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I think P1 key forwards are more like than not a bust.
But a top 10-20 option should be considered.
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I think P1 key forwards are more like than not a bust.
But a top 10-20 option should be considered.
Agree Andyyy. I have added a Y to emphasise my agreement
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I think P1 key forwards are more like than not a bust.
But a top 10-20 option should be considered.
Agree Andyyy. I have added a Y to emphasise my agreement
Yep let's take a moment to reflect on the fails from the 2000's:
2014 McCartin
2013 Boyd
2011 Patton
2008 Watts
Everyone else is a mid, defender, ruck etc.
2020 JUH - pending but IMO likely good
2022 Cadman - pending but too early to tell
Only successful #1 KPF is Nick Riewoldt in 2000.
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I would suggest you can only judge it year by year , if the best is a mid take a mid if it’s a KPF pick him, just don’t waste it, I would also suggest that in my mind we are almost bankrupt in the KPF and need to invest in a couple a bit like Hawthorn when got Buddy and Roughy, seemed to climb the ladder quicker than us at that time but in a very similar position by addressing their big key forward stocks.
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I just wonder if the expectation of #1 and the romanticism that people have with a big key forward is too much to handle for a lot of blokes who can probably play but cannot hack it.
KPF with a pick 5-15 seems to be a good idea and more successful. Less pressure.
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Is there a clear No.1 Draft Pick?
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No but smillie is highly regarded and fair enough. Could be the next bont
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The Pick 1 prospects up for grabs as Tigers and Roos prepare to battle
Mitch Keating
zerohanger.com
July 30, 2024
It won't be close to the biggest game of Round 21, considering how tight this year's finals race is shaping up to be, but Saturday's meeting between North Melbourne and Richmond at Marvel Stadium will have respective fanbases on the edge of their seats.
The result is sure to have both leaving Docklands with mixed emotions too, with the victorious side likely to avoid the wooden spoon while the other will have their hands firmly on Pick 1.
No club wants to sit on the 18th rung by the end of the season, but every side would love to start the draft with the opening selection come November.
It's a situation the Kangaroos are all too familiar with, having entered Round 24 last year with a chance to either remain at the foot of the ladder or end their 20-game losing run and hand West Coast the wooden spoon while avoiding the third straight of their own.
The latter would unfold through a 35-point win over Gold Coast in Tasmania - a result that has since been met with criticism as the Roos gave up their place at the front of the queue for top draft star Harley Reid.
While this weekend's game against the Tigers won't define the draft order, it's set to have a significant say on who has first dibs on draft night.
Richmond trail the Roos by 1.7% on the ladder, with both sides stuck on two wins from their opening 19 matches in 2024. A third victory will give the successful side some breathing space and likely place them level on points with West Coast, who aren't out of the wooden spoon race either, by the end of the week.
But unlike last year's defining matches for the cellar-dwelling sides, there is no Harley Reid equivalent atop this year's draft board to fight over, with the class of 2024 offering a deep and level pool of prospects.
Richmond and North Melbourne could have their sights on the same teenager however, meaning a loss this weekend may give them the puzzle piece they're chasing and leave the other to look elsewhere.
That prospect might just be Easter Ranges bull Josh Smillie, who is one of several contenders for Pick 1 this year. Smillie, a Patrick Cripps-type ball-winner given his size and strength while stopping the tape at 194cm, was quick to place himself toward the top of the tree thanks to a dominant start to his Talent League season before stepping up to Vic Metro duties.
While the National Championships didn't bear as much fruit as his efforts at the lower level, AFL scouts are sure to have seen more than enough to have Smillie in the Pick 1 conversation if they didn't already.
The big-bodied onballer is among the midfield-heavy top end of his draft class, and he also boasts a name familiar to keen Tigers fans: Jagga Smith.
The Richmond native has suited up for the Tigers' VFL side over the past fortnight and has slotted into senior action seamlessly, adding another chapter to his draft campaign after dominant displays with the Oakleigh Chargers, Vic Metro and the AFL Academy, performing alongside Smillie with the latter two.
While Smith doesn't come close to the brute force Smillie can provide at the coalface, he does boast a ball-winning craft and cunning inside-outside nous through midfield that few others can challenge.
The Vic Metro pair are joined by teammate and Brisbane father-son prospect Levi Ashcroft in being touted as potential Pick 1 options, but the chance of the Tigers or Roos forcing the Lions to pay up with the first pick is unlikely.
Should they hold the opening selection, the Roos may lean toward the versatile Smillie over Smith given the current profile of their midfield ensemble. Koroit product Finn O'Sullivan can't be discounted either despite his interrupted year due to injury.
Both Richmond and North Melbourne are sure to have South Australian Sid Draper in their sights also, with the South Adelaide teenager a constant name among the Panthers' best performers at the state league level in recent weeks.
Larke Medal winner Harvey Langford significantly strengthened his draft stocks across the National Championships with Vic Country in the absence of the aforementioned O'Sullivan, with Gold Coast Academy member Leonardo Lombard, Western Australia captain Bo Allan and Sandringham Dragons ace Murphy Reid making up a small percentage of the starring midfield talent that has been on show in 2024.
Many may argue that the Kangaroos might need to look away from the pool of midfielders with their opening selection, with the U18s carnival-winning Luke Trainor being a suitable selection as the leading key defender this year.
The grandson of 1000-goal Geelong and North Melbourne great Doug Wade, Trainor's year has been consistently impressive, with arguably his best patch arising with the AFL Academy against VFL clubs Coburg and Footscray.
There's a chance the Kangaroos might be most keen on Trainor of all and hold the view they could attain the Old Brighton talent several spots after Pick 1. The consideration could open the door for the Kangaroos to split their selection to potentially get access to Trainor and another top prospect on the opening night.
Key forward Harry Armstrong and Whitlock twins Matt and Jack are among the best key position prospects on offer this year and will flirt with the top 10 range, while Murray Bushrangers livewire Joe Berry could be a fitting addition as arguably this year's best small forward.
Richmond's thinking at the top of the draft board should be more streamlined given they could have their hands on multiple first-round picks and wouldn't need to widen their hand through moving on Pick 1, as the futures of Liam Baker, Daniel Rioli, Dustin Martin and Jack Graham are weighed up ahead of the player movement period.
One of this year's top midfielders will find their way to Punt Road, and it could be the familiar Smith who pulls on the yellow and black next year. O'Sullivan, Langford and Vic Country gun Sam Lalor are others who could be in contention if it's not Smith or Smillie picked by the Tigers.
West Coast will play a role in unravelling this year's final draft order as they face the Kangaroos in Round 22. If the Roos fall to the Tigers this weekend before bouncing back against the Eagles, the match could level all three sides on three wins for the year.
That scenario would lead to an enticing final fortnight of the season as all three sides are separated by percentage alone, meaning the Eagles could make it back-to-back Pick 1 selections if they suffer significant enough defeats to contenders Carlton and Geelong to see out their season.
Smillie might be the kid the Eagles opt for. At the same time, Harley Reid's old teammate O'Sullivan would be a nice addition to an emerging midfield pack that also consists of locals Reuben Ginbey and Elijah Hewett.
https://www.zerohanger.com/afl-draft-the-pick-1-prospects-up-for-grabs-as-tigers-and-roos-prepare-to-battle-153471/
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Unique draft year looms as Roos-Tigers set to decide wooden spoon
Saturday's clash between the Tigers and Roos could lock in the No.1 pick, but the player to be selected is far from decided
By Callum Twomey
afl.com.au
30 July 2024
THERE won't be a draftee's name attached to this week's wooden spoon decider between Richmond and North Melbourne.
There won't be anything like the 'Need for Reid', 'Sam Walsh silverware' or the 'Kreuzer cup' that has adorned the battle of the bottom across history.
The loser of Saturday's clash at Marvel Stadium will all but lock in the No.1 pick for this season but the player to be selected in the prestigious slot is far from decided.
Clubs are looking at the 2024 draft crop with excited eyes at the depth, but it is shaping as a unique year at the top with as many as eight players raised by recruiters as having potential No.1 credentials.
Josh Smillie, Finn O'Sullivan, Jagga Smith, Harvey Langford, Sid Draper, Murphy Reid, Luke Trainor, Levi Ashcroft and Sam Lalor are all in the group put forward by scouts as being contenders for perhaps the widest ever race for the top pick.
Fresh off two years of Harley mania leading up to the 2023 draft, where the Bendigo prospect was nominated at the No.1 selection well before West Coast made it official, this year's crop has a top group still fighting for ascendancy.
Smillie is a 194cm midfielder who dominated the start of the season with the Eastern Ranges and had good moments throughout Vic Metro's carnival without the commanding performances.
O'Sullivan was a bottom-aged All-Australian for Vic Country last year and has the size, run and traits to be a very early pick but injuries have limited him in his draft season.
Smith's performances in the VFL in the past two weeks for Richmond – a 31-disposal debut and 27 disposals on Sunday against Collingwood – further illustrated his ball-winning capacity, while Draper's form for South Adelaide at League level has also further underlined his capabilities.
Langford and Murphy Reid are two who have risen into the mix through consistent performances this season.
Langford is a taller midfielder who has barely had a bad day all season and takes the game forward with penetration to be named a joint winner of the Larke Medal while Murphy Reid's creativity, class and poise has made him a standout and the winner of Vic Metro's most valuable player award at the Marsh Under-18 Championships.
Some clubs rate Trainor a top-five prospect and as the best tall in the group, while Lalor's impact and highlights put him in the early draft conversation but he is the wildcard in the No.1 discussion more than one of the favourites.
Ashcroft is as credentialed as any other player in the pool across his junior career but a father-son prospect has never been bid on at No.1 and recruiters don't think that will happen this year either.
No clear No.1 prospect means the end of the season, respective finals series across the country and then the Draft Combine carry greater weight for the club that ends up with the first pick.
All clubs with early picks will be open to discussions on splitting their top selection. But the same reason for their willingness to do that – getting two early picks for one in this draft will likely be better than one – will be the same reason clubs will likely be reluctant to give up too much to move up the order. Some recruiters think given the spread of opinions on the top group, clubs could get a player they rank in the top three back at No.6, 7 or 8.
Sydney's experienced national recruiting manager Kinnear Beatson last week mirrored the view of the even top end, saying he still had a number of players vying to be the best in the draft.
"Probably about five or six to be honest with you. It would be a hard pick at the moment if you had pick one or two thinking 'Boy, what are we going to do here?' because it keeps moving," Beatson told Gettable.
Riley Beveridge and Cal Twomey are joined by Sydney national recruiting manager Kinnear Beatson, provide a quick fix and answer your questions
It may come down to who has the selection, with Saturday's clash expected to be enough to decide that heading into the trade period.
If Richmond claims the wooden spoon, it will be the first team since West Coast in 2010 to finish last four years after a premiership. Melbourne, which went from premier to a spoon in three years from 1948 to 1951 in a 12-team competition, hold the record for the quickest drop after a flag.
For North, a loss would likely leave it with its fifth straight bottom-two finish on the ladder.
https://www.afl.com.au/news/1184323/unique-draft-year-looms-as-north-melbourne-kangaroos-richmond-tigers-set-to-decide-wooden-spoon
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Well pick 1 is ours :-\.