I haven't posted for a while, but after Friday nights game I started thinking about our list and our drafting. I wrote a few things down yesterday for a bit of therapy but wasn't going to post it but I would like to hear peoples thoughts on it.
My philosophy on drafting/list management
-never draft a ruckmen with your first or second pick- trade for a proven ruckman and rookie or late draft pick others. Every year a proven ruckman comes up for trade.
All ruckman drafted or traded for should be 200cm plus
-when drafting for a key position player only pick guys that are 190 to 196cm that run and not lope. Guys bigger than this just are not agile enough. They should be almost midfielders that can compete in the air.
Draft only players with a decent frame on them with a competitive instinct. A player that wants to get involved with all parts of the game- not just a bloke who can mark and kick. Perfect example is a Jack Darling type. Or Pav.
No more hybrid types- pick a KPP or pick a ruckman... Simple!
-draft genuine on-ballers, not wingman or flankers. Draft kids that played on-ball before they got drafted, there is usually a reason they played on-ball and not on a wing or a flank. Our list is full of flankers and wingman. Excluding last year our last 4 years of first round picks are all wingers or flankers or hybrid types. (Conca, Ellis, Vlastuin and Lennon) not one of them will ever be a genuine midfielder.
The only genuine young midfielder on our list that didn't play last night is Corey Ellis. IMO a decent on-ballers should be 185cm plus to complete properly these days (there is some exceptions of course) and need pace. You need players that can hold their body over the ball when like last night it's wet or windy or simply just congested.
-IMO the only time you draft a kid that isn't a KPP or a genuine mid with your first 3 picks is when you draft a small forward. The most important quality for a small forward is genuine speed. The RFC hasn't has a decent small forward for as long as I can remember. They just don't put enough importance on it. If it were up to me I would play 2 of Betts, Ballentine, Walters, even Gartlett types every week. They are more important than ever these days. Our Lloyd, Knights, Gordon, McDonough types just don't have any tricks, goal sense, genuine speed or will to get down and dirty.
Our side should consist of the following IMO
1x genuine ruckman- (Maric)
6x KPP (with at least one that can compete in the ruck) (Jack, Rance, Grimes, ?,?,?) (hoping McKenzie if we can get him fit)
2x genuine small forwards- (Edwards, ?)
13x genuine mids- all rotating through the middle, flanks and off the bench- (Cotch, Lids, Dusty, McIntosh, Corey Ellis, and maybe Vlastuin, ?,?,?,?,?,?,?) (hoping Menadue if we can put some meat on his bones)
So there is a lot of ?,? still in our starting 22 IMO without even thinking about the two's.
