Full disclosure, I don't know much about the girls apart from what I've read and highlights ive seen.
Having said that, I know what an aflw player looks like and how they compare. The way they run, handle the ball, kick and all that. I also know what type of players we need. Best I can tell, the 2 don't line up.
We have had at least 2 AA defenders and another couple that would be pretty close. We also have another handful of girls who can cover for injuries. We do not need any more defenders. We recruited 2.
Now maybe Annie Lee is the best defender and/or best player available at our first pick.....fair enough. Some you can't pass on. But why take another.....especially one wh can't kick?
So maybe we move one of our new defenders to the midfield....but why not recruit pure midfielders?? Some who don't have a horrible kicking action. These girls look adequate for the first season of aflw....but we are so far advanced of that now that they don't look up to scratch. They must have some elite ability I havnt seen yet because otherwise I don't get it.
I like Imogen Milford. Fills a need. Might lack consistency, but with a bit of luck she can slot straight into the side. Doesn't have to be the main target, leave that to Vescio and Stevens. Harris replacement.
Personally I wouldve liked 3 mids, 1 forward and a ruck We got 2 defenders, 1 mid and a forward.....with 1 spot still available.
Id give them a 4 out of 10 for our draft haul. I think the media gave us 2.5 out of 10 for our trade period.
I don't claim any level of expertise or knowledge of the draft pool, albeit I follow the female leagues as best I can but with involvement a Div 3 local ladies team, following the AFLW and VFLW to a lesser extent, trying to catch the elite level youth girls can be a bit of a challenge. That said I will be so bold as to express some personal views which run counter to the above. First I agree wholeheartedly with Krud's views of our needs, indeed Munro's pre draft comments seemed to reflect the same, subject to an overarching "best available" mantra which is fair enough especially early. Accordingly my wish list would have been 3 mids, a tall forward and a ruck preferably capable of at least resting forward. First up we go a classy intercept defender who also uses the ball well out of defence - might not be needs related but can live with that on a best available basis if that is the club's jugment. She is young and gets to learn from the best and eventually take over from them. Fair enough, but not sure if she improves the team for next year. Second we stretch for a brilliantly athletic mid who Krud it appears - and many others - would say has kicking issues. I agree her technique looks crap but in my viewings, and I may have missed her horror days for all I know, she can and does kick the ball well when afforded time and space, it is when she is under pressure that Sherar tends to kick poorly. More a cade of kicking consistency than being a poor kick per se. That can be worked on and if it is eradicated then we have good one. But I get why there are concerns and I acknowledge the inherent big "if". Next Vernon. This is the one where I starkly disagree with Krud. First she is not a defender she is a true utility albeit palying mainly down back but also serious wing time and doing it well. Second I cannot have it that she is a poor kick. Again maybe I missed her bad days but on my viewings to the contrary disposal is one of her strong suits. Munro and the club certainly see it that way. I like the pick. Finally we get our KF and a good pick up in Milford. Still young and improving but with some experience and runs on the board, ready to slot in day 1 and this is a player who may well improve the team from the get go. That is the concern I have with our selections, maybe we are looking more to the future, but who improves the team for 2022?
The other area where I will deign to disgree with Krud is in relation to our passing on the last pick. I understand the point about waiting and seeing who produces what in the rest of the season before commiting to our last choice and probably would generally agree with it if either the cupboard was bare or stocked with options all on much the same level. But let's suppose you decided to go panning for gold and on your way to the river you trip over something half buried on the path. You look to see what tripped you up and low and behold it's a massive gold nugget. Now I ask you, do you leave it there and carry on down to the river? That gold nugget's name is Talia Gillard and I am a massive fan. Genuinely tall (190cm) ruck that I think could be anything. I'd have taken her at the pointy end of the draft and couldn't believe she was still around when our last pick came up. To have grabbed her would have made our draft to my mind and I am gutted we let her slip to the Dees a couple of picks later. Again, obviously my view of her talents was not shared by anyone with the power to call (except maybe Melbourne who didn't come into the draft until the pick before and for all we know might have rated her atthe pointy end and been delighted she was there). Clearly most of the experts didn't rate her near where I do and maybe they are right. But I'd have broken my neck to grab her.
Anyway, what is is what is and what is not is what is not as Parmenides liked to say and that is where the chips have fallen. I am not dissppointed with our selections bar passing on Gillard but the question remains who makes us better in 2022? And let's face it you need substantial improvement just to keep pace with the overall standard improving let alone to climb the ladder.
4. Lochie O'Brien, 16. Jack Carroll, 17. Brodie Kemp, 24. Nic Newman, 26. Luke Parks, 29. Corey Durdin, 31. Tom Williamson, 33. Sam Ramsay, 36. Josh Honey, 37. Jordan Boyd, 46. Matthew Cottrell, 50. Ryley Stoddart, 51. Tom North, 52. James Parsons, 55. Toby Wooller, 57. Cody Hirst, 60. Aaron Gundry, 61. Luke Goetz, 62. Ben Crocker, 64. Cooper Stephens, 71. Stefan Radovanovic, 74. Ben Caluzzi, 77. Ed Delany, 78. Joel Trudgeon, 79. Dale Marshall, 80. Matt Shannon
In: Ed Delany, Luke Goetz*, Aaron Gundry, Dale Marshall, Nic Newman, Luke Parks, Sam Ramsay, Joel Trudgeon* (Northern Knights) Out: Levi Casboult (suspension), Alex Mirkov (knee), Marc Murphy (AFL selection), Sam Petrevski-Seton (AFL selection)
Supposing Josh Honey is medical sub - it could be any of the 4 emergencies but he's the one I'd like to see rewrded, then the line-up could be something like:
Josh Honey – seniors medical sub
B Nic Newman Stefan Radovanovic Ed Delany
HB Lochie O'Brien Brodie Kemp Luke Parks
C Tom Williamson Joel Trudgeon* Jordan Boyd
HF Jack Carroll Toby Wooller James Parsons
F Aaron Gundry Ben Crocker Corey Durdin
Foll Luke Goetz* Matthew Cottrell Sam Ramsay
INT from Ryley Stoddart, Tom North, Cooper Stephens, Ben Caluzzi, Dale Marshall, Matt Shannon, Cody Hirst
New names – Joel Trudgeon Northern Knights skipper an inside bull (185cm 90kg) who works hard tackles hard and uses the ball beautifully by hand. Lot to like about this kid. Luke Goetz 201cm 97kg ex Dogs rookie who “failed to find his feet” and was let go 5 years ago with the comment: “It was mutually agreed that the level of commitment required to be an AFL player was too difficult for Luke at this stage of his life” Now 23yo has a mature body, might be worth looking at as a cheap option to have on the list in case of an injury plague to rucks such as we now have. Perhaps the added maturity could have solved the commitment issue? Don’t know what he has been doing in the interim – he signed at Altona then played 4 games for Essendon reserves in 2019 but I don’t know since then.
The team as structured at least has decent height back and forward and in the ruck - not a bad start, Newman gives experience and O'Brien run and hopefully precision delivery (he has the reputation as an elite user but I see way too many bad disposals from him mixed in with the good- perhaps halfback launcher works for him), Williamson and Boyd to the wings to use their wheels and disposal, Trudgeon in the middle to see if he can bully grown men like he does U18s. That bench I reckon is mighty strong for a VFL side. Bullants squad (some familiar names) Tom Wilson Zac Hart Jean-Luc Velissaris, Liam Mackie, Billy Murphy, Glenn Strachan, Dylan Stone, William Mitchell, Sunny Brazier, Matthew King, Tim Jones, Jack Murphy, Hisham Kerbatieh,Paul Ahern, Tynan Smith, Mutaz El Nour, Douglas Lawrence, Nathan Honey, Ben Hurley, Jack Boyd, Ben Silvagni, Harrison Kennedy, Matthew Gundry, Tom Mills, Kye Quirk, Daniel Hughes
Seriously who do they expect to give TDK a chop-out in the ruck? Risk HMAc - hell no. Jones needed down back you would think - otherwise he'd be my suggestion. That leave Cripps and Silvagni - neither more than an emergency chop-out in my view. I accept there is no-one in the 2s that could come in given Levi's suspension (shocking timing) and Mirkov's injury (not that he isn't a million miles off ready for AFL but needs must). But that is where the MC has to think laterally. Can't find a ruckman? Then find a key defender and release Jones. Kemp may not be ready but you could find out. Parks may not be up to it but at least he gives a crack. Williamson has been playing third tall down back in the 2s. Or play Silvagni down back - at least he has discipline and endeavour. Any of those moves could free up Jones to play forward where he spent most of his admittedly disappointing early career and provide TDK with relief in the ruck. Jones may not be an AFL quality forward but he is closer than many on the list and I reckon could be interesting as a running ruckman in short bursts. But given the restraints we have I guess it will be Cripps and TDK as ruck and ruckrover with Kennedy relieving Cripps and Cripps relieving TDK as needed.
As for a result, my heart wants to say we will respond to all the criticism and smack a team we are better than, and there are reasons why we could and should do that, but my head says that if Adelaide turn up prepared to keep grinding they will be confident that Carlton will eventually find it too tough and turn it up - it is what every side in the comp thinks and they seem to be right. Prove them wrong Baggers and fight to the end. Then this is winnable.
It is interesting to see the media playing up Murphy's performance. Might be just simple laziness in looking at the stats and saying "27 possessions = played well" but more likely that spin is coming from the club which makes me think Murphy might be getting a call up. SPS on his last quarter would deserve one too - but was the last quarter the abberation or were the preeeding 3? I'd serious;y think about telling him to turn up in the 1st next week and bring that last quarter effort and save your career. Honey keeps putting his hand up. I presume Parks will be an out and hopefully Plowman will be fit to replace him - otherwise the cupboard seems a bit bare, maybe Williamson but he didn't greatly impress me yesterday (or generally this year), maybe Kemp but I think he needs another couple of weeks in the 2s. As for other outs maybe Eddie is needing a rest soon but I wouldn't be doing it for an Adelaide game. Martin I am a fan of but if he doesn't bring more intensity than yesterday he can be made an example of. Newnes could be given a run in the 2s not as a demotion but in recognition of his lack of game time. You could make an argument for a few others but for a combination of reasons I suspect they will survive.
If it were me I'd have Plowman in for Parks and Honey as sub for Newnes, but I suspect Murphy will get a gig.
Brodie Kemp - quieter game than last but another step forward Jordan Boyd - not the messiah but showed he has tools that might hold him in good stead Matt Cottrell - honest but limited Lochie O'Brien - doesn't enthuse me Josh Honey - doesn't do a lot but does impactful things - trial him in the 1s Corey Durdin - working into it Levi Casboult - best he has moved all year - or was that just the slower pace of 2s football? If body working he should be backing up TDK in the 1s and Pittonet should be in the 2s Marc Murphy - doesn't seem to have the mobility or the urgency to justify getting back to the 1s Alex Mirkov - hopefully not a bad knee - feel for the kid Sam Petrevski-Seton - did some nice things, did some slack things, good last qtr Jack Carroll - our best I thought and hope he gets a run before seasons end but probably not yet Tom Williamson - solid but should be doing more
We are taking at least 1 outside the draft IMO. Simply because of this.... The wash-up from that is that we traded away pick 29+pick 32. All we got back was moving up 1 spot (pick 12 to pick 11 and pick 27 to pick 26). Why would we lose pick 29 + 32 if we were planning on using them? We wouldn't.
Since then we traded Jess Hosking for 23 and 40.
End result is, we have 5 list spots. Pick 10 Pick 11 Pick 23 Pick 26 Pick 40*** I don't think we'll use this pick. If we had plans to use a pick that late we wouldn't have traded away pick 29+32.
We've obviously got someone in mind.....don't know who though.
You might be right, but the other possibility is that we have an eye on someone at 11 who might otherwise have been grabbed at 11 before our pick 12 or same scenario at 26 and 27. However given that we swapped 11 and 12 with the Bulldogs that would suggest there wasn't someone both were red hot on at 11 - perhaps Carlton was keener than the dogs though.
Don't see anyone leaping out at me as a DFA we'd be keen on, but you never know. Cranston, Svarc, Monahan and Forth might interest us for different reasons.
Looking to the draft my thoughts are as follows:
We have picks 10,11,23,26 and 40 or more pertinently in the Victorian pool these are picks 6,7,14,16 & 24.
I would have thought there is no chance that either Georgia Prespakis or Charlie Rowbottom will get down to our first pick - they seem to be consensus 1 & 2 probably Rowbottom first. After that the field seems to even out and there doesn't seem much consensus. Assuming those 2 are gone before we get a pick these seem to be the names in rough consensus order in the Victorian pool that might get through to us:
Stella REID 173cm left footed w/hf OAKLEIGH CHARGERS Ella FRIEND 175cm tall utility GWV Rebels (ex Horsham) - might chose Geelong? Tara SLENDER 175cm tall utility PIONEERS - mainly fwd or mid strong ohead Nyakoat DOJIOK 175cm KD can play fwd Rebels - elite athlete but is KD where we have needs? Tess CRAVEN 163cm in mid Geelong Falcons Tahlia GILLARD 189cm KF/Ru Calder Cannons strong ohead but skilful on ground - rate her highly Amanda LING 161cm mid Oakleigh - star of last GF which always bodes well for prospects of succeeding at next level Jayde ANTHONY 166cm top ager def/util DANDENONG Annie LEE 169cm defender GEELONG FALCONS - might chose Geelong? Aurora SMITH 165cm defender Geelong Falcons - might choose Geelong? Maeve CHAPLIN 162cm def/mid top ager Northern Knights has played VFLW at Blues Poppy SCHAAP 153cm mid/fwd captain of Falcons - might choose Geelong? Perry KING 169cm Tasmanian mid - might be claimed by North Gabbi FEATHERSTONE 169cm KF Geelong Falcons - might chose Geelong? Neve CROWLEY 175cm mid/fwd Calder Cannons Megan KIELY mid NM VFLW Ingrid HOUTSMA 176cm wing Geelong Falcons - might choose Geelong? Emilia YASSIR - 160cm mid/fwd Calder Cannons - some rate very highly Maykaylah APPLEBY - 171cm wing or flank either end - quick and good disposal like this player some rate very highly Imogen MILFORD 179cm KF Casey Elizabeth DOWLING 171cm utility Geelong Falcons - might choose Geelong? Oliva MEAGHER 157cm mid top ager tough EASTERN captain Jorja BORG 182cm Ru Carlton VFLW - mature (1998 birthdate) Carlton VFLW ruck has been excellent
That takes us through to Carlton's last available pick (as I understand it) so I won't go any further other than to note a few more names connected to the Blues - Tarrah Delgado from the Knights has played with the Blues VFLW team whilst Akaylah Peterson, Ally Bild and Jennifer Lew of the VFLW team seem to show AFLW traits.
Given the fairly broad range of opinion after the players that won't likely last to us, we may well be tempted to look to needs a fair bit. It seems to me we need midfield speed, a rebounding defender and a KF who can pinch hit in the ruck would seem to me to be priorities. The loss of Hosking might add an inside player into the mix but I am inclined to the view that even without her and given we have Dal Pos coming in we are more in need of the speed and a tall athlete forward/ruck. Assuming no Prespakis or Rowbottom I'd lean towards GILLARD at first or second pick (they are back to back so no matter which) along with REID and then quick players from there on (unless we go small early in which case I'd like to see a tall later on) and maybe BORG if we want a mature ruck backup with plenty of footy ahead of her. I see value in this - as our list currently stands if MOODY goes down we have GIBBS whi is pretty green and then no real backup for her.
Given we have a strong draft hand and given that each year the quality of footballers in the graduating junior cohort keeps going up I doubt we will pick up more than 1 player outside the draft, maybe none. One experienced player might be worth thinking about. Rocky Cranston might have a point to prove and would be a fairly like for like swap with Harris, whilst the loss we weren't expecting is inside mid Hosking and maybe an experienced hand there would be worth thinking about, but I don't know who there is worth looking at. Alternatively Phoebe Monahan is inside albeit a defender (where Hosking ended up last year) and has a long kick which is handy. AFL site has this article:
Kaslar is probably not within our age profile, Svarc would offer welcome pace off half back or wing. Forth still only 24 has a wealth of experience and no disgrace to be cut by Adelaide. Any interest in these guys, or anyone else?
Not sure WCE will only field the 2 talls. If I was them I'd play Brander up forward to force Jones and Weitering to play on him and Kennedy thus leaving Darling a lesser matchup. Only counter we would have would be to play Levi back but I don't like that in his current hobbled state.
I think either Casboult or Pittonet has to get dropped but one has to stay to give TDK a chop-out in the ruck. I don't like the idea of anyone else in our squad doing that role. Jones is needed down back, everyone else is either too small even as a chop-out (eg Kennedy) or too valuable to risk (eg McKay). And what happens if TDK gets hurt or really chopped up? I understand that you can't run too many big guys in the one team, but I believe in the principle of having a second player who you can step into the ruck even if only to give a real contest if the first ruck goes down 2 minutes into Q1 and someone to give them a brief chop-out in that event. I call this the chief/relief/brief combination. Obviously the brief has to be able to earn their keep in a different primary role and the relief ideally same or at least be able to contribute in another role eg key position. A fit Casboult does that, Pittonet doesn't and TDK is a work in progress as a forward even more so than as a ruck. Jones is also able to ruck and showed quite a lot in the 2s at the time of his renaisance but he is too necessary in defence at least at the moment, especially against teams that have at least 2 genuine tall forwards if not 3. A returning McGovern or McDonald, an up to speed Kemp or maybe a mideseason draft pick-up might open up Jones, as might a fit Cas, but they might be as good up forward or filling in as ruck and leaving Jones in defence.
This week we can do one of two things - minimalist changes or major shake-up. To date this year I have been taking the minimalist changes approach (not as minimalist as the match committee prior to this week) but this week I would be open to more of a shakeup. But without details of the performances in the scratch match it is a bit hard to know who might warrant the call-up. I doubt Kemp is yet ready, and Fisher will probably need a run in the 2s (out for a similar time to Martin and I think we all saw Jack needed a run in the 2s) but Dow, Honey, Kennedy, Newnes, O'Brien, Parks and SPS might all come into consideration. Who to go out? Gibbons a given, Casboult, Cottrell, Murphy, Pittonet, Setterfield, Owies all a chance to be dropped. I'd be tempted to give Owies another week and further to my above ruck comments keep one off Casboult or Pittonet - if his knee is up to it I'd keep Casboult and drop Pittonet. Let TDK pit his athleticism against the benchkmark - Pitt would be slaughtered. So something like:
Saad Jones Weitering Newman JSOS Williams Docherty Cripps Walsh Fogarty Casboult Martin Betts McKay Owies TDK Stocker E Curnow Best 5 from (incoming) Dow, Honey, Kennedy, Newnes, O'Brien, Parks and SPS (reprieved) Cottrell, Murphy, Pittonet, Setterfield My stab (given I know nothing of the performances in the scratch match) Dow, Honey, Parks, SPS / Kennedy as injury sub (can cover multiple roles).
Hickey went down with a leg so may be missing. and Fox was subbed off very early.
Only possible outs for us to my mind (injury/illness/need to rest aside) would be Cottrell (for Jack Martin if he is right to come back in alternatively best performing mid in the 2s) and Plowman (for Parks) - oh, and Honey if you count him as in the team this week. Could make a case for all of them to stay. Pittonet looking weary but unless the week off gives Casboult a miraculous boost there is no option to come in. And I did like his effort today (as usual). Jones made errors but that is part of the package and again who do you replace him with? Gibbons and Setterfield (especially late) I thought better this week though not setting the world on fire. Harry and Eddie still managed their couple of goals each despite being quieter generally and Harry seemed to me to be constantly held off the ball which goes a long way to explaining his woes - and if I was seeing things (certainly the umpires gave no indication the holds were there) then it was a top defensive effort rather than Harry being poor. And again, who would come in Cas? Kennedy?
Does Jack Martin need a run in the 2s or will he come straight back to the 1s? I'm inclined to have him in for Cottrell and Parks for Plowman if Parks has a good game tomorrow. If not Plowman may survive again as there's not a lot of options.
If Swans need to replace Fox and Hickey - I am guessing Melican for Fox and either Naismith or Sinclair in the ruck.
At least the back half resembles a team with adequate height, the front half still midget.
The problem is the Hawks have named a very tall forward line (3 x 197, 1x 193) which means apart from Delany our backs will be giving away height. Nothing we can do about that so they will just have to play tall and try and run them off the feet on the way out. Issue I have with that is that only the silver fox Brooksby (and if/when he rests forward Ceglar) are traditional ruck types the rest are athletes.
And at the other end they have 1 genuine tall Hartley at 199cm who will have a field day if we bomb it long anywhere near him. So need to lower the eyes and hit targets - not necessarily our strong suit. My thinking is go the old Bombers style "U-shape" forward line where the nominal CHF (i'd have Parsons) pushes up the ground leaving the flankers (Honey/Calazzi) to stay out wide and a space for the FF (Crocker) to lead into. Kennedy plays FP as the long bail out and Durdin to crumb at his feet. If they have Hartley fill the space at CHB then Crocker needs to lead away from there or the ball carrier has to look elsewhere - at least Kennedy is a marking threat against the rest of their backline as named. If they push Hartley back onto Kennedy then he has to lead at the ball, at least it will have dragged Hartley away from the prime intercept marking spot.
In the middle I would expect Ceglar to have his way at the stoppages, and indeed Brooksby when given Ceglar a rest. I think probably all that can be done is to give a contest, rove to their ruck and try to use Gundry's athleticism to work off Ceglar away from the stoppages. I suspect we will have our work cut out for us given the Hawks tall timber.
Newnes is a good mature body who has his limitations like every player does, the others offer more upside hence the tendency to prefer them but I agree JN is matching them at least on output.
I look at this team and I think as I have for every game this season: where are out talls? Tom de Koning is the only ruck. Yet, Kennedy is named as a rover! There are positives about this team, but the lack of taller options sticks out like a sore thumb.
Lack of options I guess although one of Gundry or Mirkov would make a difference. Gundry in Under 23s match and Mirkov don't know about. They have Delaney on the bench who is a KPU/Ruck and could perhaps be slotted in down back to give us at least one genuine tall down there. He or Wooller can provide the chop out for TDK. Pretty clear from that lineup TDK won't be the injury sub for the ones. On that basis we lose one of the mids Setter/Dow/SPS to that role.
The Dogs have named both Scahche and Ugle-Hagan up forward and unlikely JUH will be the injury sub so expect we will never to cover 2 tall forwards with effectively zero tall defenders. Delaney could take one, perhaps Wooller gets played back but then zero talls in the forward line. Ben Silvagni did a job on JUH last week aided by double-teaming perhaps that is what we need to do.
Radovanovic is as far as I am aware purely a defender but I wonder whether it would be worth seeing how he would go up forward if we had to play Wooller and Delaney back? Might be a bust but one of the advantages of running our own VFL team is we can trial this sort of thing.
Notice that they have ex-Blue Jesse Glass-McCasker at FB. He v Wooller would be an interesting athletic matchup.
Not sure why SPS got dropped? He's one of the few that actually can hit a target.
I would suggest because he hasn't been playing well and I don't think that can be disputed. Mind you on that criteria rigouously applied we'd have a hell of a lot more outs.
I might turn up.. Hour and a half drive to the game, hour and a half drive the other way for an Eric Bogle concert. Would have gone to Bogle the night before (and only 20 minute drive) but already got the AFLW B&F tickets.
I was there. Stocker was the best listed player by some margin. Cunners was good early, but drifted out of the game. Not that surprising considering how we were thrashed in the ruck. We had a young kid, Alex Mirkov, as our only real ruckman. He has only been training for a couple of weeks and doesn't have the fitness yet. When he got the tap, and he got most of our taps, we got goals. He is very raw, coming from volleyball (?), but at 210 cm he had more than a little idea of what he was doing. The only other ruckman on our VFL list, from memory, is Aaron Gundry, who has been struggling somewhat with injury in the last few weeks.
Also have Ed Delaney named at FB but more a forward/relief ruck type as a junior. But the stocks are thin, hence the late call up for Mirkov
