Draft talk for 2009

[liz]

I can't really wrap my head around that idea. There's no point in having too many quality midfielders if you don't have a full back. Drafting for needs is the way to go IMO.

So if the only potential full-backs are players the club assesses as having moderate chance of becoming a mediocre full-back, the club should still pick them at 14, leaving on the table players they think stand a very good chance of becoming 100+ game mids?

[BeeEmmAre]

I hope that with the first two picks they just pick the two best options they think are there, regardless of position.

Does anyone agree with me that No.14 wouldn't be wasted if we stole everyone's thunder with one L.Ball?

[Robbo]

Does anyone agree with me that No.14 wouldn't be wasted if we stole everyone's thunder with one L.Ball?

I wouldn't be thrilled but at the end of the day he is a proven good player.

[Robbo]

So if the only potential full-backs are players the club assesses as having moderate chance of becoming a mediocre full-back, the club should still pick them at 14, leaving on the table players they think stand a very good chance of becoming 100+ game mids?

But the potential full back on offer looks the goods. He may not be the best available but given we desperately need some young key position talent he is close enough. No point ignoring a big need because the player is the 16th best prospect and you have pick 14.

[Auntie.Gerald]

with 6 and 14 picks Im all for two flashy medium sized wing / forwards Jetta on the flank and or Rohan would be just fricken amazing............then use the remaining picks to exercise defensive players

I think we have the depth in total to have some more zip and flash upfront........for example when we play the pies Leone, Didak and Thomas are best on ground !!........so lets bring on some real small forward class to take on this competition.........

we are strong in the midfield even with Goodes moving forward.......we have massive depth

RE BACKS : RLT, Ted, Grundy and Mattner are good options into the future post Bolton. With generally only two talls to match up on for 80% of the game we are covered

Leo Barry at 185cm tall ? made it his mission to be a one on one specialist in the last 5 years or so of his career.

Im not un happy for Johnston to play in the backs where needed in the next year or two as he is biding his time to play forward more consistently and who knows he may go to another level and grab a spot to allow Goodes to stay in the midfield most of the game ?

Bradshaw played alot of Backs and Forwards when needed on and off over his 14 year career so why not Johnston ?

BUT you are right we need in two years from now a KP back and Campbell Heath is a little small and Grundy is strong and tall enough but lack of speed makes him a hard one to hide

Dont forget the young irish man has big wraps (McQuague??) who just arrived recently

[rojo]

I have actually been waiting, hoping, ever since Andrew Dunkley hung up his boots that we would one day recruit a player specifically for the full back position. I know Leo and Craig B. have done heroic jobs in the role but to me it seems unfair to have had them play on players like J. Brown, Franklin, Roughhead, etc. etc. mostly because there has been no one else. I would be SO happy if someone like Talia was taken at 14 who has already shown he can play in that position as well as having other strings to his bow.

Having said that, if we don't get Rohan at pick 6, Troy Taylor would be a buzz at 14. He would give us some unpredictable flair as well as boost our indigenous players numbers by 1.

[liz]

But the potential full back on offer looks the goods. He may not be the best available but given we desperately need some young key position talent he is close enough. No point ignoring a big need because the player is the 16th best prospect and you have pick 14.

Which potential full back on offer are you talking about?

If you are specifically referring to Talia, then I have no disagreement with you. (Though he sounds more like a CHB than a FB - not significant in my eyes).

But there is a good chance that Talia won't be available at 14. What then? Do we pick Luff, or Grimes, or someone else of that ilk just because they might become a FB? Or do we pick someone with a greater chance of becoming a good AFL player?

[Bas]

You'd have to pick the best next available player. A 200 gamer in any position if possible.

[Robbo]

Which potential full back on offer are you talking about?

If you are specifically referring to Talia, then I have no disagreement with you. (Though he sounds more like a CHB than a FB - not significant in my eyes).

But there is a good chance that Talia won't be available at 14. What then? Do we pick Luff, or Grimes, or someone else of that ilk just because they might become a FB? Or do we pick someone with a greater chance of becoming a good AFL player?

Well yeah Talia is a fair way ahead of any other key defensive prospects so if he is gone then I agree we should look at the best available mid with 14. But if Talia is available at 14 we would be silly not to take him IMO.

It's a shame it's a compromised draft because the kid who was named the all Australian full back for the under 18s this year is going to the GC.

[BSA5]

Which potential full back on offer are you talking about?

If you are specifically referring to Talia, then I have no disagreement with you. (Though he sounds more like a CHB than a FB - not significant in my eyes).

But there is a good chance that Talia won't be available at 14. What then? Do we pick Luff, or Grimes, or someone else of that ilk just because they might become a FB? Or do we pick someone with a greater chance of becoming a good AFL player?

If Talia isn't available, then I wouldn't mind us going for Black (who, like Talia, has played both forward and back). If neither of those players are available (very possible), then going for a smaller, equivalent-quality (arguably) player like Lucas or Melksham or Stevens would be fine, and we could wait and hope a player like Sam Reid is available at 38 (decent chance, apparently).

I'm all for getting Rohan at 6. While we don't really address our particular needs, Rohan at 6 and Lucas at 14 would be a pretty damn good result (especially considering that this time last year, Lucas was considered a possible top 3 pick, not that that means much). Our defence needs an injection of youth, but we've still got some fuel in the tank with the guys we've got. If this eventuates, we should certainly go tall with at least 2 of our 3 later picks, but it's not VITAL to go for a defensive tall with pick 14. If one of either Talia or Black are available, we should definitely go for one of them (unless there is a ridiculous bargain to be had, but we're talking Morabito, Butcher, Cunnington, etc, which is very unlikely), but if not, we don't need to go for a Luff, Reid, etc, with 14.

[Robbo]

I have a feeling we will pick Luke Ablett with our last pick.

Most people want Rohan but I just think Jetta would be the better option. They are both similar types of players but the thing is Jetta has shown that he can play against men while Rohan has only proven himself against boys. I'm not saying he won't be able to but at this point in time Jetta is a safer bet.

[Rod_]

"I have a feeling we will pick Luke Ablett with our last pick."

Agreed - or Playfair... (did he nominate..)

Rod_

[707]

I have a feeling we will pick Luke Ablett with our last pick.

I hope we don't waste pick 55 on him. Surely we'd move a veteran and redraft Ablett in PSD or mature age rookie him. We can have two mature age rookies.

As for Luke Ball at pick 14, no way, he's a slug who can't kick, pick 14 should bring us real class and 200 games.

There will be a very good player or two available at pick 14. Those wanting a KP player, Talia, Butcher and Black wil be gone by then but a couple of others will be worthwhile.

I'm hoping Kane Lucas or Jasper McMillan the "Assistant Coach" are still there for us.

[Primmy]

Luke with last pick. I am hoping this is the case.
Henry, probably not. Although both are named on the tour of the countryside.

[SimonH]

For the benefit of those who don't see The Age - Emma Quayle's take on the draft.
High-flyers of the class of '09 - RFNews - theage.com.au
She is noted for her book on the subject.

See Quayle's description of Ryan Bastinac (#17 in her list, which is her subjective ranking, not a mock draft). He hasn't been mentioned in connection with Sydney, but she makes him look like a (nouvelle) Sydney-all-over player. Excellent disposal, determination, willingness to run all day, solid inside. As far as Sydney is concerned, that's pretty much the list; any other issue is second-order.

As for the 'best available vs picking a KP defender for needs' debate-- we already know which side will win. The fact is, no insult intended to him, Lewis Johnston was drafted through gritted teeth... and would not have been drafted by us at #12 (i.e. would have gone elsewhere) if the Swans had known that Jesse White was destined to enjoy the 2009 he would go on to have (let alone us getting Bradshaw).

Roos and the Swans recruitment team believe that you don't get value picking tall players at the top end of the draft, and you accumulate your talls through late ND picks, rookie promotions, overseas raids, and trades, the way that some people believe in God.