2022 AFL National Draft and Rookie Draft 28 & 29 November 2022

[Nico]

I hope we draft or rookie draft (noting that Braedtke played for our VFL team this season) at least one of these prospects and/or Harry Boyd:

Kevin Sheehan’s 2022 NAB AFL Draft Top Prospects – Tall Forwards/Rucks

Plenty of tall prospects in that group. I would be surprised if we try to go up in the draft. I reckon at 14 and 17 we can pick up a couple of promising talls.

[Markwebbos]

If you believe what KB said on trade radio, we don't think the talls are very good in this draft. It could be KB misdirection, or it could be the truth, but I think those that expect us to draft multiple KPPs in the ND may well be disappointed.

[lwjoyner]

i have us with 34 on main list (incl francis but with wicks still a rookie) Rookie at 7, with wicks, mclean,mccartin and fox all needing upgrades. Perhaps naismith needs to be downgraded of delisted. Still too manmy assummuing we take 4 in drafdt. Can someone with more knowledgfe than me tell me what the real numbers are?

[liz]

My understanding is that we ended the season with 36 on the senior list, 6+1 (HHK) on the Cat A rookie list and 2 on the Cat B rookie list.

We have lost three to retirement from the senior list and added Francis, one from the Cat A rookie list (Taylor) and one from the Cat B rookie list (BOC).

My understanding of the rules (imperfect, as they change all the time) is that two Cat A rookies have to be promoted (Wicks and McLean). It has been suggested that McCartin has been promised an upgrade. Also, Sheather needs to be upgraded to the Cat A rookie list unless the club applies for, and receives, a dispensation to leave him as a Cat B rookie.

If the above is correct, we would have 37 on the senior list, 4 on the Cat A rookie list (Fox, Sheather, HHK, McAndrew) and no-one on the Cat B rookie list.

We are obliged to take two players in the National Draft (one of the minimum of three can be absorbed by a rookie elevation) and the maximum senior list size is 38. So we have to delist at least one from the senior list to be able to fulfill this requirement. We would then have two picks in the ND and two possible Cat B rookie spots to fill.

There are three players currently without a contract for 2023 - Bell, Naismith, Ronke. So the most we can delist is three, which would give a maximum of four picks in ND (and up to two Cat B additions). But up to two of those picks could be pushed back to the rookie list given the flexibility over the list size splits between senior and Cat A rookie lists.

[bloodspirit]

Excellent synopsis, liz!

Can you clarify your list of the 6 Cat A rookies at season's end. Also, I think you have listed Sheather and BOC as the Cat B rookies, but wouldn't McAndrew be Cat B?

[liz]

McAndrew was a mid-season rookie selection so had to be on the Cat A list. Regardless, we already had a full Cat B rookie list.

My tally of the rookies on our list this season is:

Cat A - Taylor, Fox, McCartin, McAndrew, McLean, Wicks + Hall-Kahan
Cat B - Sheather, O'Connor

[707]

McAndrew was a mid-season rookie selection so had to be on the Cat A list. Regardless, we already had a full Cat B rookie list.

My tally of the rookies on our list this season is:

Cat A - Taylor, Fox, McCartin, McAndrew, McLean, Wicks + Hall-Kahan
Cat B - Sheather, O'Connor

If only the cleaner could take a pic of the whiteboard in that locked room it would be so much clearer :-)

We'll almost certainly use three picks at the ND unless there is an unexpected pick trade that reduces our useful picks to just two, that being a pick upgrade or a move into the 2023 draft.

Beatson is of course the master of subtle misinformation, so lucky he is part of our club

[liz]

I doubt we will (can) package our picks to move up in this draft. But it is possible that, during the live draft, a club might have their heart set on a player who has "drifted" a little and offer a future first round pick for one of ours. Unless we also have interest in that player, it sounds like the club might be open to that.

[i'm-uninformed2]

Speaking of drafting, any keener academy observers got insights on what happened to Billy King this year? I appreciate he was never viewed as an elite talent, but at least a promising tall. Seems zero mention of him anywhere.

[dejavoodoo44]

Speaking of drafting, any keener academy observers got insights on what happened to Billy King this year? I appreciate he was never viewed as an elite talent, but at least a promising tall. Seems zero mention of him anywhere.

Since he had a bit of a wrap on him, I was a bit disappointed on what I saw. Was just pretty good as a key forward, but I suppose he didn't get very good service. While in the ruck, I thought our midfield was more effective when young Caleb May was doing the tap work.

Although King was injured early in the season, so perhaps he was playing under some sort of duress? Still, there wasn't much to say draft prospect.

[BRS328]

Very interesting Liz. There is something strange going on with Cat A Rookies, for example Fox has been Cat A for as long as I can remember, and apparently still is despite a new 2 year contract extension, so can we assume from this the same thing will apply to Wicks and McLean.
I still think we will take 3 pick’s in the national draft unless another club makes an offer to good to refuse, which means when you add Paddy McCartin and Francis to the senior list, at least 2 of Naismith, Ronke, and Bell will be delisted, if not all 3

[lwjoyner]

eLiz same ? re fox,surely he needs an upgrade as well. if this happens what is the picture re delistings and draft picks. do we need to delist 2 (or demote them to rookies) ending up with 35 or 34 depending of how many we delist or demote and pick up 3 from draft (or 2) leaving us with 37 main list and 7 rookie list again depeds on how many we delist or demote.. Im inclined to delist Naismith (dont think knee will standup (aka Johnson) and keep ronke and bell as rookies.

[rb4x]

I believe Paddy has already been promoted to the senior list and that we also need to promote Fox, McLean and Wicks to the senior list. Fox and McLean I think were transferred to the rookie list on a special Covid provision rule. If Naismith, Bell and Ronke are all delisted that leaves three positions for the National Draft if we go up to a max of 38. I think that KB has been exploring the option of upgrading our picks and only taking two in the draft so as to leave a vacancy for the SSP.

This is all on the basis that the AFL do not change the rules on the fly as they often do. I expect Sheather will also need to upgraded to a Cat A rookie. If any of Naismith, Bell or Ronke are to be retained they will need to be redrafted on the rookie draft as the AFL has stated that the provision for transferring listed players direct to the rookie list is not available this year. This means that they can be selected by any other club with a pick before us.

[Ludwig]

I wouldn't worry too much about senior list vs. rookie list spots. There always seems to be a way to move players on to the rookie list. We can even move Melican to the rookie list. He can be delisted and then drafted as a rookie. I don't think we would mind if someone picked him up. He was shopped around with apparently no takers.

Of the 3 remaining unsigned players, I would think that Ronke would be the only one who might generate interest from other clubs. He was probably shopped around as well, given that he's still unsigned.

I think that means we now have 38 signed players for next year and a max of 42 list spots, if in fact Sheather cannot remain a Cat B rookie. So we can draft 3 or 4 players (other than academy or international players), depending on whether we want to leave an SSP spot open. It doesn't seem likely that more than 1 of the unsigned players will remain at the club next year, given the paucity of list spots.

If we don't trade up, I would take 2 in the ND and try to swap one of our picks for a 2023 pick. I would consider redrafting Ronke as a rookie. I think he's too good not to be on an AFL list. I'm also not against rookie drafting another ruckman, like Boyd, for instance. Maybe we will use a Cat B spot on Webster.

[liz]

I believe Paddy has already been promoted to the senior list and that we also need to promote Fox, McLean and Wicks to the senior list. Fox and McLean I think were transferred to the rookie list on a special Covid provision rule. If Naismith, Bell and Ronke are all delisted that leaves three positions for the National Draft if we go up to a max of 38. I think that KB has been exploring the option of upgrading our picks and only taking two in the draft so as to leave a vacancy for the SSP.

This is all on the basis that the AFL do not change the rules on the fly as they often do. I expect Sheather will also need to upgraded to a Cat A rookie. If any of Naismith, Bell or Ronke are to be retained they will need to be redrafted on the rookie draft as the AFL has stated that the provision for transferring listed players direct to the rookie list is not available this year. This means that they can be selected by any other club with a pick before us.

Fox has only been on the rookie list for two years, this time around. He was originally a rookie, then promoted, then moved back to the rookie list for the start of 2021. He therefore hasn't exhausted his three year maximum for his current rookie stint so doesn't have to be promoted.

I don't think McLean was ever on the senior list. I confess I am not sure I understand how he is still on the rookie list given the normal three year maximum, but there were certainly lots of concessions thrown around re rookie list qualification during the COVID years.