2024 Pre Season

[Blood Fever]

Saw some photos of the Coffs Harbour training camp. Blakey looks a fair bit bigger. Not a goanna yet but noticeably stronger.

[The Big Cat]

Blakey looks a fair bit bigger. Not a goanna yet but noticeably stronger.

We'll have to monitor him!

[Blood Fever]

We'll have to monitor him!

LOL. Will keep checking his scales.

[Auntie.Gerald]

Really goanna miss the humour in here one day

???? ????

[giant]

I think you need to put some perspective into this.
Very few players come out from the under 19 drafts and have an immediate impact. There are exceptions such as Gulden and Daicos,
But the majority build their strength and fitness via the VFL, and generally with limited minutes. Remember they have not undergone a full preseason conditioning program, and in some cases it takes two to three years to get fully conditioned. The example of Robert’s is exactly that as he commences his third season. Dawson was another good example.
For that reason all clubs give primary draft picks a minimum of two years before a a decision as the second year is their first year of a full preseason.
Owen was a different story, he was a rookie pick with a 12 month contract, and obviously the club considered he was not going to make it.

Yep, fair point - reviewing that draft, there are in fact very few players after pick 18 that have played seniors yet. I'm sure as a Covid graduate class, results will vary from previous years too.

[Maltopia]

Yep, fair point - reviewing that draft, there are in fact very few players after pick 18 that have played seniors yet. I'm sure as a Covid graduate class, results will vary from previous years too.

In previous National drafts:

Hewitt (pick 32) debuted round 1 in his third year and played all but two games.

Tom McCartin (pick 33) debuted round 8 in his first season.

Will Hayward (pick 21) debuted round 2 in his first season.

McInerney (pick 44) debuted round 4 in his first season.

Chad Warner (pick 39) debuted round 8 in his first year.

Roberts (pick 34) debuted round 11 in his first year

Corey Warner (pick 40) debuted round 5 in his second year.

There are others I haven’t looked up. So from our own record, our 2021 draft after pick 18 is looking under par, whilst acknowledging COVID impacts and other clubs apparently have also had very limited success.

Maybe it was comparatively a very shallow draft. Not writing the players off, and hope some develop for us, but it might just be a bad draft for us (and other teams).

[707]

Callum Mills now sole captain despite all the muck raking media innuendo that he may be dropped just because of the super strength of Konstanty

Need a vice captain to fill the role until Mills returns

[Blood Fever]

Callum Mills now sole captain despite all the muck raking media innuendo that he may be dropped just because of the super strength of Konstanty

Need a vice captain to fill the role until Mills returns

Great decision. Club shows its maturity by ignoring over the top reaction from both media and some fans.

[i'm-uninformed2]

Good on him. He's been destined to do it since he was in the Academy. And as someone who was less offended by the offseason incident, as stuff happens, I'm glad we have a club that is mature enough to go past the short term to look at the big picture.

Two other things: I wouldn't be surprised if Papley is vice captain, and acting captain during the period Cal is out. Just a personal instinct, and I reckon he'll be a beauty.

And major thanks to Parker and Ramps. We've been blessed as a club to have a long line of stellar captains, as both footballers and people. The work Parks and Ramps did to carry us from the 'down period' when they consistently maintained their standards on the field and the training park was remarkable. Both great servants of our club, and they get to focus on their football for however long their careers have left.

[BRS328]

Very well said. I like your thinking on Papley

[Bloods05]

Really goanna miss the humour in here one day

???? ????

Where's it going?

[Sandridge]

Great decision. Club shows its maturity by ignoring over the top reaction from both media and some fans.

Totally agree.

[Captain]

Given he is meant to miss half the season, I find it slightly strange that they didn't persist with the same 3 captains this year before moving to Mills as sole captain next year.

[Nico]

I have seen little about Hayden McLean. I think he will be a real wild card for us. He really came on in the 2nd half of the season and if he continues on from his Qualifying Final form he will be a real bonus given the inclusion of Grundy. He got himself super fit and went from a lumbering big man with a turning circle bigger than the Queen Mary, to a versatile around the ground ruckman taking stacks of marks.

[i'm-uninformed2]

In previous National drafts:

Hewitt (pick 32) debuted round 1 in his third year and played all but two games.

Tom McCartin (pick 33) debuted round 8 in his first season.

Will Hayward (pick 21) debuted round 2 in his first season.

McInerney (pick 44) debuted round 4 in his first season.

Chad Warner (pick 39) debuted round 8 in his first year.

Roberts (pick 34) debuted round 11 in his first year

Corey Warner (pick 40) debuted round 5 in his second year.

There are others I haven’t looked up. So from our own record, our 2021 draft after pick 18 is looking under par, whilst acknowledging COVID impacts and other clubs apparently have also had very limited success.

Maybe it was comparatively a very shallow draft. Not writing the players off, and hope some develop for us, but it might just be a bad draft for us (and other teams).

This is a good post and also a good reminder of why we need to be a bit careful about judging players too early.

The player on the list that had - by a clear margin in terms of pure production - the best first two years was Hayward. He kicked 50 goals over them, and in fact his second year was probably his best year stats wise bar 2022.

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/W/Will_Hayward.html

Now as much as I rate the selfless role he’s usually asked to play, you wouldn’t argue for a second he’s gone on to be the best of that batch. It’s a clear competition between Chad and Tom Mc for that title. Both of them showed great signs in their first two years but either due to their bodies or whatever, took a while to mature. And that’s ok.

If none of the 2021 crop show much this year, I’d be getting a little more nervous. But I don’t think we’re there yet.