2022 Draft Thread | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
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2022 Draft Thread

bengal tigers

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Apr 29, 2015
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With Keeler potentially sliding, for the draft experts out there, who would you prefer if we had a choice out of Lemmy & Keeler?
Keeler for me ,Lemmy if we got him ,l wish him all the best ,but for all his talent he doesn't seem mentally tough.
 
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bullus_hit

Whatchu talkin about Jack?
Apr 3, 2006
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With Keeler potentially sliding, for the draft experts out there, who would you prefer if we had a choice out of Lemmy & Keeler?
I'd take Keeler, I think his ruck craft gives him the edge & he has demonstrated an ability to take a hanger when on song. The Vickery calls have spooked me somewhat but in our range it's a risk worth taking.
 
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bengal tigers

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Apr 29, 2015
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Ryan strikes me as a forward/ruck, Collina still 50/50 & Soldo likely to see more footy this year if the bench size is increased. I do acknowledge we're scrambling for replacements for both Jack & Tarrant, you could even entertain Van Es as the second selection, I think he's a pretty solid like for like option for Tarrant who is probably playing his final season. Tom McCallum is near the top of my wish list, he's another I think would slot in nicely.
Macallum is not a key position player,l see him more of a Grimes replacement type.
Van Es if he's their,would be considered for our first selection,although after watching some champs footage ,Foster did get away from him when playing forward.
 

bullus_hit

Whatchu talkin about Jack?
Apr 3, 2006
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Macallum is not a key position player,l see him more of a Grimes replacement type.
Van Es if he's their,would be considered for our first selection,although after watching some champs footage ,Foster did get away from him when playing forward.
Weddle, Gruzewski & McCallum all similar types for that Grimes 3rd tall role, I'm totally fine bringing in a Grimes replacement, I think we have some depth with our defensive spine, Balta & Gibcus look good for the forseeable future.
 
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The_General

It's been a very hard working from home
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May 4, 2004
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If they're any good early days they simply get fed through the approved junior systems with a smidge of school footy thrown in but bugger all real footy against nasty ugly older players that never quite made it.

From an old geezers perspective, there's not much wrong with a talented kid getting thrown in against the grown ups and showing he's got the agates to stand up and show his capabilities against a bit of heat.
Therein lies part of the problem I think. Ugly older players giving heat to young players.
A relative of mine was a 17yo "big thing" at his club. Was doing very well in seniors that year, and won the comp u18 B&F - his first year of footy.
He came up against an ex- AFL midfielder who belted him in the guts at the opening bounce - finals were on the line. My relos club lost the game and missed finals. He had a shocker.
I can understand parents not wanting to put their kids in that position, when there's a prospective $100k+ Job on the line.
 
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tigersnake

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Therein lies part of the problem I think. Ugly older players giving heat to young players.
A relative of mine was a 17yo "big thing" at his club. Was doing very well in seniors that year, and won the comp u18 B&F - his first year of footy.
He came up against an ex- AFL midfielder who belted him in the guts at the opening bounce - finals were on the line. My relos club lost the game and missed finals. He had a shocker.
I can understand parents not wanting to put their kids in that position, when there's a prospective $100k+ Job on the line.
I just see this as part of footy education. I don't know what the long-term response of the player was, but If you flee the game due to a belt in the guts (which are getting rarer by the year too it has to be said), you probably wouldn't make it anyway. If you stay in the game, its just an important lesson. You have to earn those 100K+ jobs. If you avoid or fail the challenges to get there, and there's no shame in it, you won't get there.

My dad played seniors in the Ballarat league and surrounding country leagues in the late 1950s as a small 16-18yo, (as well as St Pats), the big nasty veterans were always trying to belt him, (and belting was common back then) but as he says, they couldn't catch him. As I mentioned earlier, good luck trying to belt a 16-18yo Tony Lockett, or Dusty.

I'm not saying every gun junior should play seniors. But Most, if they are good enough for AFL should be ready to perform and even dominate lower and/ or state league seniors at 17 or 18, but some aren't. But the fact its now just not part of junior development at all, ready or not, is overkill. The baby has been thrown out with the bathwater.
 
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tigersnake

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Apparently there are rumours circulating about Hewitt sliding due to 'off-field issues'. I don't know what the rumours are, just heard rumours there are rumours. I wonder if A) this a West Coast 3-card trick a la Jack Darling? and b) I wonder if the off-field issues are ah-la Jack Darling that he smuggled some booze to a school camp or some such storm in a teacup nonsense?
 
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turk-d-tiger

Welcome to Richmond Football Club - Daniel Rioli
Dec 1, 2007
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I'd take Keeler, I think his ruck craft gives him the edge & he has demonstrated an ability to take a hanger when on song. The Vickery calls have spooked me somewhat but in our range it's a risk worth taking.
Going by Keeler's 2021 performances and his upside as well as being highly rated , I would doubt with his potential , size and agility he is still available after the 2nd round.

Why not have the dream though
#53 - Keeler
#63 - Lemmy
R1 - Knobel
R2 - Verrall
R3 - Sydney Stack ( This ones for Dont Argue)
 
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Redford

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Dec 18, 2002
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Apparently there are rumours circulating about Hewitt sliding due to 'off-field issues'. I don't know what the rumours are, just heard rumours there are rumours. I wonder if A) this a West Coast 3-card trick a la Jack Darling? and b) I wonder if the off-field issues are ah-la Jack Darling that he smuggled some booze to a school camp or some such storm in a teacup nonsense?
I mentioned this a few months ago.
 

The_General

It's been a very hard working from home
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May 4, 2004
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I just see this as part of footy education. I don't know what the long-term response of the player was, but If you flee the game due to a belt in the guts (which are getting rarer by the year too it has to be said), you probably wouldn't make it anyway. If you stay in the game, its just an important lesson. You have to earn those 100K+ jobs. If you avoid or fail the challenges to get there, and there's no shame in it, you won't get there.

My dad played seniors in the Ballarat league and surrounding country leagues in the late 1950s as a small 16-18yo, (as well as St Pats), the big nasty veterans were always trying to belt him, (and belting was common back then) but as he says, they couldn't catch him. As I mentioned earlier, good luck trying to belt a 16-18yo Tony Lockett, or Dusty.

I'm not saying every gun junior should play seniors. But Most, if they are good enough for AFL should be ready to perform and even dominate lower and/ or state league seniors at 17 or 18, but some aren't. But the fact its now just not part of junior development at all, ready or not, is overkill. The baby has been thrown out with the bathwater.
I probably didn't make my point very well. The beltings aren't educational. Remember, the AFL was trying to stop that type of stuff, it's a by-gone era.
But for parents who are concerned their kid might get a belting, or injured in some way that might knock their draft position backwards, or take them our of contention altogether, I could understand why they'd "protect their investment" and not expose them to that risk.
I think that'd only apply to local footy though. Surely VFL, SANFL etc would have less risk again.
 
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Redford

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any comment on shades of JD?
He turned up at WA squad training for the championships out of shape. He was told so, didn’t like it apparently, and didn’t do much to correct things. (If you look at his shape compared to last year, he was definitely carrying a few extra kg’s.) There was a vague reference to it by one of the commentators when WA played at Princes Park.

He has a narky sort of attitude when he plays which I think carries over into his off field life and off field activities as well.
 
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tigersnake

Tear 'em apart
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I probably didn't make my point very well. The beltings aren't educational. Remember, the AFL was trying to stop that type of stuff, it's a by-gone era.
But for parents who are concerned their kid might get a belting, or injured in some way that might knock their draft position backwards, or take them our of contention altogether, I could understand why they'd "protect their investment" and not expose them to that risk.
I think that'd only apply to local footy though. Surely VFL, SANFL etc would have less risk again.

Yes it is from a bygone era, across the board, and yes better the standard the less risk.

But on the protecting players from something bad that might happen, and protecting the investment, thats at the core of whats wrong with the current system IMO. Up until not that long ago, that approach would be viewed with a bit of skepticism, a knock. Now, thanks to the the AFL and the APS, all good, no expectation to play seniors.

Maybe protecting gun juniors from senior footy is a good thing? Maybe it makes no difference to the health of the comp and local footy and player development? But for me the point is its happened pretty quickly with no consideration, assessment or analysis of any of that.

My own view is it would have had an impact. A small cohort of guns get drafted no matter what, but the new system would advantage some players to get drafted but may not have been in the past, and disadvantage some players who don't get drafted but might have in the past. Obviously some would succeed and fail under both. Like a lot of things in the AFL, I'd love to see some aanalysis.