2024 Draft Thread

[Number8]

I think Smillie was pretty obvious only because of the way the cards fell. For quite a few months, Lalor, FOS, Draper Smith, Langford & Smillie were considered the locks for top 6 (excluding Ashcroft, always going to Brisbane) and Smillie was the last one left at #6.

Which brings us back to the conundrum we might have faced if, say, the Dees chose Tauru and left Langford available at our pick.

My sense is that we still would have lobbed for Smillie, given the jungle drums were strong for weeks that we were massively into him.

 

[tigerlove]

Which brings us back to the conundrum we might have faced if, say, the Dees chose Tauru and left Langford available at our pick.

My sense is that we still would have lobbed for Smillie, given the jungle drums were strong for weeks that we were massively into him.

I guess we can speculate forever but we'll never know. I'm bit peeved Langford didn't last but would have been more peeved if Tigers had a choice and went Smillie. He's ours now, so will back him in. He seems to be catching the eye at training and hope that translates to the field when he gets the chance.

 

[Smoking Aces]

Which brings us back to the conundrum we might have faced if, say, the Dees chose Tauru and left Langford available at our pick.

My sense is that we still would have lobbed for Smillie, given the jungle drums were strong for weeks that we were massively into him.

My guess if that eventuated we would have gone hard at a live trade to get both players.

 

[Smilliedell]

I'm still amazed that North took O'Sullivan. A very odd list they are developing.

Carlton was long considered to have traded up for Draper (or O'Sullivan if he got to #3).

So, those picks had the potential to have gone a different way.

But sure, it's true that maybe there were no secrets at the top of the order.

I know there are many sources for information, but I'm not sure Twomey should be getting the top 10 in order. Y'know, draft integrity and all that.

Other clubs knowing who we were going to pick cost us dearly in 2004. I'm sure we're not the only club have had loose lips cost us at draft time.

The talk that we took a couple of players 'early' because other clubs were considered likely to pick them (I think Hotton and Faull were the names mentioned) was interesting. It says keeping your intentions secret is hard ... not just for our club.

I am pleased we went 'off script' from our third pick onwards. After Hotton was picked, the entire draft was suddenly interesting.

I think we assume its the clubs leaking, but Ima guessing its the player agents and other clubs giving the goss.
And junios coaches.

Agents have no interest in keeping quiet. So i bet they prattle like a cheap canary.
They might cough up how many times the Tiges interviewed Smilie. And the young fella gives his reaction - Tiges like me more than Demons- which they faithfully tell their agent.
And the other clubs talk to the agents. So they all know.

Its the public that were behind the news until late.

So if Twomey knows then all clubs know.
Its not so much that we went off script as that by pick 10 it gets too complicated/too many permutations.
This is true each year. Its not RFC but

 

[Scoop]

any educated guesses on what Michael Mitchell would have run 20m in?

Shoes.

 

[turk-d-tiger]

any educated guesses on what Michael Mitchell would have run 20m in?

Wouldnt have a clue but what i can say is he was 1 of the fastest players i ever seen live at a football game

 

[DuD_Delist]

I have always had the opinion that Ruckman and Ruck position is the most over rated position on the ground and unless you have a genuine freak Ruckman then you are better off having 3 players in a team 23 that can Ruck and have another position that rotate

Nank proved that time and time again.

 

[Willo]

Nank proved that time and time again.

So did Griggs

 

[Ripplestick]

I recall players interviewed on Twomeys Gettable saying closer to the draft, clubs were mainly contacting them at that time for Intel on who else was interested in them.

 

[Sintiger]

Slightly amusing to look back on the days when the Tigers couldn't keep an upcoming draft selection under wraps.

However, is anyone concerned there seemed to be very good mail from a few weeks out that we were taking Lalor and Smillie?

In both cases, there was enough uncertainty around player ratings to warrant a lot more guesswork than was evident in the lead-up to draft night.

Lalor: an even draft, recent injury history, no clear #1, etc.
Smillie: is he a reach, lots of midfielders likely to still be available, is he too tall/fast enough for a mid, etc.

I don't recall having any clear idea about who North (O'Sullivan), Carlton (Smith) or St Kilda (Trevaglia, Tauru) would take.

Not sure any harm has been done compared with, say, 2004.

But I'd sure prefer more mystery around our intentions

Clubs don’t really leak these days but there are plenty of other places to get information and those with the best connections make the best predictions I.e. Twomey
Player agents and officials/coaches of junior clubs seem to be the places.

How many times did we hear Twomey talking about “X club visited this player last week again”

Whilst Lalor and his family may not have leaked that he was told he was number 1 pick do we think that the neighbours wouldn’t have seen the group of Richmond people at his place with a film crew?

Interestingly our picks after Lalor and Smillie were not really predicted that well. Whilst we were expected to take some talls I don’t remember a heavy link to Faull or to Trainor.

As an aside I was told via the family of a recruiter of another club that we were heavily into Hotton and Travaglia and really liked Alger and posted it at the time. If I can get that info with one small connection imagine what the people who do it for a living would know?

 

[Dyer'ere]

You've hit the nail on the head, @Number8. You've said what many people have been thinking for some time. That it's somehow a failing of RFC or other clubs that Twomey can find out who they are taking. This is a widely held view. I'm not sure exactly why but people believe this.

I guess that many of us don't want the mystery to evaporate. Don't want to find out that what we thought was unknowable is actually just another earthly matter. Don't want to see the workings of the magic. Particularly with football which is an entertainment, an escape from the mundane and the brutal.

I could put a poll up about it but my guess that >70% of PREnders don't want to know who we're taking at the ND.

One factor in people not wanting to know who RFC was taking was that many PREnders were wedded to prospects very early, smitten, and were finding out that say Jagga Smith was not coming to RFC. So the facts were unwelcome at the time. Albeit that the information might well have softened the inevitable blow.

In the end the analysis/prediction of the ND requires the use of complex truth values such as - True. False. Both true and false. 73% false. True IFF. False unless. That kind of thinking hurts. We're all more comfortable in a world of good or evil, true or false. A world of black and white and magic. And simplicity. Football is entertainment.

* * * * *

The draft is a complex process and subject to study. It has little at all to do with morality, to what ought happen. It's observable. Measurable. And predictable to a large extent.

It's knowable.

Twomey's MO was widely considered magical at the onset of this draft period. Unknown and unknowable. A cluster of Poirots mimicked it and got a few right (even before Twomey) right here on this thread. Knowable. Who wants to know? Who wants to believe?

It's only football.

 

[eZyT]

You've hit the nail on the head, @Number8. You've said what many people have been thinking for some time. That it's somehow a failing of RFC or other clubs that Twomey can find out who they are taking. This is a widely held view. I'm not sure exactly why but people believe this.

I guess that many of us don't want the mystery to evaporate. Don't want to find out that what we thought was unknowable is actually just another earthly matter. Don't want to see the workings of the magic. Particularly with football which is an entertainment, an escape from the mundane and the brutal.

I could put a poll up about it but my guess that >70% of PREnders don't want to know who we're taking at the ND.

One factor in people not wanting to know who RFC was taking was that many PREnders were wedded to prospects very early, smitten, and were finding out that say Jagga Smith was not coming to RFC. So the facts were unwelcome at the time. Albeit that the information might well have softened the inevitable blow.

In the end the analysis/prediction of the ND requires the use of complex truth values such as - True. False. Both true and false. 73% false. True IFF. False unless. That kind of thinking hurts. We're all more comfortable in a world of good or evil, true or false. A world of black and white and magic. And simplicity. Football is entertainment.

* * * * *

The draft is a complex process and subject to study. It has little at all to do with morality, to what ought happen. It's observable. Measurable. And predictable to a large extent.

It's knowable.

Twomey's MO was widely considered magical at the onset of this draft period. Unknown and unknowable. A cluster of Poirots mimicked it and got a few right (even before Twomey) right here on this thread. Knowable. Who wants to know? Who wants to believe?

It's only football.

has it been mentioned on here,

that Hotdog must have the most discrete family in the southern hemisphere?



that they were assured in May after his knee, that we would take him,

and nobody including Twomey had an inkling.

Bravo to the hotdogs and RFC, keeping the ship firmly afloat, through steadfast discretion and integrity.

it changed the course of the draft

 

[Dyer'ere]

has it been mentioned on here,

that Hotdog must have the most discrete family in the southern hemisphere?



that they were assured in May after his knee, that we would take him,

and nobody including Twomey had an inkling.

Bravo to the hotdogs and RFC, subverting the sinking of ships.

Hotton was heavily kinked to RFC, eZ. Other clubs were on this and looking at Hotton for sure*. If we were confident we'd get him at #18 we'd have taken him there. The clubs with picks above us didn't have access to Hotton later. They made their choices. Hotton's family could have put it on the front page.

Twomey fell for the RFC and MFC disinformation about Allan. That threw Lindsay down. And the RFC disinformation about Shanahan which masked the Faull pick. And the RFC chaff about Berry.

It's just an observable complex system to me, brother. It's morally neutral like the weather.

Knowledge or belief? Belief is nice because it's only football.

*Adrian Caruso in his post-draft says that GWS was never taking Hotton. That it was chaff. But that's not to say that other parties weren't taking him. Or that RFC simply rated Hotton at say #3 or #4 in this draft - most likely IMO.

 

[eZyT]

Hotton was heavily kinked to RFC, eZ. Other clubs were on this and looking at Hotton for sure*. If we were confident we'd get him at #18 we'd have taken him there. The clubs with picks above us didn't have access to Hotton later. They made their choices. Hotton's family could have put it on the front page.

Twomey fell for the RFC and MFC disinformation about Allan. That threw Lindsay down. And the RFC disinformation about Shanahan which masked the Faull pick. And the RFC chaff about Berry.

It's just an observable complex system to me, brother. It's morally neutral like the weather.

Knowledge or belief? Belief is nice because it's only football.

*Adrian Caruso in his post-draft says that GWS was never taking Hotton. That it was chaff. But that's not to say that other parties weren't taking him. Or that RFC simply rated Hotton at say #3 or #4 in this draft - most likely IMO.

If Truth ever played a part, those days are gone.

I choose to believe the extended family of Hotdogs

rival Mossad for discretion and subterfuge.

my truth. me time.

where Silent Hotdogs gather no moss

 

[Smilliedell]

has it been mentioned on here,

that Hotdog must have the most discrete family in the southern hemisphere?



that they were assured in May after his knee, that we would take him,

and nobody including Twomey had an inkling.

Bravo to the hotdogs and RFC, keeping the ship firmly afloat, through steadfast discretion and integrity.

it changed the course of the draft

I have a different reading of that Giesh text.
Taj does his knee and we send a text - cheer up little mate, you've done the hard work all summer and shown enough. We'll still draft you.


(Ima guessing its something like that).


Is the take home message that Richmond will draft him come what may?
We dont have a dirty 8 picks at that point. It would be a wild statement - very speculative early in the season and a hard promise to deliver.
Is it a promise?

My reading is that its supportive. And inspiring to get back onto the rehab horse.
The Hottons walk away ( one limps) thinking there is still hope. Taj has a chance)
But they dont believe its a contract.

There are too many examples of kids believing they'll be drafted, doing interviews and getting promises for it to end in nought. The junior pathways will highlight these to push the kids to work hard.
And Taj will have seen it last year.
Eyes wide open they were assured we still believed. That's all

 

[eZyT]

I have a different reading of that Giesh text.
Taj does his knee and we send a text - cheer up little mate, you've done the hard work all summer and shown enough. We'll still draft you.


(Ima guessing its something like that).


Is the take home message that Richmond will draft him come what may?
We dont have a dirty 8 picks at that point. It would be a wild statement - very speculative early in the season and a hard promise to deliver.
Is it a promise?

My reading is that its supportive. And inspiring to get back onto the rehab horse.
The Hottons walk away ( one limps) thinking there is still hope. Taj has a chance)
But they dont believe its a contract.

There are too many examples of kids believing they'll be drafted, doing interviews and getting promises for it to end in nought. The junior pathways will highlight these to push the kids to work hard.
And Taj will have seen it last year.
Eyes wide open they were assured we still believed. That's all

facts, truths, evidence, informed speculation,

Be gone thy foul contagion!

 

[Smilliedell]

Hotton was heavily kinked to RFC, eZ. Other clubs were on this and looking at Hotton for sure*. If we were confident we'd get him at #18 we'd have taken him there. The clubs with picks above us didn't have access to Hotton later. They made their choices. Hotton's family could have put it on the front page.

Twomey fell for the RFC and MFC disinformation about Allan. That threw Lindsay down. And the RFC disinformation about Shanahan which masked the Faull pick. And the RFC chaff about Berry.

It's just an observable complex system to me, brother. It's morally neutral like the weather.

Knowledge or belief? Belief is nice because it's only football.

*Adrian Caruso in his post-draft says that GWS was never taking Hotton. That it was chaff. But that's not to say that other parties weren't taking him. Or that RFC simply rated Hotton at say #3 or #4 in this draft - most likely IMO.

I might take a contrarian view on the disinformation.
Lets say Shananeverhad.
We interviewed. No doubt.
Maybe 2 or 3 times. To confirm.
Did you see his eyes when his mum offered the plate of food? Straight to the iced vovos. Confirms what we saw at the champs, lack of leadership.
Lets go back for another interview and bring doughnuts.

But the agent reports to Twomey - another interview. Tigers are keen.


Most of the early links are due to nuffies guessing the club needs - essendon into shandyneverland because they need a forward. I waz rong.
Or GWS heart Taj because theyve got multipicks and can take multirisks.
I reckon I'd ve been rite.



Then closer to it Clubs are linked to players because the kids are good. Top 20? We can all see it. Not Twomey because he only knows what a football looks like when a draftee's mum put the biscuit tray next to it.

 

[Smilliedell]

facts, truths, evidence, informed speculation,

Be gone thy foul contagion!

Not on this forum!!!

 

[tigerman]

New recruits set to star; best cheapies revealed: 25 players to watch for SuperCoach in 2025​

12. Josh Smillie (MID, $176,500)
Given the Tigers’ cleanout over the off-season, you’d imagine gun draftee Josh Smillie is there round one. A big-bodied midfielder who is powerful around stoppage and can also go forward and hit the scoreboard, Adem Yze will have to turn to the kids in 2025 and Smillie might be the most ready-made of the lot. Number one pick Sam Lalor is being managed pre-Christmas as he recovers from a serious hamstring injury, but might be used more as a forward to begin with, which would cap his scoring potential.
Tom cracks it for a mention.

23. Tom Lynch (FWD, $183,200)

This one comes with plenty of risk but at such a cheap price, it’s definitely tempting. Injuries have cruelled his last two seasons, but prior to that, his final four scores of 2022 were all 104+. The Tigers are probably destined for the spoon, but Lynch only needs to string together a strong month or so of football to be a worthy pick. Looks like he’s begun getting his fitness back over summer which is a huge positive.

 

[TigerMasochist]

Oh wow. The Lynch man as a super coach cheapie on all of $1. something mill a year, but he'd be amazing for your pretend footy team. I dunno, guess I'm just a grumpy n tired old fart. But having competitions n prize money for fans pretend footy teams and making out like it's somehow important n relevant to something just does my *smile* head in.