Ok, the 2015 draft.
From all the intel reports.......... Yawn!
Underwhelming! Or put another way. One respected analyst, and he wasn’t conning us, assessed the blokes (on-ballers) tipped to be available at our first pick............ as not being as good as their equivalent young guns at the clubs that we will be competing against for a flag in a few years.
THAT SAYS IT ALL!
So, what should we do?
(This is where I’m disappointed in our chief rabble rouser Citywest. Shame on you Citywest for not having already posted this. It’s the kinda' thing you love posting to get a rise out of our fellow Saintas. Lift your game man!
)Step 1:
Ok........ our No 5 pick plus Hickey for Carlbottomdwellingscum's No 1 pick... (i.e. Weitering.)
Our opening gambit should be that we'd be paying overs, so we'd also be trying to do an exchange of picks (our way) from the 2016 draft (yes, 2016 draft preferably), but if pushed, from this draft.
But ultimately, if they didn't buy it, we go for the original without any other draft pick swapping.
Rationale:
- They need a ruckman (Krueiser, fit or not, ain't much chop), we have plenty of ruckmen, Hickey may or may not make it, and ruckmen are easy to get anyway. (We don't tell them those last two parts.
)- Weitering... is not only the only shining light in a very underwhelming draft, but as a key back who can play forward too, he is what we need!
Would also be cheaper money-wise that Carlisle (and we know our club likes that rationale
), and he doesn't seem to be a bit of a headcase like Carlisle may be... drug-free too. Possible twist to Step 1 - once we gain pick one:
Demons............... Petracca. (Get into his ear – we are the happening club, not a club mired in a losing mentality from years of tanking.)
And yes, we may need to do some 2015 draft pick swaps (their way) to sweeten the deal. No problem. In a crap draft, it hardy matters. Petracca will be an inside and outside power mid fielder, who can also rest forward and take an overhead mark. (The underlined parts are where the game is going re midfielders.)
Step 2:
If we can’t land pick one, no point worrying about improving any other picks. Weitering is the only stand out player.
What about Schauble, I hear someone asking? How many 200cm forwards (as in forward first, part time ruck, second) have made an impact? Ans: Donuts. (Alright, the young pre-knee Paul Salmon, but that was a long time and many many 'footy eras' ago.)
So I would look at trading to improve our draft position in the 2016 draft!
Back to 2015.
Of the players linked (no matter how tenuously) to us:
Freeman sounds great (if his body is up to it),
and sure, Carlisle would be (almost) PERFECT for us. But what about the drugs???? If Effndope get anything remotely like the penalty that justice, sanity and the integrity of international sport demands........... then he's out for 24 months!
After the Sandy game:
Happy for Minch to have the extra year,
but now more convinced the others (Sippa, Saunders, Saad, Curren, Shenton) should go.
Am now also (sadly) doubting big Jase will make it. Unless he's exhausted by his long season........... he seems to have dropped off............ both as a ruckman and around the ground............. I noticed a couple of times that the Sandy blokes ignored him when he was a valid option.
From Sandy:
Brown sure to get another go in the AFL. I guess it's a case of us working out where in the order we rate him, and if he's there for us, take him. (Needs to muscle up though for the AFL.)
KOng and Le Grice are the only other two Sandy blokes whom I'd look at... as rookies. But they probably need one more year in the VFL to get a proper idea... the flip side to that, is if they do improve further, there'd be more interest from other sides also.
That said, I could see the Kre-man and No One coming under consideration this time next year.
Maybe young Hayes too...? Too early to evaluate.
Thoughts Sainters?
Thoughts, Citywest?
Thoughts, Rodger?
- Aeon.
After thought. Every Monican wishes to congratulate Jack Steven on winning his second St Kilda B&F.
So the question has to be asked. Is Jack Steven now elevated to second worst ever player to pull on a St Kilda jumper???
