2014 Hindsight Draft | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
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2014 Hindsight Draft

Senior Team

Backs - Riley Bonner Jack Frost Bachar Houli
Half Backs - Brandon Ellis Alex Rance Adam Saad
Centre - Lachie Weller Luke Parker Rory Atkins
Half Forward - Dustin Martin Jack Darling Josh Caddy
Forwards - Steve Johnson Jack Riewoldt Tim Membrey

Onballers - Brodie Grundy Dion Prestia Trent Cotchin

Bench - Sam Reid Lewis Taylor Anthony Miles Ryan Bastinac

Reserves Team

Backs - Darcy Byrne-Jones Ryan Gartwaite Dean Gore
Half Backs - Mitchell Hibberd Shaun McKernan * Nic Newman
Centre - Shaun Grigg Nick Graham Josh Rotham
Half Forward - Shane Edwards Mabior Chol Hisham Kerbatieh *
Forwards - Jay Kennedy-Harris Peter Ladhams * Kane Lambert

Onballers - Toby Nankervis Connor Blakely Nick O'Kearney

Bench - Kym Lebois Shai Bolton Jack Graham Luke Bunker *

* rookie list
 
2016 Draftees

Pick 29. Shai Bolton



I'm genuinely excited by this selection and in some ways can't quite understand how players like Ben Long & Cedric Cox were selected before Shai, I may be proven wrong but I think Bolton will eventually rise above these two once he gets some miles into the legs and puts on some much needed mass. He has all the tricks - speed, evasion, dual-sided kicking, leap & major scoreboard impact. His form in the All-Stars game was an excellent preview into what lays ahead and together with Daniel Rioli I'm predicting some serious indigenous magic to return to Punt Road. Pick 29 = Steal.

Pick 30. Josh Rotham (Yarran second rounder)



The cost of the Yarran trade will come back to haunt us, the sum total is now official - Riley Bonner & Josh Rotham. The fact that these guys can also play in Yarran's position is all the more galling, but I sincerely hope that lessons have been learnt. I personally rate Rotham a top 20 talent and had him placed at 15 in my rankings, the reasons for this were numerous. Firstly he possesses elite pace and presents as a genuine line breaker, coming in at 192cm this combination of speed & height is rare and could eventually translate to a midfield role. Rotham's leap is also elite and if he does cut it further up the ground then he'll be a very difficult player to match up on. Averaging 22 touches a game at Colts level there's enough evidence to suggest this isn't pie in the sky optimism. Rotham's disposal is also very good so it now becomes a question of building the tank and working on his defensive side, something which should occur with a couple of season's under his belt.

Pick 56. Jack Graham



Sometimes the cards fall your way and to have Graham available at pick 56 rounded out an excellent draft for Richmond. Our luck cannot be underestimated, Graham flew up to Brisbane and was interviewed two days before the draft, he was clearly in contention at pick 22, fortunately Brisbane had Cedric Cox ranked higher and the rest is history. To get a Larke medalist & state captain at pick 56 is highway robbery and with any luck this could well turn out to be our Andrew Swallow moment. Graham isn't without his flaws, his kicking can be scrappy but given he played with a quad injury throughout the year it's not unreasonable to expect some improvement with his depth and general accuracy. More importantly he's as tough as nails and is the type you want in a finals campaign.

Pick 72 - Ryan Garthwaite



The big knock on Ryan is his kicking technique, it's really the only aspect of his game that's forced him down the order, aside from that he's an excellent one on one defender and rarely gets beaten. The fact he can also rack up big possession tallies is a reminder that he's much more than than just a dour shutdown player in the Talia mode. In saying all this, there's no denying that his double handed ball drop needs to be refined so that he gets ball to boot much quicker. If this can be achieved then we have an AFL footballer on our hands. If not then it will be a case of a boom/bust pick which didn't quite pay off. Given our bigman stocks are perilously low I'm all for this selection and will be a keen observer with regards to modifying his technique.

PSD 6 - Kym Lebois



Just to set the record straight, I don't think Stengle is a bad pick and I give him some sort of chance of making the grade. In this particular instance I just happen to prefer Lebois because I feel he has more weapons and some extra versatility that may see him transition to the midfield. After the combine Lebois flew up my personal rankings, his speed is elite and he clocked in a faster repeat sprint time than Shai Bolton. On top of that his endurance testing was solid and he has the potential to increase that even further once he gets a few preseasons under his belt.

Now for a brief comment on using the PSD, as I've been advocating for a few years now, the preseason draft may be dead to some but this also presents as a huge opportunity to snatch the first pick in the rookie draft. It also provides a bit of a breather between drafts where one can analyse the pool and work out the best strategy in addressing list requirements. The fact that Maric is wasting a spot on the main list also deems the financial argument redundant. I'm ok with targeting a small forward this late because it's playing the odds to a tee, but I'd also want a guy who could feasibly replicate the feats of Charlie Cameron and eventually move up the ground. All things considered I'm not convinced that Stengle can do that and that's why I'd be taking Lebois at this point.

Rookie Draft Pick 6 - Peter Ladhams



We needed a key forward & we needed a ruck, given Zach Sproule got caught up in the Greater Western Swindle the only option as I saw it was to grab a player who could feasibly fill both roles. Ladhams has kicked goals at reserves level and has proven he's more than just a one dimensional tap ruckman. His athletic testing was also impressive, a 3.05sec/20m & a 13.6 beep which was a vast improvement on his early season numbers. With Vickery out the door Ladhams presented as the best option and should have been preferred over an ageing Maric. Those who feel tokenism is inconsequential need to consider the lost development time, particularly with rucks. A player like Ladhams is unlikely to lose value, even as a second stringer.

Rookie draft pick 24 - Luke Bunker



All I can say is don't give up on your ambitions Luke, unbelievably stiff to miss out despite performing well at the state carnival & at TAC level. The fact he's ranked in the top 25 by Champion Data speaks volumes. Bunker is the type I'd want for the Richmond reserves, in fact I hope we're making inquiries as we speak. As I understand he was contacted by half a dozen clubs but none called out his name on draft day. In this instance it just has to be some hard graft in the VFL and to take solace in the fact that Darcy Cameron & Willie Rioli finally realised their dream after 3 years in the wilderness.
 
Another excellent post, BT, the comments on the high cost of the Yarran fizzer are particularly galling. Would have loved Rotham drafted to RFC.
 
Luke Bunker has signed with Coburg for next year. Coburg and Willy chased hard with Coburg winning based on geography.
 
Joshnbeks Dad said:
Luke Bunker has signed with Coburg for next year. Coburg and Willy chased hard with Coburg winning based on geography.

Great to hear. Thanks for the update.
 
Given we won the premiership I was pretty close to pulling the pin on this thread but I've decided to keep it running as a reference point for list building. One thing I do regret is not taking Daniel Rioli who is close to my favourite Tiger. :-[

Also apologies for the photobucket fail, not prepared to fork out money for something that has always been free.

Out - Steve Johnson, Dean Gore, Lachie Weller (pick 2), Adam Saad (Ess. future second round), Hisham Kerbatieh, Luke Bunker, Jack Frost, Shaun McKernan

Picks - 2, 17, 20, 25, 52, 54,

Rookies - Chol, Ladhams, Nick O'Kearney, ................

* Have traded next year's second round pick as part of the Weller trade (but have Essendon's second rounder)

Strategy - At pick 2 I'm hoping Brisbane take Dow or Brayshaw because Luke Davies-Uniake is my standout number 1. If he goes early I'll take Rayner but I'm still nervous about his running.

Pick 17 has been reserved for Noah Balta, my side needs talls and a lot of them.
Pick 20, I'm jumping on Sam Taylor early, he may drift in the real deal but with full-back fully exposed Taylor is the best bet.
Pick 25 There's a few here I like, hopefully Naish avoids an early bid. Haven't quite decided who gets the nod out of Worpel, Bailey & Garner.
Pick 52 Hugh Dixon
Pick 54 Kyron Hayden
Pick 73 Mitch Crowden
 
bullus_hit said:
One thing I do regret is not taking Daniel Rioli who is close to my favourite Tiger. :-[

No worries. I had your back.
(I wonder how long I can keep riding on the Drioli call....)
 
Really good draft the way things panned out, here's my selections.

2. Luke Davies-Uniacke (ranked 1)
17. Jack Higgins (ranked 9)
20. Noah Balta (ranked 11)
25. Sam Taylor (ranked 20)
34. Patrick Naish (ranked 22)
63. Ben Miller (ranked 50)

Rookie 18. Stefan Giro

The only real differences here are Taylor & Giro, not against CCJ as I think we needed support for Nank & Soldo doesn't strike me a long termer. Given my squad already has Grundy this would be overkill. Taylor slots in at fullback, reckon he'll get games as early as next year. Balta replaces McKernan & Miller fights it out with Chol for the key forward role.

Slightly disappointed Kyron Hayden went at pick 62, I had him ranked at 25 & see many similarities with Dane Swan, this also extends to his aerobic capacity which needs plenty of work but he's an explosive player who could feasibly be one of the best in the pool.
 
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bullus_hit said:
Really good draft the way things panned out, here's my selections.

2. Luke Davies-Uniacke (ranked 1)
17. Jack Higgins (ranked 9)
20. Noah Balta (ranked 11)
25. Sam Taylor (ranked 20)
34. Patrick Naish (ranked 22)
63. Ben Miller (ranked 50)

Rookie 18. Stefan Giro

The only real differences here are Taylor & Giro, not against CCJ as I think we needed support for Nank & Soldo doesn't strike me a long termer. Given my squad already has Grundy this would be overkill. Taylor slots in at fullback, reckon he'll get games as early as next year. Balta replaces McKernan & Miller fights it out with Chol for the key forward role.

Slightly disappointed Kyron Hayden went at pick 62, I had him ranked at 25 & see many similarities with Dane Swan, this also extends to his aerobic capacity which needs plenty of work but he's an explosive player who could feasibly be one of the best in the pool.

Thanks for your efforts bully, you provide a lot of good reading.
Do you have any previous draft combine intel on players over 195 cm's. I'm curious as to whether there has been anyone else over 195cm beat Ben Millers 8.10sec for agility and 2.91sec for the 20m's, cheers.
 
bullus_hit said:
Senior Team

Backs - Riley Bonner Jack Frost Bachar Houli
Half Backs - Brandon Ellis Alex Rance Adam Saad
Centre - Lachie Weller Luke Parker Rory Atkins
Half Forward - Dustin Martin Jack Darling Josh Caddy
Forwards - Steve Johnson Jack Riewoldt Tim Membrey

Onballers - Brodie Grundy Dion Prestia Trent Cotchin

Bench - Sam Reid Lewis Taylor Anthony Miles Ryan Bastinac

Reserves Team

Backs - Darcy Byrne-Jones Ryan Gartwaite Dean Gore
Half Backs - Mitchell Hibberd Shaun McKernan * Nic Newman
Centre - Shaun Grigg Nick Graham Josh Rotham
Half Forward - Shane Edwards Mabior Chol Hisham Kerbatieh *
Forwards - Jay Kennedy-Harris Peter Ladhams * Kane Lambert

Onballers - Toby Nankervis Connor Blakely Nick O'Kearney

Bench - Kym Lebois Shai Bolton Jack Graham Luke Bunker *

* rookie list

No offense Bully and you do great work but zero chance that forward line wins a premiership last year.

Slower than leysy on a Sunday morning.
 
tigerman said:
Thanks for your efforts bully, you provide a lot of good reading.
Do you have any previous draft combine intel on players over 195 cm's. I'm curious as to whether there has been anyone else over 195cm beat Ben Millers 8.10sec for agility and 2.91sec for the 20m's, cheers.

It's a rare combo, most players with these specs tend to go much higher. Nic Naitanui, Jack Watts & Buddy Franklin some of the more notable selections. Esava Ratugolea had similar data but came in at 194cm, a decent prospect but the Cats will need to fix his kicking. If by some miracle Miller grows 3-4cm we could feasibly have a gun ruckman on our hands. As a forward I'd say slightly speculative but definitely worth a shot at pick 63.

Leysy Days said:
No offense Bully and you do great work but zero chance that forward line wins a premiership last year.

Slower than leysy on a Sunday morning.

Very true although as the season progressed I would have called on some of the road runners from the reserves side. Probably didn't have the hardened bodies to match Butler, Castanga & Rioli but I don't think I'm too far off with the development of Lebois, Bolton & Giro. Lewis Taylor also started to grow in stature under Fagan and could easily fill one of those spots. Mentioned it numerous times but not picking Rioli was a big mistake, just have to hope one of the other late picks steps up to the plate.
 
bullus_hit said:
It's a rare combo, most players with these specs tend to go much higher. Nic Naitanui, Jack Watts & Buddy Franklin some of the more notable selections. Esava Ratugolea had similar data but came in at 194cm, a decent prospect but the Cats will need to fix his kicking. If by some miracle Miller grows 3-4cm we could feasibly have a gun ruckman on our hands. As a forward I'd say slightly speculative but definitely worth a shot at pick 63.

Very true although as the season progressed I would have called on some of the road runners from the reserves side. Probably didn't have the hardened bodies to match Butler, Castanga & Rioli but I don't think I'm too far off with the development of Lebois, Bolton & Giro. Lewis Taylor also started to grow in stature under Fagan and could easily fill one of those spots. Mentioned it numerous times but not picking Rioli was a big mistake, just have to hope one of the other late picks steps up to the plate.

Looking at the pictures of the new recruits (the one with all in them)
Miller looks the same height as CCJ and Balta is 195cm but looks significantly shorter than Miller

Wouldnt suprise me if Miller is 199-200 cm tall
 
turk-d-tiger said:
Looking at the pictures of the new recruits (the one with all in them)
Miller looks the same height as CCJ and Balta is 195cm but looks significantly shorter than Miller

Wouldnt suprise me if Miller is 199-200 cm tall

Hope so, it's not out of the question that he gets to ruck height. Ryder measured in at 194cm in his draft year, grew 3 cm and became an AA ruckman. Ivan Maric was 197cm and grew to 200cm.
 
bullus_hit said:
Hope so, it's not out of the question that he gets to ruck height. Ryder measured in at 194cm in his draft year, grew 3 cm and became an AA ruckman. Ivan Maric was 197cm and grew to 200cm.

DOB
Miller 31.8.1999
Balta 23.10.1999
CCJ 13.6.1999

All are late birthdates so no reason why there isnt more to grow specially Balta and Miller
 
I wonder if recruiters have ever gone to the extreme of scanning bone density etc to determine the % of growth (height) left in a prospective player?
 
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Tails said:
I wonder if recruiters have ever gone to the extreme of scanning bone density etc to determine the % of growth (height) left in a prospective player?

I understand that they do. They can measure future growth potential through x ray of player's wrists.
 
Ripplestick said:
I understand that they do. They can measure future growth potential through x ray of player's wrists.

I know players were having this done at the under 16's carnival a few years ago.
 
Senior Team

Backs - Riley Bonner Sam Taylor Bachar Houli
Half Backs - Brandon Ellis Alex Rance Shaun Grigg
Centre - Shane Edwards Luke Parker Rory Atkins
Half Forward - Dustin Martin Tom Lynch Josh Caddy
Forwards - Jack Higgins Jack Riewoldt Lewis Taylor

Onballers - Brodie Grundy Dion Prestia Trent Cotchin

Bench - Jack Darling Jack Graham Luke Davies-Uniacke Kane Lambert

Reserves Team

Backs - Darcy Byrne-Jones Ryan Gartwaite Ben Miller
Half Backs - Nic Newman Noah Balta Josh Rotham
Centre - Patrick Naish Jack Bytel Tom McKenzie
Half Forward - *Mabior Chol Sam Reid Tim Membrey
Forwards - *Jay Kennedy-Harris Bailey Williams *Stefan Giro

Onballers - Toby Nankervis Connor Blakely Riley Collier-Dawkins

Bench - *Kym Lebois Shai Bolton Fraser Turner Jack Ross

* rookie list

Out - Miles, Mitch Hibberd, Bastinac, O'Kearney, Ladhams, Nick Graham

Trades - After securing Riley Collier-Dawkins last night, list managers approached the Western Bulldogs and offered them next year's first for pick 27 & pick 37 (a pick they were using on Rhylee West). Dogs accepted given it was a free hit next year & they also get West.

Pick 20. Riley Collier-Dawkins (rank 18)
Pick 27. Bailey Williams (rank 11)
Pick 37. Jack Bytel (rank 27)
Pick 38. Jack Ross (Ess pick for Saad last year)
Pick 58. Fraser Turner (rank 29)
Pick 62. Tom McKenzie (rank 33)

No additional rookies, Jay Kennedy-Harris & Chol demoted from senior list.
 
bullus_hit said:
Pick 20. Riley Collier-Dawkins (rank 18)
Pick 27. Bailey Williams (rank 11)
Pick 37. Jack Bytel (rank 27)
Pick 38. Jack Ross (Ess pick for Saad last year)
Pick 58. Fraser Turner (rank 29)
Pick 62. Tom McKenzie (rank 33)

No additional rookies, Jay Kennedy-Harris & Chol demoted from senior list.

Very much an opportunity missed here mate , Bytel & Williams would have set Richmond up perfectly for Ruck/Fwd/Mid depth