2017 Draft

[caesar]

Just looking at the 2017 Draft we could have done a lot better in hindsight, 3 picks inside 25 and only Balta likely to be a star:

If only we selected Oscar Allen and Sam Taylor before Higgo and CJ our future spine would be set.

The glaring one was Oscar Allen who was always highly rated, West Coast couldn't believe their luck.

1	17	Richmond Tigers	Jack Higgins
1	18	Brisbane Lions	Brandon Starcevic
1	19	Gold Coast Suns	Wil Powell
2	20	Richmond Tigers	Callum Coleman-Jones
2	21	West Coast Eagles	Oscar Allen
2	22	Geelong Cats	Lachlan Fogarty
2	23	North Melbourne Kangaroos	Will Walker
2	24	Geelong Cats	Tim Kelly
2	25	Richmond Tigers	Noah Balta
2	26	West Coast Eagles	Liam Ryan
2	27	GWS Giants	Brent Daniels
2	28	GWS Giants	Sam Taylor
2	29	Melbourne Demons	Charlie Spargo
2	30	Carlton Blues	Tom De Koning

 

[fastin bulbous]

Yes c - I thought and still think the higglett pick was not a good one and wanted Taylor. A lot of junior watchers on here were saying Allen was too slow I think? But who knows, would the eagles have taken balta if Allen was unavailable? Would we be happy to have Allen and not balta?

*edit - ccj pick would have been the one though my post may still be relevant

 

[Brodders17]

Just looking at the 2017 Draft we could have done a lot better in hindsight, 3 picks inside 25 and only Balta likely to be a star:

If only we selected Oscar Allen and Sam Taylor before Higgo and CJ our future spine would be set.

The glaring one was Oscar Allen who was always highly rated, West Coast couldn't believe their luck.

1	17	Richmond Tigers	Jack Higgins
1	18	Brisbane Lions	Brandon Starcevic
1	19	Gold Coast Suns	Wil Powell
2	20	Richmond Tigers	Callum Coleman-Jones
2	21	West Coast Eagles	Oscar Allen
2	22	Geelong Cats	Lachlan Fogarty
2	23	North Melbourne Kangaroos	Will Walker
2	24	Geelong Cats	Tim Kelly
2	25	Richmond Tigers	Noah Balta
2	26	West Coast Eagles	Liam Ryan
2	27	GWS Giants	Brent Daniels
2	28	GWS Giants	Sam Taylor
2	29	Melbourne Demons	Charlie Spargo
2	30	Carlton Blues	Tom De Koning

harsh. all 3 of our picks look like being solid AFL players, with Balta a potential stand out. if that turns out right I reckon we should be pretty happy.

 

[jb03]

Just looking at the 2017 Draft we could have done a lot better in hindsight, 3 picks inside 25 and only Balta likely to be a star:

If only we selected Oscar Allen and Sam Taylor before Higgo and CJ our future spine would be set.

The glaring one was Oscar Allen who was always highly rated, West Coast couldn't believe their luck.

1	17	Richmond Tigers	Jack Higgins
1	18	Brisbane Lions	Brandon Starcevic
1	19	Gold Coast Suns	Wil Powell
2	20	Richmond Tigers	Callum Coleman-Jones
2	21	West Coast Eagles	Oscar Allen
2	22	Geelong Cats	Lachlan Fogarty
2	23	North Melbourne Kangaroos	Will Walker
2	24	Geelong Cats	Tim Kelly
2	25	Richmond Tigers	Noah Balta
2	26	West Coast Eagles	Liam Ryan
2	27	GWS Giants	Brent Daniels
2	28	GWS Giants	Sam Taylor
2	29	Melbourne Demons	Charlie Spargo
2	30	Carlton Blues	Tom De Koning

Pretty good group of footballers for that bracket. CCJ would have played quite a few games by now if he had landed at some of the other clubs.

 

[taztiger4]

Just looking at the 2017 Draft we could have done a lot better in hindsight, 3 picks inside 25 and only Balta likely to be a star:

If only we selected Oscar Allen and Sam Taylor before Higgo and CJ our future spine would be set.

The glaring one was Oscar Allen who was always highly rated, West Coast couldn't believe their luck.

1	17	Richmond Tigers	Jack Higgins
1	18	Brisbane Lions	Brandon Starcevic
1	19	Gold Coast Suns	Wil Powell
2	20	Richmond Tigers	Callum Coleman-Jones
2	21	West Coast Eagles	Oscar Allen
2	22	Geelong Cats	Lachlan Fogarty
2	23	North Melbourne Kangaroos	Will Walker
2	24	Geelong Cats	Tim Kelly
2	25	Richmond Tigers	Noah Balta
2	26	West Coast Eagles	Liam Ryan
2	27	GWS Giants	Brent Daniels
2	28	GWS Giants	Sam Taylor
2	29	Melbourne Demons	Charlie Spargo
2	30	Carlton Blues	Tom De Koning

a couple of titties & a couple of kebabs & you've dropped right off CJ !!

 

[Tigers of Old]

Higgo looked fantastic in his first season before the surgeries. Not sure on that basis you could say he was a bad pick.

 

[Rancey18]

You win some you lose some. Im sure other clubs are kicking themselves for overlooking Balta.

 

[T-Shirt Tommy]

This reminds me of news articles that claim which clubs 'won' the draft.

Still too early to decide who we should have drafted and who we shouldn't have.

 

[caesar]

Yes c - I thought and still think the higglett pick was not a good one and wanted Taylor. A lot of junior watchers on here were saying Allen was too slow I think? But who knows, would the eagles have taken balta if Allen was unavailable? Would we be happy to have Allen and not balta?

*edit - ccj pick would have been the one though my post may still be relevant

No, but we had 2 picks before West Coast so could have had 2 of those 3 keys at a minimum.

Yeah I know all easier in hindsight but there were some very good players in that tight band where we had our 3 picks and we probably only got one?

CJ was slated as a late draft pick by most mock drafts so a bit of a reach going for a ruckman at a start of 2nd round.

 

[St Kevin]

Meh. Every team can do this exercise. Balta has the most potential of any player in that group. I wouldn't trade him for anyone in that draft, so I'd say we've done pretty well.

 

[Rancey18]

Meh. Every team can do this exercise. Balta has the most potential of any player in that group. I wouldn't trade him for anyone in that draft, so I'd say we've done pretty well.

Agree. Literally impossible to nail every draft. At the end of the day premierships are all that matter and we have 2 of the last 3 right now.

 

[ToraToraTora]

Oscar Allen ain't that good. Higlet ain't that bad.

 

[BrisTiger24]

No way I'm writing off CCJ as yet. Ignore the booby bar incident. I still hold high hopes that he will be one of the best in that draft. He gets his chance next year with Soldo out for the year.

On Higgo, I would like to see how he goes with a smaller frame. Big pre season for him.

Sam Taylor is good, Allen also looks good. But that is far from the worst draft we have seen.

 

[TigerFurious]

Didn’t we also take Baker as a rookie in 2017?

Higgins, Balta and Baker are a fair old haul for a reigning premier. As far as I can tell, we are in a Richmond golden age of recruiting and long shall it continue.

 

[AngryAnt]

No, but we had 2 picks before West Coast so could have had 2 of those 3 keys at a minimum.

Yeah I know all easier in hindsight but there were some very good players in that tight band where we had our 3 picks and we probably only got one?

CJ was slated as a late draft pick by most mock drafts so a bit of a reach going for a ruckman at a start of 2nd round.

1 out of three is a good strike rate in the AFL drafting game.

 

[Baloo]

The draft is a lottery to a certain extent. When looking back I think it's more real to evaluate whether you lost in that draft, rather than whether you won. With our picks we certainly didn't have a dud year. Is it better than everyone else? Doesn't really matter. We've added quality to the list.

 

[Dev Tiger]

The Eagles did really well that year with their trade of their 2018 first rounder to the Gold Coast for the picks that got them Allen, Ryan and Petruccelle although they still missed on Kelly and had to give up the farm for him. If you take into account Bakes in the rookie draft it looks like we will end up with two A graders which is pretty good. Their is still hope for Hig and CCJ. I don't think Naish will make it. I watched Ben Miller last year against Essendon at Windy Hill where he played almost the whole game for one possession and remember thinking if we can turn this bloke into an AFL player we have done well. He has been an emergency so he must have improved out of sight since then.

 

[fastin bulbous]

He’s had his first uninterrupted season since he joined us dev and apparently lynch has been impressed with his skilz the last few weeks. I thought he was a goner but glad if I’m wrong

 

[Dyer'ere]

Just looking at the 2017 Draft we could have done a lot better in hindsight, 3 picks inside 25 and only Balta likely to be a star:

If only we selected Oscar Allen and Sam Taylor before Higgo and CJ our future spine would be set.

The glaring one was Oscar Allen who was always highly rated, West Coast couldn't believe their luck.

1	17	Richmond Tigers	Jack Higgins
1	18	Brisbane Lions	Brandon Starcevic
1	19	Gold Coast Suns	Wil Powell
2	20	Richmond Tigers	Callum Coleman-Jones
2	21	West Coast Eagles	Oscar Allen
2	22	Geelong Cats	Lachlan Fogarty
2	23	North Melbourne Kangaroos	Will Walker
2	24	Geelong Cats	Tim Kelly
2	25	Richmond Tigers	Noah Balta
2	26	West Coast Eagles	Liam Ryan
2	27	GWS Giants	Brent Daniels
2	28	GWS Giants	Sam Taylor
2	29	Melbourne Demons	Charlie Spargo
2	30	Carlton Blues	Tom De Koning

Great thread, Caesar. I'm not sure Allen is the interesting player here.

The draft selection for Jack Higgins is Clarke's first for RFC. And ATM it looks a bit like Frank's first pick for RFC. (Ok. Maybe not that bad.)

There is a standout in that list and it's Tim Kelly. I'm bearish on Kelly but he is far and away the most accomplished player on that list.

Sam Taylor plays for "the best team in the AFL". Young tall back. Missed the year through injury. I'm bearish. I think he's a small and a mediocre one. But the hype is large.

The bloke I like on that list of candidates is Noah Balta. (Quiet tonight. Wings clipped.) And if he develops into "the player we think he can be" he will dominate that list. In which case Clarke looks good and the Higlet pick is irrelevant.

CJ. When you take a ruck in the ND you're facing the prospect of a long gestation period. I take it as a given that we'll keep CJ. And we'll keep developing him. I'm philosophically opposed to taking a ruck at 20. But that's a radical school. It's mainstream to take one. CJ is unassessable even if he's fit and playing AFL. Immature stock. Ruck.

It would be beyond even my contrarianism to say that Jack Higgins wasn't comparatively a miss and that Kelly wouldn't have been brilliant. Maybe he would have been the change mid who turned up in the 2018 Preliminary Final. It may be considered unfair to compare Higgins and Kelly.

But these perspectives change every year. For six or eight years Chris Judd was (decreasingly) classes above anything Luke Hodge could have imagined. But Judd burned out early. And Hodge kept improving. Who do you prefer now?

It's perfectly reasonable for Matthew Clarke to bungle his first ever ND selection. And, who knows? Maybe he didn't. But as at September 2020 there's a lot of Matthew Clarke's reputation resting on Noah Balta's shoulders.

 

[mrposhman]

Just looking at the 2017 Draft we could have done a lot better in hindsight, 3 picks inside 25 and only Balta likely to be a star:

If only we selected Oscar Allen and Sam Taylor before Higgo and CJ our future spine would be set.

The glaring one was Oscar Allen who was always highly rated, West Coast couldn't believe their luck.

1	17	Richmond Tigers	Jack Higgins
1	18	Brisbane Lions	Brandon Starcevic
1	19	Gold Coast Suns	Wil Powell
2	20	Richmond Tigers	Callum Coleman-Jones
2	21	West Coast Eagles	Oscar Allen
2	22	Geelong Cats	Lachlan Fogarty
2	23	North Melbourne Kangaroos	Will Walker
2	24	Geelong Cats	Tim Kelly
2	25	Richmond Tigers	Noah Balta
2	26	West Coast Eagles	Liam Ryan
2	27	GWS Giants	Brent Daniels
2	28	GWS Giants	Sam Taylor
2	29	Melbourne Demons	Charlie Spargo
2	30	Carlton Blues	Tom De Koning

Geez North have a way of picking them. Small / medium forward 6 games in first 3 years doesn't bode well. CCJ highly rated but not played much. The rest there all look solid or better footballers at the AFL level.