2024 Draft Thread | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
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2024 Draft Thread

This board looks real good, I reckon, #8.

On the board in general, I include as little as possible of my ratings. I don't care what I think. I've tried to get us started on a board we can nail down through our shared mail and reasoning. A collaboration. (Interwebz. Hive mind.)

Some of us think we've got Lalor and FOS nailed down at 1, 2. There's a lot of mail and scuttlebutt around to that effect. (Not my mail. But a poster on this thread and some others elsewhere.) But some credible mail and then just lots of smoke. (spook seems quite confident of FOS at #2. I've been wondering about Langford.)

Draper is logical at #3 because many think he can walk into Carlton as a high HF and contribute early. (Redford is on this and Leysy would be too. Not to mention the rusted on Draper fans - a shout out, comrades!) He can overlap with Cripps generation. Very logical.

I had mail a couple of weeks back that Smith was right on Adelaide's agenda. (Not on RFC's.) But there could be another. My take is that it'll be Smith but other than Smith I have nothing.

There is scuttlebutt about Taylor and Armstrong. Tigerdell has posted elsewhere that St Kilda is the threat to Taylor. That looks right. So, yes. Armstrong is firming at #5. (If Taylor really wants Tauru Thursfield has *smile* Christmas and will be beaten with sticks. And he'll cop Armstrong.)

You've posted the first board with the Top 5 in a new shape with sound reasoning. I reckon this is our board atm. This looks a very logical board that I think is something we can get agreement on. Premises good. Reasoning sound.

Top 5 of your board is favourite IMEstimation. It's a permutation of 5 from a field of say 80 (watch out for the new Trent Croad!) so it's a *smile* tough nut to crack.

If RFC keeps #6 I would think Langford a certainty here if 1-5 is right. It could be 6 straight. We don't know if we'll get away with keeping #6. In the scenario that we do keep it and still get #2. (Outsider at this stage IMO.)

If you've got the next four right you're a genius. What's your thinking there? You've got the ball rolling on the picks after Langford.
I respect the research you al undertake but I can’t for the life of me understand why Lalor would go at 1. I’ve only watched highlights and looked at stats but I really can’t see it. Particularly with his bung hamstring.
 
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Some insights into what clubs might be thinking in this article. I've cut the article to just include references to what RFC/Other clubs are thinking and who might get drafted where. But the whole article can be found at the below link.


TIGER TIME

Rival clubs spoken to foxfooty.com.au on Thursday believe the Tigers are strongly considering three players at Pick 1: Powerful GWV Rebels forward-midfielder Sam Lalor, star Oakleigh Chargers midfielder Finn O’Sullivan and Oakleigh Chargers ball magnet Jagga Smith. Big-bodied Dandenong Stingrays Harvey Langford is an outside chance, too.

TOP-10 SHUFFLING

Richmond would be the best-placed club to deal with North Melbourne, which is open to offers for Pick 2 in a slide down the order.

North list boss Brady Rawlings on Wednesday night said the Roos would look at all the options to get back into this year’s draft, considering their next selection after Pick 2 is now Pick 62, thanks to the club sending Picks 25 and 44 to the Bulldogs and Swans respectively on deadline day.

At the draft combine earlier this month, rival clubs sensed the Kangaroos’ attachment to exciting Gippsland Power utility Alix Tauru, who’s soared into top-10 calculations over recent months and has all 18 clubs excited following a strong finish to his Coates Talent League campaign.

It’d be a bold, aggressive call by the Kangaroos to take Tauru that early in such a stacked draft pool when many of his peers have a stronger and more sustained body of work.

Hence the widely-held view the Roos would be prepared to slide down the order … just not too far.

Richmond’s Picks 6 and 23 have a similar value to Pick 2, according to the draft value index.

There was a strong sense among sources contacted on Thursday that both the Demons and Saints are content to hold their two top-10 picks.

EARLY CLUB LINKS

As soon as Carlton secured Pick 3 from West Coast earlier this week, rival clubs were quick to link the Blues to O’Sullivan, who’s coincidentally the second cousin of Walsh. O’Sullivan, the Kevin Sheehan medallist in 2022 and a bottom-age All-Australian in 2023, would provide Michael Voss’ team with much-needed speed and power through the midfield.

Smith has also been linked to the Blues, while Lalor and Langford would have to be considered.

Or would the Blues be tempted to call the name of South Adelaide star midfielder Sid Draper instead?

Draper, who declared to foxfooty.com.au he wanted to play in the opening round of the next AFL season, looks up to star AFL midfielders like Port Adelaide’s Zak Butters and Sydney’s Chad Warner and aspires to play in a similar manner. Asked to describe himself as a footballer, Draper said: “Fast, powerful, agile, clean and competitive.”

Those traits would surely appeal to Carlton.

But they’d also appeal to Adelaide, which holds Pick 4 and has been the club most strongly linked to Draper. The Crows have put a lot of work into the 18-year-old, who could be the speedy star midfielder the club is crying out for.

But one of Lalor, Smith or Langford would also be on the table for the Crows to consider. Opposition recruiters believe the Crows will strongly consider taking Smith, in particular.

If Melbourne held Pick 5, the Dees could be the first club to consider key-position prospect Harry Armstrong. Clubs love the 193cm forward’s penetrating left-foot kick, competitiveness in the air and mobility around the ground. Melbourne would also have the option of taking a star midfielder still on the board — Langford and gun Gippsland Power on-baller Xavier Lindsay were both linked to the Dees on Thursday — but the risk would be seeing Armstrong land at one of the Tigers or Saints in the next lot of picks.

In fact the watch on the back-half of the top 10 will be around Armstrong and this year’s top key-position prospects.

While midfielders like Langford and Eastern Ranges’ Josh Smillie are expected to be in the mix at this range, scouts wouldn’t be surprised if the Tigers or Saints used one of their picks on a key-position forward like Armstrong and Murray Bushrangers’ Jack Whitlock, or even GWV Rebels’ Jonty Faull, Bendigo Pioneers’ Jobe Shanahan or Sturt ruck Alex Dodson.

Ample intrigue surrounds where top WA draft prospect Bo Allan sits among clubs in the pecking order. A competitive athlete with good footy nous, Allan has range that allows him to play midfield minutes and win the ball around stoppages, yet is just as comfortable playing as a rebounding defender.

Both the Dockers and Eagles have been heavily linked to Allan, who impressed in his 11-game WAFL league stint for Peel Thunder, averaging 11.5 disposals and 3.3 tackles on his way to becoming a premiership player.

But Allan and Sandringham Dragons star Taj Hotton also have interest from the Tigers with their mid-first round picks.
 
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I feel the same. I think North are working the phones 24/7 trying to trade down. The Calrton link to FOS seems boring and too easy, Sam Walsh's cousin, blah blah, blah, I reckon they are keen on someone else. But North at 2, hold the keys to the kingdom and the draft order.

I'm still Jagga at one but won't be up in arms over FOS or Lalor. You can make a case for both. It's a good top three. I fee like Lalor is more Carlton's target then FOS. They wanted Petrecca and why not go and get the closest thing in the draft?
I agree. North hold the key here. They will shape the draft on what they do with Pick 2.

On Fox Footy they were talking about Lalor. Every stat bar one they had him at elite or above Average. No other early draftee had those stats. It was on one of the trade shows. Worst case he becomes another Cam Raynor. But I really doubt it.
 
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g


Twomey had him top 10 before the season finished.

Most of the time the guys coming up the charts are only rising in media predictions.

Clubs nearly always had the player that high and media just cottoning on as they get more info.
That is also true. But has he made his name as a forward or defender? I think its been more as a defender. Dont get me wrong he looks the goods. But at Pick 2? Not for me.


 
That is also true. But has he made his name as a forward or defender? I think its been more as a defender. Dont get me wrong he looks the goods. But at Pick 2? Not for me.



Played more defense, but geez he looked at home forward when moved there. He even went head to head with Smillie this year on ball and played very well.

He's a bit of a unicorn - he's a freak in the air, amazing tackler and second efforts.

But Yeah agree wouldn't use two on him.

But at 6 if Draper, Jagga, Fos, Laler are all gone - for sure.
 
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Some insights into what clubs might be thinking in this article. I've cut the article to just include references to what RFC/Other clubs are thinking and who might get drafted where. But the whole article can be found at the below link.


TIGER TIME

Rival clubs spoken to foxfooty.com.au on Thursday believe the Tigers are strongly considering three players at Pick 1: Powerful GWV Rebels forward-midfielder Sam Lalor, star Oakleigh Chargers midfielder Finn O’Sullivan and Oakleigh Chargers ball magnet Jagga Smith. Big-bodied Dandenong Stingrays Harvey Langford is an outside chance, too.

TOP-10 SHUFFLING

Richmond would be the best-placed club to deal with North Melbourne, which is open to offers for Pick 2 in a slide down the order.

North list boss Brady Rawlings on Wednesday night said the Roos would look at all the options to get back into this year’s draft, considering their next selection after Pick 2 is now Pick 62, thanks to the club sending Picks 25 and 44 to the Bulldogs and Swans respectively on deadline day.

At the draft combine earlier this month, rival clubs sensed the Kangaroos’ attachment to exciting Gippsland Power utility Alix Tauru, who’s soared into top-10 calculations over recent months and has all 18 clubs excited following a strong finish to his Coates Talent League campaign.

It’d be a bold, aggressive call by the Kangaroos to take Tauru that early in such a stacked draft pool when many of his peers have a stronger and more sustained body of work.

Hence the widely-held view the Roos would be prepared to slide down the order … just not too far.

Richmond’s Picks 6 and 23 have a similar value to Pick 2, according to the draft value index.

There was a strong sense among sources contacted on Thursday that both the Demons and Saints are content to hold their two top-10 picks.

EARLY CLUB LINKS

As soon as Carlton secured Pick 3 from West Coast earlier this week, rival clubs were quick to link the Blues to O’Sullivan, who’s coincidentally the second cousin of Walsh. O’Sullivan, the Kevin Sheehan medallist in 2022 and a bottom-age All-Australian in 2023, would provide Michael Voss’ team with much-needed speed and power through the midfield.

Smith has also been linked to the Blues, while Lalor and Langford would have to be considered.

Or would the Blues be tempted to call the name of South Adelaide star midfielder Sid Draper instead?

Draper, who declared to foxfooty.com.au he wanted to play in the opening round of the next AFL season, looks up to star AFL midfielders like Port Adelaide’s Zak Butters and Sydney’s Chad Warner and aspires to play in a similar manner. Asked to describe himself as a footballer, Draper said: “Fast, powerful, agile, clean and competitive.”

Those traits would surely appeal to Carlton.

But they’d also appeal to Adelaide, which holds Pick 4 and has been the club most strongly linked to Draper. The Crows have put a lot of work into the 18-year-old, who could be the speedy star midfielder the club is crying out for.

But one of Lalor, Smith or Langford would also be on the table for the Crows to consider. Opposition recruiters believe the Crows will strongly consider taking Smith, in particular.

If Melbourne held Pick 5, the Dees could be the first club to consider key-position prospect Harry Armstrong. Clubs love the 193cm forward’s penetrating left-foot kick, competitiveness in the air and mobility around the ground. Melbourne would also have the option of taking a star midfielder still on the board — Langford and gun Gippsland Power on-baller Xavier Lindsay were both linked to the Dees on Thursday — but the risk would be seeing Armstrong land at one of the Tigers or Saints in the next lot of picks.

In fact the watch on the back-half of the top 10 will be around Armstrong and this year’s top key-position prospects.

While midfielders like Langford and Eastern Ranges’ Josh Smillie are expected to be in the mix at this range, scouts wouldn’t be surprised if the Tigers or Saints used one of their picks on a key-position forward like Armstrong and Murray Bushrangers’ Jack Whitlock, or even GWV Rebels’ Jonty Faull, Bendigo Pioneers’ Jobe Shanahan or Sturt ruck Alex Dodson.

Ample intrigue surrounds where top WA draft prospect Bo Allan sits among clubs in the pecking order. A competitive athlete with good footy nous, Allan has range that allows him to play midfield minutes and win the ball around stoppages, yet is just as comfortable playing as a rebounding defender.

Both the Dockers and Eagles have been heavily linked to Allan, who impressed in his 11-game WAFL league stint for Peel Thunder, averaging 11.5 disposals and 3.3 tackles on his way to becoming a premiership player.

But Allan and Sandringham Dragons star Taj Hotton also have interest from the Tigers with their mid-first round picks.
The longest way ever to say "we have no idea about anything this year."
 
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In alot of ways taking lalor and Tauru makes alot of sense for us, especially considering Lindsay / Smillie / Murphy / Allan will be available at 10, and we will still have 11 as well, so we would get two of these players, or maybe even Travaglia if he slips

The more I think about this, the more it makes sense to hold.

Yeah it's odds on one of FoS, Laler, Draper, Jagga, Viking get through.

Though think others are better, concede clubs likely also have Langford in that bunch.

So then one defo must be there.

Anither reason wouldn't want to give up too much for 2. Especially as can't get 25 back now.

Means unless North can trade back into this draft (which they trying to do) we will lose a valuable pick therefore player to get that pick 2
 
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I'm anti trading up to 2. Hold what we have. Be smart with your intel and with 8 of 24 picks you should be able to dictate who goes where.

I reckon the amount of differnet draft role plays we would be doing this year would be an all time high.

It's about knowing what the other bad guys really value and playing against that. Sounds obvious but with our draft hand you can manulipate the order like never before. Can't wait. So exciting.

Most first-round picks a non-expansion team has ever had, so flippin-flamin exciting.
 
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I'm anti trading up to 2. Hold what we have. Be smart with your intel and with 8 of 24 picks you should be able to dictate who goes where.

I reckon the amount of differnet draft role plays we would be doing this year would be an all time high.

It's about knowing what the other bad guys really value and playing against that. Sounds obvious but with our draft hand you can manulipate the order like never before. Can't wait. So exciting.

Most first-round picks a non-expansion team has ever had, so flippin-flamin exciting.
So you wouldn’t do it for even 6 and 23 if 2 could become Jagga ?
 
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If Taj Hotton had carried on with his form of CTL R1-2 would he have been a standout #1?

Could he have done that?
 
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If Taj Hotton had carried on with his form of CTL R1-2 would he have been a standout #1?

Could he have done that?
Not sure about stand out number one but certainly in the running for top 3 I would say.
 
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Not sure about stand out number one but certainly in the running for top 3 I would say.
He's gotta be in the frame, doesn't he, TT?

He's a bit speculative as it stands but there will be believers and they will bid. But where? Is he top 5? Top 10?
 
I'm anti trading up to 2. Hold what we have. Be smart with your intel and with 8 of 24 picks you should be able to dictate who goes where.

I reckon the amount of differnet draft role plays we would be doing this year would be an all time high.

It's about knowing what the other bad guys really value and playing against that. Sounds obvious but with our draft hand you can manulipate the order like never before. Can't wait. So exciting.

Most first-round picks a non-expansion team has ever had, so flippin-flamin exciting.
I'm for trading up because I think FOS is special but I acknowledge the 'don't fall in love with one player' recruiting mantra. I reckon Norf's going to be very keen to split pick 2 and we are easily their best option given Melbourne won't do it. There's a price that's too high to pay but we are sitting pretty with what's likely to be there at 6. I reckon the max we'd have to pay would be 6 & 18 (maybe getting Norf's F2 back) and we might even be able to get it cheaper.

If we don't trade up and we miss FOS I'll be disappointed but we'll still have a ridiculous haul. So flexible: e.g. we could love someone at pick 13 and trade 18 and 20 to Port for 13 and 29. We will do the Magic Pudding thing like last year and convert our last pick or two into future firsts while sliding back in the order. Essendon and Geelong prime candidates.

Most exciting draft ever. @eZyT and I will be on the champagne margaritas, hopefully with a special guest.

If Taj Hotton had carried on with his form of CTL R1-2 would he have been a standout #1?

Could he have done that?
I love Hotton. Speculative, sure, but he was looking a top-5 pick. I think with our hand we have to take him at 10 or 11, if he's still there.
 
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He's gotta be in the frame, doesn't he, TT?

He's a bit speculative as it stands but there will be believers and they will bid. But where? Is he top 5? Top 10?
Apparently we are looking at him with our picks at 10 and 11, I guess the knee injury would see Hotton drop to that range
 
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On limited viewing, I like the look of Hannoford. A terrier medium small forward that can play mid. Berry looks good also but very similar to Juddy Clarke. I'll watch some more.
Bit of Rory Sloan about Hanna’s
 
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I love Hotton. Speculative, sure, but he was looking a top-5 pick. I think with our hand we have to take him at 10 or 11, if he's still there.

Apparently we are looking at him with our picks at 10 and 11, I guess the knee injury would see Hotton drop to that range

There's bugger all speed at the top of this draft. Taj Hotton has that. Go29 on another thread is a little bit worried about his size/strength. FWIW I'm ok with skinnies if they're quick.

I hope we can get him at #10. I'm thinking I might take him at #6 but I'm not sure if any actual drafters would do that.
 
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Yeah it's odds on one of FoS, Laler, Draper, Jagga, Viking get through.

Though think others are better, concede clubs likely also have Langford in that bunch.

So then one defo must be there.

Anither reason wouldn't want to give up too much for 2. Especially as can't get 25 back now.

Means unless North can trade back into this draft (which they trying to do) we will lose a valuable pick therefore player to get that pick 2

Interview with Tauru’s Coach… he thinks he’ll go 10-15…

Also talks about Xavier Lindsay…

I really like the VIC Country crop this year

Lalor, O’Sullivan, Langford, Lindsay, Tauru, Hannaford, Faull
 
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