Rate The Draftees - 2012

[LostDoggy]

Thought it would be interesting to hear everyone's opinions on the performances to date of our ND picks from last year. How would you rate them out of 10 for this year?

For mine:

Stringer - 6.5 - Has shown a good ability to take contested marks both one out and in pack situations. Very strong physically and loves the argy bargy. Very fluent kicking action from the set shot. His defensive efforts have been pretty poor imo but that can be attributed to his low fitness base. Will get better in this area. Superstar potential

Macrae - 8 - Most impressive for me. So composed, so calm. His spatial awareness is excellent, neat skills and really works hard up and down the ground. More outside at this stage but has shown a willingness to put his head over it when it's his turn. Will need to get stronger and fitter but will be a genuine gun.

Hrovat - 7 - Little terrier that has a nice balance of inside/outside ability. Very good kick of the football, strong tackler and from all reports super professional. Has suffered some quad setbacks this year which has limited his opportunities but appears to be a very well rounded modern midfielder. High probability of becoming a very good player for many years.

Hunter - 7.5 - Probably the most naturally gifted of the lot imo. Footy smarts, agility, great kick, big leap, good decision maker, hard at it. Will he be a midfielder in time or a half forward? The youngest player on our list and probably the one with the most growth.
Could very well be the best of the lot.

Prudden - Due to a mysterious "one week" ankle injury that has dragged on for most of the year, we haven't had a chance to get a real good look at him. From reports on his earlier VFL games he appears to be another pure footballer with good skills. Hoping to see more of young Josh in the future

[bornadog]

I think your ratings are pretty spot on. This is the best batch of kids we have had since 1999, ie as a whole group at once.

All the players have different qualities and have shown a bit this year and I can't wait to see how they progress in the coming years.

[Ozza]

Prudden and Stringer were interviewed in the social club before the game on the weekend.

Was good to hear from Prudden - as he has obviously been the lowest profile due to being injured/not playing.

His 'mentor' is Ryan Griffen - and it sounds like part of his education is to study Griff's games pretty closely. Pretty good example set for him! Sounds like a really good kid though. Excited to see him get an opportunity next year.

[LostDoggy]

The common theme with all of them is that they all seem to have very good vision and decision making. It must have been a priority to find kids with these attributes.

[Go_Dogs]

Prudden and Stringer were interviewed in the social club before the game on the weekend.

Was good to hear from Prudden - as he has obviously been the lowest profile due to being injured/not playing.

His 'mentor' is Ryan Griffen - and it sounds like part of his education is to study Griff's games pretty closely. Pretty good example set for him! Sounds like a really good kid though. Excited to see him get an opportunity next year.

Must say I'm pretty excited to see what Prudden can do.

Did everyone receive the Development Academy members exclusive email? Very good read summarising the development of our 5 picks in the ND from last year.

[Mofra]

The common theme with all of them is that they all seem to have very good vision and decision making. It must have been a priority to find kids with these attributes.
B-Mac seems very strong on drafting guys who are footballers first, athletes second.

The days of the 62kg athletic KP type nobody has ever heard of being drafted appear over. I really don't think B-Mac could have ever worked with Clayton.

[always right]

Must say I'm pretty excited to see what Prudden can do.

Did everyone receive the Development Academy members exclusive email? Very good read summarising the development of our 5 picks in the ND from last year.

Nope...can you please share?

[Go_Dogs]

Nope...can you please share?

I've just tried to copy and paste it but I can't. I'll see if I can get a screen shot to upload tonight when I'm home from work.

[Twodogs]

First of all great thread dogs4ever. This ius an excellent time to look at our draftees.




B-Mac seems very strong on drafting guys who are footballers first, athletes second.


Yep who'd a thunk it? If you want decent players then draft guys who can, you know, play footy. And have played it most of their lives. Who know the dimensions of a football-where it's going to bounce and all that.


The days of the 62kg athletic KP type nobody has ever heard of being drafted appear over. I really don't think B-Mac could have ever worked with Clayton.

And halle*!*!*!*!inglujah for that! No more reinventing the wheel with earky draft picks.

[Remi Moses]

Good write up .
Hunter's the big surprise packet for me, as I thought he looked a mile off in the u/18 champs.
Stringer has that X factor, and Macrae's been the standout.

[Murphy'sLore]

And halle*!*!*!*!inglujah for that! No more reinventing the wheel with earky draft picks.

I assume you meant early, but earky works for me, describes some of those dodgy decisions perfectly!

[LostDoggy]

Add Stevens and Young to the mix as well and it makes the 2012 off-season as potentially the best the club has ever had. Phenomenal effort from all involved

[stefoid]

Stringer has managed to kick multiple goals at AFL level when the team wasn't delivering the ball anywhere near as well as it has recently. Im giving him some leeway because his fitness/leg only lets him produce intermittently. 7.

Macrae gets a 6.5 for similar reasons, although it is his strength and power that he needs to build. Would like to see more punch in his kicks - they take too long to arrive.

Hrovat gets a 6. Has been injured a lot so hard to say, but in what little I have seen, he has been relatively vanilla. There is nothing really standout about him. I hope he is one of these guys who just shows incremental improvement for a good while, and you realize, hang on, this guy is actually really effective

Hunter gets 7.5. Like any draftee, needs to build fitness and power, but his composure for the youngest guy on our list is amazing. Like stringer, he is footy smart and has the skills and confidence to go for stuff and pull it off. Im going to enjoy opposition fans hating him and stringer as they strut around our forward line.

[LostDoggy]

I get what you mean about Hrovat and being "vanilla" in that he probably won't ever be a game breaker but i see him becoming just a very solid midfielder who gets it 25 times a game and uses it really well. He will be a complete player i think who works hard both ways

[always right]

A midfielder with the potential to get the ball 25 times a game, can run all day, is fierecely competitive and uses the ball well. Man I love vanilla!

[stefoid]

A midfielder with the potential to get the ball 25 times a game, can run all day, is fierecely competitive and uses the ball well. Man I love vanilla!

We're talking more your Connoisseur with the little black bits in it than Peters, hopefully.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

I disagree about Hrovat being vanilla.

Far from it. He has already demonstrated an ability to do two things: win the ball on the inside, and then spread away from the contest quickly. He likes to run and carry the football and get the "one-two" going. The comparisons to Brent Harvey are spot on IMO; his game is very similar.

Vanilla implies a bit of a one trick pony; ie. win the hard ball, which may be suited more to somebody like Wallis or Smith. Hrovat makes good decisions, uses the ball well and is effective inside and outside the contest -- he's pretty complete.

[Mofra]

A midfielder with the potential to get the ball 25 times a game, can run all day, is fierecely competitive and uses the ball well. Man I love vanilla!
Sam Mitchell has 4 B&Fs at Hawthorn and is probably the poster boy for "vanilla" type play.

Gets it and uses it well without being flashy. Every team loves his type.

[LostDoggy]

We're talking more your Connoisseur with the little black bits in it than Peters, hopefully.

Yeah definitely the top shelf stuff, no smart buy or black and gold with Nathan

[Happy Days]

The Hrovat selection seemed uninspired at the time it was made; he just seemed like a dime-a-dozen midfielder type with no outstanding attributes. I think mjp even used the word "vanilla" to describe him at the time. Plus he's like 5'2" so there was that. It just seemed like there was an opportunity to be a little more adventurous at the time with the selection (which never really works but I digress) and reach for a tall.

He did not deliver what was advertised. He is a far better kick than he was billed as, quicker, and generally better at everything except height. Can't help but see Boomer Harvey sans all of the dickish qualities in the way he moves with and uses the ball. He has proven much more impactful than I ever anticipated, and I'm very bullish about his prospects.

The only real qualm I have against any of them is the underwhelming fitness levels, but that's to be expected. You just sort of hope it doesn't happen.

[dog town]

Stringer- Good competitor and will get fitter pretty quickly now that he got through a season with no complications. Someone questioned his defensive stuff but I disagree strongly with that. You can tell he has an appetite to work defensively in the way he tackles and applies pressure. He simply doesn't have the stamina to maintain it at this point. I think that will become a strength of his as time goes by. Reads the game well, meets the ball nicely, good one on one and good goal sense. Only injury will stop him becoming a good player. With a bit of luck he will be much better than that. Thought we managed him well. I see him as a forward only and not a mid as some have suggested.

Macrae- Been impressed with some of his inside work and around the edge of contests. Has won some hard contests, tackles and creates out of traffic. Obviously his evasiveness and time with the ball is his major asset. I think his kicking takes away from his other strengths a little bit. I don't think its a fatal flaw in his game though. The way I see him developing he can still be very damaging without being elite by foot. He is neat enough as a short kick and has good hands due to his vision. If he can win the ball in contests and get it moving into space he will be very damaging in his own way. Billed as a pure outside player I actually think he will have quite a nice balance. Guys like him are very handy in traffic.

Hrovat- Really liked him so far and has really just continued on with what he showed the level below. Nice mover, smart, neat user and really good attitude. Likened him to Christiansen from Geelong when he was drafted and I still think its a good comparison. Not quite as explosive as Harvey but has some similar qualities. Hopefully Hrovat has defends better than Boomer.

Hunter- Trying to think of someone to compare him to. Maybe a bit of Didak about him early days. Big test for him will come when teams start putting a bit of work into him. Got a heap of natural ability so it isn't that difficult for him at this stage. Has almost everything you would want just needs to put it all together. Loved his kick to Gia on the weekend. Really important to have those low to the ground midfield/half forward types who hold up well in a tackle and take their opportunities. Could be really important.

[Go_Dogs]

Good write up .
Hunter's the big surprise packet for me, as I thought he looked a mile off in the u/18 champs

Lots of people and recruiters must of missed the game at Alberton Oval. I walked away convinced he was a certainty to make it. What he's done this year though has been incredible for such a young player.

[Raw Toast]

Fun thread and great post DT.

I agree re Stringer, and the coaches seem pretty sure he is a forward not a midfielder - be interesting to see if he can have brief stints in the middle if needed, but we need him much more as a forward anyway. Also enjoyed his desire to pressure the opposition. I'm looking forward to seeing him and Grant in the same forward line. The two combined very nicely a few times at Williamstown and I think Stringer enjoys bringing others into the game (unless he has a set shot of course - then he's a true hungry forward).

I've also enjoyed Macrea's contested work and tackling - he's also accumulated the ball very nicely as well and looks like he'll be useful on the spread as well as in traffic. Yet to see him really hurt an opposition with his disposal.

Very excited about Hrovat seems to know where to run, and I think the more aggressive gameplan with the emphasis on quick movement is going to suit him nicely - he had some glorious moments against the Saints. Not convinced about the Boomer Harvey comparisons, Harvey has serious speed, still, but can see a bit more of Sam Mitchell. His disposal is sharp enough to make him more than 'vanilla' in my opinion. If he accumulates (and he looks like he will) then he'll be a death by a thousand cuts kind of player. And I think he'll move the ball fast enough to seem speedier than he is. Not so sure, however, how well he'll cope with the spread of opponents.

Hunter has been fun. The development work we put into him last year has paid off a bit - he's hunted the hard ball well, and did so nicely on the weekend. He also however, looked a bit slow with his hands a couple of times as well (though we're spoiled with the amazing hands of Libba and Wallis). He's so smart already but it will be interesting to see how he responds to close attention.

Be interesting to draw Stevens, Goodes, Young and Lower into the conversation as well.

[Pedro Sanchez]

Some really good comments in this threa...

Gotta say I think Hrovat will be an out and out star - maybe the best of the lot. Which says a lot given I rate the whole crop very highly. He's just so polished, hits the ball at a 100 miles an hour and is one grab player in packs where it matters. I see him as a cross between Marc Murphy and Brent Harvey.

Really impressed with Hunter too - didnt have much expectations at the start of the season. Rated his dad though back in the day and its just great to see a kid with such natural traits on a footy oval. Only negative is that when he moves he reminds me of Milne. I know... that's a horrible comparison to make. Apologies in advance.

Stringer and MacRae have been great too - I think their high draft selections have been proven. Still lots of upside and work for them to do, but the raw tools are there to see.

Once Prudden's body holds up lets hope he can have an impact too.

Really think 2012 will be the year the club looks back after winning the 2016, 2017 and 2018 flags and says... That's where it all started ;)

Pick 4 in this year#s draft would be a nice icing on the cake.

[bornadog]

What I like about all the draftees is they all play like smart footballers.

[westdog54]

What I like about all the draftees is they all play like smart footballers.

This is striking me as being a common thread for all of our draftees for the past 2 years.

The weekend that Clay Smith got injured was the first time that I really recognised just what an intelligent footballer he is. His brain is working faster than the rest of him on the field.

[Remi Moses]

Sam Mitchell has 4 B&Fs at Hawthorn and is probably the poster boy for "vanilla" type play.

Gets it and uses it well without being flashy. Every team loves his type.

Agree entirely. Bit harsh the vanilla tag would have thought.
If he turns out anywhere near Mitchell, vanilla's okay.

[Remi Moses]

Lots of people and recruiters must of missed the game at Alberton Oval. I walked away convinced he was a certainty to make it. What he's done this year though has been incredible for such a young player.

Saw the game( on Fox) down at Geelong and thought he looked just okay.
Word was he was carrying an injury, so a bit difficult to judge.

[Ozza]

All of the draftees that have played have been terriffic.

To produce what they have in the first year out of Under 18s - its been an excellent return.

Highlights are;

Stringer kicked 3 good goals against Geelong.

Macrae has looked composed and knows where to find the footy, was able to get 26 possessions together, if I recall correctly, at the Gold Coast.

Hrovat's game against Essendon was the best performance of any of the 1st year players this year.

and Hunter has had good impacts (in particular) against West Coast, and as the super sub a couple of times, include against Adelaide.

[F'scary]

Stringer: f the crap out of the midfielder bs thinking. He is a natural deep forward. Think Gary Abblett Snr.

Macrae: looks like he is going to be quite a big bodied outside midfielder. Nice mover.

Hrovat: another Brent Harvey - enough said.

Hunter: good skills, strong for his size but quick, seems to have overhead capability. Quality high forward / midfield rotater.

Stevens (Macca said he consider him part of the draft period acquisition): good hard all day running midfielder who likes to present for marking contests. Value for pick 40-whatever.

Young: (see above re coach's view on recruitment): big running half back with sweeper style smarts. Unbelieveable value for pick 71.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Interesting that a number of posters believe Stringer can/will shift to more of a mid first/forward second rotation.

I don't see it, personally. He looks every bit of a natural forward for mine. I know he's a little undersized to be a KPP, but he plays like one. I see him as a more physical version of Jack Darling.

Might be able to offer stints in the middle, but I think his natural talents at AFL level are wasted there a little. His true potential (that I've observed, anyway) is as a match winning forward.

[soupman]

At this point Stringer's next step is playing forward properly. That means running out entire matches with defensive pressure and multiple efforts, two things he has lacked and seemingly been excused of this season. I'd be interested to see how he goes in the middle before I call for him to be a midfielder first, but I imagine that he may develop into a bit of Pavlich type who plays predominately forward but can do impact stints in the middle when required. I think with the midfielders that will be on our list we won't necessarily need him to develop into one of the them foremost.

[stefoid]

Theres no reason that Stringer cant eventually pinch-hit in the midfield though - it will help the team by allowing another mid to have a bit of a rest in the forward line.

[Ozza]

Stringer spoke in the social club before the Adelaide game and said;

-Year 1 - just as a forward.
- Year 2- mostly forward and try and get into the midfield a bit.
- Year 3 - more in the midfield.

I suspect we will need him more as a forward - so I guess I hope he is more a forward than anything else. Having said that - his highlights from playing midfield for Bendigo Gold are pretty impressive!

[LostDoggy]

Here are my draftee ratings developed through a season of more drunken, one-eyed barracking rather than composed, thoughtful observation:

Jake Stringer: 7/10. Considering the fitness base Jake is working off, he has a had a fine debut season. Goal sense, overhead marking and physicality were the highlights for me.

Jack Macrae: 8/10. Very composed in traffic which is very impressive for a first year player. Very neat skills and picks the right option when in space, but his work in close and tackling are just as good for mine. Very exciting prospect.

Nathan Hrovat: 7.5/10. Very fast and skillful on the spread but his contested work is just as impressive. Worked a lot with Brent Harvey before being drafted and it shows. With a full pre-season and a good run with injuries you'd imagine he'll cement his spot in the best 22 very quickly.

Lachie Hunter: 7.5/10. In my eyes the most natural footballer of the bunch. Not overly quick but makes up for that with outstanding decision making and silky skills. His work on the contested side of his game with the Club last year has had obvious benefits. Much like Hrovat, won't be long before this boy is a permanent fixture.

*Easy to forget just how young and inexperienced Koby Stevens and Tom Young are and could both be considered draftees. Very good debut seasons in the hoops, with Young especially exhibiting maturity beyond his years (cheers for all the hard work put into him Collingwood). Looking forward to seeing what Josh Prudden brings to the table next season.

[Remi Moses]

Prudden's the one for me who could be a real surprise packet.
I watched a bit of that game he played against The Pies for Willy, and he was very impressive.
Sadly a victim of the alignment the next week saw him back in the development league, and injury put paid to his season.