Live draft thread

[David-Lee]

I think these draftees are great. But supposedly we dont need back man yet basically draft 2 average speed mids who play back and 2 defenders.

Proves what?
Still no outside midfielder with speed.
The biggest need on field and we left it gapping wide open.
Why we didnt trade up our picks ....no free agents or otherwise were willing to move in the trade period.

I am always glad to gather young talent but we literally have 10 players that are the same.

Just can't get thrilled

[Con Gorozidis]

I think these draftees are great. But supposedly we dont need back man yet basically draft 2 average speed mids who play back and 2 defenders.

Proves what?
Still no outside midfielder with speed.
The biggest need on field and we left it gapping wide open.
Why we didnt trade up our picks ....no free agents or otherwise were willing to move in the trade period.

They are both really quick. They are both outside mids with speed.

Clark didnt go to the draft combine but looks very quick. Very quick.

Coffield was one of the quickest at the draft testing (see below). Quicker than Stephenson who everyone wanted because of his pace.

Both will be in the top 5 quickest at the club straight away. Guaranteed.

Smartspeed 20-metre sprint
Jack Petruccelle - 2.87 seconds
Kane Farrell - 2.90
Aiden Bonar - 2.90
Ben Miller - 2.91
Nick Coffield - 2.91
Ben Paton - 2.95
Brent Daniels - 2.95
Stefan Okunbar - 2.95
Jaidyn Stephenson - 2.95
Nicholas Shipley - 2.97

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-10-06/d ... every-test

Clark might be quicker than 2.90.

[vacuous space]

I'm not on board with this defender complaint. These aren't NFL players who are stuck to a position. Clarke and Coffield have played all over the place. Clarke, in particular, played a lot more midfield this year than anything else. Coffield is only a defender insofar as that's one of the many things he can do. For those of you wanting pace and class, he's basically the best example of it in this year's draft. Paton's fast too. They're all long kicks. Clark's the most two-sided player we've had since Farren Ray. I'm very happy we drafted guys who played good footy this year and didn't jump on speculative picks.

[silverhalo]

Kudos to Trout and the rest of the recruiting stuff, all four boys look sensational and are potentially 200 gamers. Welcome to the Saints guys, enjoy the ride!

[samuraisaint]

Paton was a BP in u/18 all australian side. Replacement for Geary at some point??

True but makes it very competitive

B Rice
B Paton
B White
J Webster
D Mac
S Savage
J Newnes

All vying for probably three or four spots.

Spot on. You need depth.
And I would argue that really good defenders are extremely important anyway. How badly did we miss Dempster this year? We keep getting all of these hidings because our defensive skills and game are really poor at times.

I reckon we'll have a mid table finish again in 2018 due to the retirements of club stalwarts, develop the side's capacity to combine well while getting some regular senior games into Paddy, Goddard and Freeman hopefully, and load up on an elite midfielder FA at the end of next year.

[cwrcyn]

Don't know if McKenzie will be a defender in the long term, and Newnes has played on the wing quite a bit recently. So that leaves 5 players for 3 spots, which is just about right.

[DJ Higgins]

Don't know if McKenzie will be a defender in the long term, and Newnes has played on the wing quite a bit recently. So that leaves 5 players for 3 spots, which is just about right.

Maybe but we still have no outside mids which is what we desperately need which was the whole point of this draft.
Who did we get
Hunter Clarke. Defender who can play as an inside mid. We already have a stack of inside mids and hbf. He may be good, even great but he doesn't fill the void
Nicholas Coffield is class sure and here is a great quote about him. "He reads the play better than most when floating across half back while he has played in the midfield at times through 2017." So he has has played in the Mids but he is a half back flanker as well
Oscar Clavarino is built like a key position player but established himself as one of the most damaging rebounding defenders in the TAC Cup this season. Yep a third defender and finally
Paton missed out on draft selection last year as a midfielder, returning in 2017 as a dangerous half-backman with good skills on both sides. So he tried to be a midfielder

So now we go into 2018 with no outside gun nor increase in class in the midfield. We have a back line that is going to be strong but wont have any midfield pace. Yes Coffield and Hunter may eventually move into the midfield but I doubt it will be straight away. So where is the pace in the middle going to come from???

[magnifisaint]

Don't know if McKenzie will be a defender in the long term, and Newnes has played on the wing quite a bit recently. So that leaves 5 players for 3 spots, which is just about right.

Maybe but we still have no outside mids which is what we desperately need which was the whole point of this draft.
Who did we get
Hunter Clarke. Defender who can play as an inside mid. We already have a stack of inside mids and hbf. He may be good, even great but he doesn't fill the void
Nicholas Coffield is class sure and here is a great quote about him. "He reads the play better than most when floating across half back while he has played in the midfield at times through 2017." So he has has played in the Mids but he is a half back flanker as well
Oscar Clavarino is built like a key position player but established himself as one of the most damaging rebounding defenders in the TAC Cup this season. Yep a third defender and finally
Paton missed out on draft selection last year as a midfielder, returning in 2017 as a dangerous half-backman with good skills on both sides. So he tried to be a midfielder

So now we go into 2018 with no outside gun nor increase in class in the midfield. We have a back line that is going to be strong but wont have any midfield pace. Yes Coffield and Hunter may eventually move into the midfield but I doubt it will be straight away. So where is the pace in the middle going to come from???

Ask Trout for a job

[barneyboyz]

Excuse my lack of posting, but of these four selections, can any of them kick a football? That is my main question and should be the main reason for selection. Every player in the first three rounds should want it, but I only want players that can deliver a football

Beautiful kick of the footy

Thanks for that

[Con Gorozidis]

If Coffield ends up like say Isaac Smith does that make him a an outside Mid or a Flanker and does it really matter?
He's a tall gun who kicks goals, breaks the lines and kicks beautifully inside 50 all day.
Maybe some people view Smith as a back flanker?
Not sure. But he has more career goals than Jack Steven.

[BringBackMadDog]

Don't know if McKenzie will be a defender in the long term, and Newnes has played on the wing quite a bit recently. So that leaves 5 players for 3 spots, which is just about right.

Maybe but we still have no outside mids which is what we desperately need which was the whole point of this draft.
Who did we get
Hunter Clarke. Defender who can play as an inside mid. We already have a stack of inside mids and hbf. He may be good, even great but he doesn't fill the void
Nicholas Coffield is class sure and here is a great quote about him. "He reads the play better than most when floating across half back while he has played in the midfield at times through 2017." So he has has played in the Mids but he is a half back flanker as well
Oscar Clavarino is built like a key position player but established himself as one of the most damaging rebounding defenders in the TAC Cup this season. Yep a third defender and finally
Paton missed out on draft selection last year as a midfielder, returning in 2017 as a dangerous half-backman with good skills on both sides. So he tried to be a midfielder

So now we go into 2018 with no outside gun nor increase in class in the midfield. We have a back line that is going to be strong but wont have any midfield pace. Yes Coffield and Hunter may eventually move into the midfield but I doubt it will be straight away. So where is the pace in the middle going to come from???

Have you even seen Hunter Clarke play? He was actually considered too much of an outside player last year, that was the biggest knock on him. So this year he worked on his inside game to try and make him more of a rounded player. Make no mistake he is primarily an outside player who loves to run and carry the ball.

[parkeysainter]

Don't know if McKenzie will be a defender in the long term, and Newnes has played on the wing quite a bit recently. So that leaves 5 players for 3 spots, which is just about right.

Maybe but we still have no outside mids which is what we desperately need which was the whole point of this draft.
Who did we get
Hunter Clarke. Defender who can play as an inside mid. We already have a stack of inside mids and hbf. He may be good, even great but he doesn't fill the void
Nicholas Coffield is class sure and here is a great quote about him. "He reads the play better than most when floating across half back while he has played in the midfield at times through 2017." So he has has played in the Mids but he is a half back flanker as well
Oscar Clavarino is built like a key position player but established himself as one of the most damaging rebounding defenders in the TAC Cup this season. Yep a third defender and finally
Paton missed out on draft selection last year as a midfielder, returning in 2017 as a dangerous half-backman with good skills on both sides. So he tried to be a midfielder

So now we go into 2018 with no outside gun nor increase in class in the midfield. We have a back line that is going to be strong but wont have any midfield pace. Yes Coffield and Hunter may eventually move into the midfield but I doubt it will be straight away. So where is the pace in the middle going to come from???

Have you even seen Hunter Clarke play? He was actually considered too much of an outside player last year, that was the biggest knock on him. So this year he worked on his inside game to try and make him more of a rounded player. Make no mistake he is primarily an outside player who loves to run and carry the ball.

He is a genuine mid that plays inside and outside. Very good pickup. I'm sure Coffield will play mid too at some stage. He is expplosive and has good skills. He could be a top winger and a HB position does suit him though.

[DJ Higgins]

Have you even seen Hunter Clarke play? He was actually considered too much of an outside player last year, that was the biggest knock on him. So this year he worked on his inside game to try and make him more of a rounded player. Make no mistake he is primarily an outside player who loves to run and carry the ball.[/quote]

He is a genuine mid that plays inside and outside. Very good pickup. I'm sure Coffield will play mid too at some stage. He is expplosive and has good skills. He could be a top winger and a HB position does suit him though.[/quote]

From the highlights and what I have read about Hunter Clark has been described as a half back/inside mid and from what I have seen (limited to highlight packages) that is what I have seen. He is good and has the capacity to play as an outside mid at some stage but next year where will he start? In the mids or as HBF?

Same with Nick Coffield. Great defender who may move into the mids as he has the tools to do so but will start as HBF once ready.

But you missed my points. these two picks were expected and make sense but why get another HBF and a KDP who plays better as a HBF when we already have heaps of them and just picked 2 more when there where mids available? Where is the speed and class we desperately need in the midfield coming from next year? I will get behind my team and players but not happy getting IMO 4 defenders, some who are likely to move into the midfield but not for a while

[magnifisaint]

These guys are line breakers. A lot on here have NFI. Sick of the negativity actually sick of the whining and winging

[cwrcyn]

Remember, Brendan Goddard spent his under 18 days as a floater across half back. Turned out a pretty good player and nearly won BOG in a grand final.. There have been quite a few over the years who fit the Coffield/Clark U18 C/V and have gone on to be fine midfielders. I'm sure Elshaug would have by-passed both had they only been seen as defenders. The fact that all the phantom drafts had them described as half back/mids would back that up. The glass is almost empty with some posters on here. Every draft is the end of the world.

[cwrcyn]

Where is the class and speed? Uh....I thought Clark and Coffield had both. Maybe i missed something. Coffield was one of the very quickest at the combine, as was Paton. I'm sure Clark wasn't far behind. All three kick the ball well.

[magnifisaint]

I would like Kyron Haiden
look him up
Potential star, Judd-like, big bodied mid with elite disposal
from Subiaco in WA

you have no idea

[magnifisaint]

Here's Oscar Clavarino's showreel.

Nice in the air. Nice leap. Nice kick. Nice size.

But Jesus Christ he is slow.... I have seen grass grow quicker.

He makes Goddard look quick

Yeah right!

[DJ Higgins]

Where is the class and speed? Uh....I thought Clark and Coffield had both. Maybe i missed something. Coffield was one of the very quickest at the combine, as was Paton. I'm sure Clark wasn't far behind. All three kick the ball well.

Mate, I am not arguing that they are not quick, Coffield and Paton are (cant find Hunter Clarke speed) nor that none of them will be guns. Like all top 10 draftees they look great on paper with a big future ahead.
My point that seems to be lost is we needed an outside mid desperately. We need one now otherwise we will struggle again next year. I do not think one of our 4 draftees played as an outside mid this year. Correct me if I am wrong. Hunter played as a defender and an inside mid depending on which site you go to. But most sites state he's area of improvement is his outside game. Nick Coffield will be a Marshall at the rear before moving into the mids. Paton & Clavarino are backs

So my simple questions were why pick 2 more defenders after Clark and Coffield when we need an outside mid now, and they wont be ready for a while? And where is the midfield pace and class coming from next year, its clear where it will come from in the backs?

[Con Gorozidis]

Where is the class and speed? Uh....I thought Clark and Coffield had both. Maybe i missed something. Coffield was one of the very quickest at the combine, as was Paton. I'm sure Clark wasn't far behind. All three kick the ball well.

Mate, I am not arguing that they are not quick, Coffield and Paton are (cant find Hunter Clarke speed) nor that none of them will be guns. Like all top 10 draftees they look great on paper with a big future ahead.
My point that seems to be lost is we needed an outside mid desperately. We need one now otherwise we will struggle again next year. I do not think one of our 4 draftees played as an outside mid this year. Correct me if I am wrong. Hunter played as a defender and an inside mid depending on which site you go to. But most sites state he's area of improvement is his outside game. Nick Coffield will be a Marshall at the rear before moving into the mids. Paton & Clavarino are backs

So my simple questions were why pick 2 more defenders after Clark and Coffield when we need an outside mid now, and they wont be ready for a while? And where is the midfield pace and class coming from next year, its clear where it will come from in the backs?

Clark had a sore knee during the combine so no 20m sprint recorded. But he looks quick to me.

How were we going to get a gun outside mid who was ready to go next year?
The only one available was Josh Kelly and we tried to get him. As it turns out he was never actually available. End of story.

So we went to the draft and picked up two future gun outside mids.

Thats how the AFL works.

[DJ Higgins]

I agree that I wouldn't expect to get a gun outside mid in the draft but wouldn't it make more sense to draft a midfielder that could play as an outside mid, although not a great one, until either Coffield and Hunter are ready rather than two defenders that have no chance of filling that void?

[Jacks Back]

Don't know if McKenzie will be a defender in the long term, and Newnes has played on the wing quite a bit recently. So that leaves 5 players for 3 spots, which is just about right.

Maybe but we still have no outside mids which is what we desperately need which was the whole point of this draft.
Who did we get
Hunter Clarke. Defender who can play as an inside mid. We already have a stack of inside mids and hbf. He may be good, even great but he doesn't fill the void
Nicholas Coffield is class sure and here is a great quote about him. "He reads the play better than most when floating across half back while he has played in the midfield at times through 2017." So he has has played in the Mids but he is a half back flanker as well
Oscar Clavarino is built like a key position player but established himself as one of the most damaging rebounding defenders in the TAC Cup this season. Yep a third defender and finally
Paton missed out on draft selection last year as a midfielder, returning in 2017 as a dangerous half-backman with good skills on both sides. So he tried to be a midfielder

So now we go into 2018 with no outside gun nor increase in class in the midfield. We have a back line that is going to be strong but wont have any midfield pace. Yes Coffield and Hunter may eventually move into the midfield but I doubt it will be straight away. So where is the pace in the middle going to come from???

Jack Steven is an outside mid who has won 3 B&F's. So to say we have no pace in the middle is a little rich.

[DJ Higgins]

Jack Steven is an outside mid who has won 3 B&F's. So to say we have no pace in the middle is a little rich.[/quote]

Apologises I meant no new outside mid or no new pace. Jack Steven can't do it all himself although he tries to.

[Drake Huggins]

The coach got who he wanted. If we trust in AR then we should be happy.

[Con Gorozidis]

HC averaged 26.8 disposals and 6.7 tackles per game throughout the 2017 TAC Cup season.