Rate our draft

[skeptic]

So we’ve taken
Max King
Jack Bytel
Nicholas Hind
Matthew Parker

* Thought we were done... Robert Young. A general forward apparently.

From what I understand, a key forward, an inside mid, a fast paced defender with questionable skills and medium sized skilled forward

Now I don’t know anything about today’s draftees... in terms of balance for our list, it wasn’t what I was expecting... especially after we got King.

What do others think ?

[cwrcyn]

Bytel, according to Luke Power, was considered a possible top 10 pick last year, and averaged mid 30s possessions per game. Was injured all of this year. As far as the others (aside from King) are concerned I have absolutely no idea who they are and what they're like. I'm assuming most on here would be the same. Therefore you cannot rate the drafting

[prwilkinson]

So far so good. Looking forward to the pre season and rookie drafts later today.

[mad saint guy]

Weird. I understand the thinking behind King and Bytel but I'd be stoked to occasionally pick a healthy, well performed kid from the TAC Cup

Parker is a strange one considering he isn't even one of the better performed players in the WAFL and as a 22 year old father, moving across the country to enter an elite sporting system for the first time is a massive challenge.

Hind obviously offers pace but I'm not sure a 180cm 24 year old defender with dodgy skills is what we should be targeting.

And who the hell knows who Robert Young is.

Our live pick trades also seemed entirely pointless and probably lost us value in the end.

Over the years whenever I've been left confused and concerned after a draft, hindsight has told me that those feelings were justified. I'm predicting that one of our injured recruits and one of our mature recruits makes it to 100 games

[Sanctorum]

Very happy that the club, after years of neglect, has at last recruited another 2 indigenous players (Parker and Young) to play alongside Ben Long. Parker in particular looks like a really hard nut and together with the other 2 mature aged recruits (Hind and Young) should, with the benefit of elite coaching force their way into the team next year.

Max King was always going to be picked up at 4 - he is rated to be much like the Sun's (now Tigers) Tom Lynch and may well be in the best 22 early in the season. I expect that his selection as a tall forward, rather than the next best midfielder (Connor Rozee/Bailey Smith), was based on the fact that the Saints selected Hunter Clark and Nick Coffield in top 10 last year.

Jack Bytel (41) aged 18 and 188 cm will complement Clark and Coffield for mid-field selection in the years ahead - if he had not been injured for much of 2018 he was expected to be a much earlier pick.

This is the biggest shake-up of the Saints players list for years, and heralds a new era for the St Kilda Football Club.

[tedtheodorelogan2018]

8/10.

[No.11]

We’re happy. Basically only missed one we would have liked- he went to the Crows

[SuperDuper]

Weird. I understand the thinking behind King and Bytel but I'd be stoked to occasionally pick a healthy, well performed kid from the TAC Cup

Parker is a strange one considering he isn't even one of the better performed players in the WAFL and as a 22 year old father, moving across the country to enter an elite sporting system for the first time is a massive challenge.

Hind obviously offers pace but I'm not sure a 180cm 24 year old defender with dodgy skills is what we should be targeting.

And who the hell knows who Robert Young is.

Our live pick trades also seemed entirely pointless and probably lost us value in the end.

Over the years whenever I've been left confused and concerned after a draft, hindsight has told me that those feelings were justified. I'm predicting that one of our injured recruits and one of our mature recruits makes it to 100 games

gotta say i agree with your assessments here... we were just reaching for types, but none were dominant at the lower level and at ages 22-24 they really should be if they are going to impact at AFL level

baffling to me

Like the look of Bytel though, great kick... and hopeful about King

[evertonfc]

5.5/10.

Good to get Max King.

Pleased to get Bytel.

Parker, Hind and Young were all reaches.

Parker = Looks like a mix of Minchington and TDL.
Young = Terry Milera v2
Hind = Brett Peake v2

All those guys made it to some degree at AFL level, so it's not a criticism - more an observation. Some of Parker's and Young's highlights look great, especially Parker.

But I'd have rathered we took a go at Daniel Menzel as a free agent and taken Jacob Koschitzke.

I think all three would have slid to the rookie draft had we not taken them. I'd have been happy with Parker as our final pick, but as has been mentioned...he's got to uproot a family and he's young.

[SuperDuper]

We’re happy. Basically only missed one we would have liked- he went to the Crows

Will Hamill?

[saynta]

The 5 players the saints drafted are all goalkickers. Ones a tall forward and three of them are mids. All are quick or so I am led to believe.

King could have been a no 1 pick, and four of them are rated by Buckenarra in his top 50.

Bytel (pick 41) could have gone top 20 only for an injured back and was rated by Buccy at 29.

Parker could be anything and Hind is lightening quick. The drug cheats were keen on drafting him.

Young is a bit of a mystery man but he kicked 6 goals in a match in Sth Aussie.

Two, at least, are indigenous and for good measure we have added another Jack. Not sure about Hind's backgound but I see he is likened to Bradley Hill.

A couple are hard bodied, and frankly, tough looking, and together with hind, will add some maturity and experience to our young side.

In the end ,we had 5 picks in the first 67.

Not bad for a club that originally didn't have any 2nd or 3rd round picks.

I think we did exceptionally well but only time will tell.

Personally I would have liked to have drafted another Kossi though.

8.5 out of ten, in the circumstances.

[DJ Higgins]

I will have to do some.research on these guys and appreciate that any pick is a lottery especially later I the draft by didn't we want outside mids. None of these seem to be outside mids. King is a pass as.We all know why he was picked rightly or wrongly but the rest has surprised me a.little. Not individually but as a whole.

[saynta]

I will have to do some.research on these guys and appreciate that any pick is a lottery especially later I the draft by didn't we want outside mids. None of these seem to be outside mids. King is a pass as.We all know why he was picked rightly or wrongly but the rest has surprised me a.little. Not individually but as a whole.

I think we need players who can actually kick goals and provide a bit of pace and X factor.

On the surface they appear to fit the bill.

[saynta]

"The Saints have added electric speed, two elite talents and three ready-made recruits in a bumper 2018 draft haul.

After securing special talent Max King with pick No. 4 on Thursday night, the Saints added all-round midfield gun Jack Bytel with pick No. 41.

Three mature-age speedsters followed, with Matthew Parker (pick No. 47), Nick Hind (pick No. 54) and Robbie Young (pick No. 67) also set to pull on the red, white and black."http://www.saints.com.au/news/2018-11-2 ... selections

[DJ Higgins]

I will have to do some.research on these guys and appreciate that any pick is a lottery especially later I the draft by didn't we want outside mids. None of these seem to be outside mids. King is a pass as.We all know why he was picked rightly or wrongly but the rest has surprised me a.little. Not individually but as a whole.

I think we need players who can actually kick goals and provide a bit of pace and X factor.

On the surface they appear to fit the bill.

That helps sure but our lack of pace in the middle was always our biggest concern followed closely by our rucking and neither of those were addressed this draft.

Not being negative and good luck to the new guys but still no outside run to help Jack Steven.

[older saint]

I like many here don't know anything about the picks later Hind Parker Young.

That said reading about Hind - explosive speed off half back but needs to improve kicking in the modern game is a real worry.
General age of the later picks to smells of quick fix not potential stockpiling , which was always a risk with a coach who will be trying to keep his job in 2019- future is secondary.

Hopefully our recruiting department have found 1 100 game player from the 3 ( would be a win).

Rapt with King, just not sure who goes out long term but 2019 will determine who is the trade bait,, and Bytle reads well as a slider int he draft

[saynta]

I will have to do some.research on these guys and appreciate that any pick is a lottery especially later I the draft by didn't we want outside mids. None of these seem to be outside mids. King is a pass as.We all know why he was picked rightly or wrongly but the rest has surprised me a.little. Not individually but as a whole.

I think we need players who can actually kick goals and provide a bit of pace and X factor.

On the surface they appear to fit the bill.

That helps sure but our lack of pace in the middle was always our biggest concern followed closely by our rucking and neither of those were addressed this draft.

Not being negative and good luck to the new guys but still no outside run to help Jack Steven.

"Pick No. 54: Nick Hind

POS: Wingman
Ht: 180cm, Wt: 75kg, DOB: 19/8/94
From: Essendon/East Point/Keilor

The 181cm 24-year-old will be joining the Saints from Essendon’s VFL team, where he has played for the past two and a half seasons.

His electric pace and evasiveness set him apart, with his ability to out-run his opponents and break through packs a key aspect of his game.

A fully qualified plumber, the multitalented Clunes native should be one to watch in 2019."

And from saints.com.au

"General Manager of Football Simon Lethlean is thrilled with the Saints’ draft haul in the 2018 NAB AFL National Draft.

St Kilda’s list was the second-youngest in the league in Season 2018, and Lethlean said the Saints’ approach was about securing both top-end talent and ready-made mature-agers.

READ: Saints snare stellar selections

“We added Max and Jack Bytel straight away,” Lethlean said.

“Then we’ve brought in some guys that are ready-made, but there’s also electric pace in all three of those boys.

“But it’s a good list profile for us now, bringing some mature-age guys to make an impact…they’re ready to go if they’re good enough, and we expect they are.”

Hopefully, we have addressed our outside run problem somewhat.

[saynta]

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/ ... ae41ea4796


ST KILDA

No.4. Max King (Sandringham Dragons)

No.41. Jack Bytel (Calder Cannons)

No.47. Matthew Parker (South Fremantle)

No.54. Nick Hind (Essendon VFL)

No.67. Robert Young (North Adelaide)

Rookies: Callum Wilkie

SAM LANDSBERGER SAYS: The need for speed was obvious, both with foot pace and a fast improvement next year. The Saints grabbed three mature-age blokes with serious zip and when you throw in former Demon Dean Kent there’ll be some ballistic forward line action next year.

Young has played about 60 SANFL games including a flag and Hind’s burst and creativity set up a VFL finals win for Essendon this year. These blokes will allow Jade Gresham and Jack Billings to play more midfield minutes next year.

Jack Bytel rivalled No.1 pick Sam Walsh as a TAC Cup ball-winner in 2017 but was floored by a back injury this year. The medical team has to get him and spearhead Max King right over summer.

[Red]

Chased players with speed. Got them. We'll see in 5 years.

[saynta]

Chased players with speed. Got them. We'll see in 5 years.

Or less, hopefully.

[dragit]

Good to see richo topping up for a flag.

You have to wonder why Essendon and the WA/SA clubs weren't interested in these mature guys right uber their noses, I hope we find a hidden gem though.

[SaintPav]

Have to say that Jack Bytel’s highlights look pretty impressive.

[CURLY]

Good to see richo topping up for a flag.

You have to wonder why Essendon and the WA/SA clubs weren't interested in these mature guys right uber their noses, I hope we find a hidden gem though.

Essendon were very keen on Hind the other two I can tell you give us exactly what we need. Pace on the outside and excellent foot skills.

[dragit]

Good to see richo topping up for a flag.

You have to wonder why Essendon and the WA/SA clubs weren't interested in these mature guys right uber their noses, I hope we find a hidden gem though.

Essendon were very keen on Hind the other two I can tell you give us exactly what we need. Pace on the outside and excellent foot skills.

Sounds like we jagged 5 superstars then, can't wait!

[Kick-it-lace-out]

For the first time in five years, we didn’t go ‘vanilla’.