Cupid Stunt said:
To either of you, are Western likely to pick up some young fella that can be an asset straight away? Not a game winner necessarily but someone who can do more than make up the numbers?
That's always the $64 question surrounding the draft, Cupid.
From how I read it, the only topline pick who is highly likely to settle straight into Seniors football is Ryan Griffen.
It now appears almost certain that Brett Deledio & Richard Tambling will go with the top two picks (probably in that order). Deledio has had injury concerns this season and is still only 17. Tambling is already being talked about as the finest aboriginal footballer ever and potentially the most exciting player to emerge from the draft system ever, but there are concerns over his weight at a mere 68kg.
This means that the Bulldogs will have to weigh-up with pick 3 if they should take the next best available player, which would be Griffen. Griffen would give you a ready to roll player, but the Hounds appear reasonably well off for midfielders, but are very light-on for capable talls. I'd be surprised if they didn't prefer to punt on Lance Franklin from WA, who would be the next most likely of the topliners to get an early start in the top squad. Franklin is an exciting key forward type, but doubts remain over his mental fortitude, as apparently he has a tendency to tank badly when the ball isn't running his way. The Hounds would appear almost certain to take burgeoning ruck type Cameron Wood (compared to a young Shaun Rehn) with pick 6, but it would be unlikely that he would play Seniors in 2005, but who can really tell?
The Bulldog use of pick 3 will have huge ramifications for Hawthorn, which also desperately needs to get at least one gun young kpp type. The Tigers need this also, but if the Hounds choose Franklin, they can simply follow-up on pick 4 by choosing gun youngster Jarryd Roughhead. If the Bulldogs pick Griffen, then Richmond will plumb for either of the aforementioned talls and Hawthorn will take the one remaining.
If, however, the Hounds run with Franklin (as I expect that they will), then Roughhead will be Punt Rd bound and Hawthorn will be left with a hard call to make on Griffen. In this instance, they will be sorely tempted to snare Wood or Fabian Deluca (also an exciting ruck prospect) with pick 5, anticipating that the Hounds will take the remaining player with pick 6, allowing them to pick up next best kpp type Monfries with pick 7. Assuming that the Hounds don't opt for Griffen at 6, this would perversely deliver a major coup to either Collingwood at 8, or Adelaide at 9; with one of these sides snaring Griffen, who for many months had been talked up as a top two selection.
Should be very interesting indeed, this draft... Bring it on!
CyberKev
