West Coast’s Extremely Underrated 2024 AFL Draft & Trade Period!

[@BDub2024]

Eagles started with 3 draft picks in first 4 rounds. Ended up with 5 picks, and still brought Baker Graham and Owies in. Graham was free agent, but it was realistically a package deal as Graham wasn't coming if Baker didn't and vice versa. All players apart from Grollo was ranked higher than their final draft pick. Eagles got midfield options which were needed, a tough accountable half back and a key forward/defender. This is the third year in a row of good drafting, even though they haven't had a massive number of early picks. Next year they have 5 picks in the first 3 rounds. I feel another 3 good years of drafting will have them set up.

[@LomuHabana]

Hahaha, you mean Grego? You mixed up Gross and Lucca Grego, it seems. Both were third round WCE drafts (46 and 48).

[@BDub2024]

@@LomuHabana actually i meant lukka grego, i was calling him grollo. he is unknown force. his attitude and strength will be 110%. Not clear whether he'll be good enough ultimately. But what a great trainer and impact player on the track, get guys tougher and set the example at the very least

[@LomuHabana]

@ Fair enough mate, was slightly confused.

[@r1ftz793]

Hamish Davis was the real steal, rated pick 30 we got him at 65

[@BDub2024]

Shanahan is good too and Beau Allen is almost guaranteed.

[@LomuHabana]

Some rated Tom Gross in their top 20 and you got him at 46. U18 all Australian, great steal too.

[@deakinpack9920]

Yeah hoping he gets into best 22-24 within the first half of the season even just for a game or 2, Beau Allen too. If they can semi-earn themselves 5-10 games this year, I’d tick them off as good picks.

[@BDub2024]

@@deakinpack9920 There will be a queue of young players wanting a game, so will be really interesting to see selections and who gets delisted at end of 2025.

[@BDub2024]

@@LomuHabana Eagles need mids over a few more drafts. Not many elite and you'd expect a few of those picks not to work out. Then we're playing some of our better young mids in defence Hough and Ginbey for this season.

[@samantha-jane4424]

Owies is an upgrade to Darling in terms of his age, and still being very good in his desired role. Baker as you said is a great halfback, and can be an additional midfield rotation. Provides leadership and premiership experience, while being in the 25-7 bracket which we lack. Graham has the potential to get back to close to his best, which is very good. Was also a free agent, so we esentially lost cap and a list spot. Then we drafted a small defender who can also potentially play mid in Greco, Another decent midfielder in Gross, Davis, Allan and Shanahan who loom as versatile, multi-role players. And my favourite smokey for a future great small forward in Malakai Champion as a rookie. Very, very happy with the draft. It did shock me when we traded down from pick 3, but I feel we did much more than salvage the hand we got, I think we excelled. Still, all drafts will only really be fit for critique in 2-5 years when these players hit 50-100 games.

[@BDub2024]

Jury out on Owies. Don't know anything about him. IF he tackles well and plays team defence then he will get regular games and send a strong message to other small forwards at the EAgles that refuse to tackle.

[@BDub2024]

I'd rather have Baker in the middle and create defensive pressure further up the ground. Cut the supply at the source. We already have an abundance of defnders. Graham could be a very good hard tackling forward. It just sets an example to the whole squad and gives us what we need. A forward who tackles. Guys like Ryan will be under pressure. Greco may not make it, but he's a hard nut and will spread fear during training and show other guys how to go in hard. Eagles desperately needed more than 3 draft picks in this draft. We ended up with 5 picks and still have 5 picks in the first 3 rounds next year. McQualter will love hard tackling guys like Greco Graham Baker Owies... and if they do the hard work they will be rewarded. That will make many Eagles that like to run forward without defending and tacking consider what they need to do.

[@LomuHabana]

I loved Champion for the WA U18 team. Such a damaging small forward, gives me Stengle vibes.

[@samantha-jane4424]

@@LomuHabana yeah. Just got a gut feel that he's going to become a really good player with time and experience. :)

[@LomuHabana]

@@samantha-jane4424 His name alone is deserving of a long and successful career :)

[@RE-1997]

Lucca Grego has been the most impressive of the draftees on the training track looks like he can play round one

[@danielhayhurst-wk7xf]

What have the other draftees looked like?

[@MrScipio72]

Sam McClure would disagree but who gives a crap what he says - he's a flog anyway. Agree that West Coast did very very well with their hand in the draft. Nice vid.

[@centrehalfbench7]

Lmao very valid thank you very much

[@peterhicks3516]

That said, Shanahan was selected as the Centre Half Forward in the U18 all Australian team. As an aside, Gross was selected as a half forward and Allan as a mid fielder. Getting three out of the "top" 23 U18's is not bad Shanahan was taken at 30 and Gross at 46.

[@JamesGibb-z9l]

Forgot to mention Tom Gross came in through the trade which saw pick 3 leave WCE.

[@centrehalfbench7]

Trueee there ya go

[@peterhicks3516]

Jobe Shanahan playing in the first game of the season seems highly unlikely. Jack Williams was much improved in the latter half of the season. He also plays ruck minutes, valuable because I do not see the Eagles going with two ruckmen in the starting 23.

[@peterhicks3516]

If Bo Allan plays half back, and Liam Baker plays half back and Reuben Ginbey plays half back who is going to play mid field; that is the Eagles biggest weakness?

[@centrehalfbench7]

I doubt ginbey will play back next year and I guess baker probably went there to play mid

[@jeffbrown2034]

Jobe Shanahan might play R1 but in the backline if Harry Edwards is suffering from his current injury

[@centrehalfbench7]

Yeah that’s true too

[@samantha-jane4424]

Just subscribed. :) I feel that our defence is definitely thin where depth is concerned. Bo Allan can definitely play a role there as can Luca Greco as a third small/medium defender. I know Maric has been training with the backs too.

[@BDub2024]

I reckon our defence has an absolute abundance of small mid defenders. Basically 9 guys going into 4 spots. Allen is well down the pecking order. I'd try to develop him as a wingman in the WAFL and then promote him. If the coach wants to move Ginbey Baker Duggan Hunt into the midfield then a spot may be available down back.

[@samantha-jane4424]

@BDub2024 at the end of the day, I'm sure I want what the club wants, that being that players earn their spot in the best 22 based on form and performance. I'm happy to keep an open mind until preseason, it will be interesting to watch it all unfold. :)

[@BDub2024]

@@samantha-jane4424 Yes I suspect he will have a negative viewpoint on how the small forwards and mids create defensive pressure. And I'm sure he wouldn't like the ball movement out of defence much either, hence why Baker is going there.

[@zac9155]

@@BDub2024mcqualter said ginbey will be playing in defence like he did the last bit of 2024

[@BDub2024]

@@zac9155 ginbey and baker will be small defenders. Hough Hunt Duggan Maric Cole Johnston will be fighting for the other small defender roles and the rest will be in the midfield or be playing at WAFL level. Its good that Ginbey is getting experience there, but ultimately the Eagles will need a lot more running ability and physicality through the midfield. So a number of those guys may also be needed in the middle.

[@BDub2024]

In 2021 Chesser Hough Bazzo and Williams. At least 3 of those should be very good footballers. Jury out on Chesser. 2022 Ginbey Hewitt Barnett and Long. Jury out on ruckman Barnett. But others will be good to excellent. 2023 H Reid, A Reid, Hall and Johnston. And now 2024 we have more mids. Archer Reid and Jack Williams have huge potential as forward rucks. Shanahan is way below those two and will end up being a replacement CHB replacing McGovern long term. We don't want Shanahan playing forward in the WAFL reserves as the WAFL team will get thrashed every week and there will already be Reid Barnett Livingstone playing as 200cm forward rucks. Flynn/B Williams will be rucking. Shanahan would be better off playing as a defender and growing as a player. I can't see him moving into the forward line with tall players Allen, Waterman, J Williams... then A Reid and B Williams as forward rucks. Shanahan is six in line. Plus remember McQualter is going for a smaller Richmond style forward line.

[@peterhicks3516]

I thought similarly, I had forgotten about Archer Reid as a tall that is also in front of Shanahan. There are more spots for him as a defender.

[@BDub2024]

@@peterhicks3516 I would much rather be a defender at WAFL level currently too. Eagles ressies will finish last again. Maric Bazzo Hedwards Jamieson McGovern will be going for the taller defender positions

[@BDub2024]

@@peterhicks3516 Shanahan is the logical replacement for McGovern long term. Bazzo/Maric can be the third tall defender. HEdwards on the power forward.

[@BDub2024]

Take 2 weeks off soft drinks. Sugary drinks, including juices. Drink cold water

[@BDub2024]

Eagles have an absolute abundance of small-mid half backs, so I can't see Allen playing back. We know that Baker and Ginbey are already going to play half back, based on McQualter's words. Then you have Duggan Hunt Cole Hough Johnston. Maric is training as a defender too. So there are 4 spots in the team, yet 8 guys that would be ahead of Allen. It will be interesting how McQualter plays with the half backs and which ones he puts into the middle or as defensive half forwards. Cole and Johnston are obviously vulnerable. It Hunt and Duggan go to the wings then it gives Eagles an ageing centreline midfield of Hunt Duggan Yeo Kelly... Then you have young pacy half forwards that are struggling to make it as half forwards despite talent. Certainly Dewar and Brockman could easily play a running half back too if given a chance.

[@John-nl2kt]

I would suspect Westcoast to make a massive improvement next season, wouldn’t surprise me if they made the top eight. It’s not rocket science 🦅🥂👍

[@samantha-jane4424]

After the last few seasons in totality, I just do not have the trust to be nearly so optimistic, but damn... I do hope you're right though. On paper though, improvement in every line, and we should expect to be a lot more competitive. New coach and game style though makes 2025 rather experimental.

[@BDub2024]

they will finish bottom 4. Baker and Graham will really help. Barrass is a big loss and if McGovern gets injured then we will have injury prone youngsters in the two key defensive roles. On top of that if Kelly and Yeo run into injury concerns, then our midfield is in real problem with a lack of support. Certainly if Yeo cops enough injuries he'll probably go back as he did in that year under Simmo in 2023 to minimise leg issues. Another half back.

[@John-nl2kt]

@@BDub2024 Nah! There’s too many teams that are going to find that the gap between top four tenth or twelfth is really small and getting smaller! Freo Dockers missed out. So will all the aging teams with their talent.. under Schofield interim coaching stint the team really started to jell and played a much more aggressive game.. confidence is lacking and with a fully fit squad the turn around is expected by many experts.. awesome draft outcome Barras as much is a fantastic player, will be replaced with a much younger faster player.. Barras has some serious back injury issues and he will retire! This opportunity is a cash grab. Warner next year 2026 and we will have probably the best midfield in the competition. Teams like Geelong! Collingwood. Suns. North, Richmond, Crows and Port will start their rebuild.. not to mention Essendon or the Saints..

[@LomuHabana]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@John-nl2kt Suns, Roos, Crows START their rebuild? They have been (re)building for years. More realistic that they have finished their rebuilt by then. Port still has a relatively young list with many key players being in their mid twenties or younger. Geelong doesn’t do rebuilts, they find a way to be competitive almost every year. Saints and Essendon hard to tell tell, Saint will improve I reckon. Essendon no idea.

[@John-nl2kt]

@ back in the day Richmond looked unstoppable,like a team that had it all. Best coach most advanced game plan they could almost breathe under water! That’s just the nature of the game. Geelong struggled early in the season and are now looking slower than previous years. Jake Waterman almost won the Coleman medal in a team that was on the bottom of the ladder that’s all forgotten! Not by Westcoast 🦅🥂

[@babylemonade2868]

Bit stiff on Darling mate.

[@centrehalfbench7]

Lmao nah he’s just washed I stand by that

[@kenallen5193]

Sydney will bottom out under Coxy Warner will be at Westcoast in 26

[@centrehalfbench7]

Not sure if that’s even a big call

[@sleekism23]

They got Tom Gross too for. So it was pick 3 for Baker Owies Bo Allen Tom Gross And Graham too really because if Baker wasn’t coming neither was Graham.

[@garybalranald6323]

I'll take Jagga Smith.

[@centrehalfbench7]

Yeah that’s an interesting way to look at it! Massive haul

[@JeffBurn-b1i]

Mate just take a 1 hour walk after your bucket of chicken, drink ice water and you'll be fine. Also I'm bullish on the Eagles if they hold in defence without Barass, West Coast make the top 8 potentially.

[@centrehalfbench7]

Hahahah brother I’ve lost 21kg got a lot more to go but the kfc ain’t helping lmao

[@garybalranald6323]

You're having a laugh. The average football fan is a potato. If you're talking about players outside the top 10, you're wasting your time. If you're getting excited about bringing in a 3rd rounder to fill a needed flank, you're not really understanding what is important. You can fill your side with 22 good AFL grade players. You won't win anything. If you could, the Eagles would have drafted said players over the decade they didn't have a top 10 pick. Top 5 picks are rare opportunities to get elite players. You don't give them up easily. They should have Jagga Smith. But they don't. It's a fail. It's not even a D. It's an F.

[@seanc1110]

Speak for yourself Mr potato head

[@Whatareyatalkinabet]

Lol stop justifying this. WCE draft is severely overrated. Bo Allan seems a good player but does not fit their list needs at all. Taking Shanahan was a mistake - key forwards is the one thing eagles don’t need especially after drafting Archer Reid last year. Overall, got good players who don’t fit their team at all. Wasted pick 3 for a player they could have got for free as a DFA or rookie draft pick.