04-08-2019, 04:32 AM
(04-08-2019, 04:07 AM)WASurfer link Wrote:EB...agree on the drafting of quality users of the ball but have we missed the boat in the last 4 drafts? In 2015 we went for talls in Weitering, McKay, Curnow and then Cunningham with the last pick in the first 20. In 2016 it was SPS and Fisher (then Polson). In 2017 it was Dow and O'Brien. Walsh was the unanimous pick as number 1 last year but if there was a knock on him, it was his finishing.
I still get frustrated with blowing pick 10 on O'Brien. I had the misfortune to attend the game against Brisbane last year at the Gabba and I lost count of the number of times he kicked it STRAIGHT to an opponent. He did much the same on the weekend apart from one pass that hit Casboult. The club had it's eyes on Tim Kelly but he was gone by the time our next pick came....hindsight is wonderful in AFL Drafts but he was one we missed (along with a few other clubs) badly.
As an aside, talked about top-up players prior to this season and in a number of posts I said the club should be looking at Jye Bolton from Claremont.....first weekend of WAFL games just gone and another BOG for Claremont. I'd be staggered if he's not picked up as part of this supplemental/mid-season draft.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. O'Brien vs Kelly can't be judged right now - not by a long long way.
O'Brien looks to be in the middle of some pretty solid second year blues. His running ability is elite and his ball use is generally pretty good. He's light though and will take some time.