Chat with Gary Buckenara as he reviews your club’s 2016 draft picks

COLLINGWOOD still requires depth in key position areas and will need to target talls in the rookie draft so they’re not exposed in 2017, Gary Buckenara says. RECAP GARY BUCKENARA’S LIVE CHAT

RICHMOND’s small forward recruit Shai Bolton has the potential to be the best forward to emerge from this year’s draft according to recruiting expert Gary Buckenara.

The Tigers snapped up Bolton with its first pick, No.29 overall, adding more pace and smarts around goal to partner Daniel Rioli. In an online chat with Herald Sun readers, Buckenara, who helped build Hawthorn’s threepeat premiership list, declared Bolton has the traits to become one of the best prospects of the 2016 draft class. RECAP GARY BUCKENARA’S LIVE CHAT BELOW AS HE REVIEWS YOUR CLUB’S DRAFT PICKS “The best forward ... that’s a tough question. It won’t be one of the tall forwards, I think it’ll be one of the smaller players like Shai Bolton because if the penny drops he could become a really exciting prospect,” he said. Buckenara Bolton to be given a taste of senior football for the Tigers next year but needs to work on his fitness. “Shai Bolton’s area for improvement is in his fitness and endurance, he’s very much an impact player at present as he comes in and out of the game far too often so better fitness levels should help that,” he said. COLLINGWOOD meanwhile must target key position players and find another ruckman in the pre-season or rookie drafts or risk being hamstrung if injury strikes, Buckenara says. The Magpies lost Travis Cloke (Western Bulldogs), Nathan Brown (St Kilda), Jack Frost (Brisbane) and Jonathon Marsh (retired) during the player exchange and list lodgement periods and the recruitment of Lynden Dunn and drafting of Sam McLarty has helped build depth but it remains an area requiring attention. GARY BUCKENARA: RECRUITER REVIEWS YOUR CLUB’S PICKS Buckenara believes Collingwood must target key talls in the rookie draft so it doesn’t leave them exposed next year should injury strike. Collingwood had been linked to ex-Bulldog Will Minson as a back-up ruckman to Brodie Grundy but he announced his retirement shortly before Monday’s rookie draft. “Given that there isn’t much left in terms of that type of player available in youth, maybe they will turn to a shorter term option with their delisted or state-league players,” Buckenara said in a live chat with Herald Sun readers today. “It could hamstring the club if they lose players of that type without any backups or reinforcements so I’ll be looking for them to grab players with height this afternoon, if not it could be a concern.” Who were the big draft winners and losers? Recap Bucky’s chat below.

Originally published as Chat with Gary Buckenara as he reviews your club’s 2016 draft picks