Sure where, we missed out on Franklin with an earlier pick (Griffen) in the Williams draft, you can spin the argument for and against Clayton.
The fact of the matter is failing to pick Buddy has not only cost us a great player, it could have set us up financially for the next 10 years.
I watched a fair bit of u18 that year and whilst I am no recruiting expert, I was hoping that we would pick him up. Went on another site and made mention at the time we just had to pick him. Bumped into Smorgon, even mentioned it to him a few weeks prior to the draft, not that he would have anything to do with recruiting.
I dont buy the line, other clubs had concerns/doubts about Buddy as well. Sometimes we over analyse players and overlook one of the most important things......ability.
Just saw K Hunts highlights from the Brisbane / GC game. Man his game is really coming along. Impressive. His hand passes are funny, kind of passes them a few feet in front of the flow along the ground. Harbrow out with a shoulder. Poor guy ^_^
You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships every day. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity. ― Epicurus
I'm assuming you saw Franklin at the U18 Championships here in Melbourne rather than any games in WA? Before the U18 Champioships Buddy was regarded clearly as the number one player in the country but his performance though the Carnival was largely disappointing (very poor) and it's why even the Hawks had Roughead ahead of him. He also had some off field family issues that had some Melbourne based clubs doubting their ability to keep him.
The Hawks nailed the draft netting Roughead, Franklin and Jordan Lewis with their 3 early picks but I don't think for one minute that the Hawks, Tigers or Bulldogs thought Buddy was a 100% safe 1st pick for them. He's now one of the elite players in the game with an athletic prowess that very few players have.
Western Bulldogs Football Club "Where it's cool to drool"
I did see him in Melbourne and I recall a game at Geelong when he hardly touched it in slippery conditons. But when he did, you could see he had an aura about him.
Kicked the winning goal with a mongrel kick on the siren.
I do agree with you that he was not a 100% safe bet as a 1st pick, Collingwood at the time rated Griffen the number 1 pick.
In 11 years Clayton only drafted 3 players over 190cm that have played 100 games- Minson, who at best is a very average AFL player, Williams who would struggle to get a game if Clayton had managed to get any of his other tall player selections right, and Lake.
The scariest thing is Lake was a 50/50 call that Clayton chose at the last selection over a project tall midfielder. To this day the only reason Clayton ended up going with Lake was he thought drafting him would have a more positive impact on his life than the other kid. To say the only gun tall player we picked up under Clayton (perhaps except Jones but that's yet to be determined) was lucky is being generous.
Terrible injury to Gary Rohan. Looks like a tib/fib. Tv only showed the replay once. Ugly stuff.
"It's over. It's all over."
Poor bugger gets hurt alot.
How many close games do Geelong win? They are masters at it.
FFC: Established 1883
Premierships: AFL 1954, 2016 VFA - 1898,99,1900, 1908, 1913, 1919-20, 1923-24, VFL: 2014, 2016 . Champions of Victoria 1924. AFLW - 2018.
Anyone see Huddo giving it to Josh Fraser on the weekend.
I still love the guy!
That was hilarious. Murphy said last night sledging keeps the Beard going, and gives him energy.