First Round Draft Picks

[Go_Dogs]

Thought this warranted its own thread after some discussion in the H&H topic, and based on a bit of talk from a Freo mate who I attended the game with who was left lamenting his sides lack of young talent and first round selections.

GVGjr made the following post

As I mentioned I didn't want to derail the discussions about HC and Hrovat however, perhaps the questions around the likes of Webb and Dale shouldn't be if they will be best 22 players, because I think they will be, but more about if they could be potential stars of the game and/or in our best 10 or 12 players.

We have a few A grade players now and something that Dalrymple and his team have done a mighty job in getting them to the club but we have missed two years of first round selections and some of the players on our list might now be used to move us up the draft order.

I look at Fremantle and I think they are showing some early signs of not being able to draft enough 1st rounders. It's food for thought to me.

However I keep reminding myself we had an earlier selection last year and rather than looking to trade it up we down graded so we could get 2 players in the mid 20's. Whilst I agree that we need to continue to add elite talent to the list, at the moment we look pretty solid and should be confident in ending the season with a couple more young players featured in the AA squad/side and recognised as top performers in their position.

Sides like Hawthorn and Sydney (until more recent times) have stayed around the pointy end without taking a significant number of early first round selections and as we become a destination club perhaps our reliance on adding quality through early draft picks will drop a little too.

So, at this very early stage who favours trading up for a top 8 pick and who favours doing something else? If it's the latter what do you want to see?

[The Bulldogs Bite]

In short, we shouldn't get carried away with trying to get an earlier pick. If the opportunity is there and it's the right fit, go for it but let's not unsettle ourselves and do it for the sake of it. Our list is very well balanced currently and we've got more top end talent than most clubs in the league.

Basically - my view is keep an open mind.

[always right]

Watching Hickey's game against Lobbe, and Roughy's performance on Sunday......we may have dodged a bullet in missing out on Lobbe.

[Mofra]

Watching Hickey's game against Lobbe, and Roughy's performance on Sunday......we may have dodged a bullet in missing out on Lobbe.

Throw in Dunkley's game and having Dad on the list - we dodged more than a bullet

[BornInDroopSt'54]

I'm happy to leave it in the hands of our current recruiters as they are doing the best ever job. Hopefully they will continue with the success of their strategies and selections. It's good to discuss options, even better when the incumbents do it for you and get it right.

[bornadog]

If we can mastermind a pick in the top 5 or 6 then I would go for it. We should be aiming to get as many A Graders into the team as possible.

[F'scary]

If we can mastermind a pick in the top 5 or 6 then I would go for it. We should be aiming to get as many A Graders into the team as possible.

We can still get an A Grader with pick 18

[LostDoggy]

We can still get an A Grader with pick 18

Or a AAA with pick 105

[Remi Moses]

Watching Hickey's game against Lobbe, and Roughy's performance on Sunday......we may have dodged a bullet in missing out on Lobbe.

Thought the same watching . Lobbe looked like a statue compared to Hickey

[boydogs]

I think you're asking the wrong question. It's not whether we want to use the picks we have or trade up, it's whether we want to trade players in instead of picking more kids

Our window starts next year IMO, it's too late for any more draftees to come in and be in their prime at the time we will be challenging. They will be starved of game time as Hawthorn & Freo's kids have been

Last window we brought in Sherman, Djerrkura & Veszpremi to fill perceived gaps, which didn't work out well. But if we pick the right players, it's a viable strategy

[GVGjr]

However I keep reminding myself we had an earlier selection last year and rather than looking to trade it up we down graded so we could get 2 players in the mid 20's. Whilst I agree that we need to continue to add elite talent to the list, at the moment we look pretty solid and should be confident in ending the season with a couple more young players featured in the AA squad/side and recognised as top performers in their position.

Whilst the numbers panned out that way I think it's a reflection on how we viewed the depth of draft (or more likely how even we viewed the draft) and the fact that we made minimal changes to the playing list that forces our hand in trading a pick for picks.

Lets not forget we made an offer to Port for Lobbe as well with our first round pick centre of the conversation. By absolute good luck, Lobbe decided to stick with Port.

My view is that if we couldn't get into the top 6 then the fact that the next 10 or 15 picks were quite even meant taking a two for one deal might have been a better option

Sides like Hawthorn and Sydney (until more recent times) have stayed around the pointy end without taking a significant number of early first round selections and as we become a destination club perhaps our reliance on adding quality through early draft picks will drop a little too.

They have done a great job but they are regarded by the AFL playing community as clubs of choice or destination clubs and therefore it's easier for them to attract bigger name players than clubs like ours can unless we pay overs to get a player (Boyd and Crameri spring to mind). How many players on the Hawks list have come from other clubs?

Also looking at the Hawks, they get a first round pick for Jed Anderson not because of what he has done but largely based on perceived potential and the fact they can sell a story that he couldn't work his way into a 3 time premiership team. Their on field success has led an opposition club to pay overs to get a talented player with a few question marks.
Their success also means they get the best of most trades.

So, at this very early stage who favours trading up for a top 8 pick and who favours doing something else? If it's the latter what do you want to see?

We have a young list which is a huge bonus but if there is someway we can work our way into a position to land a potential star player I would consider it. I don't believe it's in our best interest to keep having multiple picks from the 2nd round.

Last years draft was one that addressed gaps in the list, the one before that had us selecting multiple players with very similar traits.
I now think it's time we could potentially use the depth in our playing list to work our way into a stronger drafting position.

It's not urgent that we do it but at least it's a healthy discussion point.

[bulldogtragic]

I don't mind targeting a first round player from the past couple of years. Macca said to me, without the specific name, that he wanted to keep our first rounder in 2014 and use it on Peter Wright. We all know what happened. I'm a massive fan of Wright, if we could get him to walk out like many GCS players have already, then we get a first rounder from 2014. Say our first rounder and Hrovat/Honeychurch or similar, I'm up for that even bringing in another club if there was interest (Redpath, Hamilton etc). A Wright & Boyd combo with Roughy & Campbell, and add in a free agent along the lines of Rich, Hurley, Hooker or Heppell (or Even Bellchambers for depth) then bloody hell... I agree we need a first round quality players, but it doesn't (for me) necessarily need to be this year's draft. We could perpetually target two drafts prior with adding a player to get a top 15 pick player with 15-40 games. Unless Dal has a tractor beam on a player and Macca backs it to happen.

But as I say, if we can land a good quality FA and Wright (or someone like him) this year for our first rounder and a couple of players then that's where my ignorant vote is at. Dunkley & Collins could've been pick 11 each anyway, it's just the order it fell. I can't think of Wright and a decent FA this off season much more, it's too stimulating. Even giving pick 18 2016, plus pick 36 2017 and three players this year to make it happen. I think the real trick is not signing away future first rounders, holding onto future first rounders gives us the option to trade picks up, trade down or package with a player. Now more than ever before top 20 pick players and top 10 players from their drafts are leaving in under 3-5 years. I'd like to plunder this while our talent wants to stay, as no doubt when we come off a dynasty other clubs will raid us too, like they've raided us before. Did I say, Wright?

[boydogs]

Did I say, Wright?

Too similar to Boyd IMO

[always right]

The next player we need to target is a midfielder with pace, good disposal and goal sense. It would complete our side.

[Axe Man]

I don't mind targeting a first round player from the past couple of years. Macca said to me, without the specific name, that he wanted to keep our first rounder in 2014 and use it on Peter Wright. We all know what happened. I'm a massive fan of Wright, if we could get him to walk out like many GCS players have already, then we get a first rounder from 2014. Say our first rounder and Hrovat/Honeychurch or similar, I'm up for that even bringing in another club if there was interest (Redpath, Hamilton etc). A Wright & Boyd combo with Roughy & Campbell, and add in a free agent along the lines of Rich, Hurley, Hooker or Heppell (or Even Bellchambers for depth) then bloody hell... I agree we need a first round quality players, but it doesn't (for me) necessarily need to be this year's draft. We could perpetually target two drafts prior with adding a player to get a top 15 pick player with 15-40 games. Unless Dal has a tractor beam on a player and Macca backs it to happen.

But as I say, if we can land a good quality FA and Wright (or someone like him) this year for our first rounder and a couple of players then that's where my ignorant vote is at. Dunkley & Collins could've been pick 11 each anyway, it's just the order it fell. I can't think of Wright and a decent FA this off season much more, it's too stimulating. Even giving pick 18 2016, plus pick 36 2017 and three players this year to make it happen. I think the real trick is not signing away future first rounders, holding onto future first rounders gives us the option to trade picks up, trade down or package with a player. Now more than ever before top 20 pick players and top 10 players from their drafts are leaving in under 3-5 years. I'd like to plunder this while our talent wants to stay, as no doubt when we come off a dynasty other clubs will raid us too, like they've raided us before. Did I say, Wright?

Wright recently signed a one year contract extension to the end of 2017. Not that it means he can't be traded of course, but it makes it harder.