Rookie List Strategy 2018

[Remi Moses]

Tended to be a lot of recycled players picked up meaning most recruiters thought the young talent pool was empty

[Twodogs]

So if Gowers was to force his way into the Dogs AFL side in 2018, what role/position would he be playing?

Across half forward I would think. He's a very strong Mark and will take a opposition defender to man him up at least.

[mjp]

Tended to be a lot of recycled players picked up meaning most recruiters thought the young talent pool was empty

Disagree. Many clubs seem to use the rookie draft to grab 'break glass if emergency' type players who can come in, play for a few weeks if a best 22 player is injured and then be consigned back to the wilderness again...a lot of the time young players either don't have the ability (or the faith of the match committee) to hold the fort for a few weeks.

Once upon a time (see JJ, Dalhaus, Skinner) we were not really one of 'those' clubs and seemed to use the rookie draft to grab planners who had an elite attribute but were far from a finished product...now it seems we are.

[Twodogs]

Dalrymple is an astute recruiter and has a near unparalleled eye for talent.

Bevo is an astute man manager and has a near unparalleled feel for group dynamics.

Maybe he thought picking Gowers was more of a cultural fit?

So happy we got Gowers. Great mark, big body and uses it well. I've seen him crunch a few this season. Happy for Roarke as well.

I'm sure Dal would've stated his case and a collective decision would been made. Maybe Dal had a better man but we'll never know.

Why have a recruiter then? Cultural fit doesn't hit targets or register goals. Plenty of players left would have had the same cultural fit. Gowers first and foremost needs to be seen as being able to make the grade as an afl player. Cultural fit or rewarding Footscray players with a limited afl list spot is not to my reckoning a good enough reason to overlook talented kids. Surely our benchmark of entry to the list is potential to make the grade. Averaging 16 touches a game, only in the top 3 votes on three occasions and a goal a game (1.1 behinds a game, so less than 50% accuracy) is somewhat underwhelming for a player in the VFL. If Dalrymple said no and was overturned, it would be disappointing. Since we will never know if it's true, it's a moot point and really not worth this long post...

I read through the year that Dalrymple had to hold out for JJ and Dahlhaus when Bmac (I think he was the coach at the time) wanted to get a couple of recycled players into the rookie list.

[macca]

Grabbing recycle players and missing JJ and Dalhouse would have been a travisty( yes I am being a bit melodramatic). Both these guys have elite attributes. JJ in speed and dalhouse in his agility and ball and goal sense. In darlymple we trust to unearth a rookie gem.

[Ozza]

Tend to agree. Essendon took Trent Mynott the pick after Gowers. Hope I'm wrong but reckon that'll hurt in a few years time.

Clubs had a combined 78 picks in the draft, and a further 10 in the rookie draft before Mynott was picked up. If the recruiters in the land passed up on him 88 times, its a reasonable indication that he wasn't that highly rated.

[LostDoggy]

Clubs had a combined 78 picks in the draft, and a further 10 in the rookie draft before Mynott was picked up. If the recruiters in the land passed up on him 88 times, its a reasonable indication that he wasn't that highly rated.

Over 100 looked past Chris Grant, or any of the other low draft/rookie list players over the years that turned out to be good players. Being the 88th guy picked doesn't mean you can't be any good.

[Ozza]

Over 100 looked past Chris Grant, or any of the other low draft/rookie list players over the years that turned out to be good players. Being the 88th guy picked doesn't mean you can't be any good.

Agree that it doesn't mean he can't be any good. But I think its also fair to say that a fair bit more time and expertise is in the game now, than 20 years ago when Grant was picked up (and Grant was 15 on draft day!).

But we also picked Liam Picken up from a similar scenario as Billy Gowers, and not many on here thought his VFL showings indicated he could make the grade.

[Mofra]

But we also picked Liam Picken up from a similar scenario as Billy Gowers, and not many on here thought his VFL showings indicated he could make the grade.

Mick Malthouse wanted Picken when Collingwood had the Williamstown alignment but was told no by his recruiters because he was "a bit scrappy".

Scrappy is all the rage now. Gowers could well play games next year given Lippy & Greene aren't ready and Dickson had a mare last year.

[Sedat]

My Carlton mates were surprised he was delisted at the end of last year as he showed great form for the last 3 months of the season after returning from a lengthy injury lay-off. He's carried that good form through to Footscray in 2017 and is only 21 yo.

Only 10 U18 players were selected yesterday - sounds like, in the eyes of the recruiters, the U18 talent pool was extinguished in the ND on Friday.

[bornadog]

I read through the year that Dalrymple had to hold out for JJ and Dahlhaus when Bmac (I think he was the coach at the time) wanted to get a couple of recycled players into the rookie list.

JJ and Dahl were chosen under Rocket.

[Sedat]

It's been pretty lonely being on the Dylan Buckley bandwagon but I reckon he'll do some good things at GWS. He is the type of player whose skill set will thrive at a better team. With Wilson gone and Shaw on his last legs, Buckley is an ideal fit for GWS.

[LostDoggy]

Billy certainly seems a character. If his phillygowers account on instagram is anything to go by, he'll fit in a treat with Libba, Biggsy and co....

[chef]

Billy certainly seems a character. If his phillygowers account on instagram is anything to go by, he'll fit in a treat with Libba, Biggsy and co....

Haha yeah i saw him being walked like a dog. Interesting.

[Twodogs]

Over 100 looked past Chris Grant, or any of the other low draft/rookie list players over the years that turned out to be good players. Being the 88th guy picked doesn't mean you can't be any good.

Agree that it doesn't mean he can't be any good. But I think its also fair to say that a fair bit more time and expertise is in the game now, than 20 years ago when Grant was picked up (and Grant was 15 on draft day!).


But we also picked Liam Picken up from a similar scenario as Billy Gowers, and not many on here thought his VFL showings indicated he could make the grade.

That was a bit different in that he was 15 and we were the only club who knew he existed.