Rookie List - Rookie Listing Delistees
Since the inception of the rookie list we have made out like bandits. Morris, Boyd, Dahl, JJ etc. Thousands of games. There's no denying we've done exceptionally well. Going through the drafts this morning I've also looked at the strategy of rookie listing delisted players. This is our list of such players:
Adam Contessa
Brad Fuller
Michael West
Mitch Hahn
Daniel Pearce
Brett Goodes
Josh Prudden
Roarke Smith
Without applying judgements like right or wrong, our club's history seems to indicate this type of use of this list doesn't end with us doing really well for the investment we make. I can see the different arguments for the decision (culture, depth, experience, more time to overcome injuries etc), but I think now after 20 years or so, any decision to give a delistee a rookie spot must mean the club believes the player can overcome our history of not having done it successfully yet.
Rocket Science: the epitaph for the Beveridge era - whenever it ends - reading 'Here lies a team that could beat anyone on its day, but seldom did when it mattered most'. 15/7/2023