Our recent draftees, have they been given the best chance of making it?

[westdog54]

The thread title might seem oddly worded, so please bear with me as I don't want to confuse people as to what I am trying to get at here.

I was inspired by Dry Rot's thread on draft success rates and a line about facilities and infrastructure and the difference they make. This lead me to ask myself this question:

In the past few years we've gone from a coach who, well, you know, a tiny football department and facilities held together by gaffa tape to having a Football Manager, a great coach who is able to concentrate on coaching, a mini-army of assistants, training facilities that are the envy of many in the competition, but most importantly I feel, two (yes, count them, two) development coaches looking after our kids.

Given this new, improved structure, do the likes of Hill, Stack, Everitt, Grant, Boumann, Reid, O'Keefe etc stand a much better chance of developing into quality AFL standard footballers than guys like Walsh, Power, Faulkner and Skipper, and to a lesser extent Cooney, Griffen and Higgins (who had enough talent to make it no matter what happened)?

I know that with development there is a bit of a time lag of a couple of years and this will be hard to assess here and now, but is the future even a tiny bit brighter given what Cam Rose and David Smorgon have put in place in the football department?

[Desipura]

Re: Our recent draftees, have they been given the best chance of making it?

I look at it this way.........what would motivate you more?
Going to training in an old tin shed surrounded by 4 walls and old gym equipment with rats running around the place
or going to training in a new gym with the latest equipment that can monitor how hard you are working with city views running tracks etc etc etc

[Bornadog]

Re: Our recent draftees, have they been given the best chance of making it?

Personally I feel we haven't given as many guys a go at the seniors. Hill had one game last year and Harbrow a handful and have been given plenty of game time. Ward and Reid debut but we haven't, as in previous years, given any talls a go at senior level. I know the Willy watchers will say, well they don't deserve a call up as they haven't played well. Why is that other teams seem to give their young talls a go, early in their career.

I feel that sometimes playing at a Willy level, compared to seniors, brings out more in a player, ie, playing at an elite level, it sort of rubs off on you and you lift your own standard. I just think we need to debut more of these draftees earlier and see what they are made of.

[westdog54]

Re: Our recent draftees, have they been given the best chance of making it?

Personally I feel we haven't given as many guys a go at the seniors. Hill had one game last year and Harbrow a handful and have been given plenty of game time. Ward and Reid debut but we haven't, as in previous years, given any talls a go at senior level. I know the Willy watchers will say, well they don't deserve a call up as they haven't played well. Why is that other teams seem to give their young talls a go, early in their career.

I feel that sometimes playing at a Willy level, compared to seniors, brings out more in a player, ie, playing at an elite level, it sort of rubs off on you and you lift your own standard. I just think we need to debut more of these draftees earlier and see what they are made of.

I think its fair to say that Grant would have likely played this year had he not been injured, don't be surprised to see him get a go early in the year if he's fit.

O'keefe by all accounts was very unlucky to miss out towards the end, I think we can be happy with his progress.

If Boumann is close by the end of next year I'll take that.

Re Everitt, Stake and O'Shea, can anyone else see the improved development structure bearing fruit in 12 months time? I know O'Shea is one some are looking at as being close to losing his spot but its food for thought.

[Bornadog]

Re: Our recent draftees, have they been given the best chance of making it?

I think its fair to say that Grant would have likely played this year had he not been injured, don't be surprised to see him get a go early in the year if he's fit.

O'keefe by all accounts was very unlucky to miss out towards the end, I think we can be happy with his progress.

If Boumann is close by the end of next year I'll take that.

Re Everitt, Stake and O'Shea, can anyone else see the improved development structure bearing fruit in 12 months time? I know O'Shea is one some are looking at as being close to losing his spot but its food for thought.

OShea is still learning the game, he is from Queensland and hasn't played the game much, only 19 years old. I would stick him on the rookie list at this stage.

Everitt, with a decent preseason and some muscle will be very good, and Stack had a purple patch during the year and could have played, then he did his ankle and hasn't played as well since. Stack is about the same size as Hill and has a better leap.

I think Boumann is some one we really need to work on, he is 196cm and built like an athlete, needs to put on 15kg. can mark a ball, although his disposal needs working on.

Grant is not as tall as I thought at 192cm, needs to grow a few centmetres and put on some weight, but our no.1 draft pick, so hopefully can play early next year.

[Mantis]

Re: Our recent draftees, have they been given the best chance of making it?

Grant is not as tall as I thought at 192cm, needs to grow a few centmetres and put on some weight, but our no.1 draft pick, so hopefully can play early next year.

Do we have a stretching machine down at the club? Might be why he got OP, spent to much time being stretched.

FWIW Fev is 191cm, Pavlich is 192cm and Lloyd is 192cm.

[westdog54]

Re: Our recent draftees, have they been given the best chance of making it?

Do we have a stretching machine down at the club? Might be why he got OP, spent to much time being stretched.

FWIW Fev is 191cm, Pavlich is 192cm and Lloyd is 192cm.

192cm is by no means a bad size for a Key Forward. I think too many get sucked into the Franklin prototype for a key forward when in reality Franklin is a once in a lifetime freak of nature.

If his kicking was as consistent and accurate as he somehow pulled off on Friday night I would already consider him one of the greatest of all time, and chances are he'll get there anyway.

With Grant, when your hands are good overhead you don't rely as much on brute strength. He does need to put some muscle on but his hands will be his greatest asset.

[Bornadog]

Re: Our recent draftees, have they been given the best chance of making it?

Do we have a stretching machine down at the club? Might be why he got OP, spent to much time being stretched.

FWIW Fev is 191cm, Pavlich is 192cm and Lloyd is 192cm.

Tiller is 191cm

I know 192cm is ok, I am sure he will grow a little more. Definately needs to put on 20kg.

[Mantis]

Re: Our recent draftees, have they been given the best chance of making it?

Tiller is 191cm

I know 192cm is ok, I am sure he will grow a little more. Definately needs to put on 20kg.

And I still think he will be ok as a forward option in a few years time. I think he has shown enough to suggest he might be able to fill the "Welsh" role.

[Bornadog]

Re: Our recent draftees, have they been given the best chance of making it?

And I still think he will be ok as a forward option in a few years time. I think he has shown enough to suggest he might be able to fill the "Welsh" role.

agreed, again needs some muscle, and has shown a bit in the past.

[1eyedog]

Re: Our recent draftees, have they been given the best chance of making it?

OShea is still learning the game, he is from Queensland and hasn't played the game much, only 19 years old. I would stick him on the rookie list at this stage.

Everitt, with a decent preseason and some muscle will be very good, and Stack had a purple patch during the year and could have played, then he did his ankle and hasn't played as well since. Stack is about the same size as Hill and has a better leap.

I think Boumann is some one we really need to work on, he is 196cm and built like an athlete, needs to put on 15kg. can mark a ball, although his disposal needs working on.

Grant is not as tall as I thought at 192cm, needs to grow a few centmetres and put on some weight, but our no.1 draft pick, so hopefully can play early next year.

Big enough. I thought his name sake, the great man is 192cm? Am I wrong? I'll check TCD's spreadsheet......

[Bornadog]

Re: Our recent draftees, have they been given the best chance of making it?

Big enough. I thought his name sake, the great man is 192cm? Am I wrong? I'll check TCD's spreadsheet......

193cm

[Mofra]

Re: Our recent draftees, have they been given the best chance of making it?

And I still think he will be ok as a forward option in a few years time. I think he has shown enough to suggest he might be able to fill the "Welsh" role.

Grant looks quicker on the lead than Welsh and his contested grabs (from the videos & Willy televised games) were far more likely to be jumping with/higher than an opponent (Welsh's seem to be either on the lead or through clever body positioning).

To be honest, Grant looks like the classic prototype of a player who has never had to work too hard to be better than anyone else on the paddock, and now finds himself needing to work hard just to make the grade (natural talent isn't enough at the highest level). He really looks to be a "boom or bust" type which I'm glad we took a chance on, rather than a late round "maybe he'll be ok" type.

[Mantis]

Re: Our recent draftees, have they been given the best chance of making it?

Grant looks quicker on the lead than Welsh and his contested grabs (from the videos & Willy televised games) were far more likely to be jumping with/higher than an opponent (Welsh's seem to be either on the lead or through clever body positioning).

To be honest, Grant looks like the classic prototype of a player who has never had to work too hard to be better than anyone else on the paddock, and now finds himself needing to work hard just to make the grade (natural talent isn't enough at the highest level). He really looks to be a "boom or bust" type which I'm glad we took a chance on, rather than a late round "maybe he'll be ok" type.

My comments were referring to Tiller whose named I had bolded.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Our recent draftees, have they been given the best chance of making it?

[QUOTE=bornadog;55086]Personally I feel we haven't given as many guys a go at the seniors. Hill had one game last year and Harbrow a handful and have been given plenty of game time. Ward and Reid debut but we haven't, as in previous years, given any talls a go at senior level. I know the Willy watchers will say, well they don't deserve a call up as they haven't played well. Why is that other teams seem to give their young talls a go, early in their career.

I feel that sometimes playing at a Willy level, compared to seniors, brings out more in a player, ie, playing at an elite level, it sort of rubs off on you and you lift your own standard. I just think we need to debut more of these draftees earlier and see what they are made of.[/QUOTE]


I agree bornadog- the old cliche "never change a winning formula" (at least until midway of season for us this year) is misleading. With a team of 22 players in AFL, unlike the 11 of soccer etc. there is always going to be an opportunity to tinker at the fringes of team- thereby giving younger players a chance to unexpectedly shine- (not to mention sample a largely winning culture).
When games start to be lost late in the season selecting debutants can sometimes resemble acts of desperation. I think selectors have painted us into a corner in a sense....