Our abysmal draft record; The Roar

[Ghost Dog]

A good article that makes painful reading

Highlights / Lowlights

In 2005 Shaun Higgins (Pick 11) was picked before Grant Birchall (Pick 14) and Max Bailey (Pick 18), Dylan Addison (Pick 27) was chosen ahead of Geelong ruckman Trent West (Pick 31).

drafting of Andrejs Everitt (Pick 11) ahead of Jack Riewoldt (Pick 13), Chris Dawes (Pick 28), Kurt Tippet (Pick 32) and even Robbie Gray (Pick 55) and Justin Westhoff (Pick 71) cannot be forgiven.

Choosing the lanky Jarrod Grant at Pick 5 in 2007 ahead of the big bodies of Ben McEvoy (Pick 9) and Robbie Tarrant (Pick 15) was more of the same, another opportunity being simply thrown away.

Christian Howard (Pick 15) being drafted ahead of Jack Gunston (Pick 29), Sam Reid (Pick 38) and Nathan Vardy (Pick 42) at the 2009 national draft.

http://www.theroar.com.au/2012/08/15/western-bulldogs-still-a-jong-way-away/

[BulldogBelle]

Re: Our abysmal draft record; The Roar

Sorry but who'd have known that those players would've developed the same way with us?

[SlimPickens]

Re: Our abysmal draft record; The Roar

It's doesn't take away from us having few howlers but geez drafting is pretty easy in retrospect .

Don't see his point in us not taking Bailey or West. The others suggestion speak for themselves.

[Maddog37]

Re: Our abysmal draft record; The Roar

If you go down that road then most clubs draft picks can be viewed poorly. 90%of the time there is a better player picked after each draft pick.

Is/has Robbie Tarrant done much more than Grant?

[stefoid]

Re: Our abysmal draft record; The Roar

Clayton valued physical attributes (athleticism, speed, skill) over mental attributes (intensity, attitude, toughness, etc...) which is why he was prepared to pull surprise moves like Walsh at 4, Grant at 5 and Everitt at 11.

He even said somethign about 'being preapred to take on strange cats'. Well Scott, 'strange cats' play the game on their terms, and as it turns out, dont readilly make good footballers.

Poor risk management.

Also he was always into best available with the first round picks - list management was someone elses problem - again, poor risk management.

Jury is still out on Dalrymple. Certainly he looks more likely to pick footballer with late picks than clayton ever was. Had Lewis Jetta not been taken by Sydney with pick 14 we would probably be lauding him as a genius.

[LongWait]

Re: Our abysmal draft record; The Roar

The author of the article tells us that we have monumentally stuffed up by trading in fringe or average players from other clubs who have not delivered. He/she then posits as a major part of the solution trading in Gumbleton or Hansen?

Much of the article relies on providing examples, some very dubious, of better players who were taken after our draft picks in prior years. Every single club could be ridiculed in this way.

I agree with the authors' basic premise that we have drafted poorly and been too quick to trade in questionable talent from other clubs but don't think that the article sheds any light on how or why this happened, nor what we should do to ensure we don't repeat the same mistakes.

[Bornadog]

Re: Our abysmal draft record; The Roar

Much of the article relies on providing examples, some very dubious, of better players who were taken after our draft picks in prior years. Every single club could be ridiculed in this way.

You have hit the nail on the head, we can go through every club and pick out the duds and the players they should have drafted. We haven't failed purely in drafting, we have failed in list management and balancing the list overall.

The same thing happened to us after the Wallace era, we had a bunch of very good players in the over 27 group and then we drafted a lot of young players in 1999/2000. Rhode inherited the situation just like Macca has. I am not saying either coach is good or bad, but they both have to contend with the list they have, our patience ran out with Rhode.

Eade was very lucky to have the 1999 group come of age in 2006 through to 2010, but even during his time, we should have blooded more players, so that we balanced the list from 2010 going forward. Yes we made mistakes in drafting in 2006, but list management was our issue.

We have a big chance this upcoming draft to clean out the list, of at least ten players and set ourselves up for the future. I hope the club has the guts to do it.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Our abysmal draft record; The Roar

You have hit the nail on the head, we can go through every club and pick out the duds and the players they should have drafted. We haven't failed purely in drafting, we have failed in list management and balancing the list overall.

The same thing happened to us after the Wallace era, we had a bunch of very good players in the over 27 group and then we drafted a lot of young players in 1999/2000. Rhode inherited the situation just like Macca has. I am not saying either coach is good or bad, but they both have to contend with the list they have, our patience ran out with Rhode.

Eade was very lucky to have the 1999 group come of age in 2006 through to 2010, but even during his time, we should have blooded more players, so that we balanced the list from 2010 going forward. Yes we made mistakes in drafting in 2006, but list management was our issue.

We have a big chance this upcoming draft to clean out the list, of at least ten players and set ourselves up for the future. I hope the club has the guts to do it.

The club may have the guts to do it. What about the fans?

[Bornadog]

Re: Our abysmal draft record; The Roar

The club may have the guts to do it. What about the fans?

How many games has Mulligan, Hooper, Moles, etc played. They won't mind seeing these guys go, plus a few of the older players like Gilbee, Hargrave.

It needs to be managed, we need to cut our losses.

[Cyberdoggie]

Re: Our abysmal draft record; The Roar

Everitt and Howard we certainly paid overs for. Higgins and Grant clearly could of been anything. When we drafted higgins he was very similar to Ben Cousins, unfortunately leg speed has been so important in the game since then that he now looks slow. Add his injuries and of course you would say it's not a good pick.

Grant has shown that he can be a freak of a player but perhaps it's his body, or his attitude that has let him down. This could of been the case with Buddy Franklin as well, it's just bad luck. Just like cooney doing a career ending knee injury.

[Maddog37]

Re: Our abysmal draft record; The Roar

How many games has Mulligan, Hooper, Moles, etc played. They won't mind seeing these guys go, plus a few of the older players like Gilbee, Hargrave.

It needs to be managed, we need to cut our losses.

I agree with this. Especially now that we have a coach that is known for his talent in developing young men into AFL players. Play to your strengths.

I have constantly wondered though at the issue of cutting players for Bmac. His style seems to be building a very strong bond with the players based on respect and honesty. How will he go telling a player their time is up when said player has done everything asked and is of good character yet simply is not good enough.

[Bulldog Joe]

Re: Our abysmal draft record; The Roar

Can't see even in retrospect that I would have taken Trent West over Addison and not sure that I would have Westhoff even now.

As far as the list cleanout there are plenty of candidates

Veszpremi
Gilbee
Hargrave
Skinner
Mulligan
Fumblekurra
Hill
Hooper
Moles
Panos

and Sherman will be keen to find another home.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Our abysmal draft record; The Roar

Clayton valued physical attributes (athleticism, speed, skill) over mental attributes (intensity, attitude, toughness, etc...) which is why he was prepared to pull surprise moves like Walsh at 4, Grant at 5 and Everitt at 11.

Walsh wasn't completely out of left field. Every phantom draft had him top 10.

Everitt was expected to go much later though.

[Sedat]

Re: Our abysmal draft record; The Roar

Jack Riewoldt is a cancer who will infect Richmond's surge in the next few years. He is the Fevola of the 2010's with his petulant, selfish attitude on the field. That aside, we have undeniably fluffed a number of high picks in recent years - I would go far as to say our 1st round selections of McMahon, Power and Walsh in successive years ultimately cost us a premiership in 2008-2010, we were that close.

[Mofra]

Re: Our abysmal draft record; The Roar

Walsh wasn't completely out of left field. Every phantom draft had him top 10.

Everitt was expected to go much later though.

Yes, Everitt & Howard we probably reached for - some of it was luck, nobody would have anticipated Cooney's knee would shatter, Walsh's injuries, or the fact that Higgins and Williams have had no continuity to their careers to date due to injuries.

Players like Power & Ray were highly rated at the time.

My query has been suspect trading & list management - McDougall cost us nothing and Huddo was a win, but DJ, Sherman, 3 years for Mulligan were howlers.

Thank god we nail the rookie draft compared to other clubs