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[COLOR="#FF0000"][B]Western Bulldogs:[/B][/COLOR] [COLOR="#0000CD"][B]We exist to win premierships[/B][/COLOR] -
Re: 2012 Draft - Who do you like?
I read somewhere Brogan may play on if needed.Comment
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Re: 2012 Draft - Who do you like?
Exactly, I'm scared. Just read an article on the HUN and it makes pretty sobering reading. I'm all for the new teams being given some help but the armchair ride to a flag that the AFL has provided GWS especially, is outrageous. If you haven't read the article, here is a copy:
GREATER Western Sydney will enter its second AFL season with 25 first-round draft picks on its list.
GWS completed its draft coup yesterday, swapping 17-year-old West Australian key forward Jesse Hogan for picks 3 and 13 from Melbourne. It gives them selections 1, 2, 3, 12 and 13 at next month's national draft.
Last year the expansion club had 11 of the first 14 choices. The growing bonanza has increased fears the league's 18th team will be fast-tracked to superpower status.
Clever manipulation of rules regarding 17-year-old trades has fuelled industry-wide anger that the AFL's start-up concessions have been "ludicrously generous".
Instead of swapping young guns such as Hogan for established AFL players, as had been anticipated, the Giants exchanged them for more top 10 draft selections.
GWS has utilised another rule that gave the club control over 10 players who had previously been on an AFL list or had nominated for a draft. Through this they secured pick 12 from St Kilda on Tuesday for WAFL star Tom Lee.
The free kicks go well beyond prized draft choices.
The Giants will reap bumper salary cap concessions of up to $1 million a season for the next seven years - plus the same controversial cost of living allowance afforded to the Sydney Swans, worth $895,000 in 2013.
GWS will also have a larger list than the rest of the competition until 2019.
But GWS, led by football manager Graeme Allan, has made no apologies, saying it had executed its strategy to secure the country's best young talent.
Clever manipulation of rules regarding 17-year-old trades has fuelled industry-wide anger that the AFL's start-up concessions have been "ludicrously generous".
The AFL sought the help of a sub-committee to design the start-up rules, but former Adelaide recruiting boss Matthew Rendell said yesterday, "There wouldn't have been one recruiter in the AFL who would have agreed with it".
"Their lists are extraordinary. We haven't seen anything like it," Rendell said.
"They will have a whole team of first-round draft picks.
"That's why we are seeing a frantic trading period at the top of the order.
"(Rivals are) thinking if we don't win one in the next three years, we will be shut out for a long, long time."
One respected talent chief yesterday said the Giants could be so dominant over the next decade they could wipe out some rival clubs.
"This could be the death of some clubs," the official said.
"That sounds over the top, but the gap between them and some of the others will be frightening.
"They will have No.1 and 2 draft picks playing back pocket.
"We will be getting them with pick 60 in the rookie draft from Sandringham.
"The new clubs had to be successful, but the concessions have been an unbelievable mistake."
Allan said the Giants were delighted with the state of their list.
"That was the strategy from day one, at the start of last year's draft process, to get a lot of early picks," Allan said.
"Stephen Silvagni and Paul Brodie have done that and the club is very happy and proud of their efforts.
"We've recruited senior players as well, probably older (than was expected) but those under 17s we traded were highly valuable.
"SOS (Silvagni) tried to get senior players but they weren't forthcoming.
"To have five of the first 13 selections, on top of the 11 first-round picks we had last year, puts us in the position to build on an already exciting young list," Giants list manager Silvagni said yesterday.
The 25 first-round picks on the GWS list will include four young stars taken using another special rule that gave them access to the best 17-year-old players in Australia last year, including Jeremy Cameron and Dylan Shiel.
The club also has another unactivated end-of-first-round selection up its sleeve.
Rendell said: "They have done a super job.
"With all the concessions they haven't missed a beat. They've done a ripping job.
"I can't think of a mistake they have made."
Rivals have vowed to try to raid the GWS and Gold Coast list of any homesick or unhappy players.
Gold Coast will boast 14 first-round picks next season.Comment
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Re: 2012 Draft - Who do you like?
Gone way over the top for mine.
Think from 2015 for a decade we should just give them 5 flags each and forget about it .
Created a monster and it will be interesting to see the interest levels for Vic teams in this state.
Want to be careful they don't take things for grantedComment
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Re: 2012 Draft - Who do you like?
Bad, you love your stats. Is Hobdogs post the longest ever in the history of woof?Comment
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