How did it come to this?

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Re: How did it come to this?

A few phantom drafts had us interested in Ashley Hansen with our second pick (pick 28). We traded that pick away for Daniel Bandy and Hansen lasted until pick 34.

The other standout that year was Quinten Lynch. He was touted as top 20 but ended up getting taken in the rookie draft (the David Gourdis of his time). We used the last pick of the proper draft on Aaron James - a knucklehead who's knee was so shot he couldn't move.
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I guess it underlines for me that drafting a good tall requires a certain amount of good fortune but that it is a calculated lucky dip... Dogs at the time figured Bandy would solve some short term issues and give us a chance at immediate success.... In hindsight it didn't pan out... and now we look back and say gee I wish we had've kept the draft pick and taken Hansen.
For me this screams ... make the best your own luck and where possible take the punt on a youngster in the draft rather than trying to reinvent the wheel with a recycled player.
I guess the only time if it were me I might alter this course is where you have significant depth and therefore won't be left with no other option if the recycled player doesn't pan out.

[Mofra]

Re: How did it come to this?

None of these were drafted to the club as KPFs though, were they.

Well, I'd say yes they were. If someone plays all their junior football in a position, that is generally where they are going to be envisinged playing in the future.
To go over my list:

Harris/Lake - was a forward - Played up forward prior to a permanent shift back
Skipper - forward - Played forward in his first few AFL games. Dermie even mentioned he liked the look of him at CHF aginst Brisbane
Minson - forward ... and is now being groomed there
Wight - ruck/untility Now being groomed as a forward
Baird - forward Never played anywhere but forward
Williams - Wing? Playing CHB straight after we had Hargrave playing CHB. Might go forward, but time will tell
J. Grant - forward Will play forward
Boumann - forward Who knows
Wells - forward Tried & trained as forward.
Everitt - defender Having a go on the wing as well as back
Mulligan & Shaw - ruck Both played ruck for the Gulls
That ex-Collingwood dud - forward About as effective as Wells

KPP forwards are not easy to find or develop, which is why some forwards will end up down back. Pretigiacomo, Clement, early Gehrig, Rutten, etc. were all young forwards & drafted as such.

[Bornadog]

Re: How did it come to this?

Looking at the list above, we have tried to recruit a tall forward but either they didn't work out or they are still developing. We know that talls take a lot longer to develop and don't peak till their mid 20's, which means we have to stick to a plan with Wight, Minson, Skipper and the next two groups in Everrit, Williams, Grant and Bouman, until one of them comes good. Of course they have to also show something, not just be in the side because they are tall.