2008 Draft

[mad saint guy]

Just remembered our first round pick Tom Lynch is still in the AFL and I had a look at the draft that year...We really, really, horribly screwed that up. It's probably easier to pick the kids who WON'T make it from the first 40 picks of that draft than name those who will, but here are some players we could have taken instead of Lynch:

Luke Shuey
Jackson Trengove
Hayden Ballantyne
David Zaharakis
Nick Suban
Dayne Beams
Jack Redden
Dan Hannebury
Zac Clarke
Jordan Roughead
Liam Shiels
Steven Motlop
Rory Sloane

All taken between Lynch at 13 and our next pick, Stanley at 47. I'm glad our recruiters have stopped trying to outsmart everyone because our 'unconventional' recruiting (Brad Howard anyone?) is the main reason why we're in this lull right now.

[gringo]

Ross wanted another mid sized forward in the mould of Ryan O Keefe so bad he went nuts on recruiting them with a 0 strike rate. All gone. If only we had gone after a couple of elite mids in those years. Only Beams, Hannerbury and Shuey are looking like elite players with Sloan pretty close too. the rest are all good to ok. Hindsight recruiting is depressing as we can all see now.

[SainterK]

[mad saint guy]

Ross wanted another mid sized forward in the mould of Ryan O Keefe so bad he went nuts on recruiting them with a 0 strike rate. All gone. If only we had gone after a couple of elite mids in those years. Only Beams, Hannerbury and Shuey are looking like elite players with Sloan pretty close too. the rest are all good to ok. Hindsight recruiting is depressing as we can all see now.

Redden would walk into our midfield, Trengove would be our ideal full back at 197cm and around 100kg, Clarke would be an excellent second ruck, Zaharakis would be an excellent outside mid. The first two rounds of that draft could go down as the best ever. In those first 40 picks I'd say only 3 or 4 won't reach 100 games.

[plugger66]

Ross wanted another mid sized forward in the mould of Ryan O Keefe so bad he went nuts on recruiting them with a 0 strike rate. All gone. If only we had gone after a couple of elite mids in those years. Only Beams, Hannerbury and Shuey are looking like elite players with Sloan pretty close too. the rest are all good to ok. Hindsight recruiting is depressing as we can all see now.

And how do you know that? Sounds like made up rubbish but if true i would have Siposs was a mid sized forward. I would think like just about every club the number one pick is decided by recruiting staff so John Peake was the problem not RL.

[Con Gorozidis]

Ross wanted another mid sized forward in the mould of Ryan O Keefe so bad he went nuts on recruiting them with a 0 strike rate. All gone. If only we had gone after a couple of elite mids in those years. Only Beams, Hannerbury and Shuey are looking like elite players with Sloan pretty close too. the rest are all good to ok. Hindsight recruiting is depressing as we can all see now.

And how do you know that? Sounds like made up rubbish but if true i would have Siposs was a mid sized forward. I would think like just about every club the number one pick is decided by recruiting staff so John Peake was the problem not RL.

I think our financial accounts will show we were grossly under-resourced in recruitment back in those days. Was pretty much one bloke, a clipboard and some random supporters calling in 'smokeys' . Not a real good set-up compared to 90% of the AFL. No surprise we got rubbish results. Hopefully we are at least now average in the AFL in this area. But sheesh. We are paying for it now. Piss poor mgt.

[DK27]

Jackson Trengrove was the one I wanted us to go after that year. Early on was rated top 5 or so but injuries meant he slipped down the order. He also could have been another Gumbelton and been injured for ever though as well.

Interesting now, that Suban was highly rated, and many thought he would be our first pick. Not the style of player we desperately need anyway. Sloane was down the order for most experts but has come good and going great at Adelaide. Beams' tatts scared a few recruiter off. He is the best of all of them now. Hannabery and Shiel were bottom age so harder to spot but had it all. Speed, skills and attitude. I hoped either would slip to our Stanley/Heyne picks but that didn't happen.

If Stanley gets his body right, he may end up the steal of that draft. Here's hoping.

[noob]

I honestly don't know how Lynch got picked at that selection. I thought he would have been a 3rd or 4th rounder.

[noob]

I honestly don't know how Lynch got picked at that selection. I thought he would have been a 3rd or 4th rounder.

[SaintPav]

I honestly don't know how Lynch got picked at that selection. I thought he would have been a 3rd or 4th rounder.

Try Stewart Loewe.

[The Redeemer]

Well we cannot do well in all drafts however sheesh that one was buggered.

I do not believe anyone should ever draft a pure 'medium' with such a high pick anyway.

Draft an above averaged size bloke with the idea of him becoming a tall and a small with the idea of becoming a mid.

[mick13]

I remember just before that draft everyone was hoping for Hurley to slide or to pick up Trengove.

Then some rumours about Saints being keen on Lynch...Who's Tom Lynch...?

Alas.

Is it cancelled out by getting Siposs at 75? And picking up Newnes with the pick we got for Lynch?

I hope so.

[The Redeemer]

I remember just before that draft everyone was hoping for Hurley to slide or to pick up Trengove.

Then some rumours about Saints being keen on Lynch...Who's Tom Lynch...?

Alas.

Is it cancelled out by getting Siposs at 75? And picking up Newnes with the pick we got for Lynch?

I hope so.

I guess we should not make those arguments and perhaps state that choosing a pure medium who was neither quick, strong, tall or short was a big mistake. Choosing a Johnny Everyman type player who's best attributes were 'footy smarts' as an 18 year old is a little bizarre.

[Freebird]

Ross wanted another mid sized forward in the mould of Ryan O Keefe so bad he went nuts on recruiting them with a 0 strike rate. All gone. If only we had gone after a couple of elite mids in those years. Only Beams, Hannerbury and Shuey are looking like elite players with Sloan pretty close too. the rest are all good to ok. Hindsight recruiting is depressing as we can all see now.

And how do you know that? Sounds like made up rubbish but if true i would have Siposs was a mid sized forward. I would think like just about every club the number one pick is decided by recruiting staff so John Peake was the problem not RL.

Was expected to go late 2nd round - 3rd round....was hoping they saw something that was not recognised by most other so called experts

Howard (smokie) taken at pick 26 in strong draft was irresponsible

[mad saint guy]

Was expected to go late 2nd round - 3rd round....was hoping they saw something that was not recognised by most other so called experts

Howard (smokie) taken at pick 26 in strong draft was irresponsible

Agree on both counts. Lynch was a mid-range player taken way too high because Lyon wanted someone to fill a 'role'. The Howard selection was a massive error and reeks of a recruiter letting his ego get out of control. Still available (and highly rated) players such as Eric McKenzie, Kurt Tippet, Todd Goldstein, Will Schofield and Chris Dawes were overlooked for a short kid who was quick but never really got the footy or had any skill.

[plugger66]

Was expected to go late 2nd round - 3rd round....was hoping they saw something that was not recognised by most other so called experts

Howard (smokie) taken at pick 26 in strong draft was irresponsible

Agree on both counts. Lynch was a mid-range player taken way too high because Lyon wanted someone to fill a 'role'. The Howard selection was a massive error and reeks of a recruiter letting his ego get out of control. Still available (and highly rated) players such as Eric McKenzie, Kurt Tippet, Todd Goldstein, Will Schofield and Chris Dawes were overlooked for a short kid who was quick but never really got the footy or had any skill.

I totally disagree that RL wanted someone to fill a role at pick one for us. Again I say it is made up rubbish.

[kosifantutti]

I remember just before that draft everyone was hoping for Hurley to slide or to pick up Trengove.

Then some rumours about Saints being keen on Lynch...Who's Tom Lynch...?

Alas.

Tom Lynch is they guy they predicted to go to us at pick 13 in the AFL Phantom Draft. Orignally they had Blease going to us but did a rearrangement when they heard Freo were keen on Hill at pick 3.

A lot of revisionist history going on in this thread.

http://www.afl.com.au/News/AFLBlogs/Blo ... wsId=70169

[kosifantutti]

Ross wanted another mid sized forward in the mould of Ryan O Keefe so bad he went nuts on recruiting them with a 0 strike rate. All gone. If only we had gone after a couple of elite mids in those years. Only Beams, Hannerbury and Shuey are looking like elite players with Sloan pretty close too. the rest are all good to ok. Hindsight recruiting is depressing as we can all see now.

So why did we bid on Ayce Cordy?

[Iceman234]

How many ways can Hannebery be spelled???

That's more relevant than who we took in the draft in 1894.

[bobmurray]

Let's just hope we are over making such glaring recruiting blunders, we can't afford it. I think the current recruiting set up is better than what we've had for
sometime, this up coming tip out, top up period is their big test.....

[Scoop]

Was expected to go late 2nd round - 3rd round....was hoping they saw something that was not recognised by most other so called experts

Howard (smokie) taken at pick 26 in strong draft was irresponsible

Agree on both counts. Lynch was a mid-range player taken way too high because Lyon wanted someone to fill a 'role'. The Howard selection was a massive error and reeks of a recruiter letting his ego get out of control. Still available (and highly rated) players such as Eric McKenzie, Kurt Tippet, Todd Goldstein, Will Schofield and Chris Dawes were overlooked for a short kid who was quick but never really got the footy or had any skill.

Lynch was solely a Peake selection.

Howard was a ridiculous selection at the pick he went.

There are not too many unknowns that work....we had ours with Gwilt.....JB should have stopped there. Alas Sweeney, Raymond and Howard followed.

[Animal Enclosure]

I love how you blokes can rewrite history as fact from the comfort of your lounge rooms.

[QuestionOfAccuracy]

"The 2009 drat tells a similar tale: only one of the six draftees remains at the club (Nick Winmar)."

http://www.redwhiteandblack.com.au/2012 ... sons-past/

[matrix]

sloane

crows picked a belter there

id have him in the side in a heartbeat

[saint66au]

Revisionist history or not, our "black hole" from those two years is a big factor is our slip down the ladder right now IMO.

On the TAC Cup program recently Terry Wallace ranked the clubs according to the current success of players in the 21-25 age bracket. Along with the Bulldogs we were 2nd last above only Gold Coast. No surprise we have been the two "sliding" clubs of the last 2 years.

Rhys Stanley and Jack Steven...Nick Winmar..in the hard light of day sadly they dont yet belong in a bunch that contains, Beams, Hanneberry, Suban, Sloane or Redden.