#SaintsFutureFest - what happened

[mordiboyz]

At the end of our season in 2014 when we finished last. Our list managers went on a 4 week spree and resigned a huge number of our young and unproven players.

It was billed as #SaintsFutureFest

These are the St Kilda players who signed as part of #SaintsFutureFest over the four weeks in 2014:

Luke Dunstan, Josh Saunders, Jack Newnes, Lewis Pierce, Nathan Wright, Jimmy Webster, Blake Acres, Eli Templeton, Spencer White, Darren Minchington, Seb Ross, Daniel Markworth, Tom Curren, Brodie Murdoch, Josh Bruce, Cameron Shenton, Billy Longer, Tom Lee and Jack Billings.

It's now time to analyse #SaintsFutureFest

[saintsRrising]

I am told we had excellent player development of them. Evidently it is the THE reason why we are retaining our Head Coach.

[parkeysainter]

If every kid we drafted turned out to be a good player then we wouldn't ever need to participate in the draft again.

Unfortunately, alot of draftees never make it or come good at every club for a number of reasons. Its a hard science to predict if any U/18 kid has what it takes to have a 10+ year career in the AFL.

[saintspremiers]

If every kid we drafted turned out to be a good player then we wouldn't ever need to participate in the draft again.

Unfortunately, alot of draftees never make it or come good at every club for a number of reasons. Its a hard science to predict if any U/18 kid has what it takes to have a 10+ year career in the AFL.

That’s Apologist 101 and straight out of The Richo Handbook.

How have other clubs fared?

Surely nowhere near as bad as us

[mordiboyz]

Favourite player of this group was Spencer White. Still no idea why we delisted him, didn't seem to get a game until it was too late

Going OK in the WAFL. Best of luck to the guy.

[Saintmatt]

Favourite player of this group was Spencer White. Still no idea why we delisted him, didn't seem to get a game until it was too late

Going OK in the WAFL. Best of luck to the guy.

We all wanted 'White Buddy' to work and become a gun - possibly one of the laziest humans ever to be drafted however. Just our luck.

[amusingname]

If every kid we drafted turned out to be a good player then we wouldn't ever need to participate in the draft again.

Unfortunately, alot of draftees never make it or come good at every club for a number of reasons. Its a hard science to predict if any U/18 kid has what it takes to have a 10+ year career in the AFL.

That’s Apologist 101 and straight out of The Richo Handbook.

How have other clubs fared?

Surely nowhere near as bad as us

Ok, look at Richmond. These are the players brought in to the club in 2011,12 and 13 (which is where the majority of our re-signings were from as well)

2011:

Trades - Steve Morris, Ivan Maric
Draft - Brandon Ellis, Todd Elton, Matthew Arnot
Pre-season Draft- Brett O'Hanlon
Rookie Draft - Addam Maric, Ben Darrou, Steven Verrier, Gibson Turner, Piva Wright

2012:

Trades - Chris Knights, Troy Chaplin
Draft - Nick Vlaustin, Kamdyn McIntosh, Liam McBean, Matt McDonough
Rookie Draft - Ricky Petterd, Sam Lonergan, Orren Stephenson, Cadeyn Williams

2013:
Trades - Shaun Hampson
Draft - Ben Lennon, Nathan Gordon, Sam Lloyd
Rookie Draft: Todd Banfield, Anthony Miles, Matt Thomas

Not what I would call a great strike rate there either, a couple of really good players, some decent ones and a heap of players no longer in the system.

[stonecold]

If every kid we drafted turned out to be a good player then we wouldn't ever need to participate in the draft again.

Unfortunately, alot of draftees never make it or come good at every club for a number of reasons. Its a hard science to predict if any U/18 kid has what it takes to have a 10+ year career in the AFL.

That’s Apologist 101 and straight out of The Richo Handbook.

How have other clubs fared?

Surely nowhere near as bad as us

Ok, look at Richmond. These are the players brought in to the club in 2011,12 and 13 (which is where the majority of our re-signings were from as well)

2011:

Trades - Steve Morris, Ivan Maric
Draft - Brandon Ellis, Todd Elton, Matthew Arnot
Pre-season Draft- Brett O'Hanlon
Rookie Draft - Addam Maric, Ben Darrou, Steven Verrier, Gibson Turner, Piva Wright

2012:

Trades - Chris Knights, Troy Chaplin
Draft - Nick Vlaustin, Kamdyn McIntosh, Liam McBean, Matt McDonough
Rookie Draft - Ricky Petterd, Sam Lonergan, Orren Stephenson, Cadeyn Williams

2013:
Trades - Shaun Hampson
Draft - Ben Lennon, Nathan Gordon, Sam Lloyd
Rookie Draft: Todd Banfield, Anthony Miles, Matt Thomas

Not what I would call a great strike rate there either, a couple of really good players, some decent ones and a heap of players no longer in the system.

I think we have drafted better in those years, just shows, it's a lottery, no matter how much research is done!!!!!

You really don't know until they get into the AFL system!!!!!

[parkeysainter]

If every kid we drafted turned out to be a good player then we wouldn't ever need to participate in the draft again.

Unfortunately, alot of draftees never make it or come good at every club for a number of reasons. Its a hard science to predict if any U/18 kid has what it takes to have a 10+ year career in the AFL.

That’s Apologist 101 and straight out of The Richo Handbook.

How have other clubs fared?

Surely nowhere near as bad as us

Ok, look at Richmond. These are the players brought in to the club in 2011,12 and 13 (which is where the majority of our re-signings were from as well)

2011:

Trades - Steve Morris, Ivan Maric
Draft - Brandon Ellis, Todd Elton, Matthew Arnot
Pre-season Draft- Brett O'Hanlon
Rookie Draft - Addam Maric, Ben Darrou, Steven Verrier, Gibson Turner, Piva Wright

2012:

Trades - Chris Knights, Troy Chaplin
Draft - Nick Vlaustin, Kamdyn McIntosh, Liam McBean, Matt McDonough
Rookie Draft - Ricky Petterd, Sam Lonergan, Orren Stephenson, Cadeyn Williams

2013:
Trades - Shaun Hampson
Draft - Ben Lennon, Nathan Gordon, Sam Lloyd
Rookie Draft: Todd Banfield, Anthony Miles, Matt Thomas

Not what I would call a great strike rate there either, a couple of really good players, some decent ones and a heap of players no longer in the system.

Thank you. The lifespan of an AFL draftee is actually not very long. Its what the stats show and they don't or can't lie. Every club has hits and misses.