The Biggest Blunders Since 2008

[Shaggy]

We can all disagree.

IMO no-one should ever take on some-one who disrespects them - whether it is personal or business.

[B.M]

What is this suggestion of disrespect?

Heard they weren’t impressed with his interview

Immature and arrogant was the thinking

On ability and athletic profile - he was the obvious selection
Almost everyone knew this, at the time - not lately

[Shaggy]

I imagine most of the early draft picks are immature and arrogant.

They have been the top of the tree in their schools.

Petracca crossed a boundary is my understanding.

[B.M]

Obviously Melbourne didn’t base their selection on an interview from an 18yo kid and just picked the best player available.

[Moods]

I imagine most of the early draft picks are immature and arrogant.

They have been the top of the tree in their schools.

Petracca crossed a boundary is my understanding.

Talk about a weird way for the club to justify not selecting him! Bloody hell, all these friggin draft interviews. Just pick the best player. Good friends of our family have a son who is best friends with him. He's not perfect apparently, but far from a prick. He doesn't come across as a prick either. He comes across as a young man who is fast becoming one of the best 3 players in the competition. At least Paddy WAS a good bloke. We can all hang our hat on that I guess

What a giant stuff up

[Shaggy]

I imagine most of the early draft picks are immature and arrogant.

They have been the top of the tree in their schools.

Petracca crossed a boundary is my understanding.

Talk about a weird way for the club to justify not selecting him! Bloody hell, all these friggin draft interviews. Just pick the best player. Good friends of our family have a son who is best friends with him. He's not perfect apparently, but far from a prick. He doesn't come across as a prick either. He comes across as a young man who is fast becoming one of the best 3 players in the competition. At least Paddy WAS a good bloke. We can all hang our hat on that I guess

What a giant stuff up

I am definitely not the club. But I am some-one who has built businesses. You do it on the back of commitment and belief not disrespect.

[bigred]

They had a delusional draft benchmark regarding nice boys.

Not taking Petracca was, is a massive c**k up. No two ways about it. Bed shat.

[Shaggy]

They had a delusional draft benchmark regarding nice boys.

Not taking Petracca was, is a massive c**k up. No two ways about it. Bed shat.

You never compromise on respect. You do not lose anything because you never had it in the first place.

[Moods]

They had a delusional draft benchmark regarding nice boys.

Not taking Petracca was, is a massive c**k up. No two ways about it. Bed shat.

You never compromise on respect. You do not lose anything because you never had it in the first place.

What a load of coddly poop rubbish. You reckon Dusty Martin, Buddy Franklin and a host of other superstars, started their careers as 'nice respectful citizens' ? If we trusted our culture at the club we would trust that we could turn them into solid citizens as well as great footballers. These boys are 18 when they are interviewed. Some far more immature than others. Wouldn't it be wonderful if they were all Nick Riewoldt types? Petracca may well have been too big for his boots, who knows? Like the coach who treats every player the same. In reality it doesn't happen. The stars always get compromises, it just depends how much you're prepared to give them. You give too much or compromise too much then the whole system suffers. It has been decades since a #1 draft pick was completely ballsed up. Rarely happens these days due to the analysis and full time nature of our game. Leave it to the Saints to be the club that stuffs it up.

You make out that Petracca was some type of unfathomable arsehole. If he was you'd think that he would have been involved in several controversies by now. Maybe a gambling scandal? Belted up a taxi driver? drink driving? I actually can't think of anything he's been involved in though. Gee whiz, he's disrespectful though. Spare me.

[SaintPav]

Trout is a useless f***wit.

End of story.

[Shaggy]

They had a delusional draft benchmark regarding nice boys.

Not taking Petracca was, is a massive c**k up. No two ways about it. Bed shat.

You never compromise on respect. You do not lose anything because you never had it in the first place.

What a load of coddly poop rubbish. You reckon Dusty Martin, Buddy Franklin and a host of other superstars, started their careers as 'nice respectful citizens' ? If we trusted our culture at the club we would trust that we could turn them into solid citizens as well as great footballers. These boys are 18 when they are interviewed. Some far more immature than others. Wouldn't it be wonderful if they were all Nick Riewoldt types? Petracca may well have been too big for his boots, who knows? Like the coach who treats every player the same. In reality it doesn't happen. The stars always get compromises, it just depends how much you're prepared to give them. You give too much or compromise too much then the whole system suffers. It has been decades since a #1 draft pick was completely ballsed up. Rarely happens these days due to the analysis and full time nature of our game. Leave it to the Saints to be the club that stuffs it up.

You make out that Petracca was some type of unfathomable arsehole. If he was you'd think that he would have been involved in several controversies by now. Maybe a gambling scandal? Belted up a taxi driver? drink driving? I actually can't think of anything he's been involved in though. Gee whiz, he's disrespectful though. Spare me.

Dusty and Buddy loved their clubs. Trouble outside but that is different.

[Joffa Burns]

Hmm to get a Brownlow vote

You are judged in the top 3 players on the ground in a game of League Footy

I’d take that

To have 40 odd like Seb Ross - would be even nicer

The argument I have with this comment is brownlow votes are only relevant to midfielders or forwards who kick a big bag. As an example Dunstan won brownlow votes verses North last year and can play the odd game where he will get them. But he is no longer an AFL standard player IMO.

I believe the B&F is reflective of the internal worth of a player, particularly as you will see a couple of defenders in the top 5 who haven't won a brownlow vote between them for the season.

[Joffa Burns]

Walking out on Tassie

Letting Luke Ball walk for Zip

Not having the balls to recruit Cousins

The 2009 trade period

Every trade period Pelican was involved in

Allowing Ross Lyon to walk

The development of Armitage, Steven, Stanley, Lynch in 2009-2011 period

Agree with the exception of Cousins.
Once he'd shaved his head it was clear he was not going to stop his habit even for another shot at the AFL.

Tassie was back in the GT/Butterrs era but was a very poor decision.

Feel free to add to the list.

MOIVE TO SEAFORD: Archie Fraser throws a hissy-fit over the Council's rejection of a few pokie machines and hi-ho we're off to Seaford in a multi-million dollar fiasco.

ANDREW LOVETT: Sheeds and Hird said he was ripper bloke so why be sceptical?

SCOTT WATTERS OVER KEN HINKLEY

TOM LEE: Because we desperately needed someone to replace Roo and this mature age reject played a good game in the WAFL once.

SEE YA LATER GODDARD, DAL SANTO and BIG BOY McEVOY: It's a ruthless game these days and who needs heart-and-soul players?

ALAN RICHARDSON OVER A PLANK OF WOOD

EXTENDING RICHO'S CONTRACT FOR NO GOOD REASON

PADDY McCARTIN OVER CHRISTIAN PETRACCA: No hindsight required, it was always lunacy.

JACK LONIE OVER CALEB DANIEL: MInd you, I wouldn't have known who Daniel was if the Saints hadn't talked him up as potential second-round pick.

BILLINGS OVER THE BONT

THE PELICAN AND THE TROUT: Nuff said.

DAN HANNEBURY

BRAD HILL

Agree with a couple of exceptions, the Bont is easy to call in retrospect.
At the time he was seen as a smoky to be taken at #4 by the dogs.
Billings was the logical choice and has been a successful & worthy #3 pick.

Lonie is a #41 and has played what 70 odd games, is best 22 and still playing.
Not in Daniels class but hardly a dud pick for #41.

[meher baba]

Most of these so-called blunders didn't matter. Letting Ball go (poor decision though it was) and recruiting Lovett didn't matter: our team most certainly good enough to the win the Premiership in 2010, but just couldn't quite pull it off in the first GF.

Those criticising Billings over Bont are exercising perfect 20/20 hindsight vision. And Lonie over Daniel? You might just as well ruminate on our picking Brian Wilson rather than James Hird with our pick 72 in 1990!

McCartin over Petracca is a horse of a different colour. It seemed to many people, including me, to be a crap decision at the time, and has continued to look that way: never more so than last night. So that was easily the biggest blunder IMO.

[The_Dud]

Where did Petracca say he didn’t want to come to St Kilda? But he was happy to go to Melbourne who are/were a bigger basket case than us??

Sounds to me this story is in the same boat as the “Hannerbry brought all these other payers in” revisionist history to try justify terrible decisions.

If a player has a bad attitude you back your club culture and leaders to turn them around. Simple.

[B.M]

Lots of retrospective judgements can be made, but were fine at the time

Kruzer over Cotchin
Watts over Natinui
Billings over Bont

But it was pretty much the Consensus that they were the better kid, and had elite talent and were deserved pick 1s or high picks on their achievements and projections

Petracca was clearly the standout, his talent and power combination was off the charts!

Was he the ready made footballer, with a mature head - no

But blind Freddy could see he was going to be something special.

It was a monumental stuff up, and unlike the others was not a hindsight call

[B.M]

He DID NOT say he didn’t want to come to StK

Load of bollocks

He wouldn’t have had a preference, maybe a big club if they had early picks? Like any normal kid

He would liked to have gone 1 though

[The_Dud]

Lots of retrospective judgements can be made, but were fine at the time

Kruzer over Cotchin
Watts over Natinui
Billings over Bont

But it was pretty much the Consensus that they were the better kid, and had elite talent and were deserved pick 1s or high picks on their achievements and projections

Petracca was clearly the standout, his talent and power combination was off the charts!

Was he the ready made footballer, with a mature head - no

But blind Freddy could see he was going to be something special.

It was a monumental stuff up, and unlike the others was not a hindsight call

Yep, I clearly remember EVERYONE at the time saying Petracca at number 1 was a lock, not even up for debate, then in waltzed St Kilda...

[B.M]

Was Cousins trouble or a failure at Richmond?

[B.M]

Still got to play well or be a fair player to even get a vote

All AFL players are good

To be best afield in an AFL game suggests you are quality

And yes B&Fs are a better indication
Voted on by Coaches - not fans or umpires
Which is why winning one is huge, winning 2 is a massive achievement

[Ghost Like]

Paddy McCartin for Christian Petracca.
The biggest of all.

Trout set the club back 10 years, particularly with that move. Billings over Bont was another stuff up but less obvious I suppose.

This Billings over the Bont has to be the greatest hindsight woe is me rubbish that keeps getting perpetuated. Please show me any links, references, thread titles prior to that draft that had the Bont top 3.

I get it, the Bont would be fantastic but so would have Judd over Ball, Rioli over McEvoy, Riewoldt over Armo.

[saintsRrising]

Paddy McCartin for Christian Petracca.
The biggest of all.

Trout set the club back 10 years, particularly with that move. Billings over Bont was another stuff up but less obvious I suppose.

This Billings over the Bont has to be the greatest hindsight woe is me rubbish that keeps getting perpetuated. Please show me any links, references, thread titles prior to that draft that had the Bont top 3.

I get it, the Bont would be fantastic but so would have Judd over Ball, Rioli over McEvoy, Riewoldt over Armo.

Agree (Though the rumour was it was Judd over Ball as we tried to predict how another club would draft and got it wrong) that what is reasonable is with early draft picks that the recruiters just choose who is considered to be the best player at that time.

So that was Petracca over McCartin.

It was not Billings over the Bont.

[saynta]

Where did Petracca say he didn’t want to come to St Kilda? But he was happy to go to Melbourne who are/were a bigger basket case than us??

Sounds to me this story is in the same boat as the “Hannerbry brought all these other payers in” revisionist history to try justify terrible decisions.

If a player has a bad attitude you back your club culture and leaders to turn them around. Simple.

Don't think anyone has ever said that Hanners brought any "PAYERS' to the club, dudley but hey you know better .

[saynta]

Still got to play well or be a fair player to even get a vote

All AFL players are good

To be best afield in an AFL game suggests you are quality

And yes B&Fs are a better indication
Voted on by Coaches - not fans or umpires
Which is why winning one is huge, winning 2 is a massive achievement

Yep, and Sebby was runner up in a third even.

[saynta]

Paddy McCartin for Christian Petracca.
The biggest of all.

Trout set the club back 10 years, particularly with that move. Billings over Bont was another stuff up but less obvious I suppose.

This Billings over the Bont has to be the greatest hindsight woe is me rubbish that keeps getting perpetuated. Please show me any links, references, thread titles prior to that draft that had the Bont top 3.

I get it, the Bont would be fantastic but so would have Judd over Ball, Rioli over McEvoy, Riewoldt over Armo.

Agree (Though the rumour was it was Judd over Ball as we tried to predict how another club would draft and got it wrong) that what is reasonable is with early draft picks that the recruiters just choose who is considered to be the best player at that time.

So that was Petracca over McCartin.

It was not Billings over the Bont.

Got it wrong alright. There were 2 west aussie kids in the top 5 along with Ball, Judd and Hodgy. We thought we would get two of those three but the Hawks f***ed it up trading for Hodge with Freo (1sr round pick) then the toasters went for the Vic kid. We ended up with Ball and Xavier which could have worked out better.