What player do you/will you miss most?

[The Bulldogs Bite]

In recent years we've had a few favourite sons retire. Smith, Darcy, Monty & Grant all among them. Wynd, Romero, Dimma, Libba, Kolyniuk, Kretiuk, Croft & Robbins are a few more who were well received by the majority too, and are now gone.

Who do you miss most in say the last 10 years, or who will you miss most seeing as we've had Darcy/Monty/Grant all on the end of '07?

For mine, I think I'd have to say Kolyniuk was always an interesting player to watch. I always liked watching Southern & Ellis go about it too. I can't remember what year it was, might of been 97 or 98, but Ellis had one absolutely superb year. I always liked him as a player.

It's almost disappointing to think about some of the players that have come and gone. There's been some good ones, some real talent. Most of the guys above bled red, white & blue so it's always nice to remember them.

[bornadog]

I would say Grant at his prime, great player, match winner and really had some presence on the ground. Will be hard to replace for a very long time.

[hujsh]

In recent years we've had a few favourite sons retire. Smith, Darcy, Monty & Grant all among them. Wynd, Romero, Dimma, Libba, Kolyniuk, Kretiuk, Croft & Robbins are a few more who were well received by the majority too, and are now gone.

Who do you miss most in say the last 10 years, or who will you miss most seeing as we've had Darcy/Monty/Grant all on the end of '07?

For mine, I think I'd have to say Kolyniuk was always an interesting player to watch. I always liked watching Southern & Ellis go about it too. I can't remember what year it was, might of been 97 or 98, but Ellis had one absolutely superb year. I always liked him as a player.

It's almost disappointing to think about some of the players that have come and gone. There's been some good ones, some real talent. Most of the guys above bled red, white & blue so it's always nice to remember them.

One thing that i miss is the afl channel on Foxtell because i can't remember the players in bold and they would show games from the 2000 and it was good to see a few. Darce was special but Grant was part of the reason i support the dogs. Imagine where we would be if he went to Port.

[BulldogBelle]

Only one possible answer for me on this question...

Chris Grant - no further explanations needed.

[Max469]

Only one possible answer for me on this question...

Chris Grant - no further explanations needed.

Ditto

[LostDoggy]

I missed Romero when he retired probably the most out of that lot, but I think the loss of Grant will take a long time to get used to.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Only one possible answer for me on this question...

Chris Grant - no further explanations needed.

How much better would we look with a 25 year old Chris Grant at CHF?

[Dancin' Douggy]

Actually Matthew Robbins is one I'll miss. He was such an honest player. I really felt sorry for him last year. After kicking 45 goals in '06 he seemed to have cemented his spot in the forward pocket but didn't get a look in in '07. Did Aker take his spot?
And of course Chris in his prime was an absolute thoroughbred.

[BulldogBelle]

How much better would we look with a 25 year old Chris Grant at CHF?

How good would that be? Ahhhhh if only..............

[Dancin' Douggy]

Well we have 17yo JARRAD Grant............let's hope.....................

[W W Biscuit]

I will miss Chris Grant the most, no doubt. But, shoot me down in flames if you will, but I always thought we were a much classier outfit when Paul Hudson was in the side. In all but his final year at the club, he was such a polished performer and a consistent threat to the opposition. Throughout the nineties, we always had a very dangerous small forward ready to feed off the likes of Chris Grant, Coleman, etc. Choco Royal finished off his career as a deadly forward pocket, then Billy Kolyniuk was quite effective in the role. I was a huge fan of Hudson, and he was perhaps unfairly maligned by some throughout his career. Have we ever had a more accurate kick for goal?

[Dry Rot]

Aside from obviously Croft and Kretuik, there's always the mighty Trent Bartlett.

I have a soft spot for Wynd too - but never saw him at his best. How good a ruckman was he at his peak?

[The Coon Dog]

Aside from obviously Croft and Kretuik, there's always the mighty Trent Bartlett.

I have a soft spot for Wynd too - but never saw him at his best. How good a ruckman was he at his peak?


DR, very astute!

Wynd was not only a great ruckman, he was a terrific captain. Week in, week out out he went into battle with a body that was in no fit state, just got on with it.

[aker39]

I was a huge fan of Hudson, and he was perhaps unfairly maligned by some throughout his career. Have we ever had a more accurate kick for goal?


Hopefully Scott Welsh will bring back that accuracy.

[LostDoggy]

Chris Grant easily.
Champion player and person.

[BulldogBelle]

Chris Grant easily.
Champion player and person.

That he is - many times over.

[Rocket Science]

Some compelling choices already listed...hard to argue with Granty, but for mine: the class, poise and scything left foot of Leon Cameron.

Though watching Gilbs ply his trade in similar fashion eases the pain, a little.

[wimberga]

I WILL miss Scotty West more than any other from the team at the moment, but probably hard to go past the great man C.Grant for players recently departed

[Bulldog Revolution]

Chris Grant - has been so valuable over such a long period of time that its really hard to imagine the club without him, and hes always been so unselfish and brought his teammates into the game.

I missed Rohan Smith this year - anytime a great club man like that hangs up the boots its sad. West will be sorely missed when he goes. Wynd looked slow but was nonetheless a good pack mark around the ground and very good on the deck.

I am still bitter we got bugger all compensation for Tony McGuinness - who would have ended up one of our all time greats had he stayed

[GVGjr]

I am still bitter we got bugger all compensation for Tony McGuinness - who would have ended up one of our all time greats had he stayed

We also lost the rights to Simon Tregenza who was a decent player for the Crows

[Bulldog Revolution]

We also lost the rights to Simon Tregenza who was a decent player for the Crows

Yep, and nothing for Kym Koster or Shane Ellen either

They were really trying to help us out of business in those days - we finished 2nd bottom to Fitzroy in 1996. Fitzroy merged with Brisbane and our first selection in the national draft was pick #10 - which we used on Nathan Brown

[GVGjr]

Yep, and nothing for Kym Koster or Shane Ellen either

They were really trying to help us out of business in those days - we finished 2nd bottom to Fitzroy in 1996. Fitzroy merged with Brisbane and our first selection in the national draft was pick #10 - which we used on Nathan Brown

From memory we got Allen Jakovich, Brad Wira and Hugh Reimers in an exchange for a swap of draft pick and Koster

[hujsh]

I know i will miss Johnno allot. If he Grant and West played for Collingwood they would be huge (especially if Grant and West hadn't been robed at the brownlow

[Dancin' Douggy]

From memory we got Allen Jakovich, Brad Wira and Hugh Reimers in an exchange for a swap of draft pick and Koster

YES!!!! This has been bugging me for years. Can any one explain that years draft to me.
Why didn't we end up with the number 2 pick? What were the machinations behind it all?:confused::mad::confused:

[westdog54]

Grant is a no-brainer in this one, the best bulldog I've seen in my short lifetime. That's including Doug Hawkins.

But for me Rohan Smith is one that I'll always miss. Used to love his 60 metre running goals, and his goal celebrations were up there with the best.

[hujsh]

Grant is a no-brainer in this one, the best bulldog I've seen in my short lifetime. That's including Doug Hawkins.

But for me Rohan Smith is one that I'll always miss. Used to love his 60 metre running goals, and his goal celebrations were up there with the best.

And the way Smith and Johnson set each other up and then found each other in the celebrations. The trust that Johnno showed to Smith was highlighted by the fact that he didn't set up Acker in the square and took a snap from the boundary. I saw Johnno set up Smith when Smith was in a worse position

[Sockeye Salmon]

YES!!!! This has been bugging me for years. Can any one explain that years draft to me.
Why didn't we end up with the number 2 pick? What were the machinations behind it all?:confused::mad::confused:

We traded pick 13 to Freo for Brad Wira and Hugh Riemers
We traded Kym Koster to Adelaide for pick 9
We traded Ben Sexton to Carlton for James Cook
We traded Luke Beveridge to St. Kilda for pick 52

We drafted:
Pick 9 - Allen Jakovich
Pick 29 - Todd Curley
Pick 42 - Mark West
Pick 52 - Tony Campbell

Father-Son pick - David Round


It sounds really bad using pick 9 on Jakovich but it's not really as bad as it seems.

Freo, Brisbane and Sydney had 16 pre-draft picks between them (mostly zone selections). Included were James Clement, Brett Voss, Danny Dickfos, Ben Mathews, Steven Koops and Gavin Mitchell.

Joel Bowden and Ben Cousins were other F/S selections that year.

Some guys taken after Jakovich include:

Simon Prestigicomo (pick 10)
Scott Welsh (17)
Barry Hall (19)
Paul Licuria (24)
Brent Harvey (46)
Darren Milburn (47)

Clive Waterhouse went pick 1, Matthew Primus went pick 2, Jared Crouch went at 8. The rest of the top 10 you would have barely heard of and wouldn't have played 100 games between them (Brendon Krummel probably the next highest number of games).

[westdog54]

We traded pick 13 to Freo for Brad Wira and Hugh Riemers
We traded Kym Koster to Adelaide for pick 9
We traded Ben Sexton to Carlton for James Cook
We traded Luke Beveridge to St. Kilda for pick 52

We drafted:
Pick 9 - Allen Jakovich
Pick 29 - Todd Curley
Pick 42 - Mark West
Pick 52 - Tony Campbell

Father-Son pick - David Round


It sounds really bad using pick 9 on Jakovich but it's not really as bad as it seems.

Freo, Brisbane and Sydney had 16 pre-draft picks between them (mostly zone selections). Included were James Clement, Brett Voss, Danny Dickfos, Ben Mathews, Steven Koops and Gavin Mitchell.

Joel Bowden and Ben Cousins were other F/S selections that year.

Some guys taken after Jakovich include:

Simon Prestigicomo (pick 10)
Scott Welsh (17)
Barry Hall (19)
Paul Licuria (24)
Brent Harvey (46)
Darren Milburn (47)

Clive Waterhouse went pick 1, Matthew Primus went pick 2, Jared Crouch went at 8. The rest of the top 10 you would have barely heard of and wouldn't have played 100 games between them (Brendon Krummel probably the next highest number of games).

Drafting was a very inexact science 10 years ago. As you said most of the top 10 that year did bugger all with their footy careers. Nowadays there is a lot more thought, planning and care taken with the draft. Recycled players generally don't get a look in until the 3rd round or so.

We were after a full forward that year and Jakovich was available, but a later pick probably would've been the way to go. Oh well, c'est la vie.

[Palace03]

After watching my highlights tape from 1998, it reminded me just how good the great man was. Strong, quick, skilful and tough, the perfect combination for a footballer.

Other than Granty, I miss watching Croft and Kretiuk, both gave their all every week and had to play on players they probably shouldn't have.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Drafting was a very inexact science 10 years ago. As you said most of the top 10 that year did bugger all with their footy careers. Nowadays there is a lot more thought, planning and care taken with the draft. Recycled players generally don't get a look in until the 3rd round or so.

We were after a full forward that year and Jakovich was available, but a later pick probably would've been the way to go. Oh well, c'est la vie.

What I want to know is if we hadn't taken Jakovich with our 1st round pick, who would have?

I can't imagine other clubs falling over each other to pick him up.

[GVGjr]

What I want to know is if we hadn't taken Jakovich with our 1st round pick, who would have?

I can't imagine other clubs falling over each other to pick him up.

We moved up 3 positions to get in front of Collingwood. When we selected him they let out a loud sigh. I have an article on exactly how that draft day panned out for us.

[Sockeye Salmon]

We moved up 3 positions to get in front of Collingwood. When we selected him they let out a loud sigh. I have an article on exactly how that draft day panned out for us.

Can you post it? I'd love to have a read.

[GVGjr]

Can you post it? I'd love to have a read.

I need to have a good look for it because I have moved a lot of things. It was the first I can remember a draft being detailed in such an open an honest manner.
The plan was if someone else selected Jakovich we were going to select Groom as though he was the player we wanted anyway. The real effort was placing us ahead of the Pies.

Big pictures of Joyce and Kleiman and a couple of others as well.
They always planned to get Curley, MWest and TCampbell in what was a very shallow draft.

[Dancin' Douggy]

I'd like to thank everyone for their replies here but my main question is unanswered.
I don't understand why, after finishing 2nd last 1n 1996, we didn't get at least the number 2 pick in the national draft to start with.
Can anyone enlighten me here?
There is no record of us trading it or using it.

[The Coon Dog]

I'd like to thank everyone for their replies here but my main question is unanswered.
I don't understand why, after finishing 2nd last 1n 1996, we didn't get at least the number 2 pick in the national draft to start with.
Can anyone enlighten me here?
There is no record of us trading it or using it.


DD, I have been able to unearth some info, but it still doesn't make complete sense. Maybe someone can fill in the blanks.

Port Adelaide entered the competition in 1997 & there were various concessions available to them, for example they signed 4 players from other clubs as pre draft selections: Ian Downsborough (WCE), Gavin Wanganeen (Ess), Matthew Primus (Bris) & Adam Hueskas (Syd).

This meant these 4 clubs received the first 4 draft picks as compensation: Michael Gardiner (WCE), Chris Heffernan (Ess), Rory Hilton (Bris) & Mark Kinnear (Syd).

Port Adelaide then somehow received picks 6, 7 & 9 (bearing in mind they had received 29 pre draft selections also.

I know it doesn't answer your question, but as I said, someone may be able to fill in the gaps.

1 Michael Gardiner - West Coast - Claremont
2 Chris Heffernan - Essendon - Geelong (U18)
3 Rory Hilton - Brisbane - Murray (U18)
4 Mark Kinnear - Sydney - Calder (U18)
5 Daniel McAllister - Essendon - Tasmania (U18)
6 John Rombotis - Port Adelaide - Fitzroy
7 Bowen Lockwood - Port Adelaide - Geelong (U18)
8 Leigh Brockman - Geelong - Tasmania (U18)
9 Mark Harwood - Port Adelaide - Tasmania (U18)
10 Nathan Brown -Western Bulldogs -Bendigo (U18)

[LostDoggy]

I'd like to thank everyone for their replies here but my main question is unanswered.
I don't understand why, after finishing 2nd last 1n 1996, we didn't get at least the number 2 pick in the national draft to start with.
Can anyone enlighten me here?
There is no record of us trading it or using it.

I'm not 100% sure but was the year that Port entered the competition? I think they were given a number of early picks that they traded away.

[hujsh]

We traded pick 13 to Freo for Brad Wira and Hugh Riemers
We traded Kym Koster to Adelaide for pick 9
We traded Ben Sexton to Carlton for James Cook
We traded Luke Beveridge to St. Kilda for pick 52.

That's my cousins name. Why would we trade a Sexton? He must have been in our top 10.

[Sockeye Salmon]

That's my cousins name. Why would we trade a Sexton? He must have been in our top 10.

Trust me on this one. He wasn't.

From memory he kicked bags of 5 & 6 in rounds 21 & 22 of 1991(?). He really looked the goods as a leading FF, then it all went to shit. Ended up being played at FB and ended up playing about 30 games all up for us and another 3-4 at Carlton.

[Sockeye Salmon]

DD, I have been able to unearth some info, but it still doesn't make complete sense. Maybe someone can fill in the blanks.

Port Adelaide entered the competition in 1997 & there were various concessions available to them, for example they signed 4 players from other clubs as pre draft selections: Ian Downsborough (WCE), Gavin Wanganeen (Ess), Matthew Primus (Bris) & Adam Hueskas (Syd).

This meant these 4 clubs received the first 4 draft picks as compensation: Michael Gardiner (WCE), Chris Heffernan (Ess), Rory Hilton (Bris) & Mark Kinnear (Syd).

Port Adelaide then somehow received picks 6, 7 & 9 (bearing in mind they had received 29 pre draft selections also.

I know it doesn't answer your question, but as I said, someone may be able to fill in the gaps.

1 Michael Gardiner - West Coast - Claremont
2 Chris Heffernan - Essendon - Geelong (U18)
3 Rory Hilton - Brisbane - Murray (U18)
4 Mark Kinnear - Sydney - Calder (U18)
5 Daniel McAllister - Essendon - Tasmania (U18)
6 John Rombotis - Port Adelaide - Fitzroy
7 Bowen Lockwood - Port Adelaide - Geelong (U18)
8 Leigh Brockman - Geelong - Tasmania (U18)
9 Mark Harwood - Port Adelaide - Tasmania (U18)
10 Nathan Brown -Western Bulldogs -Bendigo (U18)

Port recieved 29 concession picks that year (all from the SANFL) to help them build their first team. Some of them were actually old enough to be drafted the previous year but did not nominate so the could stay in SA (ironically including our very own Nathan Eagleton and Geelong's Tom Harley. Warren Tredrea was another). Josh Francou and Brendon Lade had sat out a few earlier drafts.

Another 7 SANFL players were traded to various clubs before the draft. Port also made sure Stephen Paxman didn't nominate for the national draft but waited for the PSD so they could pick him up with pick 1 there. Sidenote - we took Paul Hudson with PSD pick 2.

The deal was that Port could sign 4 uncontracted players from other clubs, which they did - Wanganeen, Downsborough, Primus and Hueskas - and the clubs involved would get the first 4 picks of the open draft, in reverse ladder position, as compensation. WCE gave up Downsborough right at the death for the no. 1 pick when Port couldn't get a 4th uncontracted player to join them. Downsborough was lucky not to have already been delisted - good effort, WC!

Port were then given the next 5 draft picks. They traded their highest pick - pick 5 overall - to Essendon for Scott Cummings and their 4th pick - pick 8 overall - to Geelong for Shayne Breuer.

After the four compensation picks and Port's 5 picks we had the next pick, pick 10 - Nathan Brown.

[Dancin' Douggy]

Port recieved 29 concession picks that year (all from the SANFL) to help them build their first team. Some of them were actually old enough to be drafted the previous year but did not nominate so the could stay in SA (ironically including our very own Nathan Eagleton and Geelong's Tom Harley. Warren Tredrea was another). Josh Francou and Brendon Lade had sat out a few earlier drafts.

Another 7 SANFL players were traded to various clubs before the draft. Port also made sure Stephen Paxman didn't nominate for the national draft but waited for the PSD so they could pick him up with pick 1 there. Sidenote - we took Paul Hudson with PSD pick 2.

The deal was that Port could sign 4 uncontracted players from other clubs, which they did - Wanganeen, Downsborough, Primus and Hueskas - and the clubs involved would get the first 4 picks of the open draft, in reverse ladder position, as compensation. WCE gave up Downsborough right at the death for the no. 1 pick when Port couldn't get a 4th uncontracted player to join them. Downsborough was lucky not to have already been delisted - good effort, WC!

Port were then given the next 5 draft picks. They traded their highest pick - pick 5 overall - to Essendon for Scott Cummings and their 4th pick - pick 8 overall - to Geelong for Shayne Breuer.

After the four compensation picks and Port's 5 picks we had the next pick, pick 10 - Nathan Brown.

THANKYOU Sockeye for clearing that up. Dogs ripped off again. Though Nathan Brown, as much as I loath him, was pretty handy at number 10.

[Palace03]

1 Michael Gardiner - West Coast - Claremont
2 Chris Heffernan - Essendon - Geelong (U18)
3 Rory Hilton - Brisbane - Murray (U18)
4 Mark Kinnear - Sydney - Calder (U18)
5 Daniel McAllister - Essendon - Tasmania (U18)
6 John Rombotis - Port Adelaide - Fitzroy
7 Bowen Lockwood - Port Adelaide - Geelong (U18)
8 Leigh Brockman - Geelong - Tasmania (U18)
9 Mark Harwood - Port Adelaide - Tasmania (U18)
10 Nathan Brown -Western Bulldogs -Bendigo (U18)

It didn't really matter in the end, we got the best player in the top 10 anyway. This sort of thing will happen again if there is a 17th team, atleast there will be no tanking the year prior to the new team entering.

[LostDoggy]

It didn't really matter in the end, we got the best player in the top 10 anyway. This sort of thing will happen again if there is a 17th team, atleast there will be no tanking the year prior to the new team entering.

17th team? The AFL are dreaming there. Might be a growing area but the competition isn't right at the moment. Bring in a 17th team in an place which is essentially a tourist area and rugby strong hold is pretty stupid. They said it just to bluff North.

[Sockeye Salmon]

17th team? The AFL are dreaming there. Might be a growing area but the competition isn't right at the moment. Bring in a 17th team in an place which is essentially a tourist area and rugby strong hold is pretty stupid. They said it just to bluff North.

Then they're in trouble. North just threw some chips in and said "call".