Drafting under Eade

[Higgo2Coon2Grif]

Looking through the last five National Drafts, I've noticed a distinct difference between the first two and the previous three.

2004: Griffen, Williams, Wells, McCormack, Tiller
2005: Higgins, Addison, Baird, Montgomery, West
2006: Everitt, Stack, Hill, Lynch, O'Shea
2007: Grant, Ward, Reid, Wood, O'Keefe, Boumann
2008: Cordy, Roughead, Jones

In 2004 when Eade was appointed after Rohde took us from 16th to 14th, Eade had said it will take a couple of years for the Bulldogs to make the Finals. In the 2004 and 2005 drafts, it is obvious that we were rebuilding and taking the best player available, making sure we got a mixture of running skillful players, inside players capable of being runners and KPP players.

After a good 2006 season where we made the Finals for the first time since 2000, we realised we weren't too far away from having a real crack at a Premiership. This is obviously why we went after Akermanis, but our drafting indicated we were after outside players who can run... Everitt, Stack, Hill, Lynch.

In 2007, we identified we were desperate for a KPP, and took Grant with our best pick, even though every other club except for Essendon knew that Palmer was the best available. In complete contrast to the previous year's draft, our next four selections were hard-nosed players who put their head over the ball... Ward, Reid, Wood, O'Keefe. Is there any proof that Clayton and co always wanted to take more inside players after the previous year's draft to balance it out? Did he come to the conclusion that we were better off going for outside players in 2006 and inside players in 2007, or is that just the way it worked out?

In 2008, it was completely different again - we drafted three KPP.

Now that Clayton is no longer with us, how do you think we will draft in 2009? Will we go back to drafting a mixture of different types of players, ala 2004 and 2005... or will we continue to approach one type of player each season over the next three drafts so it will balance out in the end?

[hujsh]

Being a bit picky I'm not sure O'Keefe is 'hard-nosed' based an what I've heard/read about him

[Scraggers]

G'day H2C2G ... welcome to WOOF :)

Great sum up of our drafting over the last five years ...

I think predicting our drafting over the next couple of years is fraught with danger ... we have a number of players who will retire / be out of contract in the next 2 years ...

I think our team make up right now is pretty spot on with a good mix of talls, runners, attackers and defenders; so I feel it will be depending on which way this player movement happens ... For example if we lose a goal sneak or someone like Aka who can give you thirty-odd goals a year I feel we will look to replace same for same.

There is also the GC17 to take into account ... with the picks they have ... this draft will not have a lot to choose from, so that will make our selections harder.

All in all, I think our hands will be tied somewhat

[Mantis]

Some nice summaries there by the opening poster & Scraggers.

Having been lucky enough to attened the draft last year I was privvy to some great discussion about our drafting processes over the past 3 or 4 years. It was mentioned that this draft had sort of rounded out a plan over this timeframe to bring in a new wave of player's that would take us forward.

As we were in the position some years back to bring in a couple of high quality midfielders (Cooney & Griffen), the draft's since have been used to almost build a team around these 2.

At present we have a very good mix in terms of the type of players required to build a successful team. It is now up to the development staff as well as the individual players to improve themselves such that they fulfil the potential the recruiters have seen in them such to turn this plan into a reality.

Going forward I believe we will draft for needs (as with Scraggers) and will look to bring in new players to specifically replace a retiring player or replace a delisted player who hasn't developed the way he was hoped to.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Looking through the last five National Drafts, I've noticed a distinct difference between the first two and the previous three.

2004: Griffen, Williams, Wells, McCormack, Tiller
2005: Higgins, Addison, Baird, Montgomery, West
2006: Everitt, Stack, Hill, Lynch, O'Shea
2007: Grant, Ward, Reid, Wood, O'Keefe, Boumann
2008: Cordy, Roughead, Jones

In 2004 when Eade was appointed after Rohde took us from 16th to 14th, Eade had said it will take a couple of years for the Bulldogs to make the Finals. In the 2004 and 2005 drafts, it is obvious that we were rebuilding and taking the best player available, making sure we got a mixture of running skillful players, inside players capable of being runners and KPP players.

After a good 2006 season where we made the Finals for the first time since 2000, we realised we weren't too far away from having a real crack at a Premiership. This is obviously why we went after Akermanis, but our drafting indicated we were after outside players who can run... Everitt, Stack, Hill, Lynch.

In 2007, we identified we were desperate for a KPP, and took Grant with our best pick, even though every other club except for Essendon knew that Palmer was the best available. In complete contrast to the previous year's draft, our next four selections were hard-nosed players who put their head over the ball... Ward, Reid, Wood, O'Keefe. Is there any proof that Clayton and co always wanted to take more inside players after the previous year's draft to balance it out? Did he come to the conclusion that we were better off going for outside players in 2006 and inside players in 2007, or is that just the way it worked out?

In 2008, it was completely different again - we drafted three KPP.

Now that Clayton is no longer with us, how do you think we will draft in 2009? Will we go back to drafting a mixture of different types of players, ala 2004 and 2005... or will we continue to approach one type of player each season over the next three drafts so it will balance out in the end?


Nice synopsis of our drafting under Eade.
I think with a new Recruiter at the helm it's going to be a bit of wait and see, as we just don't have any prior history to go by.

Having said that, given we have gathered a fair spread of potneital talent across several positions, I personally think we will draft this year based on 'best talent available' as opposed to picking 'best at a certain position.'

Could also be some interesting draft selection decisions for us given two potential Father son picks in young Mitch Wallis and Tom Liberatore.

[Higgo2Coon2Grif]

Nice synopsis of our drafting under Eade.
I think with a new Recruiter at the helm it's going to be a bit of wait and see, as we just don't have any prior history to go by.

Having said that, given we have gathered a fair spread of potneital talent across several positions, I personally think we will draft this year based on 'best talent available' as opposed to picking 'best at a certain position.'

Could also be some interesting draft selection decisions for us given two potential Father son picks in young Mitch Wallis and Tom Liberatore.

I've heard promising things about Steve Wallis' son, but I doubt we'll take him with a first round pick. It's great that we are starting to see some F/S selections, and hopefully it doesn't stop there. It was a long gap between Darcy and Cordy, but hopefully we can snare a few more in the next five years (basically, it helped win Geelong a flag).

I agree that I think we will go for best talent available at the time. We have a lot of young ruckmen on our list who will be fully developed by the time Hudson retires, but seeing as he is keen to prolong his carrer, that might still be another three years away.

Over the next season or two, Akermanis, Welsh and Johnson will have finished their great careers, so it's important that we have three ready-made forwards to replace them. We've drafted for forwards in the last two drafts, so hopefully a minimum of two of Grant, Boumann, Cordy, Jones and Roughead are ready to hold down a forward position in two years time.

We also have an abundance of midfield depth. I'm quite optimistic even about Picken and Daniels - hopefully they can make the transition to seniour ranks via the rookie list just like Boyd, Morris and Harbrow have done.

Defense isn't really an issue - our short term and mid-term back half looks promising with Hargrave at 27 the oldest defender (Lake 27, Morris 26, Williams 23)... but we have Tiller who can hopefully continue to improve, Callan who I am confident will continue to improve, and hopefully O'Shea can become a regular of the Willi firsts and gain confidence as he appears to be a likely type.

Basically, for the first time in a long time, we don't have a weakness and credit has to go to Scott Clayton for addressing these areas in the past five years with some very promising drafting.

A few names who might be in contention for our first selection this year for those interested:

Jack Fitzpatrick (Western Jets)
He's very lightly built, much like Ayce, but he's a key forward who can play in defence.

Allen Christensen (Geelong Falcons)
Similar type of player to Harbrow. He's very clever and talented around goal. He's an all-rounded player who can win his own ball.

Mitch Golby (Dandenong Stingrays)
I've identified a medium sized rebounding defender here. We don't have very many left footers, so he could be on our radar.

Kyle Hartigan (Western Jets)
Another Jets boy, but this one is a key defender who should beat Fitzpatrick to the Jets B&F this year. He has a lot to offer and will be one of Vic Metro's better players.

Johnny Rayner (Western Jets)
Yep, another Jets boy and one who could be a real smokey. If all goes well for us, he could slip through past the first round to our second pick. He represented Australia at the Youth Olympics, so his endurance is top-notch. Not sure if he will be ready-made as he is lightly built, but he is a very pacy wingman. Watch for him to be a real smokey.

[ledge]

I am thinking more of a decent CHF , i do believe Everitt is on the radar for this but i like him as a floater more than a key down the centre player.

[hujsh]

I think it'd be good if we drafted a few more players with good to exceptional foot skills. A few who can create goals to replace Aka would be excellent

[Remi Moses]

I've heard promising things about Steve Wallis' son, but I doubt we'll take him with a first round pick. It's great that we are starting to see some F/S selections, and hopefully it doesn't stop there. It was a long gap between Darcy and Cordy, but hopefully we can snare a few more in the next five years (basically, it helped win Geelong a flag).

I agree that I think we will go for best talent available at the time. We have a lot of young ruckmen on our list who will be fully developed by the time Hudson retires, but seeing as he is keen to prolong his carrer, that might still be another three years away.

Over the next season or two, Akermanis, Welsh and Johnson will have finished their great careers, so it's important that we have three ready-made forwards to replace them. We've drafted for forwards in the last two drafts, so hopefully a minimum of two of Grant, Boumann, Cordy, Jones and Roughead are ready to hold down a forward position in two years time.

We also have an abundance of midfield depth. I'm quite optimistic even about Picken and Daniels - hopefully they can make the transition to seniour ranks via the rookie list just like Boyd, Morris and Harbrow have done.

Defense isn't really an issue - our short term and mid-term back half looks promising with Hargrave at 27 the oldest defender (Lake 27, Morris 26, Williams 23)... but we have Tiller who can hopefully continue to improve, Callan who I am confident will continue to improve, and hopefully O'Shea can become a regular of the Willi firsts and gain confidence as he appears to be a likely type.

Basically, for the first time in a long time, we don't have a weakness and credit has to go to Scott Clayton for addressing these areas in the past five years with some very promising drafting.

A few names who might be in contention for our first selection this year for those interested:

Jack Fitzpatrick (Western Jets)
He's very lightly built, much like Ayce, but he's a key forward who can play in defence.

Allen Christensen (Geelong Falcons)
Similar type of player to Harbrow. He's very clever and talented around goal. He's an all-rounded player who can win his own ball.

Mitch Golby (Dandenong Stingrays)
I've identified a medium sized rebounding defender here. We don't have very many left footers, so he could be on our radar.

Kyle Hartigan (Western Jets)
Another Jets boy, but this one is a key defender who should beat Fitzpatrick to the Jets B&F this year. He has a lot to offer and will be one of Vic Metro's better players.

Johnny Rayner (Western Jets)
Yep, another Jets boy and one who could be a real smokey. If all goes well for us, he could slip through past the first round to our second pick. He represented Australia at the Youth Olympics, so his endurance is top-notch. Not sure if he will be ready-made as he is lightly built, but he is a very pacy wingman. Watch for him to be a real smokey.

Top work!Welcome aboard

[Remi Moses]

The key ingredient for mine is KICKING. Must be able to kick in our game now,otherwise you're buggered.

[LostDoggy]

The key ingredient for mine is KICKING. Must be able to kick in our game now,otherwise you're buggered.

And a contested mark as well.

[Higgo2Coon2Grif]

Kicking is one skill I certainly agree with. Pelchen has recruited that way with Hawthorn, and they have a lot of excellent skilled kickers... only that a couple of their players aren't consistent kicking at goal.

[ledge]

Just wondering if Allan Christensen is any relation to the one who played in the 80s?

[GetDimmaBack]

Just wondering if Allan Christensen is any relation to the one who played in the 80s?

That would be Ross Christensen, who went to Geelong after playing a few games with us.

I believe Allan is his son.