What the heck? Melbourne draftee Interviews

Jonts

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Have heard on the grapevine that Melbourne when interviewing players are extrememly harsh on them, and 50% of the interview is why that certain player isn't that good

Have heard this has been happening for the pst two years at least
(one of these players last season that were apparently abused was drafted by Melbourne)

Weird if true, draftees wouldn't know what to do

(Melbourne are the only club i have heard of doing this)

Interesting if true

(Didnt know where to put this, if in wrong spot mods please move)
 

I am Jack

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Have heard on the grapevine that Melbourne when interviewing players are extrememly harsh on them, and 50% of the interview is why that certain player isn't that good

Have heard this has been happening for the pst two years at least
(one of these players last season that were apparently abused was drafted by Melbourne)

Weird if true, draftees wouldn't know what to do

(Melbourne are the only club i have heard of doing this)

Interesting if true

(Didnt know where to put this, if in wrong spot mods please move)

Melbournes drafting the past couple of years has only been second to only Collingwood.
So whatever Melbourne are doing, keep doing it!

They could be trying to weed out the Mummy's boys, so perhaps Brisbane need to adopt this tactic?
 

Hellgood

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Melbournes drafting the past couple of years has only been second to only Collingwood.

Hahahahahahahahaha. Going to quote that again for hilarity.

Melbournes drafting the past couple of years has only been second to only Collingwood.

But yeah, it's just a tactic to see how they respond - kids with the confidence, such as Brodie Grundy will have a direct crack back, others will crack the sads. Would imagine you'd learna heck of a lot more from an interview like that putting someone out of their comfort zone than the stock standard "yeah, nah" stuff.
 

Silent Alarm

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Apparently Chocco used to do something similar at Port. Used to ask players questions that made them uncomfortable to see how they deal with it. Apparently he asked Dustin Martin if he was stupid, since he didn't finish school.

Piss weak to be honest. That's embarrassing a 17, 18-year old kid who's already pretty nervous sitting in front of half a dozen grown men who already have the power over you.

There are other ways to gauge someone's resilience or character.

How do you answer that? "Look, I had other things I was interested in and school was a waste of everyone's time – I did what suited me." Which isn't something most guys could say, you'd be taken aback. That or "mate, if this as an AFL club, you and your boys club can go * yourselves."
 
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I don't know whether this particular story is true, but I know from speaking to a few mates who've done them that Melbourne have a heck of a reputation for curveballs during the interviews. Put them in really awkward positions and ask blunt questions that they wouldn't expect.

I don't see a real problem with it though.
 

Tatts22

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Apparently Chocco used to do something similar at Port. Used to ask players questions that made them uncomfortable to see how they deal with it. Apparently he asked Dustin Martin if he was stupid, since he didn't finish school.

I heard similar stories about Mark Williams. Like throwing things at the 'draftee' while being interviewed or insisting they are gay & continually badgering them. He used to like when a player would react aggressively to him rather than be intimidated. It's his way of testing their mental strength. Not sure it really proves much - except he's a jerk

If one club is doing it I'm sure others are as well.
 
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Multi million dollar organisations with access to the best facilities, systems and people and the best they can come up with for a recruitment strategy is to through a few things at a draftee/insult and belittle them to what prove their manhood or whatever. Wonder if the same clubs are surprised when 2 years down the track trades are requested.

I get that footy is unlike other jobs and a fierce competitiveness is required to succeed. But alienating and bullying blokes on first go (remember first impressions last) hardly seems the way to go about it.

With free agency, 18 teams and big money and 5 cities to pick from clubs need to sell themselves as a cohesive place with a strong base who pull together for success and are an attractive proposition to play for and be a part of. Not some dictatorial organisation that then bleats about gen y when things inevitably turn to s**t.
 

chunkylover53

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My brother attended the draft camp a couple of years ago and told me that neeld and Melbourne asked a kid to call a horse race as part of his interview.

Thought Gold Coast made him do that.

They're harsh as in there. Allen Christensen got absolutely berated for being slightly overweight.

Wah wah they're a bit harsh on them. They are about to be drafted to an AFL club which will see them make more money than anyone else their age, they can handle 10 minutes of intense pressure and "bullying" I'm sure, nothing compared to what would be said/done to them out on the field. Better than saying "yeah look Melbourne FC is the best I swear! We'll be good next year real good! We need ya bad, you're great, we'll play you from round 1!"
 

Jonts

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Thought Gold Coast made him do that.

They're harsh as in there. Allen Christensen got absolutely berated for being slightly overweight.

Wah wah they're a bit harsh on them. They are about to be drafted to an AFL club which will see them make more money than anyone else their age, they can handle 10 minutes of intense pressure and "bullying" I'm sure, nothing compared to what would be said/done to them out on the field. Better than saying "yeah look Melbourne FC is the best I swear! We'll be good next year real good! We need ya bad, you're great, we'll play you from round 1!"



Well thats a no brainer

I thought the middle ground would be the best approach

ie: Happy to play in Melbourne?

Where do you see your weaknesses/strengths

What drives you as a player?

Give me some examples of your leadership skills
 

chunkylover53

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Well thats a no brainer

I thought the middle ground would be the best approach

ie: Happy to play in Melbourne? Absolutely, playing AFL is the ultimate dream, I'll play anywhere.

Where do you see your weaknesses/strengths Obviously I have a lot to work on, but I believe my strengths are blah blah blah, but I really need to work on blah blah blah

What drives you as a player? Just the thought of playing and winning, I love footy and playing with mates.

Give me some examples of your leadership skills I'm very vocal and love getting everyone up and about, but I like to try and do on-field leadership things as well such as blah blah blah

The above answers are the stock-standard answers more than 90% of players would give. Better to test them with something they haven't been practicing for.
 

Sylvia Saint

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In regards to the OP, there probably is some truth to it. I think Tom Boyd said "Melbourne by far" when asked which clubs were asking the tough questions. Maybe on that TAC Cup show recently? I don't know. I didn't see the footage (I read it on a Demons fan forum).

Anyway, I'm glad to see to recruiters trying something a bit different, if it's a recent thing that is. Can't afford any more Lucas Cook's or Jordan Gysberts, two kids that didn't have the mettle for AFL environment, just to name a couple.
 
Couldn't be any worse or more belittling than reading Bay13 or other forms of internet media if you're an AFL player -

There is a whole heap more scrutiny that none of us would ever have to dream about worrying about - Start testing 'em out early to see how they handle it.....

Yeah, perhaps if we'd done the same thing to Dowler we'd have discovered he wasn't quite cut out for it.
 
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Yeah, perhaps if we'd done the same thing to Dowler we'd have discovered he wasn't quite cut out for it.

I kind of just thought he was injury riddled/unlucky - Obviously the car accident in the draft year wasn't great -

Don't know too much about what happened to him otherwise and Thorpe seemed to gain more of the noriety -

What makes you think would have been discovered through a 'Melbourne-like interview' that got found out later?
 
I kind of just thought he was injury riddled/unlucky - Obviously the car accident in the draft year wasn't great -

Don't know too much about what happened to him otherwise and Thorpe seemed to gain more of the noriety -

What makes you think would have been discovered through a 'Melbourne-like interview' that got found out later?

Not going to go into it here, but if we'd have gotten a better grasp of him psychologically, I think we'd have passed on him to start with.

Both he and Thorp had their own issues that didn't have them fit with the team. Thorp didn't learn, even when he trialled at melbourne after being delisted by Hawthorn, and was soon recognised as not being worth the effort by Bailey.
 

Silent Alarm

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Thought Gold Coast made him do that.

They're harsh as in there. Allen Christensen got absolutely berated for being slightly overweight.

Wah wah they're a bit harsh on them. They are about to be drafted to an AFL club which will see them make more money than anyone else their age, they can handle 10 minutes of intense pressure and "bullying" I'm sure, nothing compared to what would be said/done to them out on the field. Better than saying "yeah look Melbourne FC is the best I swear! We'll be good next year real good! We need ya bad, you're great, we'll play you from round 1!"

To be honest, if Choco Williams tried to call me gay I'd probably say "so what if I am mate? If you reckon that's an issue then you're club can get ****ed." If he was impressed, I wouldn't be and I'd tell him to get ****ed again. And if I was drafted to that club I'd get a trade.

Money is irrelevant. Fame is irrelevant. This is a young kid jumping out of his skin at the chance to even see a guy with a club polo come ask him something. You don't need to be Freud to come up with some decent, revealing questions that peddle between "how are you a team-oriented person?" cliches and "so you're a f** hey?" brashness.

Stephen Hill is so quiet. He's really shy. You can hear it in the way he speaks, see it in his posture, and see the way he sticks his arse out when he goes for a tackle that he isn't a physically tough or an abrasive person. I'm sure he's a nice guy and how would he cope with being called gay? Or been made to have some college-dorm-like initiation to be shamed and embarrassed by calling a horse race in front of grown men slapping each other, laughing at you?

Just proves how much of a boys club the AFL really is. And drafting. It's all about you and your mates and outside of that, no one else means or is worth anything. Footy clubs can be s**t clubs at junior and ammo level and I have absolutely no doubt it creeps into AFL level.

You just need to see Nathan Buckley embarrassing Harry O'Brien for his beliefs and thoughts. Who gives a s**t if Harry O reckons being someone being gay isn't an issue? Or that his club's owner is racist, tactless prick? Nathan Buckley humiliated him for who he is in front of his colleagues and mates and people he spends every day with. Collingwood Football Club isn't a normal work environment, but it is a professional one.

They should all act like professionals.
 

Tatts22

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To be honest, if Choco Williams tried to call me gay I'd probably say "so what if I am mate? If you reckon that's an issue then you're club can get ******." If he was impressed, I wouldn't be and I'd tell him to get ****** again. And if I was drafted to that club I'd get a trade.

Money is irrelevant. Fame is irrelevant. This is a young kid jumping out of his skin at the chance to even see a guy with a club polo come ask him something. You don't need to be Freud to come up with some decent, revealing questions that peddle between "how are you a team-oriented person?" cliches and "so you're a f** hey?" brashness.

Stephen Hill is so quiet. He's really shy. You can hear it in the way he speaks, see it in his posture, and see the way he sticks his arse out when he goes for a tackle that he isn't a physically tough or an abrasive person. I'm sure he's a nice guy and how would he cope with being called gay? Or been made to have some college-dorm-like initiation to be shamed and embarrassed by calling a horse race in front of grown men slapping each other, laughing at you?

Just proves how much of a boys club the AFL really is. And drafting. It's all about you and your mates and outside of that, no one else means or is worth anything. Footy clubs can be s**t clubs at junior and ammo level and I have absolutely no doubt it creeps into AFL level.

You just need to see Nathan Buckley embarrassing Harry O'Brien for his beliefs and thoughts. Who gives a s**t if Harry O reckons being someone being gay isn't an issue? Or that his club's owner is racist, tactless prick? Nathan Buckley humiliated him for who he is in front of his colleagues and mates and people he spends every day with. Collingwood Football Club isn't a normal work environment, but it is a professional one.

They should all act like professionals.

That is actually pretty much how I heard the response was!! Choco apparently followed him out the room & called out that he wanted to draft him.

I'm sure there are better ways to figure out if someone is mentally tough or not.
 

Jonts

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Who did Chocco say that too?

Its all about having a medium IMO, with creative questions

Surely they would do a written psych test as well?
 

Geddy Lee

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"Have heard this has been happening for the pst two years at least"

I believe our entire administration has changed, so it is unlikely that a completely new recruiting staff would be implementing the same processes this year and 2011-12.

Interesting thread all the same.
 
Yeah, it's been happening - doesn't get to personal abuse levels as speculated here.

But if the guys have vision of a player doing something they're not happy with, they'll demand an answer as to why the player keeps doing that - and will show them vision of them repeatedly doing it.

They'll ask the player how good they are, who they're better then in the draft and where they should be picked.

Hardly harsh, just a bit of an edge to it.
 

Jonts

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"Have heard this has been happening for the pst two years at least"

I believe our entire administration has changed, so it is unlikely that a completely new recruiting staff would be implementing the same processes this year and 2011-12.

Interesting thread all the same.

Heard one SA draftee mate talk about it, then he has heard about it happpening to the blokes one year older than him again
 
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