There was a bit of discussion on this topic after we exchanged Pick 17 for Sharrod Wellingham, who was originally selected by Collingwood at Pick 10 in the 2007 Rookie Draft.
I think it's fair to say that since the 2006 premiership, we've gone from being one of the masters of the rookie draft (Chad Fletcher, Dean Cox, The Q, Mark Nicoski, Brett Jones and Matt Priddis with serviceable returns from the likes of Kasey Green, Jaymie Graham, Steven Armstrong and ... Laurie Belotti) to a club that just doesn't give a crap. I give you our rookie selections since the 2006 premiership:
2007: Jamie McNamara, Llane Spaanderman, Chad Jones with Ben Sharp, Ashley Thornton and Beau Wilkes all re-drafted.
I guess the pick of the crop would be a tie between McNamara (19 games, 4 goals in 3 years) and Wilkes (23 games, 1 goal in 6 years). Wilkes now plays for St Kilda.
Jones played 7 games while Spaanderman, Sharp and Thornton combined for 0 games.
2008: Lewis Stevenson, Ashley Arrowsmith, Will Sullivan, Callum Wilson, Ryan Davis with Beau Wilkes re-drafted.
Stevenson is still around, was promoted to the senior list in 2010 and played 10 games that year, but hasn't played since. Wilson managed 7 games in 3 years, Davis 14 in 2. Arrowsmith and Sullivan failed to play a single game.
2009: Liam Bedford, Adam Cockie.
Liam Bedford
Cockie managed 7 games in 2 years.
2010: Lewis Broome, Andrew Strijk, Ashton Hams, Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls
I think it's fair to say that Hams (31 games, 33 goals) has been our best rookie selection since the 2006 premiership. Strijk is also still around (13 games, 11 goals), Broome failed to play a game while the less said about Oakley-Nicholls, the better
2011: Anton Hamp, Jeremy McGovern, Tim Houlihan (re-drafted)
Houlihan failed to play a game after being re-drafted with our first pick (pick 10) in the 2011 rookie draft. Hamp was delisted without playing a game, while McGovern remains on the rookie list.
2012: Michael Mascoulis, Callum Papertalk, Simon Tunbridge, Brad Dick
Mascoulis and Papertalk were delisted after only one year on the rookie list. Tunbridge and Dick remain on the rookie list, with Dick likely to be promoted to the senior list (or has he already?)
In terms of games played, our top 3 rookie selections since the 2006 premiership have been:
Hams - 31 games
Wilkes - 23 games
McNamara - 19 games
To put that into perspective, to make the top 3, Strijk needs to play 7 games next year, while Stevenson needs to play 10.
I'm not sure how other clubs have gone in the same time period, but looking at our selections in isolation, our efforts have been deplorable.
My suggestion is for the club to stop with the random crazy picks and focus on strong performers aged between 20-25 in the WAFL, VFL and SANFL. Guys who can slot straight into the side if disaster strikes. Let's draft the next Priddis or Barlow rather than the next Papertalk. I think it's fair to say the days of the next Dean Cox sliding all the way to the rookie draft are well and truly over.
I think it's fair to say that since the 2006 premiership, we've gone from being one of the masters of the rookie draft (Chad Fletcher, Dean Cox, The Q, Mark Nicoski, Brett Jones and Matt Priddis with serviceable returns from the likes of Kasey Green, Jaymie Graham, Steven Armstrong and ... Laurie Belotti) to a club that just doesn't give a crap. I give you our rookie selections since the 2006 premiership:
2007: Jamie McNamara, Llane Spaanderman, Chad Jones with Ben Sharp, Ashley Thornton and Beau Wilkes all re-drafted.
I guess the pick of the crop would be a tie between McNamara (19 games, 4 goals in 3 years) and Wilkes (23 games, 1 goal in 6 years). Wilkes now plays for St Kilda.
Jones played 7 games while Spaanderman, Sharp and Thornton combined for 0 games.
2008: Lewis Stevenson, Ashley Arrowsmith, Will Sullivan, Callum Wilson, Ryan Davis with Beau Wilkes re-drafted.
Stevenson is still around, was promoted to the senior list in 2010 and played 10 games that year, but hasn't played since. Wilson managed 7 games in 3 years, Davis 14 in 2. Arrowsmith and Sullivan failed to play a single game.
2009: Liam Bedford, Adam Cockie.
Liam Bedford
Cockie managed 7 games in 2 years.2010: Lewis Broome, Andrew Strijk, Ashton Hams, Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls
I think it's fair to say that Hams (31 games, 33 goals) has been our best rookie selection since the 2006 premiership. Strijk is also still around (13 games, 11 goals), Broome failed to play a game while the less said about Oakley-Nicholls, the better
2011: Anton Hamp, Jeremy McGovern, Tim Houlihan (re-drafted)
Houlihan failed to play a game after being re-drafted with our first pick (pick 10) in the 2011 rookie draft. Hamp was delisted without playing a game, while McGovern remains on the rookie list.
2012: Michael Mascoulis, Callum Papertalk, Simon Tunbridge, Brad Dick
Mascoulis and Papertalk were delisted after only one year on the rookie list. Tunbridge and Dick remain on the rookie list, with Dick likely to be promoted to the senior list (or has he already?)
In terms of games played, our top 3 rookie selections since the 2006 premiership have been:
Hams - 31 games
Wilkes - 23 games
McNamara - 19 games
To put that into perspective, to make the top 3, Strijk needs to play 7 games next year, while Stevenson needs to play 10.
I'm not sure how other clubs have gone in the same time period, but looking at our selections in isolation, our efforts have been deplorable.
My suggestion is for the club to stop with the random crazy picks and focus on strong performers aged between 20-25 in the WAFL, VFL and SANFL. Guys who can slot straight into the side if disaster strikes. Let's draft the next Priddis or Barlow rather than the next Papertalk. I think it's fair to say the days of the next Dean Cox sliding all the way to the rookie draft are well and truly over.
