The Curse of the First Pick

[TheInjuryFactory]

You want your tall forwards to have a bit of swagger. Nice guys are often Andrew McDougall

Saw a framed McDougall jumper in an office not so long ago, was absolutely dumbfounded. How does something like that even happen?

 

[PantaloonRazorblade]

It can't be that bad since no criminal charges were laid.

That's a bit naive.

 

[Dump Truck]

We passed on Darling because at the time we thought we were going for the constant Fyfe types, which worked with Fyfe but didn't with Mitchie/Pitt/Bollenhagen/Mellington and jeez the list goes on.

I remember constantly this board saying the Mora/Darling combo will win us a flag. Mora got injured and we didn't draft Darling. Hindsight sucks.

 

[Alfonz]

That's a bit naive.

Is there any naivety in believing stories you have been told? Pretty easy for people to make stuff up.

After he was drafted, my boss's niece dated Darling, and sometimes he'd be around while niece was babysitting. Said he was a nice respectful young man, kids liked him too. Was not some deviant problem child. He was on a no-alcohol policy from WC ... just some very basic behaviour guidelines that could even be standard for every player they drafted.

He wasn't some kind of Dayle Garlett delinquent. He got in a bit of strife, but really there shouldn't have been any issues in drafting him. He's proven to have been a professional.

 

[PantaloonRazorblade]

Is there any naivety in believing stories you have been told? Pretty easy for people to make stuff up.

After he was drafted, my boss's niece dated Darling, and sometimes he'd be around while niece was babysitting. Said he was a nice respectful young man, kids liked him too. Was not some deviant problem child. He was on a no-alcohol policy from WC ... just some very basic behaviour guidelines that could even be standard for every player they drafted.

He wasn't some kind of Dayle Garlett delinquent. He got in a bit of strife, but really there shouldn't have been any issues in drafting him. He's proven to have been a professional.

Well, we've both been told different things. Maybe we are both being naive.

Regardless, there are starkly differing opinions of this guy in the community.

Certainly, recent circumstantial evidence leans towards suggesting he is - currently - a professional with no off field issues that compromise his ability to play the game.

However, this in no way proves that the club were stupid for not picking him up in the draft. People change, for the better or worse.

He may well have been a dirty, reprehensible campaigner as a teenager, neither of us can realistically prove or refute that. He may still be. He may not. Suffice to say that the club felt that he wasn't worth the risk.

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[blue shark]

The problem with Freo recruiting dept, is they do not seem to have inside information in their own backyard. The WA talent we should of
drafted Darling, Hill, and what will become the biggest mistake, McGovern, after Darling we were desperate for a Tall, and he is a guy who
is the perfect swingman. Can play at either end of the ground, and could be a better forward than Darling in time.

 

[Ausbenito]

Well said what really hurts is how close we are to the holy grail and how much trouble we are having getting a free agent 1 or 2 of these guys in the side and we could start celebrating already....

 

[clogged]

Well, we've both been told different things. Maybe we are both being naive.

Regardless, there are starkly differing opinions of this guy in the community.

Certainly, recent circumstantial evidence leans towards suggesting he is - currently - a professional with no off field issues that compromise his ability to play the game.

However, this in no way proves that the club were stupid for not picking him up in the draft. People change, for the better or worse.

He may well have been a dirty, reprehensible campaigner as a teenager, neither of us can realistically prove or refute that. He may still be. He may not. Suffice to say that the club felt that he wasn't worth the risk.

Sent from my SM-N910G using Tapatalk

Very few people spread good rumours about others, especially those with a bit of profile. Gossip tends to paint people as the devil incarnate.

 

[rodney hoo]

The problem with Freo recruiting dept, is they do not seem to have inside information in their own backyard. The WA talent we should of
drafted Darling, Hill, and what will become the biggest mistake, McGovern, after Darling we were desperate for a Tall, and he is a guy who
is the perfect swingman. Can play at either end of the ground, and could be a better forward than Darling in time.

Re McGovern he was rookie pick that was sent away from training for not turning up in fit condition, I think 2014, draft 2011, due to injuries ended up playing 13 games in 2014 and has gone on with it. Some guys just get better when they get to the top level. Our recruiters have taken WA talent , Woods, Vandeleur, Howson of which only Vandy is left.
IMO have our recruitment team got every pick right, of course not but as I said previously hindsight is great knowledge, if eagles don't suffer injuries to key backs forwards McGovern could still be playing wafl.
Ps, I hope that if we beat Hawks this week we give some of our young blokes a go not all together one or two at a time to see what they can do in top company just like McGovern because some times you don't know what you got till it's been given a go.

 

[blue shark]

Re McGovern he was rookie pick that was sent away from training for not turning up in fit condition, I think 2014, draft 2011, due to injuries ended up playing 13 games in 2014 and has gone on with it. Some guys just get better when they get to the top level. Our recruiters have taken WA talent , Woods, Vandeleur, Howson of which only Vandy is left.
IMO have our recruitment team got every pick right, of course not but as I said previously hindsight is great knowledge, if eagles don't suffer injuries to key backs forwards McGovern could still be playing wafl.
Ps, I hope that if we beat Hawks this week we give some of our young blokes a go not all together one or two at a time to see what they can do in top company just like McGovern because some times you don't know what you got till it's been given a go.

Annoying because his old man played for our club. Its like hearing that Yeo and family are Docker supporters.

 

[Ausbenito]

Re McGovern he was rookie pick that was sent away from training for not turning up in fit condition, I think 2014, draft 2011, due to injuries ended up playing 13 games in 2014 and has gone on with it. Some guys just get better when they get to the top level. Our recruiters have taken WA talent , Woods, Vandeleur, Howson of which only Vandy is left.
IMO have our recruitment team got every pick right, of course not but as I said previously hindsight is great knowledge, if eagles don't suffer injuries to key backs forwards McGovern could still be playing wafl.
Ps, I hope that if we beat Hawks this week we give some of our young blokes a go not all together one or two at a time to see what they can do in top company just like McGovern because some times you don't know what you got till it's been given a go.

Pure fantasy the recruiters have made more than their fair share of mistakes the Eagles were always going to try Mcgovern so what if he started out unfit he is now one of the best key positions in the AFL and after watching Peel get flogged last week not many of the young blokes deserve a go some are really struggling.

 

[Centurions]

The problem with Freo recruiting dept, is they do not seem to have inside information in their own backyard. The WA talent we should of
drafted Darling, Hill, and what will become the biggest mistake, McGovern, after Darling we were desperate for a Tall, and he is a guy who
is the perfect swingman. Can play at either end of the ground, and could be a better forward than Darling in time.

Well if you say about the inside information, Hill had a very checkered youth to say he least and could have gone the way of garlett. if you looked at his combine results Sheridan stacked up with him In terms of beep test and 3kmTime trial & his skills were considered better than hill which is why he went pick 33.

 

[rodney hoo]

Pure fantasy the recruiters have made more than their fair share of mistakes the Eagles were always going to try Mcgovern so what if he started out unfit he is now one of the best key positions in the AFL and after watching Peel get flogged last week not many of the young blokes deserve a go some are really struggling.

If McGovern was so good why was he pick 41 in the rookie draft, and why did he not get run till they got injuries, I forgot you were an expert in all things re the draft but IMO this is the way it's panned out.
All recruiters make mistakes, it's not an exact science.

 

[clogged]

Bootsma is younger than McGovern was when he debuted. Perfect chance to redress a "mistake" (I don't see it as such).

 

[Ausbenito]

Well the thought has passed my mind that I could do a better job than some of them definitely would have drafted Darling,Mcgovern and his brother for that matter it is a good debate to have.

 

[raffrox]

There was a lot of doubt at the time re Darlings fitness & temperament. There was reports that he might never play a game, all set up by the Eagles, if I recall he went at 29 so the smoke screen worked well as not only Freo missed him. Hindsight is a great knowledge.

Nah. We got played. Simple as that. We should have taken Darling. I thought that before that draft and nothing changed after it.

Cost us a premiership. Simple really.

 

[Freo123]

The "behaviour issues" were bullshit.

Darling got suspended from his school for kissing his girlfriend on a camping trip. He also got king hit in a nightclub by some idiot.

If AFL clubs considered that a "behavioural issue" then it's their own stupid fault.

I thought he went to all boys school!

 

[rgauci]

We didn't get played. It wasn't behaviour that put us off Darling. It was far more important, has turned out ok so far for the Eagles. So far.

With hindsight I'm not sure our recruiters take him now.

 

[Dump Truck]

We didn't get played. It wasn't behaviour that put us off Darling. It was far more important, has turned out ok so far for the Eagles. So far.

With hindsight I'm not sure our recruiters take him now.

You're joking right? With Hindsight he'd be amazing next to Pav! We all mentioned on this board for ages that we should grab him pre-draft except a few that shared the view of him being a terrible, horrible reincarnation of Ben Cousins in waiting. He isn't now and is one of the reasons the Eagles have a rather potent, attacking forward line. He isn't just "ok". He's pretty damn good. Even us one eyed Freo fans can see that. We didn't need Pitt that draft, we needed a forward and he was it. IIRC we instead decided to draft Houghton(?)at pick 30 odd who most people hadn't heard of and was a project player at best that we picked overs for. We had the perfect shot and we stuffed up.

I admit Weller is amazing and I hope he does well for us but I feel like the Lever situation will be the same thing in a few years. A bunch of us saying we should grab a talented tall, recruiting department decide against it for media known reasons then draft a small, talented midfielder when we already have a bunch.

/rant

 

[Alfonz]

We didn't get played. It wasn't behaviour that put us off Darling. It was far more important, has turned out ok so far for the Eagles. So far.

With hindsight I'm not sure our recruiters take him now.

Are you serious? Arguably cost us the 2013 premiership, and might cost us the 2015 flag.

 

[clogged]

We didn't get played. It wasn't behaviour that put us off Darling. It was far more important, has turned out ok so far for the Eagles. So far.

With hindsight I'm not sure our recruiters take him now.

Does he have time bombs in his knees or something?

 

[Bender571]

Well the thought has passed my mind that I could do a better job than some of them definitely would have drafted Darling,Mcgovern and his brother for that matter it is a good debate to have.

Ok, so I guess that means you're on record now as saying that Mitch McGovern will be better than Connor Blakley. We'll see how you go without as much hindsight.

You're joking right? With Hindsight he'd be amazing next to Pav! We all mentioned on this board for ages that we should grab him pre-draft except a few that shared the view of him being a terrible, horrible reincarnation of Ben Cousins in waiting. He isn't now and is one of the reasons the Eagles have a rather potent, attacking forward line. He isn't just "ok". He's pretty damn good. Even us one eyed Freo fans can see that. We didn't need Pitt that draft, we needed a forward and he was it. IIRC we instead decided to draft Houghton(?)at pick 30 odd who most people hadn't heard of and was a project player at best that we picked overs for. We had the perfect shot and we stuffed up.

I admit Weller is amazing and I hope he does well for us but I feel like the Lever situation will be the same thing in a few years. A bunch of us saying we should grab a talented tall, recruiting department decide against it for media known reasons then draft a small, talented midfielder when we already have a bunch.

/rant

People are saying Lever now that he's had a decent debut, but at the time plenty were saying Durdin, who has struggled in the VFL before doing a season ending shoulder.

Also Houghton was the 2009 draft

 

[Ausbenito]

Would have been able to rookie list him the year before after it became obvious Jeremy was going to be a gun and we needed key positions look the moaning will stop when Darling and Mcgovern retire in the meantime I will have a cry every time they dominate a game and we scratch around with our key positions trying to find some one who can take an overhead mark let alone pack mark.
Sorry but it has annoyed me some what key position players are hard to find and somehow the Eagles a have ended up with plenty but I know it aint easy.

 

[Bender571]

Would have been able to rookie list him the year before after it became obvious Jeremy was going to be a gun and we needed key positions look the moaning will stop when Darling and Mcgovern retire in the meantime I will have a cry every time they dominate a game and we scratch around with our key positions trying to find some one who can take an overhead mark let alone pack mark.
Sorry but it has annoyed me some what key position players are hard to find and somehow the Eagles a have ended up with plenty but I know it aint easy.

So you would've picked up Mitch McGovern in the 2013 rookie draft on the back of his 1 game and 6 touches in the WAFL reserves that year, and because his brother was going to be a gun even though he hadn't debuted yet?

 

[Ausbenito]

Yer probably they pick untried juniors all the time that dont make it seeing how his brother came on as a late developer He was available after Jeremy had played a few games late in the year he along with many others probably wont make just wouldnt have risked another "stuff up" on that front.
Mate dont try and turn it into a Mitch Mcgovern debate it is about the two stars that we missed Darling and Jeremy Mcgovern and the numerous fails we have drafted and how close we are to a premiership...