Currently our father-son recruiting strategy is to canvass all eligible young footy players, identify the good ones, then get them 'in the fold' early, training them up and helping them out with nutrition, fitness, and skills.
Then we draft them, and within one year every other kid who is drafted has caught up to whatever advantage we have given them. However, at the time of drafting, our interest and developmental input has:
a. Artificially pumped up their draft worth
b. Given a green light to any club to 'select' them, safe in the knowledge we have already committed to them and they won't have their bluff called
b might be bullshit, but a is definitely true. I think the club with all best intentions have got this arse about. Discuss.
Please note this is not a comment on the ability or potential of Wallis, Libba or Cordy. This is purely about our strategy in future.
We could take it even further. Imagine if we got Wallis on a cheezels and peanut butter diet and told him just to play table tennis for school sport last year. Woulda got him at pick 90.
Then we draft them, and within one year every other kid who is drafted has caught up to whatever advantage we have given them. However, at the time of drafting, our interest and developmental input has:
a. Artificially pumped up their draft worth
b. Given a green light to any club to 'select' them, safe in the knowledge we have already committed to them and they won't have their bluff called
b might be bullshit, but a is definitely true. I think the club with all best intentions have got this arse about. Discuss.
Please note this is not a comment on the ability or potential of Wallis, Libba or Cordy. This is purely about our strategy in future.
We could take it even further. Imagine if we got Wallis on a cheezels and peanut butter diet and told him just to play table tennis for school sport last year. Woulda got him at pick 90.