Does anyone know why Mark Hutchings was delisted after 2010 season?
Taken in 2009 Rookie draft and only on our list for 1 year. Just came runner-up in Sandover - should we have perservered with him a bit longer?
Back in 2010 I wrote:
Hutchings gives it everything, but at 181cm and without being real quick or a long kicker, he didn't need any injury setbacks.
I can't remember what the injury was, but he was back playing from the start of 2011.
You've got to factor in that he didn't get picked up by anyone despite the following:
Oct 2011
http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/af...-for-afl-rebirth/story-e6frg1xu-1226173960214
West Perth onballer Mark Hutchings is a ready-made AFL midfielder and could be a steal for whoever punts on the St Kilda reject, according to his WAFL coach Bill Monaghan.
The gutsy ball winner, originally from East Perth, switched to the Falcons in 2011 and averaged 21 possessions a game in the WAFL this season.
"Mark has been outstanding for us this year and he has a great work ethic as well, so we think at 20 years of age he will only keep getting better," Monaghan said.
"Is there another side out there who could use an inside midfielder?
Significantly for a player who had previously been criticised for a lack of pace, Hutchings' time of 2.83sec for the 20m sprint was faster than any time recorded at the National Draft Combine and was .27sec faster than the time he posted in 2009.
Hutchings has battled osteitis pubis and hip problems in the early part of his career and believes he's now physically and mentally ready for a second crack at the big time.
He will nominate for the national draft but his best chance of a second-chance AFL career is through December's rookie draft.
"I felt like I had something to prove just to myself mainly that I was good enough to hopefully get back on a list," he said. "I'm a bit better equipped now to tackle being on an AFL list than I was when I was 18.
"I think the operation he had to free his hips up really helped him get some mobility and he added some strength through our weights program," Monaghan said.