Remove this Banner Ad

2017 Draft thread

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Whilst hindsight truly is a wonderful thing, it's difficult NOT to be critical of selecting Longer with our first pick (8) in the 2011 Draft.

That was the year that GWS got Picks 1-5 and 7

Pre-draft he was highly touted as almost a cetainty to be taken by GWS in one of those first 5 picks.

They didn't .

Port took Wingard at 6 and despite GWS having another crack at Longer at 7, they didn't do that either.

Really, we should have been a wake-up and in a compromised draft, should have known better than to speculate on a skinny beanpole Ruckman who had shown very little in any other position on the ground.

GWS were smart and we walked right into a really dumb selection when there were arguably much better options available.

EDIT:

GWS then took Tomlinson, Sumner and Greene at 9, 10 and 11

We really did take the only total bust in amomgst that host of players either side of our pick.:(
 
Last edited:
Whilst hindsight truly is a wonderful thing, it's difficult NOT to be critical of selecting Longer with our first pick (8) in the 2011 Draft.

That was the year that GWS got Picks 1-5 and 7

Pre-draft he was highly touted as almost a cetainty to be taken by GWS in one of those first 5 picks.

They didn't .

Port took Wingard at 6 and despite GWS having another crack at Longer at 7, they didn't do that either.

Really, we should have been a wake-up and in a compromised draft, should have known better than to speculate on a skinny beanpole Ruckman who had shown very little in any other position on the ground.

GWS were smart and we walked right into a really dumb selection when there were arguably much better options available.

EDIT:

GWS then took Tomlinson, Sumner and Greene at 9, 10 and 11

We really did take the only total bust in amomgst that host of players either side of our pick.:(
I recall how we were really into Haynes and Greene... both of which went a pick earlier to the Giants. Strange that :rolleyes: Our club has been leaking for years.
 
I recall how we were really into Haynes and Greene... both of which went a pick earlier to the Giants. Strange that :rolleyes: Our club has been leaking for years.

We didn't have a shot at Haynes but we could have got Greene.

https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_drafts?year=2011

To add insult to injury , we nailed Docherty at 12 and Yeo at 30.

*SIGH*

I still have morbid fantasies about picking Greene at 8 and Docherty and Yeo still being at the club:(

Try that for a Sliding Doors Damo
 

Log in to remove this Banner Ad

EDIT:

GWS then took Tomlinson, Sumner and Greene at 9, 10 and 11

We really did take the only total bust in amomgst that host of players either side of our pick.:(

Tomlinson goes ok as a defender but I reckon between them you'd take Docherty. Sumner just got delisted by Carlton.

Not a lot in that draft retrospectively. Most of the players picked before Longer. Docherty, Yeo... we nailed those as talents. Adams, Devon Smith and Hill would likely have gone home too. Titchell was a father/son. And that's about it other than Greene. Newnes, Neale, I guess, but they were nowhere near pick 8. Incredibly weak draft.
 
Whilst hindsight truly is a wonderful thing, it's difficult NOT to be critical of selecting Longer with our first pick (8) in the 2011 Draft.

That was the year that GWS got Picks 1-5 and 7

Pre-draft he was highly touted as almost a cetainty to be taken by GWS in one of those first 5 picks.

They didn't .

Port took Wingard at 6 and despite GWS having another crack at Longer at 7, they didn't do that either.

Really, we should have been a wake-up and in a compromised draft, should have known better than to speculate on a skinny beanpole Ruckman who had shown very little in any other position on the ground.

GWS were smart and we walked right into a really dumb selection when there were arguably much better options available.

EDIT:

GWS then took Tomlinson, Sumner and Greene at 9, 10 and 11

We really did take the only total bust in amomgst that host of players either side of our pick.:(
Nah Sumner was definitely a worse player than Longer is. Also, I can't believe Buntine went at pick 5- he's basically a lockdown small/medium defender.
 
We tried that with Aish, Docherty, Polec and Longer. No point in choosing the best player if he doesn't want to be a long term player for us. We need to select the best talent with the least likely hood of getting home sick. Cedric Cox is the perfect example.

The club was in shambles off field and on it at that stage in time. We hardly put enough focus into our welfare and retention set up, we had crappy coaches and were obvious poor management. We've come a long way since that. Best Available at pick 1 and 12.
 
Nah Sumner was definitely a worse player than Longer is. Also, I can't believe Buntine went at pick 5- he's basically a lockdown small/medium defender.

Ok.

Let's call Sumner a dud and Buntine questionable as a top 5.

GWS had 8 picks in the first 11 of that draft and the other 6 were right on the money.

And more importantly, they avoided Longer when thay had six shots at him before we did.

Whatever spin you want to put on it, taking Longer was a disaster for the Lions.
 
Ok.

Let's call Sumner a dud and Buntine questionable as a top 5.

GWS had 8 picks in the first 11 of that draft and the other 6 were right on the money.

And more importantly, they avoided Longer when thay had six shots at him before we did.

Whatever spin you want to put on it, taking Longer was a disaster for the Lions.

Apart from the 200 game centre half back we drafted with the pick we received from the Saints.
 
Ok.

Let's call Sumner a dud and Buntine questionable as a top 5.

GWS had 8 picks in the first 11 of that draft and the other 6 were right on the money.

And more importantly, they avoided Longer when thay had six shots at him before we did.

Whatever spin you want to put on it, taking Longer was a disaster for the Lions.
Oh, I agree. I was just surprised Buntine went so high in the draft.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Amen to that!

And it's not as if we hadn't already been burnt

Leuenberger at 6 a few years earlier was also a questionable selection and through injury and other factors, never delivered any real value for us.
Spaandermann
 
Amen to that!

And it's not as if we hadn't already been burnt

Leuenberger at 6 a few years earlier was also a questionable selection and through injury and other factors, never delivered any real value for us.

Pick 4 and Selwood was taken pick 7. Imagine both Selwood and Matho in the same team - the master and the apprentice
 
We tried that with Aish, Docherty, Polec and Longer. No point in choosing the best player if he doesn't want to be a long term player for us. We need to select the best talent with the least likely hood of getting home sick. Cedric Cox is the perfect example.
So far.
 

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Doodngo thinks because we will be near the bottom again and even though we won't have the spoon, there's no guarantee he will be number 1. Remember Ballenden was expected to be a top 5 pick.....
Interested to know how high Dodongo rates Rankine. And has Dodongo started mentoring young Rankine, preparing him for his move north.

Some KPP predicted to go top 5 so Rankine could slide to 3 or 4
Pick 3, unless both King twins monster up and play KPF through the U18 Champs.
 
Interested to know how high Dodongo rates Rankine. And has Dodongo started mentoring young Rankine, preparing him for his move north.


Pick 3, unless both King twins monster up and play KPF through the U18 Champs.

Dodongo ranks Rankine as the number 1 to a team that doesn't need a key forward.

Dodongo thinks number 1 will be that Riewoldt clone, what's his name again, Lukoscious? or something?

Dodongo thinks it all depends on who has pick 1 and 2 as to where Rankine goes. As someone above said, Rankine could slide to 3 or 4 if there is another tall around. Dodongo definitely doesn't think Rankine will last till 5. Dodongo thinks 2 or 3 will be his draft position. Dodongo thinks we will have pick 2 or 3 or 4.
 
Dodongo ranks Rankine as the number 1 to a team that doesn't need a key forward.

Dodongo thinks number 1 will be that Riewoldt clone, what's his name again, Lukoscious? or something?

Dodongo thinks it all depends on who has pick 1 and 2 as to where Rankine goes. As someone above said, Rankine could slide to 3 or 4 if there is another tall around. Dodongo definitely doesn't think Rankine will last till 5. Dodongo thinks 2 or 3 will be his draft position. Dodongo thinks we will have pick 2 or 3 or 4.
Who will have pick 1?
 
Whilst hindsight truly is a wonderful thing, it's difficult NOT to be critical of selecting Longer with our first pick (8) in the 2011 Draft.

That was the year that GWS got Picks 1-5 and 7

Pre-draft he was highly touted as almost a cetainty to be taken by GWS in one of those first 5 picks.

They didn't .

...........................................

GWS then took Tomlinson, Sumner and Greene at 9, 10 and 11
............................

I remember that Draft well.
I was all set as usual, with my draft table to write down the picks as they fell, and to tick them off my Rankings List to make the call before our recruiters on our (my) selections.
As usual, I had given SWMBO my pre-draft speel on who I wanted to see on our list out of the ones likely to be available at our picks (and got the usual cursory "oh yeah, oh yeah ... that would be good dear" - at least she bothers to patronise me).

I said I really liked Greene, he is well suited to what we need as well .... he is slated to go a little later than 8, but I wouldn't take the chance and would jump in with our first pick. I also said I liked Docherty, especially for his long kicking from Half Back (which dominated his Youtube highlights), but he might not be available at 12.

Roll on the call, and all seemed to be going roughly as per the "experts" pre-draft Phantoms, except for Wyngard - I thought for sure GWS would snap him up early (of course, we all know now why they didn't). As Luthor says, those same pundits had also slated Longer going to GWS in the first 5 picks.

When it got to our pick, I realised that Longer was still available, and the horrid (to me) thought that we might pick him hit me like a bag of spuds ..... I jumped to my feet, and with some gusto shouted ...... "NO! NOT LONGER!! DON'T PICK LONGER!!! WE DON"T WANT LONGER" ........ and the next things I heard were
"Selection 8 - Brisbane Lions" .... (my heart was in my mouth, and I wasn't breathing) ...... "Player ******* - Billy Longer, Northern Knights" ........ It was two picks later before I finally took a breath .... I was flabbergasted.

When i finally had sufficient oxygen back into my lungs, I quickly caught up with the selections after Longer, and ticked off #9 Tomlinson & #10 Sumner.
My first exhale (since the longer shock) included the words "not Greene" ....... "Player ******* - Toby Greene, Oakleigh Chargers" ........ "ahh, SHIT".

To SWAMBO - "Docherty ...... we can still get Docherty".
"Selection 12 - Brisbane Lions" .... "Player ******* - Sam Docherty, Gippsland power".
To SWAMBO (but really for my own appeasement) - "Thank Christ - at least we got Docherty"

Now, I can remember most of the drafts in the televised era, in some sort of detail (who I liked, and who I selected "live" at our picks) within reason, but 2011 is vivid ..... very vivid .... for the blunder (in my mind, and I think proven over time), but more so for the premonition and foreboding I felt before Pick 8 was announced.

The Gusto I mentioned earlier ..... well, that must have been considerable (and memorable) .... because to this day, if I ask SWAMBO ....... "What did I say before Pick 8 was announced in the 2011 National Draft" .... she answers ....... "NO! NOT LONGER!! DON'T PICK LONGER!!! WE DON"T WANT LONGER" ....... (and there is nothing patronising about the way she says it).
 

Remove this Banner Ad

2017 Draft thread

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Back
Top