True.
Hawthorn and Sydney have also shown a propensity to develop late draft picks into guns.
Smith and Hill and Hannebery and Parker for example.
It can't be denied it gives a huge jump start to competing at the top again.
Time for Shuey, Sheed, Yeo, Waterman and co to pull a finger out.
These guys were hardly late draft picks though? All second round picks, which isn't really considered late, you'd pick these guys and hope that over 50% will become an AFL quality player. Parker and Hannebery both very highly rated in their junior years. Granted Smith came from no where (country footy to VFL in a year) and there were question marks over Hill, but he had the tools to work with. I feel like these guys were all well credentialed before they got picked up. We have gone with a few guys lately who have the 'potential' tag.
Sheppard, Smith, Swift, Notte and Weedon are all guys we have drafted in our first or second round who had 'potential'... the only one still on our list being Sheppard. A couple of highly rated juniors, but all drafted based on talent, not output.
In saying that though, we have drafted Gaff, Darling, Sheed and Shuey in recent times based on output. I just feel we should target the performers. I remember Luke Parker at the time being highly rated. How we slid that far I do not know.
It's more of a culture and development thing than you realise though. Thus why you can have a team of first rounders at Melbourne or a midfield of top five draft picks at Carlton and still get beaten.