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Reading a lot of the threads on here I often wonder if we set our expectations too high for young players out of the draft.
Looking back over drafts past with a mate the other day we both remarked about how many players really make an impact in the first 3 years of their careers.
Here are a few examples of the time frame that it has taken for players to adjust to the rigours of AFL
From the 2001 Draft
This years Brownlow Madalist Jimmy Bartel, Hawthorn midfielder Sam Mitchell, Collingwoods Dane Swan, Our own Graham Polak The Kangaroos David Hale, Ashley Hansen for Westcoast.
Not a bad list of names but if you have a look at the Careers, not one of the names above had any real impact on the AFL before the 2005 season.
Sure they all had cameo appearances and we all new their names. But before this they had all been tagged with that lovely word Potential.
2002 was one of the weakest drafts there has been but even that year there was several players taken that took time to settle into the bigtime.
Hamish McIntosh, Andrew Mackie, Daniel Bell, and Jason Laycock.
None of the above had any major impact before 2006.
The entire first round of the 2003 draft is testament to the fact that it takes time for these kids to develop. Most have just started to really achieve their potential in the last 12 months such as, Adan Cooney, Colin Sylvia, Andrew Walker, and Brock McLean.
I could go onto 2004 and beyond but the point I'm trying to make is that we as success starved Tigers supporters have expectations that do not allow these kids time to develop.
We expect them to be able to step up in their fist year on the list and history shows that this only happens to the elite of the game.
Most players don't start to really mature until 21-22 years of age.
I can remember reading thread after thread on the collingwood board in 2004-05 about Dane Swan saying he will never make it and that he was a waste of a spot on the list. If you look at the Pies board these days there is nothing but positives about the guy.
I am not defending the players like Hughes, Meyer, Schulz and JON, I'm just making the point that maybe we jump on the backs of these guys sooner than we should.
Looking back over drafts past with a mate the other day we both remarked about how many players really make an impact in the first 3 years of their careers.
Here are a few examples of the time frame that it has taken for players to adjust to the rigours of AFL
From the 2001 Draft
This years Brownlow Madalist Jimmy Bartel, Hawthorn midfielder Sam Mitchell, Collingwoods Dane Swan, Our own Graham Polak The Kangaroos David Hale, Ashley Hansen for Westcoast.
Not a bad list of names but if you have a look at the Careers, not one of the names above had any real impact on the AFL before the 2005 season.
Sure they all had cameo appearances and we all new their names. But before this they had all been tagged with that lovely word Potential.
2002 was one of the weakest drafts there has been but even that year there was several players taken that took time to settle into the bigtime.
Hamish McIntosh, Andrew Mackie, Daniel Bell, and Jason Laycock.
None of the above had any major impact before 2006.
The entire first round of the 2003 draft is testament to the fact that it takes time for these kids to develop. Most have just started to really achieve their potential in the last 12 months such as, Adan Cooney, Colin Sylvia, Andrew Walker, and Brock McLean.
I could go onto 2004 and beyond but the point I'm trying to make is that we as success starved Tigers supporters have expectations that do not allow these kids time to develop.
We expect them to be able to step up in their fist year on the list and history shows that this only happens to the elite of the game.
Most players don't start to really mature until 21-22 years of age.
I can remember reading thread after thread on the collingwood board in 2004-05 about Dane Swan saying he will never make it and that he was a waste of a spot on the list. If you look at the Pies board these days there is nothing but positives about the guy.
I am not defending the players like Hughes, Meyer, Schulz and JON, I'm just making the point that maybe we jump on the backs of these guys sooner than we should.
