I've been thinking about this for a while, that we seem to have a pretty good strike rate with our second pick of the draft so I thought it might be interesting now that the season is over to have a look at how we've gone in recent times in comparison with our first picks. I selected 2005 as the starting point mainly because Ryder/Dempsey are the oldest players that I still think are rated on potential rather than just purely on performance. Also I'm not worrying about the round that they were drafted in, just our first and second selections. Warning: It's long!
2005
1st Pick - Ryder - (7)
2nd Pick - Dempsey (19)
I think at this stage we can all agree that Ryder is ahead of Dempsey, even when Ryder is out of form he's still a versatile tall with a great kick, strong mark and wins a decent amount of hitouts and kicks goals regularly. His major deficiency is still that he doesn't get enough of the ball however and perhaps doesn't work hard enough. Even though I love Ryder and we all hope he will become a star, the realist in me has serious doubts. I just don't think he will ever have the intensity, I do reckon that he will continue to improve however. I also do like him as a key defender and if the 3 ruckman experiment ever resurfaces I hope its with Ryder in defence. Is a lock in best 22
Dempsey has had a much worse run with injuries which is a shame because I thought that early this year he had really turned a corner and was finally showing not only the dash from defence but was balancing well with defending his man at the same time. At his best he is lightning quick, decent disposal (not as good at top speed), reasonable overhead and a great rebounder. His major deficiency always seemed to be his defensive accountability which he seemed to have improved. Hopefully with reports that he's ahead of schedule in his recovery, he will be fit and rearing to go for round 1 next year. I reckon we may have seen how much we missed him when we struggled for matchups on Garlett/Betts in the finals. Is best 22 when fit.
Verdict: Ryder over Dempsey fairly comfortably at this stage, even though I think Dempsey will gain ground in the next year or two. Both in the best 22 so a good result in that respect.
2006
1st Pick - Gumbleton (2)
2nd Pick - Jetta (18)
Ah 2006 a draft year that seemed to have so much promise. I remember the hype around the top 4 prospects in particular, it was going to be Wayne Carey v Jackovich all over again with Gumbleton and Hansen and all other kinds of superlatives. Leunburger was Cox reincarnated and Gibbs was going to be a once in a generation midfielder etc. Hasn't quite turned out that way but that's why we love to rate by potential.
Gumbleton - Its a sad story really, a talented CHF who just cannot ever get on the park because his body just continually breaks down. Its pretty telling that Heppell has nearly played more games than him already. Anyways he's tall, he's got a huge tank and strong hands. Downside is his kicking at goal isn't great, he hasn't been able to physically develop the way we would have hoped and often gets outmuscled in marking contests and of course the big one: perennially injured. To be honest, I have severe doubts over whether he will even continue playing or whether he will suffer the same fate as Darcy Daniher, also his spot in the 22 is doubtful with the emergence of Carlisle.
Jetta- He's taken some good steps these last 2 years, even though we are all still hoping for more. He started the year especially strongly but seemed to slow down as it went on. I like him more in the midfield and his defensive pressure is really good. The coaches disagreed with me though and he played predominantly in the forward line where he had some good moments but was fairly inconsistent. Quick, skillful, evasive and a pretty good kick. Downside is overhead marking is mediocre at best, not strong enough in the contest (has improved this area though), tank? (i think there may still be some question marks here although again has improved). I like Jetta, he's a solid 22 player for us at the moment, I would say it would be slightly dissapointing for him that he couldn't grab a top 10 b&f spot despite playing all games from memory. His spot is pretty safe though, he's ahead of Reimers/Davey/Colyer in the forward line.
Verdict: Jetta comfortably over Gumbleton right now, if by some miracle Gumbleton gets fit then I'll be happy to change this rating but I'm not expecting it.
2007
1st Pick - Myers (6)
2nd Pick - Pears (23)
Myers is interesting to me in that I don't think he is ever going to be the player we drafted him to be. I think the idea we had was a running, agile rebounding defender/midfielder. The way he's developed however has given us a 194cm (KP height now) defender, whose not all that mobile, but is fairly strongly built and has a booming kick. I don't know about everyone else but I think he has a place in the team going forward and it will be as a third tall defender (post Fletcher). He can probably also learn to play as backup KPD for when Hooker/Pears are injured which seems to be all the time lately. I thought he took a few positive steps this year defensively and offensively when he played. He mostly kept his man quiet and we started to see some of the rebounding skills we were expecting when we drafted him. Is not a lock in current best 22 but I think he will be soon.
Pears - A couple of years ago and he was on top of the world. Taking elite forwards to school and rebounding off of them, showing poise and class and was probably close to the best young defender in the game at the time. Sadly his last couple of years have been plagued by injuries, unfortunately for him he's just copped a few freak injuries mostly from collisions. This has meant that he has barely ever been fit and has vastly reduced his fitness levels, rebounding and confidence/form. I still think he can get back to his best, but he would be one who would be desperate for a full pre-season and for the chance to show everyone that he's still a gun. I think he will. Is a lock in our best 22, is vital structurally and its all still ahead of him.
Verdict: Pears by a fair way over Myers.
2008
1st Pick - Hurley (5)
2nd Pick - Zaharakis(23)
Ok as a bomber fan how can you not be excited by these two names, also 1st and 3rd in our best and fairest incidentally. We done good in this draft, real good.
Hurley - There's not much to say about this guy that hasn't been said a thousand times before, he's big, strong, has a real presence, attacks contests with intensity and if he can't mark the ball himself always brings it to ground in the forward line. Is a great field kick as well but perhaps only ok as a set shot at goal, but should be able to improve this area. Is versatile and can play anywhere down the spine, I reckon is marginally better as a defender but is much more valuable to the team down forward. Interestingly around draft time the consensus was he would be too slow to keep up with the real quick forwards and that there were doubts he would be able to play as a forward. They've proven to be quite unfounded and frankly on the field he seems to be pretty quick, I guess its the difference between athletic ability and footy smarts. Gun, lock in best 22, future AA all that good stuff.
Zaharakis - Ok I must admit he's probably my favourite bomber. I just love everything about the way he plays the game and the passion he brings to the EFC. I reckon he's the complete package in terms of midfielders, great pace, great kick (exceptional on the run at goal), strong overhead despite not being too tall, can win his own ball (though more of an outside midfielder). As long as he can keep on building up his tank and improving there's no real limit to how good this guy can get, will be top 50 in the league next year I reckon. It was nice to see him win the b&f, even though there are probably still a few players ahead of him that would have won if they had played as many, but just give him time and he will be a big part in taking EFC to their next premiership. Lock in best 22.
Verdict - I so, so want to call this a draw. However I think Hurley at the moment is slightly ahead as a prospect. I reckon both will end up as genuine A graders though and luckily for us we have them both! Sidenote: Could our next captain be one of these two? Quite possibly in my opinion.
2009
1st Pick - Melksham (10)
2nd Pick - Carlisle (24)
Melksham - I've liked what i've seen so far. Had a good year, playing all games as far as I can remember. His best game was his superb effort against Geelong (as a matter of fact my wallpaper is the picture of Melksham celebrating his goal with Monfries, just a great moment). He seems to be one of those players right now who is good at everything without having a real outstanding attribute. Good kick (without being great), decent pace, suprisingly good overhead, gets a decent amount of the ball without really amassing the possessions. However he has a huge amount of physical development left in him, is still far too skinny and I look forward to seeing what he can produce when he's closer to his physical peak. Is best 22 already and I'm hoping for a Zaharakis type year from next year (although I think the b&f may be beyond him!).
Carlisle - I think there's one thing about him that stands out more than anything else. I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about. His hands, just a great, clean marker of the ball. He's also quite tall, agile for his height without being super quick, intelligent with positioning and a pretty good kick. Can play back and forward as well, what a luxury it is to have both him and Hurley. Currently he's way too skinny, and I daresay a lot of his pre-season will be spent lifting heavy objects and putting them down again but I was still pretty impressed with his efforts in one on one marking contests despite that. Could be a real force in the future. Would be in my best 22 next year but I'm not 100% sure that if all our KP's were fit round 1 that he would get selected, he would be close though.
Verdict - I reckon its about a draw. Melksham is a bit ahead in performance but he's a midfielder and considering they are both only in their second year I'm choosing to rate on potential in this case and I don't think there's enough to split them.
2010
1st Pick - Heppell (8)
2nd Pick - Steinberg (31)
Ok 2010 is really recent and normally I probably wouldn't have bothered with it but since we have so much exposed form from Heppell and because I just want to talk about him, I included this.
Heppell - Class, poise, decision making, footballing smarts, great attitude, very good overhead, leadership qualities etc etc. There's not much about him not to like. It seems the rising star selectors thought much the same. It was somewhat amazing that he managed to find the ball so much and so consistently in his first year. He got 20 possessions or over in most games and I think his lowest for the year was still 14 which as a defender and occasional midfielder (in short bursts) was a super effort. Played all 23 games, never got subbed, never got rested, all in his first year. I reckon next year they will be trying to inject him into the midfield and with another preseason in him, I reckon he should continue with his great form. Will get a lot more attention next year though from opposition. Lock in 22.
Steinberg - Has yet to play a senior game and since I live in WA, I've never gotten to see him play. Based on match reports he had a fairly good year at Bendigo and is developing quite well with a few really good games. I do kind of wonder what the plan is for him though in terms of whose spot he's going to take in the forward line. By all accounts he's like a third tall type, but with the emergence of Crameri and the likes of Hurley, Carlisle/Gumbleton and a resting Ryder and Hille/Bellchambers, its hard to see that we would really have a place for him any time soon. I kind of think perhaps that Crameri came as a surprise to the coaching panel this year. Luckily for him we have quite a few versatile players so if he's good enough we do have a few options.
Verdict - Heppell by a lot.
Overall: There doesn't seem to be too much between our first and second picks over the years. Only a slight edge to the first round picks and without Heppell it would be about even. I reckon our drafting has been fairly good on the whole in this period even beyond these picks as well so hopefully it will be reflected in some strong results in years to come.
2005
1st Pick - Ryder - (7)
2nd Pick - Dempsey (19)
I think at this stage we can all agree that Ryder is ahead of Dempsey, even when Ryder is out of form he's still a versatile tall with a great kick, strong mark and wins a decent amount of hitouts and kicks goals regularly. His major deficiency is still that he doesn't get enough of the ball however and perhaps doesn't work hard enough. Even though I love Ryder and we all hope he will become a star, the realist in me has serious doubts. I just don't think he will ever have the intensity, I do reckon that he will continue to improve however. I also do like him as a key defender and if the 3 ruckman experiment ever resurfaces I hope its with Ryder in defence. Is a lock in best 22
Dempsey has had a much worse run with injuries which is a shame because I thought that early this year he had really turned a corner and was finally showing not only the dash from defence but was balancing well with defending his man at the same time. At his best he is lightning quick, decent disposal (not as good at top speed), reasonable overhead and a great rebounder. His major deficiency always seemed to be his defensive accountability which he seemed to have improved. Hopefully with reports that he's ahead of schedule in his recovery, he will be fit and rearing to go for round 1 next year. I reckon we may have seen how much we missed him when we struggled for matchups on Garlett/Betts in the finals. Is best 22 when fit.
Verdict: Ryder over Dempsey fairly comfortably at this stage, even though I think Dempsey will gain ground in the next year or two. Both in the best 22 so a good result in that respect.
2006
1st Pick - Gumbleton (2)
2nd Pick - Jetta (18)
Ah 2006 a draft year that seemed to have so much promise. I remember the hype around the top 4 prospects in particular, it was going to be Wayne Carey v Jackovich all over again with Gumbleton and Hansen and all other kinds of superlatives. Leunburger was Cox reincarnated and Gibbs was going to be a once in a generation midfielder etc. Hasn't quite turned out that way but that's why we love to rate by potential.
Gumbleton - Its a sad story really, a talented CHF who just cannot ever get on the park because his body just continually breaks down. Its pretty telling that Heppell has nearly played more games than him already. Anyways he's tall, he's got a huge tank and strong hands. Downside is his kicking at goal isn't great, he hasn't been able to physically develop the way we would have hoped and often gets outmuscled in marking contests and of course the big one: perennially injured. To be honest, I have severe doubts over whether he will even continue playing or whether he will suffer the same fate as Darcy Daniher, also his spot in the 22 is doubtful with the emergence of Carlisle.
Jetta- He's taken some good steps these last 2 years, even though we are all still hoping for more. He started the year especially strongly but seemed to slow down as it went on. I like him more in the midfield and his defensive pressure is really good. The coaches disagreed with me though and he played predominantly in the forward line where he had some good moments but was fairly inconsistent. Quick, skillful, evasive and a pretty good kick. Downside is overhead marking is mediocre at best, not strong enough in the contest (has improved this area though), tank? (i think there may still be some question marks here although again has improved). I like Jetta, he's a solid 22 player for us at the moment, I would say it would be slightly dissapointing for him that he couldn't grab a top 10 b&f spot despite playing all games from memory. His spot is pretty safe though, he's ahead of Reimers/Davey/Colyer in the forward line.
Verdict: Jetta comfortably over Gumbleton right now, if by some miracle Gumbleton gets fit then I'll be happy to change this rating but I'm not expecting it.
2007
1st Pick - Myers (6)
2nd Pick - Pears (23)
Myers is interesting to me in that I don't think he is ever going to be the player we drafted him to be. I think the idea we had was a running, agile rebounding defender/midfielder. The way he's developed however has given us a 194cm (KP height now) defender, whose not all that mobile, but is fairly strongly built and has a booming kick. I don't know about everyone else but I think he has a place in the team going forward and it will be as a third tall defender (post Fletcher). He can probably also learn to play as backup KPD for when Hooker/Pears are injured which seems to be all the time lately. I thought he took a few positive steps this year defensively and offensively when he played. He mostly kept his man quiet and we started to see some of the rebounding skills we were expecting when we drafted him. Is not a lock in current best 22 but I think he will be soon.
Pears - A couple of years ago and he was on top of the world. Taking elite forwards to school and rebounding off of them, showing poise and class and was probably close to the best young defender in the game at the time. Sadly his last couple of years have been plagued by injuries, unfortunately for him he's just copped a few freak injuries mostly from collisions. This has meant that he has barely ever been fit and has vastly reduced his fitness levels, rebounding and confidence/form. I still think he can get back to his best, but he would be one who would be desperate for a full pre-season and for the chance to show everyone that he's still a gun. I think he will. Is a lock in our best 22, is vital structurally and its all still ahead of him.
Verdict: Pears by a fair way over Myers.
2008
1st Pick - Hurley (5)
2nd Pick - Zaharakis(23)
Ok as a bomber fan how can you not be excited by these two names, also 1st and 3rd in our best and fairest incidentally. We done good in this draft, real good.
Hurley - There's not much to say about this guy that hasn't been said a thousand times before, he's big, strong, has a real presence, attacks contests with intensity and if he can't mark the ball himself always brings it to ground in the forward line. Is a great field kick as well but perhaps only ok as a set shot at goal, but should be able to improve this area. Is versatile and can play anywhere down the spine, I reckon is marginally better as a defender but is much more valuable to the team down forward. Interestingly around draft time the consensus was he would be too slow to keep up with the real quick forwards and that there were doubts he would be able to play as a forward. They've proven to be quite unfounded and frankly on the field he seems to be pretty quick, I guess its the difference between athletic ability and footy smarts. Gun, lock in best 22, future AA all that good stuff.
Zaharakis - Ok I must admit he's probably my favourite bomber. I just love everything about the way he plays the game and the passion he brings to the EFC. I reckon he's the complete package in terms of midfielders, great pace, great kick (exceptional on the run at goal), strong overhead despite not being too tall, can win his own ball (though more of an outside midfielder). As long as he can keep on building up his tank and improving there's no real limit to how good this guy can get, will be top 50 in the league next year I reckon. It was nice to see him win the b&f, even though there are probably still a few players ahead of him that would have won if they had played as many, but just give him time and he will be a big part in taking EFC to their next premiership. Lock in best 22.
Verdict - I so, so want to call this a draw. However I think Hurley at the moment is slightly ahead as a prospect. I reckon both will end up as genuine A graders though and luckily for us we have them both! Sidenote: Could our next captain be one of these two? Quite possibly in my opinion.
2009
1st Pick - Melksham (10)
2nd Pick - Carlisle (24)
Melksham - I've liked what i've seen so far. Had a good year, playing all games as far as I can remember. His best game was his superb effort against Geelong (as a matter of fact my wallpaper is the picture of Melksham celebrating his goal with Monfries, just a great moment). He seems to be one of those players right now who is good at everything without having a real outstanding attribute. Good kick (without being great), decent pace, suprisingly good overhead, gets a decent amount of the ball without really amassing the possessions. However he has a huge amount of physical development left in him, is still far too skinny and I look forward to seeing what he can produce when he's closer to his physical peak. Is best 22 already and I'm hoping for a Zaharakis type year from next year (although I think the b&f may be beyond him!).
Carlisle - I think there's one thing about him that stands out more than anything else. I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about. His hands, just a great, clean marker of the ball. He's also quite tall, agile for his height without being super quick, intelligent with positioning and a pretty good kick. Can play back and forward as well, what a luxury it is to have both him and Hurley. Currently he's way too skinny, and I daresay a lot of his pre-season will be spent lifting heavy objects and putting them down again but I was still pretty impressed with his efforts in one on one marking contests despite that. Could be a real force in the future. Would be in my best 22 next year but I'm not 100% sure that if all our KP's were fit round 1 that he would get selected, he would be close though.
Verdict - I reckon its about a draw. Melksham is a bit ahead in performance but he's a midfielder and considering they are both only in their second year I'm choosing to rate on potential in this case and I don't think there's enough to split them.
2010
1st Pick - Heppell (8)
2nd Pick - Steinberg (31)
Ok 2010 is really recent and normally I probably wouldn't have bothered with it but since we have so much exposed form from Heppell and because I just want to talk about him, I included this.
Heppell - Class, poise, decision making, footballing smarts, great attitude, very good overhead, leadership qualities etc etc. There's not much about him not to like. It seems the rising star selectors thought much the same. It was somewhat amazing that he managed to find the ball so much and so consistently in his first year. He got 20 possessions or over in most games and I think his lowest for the year was still 14 which as a defender and occasional midfielder (in short bursts) was a super effort. Played all 23 games, never got subbed, never got rested, all in his first year. I reckon next year they will be trying to inject him into the midfield and with another preseason in him, I reckon he should continue with his great form. Will get a lot more attention next year though from opposition. Lock in 22.
Steinberg - Has yet to play a senior game and since I live in WA, I've never gotten to see him play. Based on match reports he had a fairly good year at Bendigo and is developing quite well with a few really good games. I do kind of wonder what the plan is for him though in terms of whose spot he's going to take in the forward line. By all accounts he's like a third tall type, but with the emergence of Crameri and the likes of Hurley, Carlisle/Gumbleton and a resting Ryder and Hille/Bellchambers, its hard to see that we would really have a place for him any time soon. I kind of think perhaps that Crameri came as a surprise to the coaching panel this year. Luckily for him we have quite a few versatile players so if he's good enough we do have a few options.
Verdict - Heppell by a lot.
Overall: There doesn't seem to be too much between our first and second picks over the years. Only a slight edge to the first round picks and without Heppell it would be about even. I reckon our drafting has been fairly good on the whole in this period even beyond these picks as well so hopefully it will be reflected in some strong results in years to come.
