- Nov 1, 2012
- 1,953
- 1,966
- AFL Club
- GWS
That's fair but you have to admit six top 20 academy picks in two years is a bit excessive.
Not really.
I find it hard to believe that Matt Kennedy and Harry Himmelberg would have been Top 20 if they were just country footy kids. Hopper and Setterfield yes because they were attending school in Ballarat and Melbourne respectively and therefore already competing in an elite system, bring them into the Academy and there’s more exposure to recruiters and better level competition than you’d get from just playing Club footy; even at Seniors level.
As Ichabod Noodle said, there is inflation on Academy picks. There is absolutely no risk for a club to bid on an Academy kid if they believe they are first or high second round. You game the system by forcing the Academy Club to use up several draft picks to get someone that the Academy Club has, very likely, already invested into to get them to draft standard. If they don’t call your bluff, you may pay a bit of overs but you’ve thought enough to risk your first or second round pick on them. You will get a first or second round pick either way.