How long until we’re back in a final and Grand Final?

[sr36]

Mate no team and I mean none have done it without quality first round picks from bottoming out or rebuilding through the draft as a whole.
When you feel you have enough talent then you look to fill the holes from trades.
You don't try circumvent the process trying to stay finals relevant or you end up just wasting a decade treading water never really in the hunt and relying on lucking out one year with things falling into place in 2018 vs the ret of Buckley's tenure.

Richmond had in first round including top 10.

Cotchin @ pick 2.
Martin @ 3.
Conca @6
Vlastuin @ 9.
Reiwoldt @ 13.
B.Ellis @15
D.Rioli @15
Higgins @17
Rance @ 18.

The thing is loki04, is there a team in the league that don't have a list of draft picks similar to this - some a little bit weaker or stronger, but very comparable (with the exception of the Northern expansion teams who are heaps stronger)?

You're right that we wouldn't be close to competitive without blokes who were initially taken in the top 20 picks - JDG, Moore, N Daicos, Pendles, Sidey, Adams, WHE, IQ, Grundy.

But we also wouldn't be close to competitive without hits who were initially taken outside the top 20.

Basically teams get given one top 20 pick a year - it's not enough to build a team from.

It'd be interesting to look at the averages for different clubs of first round picks used in the draft. I don't think there'd be a huge difference - other than the expansion teams - and I don't think you'd see much correlation with success.