It is a risk to draft a Tassie player in the first round?

[GWT6]

With it looking likely the league will get an expansion team in Tassie in 2028, is it worth the risk to draft an elite young Tassei player with a top draft pick?

Colby McKercher looks like he could be an absolute gun and likely top-five pick. If he turns out to be an elite prospect in the first few years it's guaranteed he will be top of Tassie and the AFL's wish list for a marque signing. The AFL will ensure it happens with a godfather contract.

If you were a recruiter at an AFL club, would you draft a kid likely to leave in 4 years? Would you waste the pick?

 

[Golumless]

No more risk then drafting any other interstate player.

 

[GWT6]

No more risk then drafting any other interstate player.

The difference is the AFL will want the player to go to Tassie, and will make it happen by altering rules and putting up an off that the team that drafts him can not compete with.

 

[Frederico_WA]

The difference is the AFL will want the player to go to Tassie, and will make it happen by altering rules and putting up an off that the team that drafts him can not compete with.

Will they?

For GWS, they allowed them to sign up the best kids from across NSW/NT who would turn 18 ahead of the 1st season. They also got 8 1st round picks from AFL to use that year.
They then used their list spots on 16 uncontracted AFL players (any club) and a few unselected rookie picks from previous drafts.
AFL gave them extra salary cap the first few years.

Nothing in there about "encouraging all players with a Western Sydney heritage" to return to the motherland.

 

[Golumless]

The difference is the AFL will want the player to go to Tassie, and will make it happen by altering rules and putting up an off that the team that drafts him can not compete with.

They also wanted players to go to Gold Coast or GWS, and for them to be competitive day 1. It barely happened, with only 5-6 lads jumping ship for each and a good portion of them looking for one last payday.

 

[GWT6]

They also wanted players to go to Gold Coast or GWS, and for them to be competitive day 1. It barely happened, with only 5-6 lads jumping ship for each and a good portion of them looking for one last payday.

What are you talking about???

Suns got the undisputed best player in the comp, Brisbanes two best players, and arguably the best backman in the league - all in their prime, but their list management strategy was wrong.
GWS decided to go younger and got what most thought at the time the undisputed best young player in the competition, the best young defender and 3 other elite young prospects considered top ten young players in the comp. None of them had a link to that state, and they still got them.
If there was a young local star they could bring home to be the face of the club they would have got him.

Both teams stuffed up by appointing poor coaches and bad management, but don't rewrite history and pretend they didn't poach the players they wanted.

 

[VernonSpots]

GC targeted riiewold hard as he was a local boyband arguably would have been much better than Ablett for leadership alone, but he stayed at Saints.

Think it's overrated...if he is settled at his club that is on a good trajectory, then risk would be pretty low. I reckon actual FAs in 2028 will be the ones lining their pockets rather than a kid who is 22/23.

When GC / giants were set up, don't think FA was in place so separate rules were set up. There is no need for AFL to put additional rules if they can justgie. Tassie extra salary cap early years to pay up for legitimate FAs in 2028.

 

[Caligo]

Huge risk. When GC and GWS came into the league clubs had to give up an uncontracted young gun directly to the new clubs for some pretty average compo (it was the same as band 1 is now, just under a different name).

If North (just as qn example) pay pick 2 for McKercher and he ends up an absolute gun and in 3 years NM are say 9th and McKercher leaves then NM will end up with pick 10 or worse as compo, probably closer to pick 20 though after all the draft shenanigans.

Massive risk.

 

[Joao]

I'm worried about drafting Freo NGA prospects and having them request a trade to Tassie.

 

[WilloTree]

Only for Eagles and Freo. But that's not unique to Tas.

 

[Caligo]

Only for Eagles and Freo. But that's not unique to Tas.

It wasn't the WA clubs who got hit hardest by players joining the expansion clubs under the free agency rules of the time. It was small Victorian clubs and Adelaide.

 

[GWT6]

GC targeted riiewold hard as he was a local boyband arguably would have been much better than Ablett for leadership alone, but he stayed at Saints.

Think it's overrated...if he is settled at his club that is on a good trajectory, then risk would be pretty low. I reckon actual FAs in 2028 will be the ones lining their pockets rather than a kid who is 22/23.

When GC / giants were set up, don't think FA was in place so separate rules were set up. There is no need for AFL to put additional rules if they can justgie. Tassie extra salary cap early years to pay up for legitimate FAs in 2028.

Yeah forgot about Riewoldt - probably stayed at St Kilda because it looked like they were a sure thing to win a premiership when he the year after he would have left. Looked like he was also "very close" to a few of his teammates at the time.

I guess clubs have to bank on success and personal relationships to overcome what Tassie would be throwing at the player.

 

[WilloTree]

It wasn't the WA clubs who got hit hardest by players joining the expansion clubs under the free agency rules of the time. It was small Victorian clubs and Adelaide.

Depends on what you consider 'small Victorian clubs'.

 

[Caligo]

Depends on what you consider 'small Victorian clubs'.

WB, Melbourne, Geelong and Adelaide lost the biggest names to the expansion clubs.

Not any of the big 4 or the WA clubs or the established Northern clubs.

 

[WilloTree]

WB, Melbourne, Geelong and Adelaide lost the biggest names to the expansion clubs.

Not any of the big 4 or the WA clubs or the established Northern clubs.

Oh I see. I kind of see Geelong as a 'big' club. Maybe it's their success that has me thinking that.

Just had a look - they're the 7th most followed team. Not sure if that makes them 'big' on not. Hard to draw a line.

 

[Caligo]

Oh I see. I kind of see Geelong as a 'big' club. Maybe it's their success that has me thinking that.

Just had a look - they're the 7th most followed team. Not sure if that makes them 'big' on not. Hard to draw a line.

View attachment 1830306

The big 4 are Collingwood Carlton Essendon Richmond.

 

[Freomaniac]

It wasn't the WA clubs who got hit hardest by players joining the expansion clubs under the free agency rules of the time. It was small Victorian clubs and Adelaide.

Gonna say something Random here. Look at the 1991 draft. Look at the blokes taken in the top 10. pick 1 and picks 3-7 were all blokes that were recruited from the same side: Claremont in the WAFL. 3 or 4 of them would stay at those clubs for 1992-4 and would join the dockers in 1995.

Just a random thought.

So its like Saying... A bunch of tassie blokes taken in the 2023 draft. Sign a 2 year deal for 2024-5, then sign 2 more years for 2026-7. Then tassie comes in 2028.

 

[Lingsface]

I would want them if they end up a star that’s great and if they end up a decent player you are probably going to get huge compensation for them with how loaded Tassie will be on the trade table.

 

[Freomaniac]

They also wanted players to go to Gold Coast or GWS, and for them to be competitive day 1. It barely happened, with only 5-6 lads jumping ship for each and a good portion of them looking for one last payday.

Funny thing was... That was similar to West Coast eagles 1987 squad. of the 35 blokes in that side, 6 or 7 of the 35 selected had VFL or AFL experience. From an Ageing Ross Glendenning and John Annear and Robert Wiley to an injury Prone Phil Narkle.

Ironic as West Coast were left with a bunch of 18-21 year old who 6 years later were 24-27 year olds in 1992.

Brisbane in their 35 players in their 1987 VFL side was mainly 2 or 3 players each from the other 12 VFL clubs. So either has beens or players at the end of their careers or young blokes that were rejects from other clubs.

Yes Brisbane got 10 draft picks all 10 picks were SANFL players. 5 of them were pre draft selections, the other 5 were actual picks.

 

[RonnieRaven]

The difference is the AFL will want the player to go to Tassie, and will make it happen by altering rules and putting up an off that the team that drafts him can not compete with.

But if you’re in a long rebuild like eagles or north you will get a banquet of draft selections when you trade high end Tassie talent to the devils.
They like to look after their start ups

 

[HairyO]

Huge risk. When GC and GWS came into the league clubs had to give up an uncontracted young gun directly to the new clubs for some pretty average compo (it was the same as band 1 is now, just under a different name).

If North (just as qn example) pay pick 2 for McKercher and he ends up an absolute gun and in 3 years NM are say 9th and McKercher leaves then NM will end up with pick 10 or worse as compo, probably closer to pick 20 though after all the draft shenanigans.

Massive risk.

Offer all Taswegians contracts which end in 2029 so the AFL would have to offer big compensation.

 

[Caligo]

Offer all Taswegians contracts which end in 2029 so the AFL would have to offer big compensation.

Then you have the risk that they are busts or that they get hurt. If they agree at all. If I was Sanders or mckercher I would know tassie are going to offer me insane cash, so I wouldn't necessarily want to take an average contract from another club. People forget just how insane the early contracts were for GC and GWS players. They basically didn't have a salary cap.

 

[HairyO]

Then you have the risk that they are busts or that they get hurt. If they agree at all. If I was Sanders or mckercher I would know tassie are going to offer me insane cash, so I wouldn't necessarily want to take an average contract from another club. People forget just how insane the early contracts were for GC and GWS players. They basically didn't have a salary cap.

The insane cash would be for non Taswegians to go, like with GAJ. Taswegians would play for less, in theory.

 

[Engimal v3]

I think the impact will be minimal. The majority of the clubs are in Melbourne and Launceston is only an hour away.

 

[Caligo]

The insane cash would be for non Taswegians to go, like with GAJ. Taswegians would play for less, in theory.

I think the opposite. They would be tasmanian ambassadors and be on 2mil a year, under the table. The AFL way.