Roast National Draft/Salary Cap Rant

[raskolnikov]

Over the last ten years we would have to be one of the most mediocre teams, maybe, besides Melbourne the most mediocre team. Even Carlton made a semi-final. Yet, besides Gumbleton, who was unfortunately a write off, from memory we have had no high draft picks. Someone might want to tell me what our highest draft picks have been. I can't remember many lower than pick 5. Yet other teams have one bad season and get all the good draft picks. Take St.Kilda for example. They make the GF two years in a row, have a couple of bad years and get rewarded. The Bulldogs in a similar situation. We have been mid table for ten years, in no man's land really.

I hate the salary cap. People say it's unfair on the poor clubs without a salary cap. I say stiff s**t. Why should a club be penalised for being successful, or rewarded for not being successful? Is it really the case that the richer teams always dominated before the introduction of the salary cap. I am old enough to remember the 80s. I remember the Bulldogs making a preliminary final, Melbourne making a GF, Hawthorn who I don't think were one of the richer clubs in the 80s, winning several flags, Geelong frequently making the finals. North and Fitzroy made the finals frequently in the 80s. Conversely, despite being one of the richer clubs we went through the 70s with barely a finals appearance. Being rich is not necessarily a guarantee of on-field success.

 

[Ashton Agar]

From memory, Hurley has been our highest at pick 5.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

We have never tanked and bottomed out.

Others have.

It's a tough one... not something you want to see your club do, but it is the system.

 

[Amazing Bombers]

Albeit they have COLA which helps but Sydney have never really bottomed out recently.

Don't know how many low picks Geelong have had either, I know Selwood was 7th or so.

 

[citizen-erased]

Myers - 6
Hurley - 5 or 6
Zaka - 11
Heppell - 8
Ryder - 7
We gave up 16 for Williams and Colyer/Carlisle pick.

we need a year where we finish low and use our draft picks smart.
But bottoming out can do bad things to club culture, and it's not something we should be inviting given the last 2 years

 

[eth-dog]

Myers - 6
Hurley - 5 or 6
Zaka - 11
Heppell - 8
Ryder - 7
We gave up 16 for Williams and Colyer/Carlisle pick.

we need a year where we finish low and use our draft picks smart.
But bottoming out can do bad things to club culture, and it's not something we should be inviting given the last 2 years

Zaka was 23 and Melksham was 10.

 

[doug85]

Zach was at 23 in 08'. Melksham was at 10 in 09'.

 

[Kaiser Powser]

Zaka was 2008

 

[Kakkle]

Wait, what is the OP trying to say?

 

[citizen-erased]

Zaka was 23 and Melksham was 10.

hmm. thought zaka was higher. all good.

 

[GUMBLETRON]

Is it really the case that the richer teams always dominated before the introduction of the salary cap. I am old enough to remember the 80s. I remember the Bulldogs making a preliminary final, Melbourne making a GF, Hawthorn who I don't think were one of the richer clubs in the 80s, winning several flags, Geelong frequently making the finals. North and Fitzroy made the finals frequently in the 80s. Conversely, despite being one of the richer clubs we went through the 70s with barely a finals appearance. Being rich is not necessarily a guarantee of on-field success.

You can thank extraordinarily-productive recruiting zones for Hawthorn and Geelong.

 

[Strike Swiftly]

Over the last ten years we would have to be one of the most mediocre teams, maybe, besides Melbourne the most mediocre team. Even Carlton made a semi-final. Yet, besides Gumbleton, who was unfortunately a write off, from memory we have had no high draft picks. Someone might want to tell me what our highest draft picks have been. I can't remember many lower than pick 5. Yet other teams have one bad season and get all the good draft picks. Take St.Kilda for example. They make the GF two years in a row, have a couple of bad years and get rewarded. The Bulldogs in a similar situation. We have been mid table for ten years, in no man's land really.

I hate the salary cap. People say it's unfair on the poor clubs without a salary cap. I say stiff s**t. Why should a club be penalised for being successful, or rewarded for not being successful? Is it really the case that the richer teams always dominated before the introduction of the salary cap. I am old enough to remember the 80s. I remember the Bulldogs making a preliminary final, Melbourne making a GF, Hawthorn who I don't think were one of the richer clubs in the 80s, winning several flags, Geelong frequently making the finals. North and Fitzroy made the finals frequently in the 80s. Conversely, despite being one of the richer clubs we went through the 70s with barely a finals appearance. Being rich is not necessarily a guarantee of on-field success.

Other clubs trade well.

 

[silk]

Gumbleton.

 

[raskolnikov]

Wait, what is the OP trying to say?

That with or without a salary cap the AFL is inherently unfair. Maybe also that this is our year to tank.

The draw is also incredibly unfair. Look at who we have played and who Collingwood have played.

 

[matty lloyd the champ]

To add to the rant, ******* AFL decide to change the priority pick rule the year we actually bottom out (2006). Would have gotten Selwood rather than Leroy spud muffin Jetta.

 

[doug85]

You sure about that? Didn't sheeds go to the board and push for us to use pick 2 on Jetta? I did also hear him say he would have used pick 4 on selwood but the cynic in me thought he was being a hindsight hero.

 

[MattyB3150]

Having good picks doesn't necessarily mean you will draft well. We came second last in 2006 and with all the good picks we had that year, none of them are on our list anymore. Pick 2 Gumbelton, Pick 18 Jetta, Pick 20 Hislop, Pick 36 Davey, Pick 42 Houli, and Pick 47 Reimers.

There were alot of good players in that draft but unfortunately our recruiters got it terribly wrong.
You will cry if you analyse this list too much!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_AFL_draft

One good draft can be the difference in a clubs history. (Geelong 2001, Hawthorn 2004, and even Collingwood 2006)
I think we need to try and get as many picks in the top 50 as we can and hope our recruiters get it right this time.Fingers crossed!

 

[fishardansin]

You're looking at the wrong thing. The biggest problem is the two new teams. They robbed all of the high picks that Essendon, Carlton, Richmond and North should have gotten to finish their rebuilds. I'm not talking about 1st picks. I'm talking having picks 5-8, 21-23, 37-40 for a few years to round out that list.
Because of the new clubs completely picking the eyes out of the draft for 4 years everyone who's around the 8 has been topping up. It means the gap between the top and the middle has stayed the same. You ask yourself this. If you were leaving your club would you want to come to a mid table team or go to one of the top sides? Goddard and Dal Santo are the only quality FA I can think of that haven't gone to one of the top 4 clubs.

The AFL have totally stuffed their product. Quantity over quality, making sure that there was 2 games a week with uncompetitive kids, ensured the middle of the road sides couldn't over take the top sides and we're going to soon see Gold Coast and GWS become unstoppable machines for a while where the rest of us will play for 3rd.

 

[GUMBLETRON]

Much as Gil plays up the whole "giving the game back" schtick, I have zero doubt the current situation (well, apart from GC shitting the bed) is well within the worst-case modelling. Short term pain for long-term gain. The AFL couldn't give a s**t if Essendon/Carlton/Richmond are held back so long as the crowds are there - they've been held back through their own incompetence for 15/20/35 years now and it hasn't hurt the League one bit. Other stragglers get a subsidy where necessary, the game continues to grow, and Fitzpatrick counts his money.

 

[Eleven 38]

There are other rules that need changing before the salary cap.

1. Top 4 teams shouldn't be able to bring in free agents.
2. Trading future draft picks
3. Trading of players to any club that the current club wants.

 

[Tassieboy]

You sure about that? Didn't sheeds go to the board and push for us to use pick 2 on Jetta? I did also hear him say he would have used pick 4 on selwood but the cynic in me thought he was being a hindsight hero.

Amazing Sheedy, the coach, had so much draft influence only 10 years ago.

 

[efcboy]

There are other rules that need changing before the salary cap.

1. Top 4 teams shouldn't be able to bring in free agents.
2. Trading future draft picks
3. Trading of players to any club that the current club wants.

The AFL will wait until Essendon is top 4 before introducing that rule

 

[Atavistic]

OP wants the AFL to be dominated by rich clubs like the EPL? So the list of premiers would go something like: Hawthorn, Hawthorn, Collingwood, Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn, Collingwood, Essendon, West Coast, Collingwood, etc. Horrible.

 

[doug85]

Amazing Sheedy, the coach, had so much draft influence only 10 years ago.

Probably one of the reasons our club has had so little success over the past decade.

 

[LB#16]

OP wants the AFL to be dominated by rich clubs like the EPL? So the list of premiers would go something like: Hawthorn, Hawthorn, Collingwood, Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn, Collingwood, Essendon, West Coast, Collingwood, etc. Horrible.

Except minus Essendon because we are so far gone from Manchester United status.