Hi Folks
Now I constructed this tread with some degree of anticipated caution. I know that it is always easier to be wiser with the benefit of hindsight. Then again this topic has been on my mind for some time. Therefore I felt that I had to give some expression to it on this site. As most successful top National Draft 10 picks have had - in a perfect world - an AFL career of ranging between 10 to 12 years. Given that it is unlikely that Freeman will play any senior football in 2015 (with his chronic hamstring issues) while Scharenberg has the chance - if selected next week in the seniors or Round 18 - to play no more than 6 games in the normal home-and-away season (excluding finals if we do make them in 2015), then they have both effectively lost 2 years of AFL football.
However given the fact that we had draft choices 6 and 10 from 2013 National Draft and that from that Draft both of our selections have the only 2 players - apart from Selection 20, Jack Leslie who went to the Gold Coast - from the top 30 who as of Round 17, 2015, - who have not played any senior AFL football. Moreover we chose a mid-fielder in Freeman and half-back flank/ruck-rover type in Scharenberg. I am also wondering if we were not thinking in an optimal fashion in relation to our key-position vacancies in relation to our 2 forward positions going forward. It has been clear for a number of years that there was not any clear high-quality young heir-apparent's on our list in 2011, 2012 and 2013, respectively, to Cloke who is clearly in the last 2 or 3 years of his AFL career having commenced at Collingwood in 2005. The latter situation was exacerbated by the earlier decision in the AFL National Draft of 2012 to overlook James Stewart - at 198 CM and 88 kilos - as a father-son recruit. I also wanted to point out that the Pick 6 selection from 2013, came to us as compensation for Dale Thomas going to Carlton as compensation for the restricted free agent movement. Therefore it was incumbent for the club to extract maximum value from this selection.
So I am wondering if we would have been better to have taken the two we have chosen or would we have been better - both in terms of current playing performances over 2014/2015 - to have selected Patrick Cripps - who went at Pick 13 (and so would have provided us with 194 CM and 88 KG mid-fielder - and in turn Cameron McCarthy who went at Pick 14 (and so would have provided us with a 194 CM and 84 KG high-marking key forward)? Alternatively, should we have selected Scharenberg at Pick 6 and say either Cripps at Pick 10 or perhaps, more strategically and long-term, McCarthy at Pick 10? Given the performances so far for both of these players at both Carlton and West Coast, respectively, over 2014 and 2015 it is hard to criticise their selections at either of these 2 clubs. So where would be now if we had made such selections especially in terms of our key-forward options as they are not easy to access in the current era?
I am wondering what other Collingwood supporters think of the content of this thread! I can assure you that I am not trying to be mischievous or unduly provocative in writing this but I think that we may be better placed when it comes to the future if we could have had our 2 Top 10 selections from 2013 over again (which I know if wishful thinking). This particularly applies to our key forward stocks for whom we are pretty light on given the performances of Jesse White and the inevitable decline in playing performance of Travis Cloke in the latter years of his career. I also take into account the clear failure of Corey Gault to develop and take the opportunities that are there on the list by the throat over the last 2 years. I am also cognisant of the fact that it will take Darcy Moore a number of full AFL pre-seasons to build up physically so that he can compete at the senior level. Moreover it is not clear whether he will end up being a forward or a key-defender (where he often plated in his TAC career)or perhaps even an extremely mobile and high-marking ruck-man as was the case with his father, Peter. Anyway over to you.
Now I constructed this tread with some degree of anticipated caution. I know that it is always easier to be wiser with the benefit of hindsight. Then again this topic has been on my mind for some time. Therefore I felt that I had to give some expression to it on this site. As most successful top National Draft 10 picks have had - in a perfect world - an AFL career of ranging between 10 to 12 years. Given that it is unlikely that Freeman will play any senior football in 2015 (with his chronic hamstring issues) while Scharenberg has the chance - if selected next week in the seniors or Round 18 - to play no more than 6 games in the normal home-and-away season (excluding finals if we do make them in 2015), then they have both effectively lost 2 years of AFL football.
However given the fact that we had draft choices 6 and 10 from 2013 National Draft and that from that Draft both of our selections have the only 2 players - apart from Selection 20, Jack Leslie who went to the Gold Coast - from the top 30 who as of Round 17, 2015, - who have not played any senior AFL football. Moreover we chose a mid-fielder in Freeman and half-back flank/ruck-rover type in Scharenberg. I am also wondering if we were not thinking in an optimal fashion in relation to our key-position vacancies in relation to our 2 forward positions going forward. It has been clear for a number of years that there was not any clear high-quality young heir-apparent's on our list in 2011, 2012 and 2013, respectively, to Cloke who is clearly in the last 2 or 3 years of his AFL career having commenced at Collingwood in 2005. The latter situation was exacerbated by the earlier decision in the AFL National Draft of 2012 to overlook James Stewart - at 198 CM and 88 kilos - as a father-son recruit. I also wanted to point out that the Pick 6 selection from 2013, came to us as compensation for Dale Thomas going to Carlton as compensation for the restricted free agent movement. Therefore it was incumbent for the club to extract maximum value from this selection.
So I am wondering if we would have been better to have taken the two we have chosen or would we have been better - both in terms of current playing performances over 2014/2015 - to have selected Patrick Cripps - who went at Pick 13 (and so would have provided us with 194 CM and 88 KG mid-fielder - and in turn Cameron McCarthy who went at Pick 14 (and so would have provided us with a 194 CM and 84 KG high-marking key forward)? Alternatively, should we have selected Scharenberg at Pick 6 and say either Cripps at Pick 10 or perhaps, more strategically and long-term, McCarthy at Pick 10? Given the performances so far for both of these players at both Carlton and West Coast, respectively, over 2014 and 2015 it is hard to criticise their selections at either of these 2 clubs. So where would be now if we had made such selections especially in terms of our key-forward options as they are not easy to access in the current era?
I am wondering what other Collingwood supporters think of the content of this thread! I can assure you that I am not trying to be mischievous or unduly provocative in writing this but I think that we may be better placed when it comes to the future if we could have had our 2 Top 10 selections from 2013 over again (which I know if wishful thinking). This particularly applies to our key forward stocks for whom we are pretty light on given the performances of Jesse White and the inevitable decline in playing performance of Travis Cloke in the latter years of his career. I also take into account the clear failure of Corey Gault to develop and take the opportunities that are there on the list by the throat over the last 2 years. I am also cognisant of the fact that it will take Darcy Moore a number of full AFL pre-seasons to build up physically so that he can compete at the senior level. Moreover it is not clear whether he will end up being a forward or a key-defender (where he often plated in his TAC career)or perhaps even an extremely mobile and high-marking ruck-man as was the case with his father, Peter. Anyway over to you.
