Opinion Robert Walls' top 10 young players of 2002

[OzBomber]

Stumbled across this when looking up about the Ramsgate Hotel incident in 2002.

*Age columnist and 3AW commentator Robert Walls has named his class of 2002: the ten young players he believes will have great career prospects ahead of them and predicts to become Brownlow medallists, premiership players, captains and All-Australians.
1. Chris Judd (West Coast)
2. James Bartel (Geelong)
3. Mark McGough (Collingwood)
4. Steven Armstrong (Melbourne)
5. Gary Ablett Jr (Geelong)
6. Nick dal Santo (St Kilda)
7. Xavier Clarke (St Kilda)
8. Shane Birss (Western Bulldogs)
9. Luke Hodge (Hawthorn)
10. David Rodan (Richmond)

http://www.afana.com/netpaper/may7-77517.html

Did a good job there with most being half decent. Still lol at Mark McGough. I don't even remember who Shane Birss and Armstrong were.

Who did you think at the time were the best youngsters?

 

[saintkildaman]

Barely remember, but wasnt Judd the most hyped?

 

[anti_]

well armstrong did get a premiership...

shane birss was nothing more than an average player, not sure how he thought of that one.

 

[Selective Retention]

Pretty good effort really. X.Clarke aside he wisely left out the busts from the top end of the 01 draft. I was actually expecting him to have had James Kelly ahead of the other Geelong players as he was pick of the crop early until he broke his leg at subi.

 

[LordJimmy]

All of the recruiters who worked in the 2001 draft tend to swear themselves stupid that Clarke was the most talented out of that batch. He just had a shit body and work ethic.

Birss was pretty good for us, I feel Lyon treated him unfairly and that he was quite underrated. It's still a bit silly to see him in that list, though.

Bartel a very sharp call. Judd a poor one.

Was this list published before or after McGough dominated ANZAC day?

 

[Quinz]

All of the recruiters who worked in the 2001 draft tend to swear themselves stupid that Clarke was the most talented out of that batch. He just had a shit body and work ethic.

Birss was pretty good for us, I feel Lyon treated him unfairly and that he was quite underrated. It's still a bit silly to see him in that list, though.

Bartel a very sharp call. Judd a poor one.

Was this list published before or after McGough dominated ANZAC day?

Judd was clearly the pick of the bunch at that point and still is, career-wise certainly.

 

[The Passenger]

Was this list published before or after McGough dominated ANZAC day?

would've been before.

hard to get an exact date but that article linked too does mention an australian under 17 squad which contains goddard, wells and guys from that draft year.

so you could ascertain around the time of the draft. probably mid way through 2002 season.

just noticed it mentions hirds facial injury which was mid 2002...

pretty accurate from him.

i remember i wanted us to take polak over judd. but i wasn't alone in the Eagles camp with that one.