Stephen Wells

[OldSchool]

Interested to see how Geelong supporters rate Stephen Wells as a recruiting manager ?
For mine, he has assembled a very good young list, has traded astutely for players like Harley and Kinglsey and has also had a
fair bit of success with the rookie list.

If he is not the best in the business then he must be in the top three.

 

[catattack]

Steven Wells has done a very good job IMO. He knows his stuff, and plenty of the recruits we've got have been pretty good!

 

[JUBJUB]

He's had a good strike rate in the last few years,unlike his early years when none from one year played a senior game.

Remember a guy called Adam Benjamin ?

 

[ScouseCat]

Stephen Wells has done really well of late with our recruiting but I agree with JUBJUB, some of his decisions in his early years at Geelong were questionable.

How about our number one recruit a few years ago, Stephen Hooper??

 

[catattack]

He has certainly gotten better as he has gone on. I am still fairly young, and wouldn't have much of an idea on his early pick-ups!


Go Cats!!
catattack

 

[Fall Out Boy]

As Jubs said, his performance has improved greatly over the past few years.

Early on his strike rate was absolutely pathetic, but in the last 4-5 years, he has been outstanding, with the majority of his selections remaining on the list.

What makes his performance all the more meritorious, is that, much like the Doggies, he hasn't ever had the opportunity to have a top 5 selection.

To get the likes of Corey, Enright, Ling, Spriggs, Kelly, Bartel, Chapman without a pick higher then 8 is outstanding.

His performance in trading is a little more up and down.

As mentioned, he has recruited the likes of Kingsley and Harley for next to nothing, however he does also have a stack of shockers (amongst them White, Murphy and Spinks).

 

[OldSchool]

Originally posted by phatandphreaky
As Jubs said, his performance has improved greatly over the past few years.
Early on his strike rate was absolutely pathetic, but in the last 4-5 years, he has been outstanding, with the majority of his selections remaining on the list.

I'd have to agree that he has improved over the last 4 to 5 years although I also think all clubs have gotten a lot better as well.
This is possibly because the junior player evaluations and tests are far more sophisticated and the overall junior competitions are far better managed.

 

[Fall Out Boy]

Originally posted by OldSchool
I'd have to agree that he has improved over the last 4 to 5 years although I also think all clubs have gotten a lot better as well.
This is possibly because the junior player evaluations and tests are far more sophisticated and the overall junior competitions are far better managed.

Very true.

However it takes either an awful lot of luck, or a damn good eye, to find the amount of bargains that Stephen Wells has found lately.

In the one draft he managed to get:

Paul Chapman at 31 (Pick traded to us by Carlton for Mansfield)
Cameron Ling at 38
Corey Enright at 47 (Pick traded by North for Leigh Colbert)

 

[OldSchool]

Originally posted by phatandphreaky
Very true.

However it takes either an awful lot of luck, or a damn good eye, to find the amount of bargains that Stephen Wells has found lately.

In the one draft he managed to get:

Paul Chapman at 31 (Pick traded to us by Carlton for Mansfield)
Cameron Ling at 38
Corey Enright at 47 (Pick traded by North for Leigh Colbert)

Good selections after pick 30 or so is what generally makes or breaks a team. Most good recruiting managers get their first selections right but the really good recruiters also get good value from their second and third round selections.

I will watch with interest the progress of Andrew Mackie in the next two seasons because Geelong seem to have made a great choice selecting him at pick 7

 

[Fall Out Boy]

Originally posted by OldSchool

I will watch with interest the progress of Andrew Mackie in the next two seasons because Geelong seem to have made a great choice selecting him at pick 7

Well, time will tell, but it was a very gutsy selection, thats for sure.

If the kid fails, Wells will be mercilessly criticised for selecting a kid so high, despite most other clubs showing no interest.

If he succeeds, Wells will be the messiah.

Recruiting is a tough business.