Who are the biggest busts in VFL/AFL history?

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There were no doubts whatsoever over Franklin and Roughead at that stage.

Franklin missed the first half of '06 with an injury but kicked 30 goals between Rounds 12-22, including 2 bags of 6, as a 19 year old. He looked a superstar already and came out the next season and kicked 73 goals.

Roughead was holding down CHB (as an 18 and 19 year old) and looked great in the role. So much so that (annoying) Hawthorn supporters were calling for him to play CHB every season for the rest of his career, even when he was winning Coleman's and AA's as a ruck/forward.

When it came to that draft, Hawthorn were simply interested in best available at the early part of the draft (and felt Thorp could be key forward and Roughie CHB if it worked out that way). The decision was down to Thorp vs Selwood with the room split as some felt Selwood was the slight better player but Thorp ended up being chosen as there were question marks over Selwood's injury (had badly hurt his shoulder) and Hawthorn had used the same high pick the year before to select Beau Dowler who had slid due to serious injury. Riewoldt was never in the mix at that pick - not for Hawthorn or anyone else (and everyone had Thorp a top 6-7 talent).

As it turned out, Selwood (whilst having it tightly strapped through most of his career) was never really hampered by his injury whilst Dowler's basically ended his career.

Sure.

BTW. I've got a bridge to sell you. Prime position, right on Sydney Harbor.
 
Sure.

BTW. I've got a bridge to sell you. Prime position, right on Sydney Harbor.
?

This has nothing to do with gullibility. Thorp was an absolute bust, as was Dowler.

I'm not talking about a 'retrospective' rewriting of events, to sell a narrative (frankly it doesn't matter given we won a threepeat regardless).

As you can see from my join date, I've been on this website since well before this draft. I remember the events leading up to it. I remember the perception of Franklin and Roughead at the time (which is easily verifiable from either looking at their records or the articles written of them at the time). I also remember the phantom drafts and the thinking at the time. To be honest, most Hawthorn supporters wanted Thorp (most wanted Tambling too!).

It doesn't serve me in any way to believe my reflection of events at the time so unsure on why the inference of gullibility.
 

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