2008 Draft discussion

[liz]

Bit suprised we didn't take another tall forward.

The draft commentators noted that there was a bit of a run on taller players in the half-dozen picks leading up to the Swans' last one. And just before the internet feed crashed on me for the umpteenth time, I saw Roos turn back to the table with a wry grin as it got to our pick. Suspect someone they hoped would fall got snatched just ahead of that pick.

With my internet feed then down, I didn't get to see the deliberations over Heath. How long did it take them to pluck his name? Was it the normal two minutes plus two minutes extra that we've come to expect?

[ugg]

IIRC there was some deliberation but we didn't ask for extra time. I wonder if Cornelius was in our sights

[BSA5]

And just before the internet feed crashed on me for the umpteenth time, I saw Roos turn back to the table with a wry grin as it got to our pick. Suspect someone they hoped would fall got snatched just ahead of that pick.

I heard word (I can't remember where, and it could well have been bull@@@@) that we were keen on Nathan O'Keefe. He was taken two picks before ours, so that could have been it.

[giant]

I want Johnston badly with pick 12.

Feeling good?

[SimonH]

Fantastic work. Really pleasantly surprised. Great to see us pull the trigger on a tall with our first ND pick, for the first time in Roos' reign. Now everyone (including me) needs to back the freak off, put no pressure on Johnston and let him develop at his own pace (well, at least until round 1, 2011). Just don't let him know the future of our forward line depends on him, okay?

The recruiters were no doubt bummed that Nick Suban didn't quite make it to pick 30, but in Hannebery we could really have a bargain bottom-ager (there's talk that if he'd slipped through this draft he would have been a top 10 in 2009).

I don't for the life of me know why we need another 188cm HBFer (we've got even more of them, than we have in-and-under midfielders), but good luck to Campbell Heath (whose name is a compound of common AFL player names) anyway. Hopefully he'll turn out to be a star as bright as that other tall HBFer we picked in the 60s of the draft in 2002.

[dimelb]

I don't for the life of me know why we need another 188cm HBFer (we've got even more of them, than we have in-and-under midfielders), but good luck to Campbell Heath (whose name is a compound of common AFL player names) anyway. Hopefully he'll turn out to be a star as bright as that other tall HBFer we picked in the 60s of the draft in 2002.

Useful types to have - next year will be the last for Tadhg and Leo, we are watching Nick with some concern, and by the time CH is ready, Mattner may be nearing the end. Good forward (or perhaps back!) planning I think.

[Robbo]

I'm feeling great thanks giant.

[2005]

Think we have done as well as we could with 3 picks.

Johnston looks the real deal to me and looks like a kid who will adapt quick.

Hannebery, possibly looks like a steal as many touted he would go Top 10 next year even as high as Top 5. The kid looks OK.

Agree with Hammo though, really hope that the Shaw thing works out as we could of snagged another good kid.
Only worry though for mine, is that we seem slow in the midfield which is still our weakness especially on the bigger grounds

[robamiee]

isn't hannerbry (i know its misspelt) an in and under midfield, which he describes himself as anyway..

no offence, but dont we have enough..where the h@ll is our outside midfielder that can penetrate into the forward line, break the packs, someone with flair and footy smarts etc...

happy with the Key forward, dont need the defender.

considering we weren't going to take cousins, i would have thought we would have targetted that class midfielder...

[BSA5]

isn't hannerbry (i know its misspelt) an in and under midfield, which he describes himself as anyway..

no offence, but dont we have enough..where the h@ll is our outside midfielder that can penetrate into the forward line, break the packs, someone with flair and footy smarts etc...

happy with the Key forward, dont need the defender.

considering we weren't going to take cousins, i would have thought we would have targetted that class midfielder...

He is an in and under player, but he has the engine to play as an outside mid as well. That versatility could be very useful. The absolute elite midfielders are able to play both inside and outside. I'm not saying Hannebery will be an absolute elite, it is FAR too early to tell something like that, but it looks like he has all the ingredients.

[Nico]

Think we have done as well as we could with 3 picks.

Johnston looks the real deal to me and looks like a kid who will adapt quick.

Hannebery, possibly looks like a steal as many touted he would go Top 10 next year even as high as Top 5. The kid looks OK.

Agree with Hammo though, really hope that the Shaw thing works out as we could of snagged another good kid.
Only worry though for mine, is that we seem slow in the midfield which is still our weakness especially on the bigger grounds

We have Bird who is not super quick but covers lots of ground and finds the footy with an uncanny knack. There is a bloke who goes around at Geelong who is not real quick but covers lots of ground and more than finds the footy. His name is Jimmy (don't call me James) Bartel and he just managed to snag a Brownlow a couple of years ago.

I don't have an issue at all right now with our emerging midfield and Hannebery sounds like he will only enhance it. Moore, Bird, Vespremi and Jack all show that they are prepared to run forward to kick goals and you couldn't say that Ves and Jack are slow.

A key forward was what we needed for the future, and it is interesting that Watts was "the" boom key forward and we were the next club to go for a key forward, who was clearly from all and sundry who knows, the next best forward in the draft. Based on all the KPI's it looks like a top draft pick to me.

What I gleaned from the draft was that picks 2 to 11 are defenders or midfielders so those clubs are looking to bolster those areas or see the rebounding defender as essential. Geelong went for a key forward also, yet they have the super kid in jumping Jack Hawkins. The Geelong head recruiter said they base their selections on succession planning.

It would be really interesting to get the take on every clubs' recruiting philosophy.

[Nico]

If Hannebery had not nominated and was expected to be top 10 next year, there is a fair chance he would have ended up at the Gold Coast. If our people rated him that way then this is also an inspired pick. All 3 are 17 and a few other clubs said they had tried to follow this line of trying to rate the younger guys in terms of the 2009 draft, and take a punt on them, even though they may take a year or 2 to come through.

It may help explain why a number of "rated" players missed out. There could be some sensational steals in the rookie draft. They must have seen something/potential in Campbell Heath to pass up on these players.

[liz]

If Hannebery had not nominated and was expected to be top 10 next year, there is a fair chance he would have ended up at the Gold Coast. If our people rated him that way then this is also an inspired pick. All 3 are 17 and a few other clubs said they had tried to follow this line of trying to rate the younger guys in terms of the 2009 draft, and take a punt on them, even though they may take a year or 2 to come through.

It may help explain why a number of "rated" players missed out. There could be some sensational steals in the rookie draft. They must have seen something/potential in Campbell Heath to pass up on these players.

I also think the club reckons it has a solid group pushing for their chance to shine next year, their chance to do a Jack or Bird and convince the club that they have a long term future. For many of those players, next year really is it (though some might be saved the chop if they don't quite perform if we have the maximum number of anticipated retirements - ie O'Loughlin, Barry, Hall, Kennelly, Crouch are all possibilities to be playing their last season).

It therefore makes a lot of sense to pick players with no expectations of them making a contribution next year.

As far as the footspeed thing goes, I reckon - especially in the clinches - brain speed is far more important than the results of sprint tests at draft camp. Late in the season Bird started to show signs at senior level of what he showed in abundance at U18 level - that ability to create space and an extra second of time under pressure - and when people get to see Vez playing in the guts you'll (hopefully) see how he can spot up an option in a split second and generally execute it to. Geelong don't have that quick a midfield. Nor do the Hawks really. But both teams move the ball quickly, make good decisions quickly, and have the skills to deliver to targets.

One more line breaking player would be good but that was what Shaw was recruited for (as a short term option). No-one should really be complaining about 2009's footspeed and questioning the recruitment of Shaw in the same breath. If nothing else he might free up Jack from tagging duties and allow young Kieran more reign to run the lines a bit. (Anyone else remember the sensational tagging job Shaw did on Judd early in 2008?)

And waiting in the wings with the potential to have some impact next season are Laidlaw and O'Dwyer, both of whom have a fair bit of toe. They are not Davey(s) or Wojincski quick, but I reckon they have as much pace as a Williams. They just need to learn to find and win the ball like he could!

[hammo]

And waiting in the wings with the potential to have some impact next season are Laidlaw and O'Dwyer, both of whom have a fair bit of toe. They are not Davey(s) or Wojincski quick, but I reckon they have as much pace as a Williams. They just need to learn to find and win the ball like he could!

Greg Williams?

[liz]

Greg Williams?

LOL. No. I was referring to the Paul variety.