Rookie draft / pre-season draft

[Primmy]

We were calling to list Naismith from about his second ressie game in 2012. He can play, he is enormously tall but has a better proportioned build than say Spider Burton, and it was fun watching him being coached during the breaks by the Ruck Whisperer who had to tilt his head back to see him. Then he would go and try out whatever he was told to do.

[Auntie.Gerald]

Ruck no stretch for Sam - AFL - Sport - North Shore Times

[Auntie.Gerald]

sam.jpg

[liz]

That was my question but put it to the talent guys in the office and we came to the conclusion that it was a no - Dan Robinson is our only pre-selected rookie I'm pretty sure and all these guys are up for grabs.

The rookie list rules have changed so often in recent years it is hard to keep track of them. But I believe we do still have some access to pre-list local players ahead of the rookie draft.

Robinson was a little different in that he was a scholarship player, pre-dating the Academy. Under those rules, any club can pre-list a scholarship player onto their senior list (and the player has no right to refuse - he exercised his right to choose when he accepted the scholarship - though of course he can choose not to pursue an AFL career at any club). Alternatively, and only if the player agrees, the club can put him directly onto their rookie list. Once this has happened, he is out of reach of all other clubs at the ND.

The Academy drafting rules are different. A club (with an Academy) can nominate an academy player to be recruited onto their senior list at the start of trade week. He is then subject to bidding from other clubs, identical to the FS bidding process. Academy players not nominated in this way are then available to all others in the ND.

If they remain undrafted in the ND, I think there are still some pre-nomination rights ahead of the rookie draft. Indeed, I don't think clubs are limited to Academy players. We nominated HC last year as a NSW rookie once GWS had indicated they weren't going to recruit him. But since any of the Swans Academy players are NSW lads, they must qualify as potential priority picks.

I went searching for some published material in support of my current understanding of the rules. I haven't found much, but the two links below provide some support, even if it is not conclusive. There is a short paragraph halfway down the first article that seems to support that NSW pre-nominations are still available in the rookie draft. The page from the Saints' website (that I could probably have found on other clubs' sites - I just found it first on the Saints' site) provides the various timings of the drafts, and it includes a time for the Northern clubs to pre-nominate local rookies ahead of the rookie draft.

I am guessing here, but given that we have already recruited Robinson, we are probably limited to a maximum of two other local pre-nominations. Whether these become category A or B rookies is anyone's guess. Category B makes some sense, except that the existence of the Academy is already an advantage 4 clubs have that others don't. And Starling is joining, he will already occupy one Category B spot, meaning there is only one left.

I confess I am a little surprised that the Swans don't have more of their Academy boys training with them, fighting it out for rookie spots. I'd have thought Wray and Weir would have shown enough to be in contention. Maybe Plug too, and there were plenty of others who put in decent performances this year for the NEAFL side.

Father-son rules change opens up options

http://www.saints.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/5315/newsid/149082/default.aspx

[Primmy]

Could add Kane Murphy to the list too. He was told to get a higher grade of game time, so took himself off to Adelaide and Norwood, worked part time, attended uni, did some good things in the sanfl. If that's not commitment, what is. Hope they notice.

[Triple B]

Could add Kane Murphy to the list too. He was told to get a higher grade of game time, so took himself off to Adelaide and Norwood, worked part time, attended uni, did some good things in the sanfl. If that's not commitment, what is. Hope they notice.

Kane just needs to put his head down and make a name for himself in the SANFL. The drafting last week of Currie and particularly Terlich shows that if you perform well at SANFL level, clubs are willing to take you on.

I spoke with Dyl at the B&F and he said he would be going down the same path and I see he has signed with Glenelg, so there will be a bit of competition there...

[ugg]

I hear Nippa is going to the SANFL too.

[707]

I see Paul Connors, prominent player manager, is saying in his press release about Winmar being sacked by the Saints that there could be as few as 15 live picks in the Rookie Draft.

A lot of clubs must already have full rookie lists whereas ours is almost empty so with that low level of competition, we should be able to rookie who we want.

[Nico]

I see Paul Connors, prominent player manager, is saying in his press release about Winmar being sacked by the Saints that there could be as few as 15 live picks in the Rookie Draft.

A lot of clubs must already have full rookie lists whereas ours is almost empty so with that low level of competition, we should be able to rookie who we want.

I read something a while ago that clubs seemed to have cooled on the rookies. Seems strange to me but maybe the free agency bizzo has used up a lot their caps. I think it is to their peril that they do not have a group of young players in the development stage.

[mcs]

The rookie list concept seems to be becoming more and more marginalised as more clubs are getting their own 'academy' setups and more clubs are becoming affiliated with major state league teams/running their own team as many do in the VFL.

[Ludwig]

The rookie list concept seems to be becoming more and more marginalised as more clubs are getting their own 'academy' setups and more clubs are becoming affiliated with major state league teams/running their own team as many do in the VFL.

But it would seem that the rookie list allows for working age aspiring footballers to train full time and get paid, otherwise they would have to get a regular job and train part time. So it is a good way to try out a potential player on a full time basis at the low end of the cost spectrum. Obviously, there would have to be some potential there, or it wouldn't be worth it. Given how many success stories have come from rookie lists, it seems a fairly good option. Some clubs, like Adelaide, have done really well with rookie recruits. Grundy, Jack, Cunningham and Smith and probably a few others I've forgotten, have come off our rookie list.

[Gezball]

I wonder if Broome is an outside chance..

[wolftone57]

Polo was a spud from the day Wretchmond recruited him during that woeful drafting period of theirs around 2004/05.
Garlett not up to AFL standard
Wood is a spud, always has been. always will be
Hooper just not good enough
Reimers worth a look although will test our NDH policy
Bate worth a look, not sure why he's gone backwards as he looked top class when he first started
Surjan, no thanks
Sherman, was a knob when we tried to recruit him in 2010 and still a knob only older and less useful now.

Can't see that we offloaded fringe players to then try retreads from other teams but Reimers and Bate would provide depth for 2013 and could find a higher gear at the Swans.

I'd rather we tried Joel Tippett, KPD who had a great year in the SANFL or midfield ball magnet Kane Mitchell from the WAFL.

Reimers is far too much trouble even for us. Bate gets the ball easily enough it is what he does with it after he gets it that makes me cringe. He would have to improve his disposal incredibly. I don't think it would be an advantage to take either of them. I agree with you Tippett's brother sounds good and he has huge wraps from Andy Collins, his coach At 'The Bloods' in Adelaide. West Adelaide were known for years as 'The Blood & Tars'.

[wolftone57]

We were calling to list Naismith from about his second ressie game in 2012. He can play, he is enormously tall but has a better proportioned build than say Spider Burton, and it was fun watching him being coached during the breaks by the Ruck Whisperer who had to tilt his head back to see him. Then he would go and try out whatever he was told to do.

i agree Primmy young Sam listens and works very hard. i noticed the same things you did, the ruck coaching and also the Forward Coaching that funnily enough came from Jesse. He gave the young bloke a few tips on leading and taking pack marks and it worked almost immediately as Sam got a mark. I am astounded we haven't pre-listed him.

[wolftone57]

Kane just needs to put his head down and make a name for himself in the SANFL. The drafting last week of Currie and particularly Terlich shows that if you perform well at SANFL level, clubs are willing to take you on.

I spoke with Dyl at the B&F and he said he would be going down the same path and I see he has signed with Glenelg, so there will be a bit of competition there...

Dyl is going to a very good club even if we always seem to be the bridesmaid. He will love living in Glenelg as it is one of the most beautiful parts of Adelaide with a Cafe Culture with very good food. The club is very good and professional. The problem they have had over recent years is that as soon as they look like a top team they get decimated by the draft. This is what happens to a club that develops it's own talent and has always had a very good development department. I think he will excel there.