Draft bombs

[Dosser]

OK, because it has been 11 days since our last game, I have needed a footy fix so was taking a look through the last few pre-season drafts. They always make interesting reading, and it took until 2008 before I came across our first real failure.

At pick 12, we chose Lewis Johnston (currently played 3 AFL games) and at pick 30 we took Dan Hannebery (what a steal!). However, some of the names that were chosen in between those picks are:
Ryan Schoenmakers (64 games)
Luke Shuey (63)
Hayden Ballantyne (75)
Jackson Trengrove (66)
David Zaharakis (78)
Nick Suban (73)
Jack Redden (87)
Sam Wright (63)
Dayne Beams (83)

oh, what could have been...

[Mr Magoo]

Is Johnston still on Adelaides list ?

[R-1]

He fractured a leg bone in the SANFL, the same weekend Tex went down I think.

[undy]

Is Johnston still on Adelaides list ?

Yep, he was due to step into Tex's shoes when the giant mullet went down but got injured himself before he could, poor kid.

[liz]

This place would have gone into meltdown if the club had used it's first two picks both on mids in that draft. We needed some good quality talls, especially forwards, to groom to take over from Hall and Micky O. So if the first pick had been used on a Beams or Shuey or similar, we probably wouldn't have Hanners on the list. Trengove or Schoenmakers are the only two half decent talls on that list, but not convinced either would make our "best" defense any better than it currently is.

[Swansongster]

This place would have gone into meltdown if the club had used it's first two picks both on mids in that draft. We needed some good quality talls, especially forwards, to groom to take over from Hall and Micky O. So if the first pick had been used on a Beams or Shuey or similar, we probably wouldn't have Hanners on the list. Trengove or Schoenmakers are the only two half decent talls on that list, but not convinced either would make our "best" defense any better than it currently is.

Thanks Liz for some intelligent analysis (and thanks Doss for some interesting research). I think you are right (Liz).

Trengove and Schoemakers would have been good to have on our list instead of LJ but missing out on Hanners would have been unbearable.

You have to put that one down - once again - to great list management and draft execution. Roosy had the masters' eye on Hanners and they probably knew exactly when to step in and grab him but you could argue that they missed the mark by going for LJ at first call.

- - - Updated - - -

This place would have gone into meltdown if the club had used it's first two picks both on mids in that draft. We needed some good quality talls, especially forwards, to groom to take over from Hall and Micky O. So if the first pick had been used on a Beams or Shuey or similar, we probably wouldn't have Hanners on the list. Trengove or Schoenmakers are the only two half decent talls on that list, but not convinced either would make our "best" defense any better than it currently is.

P.S. - I would imagine there are a few discussions on other fan sites that curse their list managers for not taking our only DH.

[Dosser]

This place would have gone into meltdown if the club had used it's first two picks both on mids in that draft. We needed some good quality talls, especially forwards, to groom to take over from Hall and Micky O. So if the first pick had been used on a Beams or Shuey or similar, we probably wouldn't have Hanners on the list. Trengove or Schoenmakers are the only two half decent talls on that list, but not convinced either would make our "best" defense any better than it currently is.

Campbell Heath was taken at 61 that year, so I guess it adds to your argument. However, the previous year we took Veszpremi, Meredith and Bird, so we must have been looking for mids or forward flankers. A couple of those names would have fit in well.

[stellation]

LJ looked to be the right pick at the time.

[RogueSwan]

Not sure, but didn't we have some sort of "academy" type arrangement that allowed us to get Hanners relatively cheap.

[ugg]

2008 AFL Draft Round 2

From about 5:35

You can see the Swans' group were in deep discussion for about a minute (other picks just before then only took a few seconds) after Collingwood picked Beams at pick 29 before picking Hannebery at pick 30, so we must have been keen on Beams before Collingwood jumped in before us.

[Dosser]

2008 AFL Draft Round 2

From about 5:35

You can see the Swans' group were in deep discussion for about a minute (other picks just before then only took a few seconds) after Collingwood picked Beams at pick 29 before picking Hannebery at pick 30, so we must have been keen on Beams before Collingwood jumped in before us.

Thanks Ugg, this is why I love this site

[Ludwig]

Schoenmakers and Trengrove obviously would have been better picks than LJ. Both would have done better at the Swans than at their own respective clubs, because at both the Hawks and the Power they were given too great a responsibility too early on. Compare this to AJ who flourished as a 3rd tall. As has been stated, we were looking for a KPF and not a defender at the time. Schoenmakers has played forward at times, but not sure about Trengrove. In any case, a KPP was the right choice at the time. We just got the wrong one. Hanners would have been picked anyway, so long as we went for a tall at pick 12. As good as Beams has been, I am happier with Hanners. He's been fantastic.

[Mr Magoo]

I remember seeing LJ play at the state carnival leading up to the draft for South Australia. He was a very good junior key position forward and I thought an excellent choice when we got him but its amazing how things work out.

Just shows how difficult it is to make it at the highest level.

[Doctor]

We were all pretty enthusiastic about him at the time he was drafted too. It does show that despite how good our list management has been for the most part, even we are not immune to drafts or trades that don't work out. I think we as a club have been much quicker than most other clubs to realise that if we have a system that is lifted straight from the American one, that trading as well as drafting is the key to staying competitive. We are now lucky that we are a desirable club to come to in the free agency era as it's going to be harder for bottom clubs to make headway in the future (Gold Coast & GWS aside as they have talent to trade).

[caj23]

Reckon Dan O'Keefe was the true definition of a draft bomb. Overreached with a first round pick in the superdraft for a player that never looked like he was going to make it. Interesting to note that one K Tippett was picked up approx 16 selections later!

As others have noted, LJ was rated highly and a KPF was required at the time