Draft bombs

[Primmy]

If I remember correctly, Hanners wasn't even on the recruiting radar. Roosey saw him play school footy and set a watch on him. Pounced before the other clubs knew what was in the wind and we got him while he was still at school.

[Dosser]

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

Does anyone know where Dan O'Keefe is now?

[caj23]

Does anyone know where Dan O'Keefe is now?

Playing golf now apparently - which makes our selection look even worse!!

[Scottee]

For some reason I remember looking at our options in that draft very closely. We definitely needed a Key Forward at the time and there were several good ones on offer including Trengrove, Schoenmakers, LJ and McKernan. Having watched the championships closely I liked the look of Shoenmakers because he was younger and had more potential to grow than LJ, he was also the one that was delivering the ball beautifully to LJ on a regular basis. I though that he would be a "Shoe-in"

[wedge.maverick]

For some reason I remember looking at our options in that draft very closely. We definitely needed a Key Forward at the time and there were several good ones on offer including Trengrove, Schoenmakers, LJ and McKernan. Having watched the championships closely I liked the look of Shoenmakers because he was younger and had more potential to grow than LJ, he was also the one that was delivering the ball beautifully to LJ on a regular basis. I though that he would be a "Shoe-in"

LJ was the younger one (1991 birth-Schoenmakers 1990), Scottee. I would have thought we went for him on that same reasoning you gave. They were the 2 key forwards for SA that year and were both very good players.
I think that draft year was the last one for 17 year olds. hence we went for 2 of them with our first 2 picks.

As for Hannebery he was always on the radar it was just a matter of where he went.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Theres probably a parrallel universe somewhere where we did draft Sho-ey instead of LJ . . . . . . . and the posters on the parallel version of RWO are at this very moment bemoaning the way we wasted a choice on Sho-ey who was clearly obsessed with his mother. Keen viewers of under age football KNEW he was going to run back home after 2 seasons at the Swans, long before the unfortunate incident in that public lavatory.

[Scottee]

LJ was the younger one (1991 birth-Schoenmakers 1990), Scottee. I would have thought we went for him on that same reasoning you gave. They were the 2 key forwards for SA that year and were both very good players.
I think that draft year was the last one for 17 year olds. hence we went for 2 of them with our first 2 picks.

As for Hannebery he was always on the radar it was just a matter of where he went.

Thanks for the correction wedgy, however my reason for favoring Schoenmkaers was the fact that he came from a parallel universe where younger is older.

[DeadlyAkkuret]

Towers.

[caj23]

Towers.

Haha

Still to early to call at this stage DA but I agree that it's disappointing that a mature age recruit presumably bought in for an immediate impact has failed to show much at NEAFL level even.

In contrast the Pies picked up Sam Dwyer and Kyle Martin in the rookie draft and they have both looked good at senior level

[aardvark]

Towers.

DUD! Seeing how White might finally be coming good Towers is officially my new whipping boy!

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Still to early to call at this stage DA but I agree that it's disappointing that a mature age recruit presumably bought in for an immediate impact has failed to show much at NEAFL level even.

His form has been very patchy in the 2's, every now and then he exhibits a touch of the speed we all heard about, and his excellent leap . . . . but no he hasn't set the ressie watchers hearts aflame. First time we saw him (me and mrs R'n'R), we rechecked the number because his physical development wasn't what we'd come to expect from a 22 year old.

[SimonH]

I'll see your Towers and raise you a Dane Rampe, Brandon Jack and Xavier Richards regarding our performance in the 2012 drafts. Even if Towers never improves (and without having seen him, there's no reason why he shouldn't? even if he merely gets back to 2012 form?because you have to go alright to make the VFL team of the year), on very very early indications the net result has been a big win for our list.

But drafting is very much a marathon not a sprint, and even more so for talls. LJ was looking increasingly assured on the park and ready to take the next step up and establish himself at AFL level, prior to his injury. White is probably in career-best form 6.5 years after he arrived at the joint; Justin Westhoff (turning our attention to our opponents this weekend) has had what must be statistically his best year by a mile, 6 years after debuting, and after looking like a plodder who wouldn't get a game in top-8 sides for many of the intervening years. There are plenty of similar examples with big guys; including one T Richards, who was hardly a discard? being traded for a first round draft pick which got the Swans plenty of criticism at the time for having overpaid? but at the age of 23 he still hadn't established himself as more than a fringe AFL selection. Plus he didn't hit his absolute best until the age of 29!

Once you do your due diligence, interviews, weigh up character, strengths & weaknesses, potential to improve etc etc, the draft still remains a crapshoot to some extent. To actually claim that a club got a selection 'wrong', you need to show that it wasn't the right call based on what was known (or realistically knowable) at the time the selection was made. To say that a particular selection in 2008 was wrong based on what is known in 2013, is about as helpful as waiting until the dice has already been rolled and then berating the losing punters with 'you shoulda bet on 3? it was obviously always going to be 3!'

[Dosser]

I'll see your Towers and raise you a Dane Rampe, Brandon Jack and Xavier Richards regarding our performance in the 2012 drafts. Even if Towers never improves (and without having seen him, there's no reason why he shouldn't? even if he merely gets back to 2012 form?because you have to go alright to make the VFL team of the year), on very very early indications the net result has been a big win for our list.

But drafting is very much a marathon not a sprint, and even more so for talls. LJ was looking increasingly assured on the park and ready to take the next step up and establish himself at AFL level, prior to his injury. White is probably in career-best form 6.5 years after he arrived at the joint; Justin Westhoff (turning our attention to our opponents this weekend) has had what must be statistically his best year by a mile, 6 years after debuting, and after looking like a plodder who wouldn't get a game in top-8 sides for many of the intervening years. There are plenty of similar examples with big guys; including one T Richards, who was hardly a discard? being traded for a first round draft pick which got the Swans plenty of criticism at the time for having overpaid? but at the age of 23 he still hadn't established himself as more than a fringe AFL selection. Plus he didn't hit his absolute best until the age of 29!

Once you do your due diligence, interviews, weigh up character, strengths & weaknesses, potential to improve etc etc, the draft still remains a crapshoot to some extent. To actually claim that a club got a selection 'wrong', you need to show that it wasn't the right call based on what was known (or realistically knowable) at the time the selection was made. To say that a particular selection in 2008 was wrong based on what is known in 2013, is about as helpful as waiting until the dice has already been rolled and then berating the losing punters with 'you shoulda bet on 3? it was obviously always going to be 3!'

Sure, but if you take away our prerogative to judge with the gift of hindsight then this whole site will lose its reason for existence and we will all have to lead somewhat normal lives again.

[dimelb]

Sure, but if you take away our prerogative to judge with the gift of hindsight then this whole site will lose its reason for existence and we will all have to lead somewhat normal lives again.

[DeadlyAkkuret]

I'll see your Towers and raise you a Dane Rampe, Brandon Jack and Xavier Richards regarding our performance in the 2012 drafts. Even if Towers never improves (and without having seen him, there's no reason why he shouldn't? even if he merely gets back to 2012 form?because you have to go alright to make the VFL team of the year), on very very early indications the net result has been a big win for our list.

But drafting is very much a marathon not a sprint, and even more so for talls. LJ was looking increasingly assured on the park and ready to take the next step up and establish himself at AFL level, prior to his injury. White is probably in career-best form 6.5 years after he arrived at the joint; Justin Westhoff (turning our attention to our opponents this weekend) has had what must be statistically his best year by a mile, 6 years after debuting, and after looking like a plodder who wouldn't get a game in top-8 sides for many of the intervening years. There are plenty of similar examples with big guys; including one T Richards, who was hardly a discard? being traded for a first round draft pick which got the Swans plenty of criticism at the time for having overpaid? but at the age of 23 he still hadn't established himself as more than a fringe AFL selection. Plus he didn't hit his absolute best until the age of 29!

Once you do your due diligence, interviews, weigh up character, strengths & weaknesses, potential to improve etc etc, the draft still remains a crapshoot to some extent. To actually claim that a club got a selection 'wrong', you need to show that it wasn't the right call based on what was known (or realistically knowable) at the time the selection was made. To say that a particular selection in 2008 was wrong based on what is known in 2013, is about as helpful as waiting until the dice has already been rolled and then berating the losing punters with 'you shoulda bet on 3? it was obviously always going to be 3!'

I knew you'd say that.