Dogs Cut Vez

[stellation]

From memory, all of them and pretty bloody well except Vespa.

Cotchin, Big Boy McEvoy, Cyril, Brad Ebert and Vespa were the five main characters from memory.

I've got that book packed away somewhere, I must drag it out for a re-read because it covers all the draftees in some way, it will be interesting to see how they all got on...

I don't really read sports books at all, but I was given that book when it came out and flicked through the first page and ended up reading the whole thing. I thought it was well structured, fairly well written and was just fascinating as an insight into elite juniors.

[Doctor]

Yes, but according to Emma Quayle in "The Draft" he would only go to a Melbourne club so there was no way we would have gotten him.

I'm sure Micky O and Goodesy would have worked on him had we been interested. I know you don't want to draft a player who doesn't want to play for you, but you can't make demands of where you'll play when you're drafted. That's for pre-season drafts and free agents!

[magic.merkin]

I'm sure Micky O and Goodesy would have worked on him had we been interested. I know you don't want to draft a player who doesn't want to play for you, but you can't make demands of where you'll play when you're drafted. That's for pre-season drafts and free agents!

He was also hard to deal with and pouty during draft interviews. This coupled with his desire to play in Melboune my guess is the no dickheads policy was invoked.

Regardless i'm sorry to hear for Vez. Afterall he is young kid still who has just lost his dream.

However we as supporters can still put this to the side to discuss the draft, and yes another missed opportunity for our first round picks. And as stated another reality to check for Dre. Up and at em for this weekend!

[Triple B]

He was also hard to deal with and pouty during draft interviews. This coupled with his desire to play in Melboune my guess is the no dickheads policy was invoked.

My read was that he was 'hard to deal with and pouty' because he was desperately homesick and feeling pretty lonely. As a rule the indigenous boys do seem to suffer from that more due to life in the big smoke and the club environment being so far removed from where they have come from.

Doesn't make him a dickhead in my books.

[magic.merkin]

My read was that he was 'hard to deal with and pouty' because he was desperately homesick and feeling pretty lonely. As a rule the indigenous boys do seem to suffer from that more due to life in the big smoke and the club environment being so far removed from where they have come from.

Doesn't make him a dickhead in my books.

Nor mine, I just think the club thought it too much effort on the back of some failed prior first rounders.

[Ludwig]

Nor mine, I just think the club thought it too much effort on the back of some failed prior first rounders.

Besides Rioli, there were plenty of other good picks in the teens that we could have taken instead of Vez: Brad Ebert, Jack Grimes, Harry Taylor, Alex Rance and Callam Ward. It was a pretty bad choice given the talent that came out of the top twenty.

We also bombed out by taking Meredith with our second pick.

[BeeEmmAre]

Interesting to note that of 69 players drafted in 2007, only 38 are still on AFL lists with Vespa's departure. Of those 38, nine are at different clubs. We have two - Tony Armstrong (58 via Adelaide) and Craig Bird (59).

Some good names there http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/f...?year=2007&t=N

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Interesting to note that of 69 players drafted in 2007, only 38 are still on AFL lists with Vespa's departure. Of those 38, nine are at different clubs. We have two - Tony Armstrong (58 via Adelaide) and Craig Bird (59).

Some good names there http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_drafts?year=2007&t=N

[Ludwig]

To see Veszpremi squeezed in there between Dangerfield and Rioli really makes me sick to my stomach. What were we thinking?

[jono2707]

To see Veszpremi squeezed in there between Dangerfield and Rioli really makes me sick to my stomach. What were we thinking?

From what I recall Vespa was pretty much as highly rated as those other two. I didn't think at the time we had gone out on a limb or anything by picking him. It just seems that he was never able to build the motor needed to help him succeed - whether that was an attitude thing or something else - just shows that drafting still isn't an exact science....

[Ludwig]

Very true indeed jono. We were all so excited after his first few games as well. He really did looked like a star in the making.

There is a better hit rate with the top picks, but plenty of gems further down in the draft, and the rookie draft as well.

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Very true indeed jono. We were all so excited after his first few games as well. He really did looked like a star in the making.

There is a better hit rate with the top picks, but plenty of gems further down in the draft, and the rookie draft as well.

[Swansongster]

Interesting to note that of 69 players drafted in 2007, only 38 are still on AFL lists with Vespa's departure. Of those 38, nine are at different clubs. We have two - Tony Armstrong (58 via Adelaide) and Craig Bird (59).

Some good names there http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/f...?year=2007&t=N

Thank God for Chook at pick 59. Not our finest year at the drafting table

[Ruck'n'Roll]

From what I recall Vespa was pretty much as highly rated as those other two.

Otherwise he wouldn't have featured in the draft book. We absolutely should have taken Callan Ward, that boy was born to the redandwhite!

[Jewels]

Anyone who has read the book might get a better insight into what the recruiters saw in him.
From memory (and apologies if I get this wrong, i read the book when it first came out and i'm old, so the memory isn't what it once was) he was a good junior but struggled with weight and fitness so he set himself a program to lose weight and gain fitness and excelled and i remember thinking when reading the book, how that resolve would have probably been a much bigger plus in The Swans recruiters eyes then most others. Something like that anyway...

[On-Baller]

Really sad to hear, so much talent wasted. I remember when he kicked 4 against the lions early on in his career and i thought we had found another Nick Davis type. Unfortunately never got anywhere near it.

[Primmy]

A genuine shooda cooda player. I think he found his life outside footy was more in keeping with his persona. I liked him. Thought he could have made it, but that is no guarantee is it. We have players on our list who were "never going to make it", so there you go. We draft them as kids (most of the time) and their wants/needs/ambitions are not settled at that age.