ANALYSIS: Bring back the mid-year draft
by: Ronny Lerner
Sportal
It has been 14 seasons between drinks, but it's time for the mid-season draft to be re-introduced into the AFL along with a mid-season trade period.
Some will argue that since the advent of the rookie list, the concept of the mid-season draft has been rendered redundant. However, the need for such a draft is illustrated by the dearth of fit ruckmen at clubs like Richmond and Carlton.
Richmond's case is clear cut. The club has been without Trent Knobel and Troy Simmonds for much of the season and is unlikely to regain the pair for another month, leaving youngster Adam Pattison to shoulder the bulk of the ruck duties. Ridiculously, even spearhead Matthew Richardson has been thrown in the ruck on occasions, robbing the Tigers of firepower up forward.
"Obviously where we've been at… if there were short-term contracts in place, we would have short-term contracted a ruckman," said Richmond coach Terry Wallace.
If a mid-season trade period was held, there would be players available that would alleviate the problems that Richmond and Carlton currently face.
Forgotten Swan Stephen Doyle, former Cats captain Steven King and Magpie Guy Richards are all now third-string ruckmen at their clubs, although Richards has played the past two weeks due to Chris Bryan being injured.
Or if you want to look at players currently not on any AFL list, triple-premiership player Clark Keating would gladly have his career extended by 11 games, while Hawthorn may have even considered signing up former Essendon ruckman Tristan Cartledge, who was invited to join the Hawks' training late last year.
Full article at:
http://www.sportal.com.au/football.asp?i=news&id=99807
