If Hawthorn can get this group of draftees up...then imho...theyre probably 18 months ahead of us. Reason is...Our redevelopment started with the Gilmour draft. For us to catch up...we need to get rid of the last 8 or 9 players on our list who arent up to it next year and take another large group of kids. In fact this is what must happen if we are serious. I would also think that next year 1 or 2 players may be taken to the trade table that none of us expect in order to improve our draft position.
Next year's highly rated draft will be a good time for one final clean-out. I reckon you are right RT about us taking 1-2 unexpected players to the draft table. Clubs are going to be reluctant moreso next year to give up first round picks. You'll need to offer good value.
As for the Hawks, their recruiting under Peter Schwab was on par with ours under Spud b/w 2000-2002 IMO which is saying something. Take away Hodge, Mitchell, Everitt and Williams and its an ordinary lot. Plus Everitt will be retiring soon. So I don't believe they had a head start on us prior to 2003.
IMO we began our clean out a year earlier than Hawthorn so I had us ahead of them before this draft. We also have a more solid core to build around as we haven't gone ultra-youth so we don't need to throw our young guys to the wolves. Our cubs have to earn a game.
Hawks recruiting (still on list)
2004 - Roughead, Franklin, Lewis, Thomas Murphy, Matthew Little, Simon Taylor, Thurgood, Clinton Young (
2003 - Trent Croad, Danny Jacobs, Harry Miller, Zac Dawson, Matthew Ball, Brad Sewell (6)
2002 - Peter Everitt, Luke Brennan, Tim Boyle (3)
2001 - Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell, Rick Ladson, Campbell Brown, Robert Campbell, Michael Osborne (6)
2000 - Nick Ries, Mark Williams (2)
Tiges recruiting (still on list)
2004 - Simmonds, Knobel, Deledio, Tambling, Meyer, Pattison, Polo, McGuane, Limbach, Thursfield (10)
2003 - Browny, Tuck, Roach, Jackson, Raines, Hartigan, Foley (7)
2002 - Johnson, Schulz, Moore (3)
2001 - Stafford, Rodan (2)
2000 - Pettifer, Coughlan, Krakouer, Hyde, Newman (5)