Eye of Tiger for talentGarry Lyon
The Age
June 9, 2012PRO scouting has a decidedly American ring about it, but it is fast becoming one of the most critical components of an AFL club's infrastructure.
Put simply, pro scouting comes under the broad banner of recruiting and refers to the practice of monitoring the performances of opposition players in the hope of identifying talent that both fills a specific need at your club while also targeting those players who, for whatever reason, are being denied senior opportunities.
Right now, the poster boy for pro scouting is Richmond list analyser Blair Hartley. Having started his AFL journey at Essendon as a back-room operator and forward scout, he advanced to the position as head recruiter at Port Adelaide, all at the relatively tender age of 25.
Richmond then came calling, giving Hartley the imprimatur to forensically dissect the Tigers' list, identify the shortcomings and then scour the other [then] 16 clubs to determine whether the holes could be filled without paying a king's ransom or using prized first-round draft picks.
The extraordinary success of Ivan Maric has brought the role of the pro scout into sharp focus, and Hartley is quietly being hailed as having played one of the most pivotal roles in what appears to be Richmond's long overdue revival.
Maric's impact on the Tigers has been one of the stories of the year. For someone such as Hartley, it is the ultimate justification for the countless hours spent poring over playing lists, monitoring form in the lesser leagues and then setting about ''baiting the hook'' that eventually lands the big prize.
What makes the Maric coup so impressive is that the Tigers were virtually the only suitors for the former Adelaide big man. They got in early, sold the vision of where they were heading, convinced Ivan that he was vital to the plan and then landed him without paying an exorbitant price.
To add to Hartley's reputation, that had already delivered Bachar Houli and Shaun Grigg in the previous year, he called the name of 23-year-old Steven Morris at last year's draft.
While Morris had not previously been on any AFL list, his form at West Adelaide was enough to pique Hartley's interest. Combined with the fact that his father Kevin played 110 games with the Tigers, Hartley and his recruiters dedicated plenty of hours to watching him develop in the SANFL, and he has proven, again, to be an inspired choice.
All clubs have different recruiting structures and titles, but there is no doubt that the role of the pro scout continues to gain prominence.
If Hartley is the new young gun in this field, George Stone of the Sydney Swans, is the old master. The Swans have 12 players on their list from other AFL clubs, including one of the Brownlow Medal favourites, Josh Kennedy, key backmen Heath Grundy, Ted Richards and Martin Mattner, as well as Rhys Shaw and ruckman Shane Mumford.
The successful pro scouting mantra sticks to some basic but non-negotiable guidelines.
■ Identify need.
■Look at opposition players not getting opportunity at senior level.
■Don't try to cover every single opposition player.
■Must watch the players identified over a four-to-six-week period.
■Continuously monitor players who the club really liked at draft time but were not able to secure.
■Establish the contractual situation.
■Make contact with the player's manager and register interest, planting the seed of opportunity.
■Be prepared to walk away if the asking price from the opposition club is too high.
■Senior coach must be a believer and be prepared to give the player identified opportunity.
■Ensure you have the resources to carry out the above and employ the right people.
Richmond's success in the pro scouting ranks is testament to not only Hartley's abilities as a talent identifier, but also to football manager Craig Cameron's ability and willingness to invest in this critically important aspect of the game. Along with recruiting manager Francis Jackson, they are very well placed, as the new challenge of free agency adds a twist to the landscape next year.
The mid-season break plays out over the next few weeks, but for the list management personnel at club land, this is a critical time of the year.
For the pro scouters, their attention will turn to those clubs that have started the season well and have a relatively healthy playing list. For them, this scenario reeks of opportunity, for it means there will be talented players, in the 20-25 age bracket, being denied the chance to play senior AFL football.
For me, the Adelaide list would be the one I turned my attention to. They are having an outstanding season, which has made it very hard for some players with three, four or five years' experience under their belt, to break into the team.
I would expect inquiries will be made of Chris Knights, Shaun McKernan, Brad Symes, Andy Otten and Brodie Martin. All of these players have been in the system for a minimum of three years and have all, at some stage, demonstrated their capabilities to perform at the level.
Injury has also played its role to some degree, but the progress of these players back at SANFL level will have been very closely monitored, with particular attention paid when, and if, they return to AFL ranks.
The Eagles' list will also come under scrutiny, and with their recent run of injuries, there will be several players who have been given senior games in recent weeks and will be of extreme interest to not just Eagles fans.
Brad Shepherd, Patrick McGinnity, Ashley Smith, Koby Stevens, Sam Butler, Tom Swift and the unlucky Mitch Brown are the sorts of players of whom opposition clubs will be asking the question.
Clubs would be attracted to the fact that they are in a strong and successful environment, have been extremely well prepared and coached and would be ready-made AFL players.
Attracting them away from the Eagles is an altogether different proposition, but it will not deter clubs from asking the question.
The Bombers' Scott Gumbleton will be on the discussion board at many clubs. Injury will be the major concern, but with 200-centimetre prodigy Joe Daniher arriving at the club at the end of the year, positions in a forward line of Michael Hurley, Stewart Crameri, Patrick Ryder and Daniher will be hard to come by.
The Cats' Shannon Byrnes appears to be squeezed out by the likes of Steven Motlop, Allen Christensen and Travis Varcoe. Surely he provides quality pace and small-forward talents to someone other than Geelong.
While pro scouting will continue to evolve, and we continue to celebrate and enjoy the success stories, not all clubs have had to go down that path to build their lists. A quick look at Geelong's group tells you there is not a single player on the senior list who has come from another AFL club.
It will be extremely interesting to see how Stephen Wells, one of the great recruiters, goes about regenerating this wonderful Geelong team. It is faced with the potential retirements of Scarlett, Enright, Corey, Wojcinski and Podsiadly in the next couple of years, to go with the recently departed Ling and Ottens.
Will Wells follow the emerging trend and look to the other 17 clubs lists, or will he continue to rely on his uncanny eye to pick the best talent available outside the AFL.
It will be fascinating to see. I suspect that with every game that big Ivan dominates, the inclination for clubs to turn to their pro scouts will become greater and greater.
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