A bit like the chicken and the egg debate Pope - which is the more important the drafting or the development. I say both. You need the talent first through the draft and then you need to teach them. Sounds simple but as history has shown us it is far from it. First you have to draft well with depth in mind and potential as a priority. Then you have to first educate the players in the fundamentals/non-negotiables that are the difference between a average battler and a good AFL player. Beyond that the game plan, structures and team rules must be drilled into the player.
So foremost you need the talent to work with and to achieve that you need to draft well. A good player can be developed into a very good player and a very good player into a excellent player but a poor player can't be developed much further than average regarless of the time and quality education invested into them. Collingwood has been excellent at developing what they have got because of the sheer amount of money they have to invest in development and facilities. Similiarly, few sides have the copious amount of recruiters Collingwood has either to use the draft to the best ability they can. We have only just joined the rest of the field in both area thiyear.
So, quality raw talent and young players of character is the first step. Developing is next.
Stripes
