Yep next Saturday is D-Day. A lot of pressure on all clubs with such a allegedly strong and deep draft but it feels as if this is especially a moment in time one for us. If Miller, Francis Jackson and Wallace get this draft right (with Polak coming good also), we will have a strong list in 2-3 years time with most of the more senior blokes still around and heaps of talented youngsters to sort through 
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For me, I think the footy world is a bit obsessed with picking the ‘right’ players. Rather than being worried about whether we recruit the right players, I’m more obsessed about the club’s ability to develop and successfully integrate draftees into the team.
Realistically, do clubs need to pick the right players, or just know how to develop the players they recruit? Interesting question, I suppose, and it’s funny how the Swans try to convince everyone that they don’t have the most talented list, yet seem to play finals more often than not. So do they always choose the ‘right’ players or just have a knack of getting the best out of the players they recruit?
To me, the mistake clubs make isn’t necessarily that they make a wrong selection, because players don’t lose their ability, it’s generally either that a player wasn’t focused enough on a league career and/or became distracted, or his club just didn’t put enough time into him, for whatever reason.
Sure clubs have to be patient with players, some more than others, but if clubs do their home work on players properly, and then put time into them then most other things should look after themselves. So there shouldn’t be any great need for regrets down the track.
There’s a risk involved in recruiting young players, because no one really knows how their careers will unfold, but the risk can be reduced by a club’s ability to help them develop through their careers. How many years did Kayne Pettifer struggle, perhaps unnecessarily, before he got his career going, and why did it need to take so long? Maybe he just needed enough time to wake up to himself, and maybe, like any player, he just needed someone to show some real faith in him and help build his confidence.
