I don't think we should base recruitment strategy around getting old campaigners who might pass on some valuable lessons. That's what coaches and the phalanx of assistant coaches and player development people are for.
Our recent drafting is littered with examples of taking older discards who have offered us very little, and who have then taken the place on the field and on the list of a young player that may (yes, may) have developed into a valuable player.
Did Hawthorn top up their ground zero list with old players? No. The only player of similar ilk they took was Dew, much later when they saw a gap emerging from the initial rebuild.
Ummm...sorry but that is not right. Hawthorn have consistently picked up an "older" player for a number of years now...perhaps the 2008 draft was the exception for them.
Go read this link:
http://www.afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=68273 as to how the Hawks built their list.
In fact 11 of their Grand Final side came pre the 2004 draft.
In 2002 they recruited P. Everitt who cost them picks 6 and 22. Kinglsey Hunter cost them pick 35. They traded D. Chick to West Coast for pick 8 and got Luke Brennan who was gone by the end of the 2006 season from Hawthorn.
In 2003 they traded for Simon Beaumont from Carlton...he lasted 2 years and retired after 27 games...He had played 152 games with Carlton beforehand. They also traded for D. Jacobs from Essendon. He is also retired. They drafted Harry Miller. He was delisted after 2 years.
In 2004 - the infamous draft - Bo Nixon was drafted by them from the Pies plus pick 7 for pick 10 and 37.
In 2005 they picked up B. Guerra in the psd.
In 2006 they re-drafted Josh Thurgood - now delisted.
In 2007 S. Dew.
And like us they have had their misses at the draft table too....ex. 2004 T. Murphy pick 21, 2005 B. Dowler pick 6 , M. Bailey pick 18 B. Muston at pick 22, 2006 M. Thorp pick 6 and G. Moss 56 (re-rookied and only played 3 games - 2 this year only because of all their injuries).
So Hawthorn didnt build from the ground up as you say...sure they picked up some talented kids...and the 2001 draft was bountiful for them - 4 premiership players in one draft. But each year they tried to add an older player...not dissimilar to the Tigers...and like the Tigers they too have had their misses...
