One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => Richmond Rant => Topic started by: one-eyed on May 14, 2020, 01:45:52 AM
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The biggest draft bust from all 18 AFL teams this century
Andrew Slevison
SEN
13 May 2020
Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
It allows us to look back at decisions made in the past and dissect them to within an inch of their respective lives.
Choices made at the draft table are often criticised. It really is a difficult thing to forecast what a teenager is going to deliver on the football field when he is inexperienced, largely untried, still growing and learning and at times even a relative unknown.
Every club over the journey has made one or two blunders on draft night. Decisions that have come back to haunt the selectors in question.
Whether it be bad luck with injury, homesickness, lack of senior chances, off-field issues or simply an over-hyped opinion of a player during his junior days, draft errors are a common occurrence such is human nature and the inexact science of predicting what a person can do. There’s also the regret of seeing someone taken next in line who simply flourishes.
We’ve delved right in and looked back no further than two decades to bring you the biggest draft bungles since the year 2000.
RICHMOND
Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls (2005)
The Tigers endured a couple of draft disappointments over the years but the selection of Oakley-Nicholls at pick six in 2005 stands out as the biggest. There were initial reports of incompetence regarding this selection, but the suggestion that the club had never laid eyes on him live before the draft is in fact an urban myth. Tigers recruiters had actually watched him at the ’05 U18 National Championships in Melbourne. Richmond had narrowed it down to one of three indigenous boys - Oakley-Nicholls, Courtenay Dempsey and Travis Varcoe - and opted for the East Perth product. It never really worked out for him though and he would play just 13 games over four years in the yellow and black before joining the Eagles in 2010 where he would go without another AFL appearance. People may wonder why Richard Tambling being taken before Buddy Franklin didn't lob on top here, but Tambling had plenty of scope and even the Hawks had shown interest. The Oakley-Nicholls choice simply proved to be a flop.
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2020/05/13/the-biggest-draft-bust-from-all-18-teams-this-century/
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Still remember the story of us seeing him mowing his mum's lawn early one morning. Tipped him over the edge for our recruiters.
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Would have thought Lennon over Cripps was worse. The 2005 draft was pretty rubbish
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Would have thought Lennon over Cripps was worse.
This. JON was the third best of the 3 mentioned. Varcoe is handy and has had success but wouldn't be much more than a good player. On the other hand, imagine Cripps in the centre next to Dusty and Cotch makes me tingle in my pants.
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Would have thought Lennon over Cripps was worse. The 2005 draft was pretty rubbish
Lennon - Cripps
Tambling - Franklin
Griffiths - Fyfe
Conca - Hepple
Corey Ellis - Jake Lever (still debatable due to injures)
Take your pick ::)
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Fiora over Pavlich :shh
Batchelor over Parker :shh :shh
Gordon over Byrne-Jones :shh :shh :shh
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At the time I was happy with Griffith's as we needed a good tall but history has proven me stone cold dead wrong.Fyfe is gold Griffith's was ... well less than sterling.
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Didn’t the club trade away our picks in 01 because we were “pushing for a flag” ?
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Would have thought Lennon over Cripps was worse. The 2005 draft was pretty rubbish
Lennon - Cripps
Tambling - Franklin
Griffiths - Fyfe
Conca - Hepple
Corey Ellis - Jake Lever (still debatable due to injures)
Take your pick ::)
Conca ahead of Caddy, Prestia and Lynch...
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At the time I was happy with Griffith's as we needed a good tall but history has proven me stone cold dead wrong.Fyfe is gold Griffith's was ... well less than sterling.
Even more annoying was seeing Griffiths waste his talent. Could just, mark, and kick like a mule.
No heart though!
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At stages he showed something and I thought he would become a role player, holding down half forward to jack's lead at full forward but he was never dominant but teams have worked with worse at half forward. It's a very hard position to fill. Everyone wants a Carey but most have aTravis Close or worse. Like who is the dogs half forward ATM. No one. Sydney's maybe Nick Blakey. A kid with a lot of potential but just a kid.
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Would have thought Lennon over Cripps was worse. The 2005 draft was pretty rubbish
Lennon - Cripps
Tambling - Franklin
Griffiths - Fyfe
Conca - Hepple
Corey Ellis - Jake Lever (still debatable due to injures)
Take your pick ::)
Conca ahead of Caddy, Prestia and Lynch...
Yes, there are a whole host of picks like that to.
The ones I’ve pointed out above have all been within the next two picks :facepalm
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All of them pale into comparison to Melbourne picking Grimes and Scully ahead of Dusty. :cheers :cheers :cheers
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All of them pale into comparison to Melbourne picking Grimes and Scully ahead of Dusty. :cheers :cheers :cheers
Thank goodness for that!
Scully went on to become a very good player...
...at GWS :)
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All of them pale into comparison to Melbourne picking Grimes and Scully ahead of Dusty. :
Trengove and Scully methinks.