If you were TW or GM how would you use our 1st pick

[mightytiges]

 Sure pick up a good player from another club when possible and when he comes cheaply but every premiership team have in the main developed their own players from the draft. There are no short cuts to a flag. This draft is very even not necessarily crap. If we have done our homework then we can score some good kids with every pick we have.

MT - Lynch was a pretty handy 10 year pick up for the Lions, he along with Pike was pretty handy in the finals. Barry Hall's another who springs to mind and Gehrig and Hamill (I know the Saints haven't won a flag but...). It's not that I'm that keen on Fev, but proven FF's aren't thick on the ground and time is definitely on his side. You need a balance of experience and youth...and we're getting a bit short on the experience side (well experience you'd want anyway )

Lynch was given a 10 year contract by the Bears to leave a broke Fitzroy in the early 90s. In the end he became a triple premiership player (in arguably the greatest ever side mind you) but with him suffering CFS for a number of years they (Bears/Lions) could hardly get him on the park until the later half of his contract.

As I said in another thread the Saints got Dal Santo and the Eagles Daniel Kerr for Hall and Gehrig respectively. Also the Saints and Swans didn't give up a top 10 pick for them. Hall went to the Swans for pick 13, our pick 17 (which we offloaded to get Staff in exchange for Daffy; Saints offloaded it them to the Cats who drafted James Kelly) plus a since delisted player. Gehrig went to the Saints for pick 18 + Sierakowski (since delisted).
   

[Razorblade]

Don't forget Sydney brought in players like Ball, Jolly, Maxfield and Davis.

St Kilda have Hamill, Gehrig, Penny and Voss.

West Coast have Chick but mostly have players that they drafted/rookie listed.

[mightytiges]

Don't forget Sydney brought in players like Ball, Jolly, Maxfield and Davis.

St Kilda have Hamill, Gehrig, Penny and Voss.

West Coast have Chick but mostly have players that they drafted/rookie listed.

Eagles got Darren Glass (pick 11) for Ball; Nick Davis cost pick 21; Penny (17); Jolly (15); Voss went into the PSD.

I'll give you Hamill. Calton received pick 4 but they screwed up taking Luke Livingston. If this draft is a poor as the 2002 one then I'll gladly eat humble pie if we pick up Fevola. However most drafts aren't and this draft has been rated by recruiters as very even with no clear standouts rather than poor. Still when there's 5 KPP up for grabs in the top 10 you don't give away pick 8. That wasn't the case in the top 10 of the 2002 draft. Then it was mostly midfield/flanker types. We picked up Schulz at 12.

[Razorblade]

Just because they are tall doesn't mean they are guaranteed to make it.

From 2002, Brennan and Walsh, they went 3rd and 4th, 3 years later they have done what exactly?

From what i hear Hughes isn't in the category of the other talls, not to mention he is very top age.

Let's say Clark, Kennedy, Ryder and Dowler are gone before 8, do we really want to pick the next best tall, even if he isn't worth the 8th pick?

If the NBA has taught me anything, is that drafting for need, not the best player possible, rarely comes off.

Don't get me wrong, im not jumping at giving away our 8th pick, but if it is for a PROVEN goalkicker, who we'll only play $300k per year, then we have to consider it.

Saying that though, im high on Dowler, so either way i'll be content!

[mightytiges]

That's true not all talls will make it but that goes for every kid in every draft big and small. There are no guarantees. Who's to say Meyer or Patto will definitely make it? I still wouldn't take Ottens back. But logic says the higher up the draft pick you have the more variety you have to choose from and the better chance you have of picking up a kid who will make it. Especially if it's a pick in the top 10.

The 2002 draft had arguably the worse top 10 in the last 10 years but even in that draft there still was Schulz (still got to prove himself) at 12, Will Minson at 20 and Jared Rivers at 26. Swans got Sean Dempster under the F/S at 34 the lucky so & soes. Still doesn't take away from the fact that having a high pick increases your chances of getting a good kid. Kepler Bradley went at 6 in 2003.

Agree Razor we should always draft the best kid available when it's our turn. It's not like we have a deep midfield full of quality either. But if say a Dowler goes at pick 8 and we've traded it away I will be doing this -> .

[PuntRdRoar]

Im one who believes that Hughes isnt a bad player- saw his championships campaign- hes ok. may be top age but he goes ok if hes what we end up with then thats fine. I wouldnt complain if we ended up with any of the 4 or 5 talls available, i think theyll all end up being ok.

[mightytiges]

Apparently Beau Dowler was involved in a car accident last night on Springvale Road and has broken his pelvis in 3 places. He'll be ok but rotten luck for the kid a month out from draft day.

http://www.saintsational.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15869&sid=06f4c91e9953e8557e92b28b63e33bb9

[one-eyed]

Apparently Beau Dowler was involved in a car accident last night on Springvale Road and has broken his pelvis in 3 places. He'll be ok but rotten luck for the kid a month out from draft day.

http://www.saintsational.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15869&sid=06f4c91e9953e8557e92b28b63e33bb9

Crash sidelines top-10 draft prospect
5:17:25 PM Fri 21 October, 2005
Matt Burgan
Sportal for afl.com.au



Oakleigh Chargers forward Beau Dowler - one of the most sought after prospects in this year's NAB AFL Draft - has been involved in a car accident.

The 17-year-old was a passenger in a vehicle that crashed on Friday.

Dowler has suffered a stress fracture to his pelvis and is recovering in a Melbourne hospital.

It is believed the injury could sideline Dowler from six weeks to three months, but it is still too early to know the final prognosis.

As a player, Dowler is one of the country's best young talls, having been widely regarded as a top 10 pick - with some drafting experts believing he could be a top five selection.

Dowler had an excellent 2005 season, having been named All-Australian in this year's NAB AFL under 18 championships.

He was also named in the TAC Cup team of the year in 2005, while he was a member of the AIS/AFL Academy in 2004.

Dowler's family and management were making no comment.

It is one of the first times a highly-rated draft prospect has suffered a non-football injury so close to the draft, which will take place on 26 November.

http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=235023

[Razorblade]

Hmmmmmmmm, teenagers, car crash, maybe i'll keep my assumptions to myself! 

[one-eyed]

Surgery ruled out for teen
By Samantha Lane
The Age
October 23, 2005


Beau Dowler, in action during an under-18 match, is expected to recover fully from his injuries.
Photo: Getty Images

PROSPECTIVE top-10 AFL draft pick Beau Dowler will not require surgery to mend the three pelvic fractures he received in a car accident early on Friday, and hopes to eventually resume his football career unimpeded.

But the 17-year-old from the Oakleigh Chargers, a passenger in the vehicle involved in the smash, will be completely immobilised for a month and may not be able to walk for up to 10 weeks.

A source close to Dowler said doctors predicted yesterday that he would make a full recovery.

Whether AFL clubs are put off by the teenager's setback will be revealed at next month's national draft.

An orthopedic surgeon informed Dowler and his relieved family of the good news yesterday afternoon. Had the budding key-position player's bones been seriously displaced, he would have required surgery.

Dowler will remain at the Monash Medical Centre for another five days.

"All going well, if the rest goes good, he'll have a full recovery and be ready to go in about three months' time," Stephen Conole, the Oakleigh Chargers' regional manager said.

"He's obviously sustained some fractures, but the prognosis is pretty positive for Beau, and within three months, he's hoping to be back and ready to do pre-season.

"It's probably as positive a result as they could have expected, I think … Beau's been a terrific schoolboy under-18 player and we'd be pretty optimistic that he'd have an opportunity to pursue his AFL career."

In 2001, West Coast picked Chris Judd with the No. 3 selection of the national draft despite the fact that he'd had two shoulder reconstructions in two years. Last year, he won the Brownlow Medal.

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2005/10/22/1129775997599.html

[bluey_21]

I think Dowler's injury is a godsend for us cause we have almost a 100% chance of him slipping through to our pick.

[Captain__Blood]

Cleve Hughes should be in your poll

Good call 

[Captain__Blood]

If I had pick 8 and I was doing our picks I would have taken Mitchell Clark (http://www.footydraft.com/players.php?player=mitchell_clarke) who went pick 9 to the Lions. That said I was also keen on Hughes at 8 and there was certainly not guarantees Hughes was going to be around at 24.

Overall I Clark & Hughes would have been near perfect IMO but pretty happy with JON & Hughes.

[mightytiges]

Miller said he didn't rate Clark as one of the top KPP on offer - Dowler, Kennedy and Ryder. That's why we didn't pick him up at #8.     

[Razorblade]

Clark had too many ? around him, he was more potential then skill!