Chocco might be a great bloke and he might be an even greater mentor but I have serious doubts about his ability in developing players for the modern game.
Either our picks are just terrible ie. Conca, Vlastuin, Lennon, GirlGriff, B Ellis, C Ellis, Elton Struggled, McBean, Batchelor, Arsebury, Sideshow Bob etc. etc. (not including traded players)
Or Chocco isn't the guru everyone thinks he is.
Question; Woululd these picks have succeeded at Hawthorn? And what player would they be now if drafted by them instead of us?
It's actually dumbfounding to think a club could get their picks or development so incredibly wrong. But guys like Deledio and Martin show you that even if your development sucks you can still get an excellent player, so it has to be the drafting IMO.
2008
Vickery could have been Ziebell, Sidebottom, Shuey, Zaharakis, Ballantyne, D Beams, Hannebery, Motlop, Sloane
2009
Griffiths could have been Fyfe, Carlisle, Duncan, Gunston
2010
Conca could have been Caddy, Hepell, Prestia, T Lynch (GCS), Darling, Parker
2011
Ellis could have been B Hill, Rowe, Dickson, Neale
2012
Vlastuin could have been Grundy
2013
Lennon could have been Cripps, McCarthy, Dunstan, Taylor, Brown
Obviously there's less developed players from the previous years but seriously look at the talent we overlooked and just torture yourself and wonder how we could get it so wrong...
We pick Fyfe instead of Griffiths & we wonder why we can't get this scrawny punce to get his own ball.
We pick Heppel instead of Conca & we scratch our heads as to why he's no good in a forward pocket.
We pick B. Hill instead of B Ellis & we scream as to why he continually turns over the ball & never takes the game on.
All the while Griffiths is an All Australian CHB, B Ellis is a B&F winner & norm smith medalist lauded for his superior skill & toughness and Conca is still a fat dud with a red sash.
It's things that never change - recruiting & development. It's both. Development is as essential as recruiting and good coach.
