Luke Molan

[e25 5]

A super unlucky pick from the superdraft

Not a bad article. This guy really has had some hard luck.

[Rogue 585]

Good article and good story - a tough road for some, isn't it?

It's easy to deride 'wasted' top picks from prior years but articles like that remind you that they're more than a name on a page or an obscure footy trivia question.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Great article and shows how unforgving footy can be whether you are drafted No 9 or 99.

However, Craig Cameron admitted he erred selecting Molan at 9, luck or no luck. Indeed MFC's list still bears the scars of drafting poorly in 2001 with Molan, Rogers and Armstrong.

Lets hope MFC never stuff it up like that again.

[kryton 0]

I was ignorant of most of the circumstances with Molan. That is a tough and sobering story. Yes it was a bad choice in hindsight - but perhaps not because he was not talented but because his body was mechanically not up to it. Bagging the fella because he was picked and not make it is a low act.

[montasaurus 0]

I knew Luke had injury issues, but wow...

This is a story that anyone critical of the pick should read. Without injuries who knows how good he could have been. Lets hope we have got it right last year and moving forward.

[Jaded No More 68,974]

What a cruel and sad story.

Goes to show that he really wasn't meant to be an AFL player, although it's so much easier to say that when you're standing on the outside looking in. To have your life dream shattered at 18/19/20, is just way too soon.

He would have probably never been a superstar, and even without any injuries he may not be playing now, but I'm sure it's the not-knowing that hurts the most.

When you look at it, only Brad Miller has really worked for us from that draft, even if he isn't a superstar at least he's still standing on both his legs.

[IvanBartul13 2,564]

I commentate Molan regularly in the WRFL and he was an AFL talent, has a high skill level for such a big, strong man, and still does some very impressive things, even though his body is clearly wracked with injury. One great thing was that that mark he talk in the GF to win Spotty the game was pretty much the only time he has leapt off the ground in his two years, was a great mark and just showed his will to get his team over the line. I really think people that bag the pick and Molan are being completely hindsight driven and not being particularly fair to either player or recruiter, he never had a chance.

[Brown25 0]

An amazing article, and another in a series of very interesting reads by Hanlon in this series. The poor bloke, all you see is the name on an injury list and just assume - and that goes for all players, you never see the truth until you get an article like this.

At least it allows Molan, and the football public, to have some sort of closure on his career (probably not the right word), but to gain a proper understanding of what he'd been through.

[Hards 2]

Great read that article.

When you consider the injuries Molan faced and the difference in Armstrong from 2002 to after the injuries he sustained in Bali, it shows the fine line that clubs and players tread between success and failure.

[H_T 3,049]

What a cruel and sad story.

Goes to show that he really wasn't meant to be an AFL player, although it's so much easier to say that when you're standing on the outside looking in. To have your life dream shattered at 18/19/20, is just way too soon.

He would have probably never been a superstar, and even without any injuries he may not be playing now, but I'm sure it's the not-knowing that hurts the most.

When you look at it, only Brad Miller has really worked for us from that draft, even if he isn't a superstar at least he's still standing on both his legs.

True. Great article too. Tough break for Molan, or in this case tough break(s). To see the rest of the top 10 picks in that draft, anyone would just shake their head including recruiters back then and think, "wow, what rotten luck." Even the likes of Hodge & Moloney who played footy with Molan at the Falcons.

[Rogue 585]

Bagging the fella because he was picked and not make it is a low act.

I agree.

[darkhorse72 1,925]

The poor bugger, we'll never know how good he may have been, but fate never gave him the chance. Hopefully it won't affect his life as he gets on.

[Whispering_Jack 30,672]

Great article and shows how unforgving footy can be whether you are drafted No 9 or 99.

However, Craig Cameron admitted he erred selecting Molan at 9, luck or no luck. Indeed MFC's list still bears the scars of drafting poorly in 2001 with Molan, Rogers and Armstrong.

Lets hope MFC never stuff it up like that again.

I was present when CAC made the admission and it wasn't specifically directed at Molan but rather, he conceded that it was probably an error selecting a key position player at that stage of the draft (which was what we needed badly at the time) in preference to a midfielder like dal Santo who was picked later in the draft. Let's not forget as well that Armstrong had shared in the Larke Medal for best player in the Under 18 championships so he wasn't a bad pick up either. He just didn't move forward after suffering the physical and emotional trauma of being caught up in a suicide bombing in Bali. So two out of those three selections had unusual injury problems.

We'll never know how good Molan would have been had he not suffered those horrific injuries. I saw him kick four goals at FF in a quarter playing for Sandy at Frankston against strong opposition when he was recovering from the second set of injuries. He marked well and kicked accurately. Problem was that he was injury prone because within a couple of weeks he was out with another injury.

During his last few years as recruiter at Melbourne, I thought CAC seemed a bit reluctant to draft the really tall KPP's (possibly as a result of his experiences with Molan, Rogers and 426) leaving us in our current position where we simply have nobody up forward capable of mixing it with the big boys of the competition now that Neita's retired.

[Nasher 33,617]

At the ripe old age of 24, his body is utterly wrecked. Worse than you see in most of the 35+ AFL players who have recently retired.

What a sad story. I had no idea the extent of the injuries he suffered. He definitely has my respect.

I agree that the taunting he gets about his draft position is pretty low as well.

[Rocknroll 1,005]

Not to bring up past pain.

Reading this article today and checking out the players in the 2001 under 18 comp.

Luke was a star that day. check oput the other names there. Most have made an impact.

It is amazing how a little luck with injuries and we could have ourselves a dominate hard bodied forward right now.

Vic Metro 15.13 (103) d Vic Country 11.6 (72)

BEST

Vic Metro: Sam Power, Luke Ball, Ben Finnin, Andrew Carrazzo, Charlie Gardiner, Tom Hooker, David Rodan, Leigh Montagna, Andrew Welsh, Rod Crowe

Vic Country: Simon Rosa, Luke Molan, Josh Fraser, Mark McGough, Josh Rudd

GOALS

Vic Metro: Brent Reilly 3, Charlie Gardiner 2, James Kelly 2, Ben Finnin 2, Shane Harvey, Leigh Montagna, David Rodan, Kieren McGuinness, Luke Ball, Sam Power

Vic Country: Luke Molan 2, Steve Johnson 2, Rick Ladson 2, Mark McGough 2, Brent Moloney, Hugh Foott, Josh Dicketts

[e25 5]

Good bump.

Still a great article.

[Tony Tea 2,809]

Question as curiosity!

How come Josh Fraser was playing in that 2001 match? One) he was drafted in 1999; and two) he was born on 05-Jan-1982, which would have made him Over-18, not Under-18.

[Red Sox 2]

I'm not sure that is correct being Josh Fraser is it? If it is I would still take Luke Molan!

Hindsight, it is so wonderful. Terrible terrible luck for him and at the end of the day, more importantly, bad luck for us.

I wouldn't have thought though that anyone could have a go at Molan himself? It is fair enough to curse our luck at how it eventuated but if I saw Luke on the street it certainly wouldn't be a knock on him that it didn't turn out as we hoped.

[1858 285]

I was present when CAC made the admission and it wasn't specifically directed at Molan but rather, he conceded that it was probably an error selecting a key position player at that stage of the draft (which was what we needed badly at the time) in preference to a midfielder like dal Santo who was picked later in the draft.

Always great to get first hand feedback on various MFC issues. Really adds to the substance of this site.

I would be interested to know if CAC elaborated on why he concluded the Molan pick to be an "error".

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

I would be interested to know if CAC elaborated on why he concluded the Molan pick to be an "error".

He advised some time ago that he chose for a specific position and not the best available at that pick from the draft.

[1858 285]

He advised some time ago that he chose for a specific position and not the best available at that pick from the draft.

That is what I wanted to clarify thanks. I wasn't sure whether CAC considered Molan best available for that particular pick despite

him being a KPP.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

That is what I wanted to clarify thanks. I wasn't sure whether CAC considered Molan best available for that particular pick despite

him being a KPP.

I think the 2001 draft was annus horibilus for CAC as Molan was just one of the mistakes CAC made that year. It really punished MFC's list particularly given the 99 and 00 salary cap penalties.

[pitmaster 3,578]

Great article and shows how unforgving footy can be whether you are drafted No 9 or 99.

However, Craig Cameron admitted he erred selecting Molan at 9, luck or no luck. Indeed MFC's list still bears the scars of drafting poorly in 2001 with Molan, Rogers and Armstrong.

Lets hope MFC never stuff it up like that again.

Agree re Molan and Rogers, but it's worth keeping in mind Armstrong was blown up in the first Bali bombing, copping penetrating shrapnel wounds to the back of one knee so that mitigates somewhat.

As for Molan, supposedly it was Neale D over-riding Craig C and insisting on a big lump defender that decided that choice.

[armstrong35 262]

poor bugger!!!

i did love my armstrong though

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Agree re Molan and Rogers, but it's worth keeping in mind Armstrong was blown up in the first Bali bombing, copping penetrating shrapnel wounds to the back of one knee so that mitigates somewhat.

As for Molan, supposedly it was Neale D over-riding Craig C and insisting on a big lump defender that decided that choice.

Armstrong was slow and with ordinary ball skills before the Bali incident. Nasty experience for him but it was more of the same after that. He was a poor choice notwithstanding Bali.