I just been trawling through recent draft history (since 1997) on wikipedia. The number of dud picks and trades made by our former recruiting and list management team is staggering!! In his first two years at the Dees BP has recruited more potential than the previous regime did in 8??? years. (Was it 8?).

I too, was a little surprised when we went for midfielders with picks #11 and #18. I thought we should be picking at least one tall forward. But I think BP, TH and DB are building an elite midfield that could well rival the great flag winning midfields of Geelong, WC and Brisbane. If we look at the history of the Geelong mids, we see that people like Corey, Milburn, Enright and Chapman all had midfield aspirations but now play most of their games just forward or back. They can all play there when called on but have the size and strength to play at half back and half forward as well. When you look at our current bunch, we also have a large number of goal scoring midfielders that can push forward. Sylvia, Trengove, Morton, Blease, Davey, Tapscott, Scully and Moloney are all proven goal kickers, albeit not all at senior level as yet. BP is also building a physically powerful group. Think of how physically intimidating Geelong and Brisbane's midfields are and were. They would brush oppositions aside. Moloney, Dunn, Sylvia and Jones are already very strong and Tapscott, Trengove, Scully and Grimes all have potential to be so. Gysberts is tall and it will be interesting to see whether he bulks up well. He does seem to enjoy being amongst the traffic. Tapscott at just 18, looks like he will be a monster. There is also good marking power, great kicking, footy smarts, and pace to burn now with the new recruits. This group is going to be quite a formidable midfield force in the next few years. Maybe, one to build a flag dynasty on.

Here's hoping.

PS. I haven't even included Jnr, Green or Bruce as they probably won't be there when it happens

Hindsight is 20-20. Many of the players you name weren't drafted by BP and I dont think recruiters should be praised after 53 weeks in the job for drafting 'potential' but I agree there seems to be a lot of talent around the club at present -it's now up to the coaches and developmen coaches to get the most out of them, something we have struggled with for a long time

I do not see how you are drawing these conclusions.

BP has recruited Morton who was a no brainer at that point in the draft and Jurah / Grimes. I have got no doubt he is a great recruiter but to claim he has infinitely better than CAC is crazy in this point in time. You have to give credit to dean bailey for refusing to draft for fill gap players because that was the great downfall of CAC's years in that he had few good picks to use. CAC vs BP has to be based on the draft not on trade decisions as most of the trade decisions would have been out of Craig Camerons hands and would have been a Danniher call.

Also you need to look at the draft picks that CAC actually had. He had some 1&2 in his first year where he got TJ and white, 3 & 5 in the 2003 draft which was the worst draft in history and we got the best players available. Pretty much every other player after Mclean in the top fifteen has been delisted.

Beyond that he had a spatting of mid teens picks which yielded Brad Green, Scotty Thompson, Jones, Bate. A couple of failures. I think if you add up the picks BP has almost more top 20 picks in two years than

If we win a flag it will be based on CAC's tall picks. I am referring to the likes of Frawley, Rivers, Warnock, Garland, Bate, Jamar. That represents the nucleus of our premiership. When we are challenging for the flag my prediction will be fully half of our best 22 will be based of CAC's picks.

It is easy to forget that CAC started going tall four to five years ago and that decision resulted in Dee's struggling on the field but at the end of the day it those talls with 7 - 10 years experience that will make the difference.

Actually CAC was still in charge in 2007 when we got Morton, Grimes, Maric, Cheney and McNamara. His final draft in charge looks like it will be a fruitful one.

I don't think CAC deserves some of the bashing he gets on here. He [censored] up in 2000-2002 with only Miller and Rivers really to show for it. Players like Molan, Rogers, Armstrong, Bell, Nick Smith etc were early pick failures. Compare them to some of Geelong's gems in that timeframe and it's no wonder they are dominating while we are down the bottom of the ladder.

He has picked some good players in his time (Sylvia/McLean was a great combo when you look at some of the players taken after them in 03). Along with Bate, Jones, Frawley, Petterd, Garland and the 2007 crop.

Our first 3 picks from BP's reign have played 3 games between them to date, I have little doubt they will come good but I'll give it a few seasons before labelling BP a gun recruiter.

but I agree there seems to be a lot of talent around the club at present -it's now up to the coaches and developmen coaches to get the most out of them, something we have struggled with for a long time

This is where the business or club (it is a business to a degree) must perform. The recruiting is arguably done, but now this is when the big steps must be taken. Player Development. Absolutley critical. The club needs the best resources available.

It's where the bigger clubs thrive.

BP has been with us two years and he has three No 1 picks. He should do well with those. However the real test will be when the late first round, 2nd round and third round picks are in their 3rd to 5th years.

If you want to look at the quality of our list, lets identify who on the list was not recruited by BP and wonder who was responsible for their recruitment.

Lets not undertake any pointless naive revisionist assessments.

I don't think CAC deserves some of the bashing he gets on here. He [censored] up in 2000-2002 with only Miller and Rivers really to show for it. Players like Molan, Rogers, Armstrong, Bell, Nick Smith etc were early pick failures. Compare them to some of Geelong's gems in that timeframe and it's no wonder they are dominating while we are down the bottom of the ladder.

You have to stand by your mistakes and CAC put the MFC back a fair while with his poor selections. Therefore he does deserve the bashing he gets on here.

I also agree that Prendergast has done well. However, will be very interesting to see how all will develop-in particular Fitzpatrick and Gryberts. Furthermore would not be surprised if Sheedy does not try to pirate him to GWS.

You have to stand by your mistakes and CAC put the MFC back a fair while with his poor selections. Therefore he does deserve the bashing he gets on here.

He should also be recognised for his contribution to the current list. Most of the "bashing" is mostly ill informed at best

I also agree that Prendergast has done well. However, will be very interesting to see how all will develop-in particular Fitzpatrick and Gryberts. Furthermore would not be surprised if Sheedy does not try to pirate him to GWS.

I do not understand how you can claim this.

So far he has used picks 1,17 & 19 in 2008 for a total of 3 games, none of which have set the world on fire.

Used 4 top 20 picks in 2009 on midfielders when the collective wisdom here was crying out for a tall (I agree with this personally but still....)

Produced two good players in jetta and bennel with late picks but the jury is out on whether they will be a top 15 player in a premiership contender. In fact the only person you can point too and say BP has done a great job is Jurrah and that may have been accident of chance and anyone in our position would have recruited him.

Hopefully BP is a gun but I think it is way way to early to tell. Frawley and Garland were decried as wasted picks for the first couple of years and everyone was wrong there. Bartram at pick 60 was top 5 in the rising star in his first year and injuries have since reduced his output. How can you tell?

I do not understand how you can claim this.

So far he has used picks 1,17 & 19 in 2008 for a total of 3 games, none of which have set the world on fire.

Used 4 top 20 picks in 2009 on midfielders when the collective wisdom here was crying out for a tall (I agree with this personally but still....)

Produced two good players in jetta and bennel with late picks but the jury is out on whether they will be a top 15 player in a premiership contender. In fact the only person you can point too and say BP has done a great job is Jurrah and that may have been accident of chance and anyone in our position would have recruited him.

Hopefully BP is a gun but I think it is way way to early to tell. Frawley and Garland were decried as wasted picks for the first couple of years and everyone was wrong there. Bartram at pick 60 was top 5 in the rising star in his first year and injuries have since reduced his output. How can you tell?

WOW- WHAT A CHALLENGE-

The first 3 picks from last year- we cannot judge them however I believe Watts showed enough as a tall- that he will be sensational in a few years. Blease along with Watts just turned 18 this year so both are like Draft 2009 recruits. Note both also went to school this year. Strauss was injured for most of the year. You mentioned Bennell & Jetta who performed well, Bail did not star, but looks OK. The star was Jurrah. I believe BP will go down in history as being the recruitor whom picked Jurrah.Recruiting is about trying to gain footballers to play for 5 to 10 years. Not many make it-I think several will from the 2008/9 drafts. Hope this satisfies your query

it's hard to make a call this early... In a couple of years will be regretting not taking Tom Swift instead of Strauss? He could very well become a star of the competition, and was ours there for the taking at 19. These things are all great, but it is too early to call on BP's success rate thus far...

One mistake he hasn't made that Craig Cameron did was draft for needs, as he's proven this draft... We could've gone tall at 11, but we took the best available player...

One selection I think I can give a tick to already is Neville Jetta in the 50's. Looks like he'll be a handy player, and a good pickup with a 4th round draft pick... Again, time will tell though...

Craig Cameron will endlessly be hurt by backluck:

1. Molan being a dud. However the rumour was Daniher pushed hard for this pick, and it will be noted that Molan was very unlucky with injuries.

2. Scott Thompson going home then Moloney going down, and Rivers as well

3. Armstrong got Bali bombed which can't help a career, and a promising Broadbridge got killed - RIP

The list can go on. I don't think he was a bad recruiter - he did get Aaron Davey for a rookie pick did he not! I think his last 2 drafts were very very good. It might have been a case of not having the resources around him in that early period.

The nucleus of the premiership we are setting up to win will come from CC's last 2 and BP's first 2:

McNamara Frawley Bennell

Grimes Garland Strauss

Blease Trengove Morton

Petterd Watts Maric

Wonaeamirri Jurrah Tapscott

Martin Scully Gysberts

Gawn Jetta McKenzie Cheney

Obviously you put Bate, Jones, Sylvia, Moloney, Davey, Warnock, Rivers, Green, Jamar etc and a few handy pick ups in future drafts (our Rioli or Selwood thanks) around these guys, but in terms of the sustained success it will be from when these guys go from being 22-25 to 25-29. Which should co-incide with 2013 onwards if anyone cares.

Hindsight is 20-20. Many of the players you name weren't drafted by BP and I dont think recruiters should be praised after 53 weeks in the job for drafting 'potential' but I agree there seems to be a lot of talent around the club at present

...and there should be, given our draft picks.

Has BP done better than what you'd expect from the picks we've had?

For mine, it's way too early to tell.

He got lucky with Jurrah, though!

That's pretty much what I'm saying.

It's far to easy to sit back and pot previous recruiters for recruiting some players who (for various reasons) haven't/never made the cut whilst citing quality players on our list and ignoring who drafted them.

It's also far too early to praise a recruiter who has had picks 1,1,2,11,17,18,19,34,35,50,51 and 64 in National Drafts - 12 picks from who we have seen 35 games from collectively.

Of course, I'm not saying he's done a bad job (as I've already said I've been excited by the players we've drafted) but as you say Rogue, with 7 top 20 picks in 2 seasons, you'd hope to select some quality.

That's pretty much what I'm saying.

For sure - I'm agreeing with you.

It's far to easy to sit back and pot previous recruiters for recruiting some players who (for various reasons) haven't/never made the cut whilst citing quality players on our list and ignoring who drafted them.

Yes, I find this a bit silly.

Too early to tell with BP. If BP has any sort of strike rate like recruiter Stephen Wells of Geelong with mid to late picks, I will be very happy.

Too early to tell with BP. If BP has any sort of strike rate like recruiter Stephen Wells of Geelong with mid to late picks, I will be very happy.

In that case, sharpen your pencil because in 2 years time Bennell will fight right into that category.

In that case, sharpen your pencil because in 2 years time Bennell will fight right into that category.

Jetta will too if he can squeeze into the team.

Its also not fair comparing a recruiter that's rebuilding a side from the bottom up with great picks to someone who was trying to work with a football dept that saw themselves as being a contender.

After 2000 the club worked out that we were never going to win a flag with Bizzell and Robbo at CHB and CHF. Too short. They looked at recruiting talls. And guess what it didn't work. Talls take longer to develop and we got unlucky. Smith, Molan a case in point.

The 2003 draft was the worst in memory and we had picks 3 & 5. Bad luck. We picked up the best of an average lot.

In 5 years sit back and reflect. That's when the answer will be. Personally I think we are better placed than at any time since 1988-90 but who am I to say.

Its also not fair comparing a recruiter that's rebuilding a side from the bottom up with great picks to someone who was trying to work with a football dept that saw themselves as being a contender.

After 2000 the club worked out that we were never going to win a flag with Bizzell and Robbo at CHB and CHF. Too short. They looked at recruiting talls. And guess what it didn't work. Talls take longer to develop and we got unlucky. Smith, Molan a case in point.

The 2003 draft was the worst in memory and we had picks 3 & 5. Bad luck. We picked up the best of an average lot.

In 5 years sit back and reflect. That's when the answer will be. Personally I think we are better placed than at any time since 1988-90 but who am I to say.

I think we did incredibly well to select Sylvia as he has all the talent in the world, but injuries and attitude have held him back until very recently.

Attitude is something that probably should've been corrected earlier, but also was exacerbated by the injury problems.

What a load of rubbish.

Typical supporter who builds up huge expectations of players who have yet to play a senior game.

For all you know Blease & Tapscott Could be completet duds.

Its also not fair comparing a recruiter that's rebuilding a side from the bottom up with great picks to someone who was trying to work with a football dept that saw themselves as being a contender.

After 2000 the club worked out that we were never going to win a flag with Bizzell and Robbo at CHB and CHF. Too short. They looked at recruiting talls. And guess what it didn't work. Talls take longer to develop and we got unlucky. Smith, Molan a case in point.

The 2003 draft was the worst in memory and we had picks 3 & 5. Bad luck. We picked up the best of an average lot.

In 5 years sit back and reflect. That's when the answer will be. Personally I think we are better placed than at any time since 1988-90 but who am I to say.

Cameron came to us in 1998 and MFC despite the return of some LT injured stars that year were definitely in a rebuild.

I think the comparison can be made.....but after 5 years when his first 3 years of recruiting has at least 3 years of experience.

BTW, it was 2002. Molan was recruited in 2001. In 2003, we took McLean and Sylvia who weren't talls. The selections of Breese, Smith and Bell amongst others are hardly high points for CAC but he should be judged in totality.

I think we did incredibly well to select Sylvia as he has all the talent in the world, but injuries and attitude have held him back until very recently.

Attitude is something that probably should've been corrected earlier, but also was exacerbated by the injury problems.

Sylvia is 24, played 87 games in six years. We are still waiting on his potential. Despite the cameos last year, it been a lean return. I do hope for better in 2010. But I am not popping corks until we see it.

Sylvia is 24, played 87 games in six years. We are still waiting on his potential. Despite the cameos last year, it been a lean return. I do hope for better in 2010. But I am not popping corks until we see it.

I agree, but I think a lot of his not coming along can be attributed to his injuries and subsequent worsening of attitude.

Talent has never been a problem of his. Assuming the other 2 factors remain as they were last season I think he'll be one of our most valuable assets.

I agree, but I think a lot of his not coming along can be attributed to his injuries and subsequent worsening of attitude.

Talent has never been a problem of his. Assuming the other 2 factors remain as they were last season I think he'll be one of our most valuable assets.

He had the attitude from his junior days in the country.

Talent is worthless unless you actual perform. Actual what is it if you never show it? Hype.

I am a fan of Colin's after the cameos. This is his breakthrough year.