Melbourne Draft History

[Rosso 59]

How good was the 2008 drafting by the Dees. To get Watts, Blease, Strauss (none of whom have had a real impact yet, but definitely will), Bennell, Jetta, Bail, McKenzie and Jurrah is unreal. Especially when you look at the draft from Bennell (#35) onwards the only players who look anywhere near as good as the Dees players I listed are: Todd Banfield (#41) Liam Anthony (#43) and maybe Rhys Stanley (#47). In my opinion we scooped all the big fish out of the shallow part of the pool.

[Red Sox 2]

Why do you think our drafting has not been so bad?

In 1997, our No 1 draft pick proved to be a lazy, talented footballer with a poor attitude and no leadership skills

The AFL burnt us in 1999 and 2000. We completely stuffed 2001 and we blew first round picks in 2002 on Nick Smith and Daniel Bell.

We had picks 3 and 5 in probably the worst draft ever...2003. We were lucky to trade pick 5 for pick 11 last year.

In 2004, we used a first round pick on a good VFL player in Dunn. We traded/wasted the second pick for 200cm rover in PJ who is also a very handy VFL player. And we got Newton with the next pick. We used two other first rounders on Beamer and Bate who have been fair at best over the journey.

In 2005, we took N Jones with our first pick and he is honest without being a star in his 5th year. We traded away picks for Pickett....enough said. We took Buckley with pick 53 and Bartram who is fair at pick 60.

There really is nothing to write home about our drafting even relative to other sides.

Just think that it is just so easy to rake over the 'failed drafting' of previous regimes.....some seemed right at the time, some didnt work, some did...

99 and 2000 was the AFL's doing......not much could be done on that so not sure it can be 'marked against us or the club at the time' 2001...yes not great at all

Trav - well, yes everyone is entitled to their opinion and you are on the mark.....but I enjoyed watching Trav play, that is not an opinion it is my fact. Everyone else would have also taken him......in the long run we then traded him for Jack Grimes.......you have to join the dots sometimes mate because this pick has had a flow on affect many years later!!

2003 - yes not a great draft.....jury still out on Col Sylvia but has shown in his last 20 games that at his best he is a jet....hopefully he becomes more consistent as we get better..he will need to. Again, join the dots on pick 5 and we end up with Jordan Gysberts....you say lucky????? Why because Carlton made a bad decision to trade pick 11 for a 3rd round player? Smart on Melbournes part I would've thought and they played their hand beautifully with that trade.

Nath Jones - for mine has reached his potential and wont improve any further but as you said is as honest as day and as has been proven with Junior Mac, limited players can prove people wrong. But if we didnt take Nath who wouldve we taken anyway? Shannon Hurn perhaps has turned out well, then it goes to Birchall, Varcoe, Douglas, Pfeiffer, Bailey, Dempsey, Bower, Stanley, Muston......hardly proven to be anything better than Nath IMO and most others I would've thought.....Birchall? Yeah decent, Varcoe? Taken a fair well to play consistent footy in an outstanding side.

Traded away for Pickett? Yep...agree 100% but I did enjoy him in 2006....I remember even Adem Yze laying a big hip and shoulder that year because he had Bryon right next to him!!

Bate - fair at best? IMO he has been better than that.....and will continue to be better....very very harsh! Look at the picks below Bate in that draft.....who would you take ahead of him even now? There are a few you could make a case.....very few!

I would point more to our 'trades' in 2004 than the 'draft' - we lost Scott Thompson and Darren Jolly for not much really, bought in Beamer (may be limited in part IMO there is not much doubt but a true demon who's spirit is currently assisting the club and has through the last 3 sad years) as well as PJ who is a shocker.....Peter Walsh also but not much lost there IMO

How about looking at 2006...Chip Frawley at 12 when you see some picked before him? An outstanding pick!!!

Again, IMO it is so easy to look back and see the bad calls....look further down these lists and it is sometimes not all bad.....drafting, trading, list management etc is all tied into one so you can't just sting the bad calls when they have in turn presented other opportunities.

[MadAsHell 4,212]

As mentioned already we picked up Powell at the end of 99 in a three way trade with Fremantle and the Bulldogs, we traded Simmonds to Fremantle, they taded Bandy to the Bulldogs, possibly with a pick and we got Powell from the Dogs.

We also traded for PJ with West Coast, think it was the draft pick that was refered to though.

[biggestred 5,079]

to be fair to nathan jones, he will be a lot better when he has a developed trengove, scully, gysberts et al alongside and he gets bumped down the matchup order.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

....

We're on the same page but I dont think except in recent years our drafting has been notable and even then the recent years 2006 onwards the jury is out. But it looks a lot better than what have seen in the years prior to 2006.

[mauriesy 7,287]

The AFL burnt us in 1999 and 2000

Yes, but we still got #19 Green, #20 Wheatley, #50 Whelan and #64 Bruce ... lucky.

2000 was an even worse disaster after Scott Thompson left.

[Roost It 1,434]

would still love to see valenti in the side but wouldnt get a game

So are you saying that although he isn't good enough you'd still like him in the side? Now that is strange.

As for our drafting in the 8 years from 97 to 2005 we failed to pick up 1 elite player and probably only 2 really good players in Green and Davey. Honourable mentions also to McDonald, Sylvia, Bate and Jamar. Had GC and GWS been in the last 3 drafts we may have never seen our club win another game!

Part of the greatness of a leader is the Legacy he leaves. I wonder if HSOG is still reading this forum

Edited June 1, 2010 by Roost It

[Range Rover 1,935]

My word we recruited poorly during the Daniher era.

Cam Bruce at #64 in '99 was one of the great finds though you'd have to say.

[armstrong35 262]

So are you saying that although he isn't good enough you'd still like him in the side? Now that is strange.

As for our drafting in the 8 years from 97 to 2005 we failed to pick up 1 elite player and probably only 2 really good players in Green and Davey. Honourable mentions also to McDonald, Sylvia, Bate and Jamar. Had GC and GWS been in the last 3 drafts we may have never seen our club win another game!

Part of the greatness of a leader is the Legacy he leaves. I wonder if HSOG is still reading this forum

i said I would like to see him in the side. i believe he was good enough BUT with trengove and stuff he wouldn't get the chance now!

[The Great One 99 125]

Cam Bruce at #64 in '99 was one of the great finds though you'd have to say.

I would definately say. As well as Whelen at 50.

And you would even say Brad Miller at pick 55 2001 is a good get that late.

'97 rookie draft J. Macdonald, & Guy Rigoni Pick 77

From that I would say that Daniher wasn't all that bad.

Sometimes I miss the reverend. I liked him.

Edited June 1, 2010 by The Great One 99

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

I would definately say. As well as Whelen at 50.

And you would even say Brad Miller at pick 55 2001 is a good get that late.

'97 rookie draft J. Macdonald, & Guy Rigoni Pick 77

From that I would say that Daniher wasn't all that bad.

Sometimes I miss the reverend. I liked him.

Add Jamar and Bartram at pick 60 was not bad.

All these picks should have been the icing on the cake. The problem was the ingredients in the cake!!

I dont think you can judge Daniher solely on that. For what he had, facilities, lack of money, distruptive Board he had a credible record.

[buddha82 12]

The 2001 draft was an absolute unmitigated disaster. When you think that all we got out of the strongest draft ever was Brad Miller, and threw away all our early picks on Molan, Armstrong and Rogers, that's what really hurts. 2002-2005 were incredibly weak drafts - some quality early on and a few late gambles which have paid off, but go back and look at the lists and have a look who comes after that you would've preferred to have - slim pickings at best.

2002 - Daniel Bell and Nick Smith with our first two picks is shocking business in anyone's language, but there isn't a great deal of success for anyone with a pick after about 10. Scrolling through the list there's about 5 players who are still playing and I reckon 2 or 3 of those are father sons. Very, very weak draft. Jared Rivers at 25 almost looks like the best business, although there's also Tom Lonergan (23) and Daniel Merrett (30) in there too.

2003 - I'm happy with Sylvia at pick 3 as I still have faith he'll come good, however there are question marks over the selection of McLean at 5. Further down the draft you have Brent Stanton at 13, David Mundy at 19, Jed Adcock at 33, Daniel Jackson at 53 (questionable disposal but not a bad player in an awful team) and Rischitelli who was a steal at 61. Also Amon Buchanan slid through to pick 45 and wouldn't have been a bad choice.

2004 - This was really a very bad draft. Given we targeted big forwards, there really is nothing after Matthew Bate. Arguably Angus Monfries might have been an option with the pick after, but I think we wanted bigger boys than him. Mark LeCras at 37 and Chris Knights at 56 appear to be the superior players, but again neither of them are known for their big bodies.

2005 - There's a few forwards who have shown a little bit (Ben McKinley at 29 and Rhan Hooper at 41) but given we went with a midfielder there's really only two who you'd pick before Jones - Bernie Vince at 32 and Andrew Swallow at 43. From memory Jones was an elite runner in his junior days so I'd suggest that was why he was picked before them. Vince seems to be a great find at 32 and Swallow is turning into a great inside mid, a bit of a steal at 43.

So from all of that, you'd have to say we haven't done too badly. Yes we haven't got any elite player but neither has anyone else really.

[Red Sox 2]

The 2001 draft was an absolute unmitigated disaster. When you think that all we got out of the strongest draft ever was Brad Miller, and threw away all our early picks on Molan, Armstrong and Rogers, that's what really hurts. 2002-2005 were incredibly weak drafts - some quality early on and a few late gambles which have paid off, but go back and look at the lists and have a look who comes after that you would've preferred to have - slim pickings at best.

2002 - Daniel Bell and Nick Smith with our first two picks is shocking business in anyone's language, but there isn't a great deal of success for anyone with a pick after about 10. Scrolling through the list there's about 5 players who are still playing and I reckon 2 or 3 of those are father sons. Very, very weak draft. Jared Rivers at 25 almost looks like the best business, although there's also Tom Lonergan (23) and Daniel Merrett (30) in there too.

2003 - I'm happy with Sylvia at pick 3 as I still have faith he'll come good, however there are question marks over the selection of McLean at 5. Further down the draft you have Brent Stanton at 13, David Mundy at 19, Jed Adcock at 33, Daniel Jackson at 53 (questionable disposal but not a bad player in an awful team) and Rischitelli who was a steal at 61. Also Amon Buchanan slid through to pick 45 and wouldn't have been a bad choice.

2004 - This was really a very bad draft. Given we targeted big forwards, there really is nothing after Matthew Bate. Arguably Angus Monfries might have been an option with the pick after, but I think we wanted bigger boys than him. Mark LeCras at 37 and Chris Knights at 56 appear to be the superior players, but again neither of them are known for their big bodies.

2005 - There's a few forwards who have shown a little bit (Ben McKinley at 29 and Rhan Hooper at 41) but given we went with a midfielder there's really only two who you'd pick before Jones - Bernie Vince at 32 and Andrew Swallow at 43. From memory Jones was an elite runner in his junior days so I'd suggest that was why he was picked before them. Vince seems to be a great find at 32 and Swallow is turning into a great inside mid, a bit of a steal at 43.

So from all of that, you'd have to say we haven't done too badly. Yes we haven't got any elite player but neither has anyone else really.

It's funny how 2001 is referred to as the Hodge, Ball, Judd draft....take a look right down the list as this draft was pure GOLD! Only problem was for the dees we struck ROCK!

Look at Geelong for this draft - can see something a little similar to the dees drafts of late - Bartel (8), Kelly (17), Johnson (24) and Ablett as F/S

Molan - he was very very highly rated but injury killed him.....this happens! But yeah when you look over this and see who came after him, Kelly, Johnson, Jas Gram and for me the big one...Nick Dal Santo.....right down at 13.

Sam Mitchell and Montagna at 36 & 37...Dane Swan at 58, Brian Harris (Lake) at 71...great picks those four.

Also very active in the trades this year......Peter Vardy and Craig Ellis! Loved that 2002 Crows final though...vintage Vards and Trap!! Bugger the result!

[RalphiusMaximus 6,048]

There were some inspired picks going back a few years though.

Bruce at? Bargain! Even Green at 19 is amazing value.

Our Rookies have also been amazing value when you look at Davey, Junior and Jamar. Robbo was also a rookie pick and we got great value from him.

As for wasted picks in the Daniher era, I don't think you can make that stick. The list of former players gets longer the further back you go because of natural attrition. If all of those players were still with us we wouldn't have any young guys coming through. Do you really think all the players on the list from the last three drafts are going to stay with the side?

[Sir Why You Little 37,034]

I would definately say. As well as Whelen at 50.

And you would even say Brad Miller at pick 55 2001 is a good get that late.

'97 rookie draft J. Macdonald, & Guy Rigoni Pick 77

From that I would say that Daniher wasn't all that bad.

Sometimes I miss the reverend. I liked him.

Out of those Drafts How much was the Fault of Danniher?? I would say very little, but i am asking the question.

My Guess would be he was way to busy coaching what he had to look at 18 year olds as well.

The Coach would have to put a lot of faith in his recruiting staff.

[Harrisonrules 273]

It always puzzled me why Craig Cameron was celebrated as a great recruiter but left us with such a poor list.

Of our current team, one selection which has concerned me was the pick of Maric when we were desperately in need of tall forwards. Young Bulldog Roughhead came in the same draft in the early 30's, I for one will be watching the progress of both players.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

2003 - I'm happy with Sylvia at pick 3 as I still have faith he'll come good, however there are question marks over the selection of McLean at 5. Further down the draft you have Brent Stanton at 13, David Mundy at 19, Jed Adcock at 33, Daniel Jackson at 53 (questionable disposal but not a bad player in an awful team) and Rischitelli who was a steal at 61. Also Amon Buchanan slid through to pick 45 and wouldn't have been a bad choice.

2004 - This was really a very bad draft. Given we targeted big forwards, there really is nothing after Matthew Bate. Arguably Angus Monfries might have been an option with the pick after, but I think we wanted bigger boys than him. Mark LeCras at 37 and Chris Knights at 56 appear to be the superior players, but again neither of them are known for their big bodies.

The issue with 2003 was not so much our selection but that it was just a dud year. McLean is just a stock standard midfield without flair. Sylvia is a player with some flair but after seven years I am still waiting for the big payback. I know we could have done worse.

If we were targetting big forwards, why did we pick Moloney at pick 12 and then Bate and Dunn a couple of picks after? It would suggest we soought to cover Thompson's loss with Beamer. We took Bate and Dunn as young players who would develop. Bate has developed but Dunn is a good VFL player.

Yes, but we still got #19 Green, #20 Wheatley, #50 Whelan and #64 Bruce ... lucky.

2000 was an even worse disaster after Scott Thompson left.

On 1999's strike rate the first round pick we might have had could have yielded us Joel Corey, Robert Murphy, Luke McPharlin or Darren Glass...Bugger!!

Agree on 2000. Lost the second round pick to penalties.

It's funny how 2001 is referred to as the Hodge, Ball, Judd draft....take a look right down the list as this draft was pure GOLD! Only problem was for the dees we struck ROCK!

Look at Geelong for this draft - can see something a little similar to the dees drafts of late - Bartel (8), Kelly (17), Johnson (24) and Ablett as F/S

Agree. The drafts of 1999,2001 and 2004 set the Hawks up.

Geelong's recruiting was first class when you consider Corey at pick 8 in 2000. Father sons help too.

Molan - he was very very highly rated but injury killed him.....this happens!

Craig Cameron posted on Ology some years ago that they erred in choosing Molan because they chose for needs and not the best available. I would suggest Cameron learn a lesson on that at some cost to MFC over the coming years.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

It always puzzled me why Craig Cameron was celebrated as a great recruiter but left us with such a poor list.

Of our current team, one selection which has concerned me was the pick of Maric when we were desperately in need of tall forwards. Young Bulldog Roughhead came in the same draft in the early 30's, I for one will be watching the progress of both players.

His 2005, 2006 and 2007 form the nucleus of this side. He got the best out of the early picks in 2003. There were some disasters taken in the 1st 2 rounds.

[Carlos Danger 380]

Worst part of the Daniher era would have to be 2001 draft. Giving up Pick 17 (James Kelly) and pick 41 (Henry Playfair) for Clint Bizzell then using our picks at #9 for Luke Molan and #26 for Aaron Rogers in a draft that had the likes of (after pick #12) Nick Dal Santo, Steve Johnson, Campbell Brown, Leigh Montagna, Sam Mitchell, Andrew Welsh, Dane Swan, Ashley Hansen, David Rodan and Paul Medhurst.

[grant 10]

Why do you think our drafting has not been so bad?

In 1997, our No 1 draft pick proved to be a lazy, talented footballer with a poor attitude and no leadership skills

The AFL burnt us in 1999 and 2000. We completely stuffed 2001 and we blew first round picks in 2002 on Nick Smith and Daniel Bell.

We had picks 3 and 5 in probably the worst draft ever...2003. We were lucky to trade pick 5 for pick 11 last year.

In 2004, we used a first round pick on a good VFL player in Dunn. We traded/wasted the second pick for 200cm rover in PJ who is also a very handy VFL player. And we got Newton with the next pick. We used two other first rounders on Beamer and Bate who have been fair at best over the journey.

In 2005, we took N Jones with our first pick and he is honest without being a star in his 5th year. We traded away picks for Pickett....enough said. We took Buckley with pick 53 and Bartram who is fair at pick 60.

There really is nothing to write home about our drafting even relative to other sides.

This one I think you can add to the list in years ahead:

Pick 21- Adam Maric

Pick 23- Tayte Pears

[Sir Why You Little 37,034]

Worst part of the Daniher era would have to be 2001 draft. Giving up Pick 17 (James Kelly) and pick 41 (Henry Playfair) for Clint Bizzell then using our picks at #9 for Luke Molan and #26 for Aaron Rogers in a draft that had the likes of (after pick #12) Nick Dal Santo, Steve Johnson, Campbell Brown, Leigh Montagna, Sam Mitchell, Andrew Welsh, Dane Swan, Ashley Hansen, David Rodan and Paul Medhurst.

Clint Bizzell played some Fine Fine Games for the MFC. Nothing wrong with that Draft.

[Carlos Danger 380]

Clint Bizzell played some Fine Fine Games for the MFC. Nothing wrong with that Draft.

I would take a couple of players capable of being in our best 22 for the next premiership tilt over a retired somebody who played "some fine games" with no premierships. Not to take anything from Bizzell, he was a great player but he wasn't exactly young and knocking back two fresh players in an awesome draft really did hurt us in the long run, for no short term success. And Luke Molan for pick #9 would have to be up there in the worst first round draft mistakes in AFL history. The only player still playing from that draft is Brad Miller taken at pick 55. We really could have done a lot better and as far as drafts go, I think that would have to be the worst result.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

I would take a couple of players capable of being in our best 22 for the next premiership tilt over a retired somebody who played "some fine games" with no premierships. Not to take anything from Bizzell, he was a great player but he wasn't exactly young and knocking back two fresh players in an awesome draft really did hurt us in the long run, for no short term success. And Luke Molan for pick #9 would have to be up there in the worst first round draft mistakes in AFL history. The only player still playing from that draft is Brad Miller taken at pick 55. We really could have done a lot better and as far as drafts go, I think that would have to be the worst result.

I csnt see how Henry Playfair will grace any best 22 for a premiership. Now why did Geelong get rid of him? Hmmm

MFC traded they traded draftc picks as part of a deal involving Bizzell and another player. What Geelong did with those picks is a separate issue.

And hindsight is a good skill but a great skill if its actually foresight.

[Sir Why You Little 37,034]

I would take a couple of players capable of being in our best 22 for the next premiership tilt over a retired somebody who played "some fine games" with no premierships. Not to take anything from Bizzell, he was a great player but he wasn't exactly young and knocking back two fresh players in an awesome draft really did hurt us in the long run, for no short term success. And Luke Molan for pick #9 would have to be up there in the worst first round draft mistakes in AFL history. The only player still playing from that draft is Brad Miller taken at pick 55. We really could have done a lot better and as far as drafts go, I think that would have to be the worst result.

But thats just it. When Bizzell was recruited when we were trying to win a flag. It didn't happen, & i understand where you are coming from. But it was no Fault of Clint Bizzell he certainly held his end of the bargain.

Clint was a Fearless defender for the MFC and i went to some games just to watch him play.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

But it was no Fault of Clint Bizzell he certainly held his end of the bargain.

A least for his first contract at MFC.