Memo: Barry Prendergast

[Range Rover 1,935]

Next time you have the opportunity to select a ready made, pack crashing gun young forward at around pick no.12 in the draft ....

FFS Do it!

[Dockett 32 1,239]

Bingo!

[45HG 1,559]

What a poor call this was on my part.

[Grandson of a gun 276]

Wouldn't make a difference Rangey.........

The ball never gets into the forward half enough..

[dee-luded 2,959]

Next time you have the opportunity to select a ready made, pack crashing gun young forward at around pick no.12 in the draft ....

FFS Do it!

Thats not what we're missing, we're missing Spalding, Grinter, Hughes, Wight, O'dwyer, Stynes, Sugar, Yeates, and add the likes of Schwartz, Whelan, Viney,...

IMO its not 1, 2, or 3 hard players we need, but a culture bred of it. It's the same theory as those who didn't want the Priority Picks, that winning is a culture but it's learned young, and whilst your still young. Up to 22 yrs.

We needed to fast track the list rebuild, but lets not Now instill softness.... by giving games to those who don't put the body in.

[jabberwocky 2,301]

Thats not what we're missing, we're missing Spalding, Grinter, Hughes, Wight, O'dwyer, Stynes, Sugar, Yeates, and add the likes of Schwartz, Whelan, Viney,...

IMO its not 1, 2, or 3 hard players we need, but a culture bred of it. It's the same theory as those who didn't want the Priority Picks, that winning is a culture but it's learned young, and whilst your still young. Up to 22 yrs.

We needed to fast track the list rebuild, but lets not Now instill softness.... by giving games to those who don't put the body in.

Nice post

[daisycutter 29,743]

Nice post

yeah, third that

[ICU2 Jerry Jerry 257]

Nice post

And 4th it

[Jerry Lundergard 420]

I am no recruiter, and am not here to blow my own trumpet, but when i watched the games from the U/18 champs two years ago on Foxtel, the two players I liked the look of and thought would be great to see in Melbourne colours were Jack Darling and Dustin Martin.

Now i have no problem with Trengove, he looks like he will be a fine player, but Martin to me is everything we yearn for at Melbourne, we have all seen him play so there is no need to describe him.

In Darling I saw a player who had great presence on the field, who looked to love everything physical about the game. Another quality sorely lacking at MFC.

The only question remains, if they were drafted to our club, would our culture, game style or whatever actually drag them down to a level they are currently not playing at?

Three years on from our superdrafts, instead of people talking about Watss, Scully, Trengove, Strauss, Blease and Gysberts. They are all talking about Hurley, Hill, Martin, Darling and Fyfe.

[Range Rover 1,935]

It's a pretty good gig isn't, being a recruiting agent? Especially if you recruit rakish, highly skilled types that will 'take time' (see four or five years) to hit their straps. This magic term 'development' is then waved at supporters as some sort of get of jail free card that cancels out any form of short-term accountability in their jobs.

Well, bollocks to that. Watching young Jack Darling strut around the Eagles forward line like the new Dermott Brereton when we were so desperately crying out for such a player, makes me feel sick in the guts!

[45HG 1,559]

People realise that even West Coast didn't want him with their first pick don't they?

Recruting in hindsight has got to be the easiest gig going round. It's like my little joke I say to people (that often seem to miss the point) - I've still never, ever, lost a bet in hindsight.

[Nasher 33,617]

It's a pretty good gig isn't, being a recruiting agent? Especially if you recruit rakish, highly skilled types that will 'take time' (see four or five years) to hit their straps. This magic term 'development' is then waved at supporters as some sort of get of jail free card that cancels out any form of short-term accountability in their jobs.

I'm struggling to come up with a worse, more simplistic description of Barry's job than this one.

It's more like spending half your life either on a plane or sitting at a footy ground in the middle of winter watching a bunch of 17 year olds run around, then taking what you're seeing and having to apply your imagination to picture what they're going to look like at 25, work out how the game is going to be played when they're mature (~10 years away), then hope you got it right. Then you've got every a-hole amateur recruiter in the country who thinks he's an expert giving you his "advice", you've got to find the balance between taking the advice of others and backing your own instincts, and THEN you've got half the supporters of your club ripping in to you about decisions you made years ago. I don't reckon anyone in our current FD has ever been under more pressure than Barry was when he took Watts at pick 1 a few years ago, and this decision is being put under scrutiny again and again and again, and that's just ONE decision.

To me the job of being the chief recruiter sounds less like a good gig and more like slow burning torture.

[Range Rover 1,935]

I'm struggling to come up with a worse, more simplistic description of Barry's job than this one.

It's more like spending half your life either on a plane or sitting at a footy ground in the middle of winter watching a bunch of 17 year olds run around, then taking what you're seeing and having to apply your imagination to picture what they're going to look like at 25, work out how the game is going to be played when they're mature (~10 years away), then hope you got it right. Then you've got every a-hole amateur recruiter in the country who thinks he's an expert giving you his "advice", you've got to find the balance between taking the advice of others and backing your own instincts, and THEN you've got half the supporters of your club ripping in to you about decisions you made years ago. I don't reckon anyone in our current FD has ever been under more pressure than Barry was when he took Watts at pick 1 a few years ago, and this decision is being put under scrutiny again and again and again, and that's just ONE decision.

To me the job of being the chief recruiter sounds less like a good gig and more like slow burning torture.

If that's your definition of "slow burning torture" at what ... $200+ grand a year? ... Gee whiz, where do I sign up!

Prendergast's got THE most important job at the football club. Gets paid to make the big calls.

He doesn't get a free a pass.

[Dee-licious 1,954]

A few things. Every recruiter knew that Darling would do this, he is a ready made forward. The reason he went so low is he is a loose cannon and has a reputation of terrible off field behaviour. If you've noticed Melbourne drafts a certain breed of young men and Martin, like Darling definatly didnt fit into that category. Last year everyone was talking about Scully and Trengove, Martin was the 'other guy'. Now Scully is injured and Trengrove has no midfield around him and Martin has popped up. Let him have his fun. No one would have picked Martin at 2. No one. Not even Richmond.

And for the other examples; Hurley, Fyfe, Hill. They have been good. Just like the 2001 draft of Montanga, Mitchell, Swan, Ablett, Ball, Judd and Hodge they are all good plyers. Will Tapscott be better than Fyfe - we dont know yet. Will Watts be better than Hurley - who knows. We took the players we believed will take us to a premiership and on their 'potential' and Under 18 form. Fyfe didnt fire but Tappy did.

But I ask you this, is Hodge (who went no.1) that much better than Mitchell (who went n.35)? My point is these boys are only 2nd year players (Watts and Blease and in that category). We're going to have to give them one more before we call for their heads.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/6125234/teen-footy-star-caught-in-camp-romp/

[CreedBratton 2]

Don't blame it on the recruiters, the coach give them a breif of what they want to fit in with their gameplan (or just game, no plan). I think that skipping on Luke Mitchell will be a bigger regret.

[Nasher 33,617]

If that's your definition of "slow burning torture" at what ... $200+ grand a year? ... Gee whiz, where do I sign up!

I doubt Barry gets paid anywhere near that much.

Edit: And even if that were true, do you really believe that someone who earns $200k+ a year has no short term accountability? I don't know what his performance criteria is but there's absolutely no chance that we've got a bloke running around on that kind of salary with nothing whatsoever to answer for. If we do then this club is run by amateurs.

Edited April 30, 2011 by Nasher

[BAMF 4,387]

News just in. Ready made player makes an impact in first year. Surprise!

Here is a highlight package of Lucas Cook

Notice how he is taller than his opponents? notice how he takes a good contested mark? notice how he is an accurate shot at goal?

Notice that he is quite thin and will need a couple of years in the gym?

Lets not lynch Barry Prendagast just yet.

[BAMF 4,387]

Don't blame it on the recruiters, the coach give them a breif of what they want to fit in with their gameplan (or just game, no plan). I think that skipping on Luke Mitchell will be a bigger regret.

Yeah I was really upset that we passed on him when he was available with our 2nd pick. He did have an injury interrupted year though. And he is injured now as well. Maybe we knew something was not quite right.

[Tricky 341]

News just in. Ready made player makes an impact in first year. Surprise!

Here is a highlight package of Lucas Cook

Notice how he is taller than his opponents? notice how he takes a good contested mark? notice how he is an accurate shot at goal?

Notice that he is quite thin and will need a couple of years in the gym?

Lets not lynch Barry Prendagast just yet.

That's the point isn't it? Rightly or wrongly, it was a strategic decision to bring in a tall?

A plug n play draft pick sitting in the forward line isn't much good in a side functioning the way Melbourne are currently. Dropping a C.Judd in the middle would be a different story of course..

"They (tall players) were all there at the pick. This year the planets aligned a little bit ... [Lucas] Cook's kicking and decision-making was as good there was in this draft." BARRY PRENDERGAST, recruiting manager

2010 draft by club

[daisycutter 29,743]

People realise that even West Coast didn't want him with their first pick don't they?

Recruting in hindsight has got to be the easiest gig going round. It's like my little joke I say to people (that often seem to miss the point) - I've still never, ever, lost a bet in hindsight.

I seem to remember here, that just before the draft there was a large number of posters (maybe majority) who wanted us to pickup Darling

typical objections were, previous form (tsk, tsk) and not tall enough (ho, ho)

[daisycutter 29,743]

News just in. Ready made player makes an impact in first year. Surprise!

Here is a highlight package of Lucas Cook

Notice how he is taller than his opponents? notice how he takes a good contested mark? notice how he is an accurate shot at goal?

Notice that he is quite thin and will need a couple of years in the gym?

Lets not lynch Barry Prendagast just yet.

and notice how he is playing against kids?

[Hannabal 4]

Recruting in hindsight has got to be the easiest gig going round. It's like my little joke I say to people (that often seem to miss the point) - I've still never, ever, lost a bet in hindsight.

Don't talk to me about hindsight pal.

I've just bumped a Darling thread for you.

[45HG 1,559]

Fair enough "pal"

[jackaub 1,402]

I'm struggling to come up with a worse, more simplistic description of Barry's job than this one.

It's more like spending half your life either on a plane or sitting at a footy ground in the middle of winter watching a bunch of 17 year olds run around, then taking what you're seeing and having to apply your imagination to picture what they're going to look like at 25, work out how the game is going to be played when they're mature (~10 years away), then hope you got it right. Then you've got every a-hole amateur recruiter in the country who thinks he's an expert giving you his "advice", you've got to find the balance between taking the advice of others and backing your own instincts, and THEN you've got half the supporters of your club ripping in to you about decisions you made years ago. I don't reckon anyone in our current FD has ever been under more pressure than Barry was when he took Watts at pick 1 a few years ago, and this decision is being put under scrutiny again and again and again, and that's just ONE decision.

To me the job of being the chief recruiter sounds less like a good gig and more like slow burning torture.

The really sad thing is that we never ever had 10 years

[warren dean 193]

Can't help but think it's less about our recruiting and more about our development coaching. Just about everyone had Watts as the best player in his group. There was consensus amongst all clubs that Morton was in the top three players in his draft year (according to Emma Quayle many had him at 1!). Grimes was a good get at 14. We haven't had a chance to judge Blease yet, but most thought him a steal at 17. Strauss was a bit of a smoky at 19 and things don't look good there yet. Scully and Trengove have certainly shown enough to justify their rating irrespective of how well Martin is performing. I think all clubs had them at 1 and 2 and rightly so. Whether or not we were right to overlook Darling will be determined by how well we develop Cook. The boy can play - the question is how quickly we can bring him on. Anything beyond the third round is largely speculative and where a recruiter really makes his name - Swan in the late 50's, Lake in the 70's etc. Development is the key!

By the way, I agree that Darling was an obvious choice not withstanding his "Character" issues. Maybe we pay too much heed to that - if Carlton had adopted the same philosophy in the early 80's they would never have won a game. I'm sure they wouldn't trade their back to back flags for a choir boy reputation.