What is your problem?

Jack Darling is a player i think we always should of drafted. We had the chance to get him & didn't. So Lucas Cook better be bloody good. I wish him good luck.

Lucas Cook has to do three things.

Put on some serious muscle

Improve his attack on the ball

Improve his hardness at the ball

He has a long way to go before he proves himself and any comparison with Jack Watts at the same stage is farcical.

Also getting a regular game with Casey firsts would help.

I don't think anyone could logically disagree with that.

And pace off the mark is the biggest difference between Cook & Watts.

Lucas Cook has to do three things.

Put on some serious muscle

Improve his attack on the ball

Improve his hardness at the ball

He has a long way to go before he proves himself and any comparison with Jack Watts at the same stage is farcical.

Also getting a regular game with Casey firsts would help.

Which is exactly why they made a very big call by not drafting Darling....Yet another 5 year plan....

Which is exactly why they made a very big call by not drafting Darling....Yet another 5 year plan....

We are about start the third year of our tenth five year plan.

Which is exactly why they made a very big call by not drafting Darling....Yet another 5 year plan....

The 5-year plan thinking is the most contentious aspect of it.

On the one hand you've got a guy bulging with muscles at 18 who has the requisite aggression for modern footy and can clearly play ... more or less immediately.

On the other you've got a very skillful stick insect trying to develop a number of variables (the most significant one being body shape) that may or may not mean he turns out to the player you project him to be ... in five years!

Purely on the risk/reward percentages you should be taking the first guy every time unless he is a standout in class like Watts.

I think this pick would have privately rankled Neeld when he sat down and reflected on our recruiting.

Which is exactly why they made a very big call by not drafting Darling....Yet another 5 year plan....

The only thing close to a very big call for us in that draft was going left-field and picking up Howe. Doing what every other club did in passing at least once on Darling wasn't a very big call.

The only thing close to a very big call for us in that draft was going left-field and picking up Howe. Doing what every other club did in passing at least once on Darling wasn't a very big call.

But he came through with the goods, so it is a very big call. I don't care what other clubs do.

Well I didn't think Howe was a left wing call at all, but maybe then I saw his potential that other posters didn't.

It's not always all about picking TAC youngsters. I called for Howe pre-draft and its very satisfying to see his progress.

However, obviously, your mileage may vary.

P.S. a lot of posters here and on ology called for Darling pre-draft, so it 's not just a hindsight thing for some of us

Well I didn't think Howe was a left wing call at all, but maybe then I saw his potential that other posters didn't.

It's not always all about picking TAC youngsters. I called for Howe pre-draft and its very satisfying to see his progress.

However, obviously, your mileage may vary.

P.S. a lot of posters here and on ology called for Darling pre-draft, so it 's not just a hindsight thing for some of us

Jeremy Howe was a great pick and so might Lucas Cook, but i was amazed we did not pick up Jack Darling when he fell our way. We already have enough 5 year Projects as i saw it. But thats how BP called it.

Jeremy Howe was a great pick and so might Lucas Cook, but i was amazed we did not pick up Jack Darling when he fell our way. We already have enough 5 year Projects as i saw it. But thats how BP called it.

I always wonder how much a particular pick is the Draft Managers pick or the Coaches pick

I would think the Draft managers job is to find, examine and classify the draftees then based on the coaches stated requirements, narrow down the options, make recommendations, then the coach having the final say. So I always see the draft picks as a combined effort with the coach being the final arbiter where necessary. The Draft Manager is just a (important) tool in the process and shouldn't bear all the blame if picks don't work out. This would be for most of the picks esp the high end. Surprise picks at the low end however are often more due to the Draft Manager's ability to spot talent.

just my 2c worth

I always wonder how much a particular pick is the Draft Managers pick or the Coaches pick

I would think the Draft managers job is to find, examine and classify the draftees then based on the coaches stated requirements, narrow down the options, make recommendations, then the coach having the final say. So I always see the draft picks as a combined effort with the coach being the final arbiter where necessary. The Draft Manager is just a (important) tool in the process and shouldn't bear all the blame if picks don't work out. This would be for most of the picks esp the high end. Surprise picks at the low end however are often more due to the Draft Manager's ability to spot talent.

just my 2c worth

You could be spot on DC i am not in the know at all with recruiting. Interesting though both of the people you speak of have left the building and Cook is yet to play. Darling had a great first up season.

I just hope we didn't blow a golden opportunity. I will read any text about cook with great interest.

A lot of revisionist history here - Darling wasn't a sure thing at all.

Yes, he had a very impressive bottom-age year, but his final year of U/18 competition was decidedly average, beaten by Cook to U/18 AA CHF honours, and beaten consistently on the field by taller opponents.

He currently (in 2011) plays as a high HFF, so any parallels to him being a KPF success are a reach.

Some called for his drafting, but they for the most part were seduced by his style of play rather than the realityof the situation.

A lot of revisionist history here - Darling wasn't a sure thing at all.

Yes, he had a very impressive bottom-age year, but his final year of U/18 competition was decidedly average, beaten by Cook to U/18 AA CHF honours, and beaten consistently on the field by taller opponents.

He currently (in 2011) plays as a high HFF, so any parallels to him being a KPF success are a reach.

Some called for his drafting, but they for the most part were seduced by his style of play rather than the realityof the situation.

What's wrong with being 'seduced' (odd choice of word ... I would say 'won over') by a kid's style of play? ie. confident and aggressive. Perhaps that's what Barry P. should have been looking at a little more than he did.

What is your problem?

Jack Darling is a player i think we always should of drafted. We had the chance to get him & didn't. So Lucas Cook better be bloody good. I wish him good luck.

So did every other club in the comp...

What's wrong with being 'seduced' (odd choice of word ... I would say 'won over') by a kid's style of play? ie. confident and aggressive. Perhaps that's what Barry P. should have been looking at a little more than he did.

The way he plays is great. He's agressive and chases and is physical, but ultimately it's what you do that is more important. If he isn't ever going to be a reliable KPF due to lack of height then he loses value and has to do all the chasing and physical stuff just to play a HFF position.

I feel the same way about Watts. The way he kicks the footy and can find space in traffic is very good and could lead to him playing multiple positions, but I'm more impressed when he takes strong contested marks, or burns an opponent to mark on the lead than all his added benefits.

So did every other club in the comp...

But who cares what all the other clubs did? We had a golden opportunity....the kid can play the type of game we need.

The way he plays is great. He's agressive and chases and is physical, but ultimately it's what you do that is more important. If he isn't ever going to be a reliable KPF due to lack of height then he loses value and has to do all the chasing and physical stuff just to play a HFF position.

I feel the same way about Watts. The way he kicks the footy and can find space in traffic is very good and could lead to him playing multiple positions, but I'm more impressed when he takes strong contested marks, or burns an opponent to mark on the lead than all his added benefits.

I agree with point but am not convinced that Darling won't be able to play a deep forward role. Ability can make up for a lack of a few cm's in height, particularly if you have got the application to go with it.

But who cares what all the other clubs did? We had a golden opportunity....the kid can play the type of game we need.

I reckon one of the reasons we have been a bottom on of the ladder club for so many years is because we don't make bold decisions and step out of the shadows of other clubs. I asked Cam S last year why we didn't draft Rockliff in 2008 (as he was training with us). I know we picked Jurrah in the PSD but I asked him why we didn't pick him as a late pick in the ND. His answer "well no other club picked him".

I for one am sick of this excuse. Lucas Cook may become a good player in a few years time but Darling will probably have 50 games up before Lucas has one. Pick 12 was such an important pick and I wonder whether Barry P would still be at the club if we had picked Darling or even Billy Smedts.

Lucas Cook may become a good player in a few years time but Darling will probably have 50 games up before Lucas has one. Pick 12 was such an important pick and I wonder whether Barry P would still be at the club if we had picked Darling or even Billy Smedts.

And remind me please of the number of games that Billy Smedts has played at this point in time.

I reckon one of the reasons we have been a bottom on of the ladder club for so many years is because we don't make bold decisions and step out of the shadows of other clubs. I asked Cam S last year why we didn't draft Rockliff in 2008 (as he was training with us). I know we picked Jurrah in the PSD but I asked him why we didn't pick him as a late pick in the ND. His answer "well no other club picked him".

I for one am sick of this excuse. Lucas Cook may become a good player in a few years time but Darling will probably have 50 games up before Lucas has one. Pick 12 was such an important pick and I wonder whether Barry P would still be at the club if we had picked Darling or even Billy Smedts.

It's true that Cameron Schwab is the CEO but I think the question about not selecting Rockliff was one that would have been better directed to BBBP himself. I can't answer for him but I imagine that his response would have been along the lines that in order for him to have selected Rockliff we would have had to have forgone either the pick that we used to get Rohan Bail or the PSD selection that ultimately was used to secure Liam Jurrah. The question you have to ask yourself is whether you would be happy to have Rockliff and not one of those two?

On Rockliff training with the club, that's true but, from memory he did so after the national draft and before the PSD and rookie drafts. As Rude Boy has pointed out in The Liam Jurrah Story, Liam was a late inclusion on the list of players eligible that year and, in the event, we took him with pick 1 in the PSD. Brisbane then picked up Rockliff with pick 5 in the PSD. Had the Lions looked elsewhere then Rockliff would have been available to us with pick 1 in the Rookie Draft because there was only on PSD pick after Rockliff and that was Richmond which took Ben Cousins.

BBBP would then have had the choice of Tom Rockliff or Jordie McKenzie and there's no doubt that whoever he would have chosen there would have been no shortage of people coming along three years later saying that he'd made a monumental blunder and picked the wrong bloke.

BBBP would then have had the choice of Tom Rockliff or Jordie McKenzie and there's no doubt that whoever he would have chosen there would have been no shortage of people coming along three years later saying that he'd made a monumental blunder and picked the wrong bloke.

Carlton took Jeff Garlett with pick 6 in the same rookie draft. Maybe we should have picked him too?

I reckon one of the reasons we have been a bottom on of the ladder club for so many years is because we don't make bold decisions and step out of the shadows of other clubs. I asked Cam S last year why we didn't draft Rockliff in 2008 (as he was training with us). I know we picked Jurrah in the PSD but I asked him why we didn't pick him as a late pick in the ND. His answer "well no other club picked him".

Sometimes I think it would be better if all clubs sacked their recruiting departments and just followed Emma Quayles draft order, it often seems to pan out that way. Think of the money and time that would be saved. It seems in the recruiting circles there is a consensus about how the draft will fall, particularly in the top 20 and this is why Darling was picked up in the 2nd round.

I think we have made a few outside of the square decisions in the last draft with Sellar and in the rookie draft with Williams, let's see how we go.

I would have loved us to pick Darling, I would have loved us not to pick $ but that's the draft. I think we have a pretty good list that will be enhanced over the next few years with Viney, the compensation picks and some good coaching.

Lucas Cook has to do three things.

Put on some serious muscle

Improve his attack on the ball

Improve his hardness at the ball

He has a long way to go before he proves himself and any comparison with Jack Watts at the same stage is farcical.

Also getting a regular game with Casey firsts would help.

Yep - he's not exactly another Michael Hurley.

Well I didn't think Howe was a left wing call at all, but maybe then I saw his potential that other posters didn't.

It's not always all about picking TAC youngsters. I called for Howe pre-draft and its very satisfying to see his progress.

However, obviously, your mileage may vary.

P.S. a lot of posters here and on ology called for Darling pre-draft, so it 's not just a hindsight thing for some of us

Sometimes you get the right answer for the wrong reasons.

Sometimes you get the right answer for the wrong reasons.

well that sort of comment really makes things crystal clear