I thought Kent was lucky to be drafted last year as he didn't play for his state...

But Hunt just played school footy.

If he becomes anything, we are going to see the boundaries for recruitment fall away.

I wouldn't say this is a boundary breaking move. Gwilt got drafted to the saints from local footy I believe and our very own Leigh Williams. Then there's Nicholson and many others from Ammo's.

Hunt's the perfect kid who off the back of a drastic improvement as an 18 year old ends up going down to Port or Frankston in the VFL and plays really good footy as a lightning fast player and in a year or two ends up being taken in the first round of the draft like Dean Towers or Isaac Smith. I'm sure that's the talent Taylor saw in him and has tried to get in early.

Don't necessarily agree. APS footy has provided many, many drafted players and as such is watched pretty closely. It's just rare for a good APS player to not have made it to a TAC Cup squad. James Gwilt played suburban footy, St Kilda picked up a forward from Tyabb a few seasons ago. I think clubs aren't scared to pluck players from obscurity, they just need to be lucky enough to have gotten their eyes on them.

Plus there are 10s if not 100s of guys who get on AFL clubs radars who then get told to go play a higher standard.

The tigers drafted a guy from Frankston who had been kicking 100+ goals in local footy and then went to VFL and got fit. No doubt recruiters would've had an eye on him before he ended up at VFL they just needed to see the commitment and the game stand up at a higher level.

The young guns game that Hunt played in feature a couple of guys who registered on AFL clubs radars as potential draftees from school/ammo's footy who have since signed on for VFL clubs next year although there is every chance they could get rookied.

and there are guys who get picked u18 all australian kpf and high draft pick who never play a game and struggle to play vfl seniors

The difference is that Marsh has had every recruiter in the country casting their eye over him. In the judgement of the recruiting fraternity he wasn't as good as 76 other picks despite his athletic traits.

Hunt reminds me of a right footed Stephen Hill the way he moves. Wonder if he has the endurance to go with the speed like Hill does? Should know soon enough.

The recruiters must be confident with getting some meat on him over time, which shouldn't be hard if what Robert Shaw says is correct and he has never lifted a weight in his life.

Look forward to seeing him develop.

I read that our recruiters saw BGS matches looking at Kelly and Salem and saw Hunt that way. Unsure how true this is but if it is it makes sense of the left field pick.

I wouldn't say this is a boundary breaking move. Gwilt got drafted to the saints from local footy I believe and our very own Leigh Williams. Then there's Nicholson and many others from Ammo's.

Hunt's the perfect kid who off the back of a drastic improvement as an 18 year old ends up going down to Port or Frankston in the VFL and plays really good footy as a lightning fast player and in a year or two ends up being taken in the first round of the draft like Dean Towers or Isaac Smith. I'm sure that's the talent Taylor saw in him and has tried to get in early.

By getting in early he will also get the extra development from an AFL program that Smith and Towers didn't get. It will be interesting to see what happens with Hunt in the next couple of years.

I don't know why people expect a pick 57 to play in their first year anyway. No matter how physically ready they are. Give the kid some time to develop.

If you look at Jeremy Howe, he was passed over in the 2009 draft, played a year at Dodges Ferry and then we pick him up at 33 in 2010.

With Jayden Hunt we're looking to pick a player before they have to put in that extra year in the wilderness...

GIven his underage background (i.e. equal to Kelly and Salam), growth spurt and injury, other focus in Tennis and school, plus families athletic culture, it would seem we have minimised the risk inherent with taking him early...

If you look at Jeremy Howe, he was passed over in the 2009 draft, played a year at Dodges Ferry and then we pick him up at 33 in 2010.

actually it was the Hobart Tigers in the TSL

Dodges Ferry was the year before

Based on that photo, and assuming it's relatively recent, he has a long way to go.

Will be surprised if he gets a taste of AFL next year.

There's a reason we brought in the likes of Cross, Michie, Tyson, Vince and Riley.

Spot on re our trading, There would be no better indication of the improved development of our club, if our late picks such a s hunt take 2-3 years to debut, because it means we are for once giving them time to develop! Check out hawthorns list, guys from 2009 and 2011 draft who have play 0-20 games, still on the lis, so rated highly, but just given the required time to become AFl standard footballers.

Be awesome if our man works out and kills it, plays 100+ games, but even if he doesn't we at least (fingers crossed) know it's not through a lack of development.

If he answered "pick 40 this year" no doubt he'd suddenly be your favourite poster and you'd PM him nude selfies.

PM...selfies. Surely you refer to the ex-PM!

and there are guys who get picked u18 all australian kpf and high draft pick who never play a game and struggle to play vfl seniors

I don't know why people expect a pick 57 to play in their first year anyway. No matter how physically ready they are. Give the kid some time to develop.

Double like.

Who is suggesting he play in 2014?

actually it was the Hobart Tigers in the TSL

Dodges Ferry was the year before

Precisely. I'd be staggered if anyone ever got selected directly from somewhere like Dodges Ferry - I doubt the club has the resources to be scouting country Tasmanian clubs. Howe was playing at the highest level you can play in Tasmania when he was drafted.

Melbourne draftee Jayden Hunt –

taken by the Dees with pick 57 - comes from good footy stock. The 18-year-old is a descendent of five-time Collingwood premiership player Harold Rumney, who was part of the famous Magpies' outfit that won four successive flags from 1927-1930.

he looks like he's 12 years old.

What are you like at photoshop Rob? Any chance of putting him in a Metallica T Shirt?

Reckon his melon looks a bit like Beavis

Melbourne draftee Jayden Hunt

taken by the Dees with pick 57 - comes from good footy stock. The 18-year-old is a descendent of five-time Collingwood premiership player Harold Rumney, who was part of the famous Magpies' outfit that won four successive flags from 1927-1930.

nicknamed "Dasher" .....there's the bloodlines

What are you like at photoshop Rob? Any chance of putting him in a Metallica T Shirt?

Reckon his melon looks a bit like Beavis

I had trouble just getting the photo on the site; photo-shop, me, not likely Faulty.

It's an interesting selection considering what was still available at pick 57 and the high probability of him surviving for a while into the rookie draft.

I am hoping that it's an indicator of how highly Taylor and co rate Hunt as opposed to it being a case of choosing a guy who will almost certainly still be available at pick 57 and sticking to it.

I can't figure out how your 2nd option makes any sense...

Maybe Roos has pulled a rabbit out of the hat trick like he did with Hannas.

Maybe Roos has pulled a rabbit out of the hat trick like he did with Hannas.

That wasn't a rabbit out of the hat. Hannerbery was expected to get drafted. Played nationals and did the draft camp etc..

Hunt never did anyone of these.

Absolute smokey this bloke and one I will watch with interest in his development.

Based on that photo, and assuming it's relatively recent, he has a long way to go.

Do you think he just got a photo in a Melbourne polo for the sake of it?

Edited November 27, 201311 yr by Clint Bizkit

What are you like at photoshop Rob? Any chance of putting him in a Metallica T Shirt?

Reckon his melon looks a bit like Beavis

does a bit hey !!