I actually remember reading that write-up on Sylvia at the time. Nearly 11 years ago... wow!

He has actually been on of the best players from that draft too, it should be said.

Then you should have a job as a recruiter and you would be a gun at it because Sylvia was not a smoky at pick 3 - the experts had him rated that highly.

The point I am trying to illustrate is that I am more than happy to slam the recruiting of Cook at number 8. Read back on most of the "expert watchers" said and you will see stuff written like - a little slow for someone his size, inconsistant hands in marking, doesn't get full hands extension. I looked up the stuff on him at the time of drafting and thought that the MFC must know something that the so called "Experts" don't. Apparently we didnt !

I refer to my other post - we have had way too many failures of highly touted picks for me to believe it is purely our recruiting - it's what happens to them the minute they get into the MFC system.

No, I get your point and no I shouldn't have the job of recruiter it's just something I picked up watching him with no prior knowledge of how everyone else rated him apart from us getting him at pick 3. I think to often recruiting people go with a common wisdom and often the emperor has no clothes. Now I may not be right but at least it raised a question with me and his career to date may well prove me correct.

The really good recruiters, and I reckon Rendall was one of these didn't take much notice about what anyone else said and went with his own observations. Apart from Danger and the Adelaide list (including Sloane who we turned down) he recently touted Grundy as being a beauty but no one touched him because they all believed a ruck man was no good until he was 25 yo or what ever the common view is now. Collingwood picked up a few good recruits with Rendall into recruiting and Grundy at pick 18.

Right... What was that major deficiency again?

I've said it a number of times and not many want to listen because they've all been snowed by the talents he does have, strong body, long kick, good mark for size. He has absolutely no awareness and I think it may be a peripheral vision thing and this is why he will never be a consistent good player. He's Kosi in a smaller body, will play some good games, will also be collected unawares and will not know where his team mates and opponents are around him.

Sylvia it is - circa 2003 written by Dominic Milesi who is now an assistant recruiting officer at Collingwood.

If you want to have more fun - go back and read about our failed picks and see what the "experts" say about them. (I will say that Cook sounded iffy prior to the draft)

Anybody and I mean anybody that says we should not have taken Scully as our first pick after reading every assessment of him is in lala land.

Maybe we should not read others assesments and make our own What a crock!

If only the boy had a preseason he will be a gun hahhahhhahahaahahahaha!

No, I get your point and no I shouldn't have the job of recruiter it's just something I picked up watching him with no prior knowledge of how everyone else rated him apart from us getting him at pick 3. I think to often recruiting people go with a common wisdom and often the emperor has no clothes. Now I may not be right but at least it raised a question with me and his career to date may well prove me correct.

The really good recruiters, and I reckon Rendall was one of these didn't take much notice about what anyone else said and went with his own observations. Apart from Danger and the Adelaide list (including Sloane who we turned down) he recently touted Grundy as being a beauty but no one touched him because they all believed a ruck man was no good until he was 25 yo or what ever the common view is now. Collingwood picked up a few good recruits with Rendall into recruiting and Grundy at pick 18.

I've said it a number of times and not many want to listen because they've all been snowed by the talents he does have, strong body, long kick, good mark for size. He has absolutely no awareness and I think it may be a peripheral vision thing and this is why he will never be a consistent good player. He's Kosi in a smaller body, will play some good games, will also be collected unawares and will not know where his team mates and opponents are around him.

Rjay you are a very sane indivigual commonsense right?

I am sure I read a quote from Col's U/18's Pioneers coach that went a little something like;

"Colin is the most competitive beast I have ever seen" ...AAahhhhh....

I agree with Nutbean, something is seriously wrong once all of these boys enter the club and there is a pattern that is too disturbing to ignore.

Neeldy coached him?

Then you should have a job as a recruiter and you would be a gun at it because Sylvia was not a smoky at pick 3 - the experts had him rated that highly.

The point I am trying to illustrate is that I am more than happy to slam the recruiting of Cook at number 8. Read back on most of the "expert watchers" said and you will see stuff written like - a little slow for someone his size, inconsistant hands in marking, doesn't get full hands extension. I looked up the stuff on him at the time of drafting and thought that the MFC must know something that the so called "Experts" don't. Apparently we didnt !

I refer to my other post - we have had way too many failures of highly touted picks for me to believe it is purely our recruiting - it's what happens to them the minute they get into the MFC system.

Nutbean I think you have part of the equation correct. Yes later draft picks need to get into the right environment to survive and prosper. And MFC has been a hell hole for sure. However given the first round picks we have had we should have avoided the hell hole.

In my mind as a recruiter you take the guy who wants the ball, has agression, confidence and of course ability. So if you have pick one you look at the top 5 to 10 and if you believe they all have the skills to make AFL you then look at who has the leadership potential, the agression, the ambition, to say nothing about some muscle. Same for the next level of picks 10 to 20 etc. and MFC has needed In my opinion to draft in the confident, agressive types early precisely because we were unloading our senior players.

To me that formula means you would choose Hurley over Watts, Selwood over Maric, Martin over Trengove, Darling over Cook, Wines over Toumpas. I mention those selections because I believed at the time we should have taken them. There are others of course.

At some stage after you have loaded up with tough arsed types you then look at the gifted X factor guys to move forward.

I suppose my other point would be, yes MFC has not developed our talent but if we are talking potential elite A graders, we have not picked one. You can usually see something physically in these elite types very early, they have the silky moves, incredible balance and reflexes, the soft hands or they have express speed. Watts has some of that but lacks the other requirements, appetite for a contest! I don't see mega talent in any of our other first rounders, they all look a bit vanilla to me but I hope Roosey can turn them around. Of course one exception is M Clark, an absolute gun but he is not playing but he is a good blueprint for who we should be targeting.

Remember the first rounders we have unloaded have done nothing elsewhere. Destroyed by us, maybe.

Its not the talent as its what's between the ears that counts. We do not seem to have enough players who can remain calm under pressure (hence fumbles, miskicks and handballs, hesitancy, panic etc) and run and run when others cannot go on. N Jones (ok he made a few blues last week - he is a hard nut and got a lot of the ball) generally has these characteristics and reputably so does Viney and Hogan. Clark was pretty hard at it as well. If you have enough of these types on the field they can lift and inspire others and set high standards. This ability is from within it can't be taught but can be enhanced by being in the right environment under the right training. Players with these characteristics quickly become leaders and lift team standards and expectations, ie they do not accept crap from teammates. WCE clearly (yes I was there on Sunday) have a number of these types.

Its very hard when recruiting to assess this area with the kids - we seem to have duded out here - bad luck????? Probably not!!

Can't wait to get a few games into Viney and Hogan. Will not hold my breath waiting for Clark to come back into the team.

When Northey resurrected the team he was lucky - team shortish on talent but big time big on players with grunt. That is the difference. I suspect that is why we got Riley and Mitchie - both inexperienced and yet to prove they can play AFL but hard nuts at the lower level.

I suspect we may turn a few over at seasons end trying to unearth a few (even one!!! )of this ilk.

Again I can't wait to get a few games into Viney and Hogan!!

Oh and for all his talents Slyvia was not of this ilk.

Then you should have a job as a recruiter and you would be a gun at it because Sylvia was not a smoky at pick 3 - the experts had him rated that highly.

The point I am trying to illustrate is that I am more than happy to slam the recruiting of Cook at number 8. Read back on most of the "expert watchers" said and you will see stuff written like - a little slow for someone his size, inconsistant hands in marking, doesn't get full hands extension. I looked up the stuff on him at the time of drafting and thought that the MFC must know something that the so called "Experts" don't. Apparently we didnt !

I refer to my other post - we have had way too many failures of highly touted picks for me to believe it is purely our recruiting - it's what happens to them the minute they get into the MFC system.

Daniher told me they wanted McLean at pick 3 but took Sylvia because they though he would go at pick 4.

Just sayin...

Daniher told me they wanted McLean at pick 3 but took Sylvia because they though he would go at pick 4.

Just sayin...

Meaning what in the longer term?

I am sure I read a quote from Col's U/18's Pioneers coach that went a little something like;

"Colin is the most competitive beast I have ever seen" ...AAahhhhh....

I agree with Nutbean, something is seriously wrong once all of these boys enter the club and there is a pattern that is too disturbing to ignore.

Totally agree. It's called Drugs, Alcohol, Women, Fast cars and a high disposable income.

And no-one to look after them. The club culture dictates where they end up.

Maybe we should not read others assesments and make our own What a crock!

We did - with Cook, Gysberts and Strauss - and how did that turn out for us ?

FYI Cook was taken at pick 12.

My bad - but was still not considered an under 20 pick.

Sure, but like many other high draft picks we've had that have turned out to be 'spuds', it'd be very interesting to see how they developed at other clubs.

Watts and Nic Nat for instance.

There would be a big difference in the way they both play today...

Absolutely !

What does it say that one of our most 'talented' players can't get get a game with ast year's grand finalist.......

Totally agree. It's called Drugs, Alcohol, Women, Fast cars and a high disposable income.

And no-one to look after them. The club culture dictates where they end up.

BS its about personal resposibility and values

'He had the highest vertical leap of ANY player at draft camp.'???

Sylvia couldn't jump over a can of beans.

Sylvia used to take a hanger every week at Bendigo.

Sylvia's problem was never talent. He dominated under 18s, but he didn't have to work hard to do it. The idea would have been that a professional environment would see him working harder. Unfortunately this was a common thread through his career.

Does anyone actually miss Sylvia?

not yet lol

What does it say that one of our most 'talented' players can't get get a game with ast year's grand finalist.......

Thats now because he has been rubbed out https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/22636833/dockers-shock-as-sylvia-faces-month-long-ban/

What does it say that one of our most 'talented' players can't get get a game with ast year's grand finalist.......

Not that much. He only got a game with us because of the hope he'd finally do something regularly to match his occasional burst. If he didn't have that potential he would have been dropped to make way for some lesser lights who consistently contributed more to the team or just needed some experience.

Sylvia it is - circa 2003 written by Dominic Milesi who is now an assistant recruiting officer at Collingwood.

If you want to have more fun - go back and read about our failed picks and see what the "experts" say about them. (I will say that Cook sounded iffy prior to the draft)

Anybody and I mean anybody that says we should not have taken Scully as our first pick after reading every assessment of him is in lala land.

Sorry nutbean but where can we access these reports?

Does anyone actually miss Sylvia?

Sylvia's mother?

Sylvia's mother?

Ha ha gold!

What does it say that one of our most 'talented' players can't get get a game with ast year's grand finalist.......

It says he never had the talent many thought he had to play league football.