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Worst 1st rnd draft pick in history...clue: not Melbourne

pitchfork
in Melbourne Demons

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We've made some pretty shocking picks in our past, but nothing tops this for worst ever first round pick.

Stumbled upon this, though I'd share it.

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Pick #9 1995.

* This player missed the previous season due to serious career threatening injury.

* Was 27 years old at the time.

For the Footscra(z)y Bulldogs, Allen Jakovich.

He was taken from us far too soon, but I can't think of a comparable example.

- Was there any contemporaneous criticism of the pick? Too young at the time to be anything but disappointed by seeing Allen in another teams jumper.

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    Luke Molan, Nick Smith, Lucas Cook...etc.

    Bad outcomes, but the pick is not quite as outrageous as that. Imagine if that was taken today.

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    Surely Lucas Cook would have to go down as one of the worst picks ever? Pick 12 and never played a single game.

    And in this day and age of drafting...

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    Drafting in those days (1995) was still a work in progress, it had nowhere near the time, resources, staff etc that we have today. And even now we still get errors.

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    The Toiges had a couple of ripper number one picks in the late 1980's : Anthony Banik and Richard Lounder.......enough said !

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    I checked the records we took Donald Cockatoo Collins at number 11 the same draft!! I think that one gazumped The Jackovich pick, which if you look at that draft may have been inspired if he had regained his fitness. I think I remember we picked Donald that year because his brother was also with us as a promise to his mother. Very good of us but not very professional. Neither of the boys could really play as I remember.

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    The

    I checked the records we took Donald Cockatoo Collins at number 11 the same draft!! I think that one gazumped The Jackovich pick, which if you look at that draft may have been inspired if he had regained his fitness. I think I remember we picked Donald that year because his brother was also with us as a promise to his mother. Very good of us but not very professional. Neither of the boys could really play as I remember.

    I remember the noise we made when they both debut in the same match, round one or two. An early example of pumping up new players.

    Jacko was a high risk pick for the doggies who needed a forward. Didn't pay off. They were criticised for it at the time. While Jacko came back overweight from his injury at the start of pre-season there must have been something more to dump him so quick? Anyone know.

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    Kruezer?

    Josh Fraser?

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    Surely Lucas Cook would have to go down as one of the worst picks ever? Pick 12 and never played a single game.

    And in this day and age of drafting...

    One would have to agree.

    And for those who continue to harp on Luke Molan - the poor guy broke his leg IIR pre first season then dislocated shoulders in his come back VFL games.......so how can one possibly asses his worth?? He never had an opportunity to show one way or the other. Should this have all been foreseen?

    There are plenty more who struggled in VFL, fully fit, and never made it.

    Edited by monoccular

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    Nah.

    Dogs took a chance on a proven forward. Played a few good games for them. Far from the worst.

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    Kruezer?

    Josh Fraser?

    Josh Fraser might not have been a great ruckman but he still played 218 games. Hardly a failure.

    Kruezer has been good and may come good yet.

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    Surely Tom $cully???

    And he perhaps is still currently the highest payed player in AFL history. So glad he was poached. There must be at least a dozen 2nd year midfielders in the game that are far better than him at the moment on base wages.

    Edited by america de cali

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    Josh Fraser might not have been a great ruckman but he still played 218 games. Hardly a failure.

    Kruezer has been good and may come good yet.

    Neither played like number one picks.

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    The Toiges had a couple of ripper number one picks in the late 1980's : Anthony Banik and Richard Lounder.......enough said !

    I'll give you Lounder but Banik gets unfairly maligned. Was a pretty good player in his first year or two.

    Then he got crook. Glandular fever or CFS or something. Never really made it back after that.

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    People always seem to forget Aaron Fiora.

    But at the same time, Fremantle people have admitted they desperately wanted Fiora and were disappointed when they had to settle for Pavlich.

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    Pick 4 1994 - David Strooper St.Kilda, would be up there as well.

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