AFL Draft Day 2016 is here and in a way I don't mind that the Demons have been relegated to bit players in today's proceedings.

In the first instance, this year's draft is highly compromised by virtue of some poor decisions made by the AFL which strike at the very heart of the integrity of the competition. In that respect, if there is a time to be far away from the draft action, this is it.

The first player whose name is called out tonight will be an Essendon player because the Bombers finished last in 2016. This is despite the fact that ten of their best and most experienced players sat out the season as a consequence of the findings in January by the Court of Arbitration in Sport that they along with many of their then teammates had violated anti-doping rules. The ink on the court ruling had barely dried when the AFL decided that Essendon would receive no sanction as a result of its role in those violations (other than the previous penalties for poor governance). The fact that the club's performance in 2016 would not truly reflect on the quality of its list was deemed irrelevant - hence a McCluggage or a McGrath will most likely become a Bomber this evening.

The league's weakest club Brisbane won't even have second pick this evening. That will go to its love child GWS Giants which will be the power club of this draft. The Giants did a trade to get into this position so that it could chose a player before its academy bidding selections come into operation which is a solid move because they have a big crop of academy players at their disposal this year. The academy concept was brought in to give the northern states first access to talent in developing regions outside the game's traditional recruiting areas. The clubs in question were to be rewarded for nurturing such talent.

The problem with this is that for some reason the Giants have been given the Riverina district as part of their academy region. This is an area that one could hardly describe as "developing" in AFL terms given that the game has been long established there and has produced plenty of champions. Wayne Carey, the Danihers, Paul Kelly anyone?

What is even less understandable is the concept of the amount of "development" these clubs are supposed to put into players. The first academy member expected to be chosen tonight by the Giants is Will Setterfield, a star midfielder from Albury who relocated to Melbourne as a 15-year-old, attends Caulfield Grammar and played for the Sandringham Dragons this year. That's a long way from Western Sydney in my book.

The Giants will most likely get Setterfield by using bidding points associated with their pick number 15 but should they even be going into the draft with that selection? When Lachie Whitfield and two former GWS officials accepted penalties in a deal with the AFL for their part in the scandal involving the hiding of the Giants’ youngster from possible drug testing, scandal (more than a year and a half after the event), it was thought the club would be sanctioned by losing a first and second round draft pick. GWS balked at that and have now been charged with conduct unbecoming over the role in the affair. What this has done in all likelihood is delayed the inevitable but given the fact that next year’s GWS academy crop is not likely to be as strong or as deep as this year’s, the club will have derived enormous benefit from its own stalling and from the snail’s pace the AFL adopted in this matter. If only, the AFL were as quick to decide on Whitfield as they were with the Essendon decision on the draft.

Then there’s selection 19 which was recently gifted by the AFL to Brisbane as an end of first round priority pick on account of the Lions’ poor list – a decision that flew in the face of previous decisions made by the AFL on draft assistance applied for by other clubs, particularly Melbourne which had a far worse record than Brisbane when it made its plea for help a couple of years ago. The Lions traded the pick which is now in the hands of Sydney.

So this is the most compromised draft in years – actually since the leg up the AFL gave its new franchises earlier in the decade.

The draft itself is said to be not as strong at the top as in the past couple of years or as expected next year. The word is that the quality is deep and even. It will take some brilliance and a lot of luck for Jason Taylor and his team to produce the goods with only picks 47 and 68 at their disposal.

Great post WJ. Hopelessly compromised draft. I hope we get Daicos at pick 47 because that is about as much joy as we can get for the pick. Instant gratification.

I have thought all along, that the Bombers would take the travel goods, but the pundits suggest they will take the Canadian at pick 1..

GWS were desperate for the Canadian and did deals to get pick 2, thinking that would get him.

My only interest early on in the draft,  is to see if the Bombers spoil the GWS party.

Also and this is the first time I can recall posting on this issue, but I think it is an absolute disgrace, that the Bombers get pick 1, as a result of a penalty imposed by the AFL for cheating.

It is like sanctioned tanking. They should have been told, that as part of the penalty, they get the pick at the position they were at, when it was imposed, which would be about mid first round.

The result is that a cheating club prospers, by getting access to the best player in the country and further the best player left in each round. Unbelievable except for an organization like the AFL.

Great write up WJ. I hope the Bombers bid on Setterfield.

What really shits me is that just as we are finally seeing some light at the end of the demoniac tunnel, the love child GWS, is being force fed enough talent and advantages to ensure they become an unstoppable powerhouse for years to come.

3 minutes ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

What really shits me is that just as we are finally seeing some light at the end of the demoniac tunnel, the love child GWS, is being force fed enough talent and advantages to ensure they become an unstoppable powerhouse for years to come.

An Essendon and GWS grand final would be unwatchable. In fact I think if GWS make a grand final everybody should boycott it and protest outside AFL HQ. It is time for them to stop meddling with the game, and time for people to let them know it. They got away with it this year and seem to have muffled the media on the subject but the centre of gravity of this issue will change eventual. The GWS concessions have been way too far over the top - I mean the mini-draft - come on....

the best result from this draft is that we pick up BOG (brother of gus)

28 minutes ago, Mad_Melbourne said:

the best result from this draft is that we pick up BOG (brother of gus)

Don't agree. Far too slow and no tricks. Won't make it.

16 minutes ago, dee-tox said:

Don't agree. Far too slow and no tricks. Won't make it.

Purely want it for sentimental reasons, draft doesnt run very deep anyway, whilst i think on a needs basis we will probably go for a small and a tall, I wouldnt be upset with us giving him a shot.

18 minutes ago, Mad_Melbourne said:

Purely want it for sentimental reasons, draft doesnt run very deep anyway, whilst i think on a needs basis we will probably go for a small and a tall, I wouldnt be upset with us giving him a shot.

Not really the mindset I want the club to have

Great post WJ ......... and what pizzes me off almost as much as the AFL itself, is the utter 'silence' from the media on the issue.  As you rightly say, these issues strike at the very integrity of the draft.  What is supposed to be a centrepiece of fairness in our competition, is more like the epitome of double standards ....................... but it's like someone hit the mute button on the media.  The AFL must be loving it!  

12 minutes ago, ArtificialWisdom said:

Not really the mindset I want the club to have

hypothetically if the club did pick him, i doubt it would be sentimental reasons?
FYI I'm not Jason Taylor and comments on sentimentality have no basis on actual thoughts of the draft. I dont think there is much key position strength too deep in the draft, so a developing key defender and small forward are what i think we will ultimately go with.

So about 8.30pm we tune in to hear that we are very happy that Player a and B slipped through to our picks we rated so to get them is a fantastic result for the club.  We really wanted to boost our Ruck stocks which to get player A we see him filling that ruck forward role and to get someone with pure leg speed that plays as a small forward but we think can add to our midfield as well.

You know you're a draft tragic when you schedule a hernia repair for the day before the draft so work will not distract from the more important sporting events of the day.

I'm unfazed by what the Giants  zone issues though it'd be interesting to see if their involvement in the Riverina has seen an increase in players drafted from that region. As a fan of the code I support the national expansion. Sure the Giants may have got overs when it comes to concessions but in the era of the code wars our game needs to be firmly established in all of the major populations centres. The Dees just have to take care of their own business which we seem to have been doing for the last 3 years.

Can't believe FoxFooty is playing old matches. Where are the draft replays!

 

 

 

21 minutes ago, demoniac said:

You know you're a draft tragic when you schedule a hernia repair for the day before the draft so work will not distract from the more important sporting events of the day.

I'm unfazed by what the Giants  zone issues though it'd be interesting to see if their involvement in the Riverina has seen an increase in players drafted from that region. As a fan of the code I support the national expansion. Sure the Giants may have got overs when it comes to concessions but in the era of the code wars our game needs to be firmly established in all of the major populations centres. The Dees just have to take care of their own business which we seem to have been doing for the last 3 years.

Can't believe FoxFooty is playing old matches. Where are the draft replays!

 

 

 

haha, love it. i had also planned on a full day of gorging on trade radio, etc, but nothing seems to be happening until 3. lame. last year's coverage was pretty good. fingers crossed the recruiting team pull a few outta left field and a few good players fall to us.

Will be interesting to see who bids on the academy picks of Setterfield, Perryman, Cumming (a late bolter), Bowes etc... Certainly adds another dimension to the draft.

Taylor said we'll go for best player but if we have two similarly ranked players available then we'll factor in needs. So what are they... two players from a ruckman, developing back and small forward?

Well said Mr Whispering....

32 minutes ago, demoniac said:

................................................... 

Can't believe FoxFooty is playing old matches. Where are the draft replays!

From the Fox Footy website:

"HOW CAN I WATCH IT?

THE draft will be live on FOX FOOTY (Channel 504) from 6.30pm (AEDT), with the first round expected to commence around 7pm. Every pick this year will be shown live on FOX FOOTY, while there will also be ample interviews and analysis from an expert panel. You can also follow every pick live online via foxfooty.com.au, which will also host club-by-club analysis pieces and report cards in the event’s aftermath."

14 minutes ago, Deeoldfart said:

From the Fox Footy website:

"HOW CAN I WATCH IT?

THE draft will be live on FOX FOOTY (Channel 504) from 6.30pm (AEDT), with the first round expected to commence around 7pm. Every pick this year will be shown live on FOX FOOTY, while there will also be ample interviews and analysis from an expert panel. You can also follow every pick live online via foxfooty.com.au, which will also host club-by-club analysis pieces and report cards in the event’s aftermath."

I know the 2016 Draft is live on FoxFooty but why not show drafts of the past in the leadup!

3 hours ago, KingDingAling said:

Great write up WJ. I hope the Bombers bid on Setterfield.

Won't happen. It would give GWS the Canadian.

Quite happy to have completely forgotten about the draft rather than focusing on it!!

2014 game v Adelaide is on this arvo at 2.40. Nice lead in. Replay of the Draft Combine is after that.

Weather in Hamilton letting me down.

What time will the first pick be read out?

8 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

AFL Draft Day 2016 is here and in a way I don't mind that the Demons have been relegated to bit players in today's proceedings.

In the first instance, this year's draft is highly compromised by virtue of some poor decisions made by the AFL which strike at the very heart of the integrity of the competition. In that respect, if there is a time to be far away from the draft action, this is it.

The first player whose name is called out tonight will be an Essendon player because the Bombers finished last in 2016. This is despite the fact that ten of their best and most experienced players sat out the season as a consequence of the findings in January by the Court of Arbitration in Sport that they along with many of their then teammates had violated anti-doping rules. The ink on the court ruling had barely dried when the AFL decided that Essendon would receive no sanction as a result of its role in those violations (other than the previous penalties for poor governance). The fact that the club's performance in 2016 would not truly reflect on the quality of its list was deemed irrelevant - hence a McCluggage or a McGrath will most likely become a Bomber this evening.

The league's weakest club Brisbane won't even have second pick this evening. That will go to its love child GWS Giants which will be the power club of this draft. The Giants did a trade to get into this position so that it could chose a player before its academy bidding selections come into operation which is a solid move because they have a big crop of academy players at their disposal this year. The academy concept was brought in to give the northern states first access to talent in developing regions outside the game's traditional recruiting areas. The clubs in question were to be rewarded for nurturing such talent.

The problem with this is that for some reason the Giants have been given the Riverina district as part of their academy region. This is an area that one could hardly describe as "developing" in AFL terms given that the game has been long established there and has produced plenty of champions. Wayne Carey, the Danihers, Paul Kelly anyone?

What is even less understandable is the concept of the amount of "development" these clubs are supposed to put into players. The first academy member expected to be chosen tonight by the Giants is Will Setterfield, a star midfielder from Albury who relocated to Melbourne as a 15-year-old, attends Caulfield Grammar and played for the Sandringham Dragons this year. That's a long way from Western Sydney in my book.

The Giants will most likely get Setterfield by using bidding points associated with their pick number 15 but should they even be going into the draft with that selection? When Lachie Whitfield and two former GWS officials accepted penalties in a deal with the AFL for their part in the scandal involving the hiding of the Giants’ youngster from possible drug testing, scandal (more than a year and a half after the event), it was thought the club would be sanctioned by losing a first and second round draft pick. GWS balked at that and have now been charged with conduct unbecoming over the role in the affair. What this has done in all likelihood is delayed the inevitable but given the fact that next year’s GWS academy crop is not likely to be as strong or as deep as this year’s, the club will have derived enormous benefit from its own stalling and from the snail’s pace the AFL adopted in this matter. If only, the AFL were as quick to decide on Whitfield as they were with the Essendon decision on the draft.

Then there’s selection 19 which was recently gifted by the AFL to Brisbane as an end of first round priority pick on account of the Lions’ poor list – a decision that flew in the face of previous decisions made by the AFL on draft assistance applied for by other clubs, particularly Melbourne which had a far worse record than Brisbane when it made its plea for help a couple of years ago. The Lions traded the pick which is now in the hands of Sydney.

So this is the most compromised draft in years – actually since the leg up the AFL gave its new franchises earlier in the decade.

The draft itself is said to be not as strong at the top as in the past couple of years or as expected next year. The word is that the quality is deep and even. It will take some brilliance and a lot of luck for Jason Taylor and his team to produce the goods with only picks 47 and 68 at their disposal.

This is a very well written and argued post WJ, however I don’t agree with much of the premise. The Bombers have already been stripped of draft picks and had players suspended, effectively ensuring them the wooden spoon this year. You could argue that they got off lightly for their crime in the first place, but I believe that any further punishment would be a form of double jeopardy.

The Brisbane trade with GWS for pick #2 was fair and Brisbane got compensated for sliding down the draft order. And GWS effectively lost McCarthy and Treloar and other later picks to get pick #2.

And the Whitfield case is yet to play out and GWS will be punished down the track for bad governance if they are guilty. They will also be punished to a degree by Whitfield’s lengthy suspension.

I have also no issue with Brisbane being given a priority pick and I think the AFL needs to do more to help the bottom clubs so as to even out the competition. Although it wasn’t part of the finding, we would have got a priority pick as well had we not been found guilty of tanking and so we were given overs for Frawley leaving to compensate.

You make a valid point about the Riverina, which should not be within GWS’s academy and I agree with you on this.