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We nailed the 1986 Draft...or did we?

La Dee-vina Comedia
La Dee-vina Comedia
in Melbourne Demons

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On Rohan Connolly's excellent Footyology site, Ronny Lerner has redrafted the 1986 Draft. Three of the players we drafted ended up in the top 10. But there's a catch...one of them was Darren Jarman who actually never played for us. The other two were the Febey's who we drafted at 3 (Stephen) and 16 (Matthew). Was it a good move to draft a player who was always unlikely to play for us? On the other hand, we drafted him at pick 55, so it might have been worth the risk if we had a strategy in place to try to convince him to come.

Still, getting 2 of the top 10 (even though it's a subjective assessment) is still pretty good drafting. Three would have been so much better.

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    Clubs didnt have a clue on the draft or how to pick players or use picks. (Febey at 250+ games was the most successful? player from the first draft?.)

    When the Hawks picked Alex McDonald as Nos 1 I remember Jeans saying he was not the best footballer, but the type of footballer they most needed.  And remember when the Saints picked 'Jack' Frost?  Or when we picked Luke Molan?  Picks are no longer used to send a message.

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    27 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

    On Rohan Connolly's excellent Footyology site, Ronny Lerner has redrafted the 1986 Draft. Three of the players we drafted ended up in the top 10. But there's a catch...one of them was Darren Jarman who actually never played for us. The other two were the Febey's who we drafted at 3 (Stephen) and 16 (Matthew). Was it a good move to draft a player who was always unlikely to play for us? On the other hand, we drafted him at pick 55, so it might have been worth the risk if we had a strategy in place to try to convince him to come.

    Still, getting 2 of the top 10 (even though it's a subjective assessment) is still pretty good drafting. Three would have been so much better.

    I cant remember who it was, but I heard a long while back that the mistake wasnt picking Darren but not picking his brother Andrew too. In hindsight they felt if they they had picked both they might have come over together. But hey...these things no longer disturb me in any way :-) 

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    14 minutes ago, Wells 11 said:

    I cant remember who it was, but I heard a long while back that the mistake wasnt picking Darren but not picking his brother Andrew too. In hindsight they felt if they they had picked both they might have come over together. But hey...these things no longer disturb me in any way :-) 

    I recall that earlier to when the draft came into being,  we tried to secure either or both of the Jarman bros with 'Form 4's

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    There were 2 other drafts in the early 80's (not talked about much or even heard of)  Might have been '81 & '82 (for interstate players only)

    With one of our early picks in those 2 drafts we picked Alan Johnson.  But I'm not sure whether any of those players in those 2 drafts were tied to clubs or obligated to those clubs

    Although AJ did end up playing for us of course

    Danny Hughes was another

    Edited by Macca

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    40 minutes ago, Macca said:

    There were 2 other drafts in the early 80's (not talked about much or even heard of)  Might have been '81 & '82 (for interstate players only)

    With one of our early picks in those 2 drafts we picked Alan Johnson.  But I'm not sure whether any of those players in those 2 drafts were tied to clubs or obligated to those clubs

    Although AJ did end up playing for us of course

    Danny Hughes was another

    After this year I need to reasess my favourite MFC players. Alan Johnson is still up there. I am wearing number 9 in alot of childhood photos. It was before Neitz and clearly Johnson.

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    Just now, Wrecker46 said:

    After this year I need to reasess my favourite MFC players. Alan Johnson is still up there. I am wearing number 9 in alot of childhood photos. It was before Neitz and clearly Johnson.

    Yeah winning a flag changes everything Wrecker

    You could pick any of the premiership 22 if compiling a favourite players list (all time)

    I've still got Hardeman, Wells, Flower & Alves from the earlier days.  Biffin too and I always admired Callery

    From the premiership team where do you start?  Too many to choose from but Max as captain you can't go past (that clutch goal after the siren against the Cats set everything up - never to be forgotten!)

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    2 hours ago, Wrecker46 said:

    After this year I need to reasess my favourite MFC players. Alan Johnson is still up there. I am wearing number 9 in alot of childhood photos. It was before Neitz and clearly Johnson.

    I ordered the number 9 guernsey too - then the next year Alan Johnson retired ... I considered painting a 1 next to the 9 :huh:

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    We've had some great no. 9, no. 9, no.9 no. 9, no. 9, no.9 no. 9, no. 9, no.9 no. 9, no. 9, no.9 no. 9, no. 9, no.9 no. 9, no. 9, no.9 .........

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    Matt Febey was a far better player than Minton-Connell & Kelly, as was Andy Lovell

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    4 hours ago, Macca said:

    There were 2 other drafts in the early 80's (not talked about much or even heard of)  Might have been '81 & '82 (for interstate players only)

    With one of our early picks in those 2 drafts we picked Alan Johnson.  But I'm not sure whether any of those players in those 2 drafts were tied to clubs or obligated to those clubs

    Although AJ did end up playing for us of course

    Danny Hughes was another

    In the 81 Draft we took Alan Johnson with pick 1 and Danny Hughes with pick 13. In the 82 Draft we took Keith Thomas with pick 5 and Ray Holden with pick 17.

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    7 minutes ago, 2021 Premiers said:

    In the 81 Draft we took Alan Johnson with pick 1 and Danny Hughes with pick 13. In the 82 Draft we took Keith Thomas with pick 5 and Ray Holden with pick 17.

    I've known about those 2 earlier drafts for a few years now but have zero recollection from that time.  Nothing

    And it was the end of RDB'S first year as coach as well ... maybe we just dismissed the concept as being too American because when the 1986 draft came along,  I distinctly remember there being a lot of scepticism

    And that lasted for at least 5 years until we did take it seriously

    Remembering that the metro & country zones still operated to a degree concurrently to the draft for a time

    For instance, we recruited David Schwarz as a 15yo junior development squad player from Sunbury in 1987

    It's all a bit murky though

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    9 hours ago, Taipei Demon said:

    I ordered the number 9 guernsey too - then the next year Alan Johnson retired ... I considered painting a 1 next to the 9 :huh:

    Just ahead of your time.  While not exactly a crowd favorite here on Demonland at times, little Charlie Spargo goes pretty darn good in the No.9 I think!

    Who were you thinking with 19 post Johnson's retirement?  Was it Darren Bennett or Paul Prymke perhaps?

    Edited by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

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    13 hours ago, FritschyBusiness said:

    We also nailed getting Jim Stynes and Todd Viney in that offseason, their influence on Max Gawn and Jack Viney created premiership players.  

    Again, we were ahead of our time.  I think this was the genesis of future picks.

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    16 hours ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

    Just ahead of your time.  While not exactly a crowd favorite here on Demonland at times, little Charlie Spargo goes pretty darn good in the No.9 I think!

    Who were you thinking with 19 post Johnson's retirement?  Was it Darren Bennett or Paul Prymke perhaps?

     Paul Prymke? No no it was good ole super boot Bennet - but he was quickly surpassed by a certain number 13

    Paul Prymke is another reminder of up and coming players cruelled by injury - oh what could have been in the mid 90s

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    1 hour ago, Taipei Demon said:

     Paul Prymke? No no it was good ole super boot Bennet - but he was quickly surpassed by a certain number 13

    Paul Prymke is another reminder of up and coming players cruelled by injury - oh what could have been in the mid 90s

    Yep, to think that we had an 'avalible' forward line comprising the likes of Bennet, Lyon, Jackovic, Schwartz, Pike, Smith, Farmer, Lovel, Yze around the same time, amoung others I'm probably forgetting, what tallent.

    I rated Prymke's potential at the time as well.

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