(L-R) Jesse Haberfield, Charlie Dixon and Jack Stanlake pose for a photo during a press conference in which the 3 players signed on for the AFL Gold Coast 17 team. GSP images
The concessions to be given to the new Gold Coast club have given rise to this year’s draft being termed as “the last uncompromised draft.” But should clubs really be all that worried?
Paul Roos fronted the media this week expressing his fear over what may lie ahead in coming years. “We can’t go down for two or three years (outside the top eight),” the Sydney coach said.
“The AFL would have to be worried about it.”
He also claimed that spending that sort of time without making an appearance in September would be “absolutely catastrophic” for both the club and the code.
The remarks were a bit over the top, but you can at least understand where he’s coming from. This year, the Swans may not make the finals for the first time since 2002. Roos conceded he may start turning to youth after the Adelaide game in two weeks.
As soon as this season finishes, some of the club’s older players may consider their future. The likes of Brett Kirk, Barry Hall, Michael O’Loughlin, Leo Barry and Jared Crouch are all over the age of 30, and there’s a host of others joining that list next year.
On top of that, they face the “compromised” drafts.
Sydney is looking like one of the few clubs that face falling outside the eight around the same time as the Gold Coast – and potentially Western Sydney after that – enter the league and raid the draft.
Gold Coast will get the first three selections and five of the next eleven at the 2010 draft. Crucially, they can sign up to twelve prospects turning 17 this year, a year before they are eligible for the draft.
In theory, this means a club could finish, say, 13th next year, yet get a pick worse than the one they would get finishing 8th in an uncompromised draft. And that’s on top of the fact there will almost certainly be a diluted talent pool in that draft, because of the 17 year-olds taken in 2009.
But the effect on clubs like Sydney may not be as drastic as one might assume. It just depends on how the club goes about it.
Compromised drafts work both ways, and it means that the Swans may, in fact, recover faster than they would under a normal system.
Chances are the Gold Coast will look to trade some of their draft picks, to avoid the risk of having a bottom-heavy list comprised of more kids born in 1992 than you’ll see at a deb after party.
They’ll also need experienced players to bolster their list, and they won’t be counting on uncontracted players alone to fill that role.
The opportunity to trade for those early draft picks – or perhaps even those uncontracted players – exists for clubs who have talent the Gold Coast have their eyes on.
One commodity that the Coasters won’t find in the draft is a ready-made ruckman. You can’t rely on a draft pick – no matter how high – being your number one ruck straight up in round one.
The big men generally take the longest to develop and need guidance from more senior teammates.
So, for example, Sydney could off-load Darren Jolly to the new club to be that guidance. He’ll be 29 by then, so he may be just the sort of player the Gold Coast are after.
He may not be, of course. At this stage, it’s all speculation.
The point is, clubs who are wise will not look towards the next two to three years negatively. They will instead see an opportunity to cut loose a few players and accumulate more draft picks than they otherwise would.
If a club like Sydney were to snare one of those early picks, they may very well end up with two first-round picks.
Or they could, in theory, swap their first-round pick with one of the Gold Coast’s, as well as some “spare parts” in the process, just to move up in the draft. Those familiar with the NBA draft will know how this can happen.
On top of that, the trade period at the end of next year is tipped to be one of the most active we’ve seen.
So the off-season at the end of next year is looking likely to present more opportunities to shake up a playing list than ever before.
It’s just up to the clubs to make the most of these opportunities.
Did the Swans forward put some extra mayo on this effort, or were the Sydney supporters right to be filthy? https://twitter.com/Mattys123/status/1793602004645974214 https://twitter.com/QuantumHawk666/status/1793602372134166836
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan was fuming after Rhylee West overlooked him when he was open inside 50. It wasn't the first time it happened in the…
Chad Warner was so adamant this was a clean tackle, he gave away a certain goal arguing his case.
Tom Papley had the commentators impressed with this bit of improvisation for a Swans goal.
The Western Bulldogs got off to a hot start and this Brodie Grundy brain snap only fuelled it.
Anthony Scott was ruled out of the Dogs-Swans clash after a nasty concussion in the first three minutes of the game. Brian Taylor raised…
