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Collingwood's recruiting and draft success

Roar Rookie
27th July, 2011
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Roar Rookie
27th July, 2011
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Collingwood Magpies 2010 AFL premiers

Collingwood celebrates on the dais during the 2010 Toyota AFL Grand Final replay between the Collingwood Magpies and the St Kilda Saints at the MCG, Melbourne.

Yes, I am a Collingwood supporter writing this article, but I like to think that I’m not a typical one eyed biased one. Although my first article may not seem like it, as I want to give our recruiting staff a massive pat on the back.

I remember a few articles written when Geelong started their good run a few years back, talking about a few late round selections like Chapman and how good their recruiting staff had done.

I will go through our premiership side from last year plus a few of this year and you tell me how well our recruiting has been.

4. Alan Didak. Was pick three in the 2000 draft.

5. Nick Maxwell. Drafted as a rookie in 2002 and wasn’t elevated until 2004.

6. Tyson Goldsack. Pick 63 in the 2006 draft, whilst still not a first team regular in 2011, is rumoured to be highly sought after by other clubs.

8. Harry O’Brien. Drafted as a rookie in 2004 in the second round, elevated in 2006.

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10. Scott Pendlebury. Pick five in the 2005 draft.

12. Luke Ball. Great coup by the club to get him for pick 30 – and in 2011 has returned to his best form; was an important recruit for us last year.

13. Dale Thomas. Pick two in the 2005 draft, but at the time was a surprise to be taken that highly.

15. Leigh Brown. We are his third club and took him with pick 73 – structurally a very important player for us.

16. Nathan Brown. Pick 10 in the 2006 draft.

17. Dayne Beams. Second round selection 29 in the 2008 draft.

18. Darren Jolly. We clearly needed a number one ruckman and gave up pick 14 and 46 (Lewis Jetta and Ben Stratten) for him – another smart trade for a ready made player we needed.

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20. Ben Reid. A player we got with pick eight in the same year we got Nathan Brown. We traded Chris Tarrant to get that selection, along with Paul Medhurst.

21. Sharrod Wellingham. 2006 rookie draft first round pick and was elevated in 2008.

22. Steele Sidebottom. First round selection pick 11 in the 2008 draft with Beams.

26. Ben Johnson. One of the biggest successes, I think, was pick 62 back in 1999 and at one point was nearly delisted before maturing and committing to the cause.

30. Brent Macaffer. Second round in the 2006 rookie draft and elevated in 2008.

31. Chris Dawes. Pick 28 in 2006.

32. Travis Cloke. Father-son selection with pick 38.

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34. Alan Toovey. 2005 rookie draft and elevated in 2006.

36. Dane Swan. Arguably one of the best midfielders in the competition and was taken pick 58 in 2001.

39. Heath Shaw. Father-son at pick 48.

47. Jarryd Blair. 2008 rookie selection and elevated in 2010.

That was how our 2010 premiership side was put together, and even if I do say so, I think they did a very good job.

We have had a few flops with first round picks, but managed to make up for them with the rookie draft and late picks in the national draft in the past 10 years.

A few players that we have seen this year, including the return of Tarrant have again been genius. I, myself, questioned what Tarrant could bring the club, but with Brown going down and Tarrant picking up the slack, it was a masterstroke.

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The added bonus of the Tarrant trade (we gave away 44 and 56) was that we picked up Alex Fasulo (pick 45 we got from the deal), who looks like a very good player in his first season and has that bit of x-factor about him. Not to mention Tarrant is a big reason for a lot of the players being motivated to go back-to-back.

This season we have also seen John McCarthy back (pick 31, 2007) and Simon Buckley (pick 85, 2009) who were injured last season. These two give us a lot of depth.

Then the form of Neon Leon (pick 34, 1999), who is close to All-Australian at the moment. He has had his doubters and still will until he performs on the big stage. The only one I haven’t mentioned yet is Krakouer, as everyone knows his story.

The players to watch over the next month who will most likely get a game are Sinclair, Young and Thomas, who were all picks after the 45-mark – there are also big wraps on these players. We have already seen Keefe, who is only in his third year of playing football and is a rookie elevation, plus Rounds (pick 46, 2008).

This all bodes well for the Collingwood Football Club, who have to look outside the box for players, especially with the compromised drafts over the next few seasons to keep our side competitive and successful.

I just hope Eddie locks these people away on deals so other clubs don’t lure them away

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