Last Thursday should have been the happiest day for the young footballers given a chance to pursue their AFL dreams when their names were read out at the AFL Draft.
However, the tragedy of Test cricketer Phillip Hughes’ death earlier that day cast a pall on the draft.
In the scheme of life and Phil’s sad passing, one of the AFL’S biggest annual off-field events really wasn’t all that important.
We need though to congratulate those players chosen, especially the number one pick to St Kilda, tall forward Patrick McCartin. The draft comes with so many expectations and pressure at times.
The Saints need a replacement for when the great Nick Reiwoldt hangs up the boots and hopefully he can fit that bill.
They also wanted a key defender and were lucky that Hugh Goddard, whose cousin Brendon was a star at the Saints for many years, dropped down the predicted pecking order somewhat.
That happened with several of the talls too, who earlier in the season were seen as top five prospects. Peter Wright was snared by Gold Coast at pick eight, Sam Durdin chosen by North Melbourne at 16 and probably the best key defender in the draft, Jay Lever, went to Adelaide at pick 14.
Both Lever and Durdin had their seasons compromised by serious injuries, which saw them slip down the list, but the Roos and the Crows want ready made tall defenders and appear to have got one each.
Fremantle had Goddard, Lever and Durdin to choose from when their first pick at 13 approached, but they felt midfielder Lachie Weller was a better player and went with the best available.
All four of their picks were not talls, when they certainly need to consider a future soon without the great Matthew Pavlich. They lack other quality tall forwards and young key defenders, so it was surprising they went the way they did.
The Bulldogs, often criticised in the past for picking lightweight small-bodied players, picked five of them in this draft to improve their outside run, which lacks depth now that Ryan Griffen and Adam Cooney have left the Kennel.
They chose talls Tom Boyd and Joel Hamling from other clubs in the trade period, but key defenders Oscar McDonald and Ed Vickers-Willis were both available at their picks. It seems a curious decision at the moment.
Melbourne may have had their best draft for some time. They have had many early picks in recent seasons, with not much success, but there are huge wraps on the two midfielders taken at two and three – Christian Petracca and Angus Brayshaw. They arrived along with key defender Oscar McDonald, father-son selection Billy Stretch and Alex Neal-Bullen.
The key was to add more depth and cover to their midfield again and they have done that.
All in all, every club will give their selection process a 10 out of 10. Those that judge will reserve their opinion for at least 12 months.
Let’s hope they all have fine careers, but in the aftermatch of the Phil Hughes tragedy, it’s more important they continue to be outstanding young men. Phil certainly ticked that box.
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