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When master trainer Bart Cummings won his twelfth Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, it was 58 years since he first led in the winner of the race. Cummings was the strapper of Comic Court, trained by his father Jim, and arguably one of the best horses ever to win the Cup.
His time for the Flemington two miles in 1950, 3 minutes 19.5 seconds, set a record that was equalled twice, but not bettered for 17 years.
Comic Court’s greatness was such that, first-up after a post-Cup spell, he ran another track record time, this time over the six furlongs sprint journey of the William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley.
There was another champion going around at the time, too, kicking bags of goals for Essendon.
John Coleman, arguably the greatest of all full-forwards, kicked his biggest tally, 120 goals, including four in the grand final, that season to help the Bombers to their second successive premiership.
This year’s premiers, Hawthorn, won the wooden spoon. Very convincingly. Played 18, lost 18.
But there was no draft, and certainly no priority picks, in those days, and it took the Hawks seven years to work their way into the finals for the first time since joining the VFL in 1925, and four more years after that to win their first premiership.
Their rise from second-last in 2004, third-last in ’05 and 11th in ’06 to the top this year shows how much difference the draft, and intelligent use of it, can make.
Hawthorn’s youth policy under coach Alastair Clarkson, and what turned out to be a masterful departure from it with the recruitment of Stuart Dew, poses the question of whether Melbourne and West Coast will have similar success in the next few years, bearing in mind the massive concessions being offered to the expansion teams and consequent dilution of the talent pool available to the existing ones.
So the draft later this month will be massively important for the struggling teams.
Because of a number of factors, notably body strength and the pace at which the game is played, the odds are against drafted players being ready-made senior footballers who will play more than half their first season at the top level.
For whatever reason, possibly including injuries, only four of the top 10 from last year’s national draft managed it – No,1 pick Matthew Kreuzer (20 games with Carlton), seventh pick Rhys Palmer (20 with Fremantle), No.4 pick Cale Morton (Melbourne, 19), and second selection Trent Cotchin, (Richmond, 15).
Third pick Chris Masten played nine games with West Coast, and of the remaining five Jarrad Grant (Western Bulldogs, pick 5, didn’t get a game), David Myers (Essendon, pick 7, played 8), Lachie Henderson (Brisbane, 8, played 8), Ben McEvoy (St Kilda, 9, played 1) and Patrick Dangerfield (Adelaide, 10, played 2).
Factors other than football ability come into it, as I noted earlier this year about the lack of value Sydney got out of a number of top picks they had while languishing at the bottom of the ladder in the early and mid 90s. Homesickness can be a big problem for youngsters plucked from their families based hundreds, or even thousands, of kilometres, away from their families and friends.
That shouldn’t be too much of a problem for Melbourne if, as expected, they take Victorian forward Jack Watts with their first pick.
West Coast’s first choice is also likely to be a local, either ruckman Nick Naitanui or midfielder Daniel Rich.
But the situation will become more clouded when interstate clubs start choosing some of the other stars from the Victorian Metro side that had such a convincing win in the under-18 championship carnival final, the Victorian Country team and other states.
Where will Tyrone Vickery, Shaun McKernan, Michael Hurley, Mitchell Banner, David Zaharakis, Mitch Banner and goalkicking wizard Steele Sidebottom end up?
And would Sandgropers Stephen Hill, Michael Walters and Clancee Pearce be happy in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide?
Tasmanian Mitch Robinson will be one sought-after player who won’t be too fussed over where he goes, though – he certainly can’t stay at home.
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