There’s been enough talk of the two new clubs in the AFL spreading talent too thinly. Also, there’s been foretelling of draft doomsday with compromised drafts and shallower pools of talent available to the existing clubs.
On the first three rounds of this season, I’ve seen evidence to suggest that there’s alternatives that have been ignored for a little too long.
Australian Football is pretty broad and the AFL clubs need to look broadly.
Michael Barlow, along with Alex Silvagni and James Podsiadly, are proof of the quality sitting in the VFL that may not have been ready made at age 18 in the TAC talent pathway.
Allowing more mature age entry into the system is brilliant – and quite frankly is long overdue.
Interstate clubs have for sometime mined the slightly older SANFL and WAFL players – and often rookied them at age 20-21 – and it has been a gold mine.
Also, the ability for clubs to mature age rookie list – not just external players, but AFL experienced players – has seen footballing lifelines extended to the likes of Cameron Cloke and Wade Skipper.
In the past, such players may have been Reserves captain and Vice-captain and kept as insurance and perhaps play 8-10 games a year. But often come finals, would be that vital thing called ‘depth’.
More recently though, they’d be cut (like Jason Cloke and Troy Makepeace) and replaced with an 18 year old who might play 8-10 games but be deemed to have greater ‘up side’.
The other stand out so far this year is recycling of players.
Already, Brisbane seems to have achieved greater balance and depth with the addition of Maguire and Staker. Last year, they were severely exposed when Patfull and Merrett went down.
The Swans have lost Jolly but gained Seaby and Mumford.
Also, McGlynn and Kennedy both from Hawthorn have slotted in beautifully. Is it that easy to turn a shallow draft into trading gold?
The Doggies and Lions match up this week in what looks a super contest – including their older forward target recruits in Hall and Fevola respectively.
Will 2010 determine each to be a success?
Alternatively, will 2014 determine each to be a short sighted folly?
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