The Brisbane Lions are set to request a priority draft pick this season, following Melbourne’s unsuccessful request last year.
Since the rule changes, moving away from the automatic granting of a priority pick based on number of wins for the season, no club has been given a priority pick.
So would a priority pick for the Lions be justified, or lead to yet another highly rated young player leaving the Lions in two years?
Despite the club’s bounty of high draft picks, Melbourne had a sustained period of mediocrity, finishing down the bottom of the ladder year after year.
First-round picks between 2006-2010 netted them Cale Morton (pick 4), James Frawley (pick 12), Jack Grimes (pick 14), Sam Blease (pick 17), Tom scully (pick 1), Jack Trengove (pick 2), Jordan Gysberts (pick 11) and Lucas Cook (pick 12). Eleven top-20 draft picks in five years should have provided them with the nucleus of a successful squad.
Fast forward to 2015 and only Jack Watts, Jack Grimes and Jack Trengove are at the club, and each could have been traded away in the past few seasons. Clearly, throwing draft picks at Melbourne didn’t help, because it wasn’t a lack of access to quality players but poor recruiting and development that led to years of pathetic performances.
Brisbane have likewise picked highly rated players with their early picks, only to have them leave the club after two or three seasons. Would receiving picks one and two in the draft (likely to be two key position Victorians) provide any real benefit to the club if they return home to Victoria in two years time?
Brisbane’s main argument for receiving a priority pick is the number of first-round picks to have left the club – but hey, why not give them two more talented kids to develop for the benefit of propping up a Victorian club’s list in two years’ time.
If Brisbane had made smarter management decisions and retained required players, their list would look much different. Imagine having Billy Longer, Jared Polec, Elliot Yeo and Lachie Henderson (traded to Carlton along with pick 12 in a year Nat Fyfe was drafted at pick 20) in their side. They wouldn’t need a priority pick.
The AFL needs to review its priority pick system and develop a more flexible and diverse plan to assist those clubs that are genuinely struggling. The Brisbane Lions have obviously struggled this year, but for a club who traded a first-round pick last year, as well as pick 21 for Allen Christensen, can they really argue that they don’t have enough first-round draft picks?
Their first-round pick from the previous year, James Aish, is also set to leave, so clearly the issue isn’t access to high draft picks. If they are losing their talented players to other states why not have a system to address this – in this situation they could ask for access to a local academy player without the new tighter restrictions?
The AFL needs to address the real issues surrounding a club’s under-achievement. Melbourne for example was criticised for its development program as well as its list management/recruiting. The appointment of Peter Jackson led to a push for a quality coach and the appointment of Paul Roos.
This is the type of assistance the AFL should have offered – appointing or attracting quality staff to lead the football department or offering financial assistance/exemption outside the ‘soft’ salary cap of football department spending to enable a club to recruit quality staff to address their areas of weakness.
As with any system there would need to be checks in place to prevent clubs abusing such a system by poaching staff from other clubs, but as was the case with the appointment of Peter Jackson as CEO – who was not employed with another AFL club at the time – there could be long-term benefits in this approach.
If the Lions’ issue is player retention, the focus needs to be on addressing this. The Lions have already taken a step in the right direction with the reported signing of Craig Lambert, who has been credited with playing an influential role in helping the Giants retain the majority of their playing list. Instead of throwing another early draft pick at the club, why not promote the development of local players on their list?
I know the AFL have tightened northern academy drafting requirements, a strange decision in itself, but a priority pick to be used on an academy prospect at the end of the first or second round could hand a struggling interstate club the opportunity to top up their local talent without using their first pick.
Another option could be for the AFL to provide financial assistance to set up a welfare program for a club struggling to retain players.
It is a far too simplistic view by the AFL and its clubs to cry poor and request a top draft pick to help improve on-field performance. As Port Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs have shown, appointing quality individuals can quickly turn a club from disaster zone into the next big thing.
The AFL needs to take responsibility for ensuring the success of all clubs and providing a more thorough and individual assistance program to address the needs of any clubs experiencing a sustained period of poor performance.
JW
Guest
Geelong ditched Chapman even though he was in their best 22. Could've been handy in last year's one goal semi final loss to North.
Nick
Guest
Some of the local boys have been playing Brisbane reserves. They are young 17 and 18 year olds with a lot of growing to do. One bump from a fit muscular older player and they go flying. Another reason the reserves would be doing badly is they never have the same team two wees in a row. It is always filled with a variety of players from a variety of clubs. Not a recipe for success. Also why would the Lions be silly enough to go to Springwood that would alienate most supporters North of Brisbane.
bart
Guest
The public don't really care about money the AFL spends, only some RL or soccer people who get jealous, Fitzroy were dead in the water, no real home ground after 1970, squashed in by powerful Collingwood and Carlton with no train line to the outer suburbs where the faithfull moved post war. QLD is a goer, they just have to go, the grass roots are there, they have enough fans in Brisbane, they just need to be half decent.
Axle an the Guru
Guest
Every year this comes up. The then VFL/AFL should never have went any further Nth then Sydney. If it were not for the AFL making sure Brisbane received the cream of Fitzroy, the three flags would never have happened. The public will never know the real $ figure that has been wasted on this venture, if half that money was given to Fitzroy, then the real Lions would be alive and kicking. AFL will never be number one up there, the Broncos will always hold that title,QLD roar will become number two. If this club were to fold, there would be some diehard fans like the ones on this site that would shed a tear, but the rest of QLD wouldn't give a f?ck. Gold Coast will go the same way after the spoonfed oncoming success period starts to retire off. Both these clubs have bleak long term futures, if AFL ever start to do it hard and money gets tight, which can always happen, the QLD clubs will go into the history books.
WhereIsGene
Guest
What Brisbane desperately needs is a boardroom cleanout. Easily the most incompetently run club in the league, why would young players want to hang around there any longer than they have to? Gotta be a 'destination club' to win a flag these days and the Lions are a millions miles away from that.
bart
Guest
Thanks Tom :) After the standouts are picked i would have thought the draft is even more of a lottery.
TomC
Roar Guru
"The difference between pick number 15 and pick number 40 or 50 or even 80 is not a lot IMO." In your opinion, and absolutely no one else's, Bart. You say some interesting things.
Chris
Guest
I don't disagree with your last point but given that the current system has a provision for priority picks I see no reason why a struggling club shouldn't ask. If it was my job to be improving the list I'd be seeking every advantage I could. If your opinion is that the afl need to change then I'm looking forward to your article on that. There's enough anti-Brisbane sentiment out there already.
bart
Guest
I would have thought Keefe is one that got away, the Lions can pluck Hanley out of Ireland but Collingwood can pluck Keefe out of Gympie. i would have thought there were a few other Keefe's around QLD, hidden away from the prying eyes of southern AFL clubs having grown up playing basketball, volleyball, soccer etc, having little exerience with the sherrin. Every time the Lions take a inter stater they risk that player returning home. The difference between pick number 15 and pick number 40 or 50 or even 80 is not a lot IMO.
TomC
Roar Guru
Thomas and Keefe?? Wow. Every time the Lions take a Queenslander instead of taking the best player available at their pick they lose an opportunity to improve their side. Fine, there has to be a balance, and in success stories like Zorko and Merrett (and less successful stories like Albert Proud, Hayden Kiel et al) the Lions have found that balance most of the time. But it is absolutely nuts to expect them to have gobbled up every single Queensland player in an era where they received no priority access to these players. It is a ridiculous standard, and it boggles the mind that you persist with this argument.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Bart, you’re just throwing names out there now. You’re saying the Lions missed Lachie Weller – who was taken with pick 13 in last year’s draft by Fremantle. The Lions didn’t have a pick until the third round because they traded picks 5 and 25 to Collingwood to get Dayne Beams. So not sure how you can claim he was missed, given we never got the chance to draft him.
Jamie Radford
Roar Pro
Agreed Paul. But to me therein lies a problem in itself. Surely if the Lions are having trouble keeping players and they want to attract players, basically telling an ex-skipper and loyal servant of the club he's unwanted, despite being in their best 22 isn't the way to go about it. The two most successful clubs of recent times in Hawthorn and Geelong would not have treated a former Captain that way. I reckon Craig Lambert cannot come quickly enough for the Lions.
bart
Guest
@ Tom, the Lions just like the Suns should not let any locals slip through, how did Bell, Thomas, Armitage, Weller, Keefe, (albeit rookie) and a host of others slip through, sometimes the grass is greener when drafting southern Staters when locals are just as good.
Paul D
Roar Guru
I think your record is stuck in the groove Slane, you’ve said the same thing a couple of times today. My understanding is that while Adcock would be in the best 22, the Lions have taken the view that since he’s unlikely to be playing when they’re competing for the 8 again, that he is surplus to requirements. Evidently they feel they have senior heads without him and would rather a young player gets some midfield minutes instead of him. Perhaps a better way of saying it would be preferred 22, rather than best 22. I will certainly agree that if team selection was based solely on putting the best team on the park at the expense of development he would be in it, but given the Lions situation they are obviously prioritising development.
TomC
Roar Guru
There are players from every state playing across the league and doing well. It is absolutely absurd to criticise the Lions for not soaking up every AFL-ready Queenslander unless you're prepared to criticise other clubs for the same. No one would ever hold those clubs to that standard, however. Yet more evidence that it is not the same for frontier clubs.
slane
Guest
Right... so a player who would be a walk up start to most clubs can't get a game in the worst team in the competition... The lions are a rabble.
bart
Guest
I agree Participation numbers are hard to get accurate and club registered is different to school auskick and after school auskick etc, there will also be some crossover etc. But using club registered footballers as an example more kids play in Brisbane ( something like 7500 this year ) than Sydney excluding the GC and Sunshine Coast and there are plenty more Adult teams in SE QLD than in Sydney and surrounds, grass roots football is stronger in SE QLD than NSW north of the Murrumbidgee. The lions have missed plenty of chances to draft and nurture locals, seems to be plenty of local QLDers playing at other clubs.
Paul D
Roar Guru
It’s hard to say – the annual report shows operating costs of just over $12.5 million to run the social club, but it doesn’t break down total revenue into streams – total revenue was about $45 million, but that includes everything (ticket sales, merchandise, memberships etc), so it’s difficult to say how much of that is coming from the sports club. You would assume they’re breaking even or maybe posting a slight profit/loss. The Springfield deal fell over mainly due to claims of bias and corruption – Bob Sharpless was both chairman(?) of the Lions as well as the VP of land development at Springfield so he had more than a vested interest in moving the Lions out there to his new suburb he was busily building. When he floated the suggestion that the Lions play their games out at Springfield – which is a good 40km from the CBD – the AFL quickly squashed any suggestion and said the Lions were playing at the Gabba, period. Then the Federal government went and pulled the $15 million funding they’d earmarked for it, and it swiftly wound up. I’m glad, personally. Moving the Lions to Springfield would have been a terrible error. I don’t mind languishing a bit longer providing that we actually get the decisions right when they are made.
Brian Nickless
Guest
Hi, The AFL took the step to have interstate team into the completion, but they allowed Mr Eddy Mcguire to have his say on National TV ( Footy Show) back in the early days about the Brisbane Lions winning 3 AFL Grand finals. So if you look back he has been the MAJOR Reason that Brisbane is now struggling for months he got up on NATIONAL TV (Footy Show ) and stated Why should Brisbane Lions, Sydney get EXTRA Allowance from AFL to hold there players. McQuire is the only President out of the 3 that are on TV NOW that is very out spoken about Interstate Clubs , He and Hawthorns President hopped on the band wagon to voice their option about Brisbane drawing Local Brisbane Boys out of there ACADEMY. If the interstate clubs develop local talent in their states they should be allow to draw players without the Southern Team having any claim on them. This would help the interstate teams to hold local players that are drafted . Yes you are right Brisbane lost 5 young players but all of them were from other states. BN.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Seano – I’m going to assume you actually don’t understand why the Lions reserves are so dreadful, since you would have said so. The main reason is that the top-up players we get to play for the Lions in the NEAFL are actually the second stringers from clubs like Southport. Those clubs are pushing for their own premierships and success, and so when the Lions have a long injury list and need top-ups, we get the players Southport and the like aren’t playing in their best 22. The result of this is you’ve got a Lions NEAFL side comprised of some AFL standard draftees (all young kids), some hardened veterans who are not in the best 22 – your Stakers, McGuanes playing alongside fringe NEAFL players who are well below their standard. The kids get targeted and smashed, don’t get much of a chance to compete and develop. This would probably explain why the track record in developing young talent in the Lions is absolutely terrible the last few years, and why these kids tend to kick on and flower once they leave this club. The success of players like Yeo, Polec, Crisp, Longer etc etc shows that the club can identify talent, but it has real problems with developing it. Just another reason why this club struggles so badly.