So the Gold Coast Suns have lost 11 matches in a row. They’ve never made the finals, and in their nine-year history they’ve won ten games in a season just once.
Clearly something must be done. The Gold Coast Suns hierarchy is lobbying hard, calling for a priority pick after their first round pick, which will almost certainly be in the top two anyway.
Do the Gold Coast Suns need help? Certainly.
Could they use a priority pick? Absolutely.
Would this be fair? Unequivocally not.
Since they entered the competition Gold Coast have selected in the top five of the draft three more times than any team not named Greater Western Sydney and in the top ten nine more times. Access to the draft has not been their problem.
They’ve drafted in the top ten of the draft 16 times since entering the draft for the first time in November 2010. That’s roughly equal to the total number of top-ten picks selected by the other three teams who haven’t won a final in that time – Brisbane, Essendon and St Kilda have a total of 17 picks in the top ten in that time.
We all know why Essendon struggled during that time, and their story has been often told. But let us just say that a lot of the circumstances that have contributed to their struggles have been self-inflicted.
Brisbane have already received a priority pick to combat their struggles.
So who would it be fair to give a priority pick to? Not the Gold Coast, but St Kilda.
Let’s for a moment cast aside the contention that during their struggles this decade St Kilda have been very poor for long periods but have never really tanked.
(Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
And St Kilda could have certainly done things differently. In retrospect it was a questionable decision to hand Alan Richardson a contract extension at the end of 2017, but it wasn’t too controversial at the time. St Kilda had gone 23-21 in the two preceding seasons.
But since then St Kilda has been particularly struck by bad, dumb luck.
There were question marks over Paddy McCartin as a No. 1 pick before his concussions got worse, but he was a safe pick in what has proven to be an underwhelming draft class – by my estimation there are only three elite players who were taken in that draft, and two of them were academy selections – and he was a No. 1 pick nonetheless. Now most struggle to see him playing another AFL game.
Even more unlucky was the loss of Dylan Roberton. In 2017 he finished second in the St Kilda best and fairest and was named in the All Australian squad. Four games into 2018 he collapsed with a heart condition and hasn’t played an AFL game since. He didn’t do his knee or tear his hamstring off the bone. As with McCartin, many think his AFL career is over due to a condition no-one could have foreseen.
Considering the lack of access to the draft, with its increasing inability to select the best players due to academies and father-son selections, it is clear that if the AFL want St Kilda to be competitive, a priority pick is a foundational starting point.
Melbourne made a preliminary final last year and Brisbane are on course for similar success this season. The one thing they have in common is that at some point the AFL decided that it could no longer tolerate how those two clubs were performing and intervened. With Brisbane this involved a priority draft pick.
The time has come for the AFL to provide St Kilda with some meaningful assistance.
That is, if the AFL want St Kilda to continue in their current form and location. And if not, they should come clean.
Boo
Guest
Dont think Raines and Roach compare to the father sons Geelong have got.At present I think the Bulldogs have four on there list so how they got them is probably worth looking at.I don't argue this system is fairer (undoubtedly Hawkins would have gone first round in his draft year)but wonder whether we will see many father sons slip lower than second round in the new system.
RT
Roar Rookie
It's a better system and also makes our easier to recruit multiple sons in one draft. Richmond recruited Andrew Raines and Thomas Roach in the one year. One was father son, the other had to be a normal pick, so in that system it usually wouldn't get done.
Boo
Guest
You are probably right Richie.Don't know if you noticed but the in last years draft Bailey Scott (touted as a top pick) went at 49 and Oscar Brownless went at 70 odd.It occurred to me that the new rule of matching bids actually makes it easier for clubs to recruit father sons with lower picks.
Birdman
Roar Rookie
what happened to those high draft picks that the Saints got in the O'Meara trade? Was supposedly the steal of the century by the Saints and the biggest trade bust by the Hawks.....
MarkD
Guest
G'day Peter, my guess is that destination clubs don't have to pay overs to get their man. Tom Lynch and Gary Ablett are the obvious ones who have left the Suns for less money. Plenty of talented players (high draft picks)have left the Suns over the last couple of years due to home sick , chasing a premiership and/or more money like May, Prestia, O'Meara... What's most disappointing is that they haven't been able to keep the Queensland players Zac Smith and Charlie Dixon. My thinking is that if you are a St Kilda or any other club for that matter you wait and go for the proven, high end talent that comes out of the Suns nearly every year. The more high end draft picks that the Suns get in bunches means that as they get to the end of their initial 2 year contracts , if they develop as expected they will all want larger contracts at around the same time , which combined with already having to pay overs to keep the average players let alone quality players on the Suns list inevitably leads to losing the top end players sick of losing wanting a premiership , more money , home sick etc .... which leads to finishing last constantly , getting the number 1 pick , high compensation picks and priority picks . Thus continuing the cycle as the Afl feeder club. Too cynical?
Timmuh
Roar Guru
Was he 9? I could have sworn he was younger than that. But it still means he learned most of his footy in Qld. Yes, he probably played the game because he was from Tas but his ability was formed in Qld. Which is why, if we had Origin, he would be a Queenslander.
RT
Roar Rookie
It wasn't just Hawkins. I think it was a second-round draft pick for any father son so they would have got Ablett and perhaps someone else at those rates
Boo
Guest
True ,they did change the father son rules I think mainly as a result of Tom Hawkins going at 40 odd.Nothing alters the recruiting mistake Stkilda made in taking Ball over Judd.Ironically Judd played in the Moorabin Saints Junior Football League and had been coached by the president of the day.Ball a good player but not in Judd's league.
Boo
Guest
Surely some credit must go the junior coaches involved.Riewoldts father didn't play Afl.Doubt Nick Riewoldt ever played in Tasmania.Obviously your entitled to your opinion but I think where you play junior football is where your from.
RT
Roar Rookie
St Kilda received Nick Riewoldt and Luke Ball as priority picks. It probably would have been enough to help them win the 2009 premiership if it wasn't for the overly generous father-son rules of the day that benefitted Geelong so well.
AD
Guest
As you point out, they've already had plenty of early draft picks and it hasn't helped them. One more won't help them either, and it will penalise every other team that gets pushed further down the draft order. Instead of handing out bonus draft picks, how about giving them an increase in the football department spending cap so they can hire more / better assistant coaches and development staff? They've already got plenty of early picks on the list, and they'll have another one at the end of this season (unless they trade it). How about leaving the draft alone and let them have some extra help to develop the early picks they've already had?
IAP
Guest
Actual locals who don't come from other states.
Boo
Guest
Get your point about Riewoldts heritage but if you cannot claim nine year olds who can you claim.
Milo
Roar Rookie
Yes TIC but the Suns should get a handout - to design a new jumper. Their colors should be sky blue, yellow and white. WTF is the red for? 'Merchant Bankers' driving Ferraris down the main drag?? That hideous red and yellow thing is the worst jumper Ive ever seen in any football league. Ever. What a shocker. No wonder theyre not a destination club!!!
IAP
Guest
He was 9 when they moved there. He played footy because of his heritage; living in Queensland had nothing to do with him being a good footballer.
IAP
Guest
My point still stands. Here's some other rookies who did ok: - Matthew Boyd (3 x All Australian) - Jason Johanissen (Norm Smith medallist) - Dale Morris (All Australian) These are only players from my team who came immediately to mind; there's plenty more. Don't blame a lack of high draft picks for your team being ordinary; blame mismanagement, poor draft selection and poor development.
Andrew Lewis
Roar Rookie
He was drafted in 1989, which as far as the draft goes, may as well been 1889.
Peter Warrington
Guest
Carlisle? Hanneberry? they don't shirk at chucking big bucks at players. and some nibble.
Timmuh
Roar Guru
Nick was born in Tasmania, but is a Queensland product. He was 5 or something when his family moved there. His father was a Clarence stalwart, but Nick learned pretty much all his footy in Qld.
IAP
Guest
My logic is no worse than yours.