Would this team give some of the cellar dwellers a run for their money?

[ScottH]

I reckon it might be sooner than 3-4 years.

[Ludwig]

Here's a squad where the oldest player is Adam Goodes:

FB Laidlaw LRT Richards
HB Kennelly CBolton Malceski
C Mattner Bird McVeigh
HF O'Keefe Barlow Murphy
FF ODwyer White Buchanan
Fol Currie Goodes Jack

Int Jolly Moore Ablett Schmidt

Emergencies: Bevan Brennan Thornton Smith Vespa DOK Grundy

This could be our team in a couple of years, and if it's any indication of how the future will look by the way Jack has come through the system, I can only be optimistic. The younger guys have more than met expectations based on reports from the ressies. Kieran Jack is already a star, IMO. Probably in our best 10 so far this year. Even the emergencies look good. A lot to look forward to.

[liz]

Sorry - wasn't intended to be obscure. I thought it was obvious who'd I picked/left out.

I was just trying to put together a team that could feasibly take the park using just players taken away from the top end of the draft. I know we've had some really good players come through with later picks but recently there's been a relative explosion of players coming through our rookie list. I wanted to see how good/bad a team we might have with no first or second round draft picks. I've excluded players we traded 1st or 2nd round picks for (like Spida, Jolly, Mattner. Hall and Teddy) and also left out any zone selections (Barry, Mathews, LRT). And while it wouldn't win any premierships (or possibly many matches) I don't think it would be disgraced against a lot of sides - certainly in a year's time.

I have optimistically factored in some development into 4 players yet to play a game and 1 with just one to his name. But I am very bullish about two of those (Murphy and Currie), moderately bullish about another two (White and Laidlaw) and optimistic about the chances too of Smith (long term). The eligible players I left of are those who could make it but I wouldn't predict they will with any certainty.

I remember reading a comment from a Dawks fan before the 2006 draft questioning whether it was worth them even participating in that draft because they didn't - first time in a while - have a plethora of picks in the top 20. We're not the only club to have found lots of real talent outside rounds 1 and 2 of the draft but we've certainly done pretty well.

[bandwagon]

Yeah, we have done well from the top (bottom?) end of the draft. Conversely some of our Top 30 picking has been a bit hit and miss. I think we have had 16 picks in the Top 30 in the last 10 years:

3 Fosdike
4 Fitzgerald
5 McVeigh
8 J. Bolton
11 Saddington
11 Vespremi
15 D. O'Keefe
16 Willoughby

21 S. Stevens
24 Ablett
26 Doyle
26 Meredith
28 James
28 Powell
29 LRT
29 Schmidt

Not encouraging is it? We seem to have done better with trading off our high draft picks - Jolly, Richards, Hall, Everitt..

[BSA5]

Yeah, we have done well from the top (bottom?) end of the draft. Conversely some of our Top 30 picking has been a bit hit and miss. I think we have had 16 picks in the Top 30 in the last 10 years:

3 Fosdike Good, but not quite what you'd hope for from a pick 3.
4 Fitzgerald He was good on Big Brother....
5 McVeigh Star! Well, he has been so far this season. Nervous times in his first few seasons, but starting to show why he was picked so highly. Could well end up worth it.
8 J. Bolton See Fosdike.
11 Saddington Was worth it when we had him. Injuries @@@@@@ him over, so not really anybody's fault. Just bad luck, really.
11 Vespremi Here's hoping!
15 D. O'Keefe Ditto
16 Willoughby Willo-who? Probably worst of the lot.

21 S. Stevens Not too bad. Unfortunately is playing his best footy for another club, but at that other club is probably living up to pick 21.
24 Ablett Worth it. Definitely.
26 Doyle He was a handy third ruckman, but at pick 26, should have been a first, or at least, second ruckman. Disappointing.
26 Meredith Fingers crossed.
28 James Hamstrings prevented him from ever reaching what looked like a lot of potential. Could have been worth it but for injuries. Like Saddington, nobody's fault, really. Just bad luck on all fronts.
28 Powell ...
29 LRT Worth every cent. Er, pick. Whatever. Love this bloke.
29 Schmidt Too early to tell. Looks pretty good though.

Not encouraging is it? We seem to have done better with trading off our high draft picks - Jolly, Richards, Hall, Everitt..

Not the best record, but I wouldn't say it's disastrous. There are a lot of decent players that, while not worth their pick, certainly aren't or weren't worthless.