Fantastic Player review in the HUN!

[liz]

Originally posted by omnipotent
Goodes was best on the ground in the under 18's Grand Final so he was hardly not known about. The other teams obviously must didn't rate him.

He hadn't been playing AFL for very long and so didn't have a huge track record for them to go on. Also I doubt (hope) that professional recruiters place much of their assessment on a single match - they look far more for what they think a player is capable of becoming rather than what he can do at the age of 18 in a one-off game.

As has been noted before, in the year when Goodes was recruited clubs were only allowed to pick on 17 year old per year (rule subsequently changed). One of the reasons he lasted so long was that all other clubs (other than the Eagles, I believe) had already taken a 17 yo and thus couldn't pick Goodes. It probably contributed to why he lasted until 43. Mind you, it would be interesting to see a list of the other 17yos picked ahead of him to see how they have developed since.

One thing you can say for the Swans in recent years is that they haven't been scared to take players with little or no background in the game and these "gambles" look to have been good ones- Goodes, Tiger, LRT.

[chammond]

One of the reasons he lasted so long was that all other clubs (other than the Eagles, I believe) had already taken a 17 yo and thus couldn't pick Goodes.

He also had a reputation as an undisciplined lair. Although he kicked a bag in that U18 Grand Final, he also strutted around like he owned the MCG, which probably didn't endear him to the "spotters".

Mind you, I loved it . . . he was a real showman even then.

[TheMase]

Apparently they didn't see much more improvement in him.
Thats what I was told ...