- Sep 7, 2015
- 16,156
- 38,090
- AFL Club
- Tasmania
We didn't enter the draft until pick 26 which we used to pick up a small forward named Toby Mclean. Wizard17, our club draft expert was a huge Mclean fan so I'd imagine most of this board would have been rapt with the pickup. After that we grabbed Lukas Webb, a mid 180cms midfielder. After that we picked up Hamilton at pick 39, apparently he is some relation to some old footballer so I dunno how everyone felt about that. Pick 45 was the baby-faced Bailey Dale, another forward prospect. Straight after that we grabbed Caleb Daniel, I imagine to the shock of other teams and spectators of the draft. Standing at just 4 and a half foot tall, no one expected Daniel to be seriously looked at. But Beveridge saw something in him that was more important than his lack of height. And finally with pick 62 we grabbed Brian Cordy's other son, Zaine. With both of the Cordy bros now secured our future was looking bright.
Outside of the draft we grabbed Joel Hamling as a free agent and traded a late pick downgrade for the notorious Shane Biggs. For rookies we grabbed Roarke Smith and a few others who are no longer with us. less than three years after that draft, here's how it played out.
Mclean: Is now a premiership player and a top 5-10 player in our side. Started out playing mostly forward but has now become one of our most damaging midfielders. Accumulates possession, uses the ball brilliantly, runs hard, tackles well, is composed and kicks goals. If he's not an A grader yet then there's no doubt he will be considered one very soon.
Webb: Consistently been our best midfielder at VFL for a couple of years now. Is yet to transfer that dominance to AFL level where he has failed to make an impact from limited opportunity. Hard to assess where he is at because he's never been given a decent run at AFL level. Most are still optimistic that he can be a very good inside midfielder. Is known for having a devastating left boot.
Dale: Showed glimpses over his first two years but has really broken out this year as a good wing/forward who can win his own ball, is strong in the contest and has beautiful foot skills. What stands out the most to me is his ability to convert in front of goal. Has no problems with set shots from 50m or crumbing snaps around the body. Has cemented his spot in our 22.
Daniel: Premiership player, top 5 midfielder in our team. One of the most damaging players in the entire competition. The combination of his decision making, precise skills and incredibly slick ball handling is unrivalled. He is an accumulator and surprisingly strong in the contest for his size. Frequently wins games off his own boot and puts in BoG performances. Incredible development from a kid his age and is a genuine A grader.
Cordy: Became the premiership CHF in his 9th(?) AFL game. What more can I say? Has become a general in our backline. Is the obvious successor to Morris' throne. Strong in the air, very agile, very mobile, attacks the contest like a maniac and has a lot of mongrel in him. A fan favourite.
Hamilton: Has failed to earn a shot at playing seniors so far. Probably doesn't make it.
Hamling: Premiership hero. Was a solid defender for two years and then played an unbelievable finals series which resulted in a flag. He was a very vital cog in that long-awaited premiership and would be handy to have this year. Sadly, the lure of big money and returning home was too strong for us to keep him, but since we got him for nothing, a premiership and whatever pick he landed us from Freo was a good return.
Biggs: Well...where do I start on Biggs? First of all, he's simply the G.O.A.T.
My personal favourite living legend Bulldog football superstar of all time. The rightful Norm Smith medalist who was robbed not only of a Norm Smith last year but also of the Brownlow and our BnF. His statue will one day replace E.J.s at VUWO'. Long live the King.
The reason I was inspired to type up a short piece on the 2014 year of drafting and recruiting was because I noticed last week that with a lot of our superstar players currently a bit down on their game, the 2014 crop really took control and looked like the core of our side. There was one passage of play in particular where Daniel sharked a Kreuzer tap from a center bounce, passed it to Mclean, who then went to Bailey Dale for a goal, and I was just thinking about how important those guys have become. Not to mention Cordy and Shiggsy down back. The Macrae/Stringer/Hunter draft was pretty amazing but I'd argue that the 2014 draft was just as good and could end up being better.
Outside of the draft we grabbed Joel Hamling as a free agent and traded a late pick downgrade for the notorious Shane Biggs. For rookies we grabbed Roarke Smith and a few others who are no longer with us. less than three years after that draft, here's how it played out.
Mclean: Is now a premiership player and a top 5-10 player in our side. Started out playing mostly forward but has now become one of our most damaging midfielders. Accumulates possession, uses the ball brilliantly, runs hard, tackles well, is composed and kicks goals. If he's not an A grader yet then there's no doubt he will be considered one very soon.
Webb: Consistently been our best midfielder at VFL for a couple of years now. Is yet to transfer that dominance to AFL level where he has failed to make an impact from limited opportunity. Hard to assess where he is at because he's never been given a decent run at AFL level. Most are still optimistic that he can be a very good inside midfielder. Is known for having a devastating left boot.
Dale: Showed glimpses over his first two years but has really broken out this year as a good wing/forward who can win his own ball, is strong in the contest and has beautiful foot skills. What stands out the most to me is his ability to convert in front of goal. Has no problems with set shots from 50m or crumbing snaps around the body. Has cemented his spot in our 22.
Daniel: Premiership player, top 5 midfielder in our team. One of the most damaging players in the entire competition. The combination of his decision making, precise skills and incredibly slick ball handling is unrivalled. He is an accumulator and surprisingly strong in the contest for his size. Frequently wins games off his own boot and puts in BoG performances. Incredible development from a kid his age and is a genuine A grader.
Cordy: Became the premiership CHF in his 9th(?) AFL game. What more can I say? Has become a general in our backline. Is the obvious successor to Morris' throne. Strong in the air, very agile, very mobile, attacks the contest like a maniac and has a lot of mongrel in him. A fan favourite.
Hamilton: Has failed to earn a shot at playing seniors so far. Probably doesn't make it.
Hamling: Premiership hero. Was a solid defender for two years and then played an unbelievable finals series which resulted in a flag. He was a very vital cog in that long-awaited premiership and would be handy to have this year. Sadly, the lure of big money and returning home was too strong for us to keep him, but since we got him for nothing, a premiership and whatever pick he landed us from Freo was a good return.
Biggs: Well...where do I start on Biggs? First of all, he's simply the G.O.A.T.
My personal favourite living legend Bulldog football superstar of all time. The rightful Norm Smith medalist who was robbed not only of a Norm Smith last year but also of the Brownlow and our BnF. His statue will one day replace E.J.s at VUWO'. Long live the King.
The reason I was inspired to type up a short piece on the 2014 year of drafting and recruiting was because I noticed last week that with a lot of our superstar players currently a bit down on their game, the 2014 crop really took control and looked like the core of our side. There was one passage of play in particular where Daniel sharked a Kreuzer tap from a center bounce, passed it to Mclean, who then went to Bailey Dale for a goal, and I was just thinking about how important those guys have become. Not to mention Cordy and Shiggsy down back. The Macrae/Stringer/Hunter draft was pretty amazing but I'd argue that the 2014 draft was just as good and could end up being better.
