Chances Are
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AFLW 2024 - Round 9 - Indigenous Round - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
Resource 2024 AFL Draft discussion thread (Wed Nov 20 to Fri Nov 22)
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- Aug 9, 2019
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You couldn't be more wrong!
Rendell might have been head recruiter but Hamish had a lot to do with us drafting Dangerfield.
Recruiting Files: Dangerfield
National Recruiting Manager Hamish Ogilvie recalls Patrick Dangerfield's unique draft story
National Recruiting Manager Hamish Ogilvie recalls Patrick Dangerfield's unique draft story.
The Crows recruiting staff were familiar with Patrick Dangerfield after seeing him in action for Victoria Country at the Under-16 National Championships in 2006, but the first indication that he could be a prospective draft target came in March, 2007. Dangerfield was selected in the AIS-AFL Academy intake and was involved in a game against WAFL club, West Perth …
“Before the AIS-AFL team went on a tour of South Africa in ‘07’, they played a game against West Perth in Perth. The AIS boys got absolutely monstered. They were so intimidated playing against men. Patty Dangerfield and Daniel Rich were the exceptions. They were the only ones who handled playing the bigger bodies and they were two of the youngest – Patty would’ve been 16-years-old turning 17 and Rich wasn’t even eligible to be drafted that year.
“Patty hadn’t played against men before like some country kids, who play seniors at a young age, but he adapted really well. He received a tick from us that day … we thought, ‘this bloke’s okay’.”
After returning from South Africa, Dangerfield lined-up for TAC Cup team, Geelong Falcons, and was also selected to represent Vic Country as a ‘bottom-ager’ at the Under-18 National Championships. The skinny 17-year-old was a far different player to the one we know today …
“That year, Patty played in defence a lot. He played on good players and played really tight – sometimes too tight. We were thinking, ‘We want this bloke to attack a bit more and show us what he’s got’, but most of the time he didn’t. He just stayed on his opponent especially at the Champs.”
Dangerfield progressed from being “okay” to a near-draft certainty after Ogilvie and co. saw him play a few more times in ‘07’ …
“The AIS team played another game against a WAFL side, this time Swan Districts at Leederville Oval. I can remember the game vividly … even where we were sitting to watch. Swan Districts weren’t quite as good as West Perth, but they still had quite a few men in their side.
“There was this kid, Dangerfield, just running with the ball up and down the wing. Matty Rendell and I looked at each other, smiled and started laughing.
“From that moment on, we knew we wanted to pick Patty if we had the chance.
“There was another occasion that stands out in my mind and I still tease Patty about it today. I was watching him play out at Dandenong one day. It’s a pretty small ground and it gets really windy.
“Patty was doing the kick-ins and he kicked three-in-a-row out on the full, straight into the cars. It was like the ground couldn’t contain his kick, but he just didn’t read the wind very well. On a normal ground, the kicks probably would’ve been okay down the boundary line, but these blew out.
“The thing I loved was that when it came time for the fourth kick-in, Patty grabbed the ball again and was prepared to give it another go. He’d made three big howlers, but he wasn’t frightened to try again … he hit the fourth kick perfectly. He got another tick that day for showing he had balls of steel and wasn’t worried about making mistakes.”
So, Dangerfield wasn’t perfect, but he had something special …
“Patty didn’t have a standout year in ‘07’ by any means, but he did some really good things. He’d showed he wasn’t worried about making a few blues, that he had a defensive side to his game and was prepared to play on an opponent.
“Maybe, we just saw him on the right days. At that stage, Matty and I had a thing about wanting to draft blokes with a bit of ‘X-factor’. We had a lot of guys in a similar mould in a structured system and we wanted to add a bit more speed and spunk to compliment the group.
“Patty certainly fit the criteria. We saw him becoming a big, powerful midfielder and a good finals player – he had finals qualities.”
The last step was getting the promising star in front of then-coach Neil Craig …
“Towards the end of the year, Matty Rendell went to Moggs Creek late at night and spent three or four hours with Patty, and his parents John and Janette, at his grandmother’s house. Then Matty drove back home along the Great Ocean Road. You could tell right away they were a quality family of great character.
“By the time the Draft Camp rolled around, we really liked Patty and wanted him to spend some time with Neil. I can remember sitting in the indoor soccer field at the AIS in Canberra. There were five or six of us sitting in a half circle. Patty was in front of us and he just talked.
“We didn’t really ask him any questions. He told us how it was. He intelligently explained about himself, why he wanted to stay at school in 2008 and wouldn’t be coming to Adelaide right away. He’d also done some research and knew Neil’s background and bit about our Club.
“He was so prepared. It was like he was going to a job interview as a General Manager or something. He basically held court for 25 minutes.
“Then we were done. We didn’t need to talk to him again after that.”
Adelaide pounced on draft day, selecting Dangerfield with Pick No.10 …
“We had Patty really high on our draft list.
“We thought we’d get him at No.10 because the other clubs that had showed interest were picking a bit after us. Melbourne was going to be a threat, but they had a later pick (No.14, eventually used to select Jack Grimes).
“It was talked up that way, but it was never Patrick Dangerfield versus Brad Ebert for us. We rated Brad highly, but Patrick was just a little bit higher. Brad of course went to West Coast with pick No.13.
“Cyril Rioli (who went to Hawthorn at pick No.12) was a real debate for us. We all loved him. I’d coached him at the AIS. We rated him right up there. Matty and I had a great interview with Cyril at school during the year. We spent a good two hours talking, just the three of us. In the second interview at Draft Camp, Cyril wasn’t very enthusiastic and we were left with the impression he didn’t want to come to Adelaide, or leave Melbourne. We still rated him really highly.
“In the end it’s worked out well for everyone; for us and Patty, for Brad and for Cyril.”
2007 AFL National Draft, Top 20
1. Matthew Kreuzer (Carlton) – priority selection
2. Trent Cotchin (Richmond)
3. Chris Masten (West Coast)
4. Cale Morton (Melbourne)
5. Jarrad Grant (Western Bulldogs)
6. David Myers (Essendon)
7. Rhys Palmer (Fremantle)
8. Lachie Henderson (Brisbane)
9. Ben McEvoy (St Kilda)
10. Patrick Dangerfield (Adelaide)
11. Patrick Veszpremi (Sydney)
12. Cyril Rioli (Hawthorn)
13. Brad Ebert (West Coast)
14. Jack Grimes (Melbourne)
15. Robbie Tarrant (North Melbourne)
16. Matthew Lobbe (Port Adelaide)
17. Harry Taylor (Geelong)
18. Alex Rance (Richmond) – priority selection
19. Callan Ward (Western Bulldogs)
20. Tony Notte (West Coast)
But almost a decade ago, when 17-year-old Dangerfield was plying his trade for the Geelong Falcons, the trademark runs were spasmodic.
It goes some way to explaining how nine clubs passed on the Moggs Creek junior at the 2007 national draft. There were other “bargains” in the same lucky dip — Cyril Rioli at pick 12, Harry Taylor at 17 and Alex Rance a pick later.
Scott Clayton, recruiting manager for the Bulldogs at the time, summed it up this way. “As a 17-year-old, Patrick Dangerfield definitely showed some explosive pace, but there were some long periods of not much,” Clayton said.
“His Vic Country stuff wasn’t drop-dead outstanding. He really wasn’t an obvious top-10 pick and could have gone at 20.”
That’s where then Adelaide recruiting manager Matt Rendell comes into the picture. The former Fitzroy ruckman was in his first year as Adelaide recruiting boss and naturally enough was feeling the pressure.
He and his recruiting team, which included current Crows list boss Hamish Ogilvie, were excited by the young guns on offer in that 2007 draft.
There was an excitement machine from Scotch College, the aforementioned Rioli, the player Rendell thought would become the best in that draft, but someone who may or may not be happy to stay living away from his home in the Northern Territory.
Playing alongside Dangerfield at Geelong Falcons was a versatile key position player named Lachie Henderson; the youngest Selwood in Scott, or “Scooter”, was showing typical family traits up Bendigo way and from Swan Districts in Perth, Alex Rance was raw but promising.
I followed him during the year and to be fair, he wasn’t super ... but you could see the competitive side.
Matt Rendall
Then there was a hard-nut midfielder from the Western Jets named Callan Ward, and if Rendell wanted the local factor, he need look no further than Port Adelaide lad Brad Ebert.
But there was something about the kid from Moggs Creek with a name that implied exciting things could happen on field, so he and Ogilvie put some more time into Dangerfield.
Rendell had seen him playing with the AIS in Perth prior to a trip to South Africa in 2007. It was a game where the boys played the men, a Perth side with Troy Cook leading the way in putting it to the upstarts.
Dangerfield didn’t do anything special in terms of getting the ball but nor at any stage did he, nor a teammate named Daniel Rich, take a backward step.
So Rendell knew the kid was tough, even if he didn’t seem to win a lot of possession.
And how to get him to win more possession was the issue because Rendell couldn’t use a pick 10 in his first draft on a player who excited the fans a few times a game while collecting 15 possessions.
“So I followed him during the year and to be fair, he wasn’t super,” Rendell said.
“He was averaging something like 14 possies playing as a half-back and back pocket where he was very conscious of his man. But you could see the competitive side.
“Near the end of the year I said to Hamish (Ogilvie) we have to see this bloke play in the midfield. They (Geelong Falcons) were seventh or eighth before the finals. I got Hamish to ring the club and ask could he play in the midfield, which the Falcons agreed to.
“Then I asked Hamish to go to the game and to ring me with an assessment of how the midfield move was working. Well he rang all right, and said he was outstanding.
“He might have only played a quarter or so and had about 12 possessions but Hamish said it was the best 12 you will ever see.
“The next week he had about 26 in the midfield in their last home-and-away game for the year.
They were brilliant possessions and very few recruiters were there to see him live. They would have seen the video but in this industry you have to see them live. You get very nervous about picking someone if you haven’t seen them in person.
“The problem was, by winning the last game the Falcons got to play in the first final the next week at Visy — so I thought we were stuffed because everyone would see him.
“But from memory they played him halfback where he played well, but it wasn’t the same as when he was in the midfield.
“Importantly they lost the game so there was no more exposure. I remember saying, ‘That’s gold Hamish, pure gold’.”
Did I know he would return home? Yes, I knew he would go back at some stage, so seven years with Adelaide was a good result.
Matt Rendall
Then it became a matter of Dangerfield getting through to 10 to provide Adelaide with a midfielder who could hopefully freshen an ageing midfield with Mark Ricciuto announcing his retirement and Simon Goodwin and Tyson Edwards nearing the end.
A bonus for the Crows was the fact that Dangerfield — a 17-year-old in the last year that age was eligible to be drafted — had made it clear he would complete Year 12 at Oberon High in Geelong.
That put clubs off but Rendell was lucky to have a coach in Neil Craig who was happy to wait.
“Paddy went to the draft camp where he was a brilliant interview, speaking like he does today, and telling everyone he was going to stay at school, which I thought was the right thing for him to do,” Rendell said.
“VFL Victoria, to their credit, allowed him to play the next year in the TAC Cup. I think there had been a precedent a year or two earlier with the Sydney Swans.
“He basically took the p-ss out of the TAC Cup competition because he was so far ahead of his rivals.
“I heard there might have been a phone call to the Falcons saying you have to get this bloke out of the midfield because he’s already been picked, so he’s taking up a midfield spot.
“He kicked eight one game. I was just happy he could play in a great competition with a really good club in the Geelong Falcons.”
Dangerfield also played two games for the Crows late that year — in Rounds 20-21.
In 2009, his first full season, he played 21 matches, leading the club in hardball gets, signifying the arrival of the Danger man.
Rendell said he always knew the call of the Surf Coast would eventually prevail, but the risk was worth the outlay.
“Did I know he would return home? Yes, I knew he would go back at some stage, so seven years with Adelaide was a good result,” he said.
During the draft camp interview Rendell wanted to test Dangerfield’s confidence, so he asked him if he thought he was capable of going head-to-head with Trent Cotchin, who was widely acknowledged as the best midfielder of that year.
“Paddy looked at me and said ‘Of course I can’. There was nothing arrogant about it, just total self-belief.
“Then I asked, ‘Could Cotchin play on you in the midfield?’. He replied ‘No’ with real certainty.
“If you see his comments after he was drafted they were something like, ‘Once I get the ball I can run and carry it and once I get going, I’m hard to stop’. He certainly got that right.”
- Jul 6, 2017
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Totally agree. Just saying if they are set on him i think you don't use 4 and try to cut a deal for pick 6 and do it, but yep you are right and i hope we just don't get cute
- Jul 6, 2017
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If the comparison for smith is butters level...i am all for him
I think that the comparison is style, not quality (like Langford with the Bont).
Although Smith is far better rated than Butters at the same age.
Which ever way we go, I hope we get footage of the "war room" when it's time for our pick.
Or even a shot of the whiteboard after we've selected
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Butters might have been too at U18's level but he also played a fair bit forward.
Chances Are
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Jagga reminds me of Pendles skills. That agility is top class. If it came down to picking between Lalor, Fos and Jagga it would be so hard. I think I would still take Jagga over Lalor with FOS a close 3rd. Sam in our side would be another Rankine, Rachele type player.
Are we over correcting past mistakes by going bid mids on every occasion nowYeah this, I’d be okay with Jagga then Draper too
But the Langford rumours are definitely growing
All I’ll say about Langford is be careful underestimating him
Go watch his champs games ( any of them ) or his Coates league games ( any of them )
Sensational season against great quality opponents
My one and only concern with Langford is that he is a bit similar to what we already have down our left side. Dawson, Curtin, Hinge all big bodied left footers with reasonable but not express pace.
Just think Draper or Smith offer us a point of difference to our current mix.
I’m not against taking him. Combining him with curtin, and then the smaller types, rankine, soligo, rachelle, Taylor etc
Yep, feels weird. We’re very rarely in this position
True but within 3 years will he be too similar ?
In early picks you have to take best talent as need to look on medium to long term basis
Not saying he’s my first choice , just don’t underestimate him
I reckon Dawson will be playing half back in 3 years time, with stints on ball.
Actually think Smith will be a solid but fairly vanilla player. The player I'm shocked has slipped out of the conversation is Smilie. Just feel like he almost prototype modern midfielder.
I'd be happier with Langford than Draper but from the conversations I've had recently I'm pretty sure we take Sid if he's there at our pick.
Yeah interesting I had Smillie as likely #1 with FOS coming into season but thought he was a bit disappointing this season , didn’t prove himself as a midfielder this year in my opinion , good player no doubt but not sure he will be a full time A grade mid
Fair call re Sid v Langford , I have them very close so can see that opinion , reckon you’re right that club will take Sid over Langford
Funnily enough, the lad who looks like an absolute natural mid in Smilies team is Cody Anderson. Just knows where the drop of the ball is. Bit of Zac Taylor about him. A club could do worse than pick that kid up late imo.
- Oct 11, 2012
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Only 19 days to the most interesting draft ever
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