Hawks' class of 2005 starts to make the grade

[jazz]

Hawks' class of 2005 starts to make the grade
Jon Ralph | May 22, 2009 12:00am

HAWTHORN'S 2005 draft will never match the remarkable Roughead-Franklin-Lewis haul from the previous season, but it is turning up several comeback stories.
While No. 6 selection Beau Dowler has finally overcome a broken pelvis to cement a spot in the backline, he has nothing on No. 22 pick Beau Muston.

The 22-year-old has had three knee reconstructions.

After two VFL reserves games and a pair of matches in the VFL seniors, the dynamic midfielder will make his AFL debut on the wing against Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday.

Muston suffered his most recent injury during the 2008 pre-season.

Hawthorn knew Muston had had one knee reconstruction before it drafted him.

But the graft did not take and he needed another year on the sidelines.

Muston was exceptional in his first senior VFL game two weeks ago against Collingwood's VFL side.

"It is a testament to his dedication in rehabilitation," Hawthorn football manager Mark Evans said last night.

"It hasn't been an easy journey for him, even in the year following him being drafted.

"For him to get through all of that is fantastic. It will give us a lift, for sure.

"We only told him this afternoon after selection, and he was pretty excited to be given an opportunity. It's been a long time coming."

And a third member of that draft is also on the comeback trail.

Max Bailey's knee has buckled under him twice, most recently last year, but the No. 18 pick is in full training.

For Muston, just playing any level of football again is a triumph, let alone forcing his way into the seniors after only a month of football this year.

He seems to have lost none of his speed and intensity on the training track, and the Hawks have high hopes for him.

"He has got some really good physical attributes," Evans said.

"He is a good mark and a good runner, so he's got some good qualities for a running player, whether he plays midfield or half-back or half-forward."

Hawthorn says Bailey could still be an elite ruckman, while Dowler has made rapid gains in the past month.

Dowler has always had potential as a tall forward with a huge tank, but he looked shaky when he broke into the side this year in defence.

He has got better every week and has looked assured and poised in the past fortnight.

The selection of Xavier Ellis at No. 3 and Grant Birchall at No. 14 in the 2005 draft means it will always be one to remember for Hawthorn.

But with Muston and Dowler finally on track, it could be something much more special.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25519607-19742,00.html

 

[50metres]

Thank you Jazz, I was unaware or simply forgotten that they all came from the same draft, which in years to come I would think will be seen as a masterstroke. you see taking a risk on an injured player can obviously backfire, but if it works out not only do you get a player with alot of potential at a lower pick but you also allow all draft picks to mature over a staggered time frame instead of all at once.

The benefit of which is that you get to introduce them slowly into a stable team, without any repercussions or player respite.

I Hope that makes sence as its too early in the morning for me.

 

[B&GBlood]

I recon the chances taken on injured boys could foster enormous loyalty in return to the club, similarly rookies that have been overlooked elsewhere might just a little bit grateful for their chance.

I hope for Max's and both Beaus' sakes their bodies give them the chance to find out if they are good enough to play AFL.


I am very glad to be going to the G sunday to see both Beaus for the first time.

Go Hawks

 

[50metres]

I recon the chances taken on injured boys could foster enormous loyalty in return to the club

Go Hawks

You would like to think so, but the injured cat comes to mind, Prismall was it?
but I believe his lack of opportunity was his decision to leave the club and go to Essendon, something I believe would have happened to our own draft choices in 2005 had we have taken 5 fully fit players in that draft.

 

[noosa hawk mad]

If Bailey & Muston come on we will have a fantastic strike rate in the last 4 years of drafting hats of to the Club & all involved!

 

[Leather Poisoning]

Does this mean we're all happy with Dowler now??

But let's keep a lid on it - the kid hasn't played a single minute of AFL footy yet. I'm pumped for him, but I'll still be damn proud if he finishes the game with only a handball and a clanger kick and 4 free kicks against.

Then again he could kick 4 goals, lay 16 tackles and get a lazy 25 kicks. Who knows?

 

[Boyler_Room]

Great news for Muston, the class of 2005 will soon be re-united all things going well.

Xavier was under an injury cloud when we picked him up as well I seem to remember.

 

[hawkstars]

I'd be absolutley rapped for him if he comes through well and does a few good things. Go Beau and good luck mate.

 

[hawkhanlumist]

i promised myself that i wouldn't get too excited about it; you know, just hoping that he plays a role and gets the feel of senior footy. but these threads are really working me up. I am really looking forward to sunday arvo now. good luck to beau. all the best mate. we're right behind ya.

 

[Philhawk]

I must admit, come early 2007 - I thought we'd ****ed up this draft.

Great to see me proven wrong!

 

[carntheroos4eva]

I am rapt that he's in the team at last. He's one of my favourite players.
So good luck to him

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Would just like him to come through with no injuries. A dozen touches and a few tackles would be a bonus.

Best of luck Beau.

 

[Boyler_Room]

I must admit, come early 2007 - I thought we'd ****ed up this draft.

Great to see me proven wrong!

I guess it was always going to take longer for these guys as they all had injury interrupted starts. Dowler with the forward line stacked as well.

I think the premiership for last year takes the sting out of it and now that they have had the time they needed hopefully it's time to reap the rewards.

 

[DannyJ]

I was very worried at the mid 2007 aswell. Ellis looked an OK player- nothing more, and Birchall looked well, exceptional as always. However the rest looked shot.

Ellis- Looks like he will be elite. Have to be happy he fell to 3 now considering he has the skills and is tough as nails. Can't wait till' he returns fully fit and match fit. A big 2nd half to 09'.

Dowler- Didn't even looked like he could be a good VFL player. Still has a massive way to go, but for the first time ever, I think he might make it. Don't want to get to exited, but he looks like he has the tools. Has to demand Gilham's possie if Stevie G doesn't recover. Croad will be back.

Bailey- Lets be honest, still has a massive way to go. Has played 5 minutes in a year almost two years. At least he is in full training and needs to play the 2nd half of the season at Box Hill with an aim of giving him 2 or 3 mathces for us resting a Campbell/Taylor before finals (like we did last year). Who knows he could do a Renouf and stay.

Muston- Thought he was gone when he did his knee vs. Adelaide. Beau proved me wrong and fought his way back. Again, with Dowler, has a long way to go, but they have given the fans fresh hope.


Tuck- Looks very handy. Will be a player, eventually.


Overall, they haven't 'made the grade'. However we have great hope over the next 18 months for them to become established players. Alot more hope than what we had at the start of the 2009 season. At this time, Dowler looked like he would never be good enough to break into our team. Muston & Bailey has huge ??? whether they would return playing football. B2 has at least made sure he will debut. Now it's time Dowler makes a spot in the backline his own, whilst Beau takes Crawfs' spot.

Max will be our No.1 ruckman next year if he doesn't have a hiccup.

....and nnow to the o6' draft. Get off your arse Thorp and demand a position in our forward line amongst Franklin and Roughead. If everything went to script, we will be bloody hard to beat. Exited. Yet worried I am about these players over the next 12-18 months.

 

[HFC082]

Max Bailey is a monster.

[YOUTUBE]Qm0y1mL-m2o[/YOUTUBE]

 

[EIGHTYEIGHTEIGHTYNINE]

Succession Planning all going beautifully in my little head.

In broad terms, I view 2008 as the fruition of the 2001 draft added to the remnants of the 2001 list. Had significant help from precocious picks impacting before their time(Buddy, Roughie, Lewis -2004) (Ellis, Birch - 2005) (Cyril -2007) plus 2007 topup (Dew).

2002 and 2003 were wasted drafts (club thought the list was close enough)

This year and next the rest of the 2005 draft class should start to make its mark, plus precocious 2007 pick (Whitecross). [2009/10]

The year after that the 2006 draft should be primed to deliver (Thorp, Morton, Renouf).
[2011]

Two years after that the 2008 draft (Schoenmakers, Shiels, maybe Lisle). [2013]

The remaining 2008 picks seemed more speculative, designed to develop later and help ease the intake dropoff due to concessions to GC then WS. This should be greatly assisted by Sydney scholarship picks (Sierakowski, Stubbs, Langford, Kickett).

A strike rate of 3 regulars from each draft would probably be the norm, added to by successful rookie picks and now scholarship picks. In view of that, the 2005 draft has the potential to be our most successful ever.

 

[Clinic]

@ 88,89 - excellent analysis.

 

[Hodges]

Max Bailey is a monster.

[YOUTUBE]Qm0y1mL-m2o[/YOUTUBE]

Thats the first footage ive ever seen of Big Max in action. I hope he can get over his injuries, would be a great achievement for him.

Literally cannot wait to watch Musto run out on sunday, im rapt for him.

 

[grizzlym]

I remember an Age reporter writing a synopsis of Hawthorn's 2005 draft picks saying that while a couple of the choices were speculative due to injury concerns - B1 and B2 - we snared some potentially great players. The gist being that if they came good, Hawks would be very well off.

Muston was a huge gamble to take so high - apparently no other club was willing to go near him at that stage of the draft. Having 5 picks so early gave us the leeway to grab Muston, and when he comes good, he will be the icing on the cake.

Exciting times.

 

[grizzlym]

Succession Planning all going beautifully in my little head.

In broad terms, I view 2008 as the fruition of the 2001 draft added to the remnants of the 2001 list. Had significant help from precocious picks impacting before their time(Buddy, Roughie, Lewis -2004) (Ellis, Birch - 2005) (Cyril -2007) plus 2007 topup (Dew).

2002 and 2003 were wasted drafts (club thought the list was close enough)

This year and next the rest of the 2005 draft class should start to make its mark, plus precocious 2007 pick (Whitecross). [2009/10]

The year after that the 2006 draft should be primed to deliver (Thorp, Morton, Renouf).
[2011]

Two years after that the 2008 draft (Schoenmakers, Shiels, maybe Lisle). [2013]

The remaining 2008 picks seemed more speculative, designed to develop later and help ease the intake dropoff due to concessions to GC then WS. This should be greatly assisted by Sydney scholarship picks (Sierakowski, Stubbs, Langford, Kickett).

A strike rate of 3 regulars from each draft would probably be the norm, added to by successful rookie picks and now scholarship picks. In view of that, the 2005 draft has the potential to be our most successful ever.

Well articulated. Good insights.
I hope more of our clan read this, paying particular attention to the projected 'time of impact'. The salient point being: drafting is about looking at the teams' needs years down the track. And we can't expect all players to make immediate impacts for a variety of reasons - it takes time and our club has built that into their planning.

 

[EIGHTYEIGHTEIGHTYNINE]

drafting is about looking at the teams' needs years down the track. And we can't expect all players to make immediate impacts for a variety of reasons - it takes time and our club has built that into their planning.

Especially true for KPPs who obviously need to develop sufficient size/strength without compromising their athleticism or football development (taking numerous training years).

Midfielders have a much greater chance of impacting early.

Our current backline woes reflect this. If we were to look to introduce a key defender from outside the current list for next year we have 3 choices

• Draft a youngster and wait 3+ years for them to "ripen"
• Trade for an established player (which likely means paying over the odds to lure the target (salary cap- although recent success helps) and to compensate the trade partner. In general term "topping up" which always compromises future planning.
• Recycle a discarded player or recruit a mature age player from a lower league (unlikely to be of the same calibre as above)

Much better if a succession of KPP prospects are recruited in a short timespan so that the likely KPP "gaps" are minimised as the group reaches its peak. Midfield gaps should theoretically be easier to accomodate given the faster maturing of recruits for these positions.

Of course then along will come a Joel Selwood as in the 06 draft and the dilemma becomes one of "best fit" versus "best available", but I am comfortable with the decision to pick Thorpy as I still reckon he could turn out to be a ripper, and to me the underlying rationale was sound.

As a child of the eighties it is unsettling to see that Essendon appear to have followed the same process (building the spine first) in recent drafts. To me they pose a greater long term threat than either Carlton or West Coast.

So long as we give them a few smashings along the way, I'll wear that!

 

[Jason Dunstall]

As a child of the eighties it is unsettling to see that Essendon appear to have followed the same process (building the spine first) in recent drafts. To me they pose a greater long term threat than either Carlton or West Coast.

So long as we give them a few smashings along the way, I'll wear that![/quote]


good post! I agree with the last bit & I think thats why that last loss hurt so much....

 

[grizzlym]

[/i]


Of course then along will come a Joel Selwood as in the 06 draft and the dilemma becomes one of "best fit" versus "best available", but I am comfortable with the decision to pick Thorpy as I still reckon he could turn out to be a ripper, and to me the underlying rationale was sound.

It must be noted that Selwood has turned out to be a freak in a couple of senses.

One: the pre-draft medical reports that prospect clubs did on him were (apparently) mostly negative. Today's Age has a story, or maybe it was yesterday's, that mentions that the Magpies were turned off Selwood for that reason. So he's managed to defy what was a reasonably pessimistic medical outlook and play completely unhindered, what's more he's barely missed a game!

And two: Selwood is a freakishly good footballer, who instantly adapted to league footy and dominated from the start. No one could have predicted that - guys like that are a rare breed. I watched him on Friday night and was all admiration. He's scarily good at his age.

So yeah, it's completely pointless to get 'all retrospective' about drafts and what 'we should have done'. We picked Thorp for a reason, he may or may not make it, but our strike rate is very good so I like to think he will, and the reasoning behind the selection is still valid.

My frustration is that the draft sets up unrealistic expectations of players, people get all comparative, and we lose sight of the fact that players, especially KPP, take a while to develop. I'd love to have Selwood, but not at the expense of the recruiting strategy that's got our club to where it is today.

 

[EIGHTYEIGHTEIGHTYNINE]

I agree with the last bit & I think thats why that last loss hurt so much....[/quote]

Yeah I truely love hating them. So much so that even watching them run over the top of Richmond got me shitty

 

[Splodge15]

Remember that we managed to get Stephen Gilham at pick 34 of the rookie draft and Ben McGlynn at pick 55 of the rookie draft in that year. 1 premiership key defender and 1 handy player.