Coffeechill
Debutant
I mean, obviously being the Number One draft pick carries some sort of merit but I can't understand the hoopla these journos and media types create when they ask questions like "Who's going to go Number One IN this years draft?" "Naitanui or Rich- who will it be?"
The reason I ask is that I think Numero Uno is a curse. I think I heard somewhere that Luke Hodge was the first number one draft pick to win a premiership! It doesn't surprise me actually when you have a draft system that rewards the pooparama teams and punishes those that have actually done well. Don't get me wrong, there needs to be some way of creating an equilibrium- a balance of some sort between the Melbournes and Hawthorns of the competition. I just don't see why anyone would WANT to be Number 1.
I, for one, feel sorry for either Daniel Rich or Naitanui. They get picked up #1 by Melbourne, they're going to a club that is highly unlikely to win a flag for at least a decade, has the worst crowd figures in the AFL (terrible media exposure for a young gun superstar) and has in-fighting amongst the board members and is overall an unstable club. If fate were kind she'd reward players who've excelled enough to be picked Number 1 to get some sort of reward for being the best young player of that year. Instead Naitanui or Rich are going to end up a Demon and (likely) never taste premiership glory. While players like James Hird (who I THINK was picked somewhere in the vicinity of 79 in the draft) go on and win 2 premierships, a brownlow and become one of the games greatest ever players.
I'm not calling for change to the system I just think the media needs to stop giving so much credit to the Number One draft pick because his career, at least in terms of accolades, is pretty much doomed.
The reason I ask is that I think Numero Uno is a curse. I think I heard somewhere that Luke Hodge was the first number one draft pick to win a premiership! It doesn't surprise me actually when you have a draft system that rewards the pooparama teams and punishes those that have actually done well. Don't get me wrong, there needs to be some way of creating an equilibrium- a balance of some sort between the Melbournes and Hawthorns of the competition. I just don't see why anyone would WANT to be Number 1.
I, for one, feel sorry for either Daniel Rich or Naitanui. They get picked up #1 by Melbourne, they're going to a club that is highly unlikely to win a flag for at least a decade, has the worst crowd figures in the AFL (terrible media exposure for a young gun superstar) and has in-fighting amongst the board members and is overall an unstable club. If fate were kind she'd reward players who've excelled enough to be picked Number 1 to get some sort of reward for being the best young player of that year. Instead Naitanui or Rich are going to end up a Demon and (likely) never taste premiership glory. While players like James Hird (who I THINK was picked somewhere in the vicinity of 79 in the draft) go on and win 2 premierships, a brownlow and become one of the games greatest ever players.
I'm not calling for change to the system I just think the media needs to stop giving so much credit to the Number One draft pick because his career, at least in terms of accolades, is pretty much doomed.