No, absolutely I was mistaken about Stewart. I’ve always seen him as a tall intercepting mark but he’s clearly listed as a half back flanker. I’m definitely wrong
I just don’t know why it is derailing the discussion. I started with a qu on why we would pick Cox with a top 10 pick to ultimately play him as a KPD after playing him on a wing. It just seems a risky, poorly thought out development plan and waste of a pick when so many really good KPDs are picked up as trades, eg Allir Allir… and all the others I, and Tagger, have listed.
Yes, Stewart is not one - got it. There’s still plenty of examples
I’d be interested to know where the kid feels most comfortable. Thought I heard an interview pre draft where he thought he was hoping to play CHB before covid ruined his draft year.
I understand he doesn’t have the strength to play that role currently but if that is his long term position then maybe we could try him off half back.
If we are in a rebuild like I keep reading in here then we should be able to move out Heppell and give Cox a go in that role.
On the one hand, talls do take longer to develop. So you could strategically draft to get your midfield right, and then once it’s humming, steal good key position players from other sides after they have spent their years do their development.
Hawks (maybe not deliberately) clearly benefited from such an approach. Same as the Dees recently. They got the midfield right first in the draft and then built on the spine later
But on the other hand, when you’re a poor list like ours, you probably just need to get as much talent on the list as possible. Just take the best available talent and ignore positions just to get as many A graders as possible. Then after years, you see where they fit and then trade for needs later.
So for that reason, I like the Cox draft choice. In 2020 our list was poor everywhere. Let’s be honest. You just take the best talent and then take it from there.
I didn’t say anything about midfielders being cheap.
Trading in good players - regardless of position - isn’t cheap.
I just don’t think you should avoid using first rounders on KPD’s because you can just ‘trade them in anyway.’ If they are any good, they’ll cost just as much if not more in the trade.
This a fair point… didn’t know they paid that much for Lever.
Still, West Coast got McGovern and Barrass for picks in the 40s… Just think there are plenty of ways to build a spine behind of centre that doesnt involve 1st Rd picks
Can see @Paul_Peos has mentioned the trading cost but, yep, it does seem that good KPD (actually, defenders in general) are found with later picks more often than other positions… possible exception being small fwd.
I’m not sure whether it’s a role that can be taught more easily (play coming to you and more reactionary), or whether clubs just haven’t valued it as highly.
As for using high picks, it’s certainly not that rare. Last year had 1 in top 10 and 3 in top 20.
Year before had 2 top 10 (not including Cox) and 3 in top 20, year before that was 1 and 1. Weitering went #1, Hurley at 5.
On to Cox specifically… I don’t think he was drafted as a KPD. He was drafted as an athletic tall, with a big tank, and solid footskills on both sides.
His skillset has just meant he can get, and likely impact, AFL games earlier than most KPP draftees, just in a different role.
If it pays off, he’ll be a massive weapon between the 50s. If it doesn’t, he’ll be a roaming CHF 50 AFL games ahead of most of his peers.
A lot more weight to pack on the 18 year olds which takes time.
Also mids can be blooded through the flanks or wings to ease them into the pace of the game, which you can’t do for talls. Easier for an 18 year old to play on no particular opponent compared to being a key position player and having to directly play on men
Theres always going to be exceptions, if you want to make a case that talls dont take longer you should compare talls to smalls in the same draft years and show the results.