They played mostly as attacking defenders as juniors. We repurposed them into mids. If you want to rewrite history then go for it.
But you should take best available over List need, always. ALWAYS.
List balance is over rated and is somebody else’s job. Not the List manager. I don’t know who…… but definitely not Dodoro.
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he gone yet?
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if he had actually taken best available …
Here are a couple of posts I put some work into, which I thought could have a second life here, rather that a more ephemeral thread.
Now we have a decent coach, decent strategy and decent player development and hopefully soon better injury management, maybe we well be able to see how good Disco really has been post saga. My opinion is that he has really gone to another level and we will see the benefit from here on.
Players into the side since 2017 - 30 decent players I think
Have we really lost first draft picks - or have we snuck them back in the back door?
The above doesn’t take into account that Disco:
- Picked up Zerrett at pick 26 in 2013 - when we were apparently short changed in a trade for Crameri with the Bulldogs, but in the end worked out for us, which was vital in the context of losing our first or second round draft picks that year to the saga.
- Again in the context of draft penalties knocking us to the end of the first round and no second round pick in 2014, and getting short changed for losing Paddy Ryder (pick 17 from AFL) to Port Adelaide - we got Langford at pick 17 and Laverde at pick 20. Sadly we lost Conor McKenna for nothing after picking him up as a category B. Incidentally we ended up with Gold Coast’s pick 8 in this draft in Peter Wright.
- In 2015 picked up Mason Redman at pick 30 which we got from the Melksham trade. We also picked up Walla with our 2nd round Rookie pick that year. Our crash and burn year that was 2015 gave us Parish at pick 4. Our draft picks for the Carlisle trade didn’t go as hoped, although Franga may have a career yet with the Swans and we actually got Weideman (who was pick 9 in this same draft) with the pick 37 that the Swans gave us)
- In 2016 we did well to pick up Jordan Ridley at pick 22, and picked out Draper as a Rookie in 2016, with not much more than a Youtube clip and only 9 months and 16 games of footy behind him (with the Reynella Wineflies and South Adelaide under 18’s ) in his entire life. Getting McGrath at pick one was an unintended bonus from the season long suspension of the 34.
So from the point of view of creating the future of this club, we are only Dyson Heppell away from a completely post saga club, with no one left from the 2012 draft with Joe the only one still playing AFL (at least we have Archie Perkins to show for Joe’s departure).
In reality with this new coach and administration we are only just emerging from the saga and I think the only area where we hadn’t dropped the ball before now was recruitment. One thing we never really did in the past was have players move on and get compensation, the saga created an environment where this did happen, which helped us build a better team for the future, and the future is now.
My take is that this is the year we begin to see that in a way the saga has been the making of him as a recruiter, and the results are about to show at last.
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Sack DUDoro!!
I’m not sure it’s just the skinny build.
Dodo picks players with uncontested games, highlight reels full of exploding out of packs (without being tackled), taking uncontested possessions and flying across packs to take marks.
Hes not picking a full forward that is a contested pack beast. Or a mid thats a tackling machine.
Hobbs says hello
Let’s discuss all his other picks, not just the 3 or 4 good ones.
Great post. I agree entirely and it’s good to see good analysis with context of the headwinds list management has faced the last decade. Importantly you shine a light on how successful list management have been in rebuilding the post saga list despite the draft penalties, all whilst navigating a backdrop of a club lurching from crisis to crisis which has forced the team to constantly recalibrate and reset mid stream.
As I’ve said for a long time, I look forward to seeing what unfolds with this current list with a high performance environment supporting their growth and development, something not afforded to them until at least 2023. Critical last step is addressing and seeing proof the injury management and conditioning performance has materially improved.
I have no doubt if the injury situation is sorted out, we have the talent to win finals. The work ahead for list management from here is to round out the remaining list holes & building the foundations beneath for sustained success.
A long way to go. We will lose games and our emotional first thought will be to say our players are hopeless and we’ve failed in recruitment. However, riding out the bumps the next 24 months will see us hopefully emerge a strong, talented and finals winning side. We just need to see through the next two years and hope the club environment is of a high caliber to support this evolution.
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So does Voss.
name one super star of the competition dodoro has picked that wasn’t a father son?
You never win them all, but adding an average of 2 to 3 decent players to the best 22 each year is enough to build a good side.
I think overall that Disco has been exceeding that in building the current side.
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Really? What exactly do you base that on? History actually shows that the genuine good sides are built around drafting some stand out talents in close drafts that have them peaking around the same time. Geelong for example drafted Corey, Chapman, Ling, Enright, Bartel, Kelly, Johnson & Ablett over 3 drafts plus some decent players like Rooke & Hunt - that was the foundation for 3 flags. Richmond picked up Reiwoldt, Cotchin, Edwards, Rance, Martin, Grimes & Astbury from 2006-09.
When exactly do you believe Dodo has done anything comparable to the above or even by your own standards exceeded getting 2-3 decent players in year? 2006 would have to be his best draft return with McGrath, Ridley & Draper.
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I think we need a change, but I think the draft/trade strategy has been a moving target since the saga in all fairness.
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I’m surprised this is still an active thread, I mean what more can we even say on this matter.
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But the SAGA!!!
Bringing in best 22 players doesn’t really mean anything. It’s all about having a balanced list. I feel we have a very even list, but very little star power in there.
you’re happy with the list but you don’t expect us to be any good until 2026? we sacked the coach last year not the players nor the list manager. the only player we’ve traded out over the past two offseasons has been Francis. it’s the same list of players. why the reset of expectations on where the list is at just because of the new coach?