I dont think this current list is ■■■■ house at all.
Yes we dont have that top end star power but to call the list ■■■■ house is very much glass half empty imo.
For the record I want Adrian gone and last year was banned 3 months on here for using some choice language when describing him lol. I just think the current list is quite good.
You’re new here aren’t you?
It’ll get louder as soon as there’s an article about him. And again when we lose a game. And go again when we lose multiple in a row.
It has nothing to do with ‘no point complaining any more’ because history doesn’t show it.
It is fair to say that all the negative topics (Dodoro, this club is ■■■■■■ thread, Hep, Kelly, Laverde, why isn’t Martin on the farking wing, etc) are quiet when things are going well even though the issue is still there. It’s when things aren’t going well that the loud posters go into overdrive.
Is that really surprising? When we win people mostly focus the positive things, and when we don’t, people mostly focus on what’s going wrong and what has been going wrong. That’s football.
Are you suggesting that the fact the thread has been quiet for a while that it somehow vindicates dodo supporters?
I’d be surprised if any Dodo critics actually rated our team and expected us to win a final or even make finals based on they have seen so far.
Not surprising.
I don’t expect us to win a final this year. We’re not ready for it. Regardless of who drafted them. And I fully understand he is a part of the reason we’re in the ■■■■ we’ve been for the last 20 years (in amongst a whole heap of other ■■■■ we’ve done wrong).
My post wasn’t about that it’s quiet so it means he’s doing a good job.
My post was more about the ‘there’s no point complaining because he’ll still be there’.
That’s just totally false based on the last twenty years.
When the opportunity presents itself, it will get louder. It’s a given.
Todays article in the Age about Sam Durham is great. Interesting that he thought Essendon weren’t interested after they interviewed him, said that Dudoro and Foster-Knight didn’t give him much. Said the questions were punchy and random and that the interview moved quickly.
Sounds like normal Dudoro mind games, the ego on the guy, why would you be like that if you were interested in recruiting the guy, to save face if someone else recruited him? No wonder his reputation is so well known. All I can say is give Foster-Knight the boot too, we don’t want anyone that learnt off the Dud anywhere near our club.
Amazing. So many dud picks over the years but you use Durham as a reason Jackets should go?
He should interview more like Sydney - fat shaming Oliver and making him cry.
We really don’t have enough information about RFK and his decisions.
It would be great if we could have some transparency on who actually led with the good and bad pickups.
It doesn’t come down to one person.
It never does.
There would be someone who initially finds a specific player then they are tracked over a greater period of games.
The whole recruiting team is involved through the process. So is the coach. So is anyone else who may provide some insight into the player.
One person may be tasked with doing the ground work, but isn’t in total isolation of other people in the club being involved.
The other internal people may allow some rope early in the process, but by around two or three months before a decision needs to be made, they would be aware of what we are targeting and who. They don’t need to go into every minute detail about it either.
I agree to some extent but there was clear evidence that dodoro was overruling hird in one instance. Can’t imagine it was isolated, especially when there’s clear footage of dod making clear executive decisions at different draft events across years.
When and what evidence?
I think there is alway a going to be the arguement of oh he picked this guy well or he messed up this pick but I think it time he gave the club fresh air and moved on for the greater good
What was the Hird instance?
You’re probably talking about the Caddy trade. Again, before draft day there are many discussion. If this happens, then we have to do that, etc. I’m sure they discussed beforehand what to do if it happened and he went along and did it. Two drafts earlier he was bashed here for not being proactive and trading up to get the player we want, yet when he actually does that, he’s also bashed again for doing it.
There are also situations where the coach gets his way. That is the Merrett v Lobb draft is a situation where that occurred. So I don’t think we have a ‘it’s Dodoro’s way or the way’ approach to drafting players. There are definitely more people involved in the decision making process both on the day and before the day.
2011 Draft
“ESSENDON coach James Hird says picking a ruckman will be among the club’s priorities at next week’s NAB AFL Draft, but is yet to decide whether an early or late pick will be used to boost the Bombers’ big man stocks.”
“I think you need at least four guys who can play in the ruck depending on injuries and it being such an important position. We’ll be out there having a look at that position.”
Dodoro walking it back before the draft
We picked:
19 Elliot Kavanagh
31 Jackson Merrett
59 Nick O’Brien
Post Draft, Hird again appeared to say they’d be wanting to rookie list a backup ruck using one of the six rookie listed spots.
None of the six rookie listed were rucks:
Lauchlan Dalgleish 185cm
Cory Dell’Olio 175cm
Mark Baguley 181cm
Hal Hunter 187cm
Brendan Lee 181cm
Anthony Long 187cm
Perhaps it isn’t “clear evidence”. I might be wrong on that level of certainty.
Yea broadly agree with that.
I am firm on the view that Bomber picked Merrett and that Dodoro wanted Lobb, but there’s people on this forum that strongly view that to be bullshit.
Hence why it would be nice if someone like Thompson or Hird came out and added their opinion on what went on.
My memory of watching that draft is each club had a couple of representatives on their table. It was Dodoro and an assistant. I don’t remember Bomber having anything to do with that interaction.
Not saying it’s impossible, but I think the most likely thing is Dodoro said ■■■■ it and took Merrett like he told everyone afterwards.
Were there any decent rucks worth taking though?
Dodoro is a mad fanatic for securing talls before smalls, to a fault. But that year was a horribly compromised draft and there’s a good chance there just wasn’t a ruck worth taking.
Christ… what a horrendous draft haul…
Baguley clear best.
There’s footage of the interaction. Important to keep in mind that Dod called Lobb before the draft. No one called Merrett from Essendon.
Around the 41:20 minute mark.
I’m not sure if Hird wanted a mature backup ruck or a young one to develop.
This is around the time the discussion was that rucks wouldn’t be taken early at the national draft unless they were great. Otherwise the rookie draft or late picks are the way to go.
For memory we were interested in Billy Longer that draft. After him there was Witts. If we were looking for a ruck, he’s a good choice. Was a good size prior to draft but still needed time to develop. For memory he was a NSW kid, but Collingwood took him and then drafted Grundy ahead of him before trading him away.
Fair to say those two were the targets, it’s just whether they preferred O’Brien and gambled on Witts lasting to the rookie draft. I think this was the time that clubs had certain academies in NSW and Witts was Collingwood’s so they had first dibs on him.
From the sounds of the draft video, they were looking for more of a mature ruck.
I’m not sure there was one available at the time.
Campbell (who is still playing) was available who would have been handy if that was the preference. Blicavs was an unknown. Even when drafted very few knew about him. Other than that there was very little.
I think there were many priorities along the way. And they changed depending who picked first. It sounds like we went best available with every pick though.
I had a look at our 2012 list and we had three rucks on that list (Bellchambers, Hille and Paddy).
We didn’t get ruck help until Shaun McKernana a few years later.