Matt Rendell, the Crows’ recruiting manager, has said publicly that high draft picks are, indeed, the key to success. Yet the Crows vow never to tank. The apparent conclusion is that premierships are going to be very rare at Crowland.
Rendell accepted the job as recruiting manager knowing he may never get his hands on the top-tier talent. He must think, therefore, that there is another way.
There is.
Simply, his talent-spotting team must be better than those of other clubs. They must look for the rough diamonds: hidden talent that, with sufficient polishing and patience, can become jewels. Perhaps the best example of riches in the rubble is Graham Johncock, the Crows’ only survivor from the 2000 draft. He was taken at pick 67 but has become a fabulous match-winner.
In the early years of the millennium such inspired choices were largely lacking at the Crows. The only man still with us from the Class of 2001, for example, is Brent Reilly. Sadly, not one of the Crows’ 2002 recruits from the main draft has survived (Hentschel was picked up in the preseason draft of that year), and we only have Scott Stevens - a trade - to show for 2003 (although Bock and Rutten were a couple of big successes in the rookie draft).
Four years of the national draft, therefore, produced only two long-term players.
That hurts: players from those years should now be forming the core of the team. Nick Riewoldt was spawned by the 2000 draft, for example, and Hodge, Judd and Bartel by the 2001 draft.
For many years the gaping hole in the Crows’ list has been plugged by a handful of champions and a bunch of blokes prepared to bust their guts at all times. But the hole has become unplugged this year, resulting in a painful spill to the bottom of the heap.
Do not despair, however. For the last five or six years the Crows’ recruiters have been getting it right. Since 2004 they have skilfully constructed a list that could win us a flag.
2004: The Crows’ first draft pick (8) was John Meesen. He didn’t work out, but nor were big opportunities missed: Carlton, who had the next pick, took Jordan Russell, a handy player but no star, and Richmond took Danny Meyer. The Crows could have grabbed Bate, Monfries or McQualter, but Meesen - a ruckman with plenty of talent - was probably worth a gamble.
The Crows were more successful with their next pick -van Berlo at 24. They bombed out with Chad Gibson (28), but got Maric at 40 and Knights at 56. Of the 70-odd other players in the draft after pick 8, only LeCras (37) would be worthy of lining up with van Berlo, Maric and Knights. Overall, then, this was a successful draft for the Crows, netting a player who might be the Crows’ next captain, a solid ruckman, and a brilliant forward; they also secured Scott Thompson through a trade.
2005: the Crows took Richard Douglas at pick 16 (their highest pick) and Pfeiffer at 17. Pfeiffer was a bust, but Douglas has played about 70 games and is now a steady and occasionally brilliant midfielder in the mould of Geelong’s James Kelly.
None of the players chosen after Douglas would have been a better (or equal) choice until pick 32, when the Crows took a long shot with Bernie Vince. He’s a star now, and the Crows’ 2009 best-and-fairest winner. So, again, the recruiters got it right (although they picked Alan Obst at 48 when they could have taken Matthew Stokes).
2006: James Sellar was the Crows’ first choice (pick 14). He has had injury worries and is yet to prove himself, but he has considerable ability.
The Crows’ next pick was Kurt Tippett at 32. To snare, in the relative depths of a draft, an agile power forward with the ability to ruck and take contested marks was a stunning coup. If recruiters had known what we know now, Tippett would have gone near the very top of the draft.
As would the bloke the Crows got at 48. David Mackay is fast becoming an elite midfielder of the calibre of Leigh Montagna (who, incidentally, was a pretty good pick-up by the Saints at 37 in the 2001 draft). The recruiters showed still more genius in snatching Porplyzia from the pre-season draft.
2007: The Crows took two Brads - Symes and Moran - through trades. The Symes’ case in particular was inspired; the Crows gave up pick 28 for him, which Port used to get Marlon Motlop.
The Crows drafted Patrick Dangerfield at 10 ahead of Brad Ebert and Cyril Rioli. At the time this choice was hugely criticised, but most of us are happy now with Danger; the lad will be a star if his body can withstand the punishment he puts it through.
Andy Otten - last year’s runner-up Rising Star - was another brilliant pick at 27. Jarran Jacky, at number 30, and Myke Cook, at 38, are both quick and were worth a punt. Cook has played a dozen or so games now; he has “things to work on”, as they say in club-speak, but he also has pace and an ability to win contested ball.
No hidden treasure was missed in taking Jacky and Cook, anyway. The next-best talent, who is looking like another diamond, was Tony Armstrong, who the Crows nabbed with pick 58.
2008: it’s difficult to assess the more recent drafts because most of the recruits have only played a handful of games (so no comment here on the 2009 draftees). Yet Phil Davis, the Crows’ first pick at 10, is looking like a ripper. Rendell could have picked Sidebottom, Ballantyne or Suban but I bet he is quietly pleased with himself about Davis, who has shown courage and class and is likely to become a key figure at the Crows.
Shaun McKernan was the Crows’ next pick at 28. He is another class-act: he kicks the ball beautifully with both feet, has a big leap, loves a contested mark, and has outstanding agility. Yet he hasn’t quite come on. Just below him in the draft were players like Beams, Hannebury and Banfield, so the Crows will be hoping that he starts making the most of his undoubted talent in the latter half of the season.
At number 44, Sloane was a hard-ball-get and another big win for the Crows’ recruiters. He is a quick, tough midfielder who makes things happen.
Rookies: after a few lean years in the recruitment of rookies this is looking to again be a road paved with rough-hewn valuables for the Crows. Walker, for example, was a NSW Scholarship rookie, and Henderson, Schmidt and Jaensch have all played AFL this year and shown promise. Petrenko and the talented Martin also came through the rookie ranks.
More trading? During the slide that the Crows have endured this year, some people have said that the club doesn’t get enough from the draft and should trade more. Even the CEO, Steven Trigg, has said “we need to be more aggressive in the trading area”.
Maybe, but let’s not overdo it. With smart drafting and minimal trading the Crows have quietly assembled an exceptionally talented squad. Expect some ups and downs, but this is a team set to rise.
Trading may be unavoidable. The dollars being flashed around by the aptly named Gold Coast - and, after that, Western Sydney - will tempt many. Incredibly, 20 Crows’ players are said to be out of contract.
Nevertheless I hope they all stick around. A fistful of gold will tempt anyone. But the Crows have a bucketful of rough diamonds and a good chance, in the next few years, of climbing to the top of the heap.
