The following article expresses the thoughts and opinions of one of our Brisbane Lions members. Lions.com.au will feature a column written by a different member each week for the remainder of the 2011 season. 


When reading last week’s edition of the Member’s Roar, I was really pleased to see fellow member John acknowledge the efforts one of the clubs most unknown and unsung assets - head recruiter Graeme Hadley, who in my opinion is now the league’s premier talent spotter.

As a self-confessed draft fanatic, I could enthuse all day about the depth of up-and-coming talent on the Brisbane Lions roster (how good is Patrick Karnezis going to be in two or three years?!) Today however I want to time-travel back to the year 2008 and explore how in his first year as head of recruitment, Hadley and his team of scouts managed to build the core of our next-generation midfield in the space of one draft. Let’s take a look!

Pick 7 - Daniel Rich (Subiaco, WA) - When you consider that the blonde surfer from WA was widely touted as a potential number 1 draft pick, the Lions selecting Rich with Pick No.7 in 2008 was quite a coup.

Bam-Bam’s ball-winning ability and deadly cannon-like left boot were irresistible qualities. The fact that he already had two years senior WAFL experience allowed him to slot right into the Lions best 22 and improve our midfield from day dot and remarkably draw the attention of opposition taggers in his debut season.

Pick 25 - Jack Redden (Glenelg, SA) - Here is where Hadley really comes into his own. Redden was by every definition a draft ‘bolter’. Though conventional draft wisdom didn’t even have him in the picture, the Lions secured the young South Australian inside midfielder with their second selection, leaving many other more celebrated prospects on the board. While many draft-watchers (including myself) were left scratching our heads and muttering “Jack who?”- flash forward two-and-a-half years, and us armchair recruiters find ourselves eating delicious slices of humble pie.

Despite being only 20 years of age, Redden has already become an incredibly consistent and hard-working midfielder who loves to run-and-carry while being equally comfortable at the bottom of a pack winning the hard ball for his teammates. Even more pleasing are the defensive aspects of his game, and at the time of this article being written, Redden is currently ranked second in the entire AFL for total tackles. Vossy must be absolutely wrapt with him. I know we are.

Pick 41 - Todd Banfield (Swan Districts, WA) - Another player who received very little recognition in his draft class, chalk Todd Banfield up as yet another Graeme Hadley diamond-in-the-rough. ‘Banners’ needs very little introduction - in a Lions side which has been often criticised for lacking quickness, Banfield’s blistering pace makes him stand out in a big way (although the shock of red hair helps too). While his goal sense and terrier-like forward pressure has seen his career begin mainly inside the forward 50, I think his long-term future will be on-ball and our midfield will be much better off for his pace and work-ethic.

Pick 84 - Tom Rockliff (Murray Bushrangers, VIC) - What a story Tom Rockliff is. Despite being an extremely highly rated junior footballer, the increasing recruitment focus (some would say obsession) on athletic prowess over good old-fashioned football ability saw Tom Rockliff overlooked into two-national drafts. Rockliff’s persistence finally paid off however when the Lions picked him up in the 2008 supplementary pre-season draft - the second last player drafted on to a senior that year, just ahead of a bloke by the name of Ben Cousins.

Brisbane’s decision to give Rockliff a chance has been rewarded handsomely. Concerns over his athletic abilities were quickly erased by his burning desire to get the best out of himself. His pure football ability is clearly evident each time he takes the field and his knack of reading the play just that little bit quicker than most is reminiscent of the great Simon Black. Furthermore, Rocky’s passion for the club that gave him his shot is clearly evident and he has already emerged as one of the club’s next leaders. I challenge you not to get shivers down your spine when Rocky slots a goal from a tight angle and gives his maroon, blue and gold jumper a tug of pride.

--------- 

Many teams are content to come out of a draft with one high quality player and a couple of solid citizen types, yet in 2008 the Lions hit the jackpot. In Rich, Redden, Banfield and Rockliff, the Lions recruitment team secured an extremely talented midfield core around which they can build the next Brisbane Lions premiership side. In 2011 we are already seeing other Hadley gems from more recent drafts pressing their claims as future Lions stars - Karnezis, Green, Polec, O’Brien, Retzlaff, Lester, Bewick… I could go on. Furthermore, with more high draft picks on the way and several first round compensation picks in the bank, Graeme and his team have a gilt-edged opportunity to add the final pieces of the puzzle. We are in very, very good hands.

Building a premiership team isn’t going to happen overnight and invariably involves some short term pain. While all of us would love to have sung the club song more than three times this year, we must remember that every senior game we give to a young up-and-coming player is an investment in a very promising future. For those of us who are fortunate to support the greatest club in the world - the dividends could be huge.

In the meantime, there is plenty of fun to be had watching some of the most talented footballers in the land develop together in the maroon, blue and gold. The future is bright.

GO LIONS!

Andy (Member #1091406)

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Club