Crio’s Question: A mid-season draft anyone?

In recent years there have been rumblings for a mid-season draft. I don’t know what form it should take, but most supporters would have a dump and a wish list for their side.

I watched Brisbane, for example, and reckon that Luke Power has lost his bite and could be headed for the scrap heap. Black and Rich work hard and they need some pace to supplement the exciting Banfield.

Many Doggies fans are still exasperated with Tommy Williams and want him gone…not likely, I think, unless there is a ready-made centre half back available.

But Sydney, busy pre-season, has real concerns and would love to fix its list. Heavily reliant on a now injured Bradshaw, Coach Roos joked that Mickey O would be back as a stopgap. If only!

How could a mid season draft look?

Comments

  1. A frosted glass about six inches high, effevessent, amber, with about an inch of froth on the top. Cheers!

  2. John Butler says

    One track mind anyone? :)

  3. Crio,

    Sydney and Brisbane knew exactly what they were doing when they went to the ricketty old card table during trade week last year.

    The card table fell down and it should not be picked up.

  4. No

  5. pauldaffey says

    Phantom,

    What does an end-of-season draught look like?

  6. Daff,

    I’m not sure what this year’s will look like but last year it came in a 375 ml CUB can with a picture of the Cats and the Grand Final scores. I am looking at one right now.

    Could even be the same. Not quite sure.

    Can’t open it though. A collectors item and it is too early in the week any way.

    Cheers, Phantom.

  7. pauldaffey says

    Phantom,

    So Monday is your AFD?

    Crio,

    A mid-season draft does have some merit, but maybe for only two players per club.

    For example, I reckon it’d be legitimate if Hawthorn could pick up North Ballarat ruckman Orren Stephenson because they’ve had spectacularly bad luck with their ruckmen.

    But it’s not the time to get rid of Tom Williams, surely. That’s an end-of-the-season decision.

    Is he not going to come good?

    Mitch Hahn is more of a worry. Gives his all. Found wanting in big matches against good opponents.

    Not that he’s the only one in that category …

  8. Daff,
    Exactly the sort of debate I was envisaging.
    Hawks need a ruckman.
    Swannies are going to need a forward.
    I agree with you about Tommy Williams but that was the cry that arose when I asked my Tom and his mate who they’d first delist!

  9. Essendon need Prismall up and going or else an “inside midfielder”. Does Brad Sewell’s brother play that role?

  10. Chalkdog says

    Crio
    Always felt a mid season draft was needed to rejuvenate tired or unlucky sides. Knowing the AFL they would introduce a very weird set of rules. Like you must have used more than 30 players up to MSDD [Mid Season Draft Day] plus you must have elevated at least 2 rookies etc
    Another way to really liven up the competition and kill dreamteam/supercoach at the same time could be to imsist that every club use its entire list over the course of the season. If you have draftd wisely you will be able to cover most injuries. Sorry Daff & all other Tigers but that would mean another appearance by Jordan McMahon this year.

  11. Or, more seriously, a bloke like the hapless Jordy might get a gig elsewhere. He’s doomed at coburg and I don’t really want him back at glenelg yet please.

  12. Chalkdog says

    Crio
    When Ilja Grgic went to West Coast we attributed that to them not having vcrs. What club hasnt been exposed to Jordos form? Maybe Adelaide could be tempted purely to take the heat off their strange list management so far

  13. pauldaffey says

    I reckon Jordie’s been treated too harshly. There’s a lack of grace in what is happening to him at Coburg and the reaction of footy fans whenever his name is mentioned.

    Shane Tuck is not in Hardwick’s plans but he was elevated after a few rounds.

    Maybe Jordie’s not playing well enough to be elevated, but I think he deserves more than the constant bagging he gets.

  14. pauldaffey says

    So there.

  15. John Butler says

    Paul

    I think Sydney have been a bit unlucky.

    Whereas Brisbane traded for a bunch of blokes with proven injury records, the Swans recruits (excepting maybe Bradshaw) all had reasonably clean bills of health.

    That a number of them have got hurt this season makes their decisions look worse.

  16. Daff and Phantom,

    Regarding comments 1, 5 and 6: not sure about a mid-season draught but I always used to call the cold winter wind that blew down Royal Parade and through your clothes as you walked away after a Princes Park loss to the Blues, the “Carlton Draught”…

  17. John Butler says

    May it blow long and strong Gigs.

  18. Gee Gigs,

    I hope there is no cold ‘Melbourne Bitter’ blowing up Moorabool Street on Saturday evening.

    JB, the draught was just a little zephyr on Sunday.

    Phantom Gell.

  19. Carlton Draught – very good, Gigs.

    Sure we could come up with something about Abbots Lager after walking out of Victoria Park (which is in Abbotsford) …

  20. That might be more Victoria (Pk) Bitter

  21. Meanwhile, back at the topic, is there a history of success with mid-season trades? The ones that pop into my head all seem to have been failures. Some that spring to mind:

    * Steve Carey traded to Geelong in early ’86. The Cats got 7 games out of him.

    * Phil Baker was another who went to Geelong in mid-’75. Played 9 games for 9 goals. Made a triumphant return to the Kangaroos in ’77 and played in the flag. Also took Mark of the Year in the ’78 GF.

    * Alex Ruscuklic and Renato Serafini played either side of 100 games for Fitzroy before mid-season transfers took them to Carlton, where both played only a handful of games.

    *Collingwood and Essendon had a few interesting mid-season trades. Rene Kink had 20 games at Essendon after switching – although he did manage to fit in another GF loss. Mike Richardson went the same way for just 15 games – although he later had several good seasons with the Bears. Peter Bradbury went the other way in early ’86. Colingwood got 23 games over two seasons out of him. And then there was Ian McMulin, who switched from Essendon in mid-’92 and then played against them in his first game for Collingwood (and only three more after that).

    A couple of notable exceptions, both named Byrne:

    * Michael Byrne played the first game of 1982 for Melbourne before switching to Hawthorn for 90 more games and a premiership.
    * Ray Byrne went from Carlton to Collingwood half-way through ’78 and played 121 games (including three GF losses) for the Pies.

  22. In a conversation with “Narra” (thin) Byrne a long time ago he told me he turned up for training with the Dees one arvo, was met at the door by a committee man (yes they were all men in those days) and told to get into a nearby car.

    Not knowing what was happening he was driven over to Glenferrie and trained with the Hawks.

    He said he was grumpy at the time but in the end got a flag and was extremely happy.

    He also spoke briefly of Big Carl’s last game at the Dees when he was 2nd ruck. (Remember when they had a second ruck).

    He said that he asked Carl what the game plan was. Carl’s direct reply was “keep out of my way”.

    Apparently some of the opposition didn’t get the message.

  23. Chalkdog says

    Crio,
    you going to review that game from Saturday afternoon or are you waiting for Akas ghost writer to turn up?

  24. Back to the topic!!
    Would Sydney, for example, pitch for Matthew Lloyd?
    Is it time for Adelaide to flick Andrew MacLeod and seek club harmony for the rebuild?

  25. Chalkdog says

    After Saturday Eagleton – Gorn.
    Just a thought on topic Crio. Would negate the need to tank. When a team decides its time to go for draft picks just clean out the list, replace them with a crop of kids from Myrtlrford reserves, bottom out & start again next year. Way too easy for the AFL as its transparent. They prefer that awful Melb v Tigers game last year where Melb had to rely on the aforementioned Jordie [he just seems permanently linked to this topic] to save their bacon.

  26. Tony Robb says

    Crio, may I suggest that we have the “warranty mid season draft”. Clubs who drafted duds can call upon their 6 month warranty clause to give the tip to mature age draftees that didnt live up to expectations and top up their list with mature age rookies. This would allow the Blues to flick Henderson, Johnston and McLean

  27. Dave Nadel says

    Re Gigs post #21

    The mid-season trades between Collingwood, Essendon and Geelong in 1986 were momentous. Collingwood got rid of Raines and Richardson who were talented but greedy. They were the only two players on the list who had refused to reduce their payments after the “New Magpies” had taken the club to the financial brink. Their departure helped new coach Leigh Matthews build team ethos and Collingwood played better for the remainder of the season.

    Essendon, on the other hand traded two team stalwarts in Carey (to Geelong) and Bradbury (to Collingwood). It wasn’t that either of them were major players at their new clubs – it was rather that the departure of two loyalists damaged morale at Essendon. Especially when they were replaced by two players who had publicly identified themselves as mercenaries by the way that they had left the Magpies. Essendon’s on-field results declined with their morale (and Raines and Richardson moved on to their spiritual home playing for Christopher Skase in 1987).

    I can’t prove this, but I have always believed that Collingwood’s victory over Essendon in 1990 began with the move of Raines and Richardson from one club to the other in 1986!

  28. Richard Jones says

    AS with post #4. No.

    Especially if its introduction would mean some relief for Hawthorn.

Leave a Comment

*