Laidley gone

[McAlmanac]

I think hondo makes a fair point. How much junior footy across all states does a senior AFL coach watch? And that lack of bottoming out means they have had precious few really high draft picks.

[Dutchy]

Probably AH is referring to trades more than recruiting youngsters....Jonathon Hay, Jade Rawlings anyone?

[McAlmanac]

Probably AH is referring to trades more than recruiting youngsters....Jonathon Hay, Jade Rawlings anyone?

Sav Rocca, Jess Sinclair, Nathan Thompson (correct me if you think he was a dud at North). When money's tight - you win some, you lose some.

OK, Lance Picioane....

[Dutchy]

Probably AH is referring to trades more than recruiting youngsters....Jonathon Hay, Jade Rawlings anyone?

Sav Rocca, Jess Sinclair, Nathan Thompson (correct me if you think he was a dud at North). When money's tight - you win some, you lose some.

OK, Lance Picioane....

He had nothing to do with Rocca or Sinclair - before his time

Agree I dont think there has been too much wrong with our recruiting and the names above were sensational for our club and got us within a week of a GF in 2007

But of course others looking in always look at the negatives - human nature

[Macca19]

Well...no...the recruiting wasnt that crash hot actually.

Traded Teague & Morrell for Mckernan, who played only 14 more games for North.
Used pick 9 that year on David Trotter who played less than 10 games for the club.

Traded pick 18 for Jon Hay who played 8 games
Traded pick 13 & 29 for Daniel McConnell who played 4 games
Traded pick 59 for Mark Powell who quit after a month of PS training
Traded pick 46 for Rawlings who played 3 games

That was all in one year. Drafting is a random crap shoot, but geez when youve traded 5 picks in the one draft (3 top 30 picks) for ready made players, you expect more than 15 games output combined. That isnt good recruiting.

[Dutchy]

Yes some poor decisions there but can be balanced with some smart recruiting from the rookie list -

Michael Firrito, Josh Gibson, Scott McMahon and Matt Campbell in Laidley's time

[unknown source]

its not just the head coach that picks the players.. they pay a whole staff to go interstate and watch games and watch junior footy in the VFL.. abit hard for a fulltime coach to do that.. they have picked some players that havent done well, havent most clubs.. think people are being abit rough on him..

[Adelaide Hawk]

Why do people keep saying this about coaches? He was in his 7th season as coach. If they had a poor list, it's HIS fault. In Laidley's time as coach, the Roos really bought some lemons, so Laidley only has himself to blame for a poor list.

Maybe 20 years ago the coach handled all the recruiting. These days they have an entire recruiting dept with networks all over the country and the senior coach either rubber stamps or picks one out of a recommended shortlist.

Isn't that what AH said ? So if the coach rubber stamps or picks out one then isn't he to blame for choosing the wrong one ?

Yes, the point I'm making is it's the coach's responsibility to build a list. Take Clarkson's situation where most were opposed to Stewart Dew's recruitment, but Clarko picked him anyway. Clarko understood that a coach lives and dies by his decisions on the recruiting table. Anyone who thinks the coach doesn't have the final say just doesn't understand the selection procedure.

And yes, I was talking mainy about trades rather than underage recruitment, but even then coaches would see most of these players in the U18s championships, he wouldn't be selecting purely in other peoples' opinions.