Jim05 wrote:Carlton will be the first club in history to have had 5 number 1 picks [emoji3]
This is THE most useless stat in the AFL.
Clearly it means zero. What it does mean is that clubs like Carlton need to get up with the Geelong's, Adelaide's, Hawthorn's in drafting guys ready made from other clubs rather than hold their hopes on unproven talent.
I'm sick of Carlton 'needing' pick 1's. They don't need them they need proven talent and they should be doing everything in their power going forward to ensure we're not using pick 1.
Pick 1 in the NBA and NFL is proven to get the ball and be able to use it in the majority of plays. It doesn't happen in the AFL, the model is flawed and I think the teams mentioned above prove that. They've had sustained finals appearances without having many if any top 10 draft picks.
As an entity, we need to move on from the stigma of top draft picks because it means very little, unless there is an absolute stand out, which I hope this year is. Note, I say 'hope'. Would I prefer pick 1 over a proven Dylan Shiel....hmm, that's the quandry most clubs would ponder. If you manage your salary cap well and your list well, then you'd be in a prime position to attract the likes of those players. I see Carlton trying to set themselves up like Hawthorn but we have a long way to go.