2008 national draft review

[m0nty]

Good:
Essendon - It was the right decision to go with Hurley instead of Rich, the need at full back is much greater. That's not to say the Dons midfield doesn't need a hell of a lot of work too, but I feel they'll get some more low draft picks to fix that up in future drafts - not forgetting that they traded to get Prismall which tips this draft into the good column.
Port Adelaide - Trengove at #22 is excellent. The Power are drafting as if they're on the cusp of another flag run, which is strange given recent results, but I always got the feeling they were foxing a bit this year, particularly towards the end. Their base is strong enough, I feel, to get back to finals in 09.
West Coast - The Eagles are the perfect place for Swift, and as long as he doesn't fall victim to Sampi Syndrome, he'll be the reason this is a good draft for them.
Hawthorn - Lisle at 50 is insane. Unless there's something wrong with him, that sweetens this draft for the Hawks.

Bad:
Fremantle - Oh, Mister Harvey. Why? Rich is obviously much more of the sort of player you need: a Palmer type, not to mention a Bell type. Hill is a slim-hipped outside receiver, you already have enough Mundy types. I can only hope for your sake that it was a board overrule. The disaster that was pick 3 overrides the otherwise solid gets of Suban and Walters.
Sydney - Only three picks when the have the oldest list in the comp? Shocking list management. They should have been elbowing Freo to be the biggest youth policy wonks of the draft.
Geelong - If only because they couldn't do much with the picks they had and the needs they had. Won't know for years if they made the right decisions. Brown's not a Nablett-style game-changer, he's just another second-class forward like Lonergan. They'll have to hope Hawkins comes on.

Indifferent:
Brisbane - An awesome start to Voss's coaching career, getting Rich at #7. Not a huge amount to recommend after that, though. Passed on local boy Beams with #25 only to see him gone at #29... that may come back to haunt them. They still have a small forward problem that this draft did nothing to fix... in fact, offloading Corrie made it worse.
Adelaide - Perhaps a little too tall. I know the Crows are gagging for bookends, so Davis and McKernan will definitely fit right in, but no midfielders at all in five picks is going too far.
Carlton - They claimed to be picking best available, so it was serendipitous that Yarran happened to fill their most glaring hole at small forward. If O'Keeffe comes on this will end up being a good draft, but the jury's out.
Collingwood - Really, Mick? Another goal-hungry small-outside-mid-cum-small-forward in Sidebottom? Six of those in your best 22 already didn't phase you? How about a new full forward, your team looked lost without Rocca at times this year. Oh well, you'll be sacked before too long... especially if Leigh Brown plays.
North Melbourne - Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn about North.
Melbourne - Watts is great, Blease will help but the Demons are a basket case and they need three of these kind of drafts to recover. They'll keep finishing bottom to qualify for high picks.
Richmond - Vickery is better than the odds, but they didn't do much to solve their chronic tall forward problem in the short term.
St Kilda - Some nothing picks there, saved only by Heyne way lower than his rating.
Bulldogs - they need talls but they need them right now... will any of them mature while the premiership window is open? Probably would have been better trading for a tall.