Brodie Grundy

[Rusty00]

Couldn't decide where to post this, but opted for here as it's more of a question about last year's draft.

Has looked very promising for an 19yo ruckman in his first 2 games. Was quite often talked about as potentially being selected as one of GWS's first 3 picks in the draft last year, yet slipped to 18 on draft day.

Was just curious as to what the reasons were for him slipping so low?

[Ziplock]

a lot of premier ruckman have been snagged with late picks/ as mature aged players. Recruiters want to avoid using early picks on them since they're a bit harder to call at such a young age.

[BB67th]

No one wants to use an early pick on a ruckman now seeing as they take so long to develop. Most ruckman aren't great players until they reach the 23-24 mark. Instead clubs just wait until a ruckman learns his craft and then gets a trade when he can't crack a senior game. Look at Mumford and Jacobs in the last few years, more and more of this will happen in the AFL in the years to come. Clubs just don't want to use the early picks on rucks when they might not end up becoming the player they want them to for their club.

[Spite]

Also if you remember correctly on the draft day, most clubs with picks head of the pies already had too many ruckman or had selected a high draft pick ruckman in the prevous year.

Melbourne have Jamar, Gawn, Spencer, Fitzpatrick, Clark

I thought Bulldogs were a threat to pick him but they had pretty much committed to Macrae and Stringer already

Port had Lobbe, Redden and Renouf already.

Lions - Longer the year before with first round draft pick with Lueuy up and about
Tigers - Committed to Vlastuin
Essendon - Committed to Daniher
Calrton - Krooooz, Warnock, Hampson
GC - Smith, Dixon, Nicholls, Gorringe etc
NM - Goldy, Daw, Currie
Cats - Vardy, West and planned on Blicavs
Freo - Sandi, Griffin, Clarke

Adelaide could have snagged him if they weren't stripped of picks perhaps (but even then they would have been a pick too late and I'm sure they would have gone Ben Kennedy instead)

As you can see, unless a team decided to pick him for trade value, they were better off grabbing a mid or other top 20 pick because the talent pool for top 22 picks were rated very highly.

Just right place right time for collingwood to be lacking in the ruck area (like usual) and I for one am very very happy about it!!! :)

[Ziplock]

Im really, really surprised giants didn't take him.

[Rusty00]

Im really, really surprised giants didn't take him.

That's what I was getting at. He was talked about for a long time as going as one of their first 3 picks and I was wondering whether there was a particular reason they didn't pick him up or whether it was just the reason others have mentioned above about not wanting to use a high draft pick on a ruckman.

I assume it was the latter thinking they could snare someone like Leuey, Bellchambers, etc.

[Ziplock]

I really thought that we would have taken him with like 12/13... when he lasted... but we didn't :/

[elephants]

Look at where some of the gun rucks of the past decade have come from:

Dean Cox - 28th pick in 2001 Rookie Draft

Aaron Sandilands - 33rd pick in 2002 Rookie Draft

David Hille - 40th pick in 1999 National Draft

Adam Goodes - 43rd pick in 1997 National Draft

Obviously this is just a few select names but I defintely get why clubs don't want to commit a top pick to someone who might come good and will in all likelihood take 6-8 years or more to really show their worth. If I was coach of an AFL club I would legit just scour the local leagues and grab mature aged recruits. We wouldn't have the best rucks in the league but we'd get here and now success and would have a pretty reasonable turnover. Paul Johnson (ex West Coast, Melbourne and Hawks player) is murdering the wafl at the moment and he's only 28 so a club could get a few years outta him! Mark Seaby (ex Eagle and Swan) is another who is plying his trade. Dunno too much about the other leagues but yeah, mature age recruits are the way to go 8) #CalSinclair

[Mailman the 2nd]

No one wants to use an early pick on a ruckman now seeing as they take so long to develop. Most ruckman aren't great players until they reach the 23-24 mark. Instead clubs just wait until a ruckman learns his craft and then gets a trade when he can't crack a senior game. Look at Mumford and Jacobs in the last few years, more and more of this will happen in the AFL in the years to come. Clubs just don't want to use the early picks on rucks when they might not end up becoming the player they want them to for their club.

This basically nails it.

Basically at the beginning they're bad, and develop into good players.

Almost every ruck atm can be described that way

[kilbluff1985]

Interestingly though there are lots of young rucks that look good very early in there career currently like

Nicholls, Grundy, Witts, Blicavs, Simpson etc could prob even name more

[elephants]

^You forgot Lycett ;)

[Tominator]

brilliant get for the Magpies.

[ossie85]

Lovin' the Grundy

Thought was stiff to miss out on rising star nomination this week, was outstanding against the Swans carrying the ruck for the Pies

[Tominator]

Lovin' the Grundy

Thought was stiff to miss out on rising star nomination this week, was outstanding against the Swans carrying the ruck for the Pies

bout effing time Rory Laird got it

But Grundy does deserve one soon I agree

[Mr.Craig]

You'd think GWS would strongly consider a ruckman this time around. whether it be by trade or drafting a mature-ager.

Brogan is finally gone, Setanta is rubbish, Phillips hasn't played all year so he's a good way off being an AFL regular and Downie is showing a bit but is still raw. Giles really needs someone to give him a hand.