Draft Reflections

South Australian teenager Bryce Gibbs appears destined to don the navy blue next season with Carlton declaring their interest in the highly rated midfielder with ruckman Matthew Leuenberger’s chances of being taken at number one threatened with the arrival of Saint Cain Ackland at Princes Park.

Touted as the ‘super draft’ the remainder of the top ten is open for debate and with the National Draft only weeks away the opportunity presented to reflect on last year’s bunch of hopefuls.

Much publicity surrounded Carlton’s first ever number one pick after another bleak year in the club’s proud history and their ability to secure Marc Murphy paid dividends with the pint-sized midfielder showcasing his exceptional skills in 13 games before injury.

Murphy, son of Lion legend John, refused a lucrative five-year deal to join Brisbane under the father son rule in favour of staying in Melbourne. The classy ball magnet provided brilliant delivery to Brendan Fevola and Jarrad Waite in the forward line before succumbing to a season ending shoulder injury, which ultimately ruled him out of the race of the prestigious Rising Star award.

Collingwood’s left field selection of Gippsland’s Dale Thomas at number two proved a masterstroke with the enigmatic midfielder cum forward providing flair and class to the Pies slowing running ranks. The wild haired teenager became a crowd sensation and matched his growing reputation with strong performances, although consistency will be the key to ensuring Thomas maintains his mantle as a cult hero at the Lexus Centre.

Of course, as is the case with every draft, players’ slip under the ranks and soon etch themselves into their side’s twenty-two with hardwork and determination reaping the rewards. Demon tagger and pick number 60 in last year’s draft, Clint Bartram exerted his presence with a 22-game season, although an ankle injury ruled him out of Melbourne’s finals campaign.

Bartram and Rising Star winner Danyle Pearce were the success stories of 2006, although Power speedster Pearce was touted as a high pick before being overlooked on draft day a year earlier and was forced to endure the agonising wait before being snared by reigning premier Port Adelaide in the rookie draft. In his second season, Pearce put in a handful of dominating performances, which included a goals and damaging possessions.

Whilst Gibbs, Leuenberger and the highly rated Scott Gumbleton, Lachlan Hansen and Joel Selwood await the news of where they will be displaying their undisputed talent next season, last year’s crop will be sweating it out in the pre-season in a bid to ensure the dreaded second year blues don’t hinder their development.

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