The Crows have used 17 picks over the past three NAB AFL Drafts, but a lean talent pool—made even skinnier with the Gold Coast’s concessions—could see the club make just the required three selections come November 28 this year.
Changes to the legal draft age have seen the Gold Coast granted exclusive access to ‘bottom-age’ players born between January 1, 1992 and April 30, 1992, ahead of the 2009 NAB AFL Draft.
Rendell predicted that as many as eight of these 17-year-olds would’ve been first-round selections under the old system.
He said clubs might have to look “outside the square” to secure good quality players this year.
“We knew it wasn’t a great draft especially with, basically, a full round of players missing because of the Gold Coast this year,” Rendell said.
“There are a lot of questions being asked about list management. People might delist players and draft them back or we might see clubs trading more than normal.
“It depends where we finish on the ladder and what happens in the trading period, but if we stay where we are at the moment…I’d say most clubs would be thinking they’re only going to have the three picks.”
Rendell said the lack of depth in this year’s draft pool could also open the door for mature age players who have been overlooked in strong drafts of recent years.
“I went and watched a VFL game on Sunday and I reckon there were 12 recruiters there, which is highly unusual. We’re definitely watching a lot more senior VFL and SANFL footy.”
Rendell was full of praise for the “standout” West Australian side in the NAB AFL U18 Championships, but admitted to being “disappointed” with the overall standard.
“There were some players that jumped up, but there were too many that really went backwards over the carnival. I don’t know if the carnival performance was their true worth or if I’d inflated them,” he said.
South Australia responded to a lean year in 2007 by blooding 13 AFL draftees in 2008.
Rendell said there were several more promising South Australians coming through including Jackson Trengove (who is no relation to his namesake at Port Adelaide), forward Matthew Panos, Luke Tapscott and ruckman James Craig.
Rendell, who is in his third year with the Crows, is responsible for bringing Patrick Dangerfield, Andy Otten, Jared Petrenko, Myke Cook, Shaun McKernan and Phil Davis to West Lakes.
Rendell said he’d waited two long years to see the fruits of his labour in action in the AFL.
“You wait for them to play and you watch their tapes from the SANFL every week. You want to see if what you thought about them when you picked them was right,” Rendell said.
“When you get your players up and they start playing good footy it vindicates what you’re doing.”
There could been no sweeter vindication for Rendell this year than the performances of controversial first-round draft pick Dangerfield.
Rendell came under fire for selecting Dangerfield ahead of local lad Brett Ebert at selection 10 in the 2008 NAB AFL Draft.
“That [criticism] was basically people making un-informed comments…the whole recruiting department agreed with the decision to take Patrick,” Rendell said.
“Ebert is making his mark over in WA. West Coast is really happy with him and I’m glad because I really liked him as a player.
“We just thought Dangerfield was going to give us something that we didn’t have on our list; some break-the-lines speed and massive intensity. So far, that’s how it’s turned out and it hasn’t surprised me knowing the character of the bloke.”
