The Adelaide Crows decision to pass on South Australian Ryan Burton at the AFL draft could come back to haunt them
RENOWNED for its great recruiting, Adelaide might have made a rare mistake by overlooking Croweater Ryan Burton, now at Hawthorn, at the AFL draft.
WAS the risk too great or did Adelaide err in overlooking a player from right under its nose?
Crows national recruiting manager Hamish Ogilvie is hailed as a recruiting genius after playing a key role in compiling a list that has rocketed to premiership favouritism.
Rory Atkins (pick 81 in 2012), Matt Crouch (23, 2013), Jake Lever (14, 2014), Mitch McGovern (43, 2014) and rookie-draft selections Rory Laird, Kyle Hartigan and Charlie Cameron are among his recruiting success stories since the former scout took over the main job from Matt Rendell in 2012.
But the jury is already out on whether Adelaide made a mistake in passing on exciting North Adelaide young gun Ryan Burton with its two first-round selections — one was obtained for losing superstar Patrick Dangerfield to Geelong — at the 2015 national draft.
The high-flying Burton had been regarded as a likely top-five pick — and possible number one selection — before sustaining a horrific leg injury at age 17 while playing for Sacred Heart College.
The injuries to his left leg when he crash-landed from a marking contest — the kneecap was dislocated, the tibia shattered and there was ligament and cartilage damage — were described by his surgeon Matthew Liptak as being more common in motorcycle accidents than on a football field.
At the time there were fears whether Burton, who had thrust his name forward as a top draft prospect by kicking five goals and taking 10 marks for SA’s under-18s against WA as a bottom-age player, would run again, let alone play high-level football.
He missed the entire 2015 season and had more medical screenings before that year’s draft than any other player.
But while the Crows passed on the versatile 191cm son of dual Roosters premiership player Craig Burton with their first two picks at 11 and 17, Hawthorn, that year’s premier, pounced at number 19.
Port Adelaide, which will confront Burton at Adelaide Oval tonight, did not get a crack at him, with its first selection coming at No. 37 (Riley Bonner).
The Hawks gambled on Burton’s fitness and, it appears, won.
After 10 rounds this season — his second at the club — Burton is second-favourite for the AFL Rising Star award and, according to former Western Bulldogs and Richmond coach and triple Hawthorn premiership midfielder Terry Wallace, should be “absolute red-hot favourite’’.
“People at Hawthorn have just been super-excited about what this young man can actually be,’’ Wallace told SEN radio.
“He has got the ability to play anywhere.
“He can play key forward, he can play through the middle of the ground, he could be an absolute midfielder without any problems whatsoever.”
After debuting last year, Burton has this season averaged 20.7 disposals and six marks in nine games playing mainly as a defender.
Adelaide twice passed on Burton to take Central District midfield magician Wayne Milera — a star in the making — at 11 and lesser-known Victorian defender Tom Doedee at 17.
Doedee — like a handful of the Crows’ current list — comes from a basketball background and was widely viewed as being about a third-round pick.
At the time Ogilvie told fans who had questioned the selection to “trust us and come along for the ride because you will enjoy it’’.
While Milera debuted last year and won this week’s Rising Star nomination for his three-goal haul against Fremantle, Doedee has yet to play an AFL game.
However, the 20-year-old, whose development has been slowed by knee and shoulder injuries, did show good signs in the SANFL on Saturday when he had a career-high 25 disposals against North.
But the decision to overlook homegrown product Burton, who is so highly-regarded at Hawthorn that he has inherited the No. 5 jumper previously worn by Brownlow Medallist Sam Mitchell, could come back to haunt the Crows.