What the 2009 AFL draft Top 10 would look like if selected today
There’s no way Dustin Martin would have slipped to No. 3 in the 2009 AFL draft if it was held today. And the rest of the Top 10 would also be very different.
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Dustin Martin’s continued on-field excellence is forever painful for Melbourne supporters who know he could so easily have been their player back in 2009.
That was the draft when the Demons used pick Nos. 1 and 2 on Tom Scully and Jack Trengove, allowing Richmond to select Martin at No. 3
Given Scully and Trengove didn’t become the players Melbourne had hoped for, it has led to criticism of a recruiting policy that did have some obvious misses in the 2000s. But should 2009 be part of that?
To get a clearer picture, we asked Matt Rendell to revisit the draft, Rendell having been Adelaide’s national recruiting manager in 2009.
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As Adelaide recruited in that season, Rendell drafted Daniel Talia at 13, Jack Gunston at 29, Sam Shaw at 45 and James Craig at 61.
“Scully, Trengove and Martin were a clear top three, with Ben Cunnington next. Scully was a clear number one and we rated Trengove highly because he had played good footy for Sturt that year, plus he was a South Australian. I can understand how Melbourne went Scully and Trengove,” Rendell said.
“If you asked most recruiters to revisit their notes you will find they had Scully and Trengove at one and two. And don’t forget Melbourne selected Max Gawn at 34 which was a great pick.”
Seven years ago a highly-respected and still current AFL recruiter looked back on the 2009 draft from his notes of the time: “Tom Scully had been outstanding at every level he had played with his balance of speed and aerobic capacity. Really, I don’t see how Melbourne couldn’t have taken he and Jack Trengove at 1 and 2.
“Maybe if they had gone into a different system, say Geelong, Sydney or Hawthorn, they would be different players, learning from the leaders what is acceptable on-field.”
GREATEST FIGHTS AT FESTIVAL HALL
Many legends have grace the doors of Festival Hall, but few if any can claim more instant association with the House of Stoush than Kahu Mahanga.
Fifty-one years after his stunning knock out upset of Tony Mundine, 74-year-old Mahanga is still the first name many think of when the recently sold Festival Hall is mentioned.
And that includes acts such as The Beatles in 1964, Frank Sinatra a decade later, John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl in 1982 and Justin Timberlake 22 years later.
Or in the boxing world an unforgettable IBF world junior lightweight championship in 1985 when the wily old fox Barry Michael extinguished the bright flame of Lester Ellis.
Mahanga never scaled those lofty heights but he encapsulated what boxing was all about, a gladiatorial sport where entertainment was the key.
“I hope I gave the fans good value for their money,” said Mahanga from his Perth home of the 27 fights (16 wins, eight losses, three draws) he had at Festival Hall.
“You tell me the place has been bought by some church people. Holy hell. Boxing is a lot different from when I started in New Zealand back in the 1950s and ’60s when every town had a boxing club.”
Mahanga had knockout power in both hands, with a powerful overhand right and vicious left hook as Mundine found out.
GREAT FIGHTS AT FESTIVAL HALL
1. Barry Michael beat Lester Ellis (1985)
2. Kahu Mahanga Ko’d Tony Mundine (1969)
3. Aldo Pravisani-George Bracken trilogy (1960)
4. Hector Thompson beat Hilary Connolly (1972)
5. Frank Ropis beat Baby Cassius (1980)
THOSE NAMED ‘SKI’
We shouldn’t be too surprised at the run-making feats of Will Pucovski given he gave us fair warning four years ago at the Australian Under-19 Cricket Championships in Adelaide.
Playing for his native Victoria as an opener, Pucovski or ‘Puck’ to his teammates, smashed every available batting record in scoring 650 runs from eight innings at 108.3, including scores of 160no, 139no, 120no and 100.
He is now set to make his Test debut against India this summer, and in doing so will become Australia’s first Test player to have a name ending in ‘ski’ …
AFL PLAYERS ENDING IN ‘SKI’
1. Brian Sierakowski (St Kilda)
2. Michael Zemski (Hawthorn)
3. David Sierakowski (St K, WC)
4. Justin Staritski (North, Coll)
5. David Wojcinski (Geelong)
6. Mark Nicoski (West Coast)
DUNN’S TRIBUTE TO LATE TRAINER
The stop-start career of super middleweight Zac Dunn has taken a new direction with Barry Michael and Steve Stenvorg training him out of Stenvorg’s North Melbourne gymnasium.
“If Zac completely dedicates himself then he can win a world title. If he’s only prepared to give 90 per cent, then he will go down as just another could have been,” said Michael, who has long been an admirer of the former St Kevin’s schoolboy 29-year-old who has lost just once in 30 fights (24 wins by KO).
Dunn is dedicating the rest of his career to his original trainer Danny Kay, a much respected boxing figure who died during the week.
A GENTLE NUDGE
A funny aside, at least for those of us watching on, to a racing story written by Herald Sun wordsmith Patrick Carlyon after the 2020 Melbourne Cup.
Carlyon was paid homage to Gerald Egan, the Man from Snowy River River impressionist who had helped craft the riding skills of 2020 Cup-winning jockey in Jye McNeill up around Mansfield.
As part of his tribute, Carlyon affectionately referred to Egan as “a little fat man (who) should have been in his tinny, drinking tinnies, for the Melbourne Cup today”.
Carlyon’s words were well-read, including by the wife of Egan who decided enough was enough, seeing her rid the family fridge of his favourite beer and butter to ensure “the little heavyweight” becomes a “little middleweight”.
PREMIERSHIP SAINT CELEBRATES
A top footballer and even better bloke in John Bingley celebrated his 80th birthday during the week at a party that included fellow St Kilda 1966 premiership teammates in Kevin Billing, Allan Davis and Ian Stewart.
A proud Tasmanian, Bingley was a key component of two of his state’s finest wins in 1963 and 1970, both over Western Australia.
In 1963 he also won the Wander Medal for best player in the North West Football League, before going on to captain/coach Clarence to its first ever Tasmanian Football League premiership in 1970.
BATSMAN’S CRAZY BOWLING PERFORMANCE
For a bloke who is typically a batsman, Beechworth’s Campbell Fendyk does a very good impression of a bowler judging by last weekend’s events.
Fendyk, 22, normally plays A Grade but was filling in for his A Reserve side when the ball was thrown to him to see if he could break an opening partnership.
“I have literally bowled about 20 overs in five years and as a batsman I would love to face me,” laughed Fendyk during the week.
“I just kept bowling full and straight-medium pace and for some reason they kept missing them.”
His final figures of 7-20 don’t tell the real story, for Fendyk took six wickets in six balls from the last four balls of his fourth over and first two of his fifth (five bowled, one LBW).
CRACKERS’ CURT RESPONSE
While the legal action continues from John Newman towards photographer Wayne Ludbey, so does the desire from Newman to speak with persons who had some inside knowledge of the famous Nicky Winmar jumper-moment at Victoria Park in 1992.
Newman twice recently contacted Peter “Crackers” Keenan to appear on his “You Cannot Be Serious” podcast alongside Don Scott, who like Newman has never enjoyed a close relationship with Keenan. The answer was a firm no.
CALLS TO HONOUR CRICKETER
An interesting book titled “Invincible, The Life and Times of Sam Loxton”, has called for Toorak Park in Prahran to be named after one of Australia’s most loved sporting characters.
Loxton, OBE, who died aged 90 in 2011, played all of his club cricket at Toorak Park as an explosive all-rounder for Prahran, or the Two Blues as they are known.
The club has gone to the City of Stonnington with its reason why Sam Loxton Park would be a fitting name change. Loxton played 166 times for Prahran between 1940-63, scoring 5246 runs at 32 and taking 323 wickets at 17.93. He was also the local Liberal member for 24 years.
“Invincible”, which includes an excellent forward written by Loxton’s best mate in Neil Harvey, has been published by Cricketbooks.com.au.
PREMIER JOCKEY PASSES
Sad to hear of the death last Thursday of W.A. “Billy” Smith at age 92, the one-time Victorian lightweight jockey who moved to New Zealand where he won five jockey premierships.
It was via his New Zealand experience that Smith got the ride on 50-1 winner Hi Jinx in the 1960 Melbourne Cup, a victory that saw him come back to Victoria where he rode top horses such as Winfreux and Begonia Belle.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Of course we will speak to David (Warner). It’s important that he is comfortable with the person he opens with.”
Australian cricket selection chairman Trevor Hohns explains that Warner will have a say in the possible Test selection of Will Pucovski.
WHAT’S HOT
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Their questioning of Collingwood’s list manager Ned Guy was intelligent and edgy.
MARCUS HARRIS
Pucovski-mania has seen him become the forgotten man despite 355 runs at 118.
CALLUM FERGUSON
For a fine first-class career, highlighted by Australian selection in all three forms.
WHAT’S NOT
NED GUY
He needed to be better prepared for the brutal barrage he copped.
AFL FREE AGENCY
High time to change the wording for the word “FREE” is clearly redundant.
AFL TRADE WEEK
The only reason it runs so long is a ploy to gain more AFL media metres.
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