Leading recruiter labels Melbourne’s list strategy a joke

A LEADING AFL recruiting figure has admitted that he laughed at Melbourne’s “Moneyball’’ list strategy last pre-season.

Melbourne v Collingwood, MCG, Chris Dawes and Nick Maxwell,

A LEADING AFL recruiting figure has admitted that he laughed at Melbourne’s ``Moneyball’’ strategy last pre-season, which saw coach Mark Neeld pick up recycled players Shannon Byrnes, David Rodan, Cam Pedersen, Tom Gilles and, to a lesser extent, Chris Dawes.

“I just laughed at those selections, to be honest,’’ the recruiter, who wished to remain nameless, said this week.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 10: David Rodan of the Demons kicks while being tackled by Kyle Martin of the Magpies during the round 11 AFL match between the Melbourne Demons and the Collingwood Magpies at Melbourne Cricket Ground on June 10, 2013 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

“You couldn’t do anything but laugh, because most of those guys were not even playing good VFL footy at the time.

“You can’t have players clogging your list and that’s what happened to Melbourne.’’

Even those close to Neeld at the club concede the decision to follow a “Moneyball’’ strategy - which he drove - seriously hurt him and the football club.

Of the recycled players chosen last pre-season, only Dawes has made an impact, albeit a minor one given an injury-interrupted season.

It is understood Neeld felt he had no choice but to chase positive senior role models, because he believed the club lacked significantly in this area.

Melbourne v Collingwood, MCG, Chris Dawes and Nick Maxwell,

He realised almost as soon as he took over in late 2011 that the playing group was ``too soft’’ physically and mentally to combat the rigours of AFL football.

Within a month he also came to the conclusion that most of the players had unacceptable defensive capabilities.

He told them this, forcefully, which caused tensions among some within the group, especially a handful of older, more experienced players.

Some of those relationships fractured as a result.

Neeld had been advised by those who appointed him to ``strip it back to the bare bones, have 12 months to assess the list, then trade those you don’t want.’’

But the unnamed recruiter said Melbourne’s recruiting woes could not be blamed solely on Neeld, despite his ``Moneyball’’ mess-up.

Five of the club’s 12 top 20 draft picks since it last made the finals in 2006 are no longer there, and there are question marks on a few of the others.

“They have had some terrible, terrible picks, which have set the club back five years,’’ he said.

He added that the decision to choose Brighton Grammar star Jack Watts over West Australian Nic Naitanui in the 2008 national draft could hurt for a long time.

“Jack’s a good kid, but he never really had to fight for things, and that worries me sometimes as a recruiter,’’ he said.

“We all know the street that Nic grew up in was pretty tough. He had to fight for everything.

“Melbourne was worried about the go-home factor with him, but you have to back your club in (to keep him).’’

He also questioned the decision to recruit two “almost identical’’ midfielders in Tom Scully and Jack Trengove as picks one and two in the 2009 national draft.

“Hindsight is the best recruiting tool out there, but why would you pick the same type of player as they did with Tom and Jack?’’ he said.