Since the end of the season, we've been hearing this line from StK about getting "three draft picks in the top 20" as if that were somehow the great secret of stealing the draft. Well that sounds kind of impressive at first, if you imagine those picks being sort of spread out across the top twenty. Like maybe picks 3, 11, and 19 or some such. But after frittering away two strong players, the Saints are left with 3, 18, and 19. And if this draft is as shallow as everyone is saying, that won't be much to brag about.
I think that when you trade away a current player for a draft pick, you should get a pick that's likely to yield a similar caliber player. I think that's where the Saints completely fell short. Meaning, I don't think pick 18 or 19 will get them a player the likes of Dal Santo or McEvoy. I understand they got a few other players in the McEvoy trade, but certainly not ready-to-go difference-makers. And they did not even know what draft pick they'd get because the AFL had not yet announced how Hawthorne would be compensated for losing Franklin.
Looking at the top 20 picks, I think Collingwood are the clear winner. GWS has the best picks, but that comes along with being the worst team in the league. Collingwood, however, haven't missed the finals for quite a while, and they didn't weaken their list to get draft slots. So considering that, having pick 6 and 10 is a minor coup.
I truly hope StK's draft picks and incoming players are able to make a huge difference in the coming years. Otherwise we'll all look back on this year's trade period with bitter regret.
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