The CLUB KILLER draft and rookie draft was under Connelly's tenure between 2004 -2007. Remember Schwab also liked to have his input into drafting during this period and this is what we ended up with.
Games played by draft or rookie selections.
Copping 0 Krieger 0 Warnock 21
Stribling 0 Juniper 0 Collard 1
Haines 0 Drum 22 O'Brien 3
Schofield 12 Mourish 0 Smith 0
Foster 9 Rumble 0 Copping 0 redrafted as rookie
Hinkley 22 Johnson 14 Head 9
Connely 0 Pratt 1 Mourish 0
Dunn 3
27 players in total were drafted during this period for a total of 868 AFL games played. We know it can be a lottery but 22 of those 27 players drafted only contributed 117 games between them, 3 of which played 65 games. Of every other club only Sydney drafted as poorly during this period but won a GF. All other clubs AFL games played was above 1200.
From the 2005 draft the next 6 players after our first pick at 10 (Drum) have gone on to play 1055 games between them. They are Higgins, Nathan Jones, Shannon Hurn, Grant Birchall, Varcoe and Richard Douglas.
The 7 players drafted in 2006 played a total of 14 AFL games between them. Of these Foster played 9. The players available to Freo after their first pick at 31 (Collard) were Tippet, Goldstein, Will Schofield, Robbie Gray, Goldsack, Westhoff.
In 2007 the next 6 players available after first pick (Palmer @ 7) were Dangerfield, Brad Ebert, Lobe, Harry Taylor, Alex Rance, Scott Selwood.
As comparison the same period between 2008-2011 saw 42 players drafted to Freo for a current total of 2035 AFL games and growing which is among the best of all clubs.
