The Good and Bad of the 2003 AFL Draft - Hawthorn
25 - Harry Miller
41 - Zac Dawson
51 - Matthew Ball
From The Age: Who your team picked
This was a long way from the successful drafts that produced Franklin and other current Hawthorn stars. Miller and Ball are no longer there while Dawson is famous in his own way. Dawson played a couple of games against the strong power forwards of the AFL and got crushed. He is still on their list, and provides depth as a tall defender and maybe as a ruckman. Dawson doesn't really deserve the grief he gets, at pick 41 he wasn't supposed to be an instant star.
Hawthorn supporters should look at this as the low point of their recent history, but if the 2004 AFL draft was the start of their rise and also the commencement of a "5-year plan" then the 2009 season could be when it all comes together. They might even win it all in 2008, but the chances of the Hawks doing that would have been much greater if they had used their picks in 2003 a bit better.
The Good and Bad of the 2003 AFL Draft - Geelong
For AFL news and fantasy footy information, go to www.allfooty.info
41 - Zac Dawson
51 - Matthew Ball
From The Age: Who your team picked
The club says "The objective was to select at least two younger, developing players, preferably at least one ruck or key-position prospect, which we’ve got with Zac Dawson, and an older more mature player who has come through Box Hill Hawks (Matthew Ball)."
John Turnbull, recruiting manager
John Turnbull, recruiting manager
This was a long way from the successful drafts that produced Franklin and other current Hawthorn stars. Miller and Ball are no longer there while Dawson is famous in his own way. Dawson played a couple of games against the strong power forwards of the AFL and got crushed. He is still on their list, and provides depth as a tall defender and maybe as a ruckman. Dawson doesn't really deserve the grief he gets, at pick 41 he wasn't supposed to be an instant star.
Hawthorn supporters should look at this as the low point of their recent history, but if the 2004 AFL draft was the start of their rise and also the commencement of a "5-year plan" then the 2009 season could be when it all comes together. They might even win it all in 2008, but the chances of the Hawks doing that would have been much greater if they had used their picks in 2003 a bit better.
The Good and Bad of the 2003 AFL Draft - Geelong
For AFL news and fantasy footy information, go to www.allfooty.info
