The Australian Football League Players' Association (AFLPA) has stated a desire to abolish the rookie list, in favour of an expanded 46-player roster. The AFLPA's main argument is that rookies now have the same workload as senior players – which was not necessarily true in the early days of the rookie list – but that their pay and opportunities are much lower than that of senior players. The rookie list was linked to the highly successful AFL SportsReady Program, which has delivered more than 4,000 jobs since 1995 and was the brainchild of Kevin Sheedy, Bill Kelty and former Xavier College head Phillip Wallbridge.
Later Essendon Recruiting Manager Noel Judkins pushed Sheedy and Kelty to lobby for ‘the rookie list designed as an apprenticeship scheme fighting for the rights of kids that missed out’. In recent evolution of list management, it has certainly lost the romance of the pure rookie - the battler made good or the slow developer that blossom at a later age.
It also allowed recruiting people the opportunity to be more risk taking and lateral in their thinking. I’ve lost count but you can have a pure rookie, elevated rookie, delisted rookie and international rookie, for example. The rookie system was then adjusted to allow clubs to use it as a list management tool. It now encourages the recruiting of players from outside normal pathways and the drafting of mature age rookies.
Essendon has certainly taken the creative route with their rookie selections. The risk policy based on Sheedy, Judkins and Adrian Dodoro’s theme of ‘let’s take a risk’ has seen some great wins and of course, given the theme, some losses along the way. I’m not going to harp on the misses because there has been plenty, but I remind readers that it has been a ‘creative risk policy’ for Essendon. Do you just think Walla got out of a taxi at Windy Hill?
It is fantastic and somewhat ironic that at either end of the history of the rookie draft Essendon land Dean Rioli from South Fremantle in 1997 and Anthony McDonald –Tipungwuti, basically 20 years apart. Rioli clearly stands out as the most talented footballer to be drafted by Essendon under this scheme and had it not been for ongoing hamstring injuries and a tragic shoulder break on the eve of the 2000 Grand Final this young man was going to be an Essendon champion. The bookends of Rioli and McDonald –Tipungwuti is just a fantastic story and with the debut of Jake Long last week the Sheedy-Long-Rioli-Melville Island-McDonald-Tipungwuti connection is complete.
Let’s take the often maligned (unfairly) Courtney Johns as a product of this policy. Pound for pound he was one of the most highly rated key position players in the country. Strong, left footer, big mark, tough. He did his knee badly and clubs just dropped right off. Essendon had a go at rehabilitating him where others didn’t. In 2002 he was a rookie and the process of rebuilding him began. He played senior games but was never the same. For those that mock this selection I need to remind you that this was an ideal rookie selection and Essendon played a significant part in his development as a young man. His knees just gave way.
Courtney Johns played 21 games and kicked 18 goals for Essendon between 2005 and 2008.
Lest pick out some highlights over the past 20 years:
1997 Dean Rioli and Mark Johnson. Mark was taken at number 67!! More on that later
1998 Cory McGrath and James Podsiadly
1999 Stephen Milne (was listed as a top up player then St Kilda rookied him)
2000 Damien Peverill
2002 Courtney Johns
2003 Nathan Lovett-Murray and Andrew Lovett (won Anzac Day Medal 2005). Lovett was traded for pick 16 to St Kilda and then Essendon acquired picks 24, 33 and Mark Williams from Hawthorn who then coach Matthew Knights was very keen on.
2005 Heath Hocking
2009 Ben Howlett and Stewart Crameri
** Michael Barlow was invited to train with Essendon after the 2009 season. Fremantle took him with #10 in the 2010 Rookie Draft so we will never know where coach Knights had him pencilled in, if at all.
2010 Josh Jenkins
2011 Mark Baguley
2012 Ariel Steinberg
2013 Patrick Ambrose
2014 Shaun McKernan, Jake Long, Conor McKenna
2015 Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Will Hams and Tom Wallis
So basically every year there has been a very good selection from Adrian Dodoro and his team. Premiership players, Crichton Medalists, Anzac Day Medalists and great players. Some missed with injury, others like Andrew Lovett had amazing talent that was never fully explored. He challenges Rioli as the most brilliant players off the rookie list. But talent aside there are two we need to ‘raise a glass’ to. I’ve greatly admired the toughness and hard work of Hocking, Howlett and Baguley. You can’t deny they just give everything for Essendon.
But the two standout selections have been Mark Johnson and Damien Peverill by the proverbial length of the straight and I’ll tell you why.
- Character, culture, great men, great Essendon men
- Fiercely loyal
- Courageous
- Totally professional in their training and preparation
- Both given the biggest jobs in footy. Peverill as the main tagger and Mark’s yearly match ups with ‘The Wizard’ Jeff Farmer and Saints Stephen Milne were absolute epics. ‘Mano a mano’
- Asked and gave no quarter
- Respectful of people
- Can play
**There may have been Hird, Mercuri, Lloyd, Misti and Fletch but if you had ‘Pev’ and ‘Johno’ walking down the race with you anywhere, anytime all was right with the (football) world.
Here are a couple of brief examples how highly Johno and Pev were regarded. Damien was passed over in four successive AFL National Drafts and three AFL Pre-Season Drafts. He debuted in Round 4 2001 and duly tagged Sydney midfielder, Wayne Schwass out of the game. Peverill was returned to the rookie list after Round 12 2001 clash due to the return of Joe Misiti from injury. The team honoured Peveril's contribution as a rookie by allowing him to lead the players off the ground.
Mark Johnson was taken pick 67 as he was not highly regarded or ‘pumped up’ by his TAC Club, Calder Cannons. Then assistant coach Mark Thompson saw something in Johnson. Premiership player, 200 gamer and Crichton Medallist. In terms of talent ‘Cyril’ (Dean Rioli) well, he was just ‘Cyril’. But for some like Peverill, Johnson, Hocking, Walla and Howlett it was a lifeline. They are the ultimate rookies. So it is with great regret that the rookie system may soon be abolished.
Essendon’s best Rookie List team
B. Mark Johnson Ariel Steinberg Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti
HBF. Nathan Lovett Murray Patrick Ambrose Mark Baguley
C. Andrew Lovett Cory McGrath Ben Howlett
HFF. Dean Rioli Josh Jenkins Stewart Crameri
FOR. *Stephen Milne James Podsiadly Will Hams
FOLL: Shaun McKernan Damien Peverill Heath Hocking
I/C Jake Long, Conor McKenna, Tom Wallis, Courtney Johns
