Premiers are built upon the start-up draft. Except when they’re not.
Take a cursory look at this year’s newly crowned premiers and their first four picks in our establishment draft back in 2016.
Pick 6: Jack Steven, featured in the Grand Final, scoring 57. Only played 7 games this year for MSHB, at an average of 76.
Pick 15: Dayne Beams, plays for the Defenestrators these days.
Pick 26: Jordan Lewis. Currently plays for the waiver wire. Retiring into the sunset this off-season.
Pick 35: David Armitage. Also plays for the waiver wire. Also retiring into the sunset.
Sure, the next two picks were Zach Merrett and Max Gawn. Dayne Zorko appeared in round 8. But Tom Bell was next in round 9…
Hope for us all, is all I’m saying. Get trading and recruiting, I guess?