The Western Bulldogs’ list manager has been accused of using “the ultimate spin” in relation to the club’s drafting.
With the Dogs missing the finals, questions have turned to whether the side is maximising its list build, with an intense review flagged for the off-season.
Club list manager Sam Power told AFL Media’s Gettable this week that matching bids for Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (2020) and Sam Darcy (2021) had left them with little access to other areas of the draft.
Watch every match of the 2023 Toyota AFL Finals Series before the Grand Final Live & Ad-Break Free During Play on Kayo Sports. Join now and start streaming instantly >
Bedford ban lifted for elimination final | 00:29
“Matching bids with Jamarra and Sam early in drafts has meant that we’ve picked early and picked late,” Power said.
“Obviously fantastic bringing those guys in, but we’ve paid maximum for them with where those picks came, so we haven’t had access to certain parts of the draft.”
Two-time North Melbourne premiership player David King scoffed at Power’s comments on SEN Breakfast on Friday.
“He even had trouble getting it out,” he said.
“He’s trying to tell us that what they paid for Jamarra, which was pick 29, 33, 41, 52 and 54 for the best kid in the draft, was a setback for their list build? And then he’s also throwing Sam Darcy in there with pick 32, 34 and 40.
“That is just the ultimate spin. ‘We’ve had to pay overs for those blokes’ – they’re key position stars!”
“We’ve been hamstrung with this list build by having to bid on Jamarra with picks in the 30s? And Sam Darcy has been a real kick in the prunes, he’s cost us three picks in the 30s? Come on Sam (Power).”
Co-host, Port Adelaide 300-gamer Kane Cornes, said Power’s comments were symptomatic of a blame game unfolding after the club’s lacklustre season.
“Lets not complain about being blessed with one of the great draft free kicks you’ve ever seen,” he said.
“Imagine the teams down the bottom hearing that when you’ve got a finals contender getting access to one of the two best picks in the draft for not much at all. We’re not copping that.
“There’s a bit of the blame game happening at the Dogs.”
