2008 AFL Draft Review – Western Bulldogs

The Western Bulldogs were the smallest player in 2008 AFL Draft with only three selections which included a father/son selection (Ayce Cordy). Like many clubs the Dogs focused on drafted key position players and they came away with three that they should be quite happy with. Let’s take a closer look at them.

Pick No. 14 – Ayce Cordy

 

 
Ayce Cordy is a 202cm ruckman/forward from the Geelong Falcons. Cordy is very agile for his height and moves well around the ground. His ruckwork is very good and he has a great football brain. Cordy didn’t play a lot of football last year due to a broken collarbone so he hasn’t had the ideal lead up to beginning an AFL career. When Cordy plays up forward he has shown the ability to take a very good contested mark so this adds another aspect to his game. Like most young ruckman who come into the league Cordy will need to put on some weight before he becomes a factor in AFL football as he currently weighs 77kg.

Pick No. 31 – Jordan Roughead

Jordan Roughead is a 199cm ruckman/forward from North Ballarat. Roughead’s natural position is the ruck but like Ayce Cordy he can go forward take a mark and kick a goal. Roughead is very athletic for his size and has a great leap. Roughead is still very much a work in progress but there is plenty there to work with for the Bulldogs over the next few seasons.

Pick No. 32 – Liam Jones

 

 
Liam Jones is a key defender/forward from the Tassie Mariners. Jones looks as though a key defender could be his position as he reads the ball so well when playing in that position. He missed a lot of last year with a knee injury but showed plenty of talent at Under 16 level the year before. Don’t expect to see much of Jones in season 2009 as he is still attending Scotch College and is likely to play a lot of school football.

Scott Clayton from the Western Bulldogs had the following to say after the Draft:

Officially Ayce Cordy (father-son) came onto our list and we’ve had a lot to do with him and his family over the last year, so we’re pleased to finally deliver that. He’s a very exciting prospect. We went tall today, not for the sake of it but for the sake their names were right – they’ve got to have the right names and we think Jordan Roughead and Liam Jones have got long careers ahead of them. Roughead is a ruckman and Jones is a central key position player and we’ll give them every chance by developing them for long careers.

All three boys need conditioning with a long-term future in mind, not short-term. We rated those three boys and we called them out accordingly. I don’t think we stand here today saying they’ll play round one because we’d be conditioning them for the short-term and I made the point we can’t do that – they need some work.

The Western Bulldogs will be very happy with how this draft panned out. Cordy was a father/son pick so in reality they only had two live picks in the Draft. Roughead was tipped by many to be a possible first round selection so for him to fall to Pick 31 seems like a steal for the Dogs. Jones has showed plenty of promise and gives them plenty to work with. The Dogs drafted three tall players to add to the group of young promising talls that they already have on their list.

How do you think the Bulldogs fared at the draft? Do you think Ayce Cordy was worth Pick 14? Leave us with your thoughts.