portadelaidefc.com.au sat down with national recruiting manager Geoff Parker to ask him questions from supporters on the Port Adelaide BigFooty forum.

Portmanteau asks:
How many total players would the scouting team evaluate annually?
GP: I don’t know the exact figure, but we start with a number well over two hundred.

Portmanteau asks:
How many years in advance do you project our possible first 22 to inform draft needs?
GP: We start assessing drafts three years out, and it’s about the same with our list. Any further than that and there are too many variables.

Portmanteau asks:
Do draft combine results substantially affect draft rankings or is it mainly onfield performance?
GP: The draft combine results add to the decision making. The most important thing we assess is the talent of the player when he’s actually playing the game. The combine testing can help separate players when their football ability is very similar.

pastmyprimus asks:
Is the business really secretive? Is there any sharing of information between fellow recruiters?
GP: Even though we all watch the same players at the same game sit is secretive. Leading into the draft clubs like to keep their cards close to their chest.

Chrizzt asks:
Are weak/shallow/super drafts talked about as a real thing pre-draft or are they only concepts that become apparent years down the track?
GP: We start to analyse what drafts will look like three years out. You start to get a sense of the depth of a given draft and the types of players that will be available.

Macca19 asks:
We are about to see the first key position defender picked at #1 for over 20 years, what makes Weitering stand out from other highly rated key defenders in recent times who went a bit later eg. Frawley, Talia, Plowman etc.
GP: Often the midfield players fill the first few picks of a draft, but every draft is different and the make up of player types can vary. Weitering is one of the standout players in this draft, but it doesn’t mean he’s going to be any better or worse than the players mentioned.

Macca19 asks:
How many staff are in our scouting department?
GP: Five full time and 11 part-time resources throughout Australia.

Macca19 asks:
Can you describe the year in the life of a recruiter? What’s the process from the day after the draft 2014, through to draft day 2015?
GP: Once the rookie/pre-season draft is over, we have short break and then start planning for the following year. We start to re-watch vision of the 17-year-olds from the previous year and start building our list of players to monitor.

Once the states release their academy squads, training and trial game programs, and state league fixtures, we start planning our travel itineraries. On an average weekend, I’ll watch up to 8 games live. I’m generally watching games interstate two out of every four weekends.

Late in the season we start to formulate our draft rankings, meet with players for interviews, attend national and state combines and lastly, meet to finalise our draft list.

SgtSchulz asks:
Should players be older before they are drafted?
GP: The older the player is, the easier it is to evaluate what type of player he will end up being, but I still think the draft age should stay as it is.

Macca19 asks:
Is there a need in 2015 for a rookie list?
GP: The ability for players to be upgraded during the year has diminished the need for a rookie list, but it certainly serves a purpose for players who are still developing their game.

Macca19 asks:
Did Ah Chee's late season form in his 4th AFL season make you smile?
GP: Yes it did. It was very pleasing to see Brendon play at a standard we thought he was capable of when we drafted him in 2011.

PJ Power asks:
How much intel are you able to collect on what other clubs are going to do on draft day?
GP: You can often get a strong sense of who the first 10-15 drafted players will be. After that, it’s much harder to gather the information.

*PAF asks:
With the ability to trade future draft picks, what sort of influence will you and your team have on trade week?
GP: We’re in constant dialogue with list manager Jason Cripps regarding the impact trading picks will have on our draft outcomes.

Ford Fairlane asks:
Do recruiters talk as much about Moneyball picks as the media and supporters do? Have you read the book? Is there a trend towards going through other clubs' delisted players for a more mature role player rather than going to develop an 18yo kid into a role, eg tagger, back up ruck?
GP: Yes, I’ve read the book and watched the movie. Really enjoyed both. I’m sure each club has their own systems to evaluate all players that are available through trade or draft to reach their own conclusions on how they should move forward. But I think the term ‘Moneyball’ is more commonly used by the media than by clubs.