Who is the recruit of the year?
That was the question posed on SEN’s Sportsday on Wednesday night.
Brad Johnson named the likes of Izak Rankine, Josh Dunkley, Tim Taranto, Luke Jackson and Jason Horne-Francis on his shortlist before coming to a conclusion.
“For me, personally, I think it’s Josh Dunkley at the Brisbane Lions with how he’s been able to go straight into their system, take up a midfield spot, add a good layer to their midfield,” Johnson said.
“He’s having an excellent year.”
The discussion then headed towards the overall recruitment of the year.
Gerard Healy could not be more effusive in his praise of Collingwood’s recruiting after they added Tom Mitchell, Bobby Hill, Dan McStay, Billy Frampton and Oleg Markov in the off-season.
Healy spoke glowingly of the work done by the Magpies recruiters, led by Derek Hine, in bringing the quintet into Craig McRae’s side which is hurtling towards September.
“I think the recruiter of the year was whoever put together the Collingwood recruits, it has been unbelievable,” Healy said.
“You’ve got Bobby Hill, who has played better football than he’s ever played in his life and he’s doing it on a regular basis. He’s become a mainstay of that team.
“Tom Mitchell has been an incredibly important player for them. Dan McStay hasn’t had a chance because of injury, Oleg Markov is another one, so they’ve added five players all getting a game bar McStay.
“Including Billy Frampton who wasn’t considered a starting player in Adelaide and he’s been such an important player for them.
“That’s five players added to a preliminary final side that lost by a point.
“That is frightening. They gave nothing up.”
Kane Cornes was also complimentary towards the Pies and how they added the group of five without spending too much.
“Where they get extra points is they didn’t give up hardly anything to get them,” Cornes said.
“McStay as a free agent, you cop the contract. Mitchell you get for nothing, Bobby Hill didn’t cost you much, Frampton you get for free, Markov you get for free.
“When you ask me who the recruit of the year is, you’ve got to factor in what did the club pay to get them?
“Fremantle paid a bounty to get Luke Jackson, so of course you expect him to be good. Richmond paid overs for Tim Taranto with the seven years, the massive money and the two first-round draft picks.
“Collingwood gave up nothing to get five really important players who help their structure.”
Healy believes the recruiting coup could go down in history if the Pies happen to win the premiership this year.
“This Collingwood episode of putting five players together, paying nothing for them, getting the best out of them and making your side a premiership favourite,” he added.
“It’ll go down in history if they do win the flag as one of the great recruiting coups in our game.”
Mitchell is averaging 27 disposals across 15 games since his move from Hawthorn while Hill has kicked a career-high 20 goals in 15 games after shifting from GWS.
Frampton has held down various roles, chipping in as a defender, in the ruck and up forward across 10 games, Markov has been handy across half-back in 12 games and McStay has been restricted to five games because of a finger tendon injury.
The top-of-the-table Magpies meet the sixth-placed Western Bulldogs in an intriguing clash at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.