With the celery cup set to rise 20% next year, 750k is the new 580. All of a sudden, 1x750 + 4x580 is a bargain price to pay to lure an A-grade mid. Prestia is an A-grade mid, when fit. But fitness is the big question mark. Time will tell.
At the end of 2009, Hawthorn traded two first-rounders for Shaun Burgoyne's dodgy knees. Burgoyne is a champion, and was then, but he was also a crock. Purportedly. He missed the first seven rounds of 2010. (Imagine the angst here if Prestia had missed the first seven.) In his first seven games for Hawthorn, Burgoyne had 20, 23, 15, 14, 19, 20, 19. 18 disposals a game. (Imagine the angst.) In eight games for us, Prestia has had 28, 24, 18, 22, 20, 16, 20, 22. Average 21. (Witness the angst.)
*But the kicking!* Yes, it's often terrible. There's a reason. Some of his kicking is like he's had a jab and can't feel his leg. Maybe he has. Or maybe he's just compensating and it's not working. Time will tell.
There's angst that we traded pick 6 (pick 7 in the end) but if we'd had pick 12 we would have traded that and no one would have batted an eyelid. I'm not going to get into a debate about whether he was worth the draft pick. Time will tell. In the meantime the angsters will watch Will Brodie (or Jack Scrimshaw for a true picture of what we gave up). Brodie made his debut yesterday (3 kicks, 6 handballs, 4 clearances, 3 clangers), while Scrimshaw is coming along more slowly. Time will tell.
What is inarguable is that we had a massive hole in our 23-24 age group and now we have a once and potentially again A-grader and his B+ mate - who wouldn't have come if we didn't get the first bloke - in that age group. That's list management. We're a better side with these two in it, and a better side is a more attractive destination for potential recruits. We'd be no chance of getting Schache or Reid or Gunston if we'd had another poor year with a list with gaping holes. Now, we can point to those holes and say, "See how well we're going, now imagine how good we'll be with you filling that gaping hole".
In a lot of ways, we had to do it. We had to trade in experienced AFL class players or we'd waste another year of our Champion Four, which could have snowballed into the next, and the next. We had to take a stand. Should we have traded three(?) firsts for O'Meara instead? One for Mitchell? Could we have lured him? Time will tell.
Like most, I was against trading pick 6(7) for Prestia. But it's done. Time will tell if it's the right move and those who made it will be hanged or praised. I think he is on the improve. I hope we get to see his best, regularly. That will quell the angst.
