The Soaring

4. National Draft of 1999
# 11 Darren Glass
# 14 Travis Gaspar
# 16 David Haynes
# 29 Adam Hunter
# 41 Kane Munro


Initially, this draft is a difficult one to gauge such is the lack of marquee names and high profile achievements. But following recent seasons the quality of this draft for the West Coast Eagles is beginning to be seen.

Anytime a team takes 3 selections in the top 16 you would be hoping for some long term success, and in the world of AFL there is nothing long term nor highly prized like a key position player. And that, in my opinion, is where the team has excelled in the 1999 draft. Four key position players, three of which are the current key defensive players in the 2005 AFL Grand Finalists, were taken in the top 29 of this draft and as these players have begun to blossom we are beginning to see their true value as quality AFL footballers.

Darren Glass was taken at pick 11 with a view to replacing one of the iconic premiership defenders in McIntosh and Jakovich. After bit part roles in the first years of his career, this he finally did with the retirement McIntosh in 2003.

Since that time Glass has improved in leaps and bounds, to the point where he is one of the more consistent and dogged full-backs in the competition. A true defensive bookend Glass has now reached a point in his career where the belief, the effort, the discipline and the skill have clicked to the point where he is a difficult to beat proposition - a huge boost for any team to boast in the last line of defense. Now in the prime of his career, Glass has not yet called for AA honours, but that is not beyond the realms of possibility. Will be a 150 game plus KP player for the club.

Travis Gaspar is an enigma. After 6 seasons on the Eagles list Gaspar’s career still exists in the realm of ‘potential’. A strong mark, tall and athletic with a good football petigree, Gaspar’s 28 games since his 2001 debut has not been a great return, with a cruel run of injuries to this point limiting Gaspar’s career.

However, a late run at the end of 2005 saw Gaspar a surprise inclusion into the preliminary and Grand Final sides for the Eagles, unlining his rating within the club. A late hold out to resign for 2006, Gaspar attracted interest from other clubs, but will now get his chance to translate his undoubted potential into a career of substance.

Like Glass, in recent seasons the true Adam Hunter has really stood up. A fan favourite for his hard nosed, never back down approach, Hunter is a versatile player both a close checking CHB and as a high flying key forward with a keen sense of theatre.

In 2004 and 5 Hunter has made his name as a CHB, claiming a number of big name scalps often playing out of his weight division by competing with a indefatigible, combative approach. Cameos in the forward line will have him pushing for a future as key forward and Hunter could well excel in such a role. Whether forward or back it is quite conceivable that Hunter could end up as the pick of this draft. Like Glass will be a 150 game plus player.

David Haynes looked like he could be a highly effective forward line player culminating with a promising 2003 producing 27 goals. But after requesting a trade back to Victoria at the end of that season (which netted us the pick with which we selected Sam Butler) Haynes has lost his way and is currently without a team in the AFL. Seemingly, this could be an issue of application rather than ability but the cut and thrust of the AFL could have claimed him as a casaulty.

Number 41 selections are rarely translated into superstars and Kane Munro is no exception. Kicked 3 goals in the 2002 elimination final and the future looked bright. However, a lack of desire and a failure to graps his opportunities saw Munro’s career run out of gas by the end of 2003.

Overall, I rate this draft as a 3.5 out of 5 success rate, with both Haynes and Munro seemingly having the talent, and on more than one occasion showing that talent, but not the attitude or mental focus to make it as top liners. But the big votes come in that the other three are arguably amongst the current Eagles most valuable key position players, comprising of the defensive talls in the 2005 Grand Final team. To select all three players in the one draft has got to place this draft highly in the history of the West Coast team; this is what rebuilding teams dream of accomplishing. In 1999 we seemingly did it.