Max Gawn joins debate on West Coast's polarising request for AFL draft assistance
The Eagles want a priority pick or picks in this year's draft, with CEO Don Pyke confirming this week that the club would proceed with the drastic measure and make the request to the AFL.
North Melbourne was the last club to get draft assistance, with the AFL commission in 2023 approving a deal of three extra end-of-first-round draft selections that were spread across two years.
North received one end-of-first-round selection in 2023 and two end-of-first-round selections in 2024. They were also granted two additional rookie list spots.
The bandaid package came after four consecutive seasons where North finished last or second last, and had 12 wins in an 84-game stretch.
Despite the fact that North Melbourne has not appeared in a grand final this century, rival clubs did make considerable noise when the package was approved, with Geelong coach Chris Scott blasting the decision.
Speaking on Triple M's Mick in the Morning on Friday, Gawn did note that West Coast last won a premiership in 2018.
'I'm way out of my pay-grade here ... I know we got one,' Gawn said (Melbourne had pick 1 and 2 in the 2009 draft but also had a request knocked back in 2014).
'(West Coast) have been down the bottom for a while, but they did just win a flag in 2018 … it's not that long.
'You need an even competition so you can see why the AFL do it, but it's interesting who gets it.'
Melbourne won a flag in 2021 but prior to that they last tasted premiership glory in 1964.
St Kilda great and Channel 7 expert Nick Riewoldt also thought there were issues with the West Coast request.
'(The Eagles last premiership) was not that long ago ... The Saints haven't won (a flag) since '66,' Riewoldt said.
'West Coast have got plenty of levers (to pull) in terms of being a massive club, big-drawing power that footy club.'
Gawn said West Coast, along with Collingwood was 'the biggest club in the land'.
Triple M co-host Titus O'Reily said the priority pick had become some sort of reward for clubs who made their own mistakes.
'They've become insurance for bad administrators,' he said.
'So, if the club makes a series of bad decisions, the next group come along and go, 'Give me a priority pick'.'
The Eagles played finals in 2020 and only just missed out on the top eight in 2021.
In 2022 West Coast had two wins, and 20 losses and in 2023 they had three wins and 20 losses and finished last.
In 2024 the Eagles had five wins, and 18 losses, but they have only managed one win this season.
'The unfortunate situation we find ourselves in, looking at our numbers - whether it be games won, quarters won, percentage over the last five years - we find ourselves right in the position where if you apply it across clubs who have recently received assistance... we're well and truly in the window for that,' Pyke recently said on SEN.
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