How clubs assess injury risk at the AFL draft and why certain players slip down the pecking order
The AFL has an information sharing system in place to make sure young players don't face too many doctors before the draft.
At the beginning of 2006 season Joel Selwood and Scott Gumbleton were at the pointy end of most recruiters' draft boards.
Selwood, playing for the Bendigo Pioneers in the TAC Cup, was struck down by a knee injury after six rounds, which resulted in his fourth surgery in two years and put considerable doubt into the minds of many clubs.
Gumbleton, on the other hand, enjoyed an injury-free season playing for Peel Thunder in the WAFL.
Essendon swooped on Gumbleton, the dynamic and imposing tall forward with pick two, while Selwood, despite being a highly rated midfielder…