Footage of Essendon recruitment manager leaked

Footage of one of Essendon's high-powered recruiting team who had advised the club against selecting Cyril Rioli in last year's National Draft has been leaked onto the Internet. The video [see below] of the recruitment manager (whose name has been withheld for legal reasons), which can also be accessed from youtube, seems to have been taken somewhere near Flagstaff Station, on Melbourne's underground rail line The Loop.

Rioli, a star in Hawthorn's stunning victory over Geelong in last week's Grand Final, drifted as far as pick #12 at the draft table. Hawthorn recruiting manager Chris Pelchen recalled that he could hardly control his excitement when it came time to read out his club's prized first round selection.

"I tried to stifle my laughter by coughing and I guess I got away with it at the time," he told I-Footy. "It was like being the last kid to put his hand into a mixed bag of lollies at a party and finding that no one has taken the false teeth."

Essendon, who participates in the Dream Time game, an annual celebration of indigenous culture and the contribution of aboriginal footballers to Australian Rules, was thought to have passed on Rioli as the club already had a sufficient quota of highly skilled indigenous footballers such as Leroy Jeter, Andrew Lovett, Alwyn Davey and Paddy Ryder. Rioli, is the nephew of Norm Smith medal winners Maurice Rioli and Michael Long, a former Bomber champion.

Eleven other clubs including Essendon passed on the talented flanker who was nominated for both goal of the year and mark of the year, led the Hawks' tackle count and finished second in the prestigious Rising Star award. Fremantle's Rhys Palmer was declared the winner. The same panel who vote on the rookie award made Cameron Mooney an All Australian in 2007.