Akermanis most welcome: Ireland

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  • penga
    Senior Player
    • Jan 2003
    • 2601

    Akermanis most welcome: Ireland



    Akermanis most welcome: Ireland
    5:02:38 PM Tue 24 June, 2003
    Karen Collins
    afl.com.au

    Sydney Swans Director of Football, Andrew Ireland has said the club may be prepared to put aside its youth policy if Jason Akermanis was to indicate he was keen to play in the harbour city.

    The Brisbane midfielder ? whose contract expires at the end of the season - stated last month he was keen to remain in Brisbane, but last weekend added that Sydney may provide him with a tougher challenge.



    ?I think the whole story started just out of a bit of fun,? Ireland said.

    ?Earlier in the year he did a radio piece with [boxer] Anthony Mundine and they were sparring on radio, and then Jason came out with some comments that if he was in Sydney he would be bigger than Mundine.?

    Ireland is a former Brisbane chief executive and remains in regular contact with Akermanis.

    ?He is a very good player, and I guess the Swans are always interested in good players, but the fact is our main focus as we indicated last year is building our list from young players.

    ?That doesn?t mean that every year we are always just going to go to the draft for young players, because there will be times trading is the right option for the club as well.

    ?But that is the fundamental way we think we can develop our list, and the reality is, he is a Brownlow Medalist.

    ?I would assume Brisbane... one, would have to be interested in trading him - two, Jason would need to want to come here - and three, you would have to come up with a reasonable deal if that is what you want to do.?

    ?I think a lot of those things are going to make it very difficult but it is probably irrelevant anyway as Jason has indicated he wants to remain in Brisbane.

    Sydney will lose the retiring Daryn Cresswell at the conclusion of this season, and Ireland hopes to replace him from within their list.

    ?Daryn has had an outstanding career with the club. He?s been a regular high performer in the club championship and was runner-up again last year.

    ?His form even at the end of last year, when he made the decision to retire, was first class and he has continued on with it this year, and if that form continues he is going to be very difficult to replace.

    ?Blokes who can play in the middle of the ground at the level he does aren?t easy to replace but you would hope that someone like Jude Bolton, who has already stepped up this year, might become a person who plays regularly in the middle of the ground rather than sharing the role.?

    Ireland also added Adam Schneider could find himself in the midfield in the future, while the club hopes last year?s top pick, Jarrad McVeigh may step up.



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    all i can say, is that they know best

    i really hope that they dont go for him, he will be WAY too expensive... if it was a 2nd round draft pick like davis id be happy but the chances of that hppening is nought... unless brizzy are that tight on their salary cap that that is the only way out maybe thats all that they will settle for...

    i do like what he says at the end though about schneider and mcveigh

    we need KPP and ruckmen!!!
    C'mon Chels!
  • Cheer Cheer
    On the Rookie List
    • Jan 2003
    • 934

    #2
    Well I wouldnt be too disapointed in getting him because we are close to losing our three top experienced midfielders and he would be a more than handy player to replace the older midfielders who will be leaving in the next year or so.
    Youth is great but we cant have every player under 22.
    No.1 ticket holder of Nick Davis Fan Club...

    Comment

    • Snowy
      On the Rookie List
      • Jun 2003
      • 1244

      #3
      I thought we had money problems.
      LIFE GOES ON

      Comment

      • Craig
        On the Rookie List
        • Jan 2003
        • 225

        #4
        Bring it on! I'm a big fan of Acker he will be awesome for us. One player is hardly going to stop our youth policy.

        Comment

        • Dave
          Let those truckers roll
          • Jan 2003
          • 1557

          #5
          If we got him cheap then it wouldn't bother me too much.
          "My theory is that the universe is made out of stupidity because it's more plentiful than hydrogen" - Frank Zappa

          Comment

          • boroboy
            Warming the Bench
            • May 2003
            • 239

            #6
            I've said it before and I'll say it again....Akermanis will be playing for the Swans next year....it's a done deal.
            Regards,

            Boro Boy

            Comment

            • Jon
              On the Rookie List
              • Mar 2003
              • 162

              #7
              the guy would be a perfect fit...bit of experience to top off the list (just as we lose some experience in the midfield in cressa).

              It's a maxim in sport: "your kids get you into finals, but your veterans win them for you"

              Ireland knows the quality of the guy beyond his media persona which some seem so obsessed with.

              I reckon watching Akker and Willo together would really accelerate players like Schneider.
              Time to march for the Red and White

              Comment

              • boroboy
                Warming the Bench
                • May 2003
                • 239

                #8
                Wise words above...

                It's easy to get carried away on this seasons (magnificent) form - and to think everything is rosy in the garden. Whilst we are in a very good position, adding someone with the depth of experience that Aka brings will only be a positive. Forget the media hype - the Swans will reign that in and he will be a cornerstone of the team in the next few years.

                Get used to it - I have what could be referred to as "very reliable source" - he's coming.
                Regards,

                Boro Boy

                Comment

                • Diego
                  Suspended by the MRP
                  • Jan 2003
                  • 946

                  #9
                  I can't wait!

                  It's all there in black and white isnt it??..with ireland being an ex lion, good friends with aker, the swans and lions have a healthy respect and liking for each other and Aker would be a perfect marketing and development tool for the code in NSW.

                  It's all adds up!

                  We need some one to fill the void cressa will leave next season.

                  Comment

                  • RogueSwan
                    McVeigh for Brownlow
                    • Apr 2003
                    • 4602

                    #10
                    It may seem like a win to gain Aker, but what about the other side of the coin? What/who do we lose to get him?
                    "Fortunately, this is the internet, so knowing nothing is no obstacle to having an opinion!." Beerman 18-07-2017

                    Comment

                    • Craig
                      On the Rookie List
                      • Jan 2003
                      • 225

                      #11
                      Mathews, 2nd round draft pick and maybe someone like Nicks

                      Comment

                      • Charlie
                        On the Rookie List
                        • Jan 2003
                        • 4101

                        #12
                        But Aker is merely another receiver... we've already got Goodes, Kennelly, Maxfield, Fosdike and a couple of others jockeying for his role. He doesn't cover Cressa at all.
                        We hate Anthony Rocca
                        We hate Shannon Grant too
                        We hate scumbag Gaspar
                        But Leo WE LOVE YOU!

                        Comment

                        • NMWBloods
                          Taking Refuge!!
                          • Jan 2003
                          • 15819

                          #13
                          He may not dive into packs, however he knows where the ball is going and where to place himself at the right time, so that makes him more than a pure receiver.
                          Captain Logic is not steering this tugboat.

                          "[T]here are things that matter more and he's reading and thinking about them: heaven, reincarnation. Life and death are the only things that are truly a matter of life and death. Not football."

                          Comment

                          • Arks
                            On the Rookie List
                            • Mar 2003
                            • 25

                            #14
                            I would rather lose a first round draft pick, (unless its a really high draft pick), then lose a player from our playing list. I mean I wouldn t mind getting rid of some players such as nicks or seymour but somehow I dont think brisbane would want them.

                            Anyway I personally think Aker would be a good asset for the team with cresswell leaving.

                            Comment

                            • Plugger46
                              Senior Player
                              • Apr 2003
                              • 3674

                              #15
                              Originally posted by Craig
                              Mathews, 2nd round draft pick and maybe someone like Nicks
                              Sounds excellent to me, Mathews the softest player in our side, to give away a 2nd round draftpick is not the end of the world.

                              I wouldn't be too happy if Nicks went though.
                              Bloods

                              "Lockett is the best of all time" - Robert Harvey, Darrel Baldock, Nathan Burke, Kevin Bartlett, Bob Skilton

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