AFL Website assessment of our list

**swansrock4eva** · 2 February 2004, 12:05 PM

Link for that HERE

**motorace_182** · 2 February 2004, 06:16 PM

Sean Dempster ? A tall, athletic forward who can play in the midfield, Dempster is entering his second year with the Swans. Will be looking to debut at some point in 2004.

Whenever I saw him in Ressies he was playing FB????

Tim Schmidt ? Claimed at No.29 in the 2003 National AFL Draft, Schmidt is a skillful midfielder who is an emerging prospect, yet could be a chance to debut in 2004.

Roosy has named a few he expects to debut and this bloke has never been mentioned. I dont think this bloke has the best idea of our list

**robbieando** · 2 February 2004, 07:52 PM

Originally posted by motorace_182
Whenever I saw him in Ressies he was playing FB????

Roosy has named a few he expects to debut and this bloke has never been mentioned. I dont think this bloke has the best idea of our list

Can you say - cut and paste from the AFL guide book.

***NMWBloods*** · 2 February 2004, 07:59 PM

A fairly meaningless and general piece unfortunately. Basically can be summarised as:

Joe Rookie - new to list, looking to debut or be a development player

Trev Younguy - under-rated player who is looking to step up to next level

Phil Experience - had a good last season and remains a vital part of wherever he plays.

Bill Champion - a vital player in his 10th year and is critical to the team's chances.

**motorace_182** · 2 February 2004, 08:19 PM

cut and paste from the AFL guide book.

Can you say - thats who i was talking about, mat burgen or whoever it was, not the poster, i was reading t off the website

**robbieando** · 2 February 2004, 08:36 PM

Originally posted by motorace_182
Can you say - thats who i was talking about, mat burgen or whoever it was, not the poster, i was reading t off the website

I don't quite get the above, but motorace my comment was aimed towards Mat Burgen not you

**ItsAllGoodes** · 2 February 2004, 08:40 PM

Originally posted by NMWBloods
A fairly meaningless and general piece unfortunately. Basically can be summarised as:

Joe Rookie - new to list, looking to debut or be a development player

Trev Younguy - under-rated player who is looking to step up to next level

Phil Experience - had a good last season and remains a vital part of wherever he plays.

Bill Champion - a vital player in his 10th year and is critical to the team's chances.

You forgot Wozza Hasbeen....unlucky not to be delisted at the end of last season...is making up the numbers for the Reserves...and we can all just about nominated who Wozza is

**Foreign Legion** · 2 February 2004, 09:10 PM

Well I will have a crack at it:

Luke Ablett ? I have always rated him - saw a lot of him at Port Melbourne. Great kick, gets injured a bit but I back him to play 15 plus games this year

Jason Ball ? Key player, if injury free will push us to top 4

Leo Barry ? Great, gutsy player who ALWAYS gives his all - one of the main reasons for our good last season.

Craig Bolton ? great debut year from a player who is a "backman's backman' - knows how to play the game

Jude Bolton ? hardest trier on the list and gaining in confidence and having a bigger impact as he gets older

Amon Buchanan ? another guy who impressed me a lot at Port Melbourne - a good goal sneak who will probably only get limited chances. If he plays pre season he MUST do well.

Jared Crouch ? great player, fast and always tries hard - doesn't play too many bad ones.

Matthew Davis ? ? NFI - hope he is good!

Nick Davis ? could be in the top 3 players at the club - hopefully an injury free pre-season could make this happen. GREAT kick.

Sean Dempster ? Only seen him a couple of times but looks ok - who knows?

Stephen Doyle ? THE most important player in the club this year - if he stands up and can rotate with Ball in the forward line we will have an even better season... two more wins hopefully!

Andrew Ericksen ? I don't expect to see him (barring injury) for at least a year.

Ben Fixter ? very hard trier, quick and not often beaten - I would love to see him go through the year without injury.

Nic Fosdike ? much maligned but better than average player. I know he can step up again - this bloke could keep improving for a year or two.

Adam Goodes ? The Champ. If Ball and Doyle are fit then we will have to squeeze Goodesy into the forward line - 60 goals easily!

Barry Hall ? bloody great player (better than I thought he was) and if he stays fit will put in another great year.

Heath James ? Obviously is always playing his "last" game - but gee he does have ability and I reckon he would be a good coach when he retires. Good luck this year Heath.

Tadhg Kennelly ? getting better every game - if he played at half forward I reckon he'd kick 40 goals without any worries - he is just so quick and a bloody good kick.

Brett Kirk ? great player always tries 100% - he will be even more important without Cressa.

Nick Malceski ? Only seen Nick once or twice but jeez I was impressed! There is just something about him I like - I hope to see a lot more of him this year.

Ben Mathews ? Good player but can make some mistakes but usually amends himself. Gets a lot of the ball too which helps.

Stuart Maxfield ? Inspiration for the team - he always tries his guts out. THE best kick on the run at high speed I have seen. Maybe 2 years left.

Jarrad McVeigh ? Haven't seen anything of Jarrad - looks bloody light in photos so will take time.

James Meiklejohn ? Dunno if he will make it - I think he is just a bit too slow or cumbersome but he tries bloody hard which always gives you a chance.

Matthew Nicks ? Obviously a make or break year but I'll back Nicksy - he can really play when on song.

Ryan O?Keefe ? Another I saw at lot of at PM - and he showed a fair bit last year. Bloody good kick and pretty tough - the last photo I saw him in looked like he was very fit - could be anything really.

Michael O?Loughlin ? Well he is IMHO the most talented player at the club - just needs to stay fit to kick 50 goals a year. Getting to the veteran stage in games played.

Mark Powell ? Good leap, tenacious and pretty skilled. Would be a huge bonus if he steps up as he does have good height.

Lewis Roberts-Thomson ? This bloke is interesting - I don't know how good he is and I don't even think Lewis knows yet. Could develop into a "Franchise" player or just as easily could be finished in 2 years.

Jason Saddington ? Good player at times and was unlucky with injury last year. Hopefully Saddo will start exerting his will on a few more games this year.

Andrew Schauble ? we need this bloke to stay fit! He is pretty reliable and I like the fact that he is prepared to run down the ground at times to present another option.

Tim Schmidt ? Sounds pretty small but skilled - be surprised to see him before 2005.

Adam Schneider ? This bloke just knows how to play the game. He is not a "manufactured" football who used to play basketball or athletics. Great kick and faster than he looks.

Jarrad Sundqvist ? he has a fair bit of skill but needs to show it this year. Must be desperate this year or will be back in S.A. next year.

Josh Thewlis ? haven't seen much of Josh - another bloke who may play this year but whose spot would he take?

Rowan Warfe ? He is a great survivor Warfey - tries bloody hard and sometimes does very good things. Struggled with injury a lot throughout his career and is another bloke always playing his 'last" game.

Paul Williams ? Jeeez this bloke can play and doesn't seem to be ageing yet either. He has the polish that a lot of our midfielders don't.

Josh Willoughby ? Must be pretty good by the sound of him - will play if injuries permit.

Rookie list

Paul Bevan ? Not qualified to comment on him

Daniel Hunt ? Not qualified to comment on him

Scott McGlone ? I sawy Scott at PM - he does know how to get the ball - not quick or strong but a pretty handy player.

Nick Potter ? Not qualified to comment on him

Aaron Rogers ? Not qualified to comment on him

Luke Taylor ? Not qualified to comment on him.

Well, that's it folks - I don't think I got enough "Important year for him" quotes in but let me know what you think.

***NMWBloods*** · 2 February 2004, 11:07 PM

I'll add a few comments...

Luke Ablett ? I have always rated him - saw a lot of him at Port Melbourne. Great kick, gets injured a bit but I back him to play 15 plus games this year

Always looks like a good footballer and hopefully can establish himself as a semi-regular and solid contributor this year, pushing towards becoming a regular fixture in '05.

Jason Ball ? Key player, if injury free will push us to top 4

Yep - critical part of the team. Allows Goodes to rest and can rotate with Doyle who is still inexperienced. Provides a useful tall option up forward.

Leo Barry ? Great, gutsy player who ALWAYS gives his all - one of the main reasons for our good last season.

Craig Bolton ? great debut year from a player who is a "backman's backman' - knows how to play the game

These two guys had great seasons and should probably produce similar this year. Barry is a crucial part of our run off the half back line, while Bolton is our most flexible defender.

Jude Bolton ? hardest trier on the list and gaining in confidence and having a bigger impact as he gets older

Bolton really stepped up last year and now needs to take the next step in his career in '04. Will make a huge difference as to the performance of our midfield this year.

Amon Buchanan ? another guy who impressed me a lot at Port Melbourne - a good goal sneak who will probably only get limited chances. If he plays pre season he MUST do well.

Yep - probably his last chance, and he'll find it tough given our good forward line.

Jared Crouch ? great player, fast and always tries hard - doesn't play too many bad ones.

I expect him to be solid as usual in his run-with role. Hopefully he's worked on his disposal over the summer.

Matthew Davis ? ? NFI - hope he is good!

Nick Davis ? could be in the top 3 players at the club - hopefully an injury free pre-season could make this happen. GREAT kick.

No idea on MD but doubt if we'll see him in the firsts. I expect at least another solid year from ND, however there is real potential for him to move to the next level and make the most of his natural talents. This could see him kick 50 goals this year or spend more time in midfield and increase his ppg to high teens.

Sean Dempster ? Only seen him a couple of times but looks ok - who knows?

Expect we'll see him debut this year.

Stephen Doyle ? THE most important player in the club this year - if he stands up and can rotate with Ball in the forward line we will have an even better season... two more wins hopefully!

Yes - this guy is very important. Not just for what he can produce this year (he should be helped by his rotation with Ball) but also what he can learn and how he can develop over the next two years (I suspect that is all Ball has left) and then become a top-flight AFL ruckman.

Andrew Ericksen ? I don't expect to see him (barring injury) for at least a year.

Ben Fixter ? very hard trier, quick and not often beaten - I would love to see him go through the year without injury.

Would be very handy as either another small backman or midfielder. Barring injury I expect he will become a regular fixture in the team.

Nic Fosdike ? much maligned but better than average player. I know he can step up again - this bloke could keep improving for a year or two.

Like J Bolton, really improved a lot last year and showed he can put his fine skills to work. Again like J Bolton, needs to improve again this year. A very quick runner and would like to see more of that speed. Another critical part of the midfield.

Adam Goodes ? The Champ. If Ball and Doyle are fit then we will have to squeeze Goodesy into the forward line - 60 goals easily!

I suspect we will see Goodesy simply have free reign to roam the field. He will be matched up far far closer this year, although teams will still struggle to match his height and fitness combination. With further expected improvement in football nouse and skills, he should become more Kouta-like, which is a huge boon for us.

Barry Hall ? bloody great player (better than I thought he was) and if he stays fit will put in another great year.

Hall should kick 65-70 goals this year, which is not a lot more than last year but I suspect we will see him become a more dominant CHF now, which will mean he may spend more time at the 50. Is a wonderful lead, like Tarrant and Tredrea, so should provide a great target for our running players. Hopefully he has worked on his contested overhead marks off-season.

Heath James ? Obviously is always playing his "last" game - but gee he does have ability and I reckon he would be a good coach when he retires. Good luck this year Heath.

Hopefully we see him have an injury-free year as the kid has some talent and I'd love to see us get some benefit from it.

Tadhg Kennelly ? getting better every game - if he played at half forward I reckon he'd kick 40 goals without any worries - he is just so quick and a bloody good kick.

Will be very interesting to see how he goes this year. With Barry he is a major contributor to our run off half back. I suspect he will remain in this position, with perhaps some gradual change through the year into a wing position (which he seems eminently suited for). Some of his decision making and his care of the ball are two aspects he needs to work on, but I believe his increased experience throughout this year should these issues drop away even further.

Brett Kirk ? great player always tries 100% - he will be even more important without Cressa.

Both his run-with ability and ball gathering will be important this year. Should be able to maintain his great defensive work and hopefully, with a year's experience in his role, should increase his possession count and clearance level.

Nick Malceski ? Only seen Nick once or twice but jeez I was impressed! There is just something about him I like - I hope to see a lot more of him this year.

Looks like a very very talented footballer, although also possibly needs to realise that he's in the big leagues now, thus cannot be too fancy or too slow. Hopefully we will see him debut this year and I look forward to his transition. My guess is that he will either be a standout player in a few years or not make it at all. Can't imagine any middle ground.

Ben Mathews ? Good player but can make some mistakes but usually amends himself. Gets a lot of the ball too which helps.

Despite some strange disposal, he is a soild part of our defence and I believe he will continue to be much the same this year.

Stuart Maxfield ? Inspiration for the team - he always tries his guts out. THE best kick on the run at high speed I have seen. Maybe 2 years left.

Wonderful sharp and fast kicks, breaking out of the centre square on his left boot and throwing himself into packs and tackles have been the hallmark of Maxfield, particularly so in recent years, and I expect this will not change this year.

Jarrad McVeigh ? Haven't seen anything of Jarrad - looks bloody light in photos so will take time.

Might debut this year, but probably get little time.

James Meiklejohn ? Dunno if he will make it - I think he is just a bit too slow or cumbersome but he tries bloody hard which always gives you a chance.

Seems a little bit awkward and not tall enough to counter that, so I don't think he will last.

Matthew Nicks ? Obviously a make or break year but I'll back Nicksy - he can really play when on song.

Huge year for Nicks. I suspect he will play some useful cameos, but will end the year with less time than previous years and be even more borderline next year.

Ryan O?Keefe ? Another I saw at lot of at PM - and he showed a fair bit last year. Bloody good kick and pretty tough - the last photo I saw him in looked like he was very fit - could be anything really.

Very talented and useful. Should get more game time this year and hopefully with more experience can produce a more regular impact on the game, which he is quite capable of doing.

Michael O?Loughlin ? Well he is IMHO the most talented player at the club - just needs to stay fit to kick 50 goals a year. Getting to the veteran stage in games played.

My big pick last year was for Magic to improve back to his form of old and we certainly saw a lot of that in '03. Injuries will be the deciding factor in his contribution this year, and may provide some idea as to his future career also.

Mark Powell ? Good leap, tenacious and pretty skilled. Would be a huge bonus if he steps up as he does have good height.

More game time from this kid this year and I think we'll some very promising signs, probably in the back line.

Lewis Roberts-Thomson ? This bloke is interesting - I don't know how good he is and I don't even think Lewis knows yet. Could develop into a "Franchise" player or just as easily could be finished in 2 years.

For a guy who hasn't played much football, he was a revelation in '03. Interesting to see what they do with him this year. I think they'll try him in a variety of positions this year, just to give him a feel for the whole ground, given his lack of football background. I think we will see greater confidence from him and more glimpses of what he potentially can produce.

Jason Saddington ? Good player at times and was unlucky with injury last year. Hopefully Saddo will start exerting his will on a few more games this year.

What happens with his knee this year will be a determining factor for Saddo, but if that's right he will comfortably slot back into the team, probably in a defensive role as the no 2 defender.

Andrew Schauble ? we need this bloke to stay fit! He is pretty reliable and I like the fact that he is prepared to run down the ground at times to present another option.

The rock of the defence! Nearly always takes the big forward and does a solid job. His fitness is important as we would struggle to replace him. Another year of experience should have added to his defensive smarts and I think we will see another good year from him.

Tim Schmidt ? Sounds pretty small but skilled - be surprised to see him before 2005.

Adam Schneider ? This bloke just knows how to play the game. He is not a "manufactured" football who used to play basketball or athletics. Great kick and faster than he looks.

Probably won't get under the guard of the opposition as I think he did last year. However, being part of a lethal forward line that potentially could be one of the best in the competition, I think we will see another good turnout by the young guy. Beating his great first year will be tough and I think we will see a year on par with the first, with possible second-year 'blues' but his main improvement coming from a little more poise when kicking for goal.

Jarrad Sundqvist ? he has a fair bit of skill but needs to show it this year. Must be desperate this year or will be back in S.A. next year.

Talented youngster who needs to find a spot in a team where there seems to be a number of tallish, skillful, thin types (oh what a luxury!!).

Josh Thewlis ? haven't seen much of Josh - another bloke who may play this year but whose spot would he take?

Breaking into the firsts may become tricky for some of these quality youngsters in the reserves while the firsts are doing well and have a nice mix of young and old. Hopefully we can keep them all in our reserves and gradually introduce them over a number of years.

Rowan Warfe ? He is a great survivor Warfey - tries bloody hard and sometimes does very good things. Struggled with injury a lot throughout his career and is another bloke always playing his 'last" game.

Probably get a few cameo appearances to replace injured players, but I suspect not a lot more.

Paul Williams ? Jeeez this bloke can play and doesn't seem to be ageing yet either. He has the polish that a lot of our midfielders don't.

I think we will see him play a lot more off half back this year, perhaps gradually swapping over the year with someone like Kennelly who will rotate into the midfield. As well as great skills, Williams has a good football brain which will serve him well as he gets a bit slower. Hopefully he recognises this more this year and avoids trying to outrun opposition.

That's about it for me. Should be a very interesting year, leading to some even more interesting future years.

**TheHood** · 3 February 2004, 07:08 AM

Originally posted by NMWBloods
Jason Saddington ? Good player at times and was unlucky with injury last year. Hopefully Saddo will start exerting his will on a few more games this year.

What happens with his knee this year will be a determining factor for Saddo, but if that's right he will comfortably slot back into the team, probably in a defensive role as the no 2 defender.
[/B]

I think Saddo has a sound game in his repel and run off half back but he does need to work on defensive technique and strength somewhat. There were too many times in the past 2 seasons when he was getting thrown around like a 92 kilo rag doll.

The Tarrant, Carey and Brown episodes were very disappointing. All of those guys are quality players but Craig Bolton did a terrific job on bigger and better forwards. Saddo is supposedly more experiences and better equiped!

The blanket praise of Saddo from certain circles is a bit annoying and so is his hair. My opinion is that you don't get the eccentric hair until you have the form to carry it off. How average did Michael Brogan look against us when he decided to get a mohawk the week before his worst game of the season?

**BayesysLeftBoot** · 3 February 2004, 09:10 AM

Originally posted by NMWBloods
A fairly meaningless and general piece unfortunately. Basically can be summarised as:

Joe Rookie - new to list, looking to debut or be a development player

Trev Younguy - under-rated player who is looking to step up to next level

Phil Experience - had a good last season and remains a vital part of wherever he plays.

Bill Champion - a vital player in his 10th year and is critical to the team's chances.

LMFAO

***NMWBloods*** · 3 February 2004, 11:26 AM

Originally posted by TheHood
I think Saddo has a sound game in his repel and run off half back but he does need to work on defensive technique and strength somewhat. There were too many times in the past 2 seasons when he was getting thrown around like a 92 kilo rag doll.

The Tarrant, Carey and Brown episodes were very disappointing. All of those guys are quality players but Craig Bolton did a terrific job on bigger and better forwards. Saddo is supposedly more experiences and better equiped!

I totally agree. I have been one of the major critics of Saddo's defensive efforts. I think he lacks good decision-making ability of when to punch and when to mark. He is also not strong enough for his size and hasn't worked out how to use his strength (if indeed he has any).

Nevertheless, I am also certain that when fit he will be the no 2 defensive player in the team.

**Ajn** · 3 February 2004, 03:39 PM

Thumbs up on the descriptive powers that AFL.com was lacking

Wonder why they bother??

P.S. Saddo has been nursed a little too much, but is a good option on the kick out where he can attack a bit more, with strong hands. I suggest a wing position may suit better, as a link player. In defense no more than the 3rd best opposition player should be allocated to him.

**Nico** · 3 February 2004, 04:51 PM

Boy what a turnaround in 12 months. This time last year there were 2 camps on this site. The pessimists who had us in for a shocker season(majority) and smattering of optimists(me included) who were more than upbeat about our chances.

Hail 2004 and we are all cockahoop about the season and can't wait to bring it on.

The basis of the optimist's view last year was the genuine improvement expected to come from a number of players. Then up bobbed the likes of C.Bolton and Schnides to really make it happen.

I reckon the same applies now. We may all be biased because we reckon we know our players, which goes for any club supporter, but when you look at other team lists it is hard to know where dramatic improvement will come from. Given that there is always a surprise packet and an abject disappointment (us and the Dees in 2003).

What I like about our list is the real likelihood of improvement in a number of players who are right on the brink of stepping up. Those 4 from the ressies last year, plus the following:

O'Keefe - just showed late in the season with his polished finishing that he was right on target to set the world alight in 2004.
LRT - Has simply got it. I am so excited about this bloke it is not funny.
Ablett - Go back and have a look of the finals tapes - didn't have a lot of ground time but strewth his possessions ooze quality. I have jumped right onto this budding star. Interesting that he was not thrown up at trade time that I can recall. Might just be Cressas replacement.
Fixter - the unknown, but what we do know that he is extremely talented.
Kennelly - How exciting - another 10% improvement gives us a superstar.
Goodes - the best is yet to come. He is $18.00 for the Brownlow.

And others could probably find more to throw into the mix.

If the olds and bolds mark time that will be good enough.

Lets get excited.

AFL Website assessment of our list

AFL Website assessment of our list

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