The Future

[Captain]

I'm concerned about our future stocks of key position players.

Don't get me wrong, I love Roosy, but since he has taken over he has drafted skinny midfielders. We haven't drafted a potential key position players for ages (someone will have the stats I'm sure).

Who looks like being the next Barry Hall, Andrew Schauble etc?

None of the young players we have a key position. I can't think of any. This is very concerning.

McVeigh will be a good footballer no doubt, however I feel that we wasted a top pick on him. We don't need more outside midfielders, we require key position players.

I know people will comment how the game is won in the midfield etc etc however Grand Finals are won by sides with a good spine. Quality KPP players are essential.

Next draft let's bloody recruit some.

[dendol]

I think you will find that Roos will be looking for key position players in the next draft. He has already said that we have enough midfielders in the works - where we picked up Willoughby and Schmidt to replace the likes of Cressa, Kel, and Schwatta.

Andrew Ireland also said recently that we will be looking to "top up" our current list of players for a good young KPP. We have 48% of our list at age 21 or younger, so it may look like we will be trading our earlier draft picks for this.

Also, dont write off LRT or Matty Davis as future KPP yet. They were drafted as VERY long term prospects, so who knows what they may become.

[Newbie]

I understand that Roosy is fully aware of this issue. He was mentiong exactly the same thing in the preseason. In that particular preseason game, he was toying with LRT and James as the key forwards. Moving James forward in the last couple of games were probably the extension of that experiment.

We did try to draft a KP player in the last couple of drafts too. However, unless we are willing to part with a top pick, it would be very hard to get a potentially good KP.

The hard fact which is starting to surface, is we have more holes in our armory that we could ever realize.

None of our divisions is in good shape for the future at all and yet we have not heard the word "rebuilding" from Roosy recently. Perhaps, rebuilding is the wrong word when we have nothing to start with.

It is going to be a long and hard road to the top. Stay tune.

Our recruiting effort is good average one and so is our team.

[Captain]

The idea when Roos started was to win a premership in 3 years - ie next year. This looks a long way off.

I'm not a fan of our recruiting. We love getting skinny kids that take years to play and when they do play, they are running clones of each other who are pretty much one dimentional.

Fosdike and McVeigh are the perfect examples. Neither will ever be worthy of a top 20 pick, let alone a top 5. Yes they are handy players, but I would trade them for an average KPP anyday.

[Newbie]

Hand off McViegh. That kid is skilful with great stamina and with the uncanned ability to weave through trafic. Is a gem. He just needs to get involved a bit more.

Fosdike

[dendol]

Originally posted by Newbie
Hand off McViegh. That kid is skilful with great stamina and with the uncanned ability to weave through trafic. Is a gem. He just needs to get involved a bit more.

Fosdike

now with Fosdike and Buchanan out for at least a month, we will get a very good chance to see McVeigh and Ablett with extended game time.

[sharp9]

Yep, interesting that we recruited/ relisted two players with next to no talent simply because they have some muscles (Hunt and Rogers).

But when you look at top defensive talent there is a bit about who aren't bulky - Scarlett, Harley, Fletcher, Barry, Rivers....all AA contenders. They are, however, very strong for their weight, it seems. This, of course, is the opposite of Saddington, Powell, Meiklejohn and LRT.

Agree that getting some proper midfield talent was the right thing to do last year.

[stellation]

Re: The Future

Originally posted by Captain

McVeigh will be a good footballer no doubt, however I feel that we wasted a top pick on him. We don't need more outside midfielders, we require key position players.

I don't think the pick was wasted on him at all. We had taken Powell and LRT the year before as potential KPP.

[penga]

Originally posted by Captain
McVeigh will be a good footballer no doubt, however I feel that we wasted a top pick on him. We don't need more outside midfielders, we require key position players.

in the years that roosy has been coach, there has been next to no KP talent worth going after anyway

what is the point in drafting a kid that would be worth a pick in the 50's with a top 5 pick just because he has a big build and is over 192cm? it is like recruiting a midfielder with a top 5 pick just because he is an athlete... that is sheer stupidity! (despite the rumours at the time, mcveigh is more than an athlete)

tim walsh was the only decent KP prospect in the last 2 drafts and he went before mcveigh, how would we have a chance of drafting him? yet he hasnt seen one minute of game time so far in his career at the dogs. (he did break his leg last year which didnt help)

in order to draft KP talent, there has to be KP talent available. these prospects dont grow on trees you know!

[ugg]

If things had gone to plan, Ryan Fitzgerald would have been our CHF by now, instead he's on TV clowning around. Also, whatever plans we had for Scott Stevens haven't come to fruition either plus injuries have curtailed Heath James's development by a couple of years.

[penga]

this sucks though:

Last years under 18?s coach Peter Jonas said, ?We had Jared (Rivers) pencilled in at centre half back in the side.?

http://demons.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=104587

rivers was taken at 26 in the 2002 draft, whether or not he wouldve been worth the no. 5 pick will be answered in time. however, what is done, is done.

if jonas had a good relationship with rivers though, you never know, he could be lured...

[Barry Schneider]

Originally posted by penga
this sucks though:



rivers was taken at 26 in the 2002 draft, whether or not he wouldve been worth the no. 5 pick will be answered in time. however, what is done, is done.

if jonas had a good relationship with rivers though, you never know, he could be lured...

... to Adelaide.

[swansrule100]

though if we have extra midfielders they become good trade bait for an established tall

i would think tall key position players are harder to develop so perhaps develop a lot of running smaller players eg mecveigh and then trade for a nice tall forward??

[Captain]

Originally posted by penga
this sucks though:



rivers was taken at 26 in the 2002 draft, whether or not he wouldve been worth the no. 5 pick will be answered in time. however, what is done, is done.

if jonas had a good relationship with rivers though, you never know, he could be lured...

You just stated that there were no key position players in the 2002 draft and then you state that Rivers was taken at pick 27. Make up your mind.

Rivers has been twice the value to Melbourne than McVeigh to us this year.

[penga]

Originally posted by Captain
You just stated that there were no key position players in the 2002 draft and then you state that Rivers was taken at pick 27. Make up your mind.

Rivers has been twice the value to Melbourne than McVeigh to us this year.

who cares if rivers has been more important to melbourne THIS YEAR. in ten years you could make an assessment of each player, but only then could you say that the swans may have made a mistake

your stance is so terribly short-sighted. we had a pick at no 5 and then our next pick was at pick 50 - where our midfield needed and needs a massive overhaul - so we went for the local talented midfielder

i put rivers in there after i did a bit of research on this topic after i had posted, i suggest you do some research yourself before you come out and ignorantly state that roosy should draft a brick out-house