Let's plan for our future

[Newbie]

OK, let me start another thread on this.

I was looking at our team.

1. Defense: We just need one extra strong body back man who could fill the full back role. With LRT taking the CHB, Saddo or Powell as third tall, we are well-served. With Fixter as small defender and many medium-size defenders in the list, it will shape as a very strong unit. Just need to find that full back. Could it be James? I hope so but I would not put my money on him yet.

2. Forward: With Hall, Davis, O'Louglin and Schneider we are OK. Doyle could offer that pack marking ability that we lack. If Doyle is fit which I am hopeful, we will have quite a strong forward line. Might want to find a permanent pack marking forward but it is very rare commodity. I could live with the current setup, perhaps with a forward/ruckman as depth.

3. Ruck: I would say, Ball is about to get to his use-by-date. Probably by the end of next year. We are very thin in this area. Will need to draft one, preferably someone would could swap with Doyle in the forward role.

4. Midfield: This needs complete revamp. For the future, I believe we could only count on Kenelly and Bolton. Forside is OK but I dont rate him. Matthews is OK in his role but it is about it. Dito Crouch. How to put these pieces together for a workable midfield structure? I dont know, it seems that we desparately need few major pieces, front line midfielders. Hopefully McVeigh could turn out to be one. Need few more, probably by drafting and pre-season steals.

So for the recruit (in order of necessarity):
- Two and perhaps three gun midfielders.
- One (offensive) ruckman
- One versatile key position.

I would not count on trading to get any of these. We dont have any quality to trade, so to speak. For the draft, I would draft a midfielder with the first pick (and with the concession pick too if it falls to our lapse) and then try to get the offensive ruckman with our second round pick (if one is around), if not, then try for the versatile key position, or something else.

In case that no decent offensive ruckman would be seen available for our second round pick, we might need to trade for a serviceable ruckman as a short-term solution.

If we could get those above within the next two years, we should be very competitive around 2006-2008. The future does not look so bad. We just have to bite the bullet for the moment.

[TheMase]

Count Schneider down as a midfielder, and not a forward.

[barry]

I think we should really be targetting ex-Sydney boys in the trades. They seem to come at a discount, and can be got by offloading dead wood, or higher draft picks.

Two candidates are:
1) Ray Hall, Richmond - Strong KP defensive player. Should be No1 priority.
2) McVeigh, Essendon - Handy, and along with his brother may gell together. Should be cheap.

The only other possible trade we could get would be Akermanis from Brisbane due to cap contraints at the Lions. He would make a nice replacement for Creswell.

Other than that, its through the draft. Adding those three players would make us very competitive, and a solid platform to build from.

I'm not worried about Ruckman. Meklejohn did ok. Doyle will come back, and there is still goodes.

Whatever happens, targetting NSW players in the trade period, never trading first round pick, and never trading for anyone over 25 should be set in stone.

[Steve]

Originally posted by barry
The only other possible trade we could get would be Akermanis ... never trading for anyone over 25 should be set in stone.

Well Akermanis turns 27 next February.

It'd be nice to take Nathan Brown off the Bulldogs' hands, but realistically it would come at too high a price (more in terms of the trade than his salary).

Surely we're not going that bad that Ray Hall is our No.1 recruiting priority

It's interesting to try and 'crystal ball' the development of players over next few years, but really it is so unpredictable and anything could happen.

What you can take for granted is that:

• a couple of players that we've written down as future stars will just not make it (maybe injuries, maybe other reasons)
• a couple of players little is currently expected of will come on in leaps and bounds
• a couple of fringe players (currently) really hanging onto their spots by a thread will finally kick on
• a couple of players will re-invent themselves (or more likely be re-invented) in completely different roles
• each year a couple of fringe players will lose the battle and drop off the list (maybe trades, maybe delistings)

The end of this year will be interesting. Will they bite the bullet and purge the growing group of middle-range players who have steadily declined over the past few years, or for the sake of stability to they carry them for a couple more seasons?

They'd be desperately hoping that the likes of Crouch, Goodes, Saddington, Mathews, Bolton etc , and even O'Loughlin really step up this year so they can make some tough decisions knowing that the walls won't fall in completely if they go all-out with a youth policy.

[thommoone]

Id want to see us pick up the most talented player available, regardless of position played.

[Charlie]

I'm leaning more towards focusing on the draft, and draft only, unless there are any players who are interesting, and who particularly want to come to us.

The only possible exception to this rule is that I'd like to see players like Nathan Bassett, Mal Michael and Matthew Scarlett targeted to fill our hole at FB.

Charlie

[Nico]

Ray Hall - please no. He's no real tall, can't ruck, is slow and gets few stats. No good.

Nathan Bassett - On the lower side of average.

Mal Michael - getting on a bit and hardly wants to move.

Mathew Scarlett - As loose as grannys teeth.

I agree we don't have much to trade. I suspect by the way Roos talks and Ireland acts, delistings will be the order of the day for the next 2 seasons, with the best possible draft picks. Just hope they take their full compliment in the future and not pass after about no.60.

[robbieando]

I would suggest the following.

- Don't trade for a K/P backman, unless he is young (Such as Staker) we should try and mold a backman into what we want. So unless a player comes on the open market who fits our needs, don't trade for them.
- Don't trade for anyone over 25, unless its for someone who will become our number 1 play then the limit is 27
- We should have a game plan which we find players who fit not players we fit the game plan around.
- Always target NSW boys first, unless a "Lockett" type comes on the market.
- In the draft we draft the best player available expect for players in postions that don't need filling. ie the best 2 players in the draft are Full Forward, now with Hall in the team we won't need both now will we.
- This year we should try and get an extra 1st Round Pick - if it means trading a Nicks, Mathews, Barry so be it. (Of course the deal has to be fair for us)

Roos should find a gameplan and stick to it. Build around the gameplan, not the gameplan around 1 or 2 players

[liz]

Originally posted by robbieando
I would suggest the following.

- This year we should try and get an extra 1st Round Pick - if it means trading a Nicks, Mathews, Barry so be it. (Of course the deal has to be fair for us)

As Charlie mentioned on another thread, why do we think that players often slated on this board as not being worthy of a place in a mediocre Swans team could fetch us a 1st round pick if traded. Do we think any of these players are better than Nick Davis, for whom we gave up a second round pick?

[robbieando]

I wasn't saying those players are worth a 1st Round Pick, I was saying if we are offered a deal for a 1st Round Pick in return for a player who is deemed replaceable then I all for it.

[Ajn]

You guys are too negative, get your humble pie out because our situation isn't that bad. The talent is there, name a position and we have it covered, self belief will build this club. Let's try adding to that rather than dreaming about Akermanis, who was a backline hack until 3-4 years ago. Our players are younger and have the ability needed! They'll take time, but keep faith in them.

18 Youngsters to develop:

Ruck: Meikeljohn will grow and develop, as will Doyle if he can stay fit.
On Ballers: McVeigh, Bolton, Fosdike, Schneider, Ablett, Crouch.
Backline: Fixter, Thewlis
Key Backline: LRT, Powell, Saddington, Goodes (played his best here running forward last year)
Forward: Davis, Buchanan
Key Forward: Dempster, Stevens

[NMWBloods]

In the draft we draft the best player available expect for players in postions that don't need filling. ie the best 2 players in the draft are Full Forward, now with Hall in the team we won't need both now will we.

Isn't this so obvious as to not be worth stating?

[robbieando]

Originally posted by Ajn
You guys are too negative, get your humble pie out because our situation isn't that bad. The talent is there, name a position and we have it covered, self belief will build this club. Let's try adding to that rather than dreaming about Akermanis, who was a backline hack until 3-4 years ago. Our players are younger and have the ability needed! They'll take time, but keep faith in them.

18 Youngsters to develop:

Ruck: Meikeljohn will grow and develop, as will Doyle if he can stay fit.
On Ballers: McVeigh, Bolton, Fosdike, Schneider, Ablett, Crouch.
Backline: Fixter, Thewlis
Key Backline: LRT, Powell, Saddington, Goodes (played his best here running forward last year)
Forward: Davis, Buchanan
Key Forward: Dempster, Stevens

As Steve said some of these players aren't going to come on like we hoped so the draft is the way to go.

[Cheer Cheer]

Originally posted by Ajn
You guys are too negative, get your humble pie out because our situation isn't that bad. The talent is there, name a position and we have it covered, self belief will build this club. Let's try adding to that rather than dreaming about Akermanis, who was a backline hack until 3-4 years ago. Our players are younger and have the ability needed! They'll take time, but keep faith in them.

18 Youngsters to develop:

Ruck: Meikeljohn will grow and develop, as will Doyle if he can stay fit.
On Ballers: McVeigh, Bolton, Fosdike, Schneider, Ablett, Crouch.
Backline: Fixter, Thewlis
Key Backline: LRT, Powell, Saddington, Goodes (played his best here running forward last year)
Forward: Davis, Buchanan
Key Forward: Dempster, Stevens

I think what was said earlier was correct in that we need a couple of young midfielders, a ruckman and a KPP ( FB )
And also here that we have them waiting in the wings.
But the young midfielders, ruckmen and KPP's are untested mostly. So it would be risky IMO to count on these players. I reckon a bit of back up in the draft for a midfielder, KPP and ruckmen in that order is the way to go.