Chambers, Matthews, Richards dumped

[liz]

Originally posted by Nico

Liz, factually you are wrong. I forgave Schneider in the second half of last season when he had finally extracted the digit. Happy to retract if I get the odd thing wrong. However, I find it hard to see a backflip from Bevo with any consistency to elevate him above anything more than a "battler" tag.

Schneider - deserved top 5 finish in RS award in first senior year before struggling slightly in second and first half of third seasons. Now becoming a consistent and valuable contributor (though no star...yet).

Bevan - deserved top 5 finish in RS in first senior year before struggling in second season and playing reserves for first half of third season.

The parallels thus far are obvious.

I'm not saying that Bevan will make an instant impact tomorrow. I think its still in the balance as to whether he'll become a long term senior player.

I was just trying to point out that sometimes people on here - and particularly you with Schneider - are very quick to stick the boot in and write off players prematurely when the reality is that most youngsters have ups and downs in their early seasons and take time to develop.

Thankfully the Swans know that, or otherwise we wouldn't have Kirk, Buchanan (and nearly didn't), O'Keefe, Schneider, Goodes at least on the list. Indeed, the only current player who came to the Swans as a youngster (ie excluding the ready-mades who have been recruited) and whose development was a pretty steady upwards line without any significant corrections along the way that I can think of is Kennelly. O'Loughlin probably fits that category too, but a long while ago now.

[sharp9]

Way too early to write Bevan off...let's not forget he was best on ground away to the Bombers a couple of years ago and single handedly pulled the team behind him to nearly pinch a win after being 7 goals down.. If his kicking has improved to average for AFL he will be a 150 gamer.

[NMWBloods]

I think his biggest weakness is his untidy tackling.

[Sanecow]

Sometimes his socks are totally down and he has mud on his top.

[ScottH]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
I think his biggest weakness is his untidy tackling.

Hence, Unco!

[dendol]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
I think his biggest weakness is his untidy tackling.

disconcerting, given his rugby league bloodlines.

[shippo]

Originally posted by ScottH
Hence, Unco!

Chambers or Bevan?

[Snowy]

Problem I see with Bevan is that he's not overendowed height wise yet I can't see any weapons he has to offset this. In Schneider's case at least he has pace, and on his good days a bit of skill and nous. Bevan is your proverbial trier with not a lot going for him.

[SimonH]

Originally posted by Nico
Simon,

Maybe I would have been better off calling it a "development program".

[etcetera]

By the way, mate, thanks for the genius bit. It is nice to get some praise every now and then for my incisive comments. You can be assured when you eventually come up with some comments worthy of such praise I will reciprocate.

Liz, factually you are wrong. I forgave Schneider in the second half of last season when he had finally extracted the digit. Happy to retract if I get the odd thing wrong. However, I find it hard to see a backflip from Bevo with any consistency to elevate him above anything more than a "battler" tag.

Indeed. I trust that your description as a 'Senior Player' is self-penned.

I'm terribly sorry, but you can scarcely complain when you make ludicrous suggestions, and people post back saying in effect, 'That's a ludicrous suggestion'. Among them:

1. Drop MO'L, when he's the fittest he's been for 4 years and capable of playing a creative role upfield (see today's SMH article).

2. Sure, rename it a "development program". Rename it anything you want. The fact is that you get experience into younger players by putting them into an established team with an established structure and giving them security of tenure for at least a few weeks. Neither of these criteria would have been fulfilled if 6 or 7 changes were made this week, because:
a) the team structure would have been out of whack, and
b) inevitably 3 of them would have been 'oncers', when senior established players were fit. Schmidt is presumably not in an ankle-state to play his debut (if he were, it's unimaginable he wouldn't at least be in the emergencies). Little Willo is according to watchers of the 2nds simply not up in the best 3 candidates at the moment. So, when we boil it down, your whinge boils down to the fact that you'd rather see Moore play than Bevan. And that cataclysmic occurrence amounts to "no youth/development policy". Right.

3. Lovely that you "forgave" Schneider. I'm sure he was weeping tears of blood after he re-established himself as a long-term prospect but before you went on record as 'forgiving' him. No doubt it was your baggings that provided him with the motivation to make it, though. Remember: all credit, no responsibility, no apologies. That's the spirit!

[Sanecow]

Stop it, you're making stella excited.

[liz]

Originally posted by Snowy
Problem I see with Bevan is that he's not overendowed height wise yet I can't see any weapons he has to offset this. In Schneider's case at least he has pace, and on his good days a bit of skill and nous. Bevan is your proverbial trier with not a lot going for him.

I think you're selling Bevan's attributes a little short.

He's taller than many of our younger midfield brigade (eg Schmidt, Moore, Monty, Schneider) and his marking is at least adequate for his height. He had Dermott drooling over his courage in 2004 after showing he's not scared to back into a marking contest.

His tackling technique needs some work but at least he's vigorous, strong and probably only a couple of tweaks away from being a very effective tackler.

His kicking has been much maligned but I think it is more "inconsistent" than "bad". His good kicks have more penetration than most of Kirk's, for instance. I realise that Kirk is hardly the poster boy for AFL kicking but his is good enough to get by. Bevan's could be - and probably will be - much better.

His is also deceptively quick. Schneider would probably beat him in a footrace over 50m or so but I doubt it would be by that much.

No-one is claiming him to be the next Judd but he's got a lot more going for him than most give him credit for. I think his main challenge is to believe himself that he's an AFL player because most of last year he just seemed to have lost confidence.

[ScottH]

Originally posted by shippo
Chambers or Bevan?

Chambers, didn't read the previous post.

[swantastic]

Still no schmitt,un@@@@ing believable.

[Ryan Bomford]

I agree Liz. Finally some sensible analysis is being posted on Bevan who, I think, is a very promising player.


We forget that this kid made an immediate impact in his very first game and kept that momentum going, more or less, for the rest of the season playing a tagging role on the opposition side's best small forward.

And when he had a chance to go forward he had the instincts and the skills to kick goals.

I think his role last year was somewhat different and that affected his confidence.

Still a career to follow, in my estimation.

[giant]

I for one am glad to see the kid back - he was one of the highlights of 2004 season for me. Whatever you want to say about him, he gives 100% which is surely what Roosy is looking for at this point in the season.