Matthew Davis, what to do?

[Jeffers1984]

I keep hearing some murmurs that Moore wants to be traded back to a Melbourne club. He is out of contract this year which is a concern for sure.

[chammond]

Couldn't we just stick Matthew Davis onto the rookie list for a couple of years? And maybe Erikson as well?

I don't think we'd miss Moore if we could get a good trade . . . maybe a low draft pick or part of a deal to get Spida.

I'd certainly hate to see Willoughby dumped without a chance at senior level.

[swantastic]

Originally posted by liz
Laidlaw has overtaken him as the obvious replacement for Kennelly, IMO, if it comes to that.

Agree with you Liz Laidlaw is pretty good and would make a good replacement for Kennelly but it wont come to that Kennelly will hang around for another 5 years or so IMHO.

[SimonH]

Originally posted by chammond
Couldn't we just stick Matthew Davis onto the rookie list for a couple of years? And maybe Erikson as well?

Nothing preventing us from doing so. It's just a question of making a hard decision about whether they'll make it. If you don't know once you've had them for 3 years if they'll make it, how long will it take? And if you belatedly decide they will and put 'em back on the senior list, you have to boot someone else out in order to do so. All the while that they're on either list, other talented young players aren't getting a go.

Of the multiple ruckmen on the list, on form and future potential Chambers is the most delistable (followed by Ericksen); but Chambers has a 3 year contract. Therefore, I presume that for reasons of both fiscal restraint and pride (not admitting that they screwed up in offering him such a long contract) the Swans wouldn't delist him. The more palatable solution would be to offer him as part of a trade; but getting another club to take him would be some achievement.

Also agree that Moore is a player of a type of which we have plenty, and so even though the guy has a future, I couldn't object to any trade that saw us get in a different type of valuable player. Whether that other type of player was Spida or someone else.

[liz]

Originally posted by SimonH

Also agree that Moore is a player of a type of which we have plenty, and so even though the guy has a future, I couldn't object to any trade that saw us get in a different type of valuable player. Whether that other type of player was Spida or someone else.

Moore is a difficult one. On one level I agree he's not indispensable but I'm not sure we really have a lot of his type on the list. What is uncertain is whether he can move from being a bit part, small forward at AFL level to a true centreman.

At the moment most of the centre bounce work is done by Ablett, Kirk and Bolton. All three are as tough as nails but of those, only Kirk has 'clever hands' and even his are nothing like as good as Simon Black's, Sammy Mitchell's, Daniel Kerr's or Daniel Harris' (to name just four). Plus Kirk possibly only has another couple of years in him.

Ablett doesn't have quick hands at all and his best value comes when he can get boot to ball. I think he'd be better value if he played a role where he had slightly more room to work in.

Of the rest of the younger midfielders coming through, Malceski and McVeigh seem to be better "users" than "getters". Davis, if he ever graduates to the midfield, is also going to be better used to provide class around the packs rather than grunt in the packs. Thornton looks to be to be a similar type to Malceski, and Laidlaw I think will find a spot on a HBF hopefully playing a Lindsay Gilbee type role, at least for the early part of his career.

Buchanan can go in and get the hard ball, certainly, but his delivery by foot, especially into the forward line, is usually so constructive that he's another I'd prefer to see receiving on the edge of the packs rather than burrowing in and under for the whole game.

That really leaves just Schmidt and Moore as youngsters on the list who may have the ability to become our very own Black or Mitchell. I like Moore's intensity at reserves level more than Schmidt's, plus he's given us some brief indications that his hands work just as well at senior level, albeit in the forward line rather than the midfield. Moore also has explosive pace, though not yet straight line pace for any significant distance, something Schmidt doesn't seem to have.

I wouldn't be surprised if Moore wanted to look elsewhere because there is no clear path for him in the next 12 months but I hope the club doesn't actively look to trade him unless there is something specific they are after.

[swannieserin]

Talking to Moore, he seemed pretty keen to stay, and has been running a phenomenal amount while his arm has been recovering. I think he will be in red and white next year, fitter than ever.

[ugg]

Not sure where these Moore rumours are coming from, but he's certainly been given more opportunities than Schmidt and Willoughby have. So I don't think wanting to leave because of a lack of a chance is a valid reason. I like Moore's work around the stoppages, he's definitely a ball magnet in the Greg Williams, Sam Mitchell mould. I wouldn't expect him to be chucked straight into the midfield rotation but that sems to be the way at the Swans. Even guys like Jude and Fosdike took a couple of years before they were regulars in the midfield.

[liz]

Originally posted by ugg
Not sure where these Moore rumours are coming from, but he's certainly been given more opportunities than Schmidt and Willoughby have.

No rumour (on my part anyway) - just speculation. If he were playing for Carlton, Hawthorn or Richmond he'd be just about an automatic selection I suspect. Even though he's been given some chances at Sydney (and has been unlucky twice this year to injure his hand just as he was on the brink of senior selection and then when he was in the team), he would probably look at next season and see a similar pattern likely to emerge.

He has been given more chances than Schmidt or Willoughby but deservedly so, IMO. He has been more consistent and more damaging at reserves level and has shown snippets of skill when he has got the odd senior chance.

Schmidt is probably a bit unlucky not to have had more chances and I hope they stick with him for another year if he wants to stay.

Willoughby looks like he's struggling to me. He tries hard but far too often he seems to get caught trying to do too much with the ball rather than concentrating on the basics. If he can't get this right after three years at ACTAFL level, he's a long way off being able to adjust to the greater speed and intensity at AFL level. His kicking is OK but not overly penetrating; his pace is OK but not lightening by AFL standards; and at his size he needs a real weapon in his arsenal, and I can't see what this is. Sounds very harsh, I know, but it is a tough game.

[Nico]

Matt Davis is Sindqvist Mark2.

[dimelb]

I haven't seen a lot of Moore (don't often see the twos) but what I have seen I like - hard at the ball, determined, quick enough and decent delivery in traffic. I hope we keep him. And Schmidt.