Welcome to 3 of the new draftees

[SimonH]

None as spunky as ROK, of course.

I like the look of Colombo Faulks. He looks serious and has a bit of a silly haircut-- both necessary attributes for today's AFL player.

How's about this, though?

"The fourth draftee Daniel Currie, younger brother of 2006 rookie-listed player Paul Currie, will join his new team-mates next week, albeit for a brief stay.

Currie will remain in Melbourne next year to complete his final year of school."

Freakin' heck. Aren't there any schools in Sydney? Let's count the disadvantages:
1. Potentially 50% of the learning he coulda got from Spida will be lost.
2. The only player on our list not to play with the reserves, so doesn't gel with the team and doesn't learn what's needed of him to play in the style the Swans are after.
3. Will presumably run around for another year in TAC Cup playing against kids.
4. Will miss out on (most of) the club's professional training regime-- even if they make a special effort to make resources available, his capacity will be limited by the time demands of doing the HSC.
5. His 'best case scenario' for being ready to play league has moved back from 2009 to more like 2010. Everitt's sure not likely to still be around then. If Shaw doesn't get re-rookied, then re-promoted, and then make the grade, are we going to have to give up yet another high draft pick to trade in a mature ruckman to occupy the 2nd/3rd ruck slot after Everitt retires?

It's not like he was mooted as a potential 2nd-rounder who slipped, either. All the best for his HSC: but geez, he better be a good kid to justify all of this nonsense.

Anyhoo, good luck to young Colombo, DOK and MySpace as they settle into Sydney.

[hammo]

Agree Simon. I think the club's made a poor decision on Currie if it was known that he'd be staying at school in Melbourne.

[Lucky Knickers]

Think you might be being chicken little Simon. He's what 16/17? He is a kid so running around at TAC is the right place for him. He'll be ok and not any worse for staying at home. By the time he gets around to playing (if he makes it) - Jolly will be a grand old(ish) man of the club.

[goswannie14]

Believe it or not there is more to life than football. Let him get his VCE so he has that to fall back on in the future. With our stuffed interstate education system (none of them being the same) it was always a chnace that he would complete year 12 before moving to Sydney. I'm sure the club knew that, and given that in the last 10 years or so very few, if any, newly drafted young players (not having played at another club) have played senior football in their first year at the club.

[caj23]

All fair points about family VCE etc. - but the question must be asked why they bothered drafting him this year then?

And please don't come out with the cliche that we would have been a first rounder next year as he was barely even rated in this years draft.

Very baffling and disturbingly similar to some of our recruiting in the late 80's early 90's

[SimonH]

Originally posted by goswannie14
Believe it or not there is more to life than football. Let him get his VEC so he has that to fall back on in the future.

Dead right there is. There are no doubt tens of thousands of kids who will finish their year 12 in Victoria next year. They're all deserving of encouragement. But only one of them will be on the Swans' senior list. I don't blame Currie #2 for entering the draft, and I would only encourage him to complete his education. I query Sydney's decision to draft him at #49 with the knowledge (which they must have had) that he would stay in Victoria next year.

Originally posted by goswannie14
... in the last 10 years or so very few, if any, newly drafted young players (not having played at another club) have played senior football in their first year at the club.

Dealt with in the initial post. The disadvantage is not that he won't be available to debut in 2007.

[satchmopugdog]

I don't think he can play TAC cup. I think he will be playing for his school, as per Hawthorn's pick in the season that has just been.


p.s. Like the nicknames.....Colombo,DOK and MySpace(or Space cadet)

[hammo]

Originally posted by goswannie14
Believe it or not there is more to life than football. Let him get his VEC so he has that to fall back on in the future. With our stuffed interstate education system (none of them being the same) it was always a chnace that he would copmplete year 12 before moving to Sydney. I'm sure the club knew that, and given that in the last 10 years or so very few, if any, newly drafted young players (not having played at another club) have played senior football in their first year at the club.

I disagree with your post.

Yes there is more to life than football but he's just been drafted to an AFL club. If he didn't want to become immersed in football culture in his first year then why nominate at all?

As has been shown with Shaw, Davis and Willoughby many draftees don't even get the opportunity to debut in their first 3 years, let alone making it after deciding to spend your first year outside the system.

Currie will not have the training and mentoring that would be available to him at the club. When he completes school he'll effectively be a first year player, when he should already be much further advanced in regards to skills and body development.

[Industrial Fan]

Twice in one day....this is getting ridiculous Hammo....

[DeadlyAkkuret]

Originally posted by Marry me Goodes
Twice in one day....this is getting ridiculous Hammo....

MySpace, haha i love it!

[goswannie14]

Originally posted by SimonH
Dead right there is. There are no doubt tens of thousands of kids who will finish their year 12 in Victoria next year. They're all deserving of encouragement. But only one of them will be on the Swans' senior list. I don't blame Currie #2 for entering the draft, and I would only encourage him to complete his education. I query Sydney's decision to draft him at #49 with the knowledge (which they must have had) that he would stay in Victoria next year.

That's the point I was really making, that the club must have known that, and there is always more to these things than the club lets on.

[DeadlyAkkuret]

I'd rather him play in the TAC instead of the Sydney reserves, where's there's no competition at all. He's still a kid, i have no problem with him continuing his education then coming to Sydney after another year or so of 'experience'.

[SimonH]

Originally posted by DeadlyAkkuret
I'd rather him play in the TAC instead of the Sydney reserves, where's there's no competition at all. He's still a kid, i have no problem with him continuing his education then coming to Sydney after another year or so of 'experience'.

Your average AFL Canberra side would easily account for your average TAC Cup side. There is more talent playing in Canberra (at state-league standard, not AFL standard, obviously) than many are prepared to acknowledge; and it's quite simply men vs boys. We use that phrase loosely with reference to the Swans reserves; but on average they're 2-3 years more developed than a TAC side, which makes a huge difference.

No idea why I'm in such a contrary mood today.

[Damien]

I would prefer him doing Year 12 in Sydney and being part of our club from day 1.

Doing Year 12 here would take a little bit of adjustment but would actually make his life in Sydney a lot easier in the long run by making friends here and giving him a lot of interests outside of the club and the playing group.

I think there has been an opportunity missed.

[DeadlyAkkuret]

Originally posted by Damien
I would prefer him doing Year 12 in Sydney and being part of our club from day 1.

Doing Year 12 here would take a little bit of adjustment but would actually make his life in Sydney a lot easier in the long run by making friends here and giving him a lot of interests outside of the club and the playing group.

I think there has been an opportunity missed.

For who? he wouldn't be playing for us for atleast 2 years anyway.