Dempster out 6 weeks

[DST]

Following team published with the Swans' official report. Team:
D. O'KEEFE, DOYLE, WHITE, LAIDLAW, FAULKS, THORNTON, CROUCH, SIMPKIN, MOORE, BRABAZON, VOGELS, SMITH, BARLOW, M. DAVIS, SHAW, ROWE, PHILLIPS, JACK, BIRD, MILL, EDIRIWICKRAMA, BALDING.

So obviously not according to the official reports. Unless he did a rapid disappearing act a la Doyle.

In order to avoid the embarrassment of telling a Swans-listed player to watch the 2s from the sidelines and maybe do some kick-to-kick with a trainer at quarter time, we need 6 players from our list to be unavailable. LRT, Paul Bevan, Nick Davis, HSC Currie, Matt O'Dwyer and Luke Brennan (presuming the latter 2 still fall into the 'not sick, but not yet well enough' camp) just made up the 6 this week. In a couple of weeks' time (when the twos next play) all of the above list bar LRT and Currie should be available, at the moment only Dempster has been added to the 'outs' (Doyle not being on any injury list)... and it could be red faces all around that we signed up to a system that defeats the purpose of having a Swans seconds.

Not to mention the red faces when the Canberra Wildcats (nee Woden) get beaten by what's shaping up as a potential record score.

Surely any overflow players would then just be offered to the opposition and get some practice against our 2nd's?

The other option is to send them down to Melbourne for a game in non AFL aligned VFL side if that can be arranged.

DST

[SimonH]

Surely any overflow players would then just be offered to the opposition and get some practice against our 2nd's?

The other option is to send them down to Melbourne for a game in non AFL aligned VFL side if that can be arranged.

I'd be pretty sure that:

• the AFL Canberra rules prevent player mix'n'matching
• the stronger Canberra clubs (sure, there are only 2 or 3) would consider it an insult to be given one or two Swans offcuts like beggars, and would rather play (and lose) with their own players on their own merits
• The Sydney players (to not make the game a farce) would be playing in the position dictated by the opposition coach, to the team plans of the opposition; thereby losing much of the point of being with the Swans reserves.

These issues arise with greater intensity in the 'send a few blokes down to Port Melbourne' option. Although that could perhaps work if we can employ David Spriggs (now Port Melbourne player and ass't coach) as an honorary Swans development coach!

[DST]

I'd be pretty sure that:

• the AFL Canberra rules prevent player mix'n'matching
• the stronger Canberra clubs (sure, there are only 2 or 3) would consider it an insult to be given one or two Swans offcuts like beggars, and would rather play (and lose) with their own players on their own merits
• The Sydney players (to not make the game a farce) would be playing in the position dictated by the opposition coach, to the team plans of the opposition; thereby losing much of the point of being with the Swans reserves.

These issues arise with greater intensity in the 'send a few blokes down to Port Melbourne' option. Although that could perhaps work if we can employ David Spriggs (now Port Melbourne player and ass't coach) as an honorary Swans development coach!

I agree with the insult line, but in all honesty if those two or three clubs want to limit the amount of listed players that can take the field then they will have to be willing to offer up a solution of providing us with spots for the extra's to play.

Otherwise the Swans should be well within their rights to play a full team if they have enough players.

Don't get me wrong I agree with the limiting of listed players concept as they need to even the comp, but it has to work both ways if we then need to lend out players to give them game time.

DST