Jude Bolton

[Triple B]

There is little point to hanging onto players for sentimental reasons if that will drag the team down.

There's the bottom line, right there.

[Ludwig]

Out of all the possibilities of players to trade, Jude Bolton is the most logical choice to be traded. Despite his unquestioned dedication the the R & W, his shelf life at the Swans is ready to expire.

By all accounts, especially reading a bit between the lines, Roos plans to transform the Swans into a quick ball movement team, like Geelong. Geelong have shown that if you execute that plan, you can dominate in the AFL.

If the new game plan is to copy Geelong, then we just have too many inside midfielders at present. Kirk, Buchanan and Schmidt can do the job, plus we have Moore and Bird seemingly best suited for that job as well. Bolton is best suited to a game with a lot of stoppages.

This move to unload Bolton was somewhat foreshadowed during the season when Bolton was tried out as a half forward, but failed dismally. He just doesn't kick well enough to hold down that position. It is hard to see Bolton holding his spot beyond next year in any case, so for perhaps one more year of having him on the team only to prove that he is not cut out for a quick ball movement game, seems a bit wasteful.

If I were Roos, I would be looking to trade Bolton plus our #44 pick for a first round pick, then we would get 2 first round picks, Craig Bird on the 4th rounder, Brendan Murphy and Martin Mattner, and lose only Jude who at this point in time is only holding up the progress of a younger player. I would call that a very successful off season list management exercise, giving every hope for another good period for the Swannies.

[bennyfrou]

Out of all the possibilities of players to trade, Jude Bolton is the most logical choice to be traded. Despite his unquestioned dedication the the R & W, his shelf life at the Swans is ready to expire.

By all accounts, especially reading a bit between the lines, Roos plans to transform the Swans into a quick ball movement team, like Geelong. Geelong have shown that if you execute that plan, you can dominate in the AFL.

If the new game plan is to copy Geelong, then we just have too many inside midfielders at present. Kirk, Buchanan and Schmidt can do the job, plus we have Moore and Bird seemingly best suited for that job as well. Bolton is best suited to a game with a lot of stoppages.

This move to unload Bolton was somewhat foreshadowed during the season when Bolton was tried out as a half forward, but failed dismally. He just doesn't kick well enough to hold down that position. It is hard to see Bolton holding his spot beyond next year in any case, so for perhaps one more year of having him on the team only to prove that he is not cut out for a quick ball movement game, seems a bit wasteful.

If I were Roos, I would be looking to trade Bolton plus our #44 pick for a first round pick, then we would get 2 first round picks, Craig Bird on the 4th rounder, Brendan Murphy and Martin Mattner, and lose only Jude who at this point in time is only holding up the progress of a younger player. I would call that a very successful off season list management exercise, giving every hope for another good period for the Swannies.

Agreed and well said.

[Sanecow]

If the new game plan is to copy Geelong...

I wouldn't be anticipating that.

[Ludwig]

A further note: Since we can take Bird on our 3rd pick, we should do everything possible to get rid of our round 3 and 4 picks (thus taking Bird on round 5), since they are useless to us as it seems unlikely that we can delist enough players to afford to take more than 3 players in the regular draft.

If it were possible, I would try to trade Bolton, Doyle, and both 3rd and 4th round picks for the highest pick we can get, hopefully a solid first rounder.

[Ludwig]

I wouldn't be anticipating that.

I am not sure that we can succeed at a quick ball movement game, but I am fairly certain that we will be trying. If you read closely what Roos is saying, he also thinks it is the way to go, ergo, we acquired Mattner. And the offering of Jude is more than just another clue.

No point in having Mattner in a team that is looking to lock down the game.

[Plugger46]

There is little point to hanging onto players for sentimental reasons if that will drag the team down.

Agreed. The fact that they're premiership players for the club means they'll be remembered anyway.

[goswannie14]

If the team gets better I wouldn't care who we traded. I'd happily swap the whole team for Geelong's if we won a premiership.

I'm with you 100% on that one Bloods.

[Sanecow]

You guys are mental.

[swantastic]

You guys are mental.

Yeh what he said

[swantastic]

Swans for sale,yeh right

[AnnieH]

I think the three of them are worth a whole lot more this year as trade bait, than they will be next year or the year after.

Sure we'll miss them, and they have been a bit "stale" this year, but it's to the teams advantage that they take the opportunity now and get a decent trade.

[Zlatorog]

Could not agree more.

We can't live off 2005 forever.

He, he. Perhaps another 72 years

[royboy42]

I am not sure that we can succeed at a quick ball movement game, but I am fairly certain that we will be trying. If you read closely what Roos is saying, he also thinks it is the way to go, ergo, we acquired Mattner. And the offering of Jude is more than just another clue.

No point in having Mattner in a team that is looking to lock down the game.

Traditionally other teams copy the style of the premiers' play..especially if it differs a lot from previous years (note how our close checking, shut down, tempo style became the rage for a while till others were playing it better than we were.) So it would not surprise me in the least if we, and others imitated the obviously successful style of the cats.
Now if that is accurate I'm not surprised at the acquisition of Mattner, who has great pace or the offering up of Scneids or Bolton, who both, particularly Bolton are getting left behind by the pace of the game.
If Roos wants a Geelong type team, pace and more pace is necessary!

[NMWBloods]

I think the three of them are worth a whole lot more this year as trade bait, than they will be next year or the year after.

Sure we'll miss them, and they have been a bit "stale" this year, but it's to the teams advantage that they take the opportunity now and get a decent trade.

Definitely. J Bolton will be worth stuff all the following year. The other two need to have really good years otherwise they may drop a little too.