How Many Will Leave?

[Wardy]

Most clubs let their long-term players retire when they want to. Maybe then, if Leo plays on next year, swans will be able to recruit or train someone up for full back.

I think Crouch, Fossie, Spida, Davis, Mathews gone although I think Crouch and Fossie have another year of their contract. As to who we trade really depends on who the other clubs want. .

You know I thought that current form was the reason why someone was picked in a team (well normal teams - the Swans are exempt it seems).there is no doubt Leo has been a great servant for the club, but his time has come. He is no longer a dominant force in the backline. He has a job to go to - he will survive quite nicely.

[2005]

One more thing - The Swans would have known Spida was retiring - why not let him have a Tribute match? Same with Leo? Not much dignity shown there.

WTF !
Tribute match for Spida ????
Some people continue to amuse me on here.

[Wardy]

One more thing - The Swans would have known Spida was retiring - why not let him have a Tribute match? Same with Leo? Not much dignity shown there.

If the Leadership group dont agree and sign it off - it doesnt happen.

But its not like they are going to be doing it tough once their careers are over - so the loss of dignity bit is going a bit far.

[Alison]

Spida has played AFL for 17 years - Leo for 14 years - thought it would be respectful to let them have a tribute match. Roosey had one of the all-time biggest Tribute matches!

Wardy - what job has Leo got lined up?

[Wardy]

Spida has played AFL for 17 years - Leo for 14 years - thought it would be respectful to let them have a tribute match. Roosey had one of the all-time biggest Tribute matches!

Wardy - what job has Leo got lined up?

he's already working a few days a week for a stock broking firm - so once he retires he goes full time - he wont be starving put it that way.

Spida is intending to move to NZ and run a dairy farm (well that was the plan not so long ago as his wife is a Kiwi and eventually wants to go home)

[Alison]

That is not the point I am making - regardless of what the next step in their journey holds. I just think they should have been given the respect and told earlier. Besides, in an article I read a couple of months ago, Leo indicated that he wanted to play on and the Swans had offered him a contract. Obviously they are not offering that contract now.

[Wardy]

That is not the point I am making - regardless of what the next step in their journey holds. I just think they should have been given the respect and told earlier. Besides, in an article I read a couple of months ago, Leo indicated that he wanted to play on and the Swans had offered him a contract. Obviously they are not offering that contract now.

And it may have been that he asked for a couple of years, when the club may have only offered one.

I dont recall Kelly having a tribute match or Dunkley - I guess if they start for one they have to have them for all.

[hammo]

That is not the point I am making - regardless of what the next step in their journey holds. I just think they should have been given the respect and told earlier.

The club's focus was rightly on winning some finals. From what I read, Spida told Roos two weeks ago but didn't want a big deal made about it to his teammates.

[Alison]

Exactly. I read that too. Then why or why did Roosey say in the Herald Sun yesterday that he was so suprised that Spida has retired - that he thought he would go another year and make the 300 club! Telling a few fibs.

[ugg]

Roosy was surprised that Spida chose to retire, not that he announced it to the rest of the team on Friday.

[gossipcom]

Speaking of delistings, etc. Does anyone know the date that the lists need to be finalised?

[AnnieH]

Richard Hinds on the Swans shopping list/dilemmas ...

Daniel is hot property

The manner in which the young, hard-running Bulldogs overwhelmed the Swans on Friday night highlighted the inadequacies of a Swans on-ball division that remains hard, dedicated but short of line-breaking speed and quality numbers. While the fact the brilliant Adam Goodes was chained to the goal square because of an injured groin was significant mitigation, with Bulldogs star Adam Cooney sacrificing his own game to drag the much-improved Jarrad McVeigh out of the play, the Swans' lack of dynamism was laid bare.

High praise for McHack.

[SimonH]

I'll also be surprised to see Grundy go. With a lack of developing talls, especially ones who can slot into the senior team now, he represents important depth if nothing else. And I still reckon he has the potential to become more than just depth. Him missing out on playing today could be as simple as giving the chance to those guys who've played most of their season in the twos, rather than bumping them for someone who's played relatively few games.

I was saddened at the Brisbane game to see that Grundy looked like a guy who had already been given his DCM.

And yes, he got a lot of it that night, but that just made his body language and lack of synching with his team-mates all the more evident. Particularly heartbreaking was when he took a grab on the half-forward line in the 2nd quarter, held it up for too long and butchered an attempted pass to Veszpremi, but the Brisbane back went for the Hollywood grab and Vespa stayed on the ground, picked up the crumbs and kicked a miracle goal on the run. No-one went up to Grundy afterwards. Sure, you don't expect an acknowledgment for great work, but at a bare minimum the little 'buck up' pat that young defenders get after they make a blue. Instead, Grundy just plodded off on his lonesome back to his position while everyone else on the forward line whooped it up.

When the blokes were exultantly doing the rounds of the ground at full time applauding the spectators, I looked around for Grundy and I eventually found him... walking off with Spida Everitt.

[Nico]

I was saddened at the Brisbane game to see that Grundy looked like a guy who had already been given his DCM.

And yes, he got a lot of it that night, but that just made his body language and lack of synching with his team-mates all the more evident. Particularly heartbreaking was when he took a grab on the half-forward line in the 2nd quarter, held it up for too long and butchered an attempted pass to Veszpremi, but the Brisbane back went for the Hollywood grab and Vespa stayed on the ground, picked up the crumbs and kicked a miracle goal on the run. No-one went up to Grundy afterwards. Sure, you don't expect an acknowledgment for great work, but at a bare minimum the little 'buck up' pat that young defenders get after they make a blue. Instead, Grundy just plodded off on his lonesome back to his position while everyone else on the forward line whooped it up.

When the blokes were exultantly doing the rounds of the ground at full time applauding the spectators, I looked around for Grundy and I eventually found him... walking off with Spida Everitt.

Hopefully what you perceived is wrong Simon. With our genuine lack of talls to get rid of Grundy would be folly. I reckon he has made genuine advances after finally getting a more regular gig. Maybe will never be a star, but some of these talls just click when least expected.

On the radio today Aker was talking about the sneaky introduction of 4 boundary umpires and how now clubs will have to think about playing a tall both forward and back to take boundary throw ins because at the weekend the rucks struggled to keep up. So Grundy could be of value in that area.

With 4 boundary umpires you would reckon the life of ruckman could be severely curtailed.

Wouldn't mind having Aker on our coaching panel, talks a lot of sense and really knows the game.

[bodgie]

I'd be happy for Barry to hang around and add depth next year. What have we got lined up otherwise? If we get a couple of born defenders sure he can retire honourably. I guess he would go happily if he didn't think there was a role.