NAB AFL Pre-Season/Rookie Drafts

[ernie koala]

Doesn't look like it was an either/or. The club had plenty of opportunities to recruit a younger player if they deemed there were any there worth the development cost.

Time will tell if the recruiters missed out here or not. What we do know is that Playfair doesn't add much in the way of quality or durability, IMO a waste of a spot.

[Bas]

Roos was going to use Ablett to mentor the kids in reserves. He declined the offer and now finds himself out of the AFL.

Playfair probably put his hand up to take his spot knowing he would have the same fate.

You won't find the Club saying they skipped all the picks because they didn't think anyone was any good.

[rojo]

The Swans' footy department is probably freaked out with so many new, mostly young footballers running around, outnumbering the senior players about 2 to 1, already. New territory - couldn't cope with any more!

[liz]

Time will tell if the recruiters missed out here or not. What we do know is that Playfair doesn't add much in the way of quality or durability, IMO a waste of a spot.

But he is not really a waste of a spot if available spots is not a constraining factor. He clearly hasn't cost anyone else a spot on the rookie list because we are going in 4 short of the total rookies we are entitled to.

[Claret]

Put your hands up if you're hard to please . . . . . . sheesh.

We have done outstandingly well since September - appreciate that fact and get a grip.

I've just had a novel thought . . . . Anybody here criticising the decision not to draft extra rookies think that they know more about the kids/adults we passed up on than the club's recruiters? Anybody else seen them play once, let alone the required several occasions?

[ugg]

Reading between the lines from Roos's statement about McNeil

We originally hadn?t budgeted for anyone in the rookie draft? but that was an indication of how surprised we were

it would seem that the club didn't think any of the available players was worth the cost.


What the club says - Official AFL Website of the Sydney Swans Football Club

[dimelb]

... Pyke ... he'll never be anything more than a ruckman as he simply doesn't have the smarts to play anywhere else, and given he is 24-25 he probably never will.

I've cut a bit, but I don't think it changes anything of substance. I bet he proves you wrong on the bits I've left.

[DeadlyAkkuret]

there was young guns still available.

Bit hard to describe them as guns when they're basically leftovers.

[caj23]

I've cut a bit, but I don't think it changes anything of substance. I bet he proves you wrong on the bits I've left.

Yeah - I hope he does prove me wrong

I just get the feeling that we got him a couple of years too late because he is a great athlete and quick learner. I think he'll pick up the basic skills in the short term, but things like body work, positioning, and picking the best option to dispose of the ball are things that take years to learn

[Jewels]

Put your hands up if you're hard to please . . . . . . sheesh.

We have done outstandingly well since September - appreciate that fact and get a grip.

I've just had a novel thought . . . . Anybody here criticising the decision not to draft extra rookies think that they know more about the kids/adults we passed up on than the club's recruiters? Anybody else seen them play once, let alone the required several occasions?

Absolutly spot on!
The recruiting department has done brilliantly and those that are complaining are impossible to please.

[Primmy]

Very disappointed for Luke Ablett. Shame he didn't get a gig.

Someone out there has forgotten we now have a Tadgh in our backline too.

Tadgh, Mal, Marty, Rhyce....running.........wow.

[j s]

If it's financial, let's do what the Dogs have done.

Trade for Barry Hall?

[Hartijon]

Yeah - I hope he does prove me wrong

I just get the feeling that we got him a couple of years too late because he is a great athlete and quick learner. I think he'll pick up the basic skills in the short term, but things like body work, positioning, and picking the best option to dispose of the ball are things that take years to learn

I hope he proves me wrong too but KPP's work,like you mention: positioning,spoiling, anticipating a forwards actions really takes hundreds of game experiences to know what to do under extreme pressure.Like instinctively knowing where NOT to kick cf to knowing the best place to kick...that takes time to pick up. Then as I have previously posted the Riewolds can still give you a bath! I would hate to se Pykey matched against these skillful CHforwards. The only option for him would be to take them out as close to the first bounce as possible and even up the odds...but thats not the Swans way..particularly now Barry has gone.

[smasher]

Playfair....quality
He's slow with poor agility, a lousy kick for goal,he's soft at the contest..and for the cherry on top..has chronic hamstring problems .
Surely his spot would of been better occupied by a young player with some potential/ upside.

Maybe he had another year on his contract and rather than just pay him out as St Kilda have done with Allan and Fisher,we have given Henry another chance.That's the only reason I can think of keeping him for.

[DST]

Maybe he had another year on his contract and rather than just pay him out as St Kilda have done with Allan and Fisher,we have given Henry another chance.That's the only reason I can think of keeping him for.

Looks like the club decided to spend their rookie cash on re-jigging the marketing and membership departments instead.

Can't blame them based on comments here from last year, how they stuffed up the markerting and membership side of things in Sydney and that needed to be addressed.

DST