Mitchell watch

[Industrial Fan]

Tv show or radio? Never heard of it is all

[ugg]

[monopoly19]

That definitely doesn't make me feel overly optimistic about him staying! I don't blame him for looking for more cash but I'd be disappointed to see him go, particularly straight after his first consistent season for us.

[goswannies]

Listening to Barry Mitchell on Footology & my opinion is Tom is gone

I didn't get that impression. I got the impression both parties were still trying to work things out & that Tom is still relatively happy where he is.

& that Barry can't remember things too well. Didn't know when the Swans moved to Sydney. Couldn't accurately recall Tom's age. Couldn't remember how many years he's Ben in the AFL system. That's a bit harsh I know, as he's put on the spot. It was just my impression

[Ludwig]

I got the feeling that Barry Mitchell really isn't involved in Tom's contract negotiations and doesn't know how it will go. He seems like a nice enough guy, but if I were Tom, I'd rather he'd stay out of the talks and I wouldn't be asking for advice. Barry doesn't seem the sort of person that would be much help, and I don't mean that in an offensive way. It just doesn't seem like his forte.

For whatever it's worth, Scoop McClure thinks Tom's staying with the Swans.

The Swans may be weighing up the value of keeping Tom vs getting a couple of high draft picks for him and fill a few future needs with high draft picks in the next couple of years. Reid is often injured and is a free agent next year, so he might not be around for the long haul, we really can't count of AJ coming back from so many operations, and now there's a cloud over Talia. The Swans operations would have a better knowledge of the future of these players than we would.

[bloodsbigot]

The Swans may be weighing up the value of keeping Tom vs getting a couple of high draft picks for him and fill a few future needs with high draft picks in the next couple of years.

I question the value of high draft pics when it's all just a big gamble, really. Meredith, Rocca etc.

We've been more successful with just going with mediocre/underappreciated players at other clubs. Richards, Mumford, Shaw, Morton, Mattner etc.

We seldom get high draft picks correct, so that's why if we lose Mitchell for a couple of high draft picks I'll be incredibly disappointed. It's pure guesswork. We could have had Rioli and Dangerfield for goodness sake.

[Auntie.Gerald]

I still believe that given our style has evolved bit by bit with the players we have in the squad maturing that we need another midfielder that is more an outside player with great kicking skill

Heeney and mills and Hewitt are moving into the midfield bit by bit anyway

It is not a loss we can not cover and he maybe a late first round pick ? Treloar was pick 8 swap by the pies ?

[Kirk31]

It is very interesting. In an article a few days ago his manager says its more money the Swans must offer. I guess the Swans would be weighing this all up however there is a limit to what the Swans would pay. I am sure whatever happens it will be the right thing for the Swans. Do I want to see Mitchell running around against us - NO. However I don't want us to pay overs for somebody when it could cost us somebody else from staying or us getting. Remember we trade for position, draft for talent.

[cherub]

How could we have had Dangerfield? Rioli didn't want to come.

[Steve]

Unless Mitchell Snr said anything else that was contradictory, the quotes from that interview don't seem overly negative.

Carlton join the queue for Gold Coast's Dion Prestia

With all of Hawthorn's old brigade now likely to play on, that leaves less money to chase recruits like Mitchell.

Prestia, O'Meara and others are higher priorities for the likes of Hawthorn and Carlton anyway - so Mitchell still as to be cautious about pushing too hard with us, given he is expendable.

He also can't just walk to his preferred club as a free agent or the PSD, so I think the most likely outcome is still that we come back with a little bit more money and he accepts.

[Flying South]

I would have thought that if the contract negotiations were purely about money and term it would have been done by now. The fact that it is dragging on indicates to me to me either of two things. He is going. Or there is a complex deal going on with other clubs and players. Example, Sydney, Carlton and GC, Mitchell & Prestia to Carlton, O'Meara to Sydney, players and picks to GC. Just an example only, but complex negotiations take time.

[magic.merkin]

Or...... they are all waiting for the new CBA to drop so they know what $ is in the kitty going forward....

[Ludwig]

I question the value of high draft pics when it's all just a big gamble, really. Meredith, Rocca etc.

We've been more successful with just going with mediocre/underappreciated players at other clubs. Richards, Mumford, Shaw, Morton, Mattner etc.

We seldom get high draft picks correct, so that's why if we lose Mitchell for a couple of high draft picks I'll be incredibly disappointed. It's pure guesswork. We could have had Rioli and Dangerfield for goodness sake.

I agree with you about the risk of high draft picks and that it's better if you can find more of a known quantity. But the situation this year is complicated by the fact that there are no obvious options that wouldn't break our salary cap. I thought the rumour about Mason Wood would have been a good one, if true. Only time will tell. The others I'd be interested in are not big names: Jack Leslie of GCS, McStay, who is now injured and Finlayson of the Giants.

I think our record in the draft has been better in recent years. It's been hard to judge because in 3 we had priority selections in Mitchell, Heeney and Mills and a few other drafts were compromised by the expansion teams. Zak Jones followed by Hewett were good choices in the 2013.

We also have a bit of a squeeze on the number of live draft choices we might have this year because of forced rookie upgradings and not many players to delist, so it might turn out that 2 or at the most 3 live picks in the top part of the draft may be the best option available. I also think there will be a few interesting prospects in this year's draft for us that might fall between picks 15 and 25.

We also need to look at our current list and decide which players are serious chances to become regular AFL players, because when you bring in an established player, you close off a slot for one of these prospects. We've got several playing in our reserves this year, including Newman, COR, Dawson and Abe Davis who all look to be a very good chance to succeed. Players who don't get opportunities tend to leave, like Tim Membrey. I think we knew he was going to be a good player, but couldn't wait for his opportunity.

Going to the draft buys the club a couple of years in player development and allows the current lot to move through the system and prove their value.

[AnnieH]

Unless Mitchell Snr said anything else that was contradictory, the quotes from that interview don't seem overly negative.

Carlton join the queue for Gold Coast's Dion Prestia

With all of Hawthorn's old brigade now likely to play on, that leaves less money to chase recruits like Mitchell.

Prestia, O'Meara and others are higher priorities for the likes of Hawthorn and Carlton anyway - so Mitchell still as to be cautious about pushing too hard with us, given he is expendable.

He also can't just walk to his preferred club as a free agent or the PSD, so I think the most likely outcome is still that we come back with a little bit more money and he accepts.

The old brigade said they'd take pay cuts if they have to (in yesterday's paper).

[RogueSwan]

... we need another midfielder that is more an outside player with great kicking skill..

I didn't think we wanted Jetta back?