Swans Academy and player watch

[Matt80]

Eddie would have noticed the headline on the AFL.com website "Abe Davis shows good forward form in the U18s".

Franklin then started the game against GWS in sparkling form and Tippett knocked out an ex Collingwood Premiership hero.

It's as if the Swans were out to poke the bear.

[Legs Akimbo]

I think the journo is poking the bear...deliberately cited all three academy players.

[GoRhino]

Well said Sheeds. Our Chairman also hit out at McGuire in an article late last week. McGuire is extremely influential and uses his media positions to express narrow minded views. I'm almost convinced he has no interest in wanting to see our game grow in NSW.

[liz]

If the Swans (or another academy club) really wanted to rort the system, they'd be telling the likes of Davis and Heeney to cool things a bit so they could pick them up for lower picks than they might otherwise have to pay, only then for them to emerge as players once they're on the Swans list. Clearly they are not doing that (and nor should they - that would be a gross misuse of the system).

As it is, Davis was touted as a marginal ND candidate at the start of the year. He's played consistently well for the RAMS in the TAC Cup games and is now continuing on in the U18 championships. His improvement seems likely to force the Swans to use a higher pick than seemed likely, assuming they're interested in him. Otherwise, he's setting himself up to be selected by another club.

[707]

Given that our second rounder will be late 30s, who else in the KPD mould will still be available if we don't take Davis?

I suspect that given the upside to Davis that we'll take him if needed with our second rounder unless we have a smokey.

All that assumes we are looking at KPD which seems the area most in need going forward. Like GWS, we don't need any more midfielders!

[shaun..]

What happens if there are "bids" for both players before our first pick?
Do we get rights to use first round pick then second round pick?

[707]

What happens if there are "bids" for both players before our first pick?
Do we get rights to use first round pick then second round pick?

Yes, we have to use our next available pick. Good chance we don't even have to attend the ND!

[Mug Punter]

Sheedy's article/open letter was published in The Herald Sun;
No Cookies | Herald Sun

Disturbingly I have found myself warming to Sheeds recently and this merely confirms my growing change of opinion.

I will always believe that he did himself and GWS no favours by his arrogance when he arrived but I think he now genuinely appreciates how tough this market is. Perhaps the fact that three years on barely anyone in Western Sydney knows who he is has been humbling....

Anyway, on this issue we need to stand as one. I get the F-S that GWS won't get but the reality is that we use this very very sparingly and rarely give much up for it. The potential benefits will well exceed father son but so the should when we are pumping millions in to junior development that other clubs do not.

- - - Updated - - -

Yes, we have to use our next available pick. Good chance we don't even have to attend the ND!

So how many picks from our academy can we use in lieu of draft picks?

[707]

GWS and GCS won't have F/S for 20 years but nor do they have to worry about Free Agency taking players for 7-8 years unlike everyone else who faced it immediately.

I think the draft concessions they got more than make up for no F-S. In the case of GWS, they got far too much. No way should their concessions have allowed them to accumulate a full team of top 20 picks.

We can use all of our ND picks on Academy players if we wish. Not sure how many picks we'll have, retirements, delistings, trades out and rookie upgrades are a bit murky this far out.

[Mug Punter]

GWS and GCS won't have F/S for 20 years but nor do they have to worry about Free Agency taking players for 7-8 years unlike everyone else who faced it immediately.

I think the draft concessions they got more than make up for no F-S. In the case of GWS, they got far too much. No way should their concessions have allowed them to accumulate a full team of top 20 picks.

We can use all of our ND picks on Academy players if we wish. Not sure how many picks we'll have, retirements, delistings, trades out and rookie upgrades are a bit murky this far out.

I can see the Academy concessions being watered down somewhat if that is the case if the academies start to bear fruit and I think that would be reasonable at that stage. So, to be fair to Eddie I do think long term they are too generous but they need to be at the beginning to give the concept some legs and get the volume of locals into the lists in the northern states.

When we were a standalone NSW team all we begged for was to get first dibs of the best player coming out of NSW and, typically it was always rejected. Long term I think getting one priority pick a season is a reasonable reward. But at the moment getting a NSW kid rated in the top 20 at the Draft is an absolute rarity so it makes the debate academic for now.

[Melb Blood Bro]

I can see the Academy concessions being watered down somewhat if that is the case if the academies start to bear fruit and I think that would be reasonable at that stage. So, to be fair to Eddie I do think long term they are too generous but they need to be at the beginning to give the concept some legs and get the volume of locals into the lists in the northern states.

When we were a standalone NSW team all we begged for was to get first dibs of the best player coming out of NSW and, typically it was always rejected. Long term I think getting one priority pick a season is a reasonable reward. But at the moment getting a NSW kid rated in the top 20 at the Draft is an absolute rarity so it makes the debate academic for now.

If that happens the AFL will need to contribute more financially. Otherwise, we are funding the development of players for other clubs. We also need to remember though that the three great players coming through in the next 18 months are anomalies and the AFL making a knee jerk decision cod damage AFL in the northern states.

[Reggi]

Why Sydney won't be the only club to benefit from northern state academies

Nicely balanced article from Emma

[Ludwig]

Does anyone know who pays for the Academy? I have heard conflicting stories, from the AFL paying for all 4 northern states academies to the Swans paying $1 mil. a year for it.

[DamY]

Swans receive donations from benefactors, sponsors and members through the Foundation to fund the Academy.

[Ludwig]

Why Sydney won't be the only club to benefit from northern state academies

Nicely balanced article from Emma

I have been having some of the same thoughts about the GWS academy players, i.e., that the Giants with so many quality players already on their list wouldn't be able to take any (or many) of their academy players. Steele has played really well. Finlayson and Coughlan are both tall, which is something we might be looking for.

Cunningham Rule? I believe we were able to prelist Harry because he was a GWS Academy player that they chose to pass on and we got second dibs to prelist him as a rookie ahead of the rookie draft. Is this still the case? If any of these players get past the national draft and GWS choose not to prelist them, then do we get the next go to prelist them?