Swans Academy and player watch

[ShockOfHair]

I can see the similarities.

Kremlin: Regime headed by greedy ruler Vlad bent on conquering new territories. Anti-gay, turns blind eye to corruption, sent oligarchs to jail for interfering.
AFL: Regime formerly headed by greedy ruler Vlad bent on conquering new territories. Pro-gay, turned blind eye to tanking, run by interfering oligarchs.

[aardvark]

So how are the Academy boys getting on?

[troyjones2525]

So how are the Academy boys getting on?

Haha was just thinking the same thing! :-D

[Bleed Red Blood]

Davis, Heeney, Hiscox on this list of players invited to the draft combine. What's up with Tyler Roos? Bris F/s??

NSW/ACT
Logan Austin Belconnen
Nick Coughlan Murray Bushrangers
Abe Davis UNSW-Easts
Tom Faul Ainslie
Jeremy Finlayson Hills Eagles
Isaac Heeney Cardiff
Jack Hiscox Sydney Uni
Brydan Hodgson Murray Bushrangers
Dougal Howard Murray Bushrangers
Michael Mattingly Corowa-Rutherglen
Tyler Roos Sandringham Dragons
Jack Steele Belconnen

[Mug Punter]

People on Red and White know that I'm overwhelmingly positive towards individual people. I've made positive remarks about people such as Maquire, Koch and Nathan Buckley.

Oh dear......

[royboy42]

Oh dear......

I think Matt may be "hoist on his own petard".

[Matimbo]

So how are the Academy boys getting on?

Hey, I think we have to be more secretive about the Academy. The firewalls have ears. Suggest we password protect and encrypt this thread. Anybody who knows a hairdresser, babysitter or second cousin who once met Eddie or Buckley will be denied a login ID. Nyet, nyet, nyet.

[theta]

A couple of rookie questions from me here. I'm not as knowledgeable as most of you on our depth so help me out. If there is a thread I should read elsewhere let me know and I'll dig through it. chrs

1. In what order do you guys rate our main midfield depth players (and possible incoming Academy players)? Which will become the better players?
...my gut tells me....(Assuming all are fit and we end up acquiring all of them)

1. Mitchell
2. Dunkley
3. Mills
4. Jones
5. Heeney
6. Perris
7. Hewitt
8. Robinson
9. Marsh

I know its a matter of opinion and very early to judge some, but any glaring errors here?


2. Besides a KPD to replace Richards and some running defenders, what else would Sydney be chasing come trade time? (eg, Outside pace?)

[ShockOfHair]

It's OK Theta, no-one here really knows anything.

That's a lip-smacking list, but it's too early to guess how far those players will progress. Maybe you should make it a list of 'players most likely to cause McGuire's head to explode'. Abe Davis might rate a mention in that.

[theta]

Yeah I know its early. The list mangers are going to make some big calls on some pretty talented kids in only a few months time, and I figure our depth/upcoming depth is more-so in the midfield.

Im just interested in where our weaknesses will be in the next couple of years, and how we rank our current/upcoming talent.

Feels like the most interesting time in the club's history depth-wise, and will be the most interesting trade week for us since 2009 imo, perhaps ever. Will be great to see what moves we make to sure-up our backline.

....I'm hoping like hell all the Mitchell talk is victorian BS....while I'm pretty sure it is, just the thought of it makes my stomach turn....I've been waiting and watching for his rise for too long.

[Mug Punter]

Yeah I know its early. The list mangers are going to make some big calls on some pretty talented kids in only a few months time, and I figure our depth/upcoming depth is more-so in the midfield.

Im just interested in where our weaknesses will be in the next couple of years, and how we rank our current/upcoming talent.

Feels like the most interesting time in the club's history depth-wise, and will be the most interesting trade week for us since 2009 imo, perhaps ever. Will be great to see what moves we make to sure-up our backline.

....I'm hoping like hell all the Mitchell talk is victorian BS....while I'm pretty sure it is, just the thought of it makes my stomach turn....I've been waiting and watching for his rise for too long.

I wouldn't think Mitchell will be going anywhere for the next two years - after that who knows. Then again, if we get offered the currency we want for him would we be tempted? I'd say possibly but only for an established player who fills a gap. I see our third tall defender as a glaring weakness at the moment with LRT's descent so perhaps a key defender swap? If he is on the reputed $400K a year he is on too much coin to be playing in the twos, plus $400K would get you a decent CHB...

I see BJ and Jones as being two players to really step up next year along with Heeney so the depth amongst our mids is pretty amazing, we certainly haven't been missing him since we dropped him have we?

Key backs is the only area we need to really look at imo - Abe will hopefully be added this draft and there is always the free agency option, a Lake type recruit who wants a flag before he retires. Rampe's development has been an absolute masterstroke and I'd give Reg and Ted another two seasons before they need replacing.

[theta]

I wouldn't think Mitchell will be going anywhere for the next two years - after that who knows. Then again, if we get offered the currency we want for him would we be tempted? I'd say possibly but only for an established player who fills a gap. I see our third tall defender as a glaring weakness at the moment with LRT's descent so perhaps a key defender swap? If he is on the reputed $400K a year he is on too much coin to be playing in the twos, plus $400K would get you a decent CHB...

What would be his value? imo he would have been a top 3 pick even without his injury history, and the more I see him play and look at his old stats the more I think he will become a top 10 elite mid in 5-6 years. Would hate to see him slip so we fill a gap, but thats just me. The alleged $400-500k was to keep him from GWS (who offered him more), and same goes for Reid's supposed $500k. Both havent lived up to their potential yet, but imo if we didnt pay extra for them both someone else would have.

Do you not see Reid playing LRT's defensive/switch role? Seems they are training him to do everything atm, he's becoming very valuable.
Also I've read on a couple of forums the posibility of Tommy Walsh filling the kpd. I know it sounds like a long shot, and the word was he would head home at the end of the year, but IF he can learn to read the play a little better he could takes LRTs place (Skills wise he's probably not that different to LRT. Also Milne said could be a good kpd due to his "immense strength"). Any ideas how he has gone in the reserves his year? I've read he's been in the best's quite a few times, but not sure how true that is.
Then there is also always Alir, but his development if still a while off I assume, plus his shoulder recon will only delay it.
I wonder if it is worth trading some of the mid-depth talent I mentioned above to bring in a KPD, or do we ride it out with Reid/Walsh/Alir. My gut tells me our premiership window will be widest this year and next year, before narrowing in 2016 and after with GC and GWS dominating for 5 years. Maybe a gamble on a Frawley-like figure would go a long way?

I see BJ and Jones as being two players to really step up next year along with Heeney so the depth amongst our mids is pretty amazing, we certainly haven't been missing him since we dropped him have we?

Im tipping Jones will be a really quick developer and cement a spot in the team towards the end of next year. BJ not so much, I still see him as a fringe player and sub for most of next season. Now that Parker has cemented his spot its kinda hard to see where Mitchell fits until McVeigh calls it quits (is it just me or has McVeigh lost a yard this year?).

Key backs is the only area we need to really look at imo - Abe will hopefully be added this draft and there is always the free agency option, a Lake type recruit who wants a flag before he retires. Rampe's development has been an absolute masterstroke and I'd give Reg and Ted another two seasons before they need replacing.

I thought Abe was a forward?
It really is crazy how well Rampe has gone. He's getting huge too, and seems to be improving every week. Needs to improve his kicking tho.
Do you think Reg will go in a couple seasons too? Ted is 31 atm and Reg is only 28....that said Reg looks a tad more chunky then Ted and his body might pack up earlier so maybe you're right.

As ridiculous and unlikely as it sounds, a Frawley-like trade might be exactly what we need. $700k sounds a tad expensive though. Given our main weakness is in our backline I wonder if it could be the key to a 2015 flag??
Any suggestions what other Frawley/Lake-like figures would fit the role? Im really interested in how they structure their backs given the mid and fwd lines look pretty stacked now and into the future.

[Mug Punter]

Agree with you re Jones, the staff clearly rate him and I could see him really stepping up next year. You are right re Mitchell, I really do think he is the only player we'd be keen to let go if we got the right deal and it would definitely have to be a first round pick or a young KPD.

I believe we have Bird, Malceski and Pyke as our only decent players coming off contract this season - I think we'll probably lose one and my money would be on Malceski, especially I we win a flag. Hate to see him go but I'd be OK with that if it meant tying the other two up, Bird in particular is a real unsung hero.

Can't see us being anywhere near the money for Frawley and I tend to agree with Gary Lyon about him anyway...

At the end of the day we have the best list management team in the business and I'll back then to make the right calls.

[Melbourne_Blood]

I would like to think our window will be open for a few years yet. When out current mid age crop ( Jack, Jetta, Kennedy, Bird, Smith et al) become veterans our current young crop ( hanners, Parker, Rampe, Rohan, Harry, Tom, Reid etc.) will be mid age. There's a lot of names I've left out I've just given a few to give an idea. There's a lot of talent there, particularly in the mids, if we can produce some solid KPP's To go with them we could be a Geelong like side that is never out of contention

[Doctor]

I think we only need to look at the development of Nathan Jones to see why the club is so bullish about his young brother.

The NSW/ACT invitations to the Draft combine are interesting and encouraging. Regardless of Academy numbers, the total number of players from our region is something we should be excited about. I suspect there will be similar numbers in the next 2-3 years at least too, unless Eddie shuts footy down north of the Murray.