Josh Dunkley

[Markus26]

There is some major fence sitting going on ... unsure whether it is instigated by Dunks Jr or a ploy by the Swans themselves. Son of Swan Dunkley still tossing up Draft options - AFL.com.au

[707]

There is some major fence sitting going on ... unsure whether it is instigated by Dunks Jr or a ploy by the Swans themselves. Son of Swan Dunkley still tossing up Draft options - AFL.com.au

If Dunkley doesn't nominate us then we have stockpiled a stack of later picks that will become next to useless. I'm sure we only did that to ensure we got Dunkley. I'm wondering now if he's had a firm indication from one of the Melb clubs that they will pick him before he gets into a dangerous part of the dradft where he could end up in Perth, Adelaide or the dru, oops Gold Coast. Can only think that is why he is vascillating.

[dimelb]

I don't think the club will be too worried about JD's vacillation. If he decides not to go F/S, they will surely have other possibilities in mind who may be as good or even better, as far as anyone can tell at this stage of their development. They know what they're doing.

[Auntie.Gerald]

we may have actually decided that

i) no 1 we have a stack of points in case Mills goes at no3

ii) then we go after a couple of other players.........ie i wonder how we actually rate Dunkley ?

[liz]

Regardless of whether you'd prefer to stay in Victoria or who you supported growing up, if you were Dunkley, might you have reservations about coming to a club with Kennedy, Hannebery, Parker, Mitchell, Heeney and probably Mills already on its list, that has essentially just given away Bird for nought because they couldn't see a place for him in the team? And has Hewitt in reserve, two years ahead of you (though barely one year older)? Kennedy is the oldest of that group at 27 (or thereabouts). As a physically mature kid, who has been playing country footy against adults since around the age of 15, you might think that was too long of a queue to join if you saw yourself predominantly as an inside midfielder.

[Ampersand]

That's all fine, liz, but those circumstances were already evident months ago and aren't going to change between now and the draft. Time to @@@@@@ or get off the pot, I think.

[liz]

That's all fine, liz, but those circumstances were already evident months ago and aren't going to change between now and the draft. Time to @@@@@@ or get off the pot, I think.

Why? This is the next few years of his life. He's in the relatively fortunate position of having a little influence over which club he lands up at, and he needs to use that as best he sees fit. I have no doubt he's in communication with the club and they have some idea of where he sits. We'll all know in a few short weeks. Does it really make that much difference to fan Joe to hang on a little while longer to find out? Even if he and the club decide he'll nominate, it's far from assured he'll land up at the Swans anyway.

[Mug Punter]

I hope Dunks signs but I won't be gutted if he doesn't. I do think it is a shame that his old man is placing so much pressure on him to stay in Victoria because of his own vindictiveness but ultimately Josh needs to make a decision - he seems like a good kid and I'll wish him the best regardless.

If Mills goes at 5 or later and we miss Dunks then we should have pick 33 and 42 instead of Dunks. Would that be a better outcome anyway?

[Auntie.Gerald]

Longmire didn't look "not confident" in his interview today re academy and father son picks

[R-1]

I'll be shocked if Mills gets past both Melbourne and Essendon.

[Ampersand]

Why? This is the next few years of his life. He's in the relatively fortunate position of having a little influence over which club he lands up at, and he needs to use that as best he sees fit. I have no doubt he's in communication with the club and they have some idea of where he sits. We'll all know in a few short weeks. Does it really make that much difference to fan Joe to hang on a little while longer to find out? Even if he and the club decide he'll nominate, it's far from assured he'll land up at the Swans anyway.

It matters because it appears to me that we've structured our draft picks to take both Mills and Dunkley. If he decides not to come to the Swans then we've improved our draft points (and slipped down the draft order) for basically little reason. Holding on to 14 would have got us Mills - with a pick or two after that - AND forestalled attempts by other clubs to make vexatious bids on him because our draft position was still reasonably strong.

Again, I don't see what information he will have 3 weeks from now that he didn't already have 3 weeks ago. Seems like a good faith move to let the club know either way because his decision clearly had and has an impact on our draft planning.

[Auntie.Gerald]

Liz it is a fair point you raise...........i am sure Dunks and Dunk Jnr watched the slow progress of young Tom Mitchell as an inside midfielder trying to break into the Swans top 22.......and they would be fully aware that Mills and Heeney will jump the gun on the inside midfielder role very very soon.....

so it is take a ticket and stand in line when we are talking serious serious inside midfielder talent at the Swans

[R-1]

It is probably not terrible to be well prepared in case Mills is surprisingly taken at 1 or 2. By all accounts he's likely going at 3, and he certainly won't last past Essendon's first pick at 4 (if we're really lucky Mills will get to 5 or 6, that's if Melbourne or Essendon rate Hopper and Kennedy above Parish and Francis, and bid the two GWS boys first to test the Giants willingness to pay. If they genuinely rate the three above any other mid, they should do it in that order because the GWS gambit is the best hope of securing one of the three NSW boys).

The picks we were going to have left after taking Mills were going to be late picks regardless of whether we traded down the order, and once Gold Coast gave 3 to Melbourne Mills going there became the very likely scenario. We lose nothing by acquiring more points regardless of whether Dunkley comes or not. The situation going into the Draft was always going to be Mills, upgrade Naismith, and either Dunkley or a live pick at a post-40 spot on the ladder. Maybe we've got some left field prospect in mind in that range, maybe a mature age player, or maybe we will take a complete chance and delist the kid in 2 years. Who knows?

The smart thing to do was get more points and assume it was Dunkley or a late pick. Nothing has changed with that.

[liz]

It matters because it appears to me that we've structured our draft picks to take both Mills and Dunkley. If he decides not to come to the Swans then we've improved our draft points (and slipped down the draft order) for basically little reason. Holding on to 14 would have got us Mills - with a pick or two after that - AND forestalled attempts by other clubs to make vexatious bids on him because our draft position was still reasonably strong.

Again, I don't see what information he will have 3 weeks from now that he didn't already have 3 weeks ago. Seems like a good faith move to let the club know either way because his decision clearly had and has an impact on our draft planning.

But there's a difference between keeping the Swans informed and satisfying the curiosity of fans. For all we know, the Swans might not have yet made a firm commitment to him. Read Emma Quayle's latest book and you'll realise how much work the recruiters of each club do in the last few weeks leading up to a draft. They'll be going back over their vision and notes from the last year or two on each possible recruit and re-evaluating list management and draft strategies upon completion of trade week. The Swans may themselves be evaluating who they think might be available with later picks (which is harder than usual, given they don't know what Mills will cost and hence where their first live pick might fall) and determining whether those players might better suit the list mix than Dunkley would.'

We only have to wait a few short weeks and everything will be known.

[R-1]

Ah yeah, there's a good chance we're being cagey with him and his manager too. Or trying to work out if Richmond are going to go for him with 12.