Josh Dunkley

[Nico]

Josh Who?

[bloodspirit]

I have belatedly come across this good piece of analysis from Hurling People Now (https://hurlingpeoplenow.wordpress.c...id-afldraft/):

We were pretty surprised that Josh Dunkley was not matched by the Swans at 25. Sydney had the points to do so without deficit, so perhaps they did indeed make the call, as predicted by several journalists, to let him go as part of a side-deal to let him stay in Victoria (or even as a quid pro quo for getting Talia for free, not that we?re suggesting that such shenanigans ever occur).

As the Swans tell it, they wanted good accurate kicks and thus preferred to run with live picks at 51 and 56. That?s certainly plausible enough to head off any allegations of impropriety, and it?s where they once secured Nick Malceski, but it does raise the question as to why get him to nominate at all. The more ruthless approach would have been to draft him and then trade him home next year, presumably for a pick better than 51.

Interesting to see (a) the possible link with getting Talia cheaply; and (b) the well made point that, even if we didn't have a great use for Dunkley ourselves, if we had have been ruthless we could have drafted him and then traded him back south for a better pick. However, it makes perfect sense that we didn't because we did have a deal with him not to match a bid from a Victorian club (which I think has since been confirmed), else he needn't have nominated as a father-son at all. In that case it is vital for our reputation that we stuck by our word - thus, not a lack of ruthlessness.

Anyway, we are yet to see how Leonardis and Dawson pan out. If one of them comes good we may yet be vindicated.

[Ludwig]

There may have been an understanding that if Dunkley were drafted by a non-Victorian club, we would have taken him. Or perhaps if he dropped to a much lower draft pack, say around 40, we might have picked him as well. There was no certainty at all that Dunkley would be available at the Bulldogs' pick, so the link to Talia is tenuous.

[liz]

There may have been an understanding that if Dunkley were drafted by a non-Victorian club, we would have taken him. Or perhaps if he dropped to a much lower draft pack, say around 40, we might have picked him as well. There was no certainty at all that Dunkley would be available at the Bulldogs' pick, so the link to Talia is tenuous.

Exactly - the link with Talia is creative, to say the least.

[The Big Cat]

Doubt he'd get a game in our best side anyway.

[caj23]

Doubt he'd get a game in our best side anyway.

He'd certainly be on the fringe, has shown just as much if not more than Foote, Robinson and co, with the ability to play forward or back. Obviously his kicking is a big issue and the fact that he is more of what we already have a surplus of.

I would have preferred we had him on our list as opposed to not, he's a much safer bet than Dawson or Leonardis, and they may have been available with our later picks anyway

[Auntie.Gerald]

Two words

Salary cap

We couldn't keep Mitchell ......... I think it would be very difficult to keep Dunkley as well

Mills will be like heeney ie a big contract so to jones

[stevoswan]

Two words

Salary cap

We couldn't keep Mitchell ......... I think it would be very difficult to keep Dunkley as well

Mills will be like heeney ie a big contract so to jones

Exactly, we have what he offers covered anyway and thanks to our club's integrity, he's a premiership player now, so good luck to him. Now we deserve some of that good karma to come back to us, in the form of this years flag.

[CureTheSane]

Easy to say the Swans should have drafted him then traded back to Vic at 'a profit' but the assumption is that he would play as well as he has.
And that's a big call when drafting a player.

[S.S. Bleeder]

Does anyone know the latest on Kyle Dunkley? Is he playing for Gippsland this year? Do we have any interest in him? My understanding a couple of years ago was that he had more potential than Josh.