Non-Tippett trading talk

[Triple B]

I'm not sure about the other ressie watchers, but I am very much looking forward to, for us, a large influx of new blood. perhaps as many as 10 new faces.

The way we are going we may need to lobby the NEAFL to restrict the Canberra based teams to 14 listed players to even it up...lol

[Reggi]

Will be exciting getting a big influx of kids. Hope they get the best available

[mcs]

I think Spangher is a big loss. Wait and see how good he goes at the Hawks.

Anyone else think that ex hawks defender Gilham would have been good for us? would give us a bit more defensive coverage and is only 28, think the GWS have done well there.

Perhaps, but if the guy was so good, he clearly would have found a place permanently in our Best 22. For if he is good enough to smash it at the hawks, he would have been good enough at the Swans. The fact is, his body can't stand the rigours of constant AFL football, and I'm not sure he is good enough anyway. I'd be very suprised if he is nothing but a depth player at the Hawks - there are a fair few guys that would be in front of him in the pecking order for defensive duties, and he isn't going to be playing up forward for them barring a major injury crisis.

[Primmy]

Wondering if Naismith is in the mix. The ruck whisperer spent a lot of time with him in the breaks, and he is enormous. He was coming along just fine. Would be a big win for us if he nominates in the first place, and the Swans pick him up.

As another topic; i rather think that our top 22/24 would have been a bitch to break into by the end of the season. Come on, you have to admit, its pretty awesome. As someone else said, many of our lesser lights would get gigs in teams further down the ladder.

[Steve]

I suspect we may still look at one or two of the many players who will be delisted from other clubs as well. One other avenue would be cast-offs from GC or GWS - there are going to be many of those players over the next couple of years who were highly-rated juniors who just fell behind their peers due to injury or taking extra time to develop etc (and GWS and GC do need to be fairly savage on those types, given they need to keep cutting back their lists).

Opinion seems to be split re: this draft - some people are now saying it's been overrated and beyond the first round will be fairly ordinary. In any case, we do have a good record of finding players in those 2nd and 3rd rounds.

[wolftone57]

I do know Campbell is good friends with John Butcher. Why would we let him go when our defensive stocks will be turned over in the next couple of years? A real waste of all our development years invested if true.

We have some new defensive players who look good though and he was never going to be a KPP in the AFL. Always a flanker at top level. Now we have Brown, Lockyer & Armstrong who are all back flankers to support the Senior guys. We need KPP backs that we can develop and one way is to develop Tommy into a CHB and draft some kids to fill the gaps when Ted & Reg retire. We also need a couple of young ruckmen, one on the Rookie list and one on the main list to develop for the future. Take care of the needs not the wants. Heath as good as he is was not considered to be a better prospect that Tony Armstrong and both Lockyer and Brown have much more natural ability and skill. Biggs can also play HB if needed and he is turning out a more than handy player with wonderful skills. So Heath was an extra when it all panned out. Good luck to him I think he will do well at Port.

[wolftone57]

Perhaps, but if the guy was so good, he clearly would have found a place permanently in our Best 22. For if he is good enough to smash it at the hawks, he would have been good enough at the Swans. The fact is, his body can't stand the rigours of constant AFL football, and I'm not sure he is good enough anyway. I'd be very suprised if he is nothing but a depth player at the Hawks - there are a fair few guys that would be in front of him in the pecking order for defensive duties, and he isn't going to be playing up forward for them barring a major injury crisis.

Gillham is a pretty good player and a Premiership player with the Hawks. But you are right his body is the problem. He has spent the most part of the last two seasons out injured. A reconstruction and a series of soft tissue injuries and he was not in good enough form to hold a place in a Hawks side we defeated in the GF. He will be good for GWS if they can get him fit.

[wolftone57]

Wondering if Naismith is in the mix. The ruck whisperer spent a lot of time with him in the breaks, and he is enormous. He was coming along just fine. Would be a big win for us if he nominates in the first place, and the Swans pick him up.

As another topic; i rather think that our top 22/24 would have been a bitch to break into by the end of the season. Come on, you have to admit, its pretty awesome. As someone else said, many of our lesser lights would get gigs in teams further down the ladder.

I'm also a Naismith fan Prim. He showed a lot of ability and with a big preseason and agility training he will be more than ok. He reminds me a little of Justin Madden when he first started, a lot of ability just a little awkward with untrained skills. Look what Justin went on to do. Isn't he a part of our NSW zone that we can pre-nominate in any posie and still get? I think we will draft him and now with the tall out of the way to go for the short of it, Broome I think will be a smokie. He is so highly talented I don't think his lack of height is going to be an issue.

[liz]

Heath as good as he is was not considered to be a better prospect that Tony Armstrong and both Lockyer and Brown have much more natural ability and skill.

I am not sure how you can pass judgement on Lockyer's natural ability and skill given how little we got to see of him in 2012. And even if he has both in abundance, there has to be a question mark at the moment on whether his body will stand up to the rigours of AFL (training, as well as playing). There is the same question mark over Mitchell too. Brown strung together games after he got over the hip issues he had when he arrived, but he too, is untested in terms of his potential to play as a defender - key or 3rd defender type - because he wasn't really used in such a role. We'll find out more about him next year.

[wolftone57]

The way we are going we may need to lobby the NEAFL to restrict the Canberra based teams to 14 listed players to even it up...lol

I believe that this only using 14 listed players is crap anyway. Most of our players are very young, they may be talented but young and under developed physically. That evens up when their players although not as talented are more experience with adult bodies. So I think the 14 is rubbish especially in finals as the sides that make the finals have generally brought players from AFL, VFL, SANFL who are just off the AFL mark.

[wolftone57]

I am not sure how you can pass judgement on Lockyer's natural ability and skill given how little we got to see of him in 2012. And even if he has both in abundance, there has to be a question mark at the moment on whether his body will stand up to the rigours of AFL (training, as well as playing). There is the same question mark over Mitchell too. Brown strung together games after he got over the hip issues he had when he arrived, but he too, is untested in terms of his potential to play as a defender - key or 3rd defender type - because he wasn't really used in such a role. We'll find out more about him next year.

Liz, Brown played Half Back, when he got his body right, so I can't see that he wasn't used in the role as you say. As for Lockyer and Mitchell granted their bodies could be a problem but they have not done a full pre-season as yet. But what we did see of both of them they have talent and are very skilled. We have a few players in the seniors who have had their injury problems over a period of time and we have been able to get them right (some like Goodes & Bolts just play injured). The thing is Heath was a 50/50 at best to play seniors at all. He will be better off aty Port than here as he will get a game. So why not wish him luck and deal with who we have and that is AJ, Mattner, Shaw, Mal, Brown, Armstrong and Lockyer. I still think there is plenty of talent there and you are right in that we have toWith full preseasons I think those guys will be ok.

[Primmy]

This is it in a nutshell!

http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/default.aspx?newsid=150381&utm_medium=RSS

positively machaevelian (sic)

[Ruck'n'Roll]

"The delisting of former NSW scholarship holder Gordon came as a bit of a surprise."
Really? To whom? If it was a surprise to the author then, he's pretty wet. . . . .