Paul Roos looking for class midfielders

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  • Ludwig
    Veterans List
    • Apr 2007
    • 9359

    Paul Roos looking for class midfielders

    I really don't want to restart the trade Tom Mitchell talk again ..................... but: Link to article here

    From the article:

    Shane Crawford wrote in the Herald Sun last month that Melbourne should table an eight-year offer worth at least $8 million to explosive Crow Patrick Dangerfield.

    The Dees will again net a top-10 draft pick with dynamic midfielder Christian Petracca and inside specialist Angus Brayshaw in the frame.


    My first comment is 'poor Adelaide.' I would really feel sorry for them if some club swiped Dangerfield from them. After losing Gunston, Phil Davis and Tippett, they can use a break.

    In all seriousness, is Tom Mitchell worth more than one of those 2 highly rated mids? Wouldn't a young player with some proven performance at AFL level who could slot right in be a better pickup than an untested player?

    From our perspective, given that we have so many quality midfielders coming through the system, would it be worth to trade one for a top 6 draft pick which is likely to bring a high quality KPP from the best KPP draft in many years?

    If we could land someone like Sam Durdin with the pick from Melbourne to go along with Heeney and Abe Davis, it could go a long way to guaranteeing a quality side for some time to come. We would have quality and depth all over the ground.
  • Flying South
    Regular in the Side
    • Sep 2013
    • 585

    #2
    I get the theory behind what you matt are suggesting. We are lacking in one area and over loaded in one area. But it is based on the assumption that a top 10 draft pick will automatically become a star. History suggests that is not always the case. Can be a risky proposition. As the old saying goes a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush. I'm not against your idea. Just wary that we could be giving away a proven star for an unknown.

    Comment

    • tasmania60
      On the Rookie List
      • Jul 2013
      • 276

      #3
      Totally agree i dont we where stripping clubs , Mitchell has to be kept

      Comment

      • ernie koala
        Senior Player
        • May 2007
        • 3251

        #4
        Don't you guys listen to the coaches...." You can never have too many quality midfielders" quote, unquote...Many times over.

        Unless Mitchell wants out, he isn't going anywhere.
        Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect... MT

        Comment

        • Ludwig
          Veterans List
          • Apr 2007
          • 9359

          #5
          Originally posted by ernie koala
          Don't you guys listen to the coaches...." You can never have too many quality midfielders" .
          ................................... playing in the NEAFL

          Comment

          • ernie koala
            Senior Player
            • May 2007
            • 3251

            #6
            Originally posted by Ludwig
            ................................... playing in the NEAFL
            Until needed, when a spot opens up.

            Depth Luds, depth!

            It's very necessary if you want to go all the way!
            Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect... MT

            Comment

            • liz
              Veteran
              Site Admin
              • Jan 2003
              • 16772

              #7
              Our backline has conceded fewer points than any other in the league. It comprises only actual discard, two good-as discards, three ex-rookies and a pick 60-off with bung (or bionic, depending on your perspective) knees. You can cobble an effective defence together without resorting to high draft picks.

              Comment

              • Ludwig
                Veterans List
                • Apr 2007
                • 9359

                #8
                My point is about balance of future prospects.

                Before the injuries to Benny and Hanners we had the following midfielders playing in the reserves with reasonable prospects of success. I am omitting Marsh and Lockyer from the list, as well as Membrey, Biggs and Dick, all of which have played decent football back or forward:

                Mitchell
                Jones
                Perris
                Robinson
                Hewett
                Rowan
                BJ
                Towers

                Add to this list the following FS and Academy recruits that are very highly rated and likely to be drafted in the next 2 years:

                Heeney
                Dunkley
                Mills

                That makes 11. The oldest senior midfielder we have is Macca, who probably won't be looking at retirement before another 3 years. So when do these midfield prospects get a regular slot in our side, except to replace injure players?

                On the other hand, we have KPPs Ted and Goodes nearing retirement. Grundy is also 28 and as good as he is, he is not quite a star. AJ has to be in some doubt given his bad luck with the ACL injury. So who do we have waiting in the wings:

                X and Allir. Not exactly what you would call sure things by any stretch.

                The question is not about trading Tom Mitchell, but rather what to do about this imbalance between the depth in the midfield and KPPs.

                Should this be a concern? And what can we do about, especially given that our first round picks for the next 2 years are likely to be taken by Heeney and Dunkley?

                Comment

                • Ludwig
                  Veterans List
                  • Apr 2007
                  • 9359

                  #9
                  Originally posted by liz
                  Our backline has conceded fewer points than any other in the league. It comprises only actual discard, two good-as discards, three ex-rookies and a pick 60-off with bung (or bionic, depending on your perspective) knees. You can cobble an effective defence together without resorting to high draft picks.
                  Yes Liz, I agree with you completely that we have been very clever the way we put together our backline. And even more clever how we turned a seriously deficient forward line into the most feared in the league. We all know the Swans' management are very sharp folks. And perhaps they will come to rescue again with a plan for the KPDs of the future.

                  But when you look around the league you find so many weak teams like the Saints, Dogs and Carlton that are bereft KPPs and will be gunning to get every good one out of contract as well as in the draft.

                  I am just posing the question about taking a trading opportunity, if it should arise, that might sacrifice some of our midfield depth in exchange for some KPP depth, where we seem to be lacking. Does this make sense?

                  Comment

                  • ernie koala
                    Senior Player
                    • May 2007
                    • 3251

                    #10
                    Originally posted by Ludwig
                    My point is about balance of future prospects.

                    Before the injuries to Benny and Hanners we had the following midfielders playing in the reserves with reasonable prospects of success. I am omitting Marsh and Lockyer from the list, as well as Membrey, Biggs and Dick, all of which have played decent football back or forward:

                    Mitchell
                    Jones
                    Perris
                    Robinson
                    Hewett
                    Rowan
                    BJ
                    Towers

                    Add to this list the following FS and Academy recruits that are very highly rated and likely to be drafted in the next 2 years:

                    Heeney
                    Dunkley
                    Mills

                    That makes 11. The oldest senior midfielder we have is Macca, who probably won't be looking at retirement before another 3 years. So when do these midfield prospects get a regular slot in our side, except to replace injure players?

                    On the other hand, we have KPPs Ted and Goodes nearing retirement. Grundy is also 28 and as good as he is, he is not quite a star. AJ has to be in some doubt given his bad luck with the ACL injury. So who do we have waiting in the wings:

                    X and Allir. Not exactly what you would call sure things by any stretch.

                    The question is not about trading Tom Mitchell, but rather what to do about this imbalance between the depth in the midfield and KPPs.

                    Should this be a concern? And what can we do about, especially given that our first round picks for the next 2 years are likely to be taken by Heeney and Dunkley?
                    I understand your view on balance.

                    But the list of 'midfield depth' you show has only 3 who have played senior footy.

                    Of those three, Rohan isn't a midfielder and his future is looking a little uncertain at this stage.

                    BJ has shown nothing more than glimpses and is no certainty to be a longterm midfielder.

                    Mitchell looks like a long term midfielder.

                    As for Heeney and Mills and Dunkley...We all hope they translate to AFL stars but it's way to early to be trading a proven AFL player on the hope one of these guys will replace them.

                    Plenty of under18 stars don't make the grade at AFL level. The list of recent Swans 1st round failures attest to that.

                    I agree we need to bolster our KPP's, but I don't agree we need to trade away quality players to do so......Free agency is one avenue.
                    Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect... MT

                    Comment

                    • troyjones2525
                      Swans Fanatic!
                      • Mar 2008
                      • 2908

                      #11
                      I would love to keep Mitchell at the club as much as anyone else, but Ludwig makes a valid point re: our current and future midfield prospects. Yes as Liz says we have a great backline with our current crop of ex rejects and low picks but I'm sure everyone must agree that we have been extremely lucky over the years with not getting any serious injuries to the key 2. If we lost 1 or god forbid both of the big 2 for any length of time we would be in diabolical trouble! Who could we really replace them with currently??? I certainly don't want to lose a gun like Mitchell but if we get an extremely good offer (top half dozen pick) we would be mad to not at least consider it.

                      Comment

                      • rb4x
                        Regular in the Side
                        • Dec 2007
                        • 968

                        #12
                        Who would you prefer, T Mitchell or any one of Kreuzer, Watts, Scully, Patton, Whitfield or Boyd.

                        Comment

                        • Legs Akimbo
                          Grand Poobah
                          • Apr 2005
                          • 2809

                          #13
                          Wonder if there was a similar thread about josh Kennedy in the hawthorn board a few years back...
                          He had observed that people who did lie were, on the whole, more resourceful and ambitious and successful than people who did not lie.

                          Comment

                          • Auntie.Gerald
                            Veterans List
                            • Oct 2009
                            • 6480

                            #14
                            TomMitchell is just in one of those phases where we have a winning team, we have all players playing very well, he has been in and out due to injury and his pre season limited BUT Lloyd and Cunningham have given our team a tremendous flexibility and allowed our coaches to isolate our other key players into great advantage

                            Look at the benefits we have had with harry and Lloyd playing run with roles on fast players and allowing our other midfielders shine........tommy could not play on some of the faster opposition players which limits his appeal just a little with current choices

                            Tommy is a 10 year AFL player no doubt but money will determine who we can keep and who we cant...........The Swans with the roster they have are in the same possie as the Hawks the last few years now where it is difficult to keep all players and Melb will pay overs and so will a few other teams on the fringe of the 8

                            In my opinion Bird and Mitchell will be in hot demand from other clubs as they bring an important component of inside work for teams wanting to improve to truly become gritty and more competitive

                            but the irony is that if we have a couple injuries tommy is back in there and will fire !
                            "be tough, only when it gets tough"

                            Comment

                            • Ludwig
                              Veterans List
                              • Apr 2007
                              • 9359

                              #15
                              I really don't think this is about Tom Mitchell so much as a general list management issue. Tom is the focus because he has the best trade value of any player that's not a regular in the side.

                              We have been very fortunate the way quality midfielders seem to be falling out of the trees for us, and they have arrived in so many different ways. On the other hand, we haven't had so much luck when it comes to KPPs, and if not for the genius of Andrew Ireland and Co. we may not be sitting so pretty at the moment.

                              We don't know for sure how things will turn out, but by weight of number alone, it would seem that we will have more good midfielders than we know what to do with and a possible shortage in KPPs, particular defenders.

                              The article that Paul Roos is looking for another couple of classy midfielders brings up the question of whether we should be proactive about adjusting this anomaly or wait and see how things unfold.

                              Comment

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