List changes and trade bait

[Melbourne_Blood]

Reading up on hiscox has me excited, elite endurance and leg speed. That's a good comb, could he be our Brad Hill? Is he an academy boy ?

[Conor_Dillon]

Waite AND Higgins to North. Interesting strategy...they must firmly believe their premiership window is open now.

Do we rate any of their 20-22 year old players enough to try and pry them out with a trade?

I don't mind Mullett

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Reading up on hiscox has me excited, elite endurance and leg speed. That's a good comb, could he be our Brad Hill? Is he an academy boy ?

He's an academy boy and we have nominated him as an academy selection...doubt we'd take him any higher than a 4th round though. Apprently he's a former state 800m runner too.

[Flying South]

Stop removing players who are on contract.

You are wasting my time.

Contracts mean nothing to players or clubs. Just ask Beams, McKenna, Clarke, etc. And we would be no different if push came to shove.

[Bloodthirsty]

17-year olds aren't going to win Swans the flag next year. Swans need a ready-made KPD top-up that doesn't cost too much money. How about Shoenmakers?

[Conor_Dillon]

I'd happily entertain the prospect of Shoenmakers...no doubt Buddy would have a valuable insight into whether or not he would be worth trading for.

[RogueSwan]

...The midfield rotation has the potential to be very strong with Petracca, Heeney, Mills, Lloyd, McVeigh, Cunningham and Jones able to rotate through...

Corrected for accuracy.

[joemoore12]

A bit out of left field, but I think George Burbury (delisted by the Cats) is definitely worth a punt. Local Tassie boy, so i've kept an eye on him. Injuries have hurt him, but has performed well for The Cats when given an opportunity, is still very young, could play that quick, tackling small forward role and be really dangerous. Could pick him up cheap, worth a crack I reckon.

[Flying South]

I wouldn't go as far as saying Adam is being selfish as all players wish to play as long as possible. I do think he should have retired and I think the club should have made the decision for him.

I would!! And I know this is going to be blasphemous, but I he has never been my favourite player. Talented yes. Like him as a person yes. But to me he is like a General, leads without getting his hands dirty. Stands around giving orders but rarely mucks in. I prefer the Sergeant's. Tough leaders, but also get in and do the dirty work as well. Kirk, Bolton, Kelly, come to mind. Just a personal thing. Maybe because I never had the talent to be a general. There said it!

As much it hurts me personally to see Membrey go, I have always said I have faith in the club to make the right decisions. I suspect this decision was made long ago. When they started playing Towers ahead of him.

[tasmania60]

If hes Tasmanian take him breed tough down there!

[Ludwig]

B Rampe Grundy Smith
HB Rohan Reid Jones
C Jetta Kennedy K.Jack
HF Cunnigham Franklin McVeigh
F Petracca Tippett Towers
Foll Naismith, Parker, Mitchell
Inter Heeney, Mills Lloyd
Sub B. Jack

Ins - Petracca, Heeney, Mitchell, Mills, Jones, Naismith, Towers, Brandon Jack,

Outs - Shaw, Goodes, Richards (Retired), Pyke, McGlynn ROK struggles), Malceski (Free Agency), Hanners (trade), Bird (depth player but will play many games).

The midfield rotation is very strong with Petracca, Heeney, Mills, Lloyd, McVeigh, Cunningham and Jones able to rotate through.

We are smaller up forward, but have more pace and greater ability to hold the ball in.

Reid is settled in the back half and has grown into a strong shut down defender.

Buddy and Tippett are still under 30 and you can look at that team with their young midfield guns and say that the best will continue to come.

Is this team that bad?

How would the team look if you substituted Josh Dunkley for Petracca and we still had Hannebery on our list? Would we be a stronger or weaker side in your opinion?

BTW, you've left out George Hewett, who is nearly certain to be a very good midfielder. I suppose Xav Richards and Allir won't be playing and AJ will retire due to his knee injury. What happened to Biggs? Does Perris have a chance to make our team?

[Conor_Dillon]

How would the team look if you substituted Josh Dunkley for Petracca and we still had Hannebery on our list? Would we be a stronger or weaker side in your opinion?

BTW, you've left out George Hewett, who is nearly certain to be a very good midfielder. I suppose Xav Richards and Allir won't be playing and AJ will retire due to his knee injury. What happened to Biggs? Does Perris have a chance to make our team?

We'd also need a third tall defender as well...was our main weakness this year.

[Industrial Fan]

I would!! And I know this is going to be blasphemous, but I he has never been my favourite player. Talented yes. Like him as a person yes. But to me he is like a General, leads without getting his hands dirty. Stands around giving orders but rarely mucks in. I prefer the Sergeant's. Tough leaders, but also get in and do the dirty work as well. Kirk, Bolton, Kelly, come to mind. Just a personal thing. Maybe because I never had the talent to be a general. There said it!

As much it hurts me personally to see Membrey go, I have always said I have faith in the club to make the right decisions. I suspect this decision was made long ago. When they started playing Towers ahead of him.

Entitled to an opinion I suppose, but did you see the 4th Qtr in the 2012 GF?

Flattened Franklin and Mitchell, and kicked the goal that put us in front, all while having one bung knee. He doesnt play midfield anymore, but spent enough time getting his hands dirty through that period.

I'm glad he's playing on as thats the one thing that really horrified me the most - that the 2014 GF would be his last in R & W. That would not be ok.

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How would the team look if you substituted Josh Dunkley for Petracca and we still had Hannebery on our list? Would we be a stronger or weaker side in your opinion?

Do we not get enough of his opinions without soliciting more?

[O'Reilly Boy]

We'd also need a third tall defender as well...was our main weakness this year.

I'm not sure about that. Our defence was the best in the league by a long way, and it is very hard to construe the set up that took us so far as a weakness at all, let alone our 'main weakness'. It is a potential weakness as Reg and Ted move into the autumn years, but I think that out main weakness was in the ruck, and even then it was a well-managed weakness.
And we must not be so harsh on Jetta. He had an outstanding season, week in week out, most usefully when positioned behind the ball. He was terrible on GF day, but the game was lost in the bounces, not outside. For mine, the worst performers on the day were the captains, who rolled over, or at the very least, failed to stand up, in the face of intense physical pressure.

[mcs]

17-year olds aren't going to win Swans the flag next year. Swans need a ready-made KPD top-up that doesn't cost too much money. How about Shoenmakers?

No thanks on Shoenmakers - he is pretty ordinary in my book

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A bit out of left field, but I think George Burbury (delisted by the Cats) is definitely worth a punt. Local Tassie boy, so i've kept an eye on him. Injuries have hurt him, but has performed well for The Cats when given an opportunity, is still very young, could play that quick, tackling small forward role and be really dangerous. Could pick him up cheap, worth a crack I reckon.

I think that's a decent call joe. Would cost us nothing, and injuries didn't help him at Geelong. Certainly could play a small forward role for us - I would be happy to see us take a punt on a plyer like him, as we really don't lose much at all if it doesn't work out.

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I'm not sure about that. Our defence was the best in the league by a long way, and it is very hard to construe the set up that took us so far as a weakness at all, let alone our 'main weakness'. It is a potential weakness as Reg and Ted move into the autumn years, but I think that out main weakness was in the ruck, and even then it was a well-managed weakness.
And we must not be so harsh on Jetta. He had an outstanding season, week in week out, most usefully when positioned behind the ball. He was terrible on GF day, but the game was lost in the bounces, not outside. For mine, the worst performers on the day were the captains, who rolled over, or at the very least, failed to stand up, in the face of intense physical pressure.

I think the Captain's weakness was more that they didn't stand up and try to take the game by the scruff of the neck. When you are captain, you need to find a way to will your team back into the contest - and neither captain looked likely (although I think KJ's effort can't be doubted) . I always hark back to it, but would Hodge have let that @@@@ on Saturday develop like it did?

[Ludwig]

Nominating 3 academy players would indicate that we have virtually committed 3 ND picks to this purpose, not leaving much room to play with given that we may well be looking at as many as 4 rookie upgrades; my guess would be Richards (already upgraded), Lloyd, Biggs and Naismith.

We may well have to delist AJ and rookie him to make room. If Shaw doesn't retire, Marsh may have to be delisted as well. This is based on my understanding, which may not be correct, that we can only carry one 3rd year rookie, which I assume will be Robinson.

There still may be a little wiggle room depending on what happens with Malcelski and Membrey.