Sydney Swans best 22, 2015 AFL Premiership Season

[wolftone57]

What I am picking up on with many comments is that everyone seems to be talking about options that WILL NOT HELP THE SWANS WIN A FLAG NEXT YEAR. Yes, Naismith, yes Heeney, yes X Richards - but will 'game time' result in a premiership in 2015? No it won't. I don't understand the thinking when the premiership window is open now (and just barely). Everyone is talking about options that won't come to fruition until Buddy is into his 30s and Tippett has retired. Geez. That's why the VFL decision was @@@@@@ and it will probably have the effect they desired.

Heeney and Jones may help win a flag next year but as far as KPD we are @@@@@@.

I don't agree with you. The options for the backline are already unfolding and I think playing them next year may indeed get us a premiership in 2016. This doesn't mean we can't win the premiership in 2015 while still blooding players. Blooding players is what ensures continuing success. If you don't you end up out of the eight because the players are not ready or they have moved on due to lack of games. We end up having to recruit players we wouldn't even sneeze at to fill gaps. The more players you have on your list that you have given Senior experience the more likely a premiership. Take Hawks they blooded lots of players in the last two years and look what happened there. So I believe your premise is flawed.

[wolftone57]

Having watched a couple of NEAFL games on YouTube this year including the grand final I still believe that hoping that Nankervis moves ahead of Derickx is the way to go! If you want to see Derickx play solely to add some grunt to our side then I still think that Nankervis showed he has that side to his game also this year, with the added bonus that he can take a mark and kick a goal or two! As an earlier post said, if we are in the situation that we are relying on Tom D as our number 1 ruck option then we are totally stuffed!

Troy that would mean we would play two ruck of the same type as Pykie & Nanka are both Forward/Ruck not specialist rucks. I don't think Pykie is a great 1st ruck. I watched all those games people on here are praising him for and his taps are mostly ineffective. He taps down to the feet of our mids too often, soft taps that result in packs developing. The Hawks roved to this and set up a wall with Mitchell, Burgoyne Langford at different times on the outside to clear the ball. While Nanka is a better tap than Pykie his huge value is resting in the forward line. He takes a great mark & his rucking in the pockets is very good. Naismith and Derrickx are the specialist rucks. Both can punch the living hell out of the ball. Both can direct the ball in a very tight spot to a running mid. Pykie was always value because of his forward work. As a second ruck he is still highly valuable as it makes the opposition set up differently and he is the best contested mark in the game.

[wolftone57]

You would hope that everyone plays better than the GF, but the following guys would need to improve their seasons in 2015:

Rohan
Reid
Jetta
Tippett
Goodes
Mitchell

We would also need the younger brigade of Cunningham and Lloyd to continue their forward momentum.

An immediate impact from Heeney and Jones would also be desired.

I think you are a little hard on Mitchell. When he played he was good. He got injured and had trouble getting back into a very strong side.

[wolftone57]

The best team I've seen so far. McGlynn needs to be our small fwd. Rohan needs to play at half back as we need the run from there, esp now that Malcho has gone. Reid to go to the 2nd/3rd tall.

I have a feeling that Heeney won't play too many games this year. We usually hold our players back in the Magoos longer than other teams. Maybe Hewitt might come in? I haven't seen him play but the vibe is that he's capable.

Don't agree about Heeney. I think he will play plenty. He's a good build and they will already be putting more on him. He is tough, quick and damaging. He needs to play.

[Dosser]

Don't agree about Heeney. I think he will play plenty. He's a good build and they will already be putting more on him. He is tough, quick and damaging. He needs to play.

That is right. We generally keep new players in the magoos so they can get conditioning and learn our style of play. By virtue of playing in the academy, Heeney has already done this, so should be about ready.

[wolftone57]

I think Rohan should play as a defensive wingman. Unless he tightens up dramatically his occasional solo run will be a waste of time. Leave him on the wing to make space as a running target.

Cunningham to me is still very outside. He was ok as a run with player but caught out big time in the GF. As a half forward he bobs with the odd goals but is not hard enough going the other way. I think both he and Rohan will be the blokes who might find it hard to hold their places.

If these young blokes like Heeney and Hewitt are as good as what people say they are, then they will force their way in. Mitchell might lack a bit of pace but he wins a lot more footy than Rohan and Cunningham put together.

Firstly, Nico we have to stop trying to turn very good outside mids into inside mids. Harry will be fine when he plays on opponents that suit him but on opponents that suit say a Bird or Mitchell he won't be much good. Harry has played mainly as a negating HF but still managed to hurt them on the scoreboard. But in the run with roles he did he was very good. His opponents got very little of the ball.

Secondly, Rohan is in whether you like it or not. His closing speed and cut outs were very good down back. So he made a few mistakes he will improve as soon as his brain catches up.

As to heeney & Hewett they are as good as we have said. both are two sided. both win plenty of ball.

To Mitchell. He is very much like his Hawks namesake. Too slow they said but he keeps winning the ball and winning matches for them. I think Tommy will be a bit the same.

[Matt80]

I think you are a little hard on Mitchell. When he played he was good. He got injured and had trouble getting back into a very strong side.

I'm fully behind Mitchell now that he has committed to the Swans. The Swans gave up the option of pick 6 from Carlton for him to stay. Although Mitchell had the option to see out his contract at the Swans, the Swans could have encouraged Mitchell to go if it really wanted the pick 6.

That pick 6 is now at GWS. There will be hell to pay if that pick 6 has a better season than Tom Mitchell in 2015.

Tom has to step up. No more father / son romanticism, no more GWS thought he was a pick one. Tom needs to deliver with Heeney on his tale.

[wolftone57]

For me, Rohan could be a huge factor in our improvement next year. We all know he had a shocker in the GF, but he wasn't the only one. I'm not entirely convinced that he could be the player we all want him to be. But I haven't given up on him yet. One of my criticisms has been that he just doesn't get enough of the ball. So I started thinking, why don't we send him to the ball and play him as an inside midfielder. I think he has enough hardness in him and he certainly has the size. I can see him applying some punishing tackles in and around the contests. In fact if you compare to Nat Fyfe, he is a almost exactly same size. Rohan - age 23, 189cm and 89 kg. Fyfe is 23, 190cm and 88kg. Obviously he would have to seriously improve on his stamina and gut running over the pre season. But maybe he could be our very own Fyfe and bring in some much needed size into the midfield. What are peoples thoughts?

I'm sorry Flying South but I'm sick of people talking about changing outside running players to inside mids. If they aren't suited they aren't suited. The reason we got slaughtered in the GF was we had too many players playing inside that started as outside mids. Kizza, Macca, Hannas are all outside players who have converted their game to Horse's style to play in the mids. That is three too many in the centre square together at some times during the year. Bloody stupid. Inside mids like Parker, Mitchell, Joey, Heeney & Hewett are far better than those as inside mids. Rohan would just be another outside mid that can't win the ball against real insiders. Robby Grey, Boak, hodge, Mitchell, Lewis, Fyfe, Crowley, Barlow, Mundy, Murphy, Gibbs & the list goes on all took us to the cleaners because they are natural inside players or go both out & in.

[mcs]

I'm fully behind Mitchell now that he has committed to the Swans. The Swans gave up the option of pick 6 from Carlton for him to stay. Although Mitchell had the option to see out his contract at the Swans, the Swans could have encouraged Mitchell to go if it really wanted the pick 6.

That pick 6 is now at GWS. There will be hell to pay if that pick 6 has a better season than Tom Mitchell in 2015.

Tom has to step up. No more father / son romanticism, no more GWS thought he was a pick one. Tom needs to deliver with Heeney on his tale.

Football is not based on 1 season Matt80...... 'hell to pay' is going a bit over the top.

[wolftone57]

I'm fully behind Mitchell now that he has committed to the Swans. The Swans gave up the option of pick 6 from Carlton for him to stay. Although Mitchell had the option to see out his contract at the Swans, the Swans could have encouraged Mitchell to go if it really wanted the pick 6.

That pick 6 is now at GWS. There will be hell to pay if that pick 6 has a better season than Tom Mitchell in 2015.

Tom has to step up. No more father / son romanticism, no more GWS thought he was a pick one. Tom needs to deliver with Heeney on his tale.

Tommy Mitchell has had injury worries since he has been here. The truth is the club knew he had some problems before he came. He is such a good prospect the club just wanted him to get over the injuries and nursed him along. He is now fit and hopefully will do his first full preseason. This year he will hopefully put his injuries behind him.

[0918330512]

That pick 6 is now at GWS. There will be hell to pay if that pick 6 has a better season than Tom Mitchell in 2015.

Tom has to step up. No more father / son romanticism, no more GWS thought he was a pick one. Tom needs to deliver with Heeney on his tale.

Easier for Mitchell to keep Heeney off his tail without Matt80 on his back.

[Ludwig]

If we had to pick the 22 now, it would most likely be the finals side with Mitchell coming in for Mal. Macca will probably slot into Mal's role as the defensive general.

Shaw looks the most vulnerable to lose his spot, especially if Reid goes back into defence. Personally, I like this move and would try Towers in the forward line in Reid's place. With Adam's stem cell treatment, I am thinking that we may see the champ play even beyond next season. We've got to get Reid beyond a 4th option in the forward line.

There will be plenty of competition for midfield spots and it's hard to say right now what the pecking order is likely to be. There are always a few surprises, both good and bad, as we progress through the preseason.

I am over my usual vitriolic attacks on Tom Derickx and am happy enough with him as a last resort ruck option. If he can improve a few areas of his game, actually most areas of his game, he can become a handy depth player, which I define as the kind of player who can fill in and do a job, but is unlikely to get a starting gig at another club. Tom is a decent kick, especially for goal, and he will give a good physical effort, but his ruck work and general awareness need a lot of help. He is also quite injury prone. I don't think he's gone through many seasons without a some long term injury. I am quite hopeful on the Ns making it at AFL level, especially Nanka, and would like to see both given a couple of shots next season to give them a taste of AFL level footy. As for now, our best combo remains Pyke and Tippett. We really can't afford to play another ruckman in the side as it will have to be at the expense of a midfielder; we are not going to be dropping either Goodes or Reid from the side, so I just can't see this happening.

Jones, Towers, BJ, Hewett and Heeney should all be pushing for opportunities in the senior side. Dan Robinson has had 2 very good seasons in the reserves, and now that he's been elevated to the senior list, should also be given a chance if he can continue to improve his reserves performances. What I liked about Robbo was that he showed his versatility in playing a number of roles, including a midfield shutdown tagging role. BJ will really have to turn it on this year with Hiscox coming to the club as I see them as similar players.

In retrospect, I'm happy that Shaw is playing another season. If he had retired, we would have most likely elevated Naismith and opened up another rookie selection, which we really don't need. At worst, Shaw is a pretty handy depth player and will be a big help to the younger players.

Our tall defenders are the only potential weakness going into next season. Ted and Reg have done well enough and both have been resilient. I still see Reid as being the best option to bolstering the back line. Laidler is a good depth player, but really not a key defender. AJ remains a big question. Youngsters Richards, Aliir and Davis are all unproven, but look reasonable prospects as long term replacements for Ted and Reg.

I think it most likely that we will take a KPD with pick 37, but that won't help next season. Perhaps we will draft and experienced state league defender to our rookie list. If the Malceski-like Viojo-Rainbow or the AJ-like Dan Howe are available at pick 37, I wouldn't mind selecting either ahead of a true KPP. Nelson, Ramsey and McClaren look the most likely candidates if we do go for a KPP as at least 2 will probably be available at our pick. We may see one or more slip to the rookie draft as well.

[S.S. Bleeder]

I think you are a little hard on Mitchell. When he played he was good. He got injured and had trouble getting back into a very strong side.

He probably deserved to get back in on form. The trouble was that it was late in the season and Longmire probably didn't want to unsettle the team just before the finals.

[S.S. Bleeder]

Yes your probably right. I hope your right. I'm looking forward to seeing him in action.

[stevoswan]

Troy that would mean we would play two ruck of the same type as Pykie & Nanka are both Forward/Ruck not specialist rucks. I don't think Pykie is a great 1st ruck. I watched all those games people on here are praising him for and his taps are mostly ineffective. He taps down to the feet of our mids too often, soft taps that result in packs developing. The Hawks roved to this and set up a wall with Mitchell, Burgoyne Langford at different times on the outside to clear the ball. While Nanka is a better tap than Pykie his huge value is resting in the forward line. He takes a great mark & his rucking in the pockets is very good. Naismith and Derrickx are the specialist rucks. Both can punch the living hell out of the ball. Both can direct the ball in a very tight spot to a running mid. Pykie was always value because of his forward work. As a second ruck he is still highly valuable as it makes the opposition set up differently and he is the best contested mark in the game.

That's why he and Mummy worked so well. Geez we miss Mummy. I'll go a far as to say we would have won more games and the GF this year if he was still with us(and AJ!). The only negative of the Buddy deal. Lamb would have been chopped anyway.....you see what I did there.