Round 13: Sydney Swans Reserves v UWS Giants @ Blacktown International Sports Park

[Mug Punter]

I suppose the only upside is that with the number of talented players on the GWS list that aren't likely to get a senior game and the Giants shrinking salary cap there is a chance that some of them could end up on the Swans list.

I get no joy our of thinking that we will get GWS' cast offs...

Their list is an AFL issue and it is a Frankenstein club. From my initial observations they had six top 10 draft picks in their ressies. This is insane

They have the deepest list on the league and the worst case is that they get traded for healthy picks which further allows future picks. Plus they have the two gun academy picks they have done nothing to develop unlike us.

These guys just need to keep their heads and they will win 5 flags in a row.

I can just imagine the howls down south

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BJ the only positive in that lot. Even in a comprehensive thrashing he managed good numbers so he finally seems to be finding the ball better than previously.

Bitterly disappointed in my boy George, hell I'm even thinking of jumping off the bandwagon.

It really does show the depth of class on the GWS list. A juggernaught that will roll big time next year and more high draft picks again this year.

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Lamb went for the 3 yrs at $300k as much as playing opportunities. When he left I said he wouldn't get many games given the massive amount of top ten picks on their list. Will get quietly delisted at the end of next season.

Good luck to Lamb - if he is smart with his cash he will be able to have a nice place fully paid off by the age of 24.

I would also think he'd get a chance at a third club like a Melbourne or St Kilda but maybe not at $300K a year

[R-1]

Half that side was established AFL grade players including several coming back from injury or kept out of the seniors for structural reasons (Phillips should be playing ahead of Lobb).

Even the ones who are not stars and may never make it in the AFL, they're still of a standard to carve up a reserves competition. Like a team of Bulldog Moores and Mitch Mortons.

Absolute mismatch, nothing to be done about it really.

[stellation]

That's a pretty decent side for the Giants to be able to field, especially considering they've got a bunch of injuries.

[stellation]

Good luck to Lamb - if he is smart with his cash he will be able to have a nice place fully paid off by the age of 24.

I would also think he'd get a chance at a third club like a Melbourne or St Kilda but maybe not at $300K a year

Yep, I'd be surprised if Jed doesn't get a run at another club if GWS lets him go (I'm not entirely certain they will let him go). I think he's just fallen victim to being a forward in a deep squad that usually uses those spots for midfielders, and Devon Smith has had the small forward spot sewn up for a while. It's like he's trying to compete for a spot with half a dozen Heeneys that they want o get games into.

I'm sure the Giants, and other clubs, are aware of this.

[stevoswan]

I think this all shows our depth beyond our top 25 or so players suddenly wears a bit thin. Some of these younger lads need to step it up soon, if they're capable, or the crap 'trade ban' will really start to hurt us down the track. The 'VFL boys club' is achieving their aim, it seems.........a**holes!

[707]

Said it pre season and it's looking obvious now - we have very little depth compared to the other contenders. Keep those fingers crossed we don't have injuries.

[Ludwig]

I think this all shows our depth beyond our top 25 or so players suddenly wears a bit thin. Some of these younger lads need to step it up soon, if they're capable, or the crap 'trade ban' will really start to hurt us down the track. The 'VFL boys club' is achieving their aim, it seems.........a**holes!

I don't think too much should be made of our side consisting of inexperienced players and a poor group of toppies being slaughtered by a very good GWS group. Perhaps some criticism is in order for throwing in the towel after the result was obvious.

As for the trade ban, as unjust as it is, probably didn't have much effect on our depth. If we are talking about Patfull, I don't think adding a 30 yo Laidler sized defender is much of a solution going forward. As for this coming year, we probably have priced ourselves out of the any big signing anyway due to salary cap constraints. It's more the COLA cancellation than the trade ban that is restricting our ability to bring in players.

We've made a number of personnel decisions around getting Tippett and Franklin that we will have to live with for a while. Add to that our choice of KPP draftees and you have our future prospects in a nutshell. It's hard to predict how it will all turn out.

[Mug Punter]

I think this all shows our depth beyond our top 25 or so players suddenly wears a bit thin. Some of these younger lads need to step it up soon, if they're capable, or the crap 'trade ban' will really start to hurt us down the track. The 'VFL boys club' is achieving their aim, it seems.........a**holes!

I think we may be a bit thin but surely that is inevitable when you place 20% of your salary cap with two players. I was someone who was hoping Goodesy would retire but the reality is that we really need him at the moment.

I guess they have really only cost us two players we may have liked to have kept, Mummy and Jed.

On the whole though I think it probably says more about the strength of GWS and possibly the huge gulf between the bottom half of our squad (local top ups) and the bottom half of GWS squad (full time squad members). I have no doubt that if there was a reserves comp at the moment that GWS would be romping it in, no doubt at all...

The reality is that the local talent is at this stage not much chop on a genuine second tier comp stage. I daresay we'd get chopped up by the SANFL sides if we played there if we only relied on top-ups rather than interstate recruits. You'd hope that this may change over the next 5-10 years.

This, of course, is not a new problem with the Swans, something we have been grappling with for years. It's just that the enormous strength of the GWS squad exposes it so graphically.

[Conor_Dillon]

I guess they have really only cost us two players we may have liked to have kept, Mummy and Jed .

I'd add Everitt to that list as well...the club had really high hopes for him. Could also add Mal as well but that may have been inevitable.

[Mug Punter]

I'd add Everitt to that list as well...the club had really high hopes for him. Could also add Mal as well but that may have been inevitable.

To a large extent I see this as a non issue for us specifically except where it impacts on our ability to compete at senior level. I think it is borderline at the moment but with Mills, Dunkley (hopefully) and the continued development of Heeney, Jones and Hewett then I'd hope we'll be fine.

The GWS strength is an AFL issue. Our reserves seem to be stronger than both the Lions and Suns, if we fall behind them then I'll start to be concerned but even then it will probably be more of a reflection of our top ups

[Conor_Dillon]

To a large extent I see this as a non issue for us specifically except where it impacts on our ability to compete at senior level. I think it is borderline at the moment but with Mills, Dunkley (hopefully) and the continued development of Heeney, Jones and Hewett then I'd hope we'll be fine.

The GWS strength is an AFL issue. Our reserves seem to be stronger than both the Lions and Suns, if we fall behind them then I'll start to be concerned but even then it will probably be more of a reflection of our top ups

Yeh agree 100%...the reaction to the weekend's reserves game on here was amazing.

As somebody said, premierships are won by your best 25-27 players. Ours are as good as anyone's, if not better.