Callum Mills signs on for 5 more years.

[Mug Punter]

While I hope you're right ... Tom Mitchell

Thing is I don't think we genuinely were ever in the hunt for Tom once the cards were on the table.

I think the list strategy guys just crunched the numbers and realised that keeping him would compromise every other young required player on the list. And I think they made the right call, even though I think Tom will be quite a good signing for the Hawks. I just look at the side so far and I see real drive and grunt from Jones in our midfield and I really don't feel we are missing him at all. Tom was a good player but he was slow and one dimensional in my book, good at what he did but one dimensional.

[Ludwig]

Tom Mitchell didn't go elsewhere. He was sent elsewhere. We effectively got Florent in exchange for Mitchell, which is a pretty good swap considering our midfield brigade. We already have the best trio of on ballers in JPK, Parker and Hannebery. Now add to that Heeney, Mills and Jones, who all are looking every bit as good as the first trio. There's been the Fab 4, but I think this group of 6 is something extra special. Tom Mitchell is a very good player, but he's most effective on the inside and with such a deep midfield, we can only afford to add players who can also be damaging when not playing on ball. Mills will be a super inside mid. His mind and ball distribution skills are exceptionally quick.

[0918330512]

Thing is I don't think we genuinely were ever in the hunt for Tom once the cards were on the table.

While I agree in the scheme of things Tom's not a devastating loss to team structure, my point was he was a regular senior player who chose to leave a team with a wide open premiership window.

Tom Mitchell didn't go elsewhere. He was sent elsewhere.

I also don't disagree with most of your post, I respectfully disagree with your opening. Mid season he wanted to stay. The Swans put an offer to him (unders for what he wanted and probably indeed what he's worth, but about what we could afford). In the end, he chose to walk.

[Mug Punter]

Tom Mitchell didn't go elsewhere. He was sent elsewhere. We effectively got Florent in exchange for Mitchell, which is a pretty good swap considering our midfield brigade. We already have the best trio of on ballers in JPK, Parker and Hannebery. Now add to that Heeney, Mills and Jones, who all are looking every bit as good as the first trio. There's been the Fab 4, but I think this group of 6 is something extra special. Tom Mitchell is a very good player, but he's most effective on the inside and with such a deep midfield, we can only afford to add players who can also be damaging when not playing on ball. Mills will be a super inside mid. His mind and ball distribution skills are exceptionally quick.

I agree with this analysis, I believe Tom was actually seen as surplus to requirements, within the context of a salary cap structure. I guess we would have liked to keep him in a perfect world but from what I have seen so far I like our balance better without him. And I think he was at times a selfish player. I also just got the impression Horse never quite rated him as highly as I thought he should have and there is probably a reason for that as I think he is an astute judge. Yes he was a ball magnet but I never saw him impact on a game the way Zak has the last few games. He did have a good finals series but I don't think he is the type of player that will ever rip a game wide open, he is just too one paced. And the commercial reality was we had to let someone go, it just stands to reason when you have two players soaking up 20% of your cap that it will have some consequences.

Our midfield depth is terrifying at the moment - add in Florent who will be a very good player IMO and also Hewett who I can see as an inside JPK type in time and we have a great base. We'll go to the midfield well again this draft as well again I feel as the balance of the rest of the squad is so settled now. 12 months ago many of us, and certainly I include myself here, were really worried about the defensive stocks much like we were about the ruck stocks before. Well we have certainly addressed both of those with four good rucks and Talia, Maibauin and hopefully AJ covering Reg and AA in defence.

[The Big Cat]

Reid was said to be in negotiations with the club and says he is keen to stay as he is well set up and happy there. Plus he has been carried on a big contract with injury PLUS HORSE LOVES HIM!

[waswan]

For the right Price I would have loved Titch to stay and I would have hoped paying him overs for a few years would have put some money in the bank for us so to speak but this is free agency.
As far as being surplus, not quite but he was the 5th Beatle, not blessed with pace and I reckon the List Management picked up on the most significant point that his disposal and decision making under pressure was not elite (think how many times he went long to no-one) and his best football was played as a tagger and not a genuine gun midfielder.

[Aprilbr]

Callum Mills signs on for 5 more years.

I am sure that the Swans would have loved to have kept Mitchell but there was just not the salary cap room to keep him given other offers. Apparently his Swans offer was not much greater than what his former house mate, Harry Cunningham, is on and I'm confident that most of us know who is the far better player. The word is that he was offered a small fortune to go to the Gold Coast but opted for the Hawks lower but substantially better than the Swans offer. He is a good player who will be missed and will be an asset to the Hawks. We just need to hope that others can fill the ball winning gap that was created with his exit.


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[Mug Punter]

I am sure that the Swans would have loved to have kept Mitchell but there was just not the salary cap room to keep him given other offers. Apparently his Swans offer was not much greater than what his former house mate, Harry Cunningham, is on and I'm confident that most of us know who is the far better player. The word is that he was offered a small fortune to go to the Gold Coast but opted for the Hawks lower but substantially better than the Swans offer. He is a good player who will be missed and will be an asset to the Hawks. We just need to hope that others can fill the ball winning gap that was created with his exit.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don't think any of us can blame Mitchell for leaving, though I'm not sure Annie appreciated him lying to her at the Presentation Dinner which IMO was pretty gutless.

We just had to make a call about which three players we'd like to keep out of Mills, Heeney, Jones and Mitchell. And I think we chose correctly.

[Joel Ridge]

I don't think any of us can blame Mitchell for leaving, though I'm not sure Annie appreciated him lying to her at the Presentation Dinner which IMO was pretty gutless.

We just had to make a call about which three players we'd like to keep out of Mills, Heeney, Jones and Mitchell. And I think we chose correctly.

It will interesting to see Tom Mitchell's season at the Hawks. In Sydney the opposition thought about Kennedy, Parker, Hannas, K.Jack and probably Heeney before they worried about Mitchell. He could kind of fly under the radar.

Now the Hawks have lost Sam Mitchell, Lewis, Hodge is missing training, Burgoyne is an older player and Jaeger's output is an unknown. He could very well be in the top two midfielder tagged by the opposition. A lot will be expected of him.

I was really excited by Jones who is a far better athlete than Mitchell, a better kick, better evasive skills and probably harder at the contest.

[Mug Punter]

It will interesting to see Tom Mitchell's season at the Hawks. In Sydney the opposition thought about Kennedy, Parker, Hannas, K.Jack and probably Heeney before they worried about Mitchell. He could kind of fly under the radar.

Now the Hawks have lost Sam Mitchell, Lewis, Hodge is missing training, Burgoyne is an older player and Jaeger's output is an unknown. He could very well be in the top two midfielder tagged by the opposition. A lot will be expected of him.

I was really excited by Jones who is a far better athlete than Mitchell, a better kick, better evasive skills and probably harder at the contest.

I'd agree there, think Mitchell will be a good pickup for the Hawks, I don't think they even know how they will go. If Roughy tears it up I'll have mixed emotions, will be so happy for him personally but it will also give them a fighting chance of being there in September. Can't he just have a good return to health but never quite be the same football-wise....

I really can see Jones becoming elite soon, quite possibly this year. I think we will keep him but I'm not as confident as some on here because I think there will be some serious coin turning his head, I'd rate him 75/25 as staying/leaving. Sooner we get this bit of business done the better IMO.

Unlike with Mitchell I think we will be really going hard at Jones and will get pretty close with an offer to what he can get elsewhere. Clearly his football is going very well here but they do have very short careers and I don't begrudge them all they can. Provided we can get close, and I reckon in the current market and his form he'd be able to ask for $2.5m over four seasons he should take it and then look at really cashing in as a RFA in four years if his stocks go sky high. I know that money may seem crazy for a guy with 31 games on the clock but I think he can be that good....

[takeheed]

Future captain for sure

[bloodspirit]

Once again our list management guys seem to be ahead of the curve. These kind of headlines - Draft class of 2015 slow to sign new deals - AFL.com.au - make me feel glad we've got Mills & Heeney sorted before there is any kind of a circus or temptation for other clubs to pounce on uncontracted players with even bigger offers. Schache looks set to boost his $$ provided he plays a strong season. By indicating his availability he can attract big offers from elsewhere and force the Lions to increase their offer to him or, if they won't, leave. As top picks have become more reliable performers it puts a KPF like Schache in a strong position because he can attract big offers and there is not much chance of the Lions letting him walk to the PSD because he would likely wind up where he wanted to go anyway. This is more true for a KPF than for a player who wouldn't attract such a big contract because it is less likely that if he winds up walking to the PSD that another club will have the requisite $$ lying around to snap him up and catching him unawares. A bit like us with Tippo in 2012 PSD, except Schache is so much younger and it's all happening so much earlier in a player's career that they can get a big contract if they are an elite prospect. Schache is in an especially good position because although he wanted to go to the Lions, his dad's club, he is actually from Victoria and may well be equally happy to return if that's the way the cookie crumbles.

Right now it feels like there aren't many clubs (like, say, Melbourne a few years ago) where a player just wouldn't want to wind up. Most clubs seem to have promising futures, whether immediately or in the not-too-distant future and there are no clubs that feel like they have toxic cultures or where you just wouldn't want to end up (especially if you are in Queensland to start off with). I think the Suns under Eade would be a relatively less appealing place but if he doesn't get results soon, Eade may not last much longer and they may get a more modern and appealing coach in his place. Freo is another club where the jury's out, especially if you are not from WA. Their window is receding in the rear vision mirror and there is uncertainty over the future with the rebuild and without as much talent on their list as other rebuilding clubs.

[rojo]

Very impressed in listening to Callum Mills doing a press interview (sydney swans site). What an articulate, composed young man. Fielded the questions with aplomb and not too much 'footy speak'. Quite refreshing. His favourite expression - 'excited'.

[Meg]

Very impressed in listening to Callum Mills doing a press interview (sydney swans site). What an articulate, composed young man. Fielded the questions with aplomb and not too much 'footy speak'. Quite refreshing. His favourite expression - 'excited'.

I had exactly the same thoughts when I watched the interview. Hard to believe Callum is only 20 years old.