2018 trading, drafting and list management: players and personnel

[Snork]

I don't often post but would be interested to see what some of the mods thoughts are from the pre season/trade period, etc, to date, particularly Liz, and our prospects for 2019? I know everyone seems to talk about Horse' game plan and our forward line but I always think it comes back to the midfield inclusive of the ruck options available.

Just as an aside, Fox were playing the 1996 Prelim vs Essendon the other day and, my god, you forget how good Paul Kelly was, geez he was hard at it, great in the air but his ball control when in dispute was amazing, wish we could stick him in our midfield now!!

[KSAS]

Apologies for the above (lesson learnt).

Gary Buckenara has put out his latest top 50 draft picks based on talent. This is not a phantom draft on who he thinks clubs will select.

Paywall Link but can be viewed using outline.com:
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/afl-draft-2018-gary-buckenara-names-his-top-50-draft-prospects/news-story/fed0b035e5482fd13b98537578ea559a

He has Nick Blakey at No. 3. Sees Nick as a tremendously athletic and smart footballer who can play in a number of positions. Likens him to Jarry Roughhead (and not Buddy)

At 38 - 40 He has listed Jarred Cameron West Coast NGA,, Buku Kamis Western Bulldogs NGA and Will Hamill defender/midfielder who is compared to Kade Simpson.

41 Bolton ex Collingwood rookie who is now 26yo midfielder killing it in the WAFL. Similar player to Kane Lambert.

42 Matthew Parker a forward who has been likened to a taller Liam Ryan.

Nice to have another Bolton & Parker on our list! Will Hamill sounds like he could be on our radar.

He also lists a Toby Bedford at 33 who is in Melbourne's NGA. Curious as to whether if he is related to the great Peter Bedford in any way (plays for Dandenong Stingrays)?

[Markwebbos]

If Freo could have 3 Hills next year, why not 2 Parkers at the Swans. Also like the sound of Sydney Stack.

[caj23]

Dan Robinson, Jordan Foote and Jake Brown are all local boys who were delisted so going to Melbourne would be a new venture for any of them. Happy to wish them all well if they can get on to an AFL list anywhere.

If any of them want to try and get back on an AFL list then they probably need to go and show something in one of the major leagues (i.e. VFL, SANFL or WAFL). I'm guessing that could be part of the thinking of leaving Sydney and moving to Melbourne.

[rb4x]

Wikipedia shows that Dan Robinson went to St Ignatius Riverview and then played for the Mosman Swans. Was a NSW scholarship selection.

[liz]

Wikipedia shows that Dan Robinson went to St Ignatius Riverview and then played for the Mosman Swans. Was a NSW scholarship selection.

https://au.linkedin.com/in/daniel-robinson-90142815b

His LinkedIn profile confirms he spent his final year of school in Victoria (at Xavier College).

[rb4x]

Interesting. Spent just the one year at Xavier in 2012 then back in Sydney. I know nothing about him prior to Riverview in 2007. Was the year in Melbourne an attempt to get drafted or were his parents back in Melbourne? Looks like he is fairly smart from his resume.

[bloodspirit]

SMH (Peter Ryan and Daniel Cherny) preview our draft thusly:

Sydney have positioned themselves well to land exciting tall forward Nick Blakey as an academy graduate and still have enough points to land a couple of players late in the second round or early in the third round. Blakey is the son of John Blakey, the former Fitzroy and North Melbourne stalwart who has been a long-time Swans assistant, so he had the option of joining the Lions or Kangaroos as a father-son but decided to stick with the Swans where he had been developed through their academy. A junior star, he would be in the conversation alongside Sam Walsh, Jack Lukosius and Izak Rankine as a top-three pick if he was not tied to a club, and he will slot in nicely near Lance Franklin and Dan Menzel. The bid is expected to come for Blakey inside the top 10 with one expected within the first eight selections, forcing the Swans to use the points attached to their first two picks. The Swans need to add midfield depth so expect former Bulldogs recruiting manager Simon Dalrymple to pick the eyes out of what's left late in the second round. West Australia's Tom Joyce, Calder Cannons' Jack Bytel and North Ballarat's Tom Berry are all solid midfielders who will be considered by clubs at that range.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/...16-p50gjm.html is the whole article

[liz]

Neagle, Dunkley sons emerge as rookie draft chances - AFL.com.au

The AFL has today published a list of FS and academy nominations for the drafts this week. A link is above.

There seems to be some inconsistency in the information presented in that FS players only being considered as rookies are highlighted but no such distinction is presented for academy players. I would have thought clubs would have to show their hand before the ND in respect of those academy players they wish to add to their senior list (ie have the right to match bids or take with their last pick if they receive no bid).

Putting that aside, this gives a list of those academy players that the Swans are considering (all for the rookie list, I presume, other than Blakey). I'm a little surprised that Reinhardt isn't on the list. He seems to have more scope for improvement than many who have been nominated.

The article also says that the Swans are considering Kyle Dunkley for a rookie spot if he makes it through the ND.

[rb4x]

Some more news dribbling out on the Supplemental Selection Period (SSP) and the Inactive List. It seems that Sydney will need to draft Kurt Tippett again in the rookie draft in order to manage our salary cap. However we can then pace Tippett on the Inactive List and select a replacement rookie in the SSP after the drafts are finished. All this presupposes that we wish to then replace Tippett as the reason he is being rookied in the first place is to manage our salary cap and selecting yet another rookie would depend on having the cap space available and of course also identifying the need for an extra player. With the three Cat B rookie places available Sydney do not normally take their full allocation of 44 Senior and Cat A rookies.

Also seems that even though Sydney have not nominated Kyle Dunkley as a Father Son selection that we can place him on the rookie list before the rookie draft if he is not drafted in the main draft. Interesting that he plays for Wodonga while the reason given that we did not match for Josh was an agreement that we would let him stay in Melbourne if a Melbourne team bid but would match if a bid came from out of Melbourne. Perhaps Kyle does not get as homesick as Josh and is realistic that his chances of getting drafted are not high.

[caj23]

Also seems that even though Sydney have not nominated Kyle Dunkley as a Father Son selection that we can place him on the rookie list before the rookie draft if he is not drafted in the main draft. Interesting that he plays for Wodonga while the reason given that we did not match for Josh was an agreement that we would let him stay in Melbourne if a Melbourne team bid but would match if a bid came from out of Melbourne. Perhaps Kyle does not get as homesick as Josh and is realistic that his chances of getting drafted are not high.

My memory may be playing tricks, but I thought a few years back Kyle was considered to be the better prospect. Obviously a lot can happen over the course of a few years in a junior career, and Josh has thus far proven the better bet.

Imagine Josh requesting a trade in a few years to play with his brother

[Blood Fever]

Interesting. Spent just the one year at Xavier in 2012 then back in Sydney. I know nothing about him prior to Riverview in 2007. Was the year in Melbourne an attempt to get drafted or were his parents back in Melbourne? Looks like he is fairly smart from his resume.

Xavier probably enticed him south to bolster their footy team who participate in a very competitive school footy comp that has no equivalent in Sydney.

[stevoswan]

Callum Twomey has Blakey going at 8 in the draft. Would be nice. He does say that PA could put a bid in at 5 for him. Not so nice.....

Callum Twomey's 2018 Phantom Draft - AFL.com.au

[Markwebbos]

How’s this for a compromised draft? Dogs looking to trade down their pick 7 because they know Bailey Smith has made it clear he won’t be drafted to a non Vic club. So as long as they get pick 11 (before Cats) or above they should be “OK”

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/early-phantom-draft-adelaide-set-to-spoil-collingwoods-draft-plans/news-story/e959b32c8f4210ed49cacadcf2660c6a

[mattybloods]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-11-21/i-can-see-how-its-not-typical-draft-prospects-family-tale

It's a shame he is unlikely to slip to wherever our first pick will be, a big bodied midfielder who was brought up a Swans fan. Maybe we'll trade for him in a few years time