Most talented list

[Ludwig]

I think Dawson is more suited to a half forward/midfield role. He has a good tank and is a good pressure player who makes plenty of tackles. Also kicks goals from a long way out. He's been a big possession winner in the NEAFL. He's a medium paced player and is not the line breaker we look for in a halfback role, if you can get it. We also have a fair number of players targeting a halfback role if one should arise: Marsh, O'Riordan, Ling and Stoddart. Ronke, Fox and Florent may also be well suited to a defensive role. Spots are hard to come by, but it seems the best prospects for Dawson would be more forward than back.

[liz]

Anyone been to training and noticed which group Dawson is with? That might give us a clue as to how he's viewed by the coaching staff.

I watched a few training sessions last pre-season and I've been to two or three this pre-season, including a hot hour and a half or so this morning watching them play what amounted to an intra-club game.

I swear that in all the sessions I've watched, I've yet to see Dawson participate. On a few occasions I've witnessed him running laps on his own but never taking part in the skills or match simulations. And while I didn't do a mental roll call today, I did look out for Dawson and I'm pretty sure he wasn't there. He wasn't running laps - at least not while I was there - and nor did I see him loitering under the tarpaulin with the rest of the non-participating players.

[wolftone57]

He's our most talented forward for sure.
I've never seen him as being the only person in his own ball park.
We had the stingiest backline last year, led by Grundy.
Some players get more pomp and ceremony than others (and also more Brownlow votes)
Not trying to bring down Franklin, he's a champion, like many others in the team.

I believe there are three players who have had the most influence on the game. The best three if you like. Lethal Matthew, Gary Ablett Snr & Lance Buddy Franklin. Junior doesn't even come close and nor does any other player. Martin may join them, time will tell. The other boy who might is Josh Kelly but is a long way from proving that yet.

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[wolftone57]

Yep, the back half shows us the way I reckon: the whole is much more than the sum of its parts. That key players have left over the last five years?Mattner, Shaw, Malceski?but it hasn't missed a beat is amazing. Imagine playing in that unit, the confidence it would give you. And now there are players lining up to be a part of it.

You just hit the nail on the head though 'unit' it is a group not one. Buddy is a one man destruction package as was Lethal & Gazza Snr

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[CureTheSane]

So Buddy >>> Plugger?

[O'Reilly Boy]

So Buddy >>> Plugger?

you know, that's the very question I was mulling over as I washed the dishes last night.
I only saw the tail of Plugger's career (became a member in 1999: the first match i attended was Goodesy's debut).

As I dried off the cutlery I came to the tentative conclusion that I'd put Franklin ahead of both of them as a total package. Plugger was obviously playing in a different era, when he could be a stay at home FF, and was absolutely devastating leading out of the square, but did not seem to my (admittedly uneducated) eyes to have an impact further up the ground (except insofar as he would have had a motivating impact on the mids who knew that if they got the ball into his area . . .).

Goodes had an impact all over the field and I loved watching him play. I'm struggling for words, because I wanted to write that he did not dominate physically as consistently as Franklin, nor dominate for such long periods, but that might not be fair either.

The other player who seemed to dominate as I learnt to watch the sport was Wayne Carey, who seemed to rule the whole game from CHF, and around whom entire games would pivot. Those Swans-North games in the early 2000s were crackers, and Carey always seemed to be not just the go to man, but had every player on the field responding to what he was doing. He was like the centre of gravity around which everything turned.

But I do think that Franklin pips them all.

And then I just watched that Dustin Martin 2017 highlights reel. Strewth.

[Blood Fever]

you know, that's the very question I was mulling over as I washed the dishes last night.
I only saw the tail of Plugger's career (became a member in 1999: the first match i attended was Goodesy's debut).

As I dried off the cutlery I came to the tentative conclusion that I'd put Franklin ahead of both of them as a total package. Plugger was obviously playing in a different era, when he could be a stay at home FF, and was absolutely devastating leading out of the square, but did not seem to my (admittedly uneducated) eyes to have an impact further up the ground (except insofar as he would have had a motivating impact on the mids who knew that if they got the ball into his area . . .).

Goodes had an impact all over the field and I loved watching him play. I'm struggling for words, because I wanted to write that he did not dominate physically as consistently as Franklin, nor dominate for such long periods, but that might not be fair either.

The other player who seemed to dominate as I learnt to watch the sport was Wayne Carey, who seemed to rule the whole game from CHF, and around whom entire games would pivot. Those Swans-North games in the early 2000s were crackers, and Carey always seemed to be not just the go to man, but had every player on the field responding to what he was doing. He was like the centre of gravity around which everything turned.

But I do think that Franklin pips them all.

And then I just watched that Dustin Martin 2017 highlights reel. Strewth.

One Swans player who gets forgotten about is Big Bad Barry. Comparing Buddy's first four years with Hall's first four full years, I make the following comparisons: Hall 296 goals, Buddy 280. 2 Grand Finals each, Hall 1 flag, Buddy 0. Big Bad won a B and F over this time as well. I know Hall went silly later in his career with us, but he was an utterly dominant match winner over the period 2003-2006.

I'm not saying he was better than Buddy over both their careers and Franklin has been fantastic for us, not to mention spectacular, but Hall, in my opinion was probably more effective for us over the four years I have cited. He was to go to man for us and delivered time after time. He was also great to watch with his mix of speed, agility and aggression. He was also a reliable kick for goal and was good outside 50. One of the modern Swans greats. I reckon he was the best player in the game for 2 or three seasons.

[longmile]

There's no excuses. We've lost 2 grand finals in the last 4 years. Our only weakness is leg speed and our efficiency from kick ins.

We have an incredibly talented list, even without Tippett. Had a go at my best 22, a lot of players unlucky to miss out. Have Towers pinch-hitting in the ruck.

I think Jack will be best as a small forward/midfield type late in his career. McVeigh (who I think is a very underrated forward) should swing from forward to defence. Big question marks on Rohan

FF: Franklin, Jack, Papley

HF: Rohan, Reid, Hayward

M: Parker, Heeney, Jones

HB: Rampe, Melican, Lloyd

FB: Grundy, Smith, Newman

R: Naismith, Hannebery, Kennedy

Int: Dawson, Towers, Hewitt, McVeigh

[O'Reilly Boy]

There's no excuses. We've lost 2 grand finals in the last 4 years. Our only weakness is leg speed and our efficiency from kick ins.

We have an incredibly talented list, even without Tippett. Had a go at my best 22, a lot of players unlucky to miss out. Have Towers pinch-hitting in the ruck.

FF: Franklin, Jack, Papley

HF: Rohan, Reid, Hayward

M: Parker, Heeney, Jones

HB: Rampe, Melican, Lloyd

FB: Grundy, Smith, Newman

R: Naismith, Hannebery, Kennedy

Int: Dawson, Towers, Hewitt, McVeigh

I like the look of this, but where's Mills???? Really hard to see who he pushes out, but someone's got to go for him. Kieran Jack will be looking over his shoulder.

Aliir is the one that I want to see come good, and as I've said before, I think that McCartin is the smokey. So that's some nice pressure on positions at both ends of the park. And Longmire was taking up Aliir as a ruck chop out option.

I think that Towers holds his place for now: he really added a bit of dash and chaos in traffic across HF.

Naismith v Sinclair is interesting. I think that Sinclair came good late last season, and was full of energy across FF in the practice match I saw last month. Possibly has a bit more to offer than Naismith at FF for now, although it is easy to forget that Naismith only has 28 games under his belt (Sinclair is up over 60)

And back to Mills: with all the talk about his rotating through midfield this year we might have lost sight of Hewitt's transition into the very guts. He's big, solid-hipped and pretty mobile; hopefully he is Joey's understudy for the hard inside work and will spend time at centre bounces, as he was towards the end of last season.

[longmile]

I like the look of this, but where's Mills???? Really hard to see who he pushes out, but someone's got to go for him. Kieran Jack will be looking over his shoulder.

Aliir is the one that I want to see come good, and as I've said before, I think that McCartin is the smokey. So that's some nice pressure on positions at both ends of the park. And Longmire was taking up Aliir as a ruck chop out option.

I think that Towers holds his place for now: he really added a bit of dash and chaos in traffic across HF.

There's a lot of talk aout Mills

Naismith v Sinclair is interesting. I think that Sinclair came good late last season, and was full of energy across FF in the practice match I saw last month. Possibly has a bit more to offer than Naismith at FF for now, although it is easy to forget that Naismith only has 28 games under his belt (Sinclair is up over 60)

And back to Mills: with all the talk about his rotating through midfield this year we might have lost sight of Hewitt's transition into the very guts. He's big, solid-hipped and pretty mobile; hopefully he is Joey's understudy for the hard inside work and will spend time at centre bounces, as he was towards the end of last season.

Oh @@@@! I genuinely forgot Mills....

Back to the drawing board.

I think Naismith is a far better ruck than Sinclair, but Sinclair is a far better forward. For the sake of team dynamics and having just the one ruck Naismith takes the cake.

[O'Reilly Boy]

Oh @@@@! I genuinely forgot Mills....

Back to the drawing board.

I think Naismith is a far better ruck than Sinclair, but Sinclair is a far better forward. For the sake of team dynamics and having just the one ruck Naismith takes the cake.

Agree on that appraisal. Pity we don't yet have the technology to assemble a Frankenruckstein monsterfrom the best parts of the available: Naismith's tap, Sinclair's overhead mark, Tippett's hair.

[O'Reilly Boy]

Oh @@@@! I genuinely forgot Mills....

and how good is it that this can happen and you can still name a really very impressive (on paper) team.

[AB Swannie]

It really is an interesting list we have with so many players considered for a starting spot in our best 22. I'd imagine that many players would thrive on this internal competition to push themselves further and become better players. I'd also imagine that there are a few who would be hating it and perform much better when their place is secure and they are comfortably in the best 22.

[CureTheSane]

Just realised that with Tippett out of the team, the pressure has increased a lot on Reid.
All eyes on him to perform now.

His only hope is if he is played in the forward line.
Put him down back and it's all over for him.

[liz]

Just realised that with Tippett out of the team, the pressure has increased a lot on Reid.
All eyes on him to perform now.

His only hope is if he is played in the forward line.
Put him down back and it's all over for him.

Don't really agree with that. Reid is - and has been for many seasons - an automatic selection in the 22 and predominantly as a forward. In 2017 he was often moved back for the final few minutes of each quarter for tactical reasons, nothing to do with how he was going up forward.

As a forward he's performed to a pretty decent level over the stretch of his career, without ever threatening to become a star of the competition. The main knock on him has been his ability to get injured at inopportune times. I don't see how the presence or absence of Tippett really impacts on his role at all. If the coaches want yet another tall in the forward line, they'll just select Sinclair as well. If they don't, Sinclair will play in the NEAFL.