Departures

[Mel_C]

Even though I expected Hanners would be leaving it was sad to hear the confirmation. The same with Rohan.

It is strange for players under contract to want to leave the club. However it is understandable that Rohan and his wife would want to be closer to family after what they went through this year.

I found the quotes in the article on the swans site from both players interesting... "If an opportunity arises/comes up during the trade period".

[Ludwig]

I found the quotes in the article on the swans site from both players interesting... "If an opportunity arises/comes up during the trade period".

These statements were probably prepared in April and sitting in Harley's desk for the past 5 months. What everyone will say in public and when they will say it was decided some time ago. It's just good management, good business sense and good common sense.

The club usually doesn't leave too much to chance and likes to get things rolling as early as possible. Always good for planning purposes. Stories have since come out about just how long the Franklin deal was in the works. Tippett and Mitchell were also in the works well before the season ended.

[Matty10]

This may well be true, and often is in big trades, but sometimes surprises are thrown at clubs that alter those conditions.

It is not as if the club or the players have said anything that would preclude them from reuniting if the best laid plans came unstuck.

[neilfws]

But now that the realist is hitting in, I’m actually saddened by their pending departures.

They have been great servants of the Club. I hope they will hold the Swans close to their hearts and always remain in, & feel part of, the Swans family.

If they go, thanks for some amazing memories and for stellar careers as Bloods.

I feel the same. It's unfortunate that we're focused on post-2016-GF Hannebery, because he's been fantastic up to then. Seems like yesterday he was the fresh-faced rising star, barely out of school. I'd hoped he'd be a one-club player, but sounds like he has some stuff going on that he feels will be helped by a change.

Rohan is a favourite of mine. True, he hasn't lived up to his potential, especially in finals. But he's been through a lot for someone his age, and delivered some great highlights in clutch moments. It's well worth searching YouTube for his junior highlights, though you may weep a little for what could have been.

I hope if/when the deals are done, they both get appropriate tribute threads here.

[mcs]

Even though I expected Hanners would be leaving it was sad to hear the confirmation. The same with Rohan.

It is strange for players under contract to want to leave the club. However it is understandable that Rohan and his wife would want to be closer to family after what they went through this year.

I found the quotes in the article on the swans site from both players interesting... "If an opportunity arises/comes up during the trade period".

That wording is probably as much as providing a way for them to be reintegrated, should a trade not be successful in being secured - much like with O'Keefe and Bolton back in the day.

[Markwebbos]

That wording is probably as much as providing a way for them to be reintegrated, should a trade not be successful in being secured - much like with O'Keefe and Bolton back in the day.

The wording has been designed to create the impression they might not be leaving. But they are both gorn!

[mcs]

The wording has been designed to create the impression they might not be leaving. But they are both gorn!

I know they are both more than likely gone. But St Kilda ain't got much to offer on the trade table - getting a deal done might be easier said than done. Its been seen before where players don't get the trade they want at the end of the day.

[Markwebbos]

I know they are both more than likely gone. But St Kilda ain't got much to offer on the trade table - getting a deal done might be easier said than done. Its been seen before where players don't get the trade they want at the end of the day.

The cynic in me wondered if the Saints would use the recruiting of Hanners to attract other recruits, and then not actually recruit him! I think a deal will get done.

[Kumarangk]

I feel the same. It's unfortunate that we're focused on post-2016-GF Hannebery, because he's been fantastic up to then. Seems like yesterday he was the fresh-faced rising star, barely out of school. I'd hoped he'd be a one-club player, but sounds like he has some stuff going on that he feels will be helped by a change.

Rohan is a favourite of mine. True, he hasn't lived up to his potential, especially in finals. But he's been through a lot for someone his age, and delivered some great highlights in clutch moments. It's well worth searching YouTube for his junior highlights, though you may weep a little for what could have been.

I hope if/when the deals are done, they both get appropriate tribute threads here.

IMHO Hanneberry & Rohan have eaten up too much cap space in comparison to their performance. 800k a year and he can't hit a mark for Hanners and the man that goes missing in finals Rohan. OK , very hard I know but look at how great our young players went this year , but to develop they need mature team mates that are showing by example.

[KSAS]

I feel the same. It's unfortunate that we're focused on post-2016-GF Hannebery, because he's been fantastic up to then. Seems like yesterday he was the fresh-faced rising star, barely out of school. I'd hoped he'd be a one-club player, but sounds like he has some stuff going on that he feels will be helped by a change.

Rohan is a favourite of mine. True, he hasn't lived up to his potential, especially in finals. But he's been through a lot for someone his age, and delivered some great highlights in clutch moments. It's well worth searching YouTube for his junior highlights, though you may weep a little for what could have been.

I hope if/when the deals are done, they both get appropriate tribute threads here.

+1

[Swandering]

I am sorry to say that I am glad to see Hannebery go. Most of my yelling at the tv this year has been over his consistently poor disposal, often leading to scores for the opposition. I am willing to acknowledge that he has been trying to be as hard at the ball as ever, but that only makes the result more disappointing. Pity, because I loved him as a rookie but his form has dropped significantly and is now a liability.

I also feel that he hasn't matured emotionally as he should have. When Buddy first came, the two of them were out behaving like "lads" and garnering bad publicity. Buddy has responded to the positive culture here, and combined with maturing life experiences, seems to have grown up. But Hanners seems stuck as an 18yo party boy, and it affects his play, and also the influence he has as a potentially "senior" player.

Gary Rohan, I am more ambiguous about. At his fittest, he is brilliant, and losing him would be a tragedy. But we haven't had enough consistency from him, and then the tragedy of this year means that I think that being home in Geelong is the best thing for him. While I hope he gets back to his best, I would prefer that it was not when we are playing the cats. The other worry is that while we take "dirty" players and make them "clean", Geelong's philosophy seems to be the opposite. I would hate to see Gary lose the Swan integrity.

[barry]

The problem many are having with Hannerbery is his wage. At $800k, he is not the elite midfielder that wage demands.
If he was on, say, $600k, I think many would be happy to keep him. He needs to get his body right, and swans fans are usually very patient about such things (Reid, AJ).

So dont blame Hannerbury for leaving, blame the administration that agreed to pay him overs which got us into this mess where we are offloading contracted players.

[Markwebbos]

The problem many are having with Hannerbery is his wage. At $800k, he is not the elite midfielder that wage demands.
If he was on, say, $600k, I think many would be happy to keep him. He needs to get his body right, and swans fans are usually very patient about such things (Reid, AJ).

So dont blame Hannerbury for leaving, blame the administration that agreed to pay him overs which got us into this mess where we are offloading contracted players.

Agree with the first part.

Whether we were paying overs at the time? If he’d maintained his form, and not got injured in the 2016 GF, then the money he’s on would be right. We weren’t to know he’d fall off a cliff as a 26/27 year old. Look at the money being thrown at Polec, Gaff, Shiel etc.

[dejavoodoo44]

Like many here, I have mixed emotions about the probable departures of Dan and Gary. In regards to Dan, prior to 2017 he was a genuine star of the game. He had elite running ability, a ferocious desire to get the ball and a never say die attitude. I don't think that we would have won the 2012 premiership without him. His goal early in the final quarter, was hugely important in wresting back momentum and instilling belief in the rest of the team. While in the 2016 GF, the Bulldogs only really started to get on top, once Dan was taken out.
Unfortunately, he hasn't been the same player since then. Much of his running ability seems to have deserted him. Which is what I have found difficult to watch this year. While many of our players can really put a lot of chase down pressure on our opponents, with Dan, much of the time he was reduced to just being in the general vicinity of an opponent, while they got an easy escape.
Which I think is the nub of things. If it's possible for Dan to get back to pre 2016 GF form; then it would be great to have a champion of the club to stay. On the other hand, if there is a chronic injury problem and that means he is unlikely to recapture peak form, then we should probably be grateful that another club might be offering an attractive trade.
It's similar with Gary. Obviously there is a huge amount of talent and watching him at his best, can bring great enjoyment. But once again, injuries make him a doubtful proposition. It seems that every time that he was about to really fulfil his potential, he would find a new way to get injured and then it was back to the rehab group. Then there would be another period of regaining fitness and confidence, and as he was gaining momentum, we started to hope that he would finally have an extended period of high performance. But then it was, oh no, back to rehab.
So much the same with Dan, if in the future, he has a long injury free period, then some of us might regret that he was traded. On the other hand, if you don't really believe that will happen, then the trade is appealing.
Either way, I think both have busted a gut while they were here, having fully bought into the Swans culture, so I will certainly bear them no ill will if they do go.

[liz]

The problem many are having with Hannerbery is his wage. At $800k, he is not the elite midfielder that wage demands.
If he was on, say, $600k, I think many would be happy to keep him. He needs to get his body right, and swans fans are usually very patient about such things (Reid, AJ).

So dont blame Hannerbury for leaving, blame the administration that agreed to pay him overs which got us into this mess where we are offloading contracted players.

He's not up for trade because posters on a message board think their view on what he should be paid matters. He's up for trade for some or all of:
- he wants to move to Melbourne for personal reasons
- another club has offered him a contract extension that the Swans aren't willing to match
- the club feels the need to change up its playing list

And is anyone "blaming" Hannebery? Many can't wait to see the back of him.