2019 trading, drafting and list management: players and personnel

[rojo]

It is quite probable that we would have taken Riordan or Delucca if they had been available. I didn't see whether we had shown interest in Dunkley or not. My first reaction was what, another ruckman! However if we are building a premiership quality team, a premiership quality ruckman would be helpful. Not only an athletic, mobile ruckman with a big engine, but also with either a physical presence, good tackler, good below the knees or able to kick the odd goal. This as well as being an excellent tap ruckman. Maybe Knoll will be our man!! We don't really know what McLean's potential is yet.

[Auntie.Gerald]

If we look at the development path of mummy so much was done prior to joining the swans

Same again with most ruckman recruited

So much development generally needs to put into a pool of ruckman at one’s club to build the stamina , skill and footy smarts as well as hoping that the biomechanics will hold up

I’m happy with our selection of a ruckman for nurturing our 2020

Takes a lot of pressure off our trading if we start to see a strong trajectory of a player we need

[goswannies]

I didn't see whether we had shown interest in Dunkley or not.

Enough to ask if we could get him as a FS in the mid-season draft, only to be told to get back in our box.

My first reaction was what, another ruckman! However if we are building a premiership quality team, a premiership quality ruckman would be helpful. Not only an athletic, mobile ruckman with a big engine, but also with either a physical presence, good tackler, good below the knees or able to kick the odd goal. This as well as being an excellent tap ruckman. Maybe Knoll will be our man!! We don't really know what McLean's potential is yet.

A premiership quality ruckman isn’t typically found after 5 draft pre-selections, 78 ND picks, 52 Rookie draft picks (and 12 of those actually passed rather than picking the 26 year old ruckman with 2 and a half seasons experience!); I’m ignoring the Cat B Rookies as I assume that he wasn’t eligible for that; and the 15 preseason supplemental list selections; - plus 3 other players taken ahead of Knoll in the mid-season draft. That’s 153 opportunities for someone to have nabbed him before we did.

Don’t get me wrong I hope he does well. Really well. But I’m not getting my hopes up and a “premiership quality ruckman” is, well, optimistic. Darcy Cameron has pretty good WAFL form before joining us and has still struggled to get a game.

Having said that, 147 picks went by in the 2008 draft before we picked up a 24 year old future premiership quality Canadian ruckman.

If anyone can do it, our recruiting team can find the gem and our coaching staff can polish it better than anyone!

[goswannies]

If we look at the development path of mummy so much was done prior to joining the swans

Same again with most ruckman recruited

So much development generally needs to put into a pool of ruckman at one’s club to build the stamina , skill and footy smarts as well as hoping that the biomechanics will hold up

I think most of our best ruckmen have come from other clubs: Ball, Jolly, Mummy, Tippett (in that one stellar year before his hamstring injury), Sinkers to a lesser extent (he’s performed well above his probable rucking ability and done admirably)

There have been misses (I’m looking at you Derickx! But you were a nice guy so I’m glad you were around), Chambers.

But few of our un-tried at the AFL level draftees have really come along (Pyke being the exception)

[Meg]

“South Adelaide Chief Executive Officer Neill Sharpe said it was a bittersweet moment for the club to see Knoll make his way to New South Wales.”

Michael Knoll selected at pick 4 in the mid-season draft

[Markwebbos]

It's all a diversion from the fact we are getting Grundy at the end of the year

[rojo]

I was probably being a tad optimistic in suggesting that Knoll might fill our need for a premiership quality ruckman. I was just trying to come up with a reason for actually taking him after having just taken McLean and already having the other 3.

[The Big Cat]

It's all a diversion from the fact we are getting Grundy at the end of the year

Do you think his back will be healed by then?

[Scottee]

I don't think we know whether he's ready for it or not. You can't judge a guy based on a single game when the whole team played appallingly. And it was close to a year ago - he went back to the NEAFL and continued to dominate.

I'm not in the camp of thinking the club should play two ruckmen, just to give Darcy an opportunity. Nor do I think Sinclair should be rested, just to give Darcy an opportunity. He'll need to wait until there's an opportunity.

However, the recruitment of Knoll will now reduce the opportunity Darcy has to prove his readiness as he'll be sharing ruck duties in the NEAFL team with Knoll. Fortunately for Darcy, he's quite effective as a tall forward target too, at least at NEAFL level. I have no idea whether Knoll is.

There may also be a small knock-on effect on Amartey, since he's less likely to have a chance to take a spell in the ruck, and also might have to deal with a more crowded forward line. On the other hand, learning to work in tandem with another tall marking option might help him. He's been pretty much a lone wolf up there this year and has had to deal simultaneously with multiple tall defenders at times.

I agree with your thoughts re the one and only game that Darcy tried to prove himself. The team was rubbish that day and I feel has been given scant opportunity to prove himself since. Maybe he wants to go somewhere else for better opportunity. Hard to blame him.

Re Amartey , I think he is the ideal forward line ruck, in the sense that he rucks on the forward line. He is very strong and going to get stronger and will be suited to boundary throw ins and at the same time be a threat in terms of kicking goals himself.

It will be really interesting in the next year or two to see how things develop.

[Mark26]

Apparently Essendon were pretty angry that we took Knoll. They were keen as their own ruck stocks are depleted. Cal Twomey and co on their podcast were observing some of the fallout when we picked up Grassy at pick 4.

[dimelb]

I don't understand the listing of ruckmen that continually includes Amartey and McLean. They are both 197 and under the desirable 100kg mark. I haven't been impressed with Amartey as a ruck man in the few ressies games I've watched. I think he could have a career as a 2nd or 3rd tall kicking goals along the lines of Sam Reid, but he will have to improve his kicking.

I'm pleased that we've picked up Knoll. He is big enough to hold his own with the larger ruckmen which is something the gallant and big-hearted Sinclair can't manage. My main hope with Knoll is that he manages to avoid injuries; if he can, I then hope we can see him have a crack at the big boys. Sinkers can play forward and help out in the ruck.

[Cosmic Wizard]

I was probably being a tad optimistic in suggesting that Knoll might fill our need for a premiership quality ruckman. I was just trying to come up with a reason for actually taking him after having just taken McLean and already having the other 3.

Maybe we are getting rid of Naismith and Cameron???

Both have had plenty of time to show their wares and failed; one though repeated injury and another just not getting a chance in the seniors!

[magic.merkin]

Apparently Essendon were pretty angry that we took Knoll. They were keen as their own ruck stocks are depleted. Cal Twomey and co on their podcast were observing some of the fallout when we picked up Grassy at pick 4.

haha gold. goes for 2 mins starting at 10.45 here:

https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=377456

[Jeynez]

The importance of a ruckman is pretty overrated IMO. West Coast won a flag without Naitanui all of last year, and the Bulldogs won a flag in 2016 without a quality ruckman either.
Every now and then you get a freak like Grundy or Cox, but those are extremely rare.
If Knoll can play a role and hold his own against some of the better rucks in the comp that's more than we can ask for - plus this will allow Sinclair to play forward where he can make a bigger impact.

With that all said, I doubt many of the players drafted last night will play many games for their clubs.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

I don't understand the listing of ruckmen that continually includes Amartey and McLean. They are both 197 and under the desirable 100kg mark. I haven't been impressed with Amartey as a ruck man in the few ressies games I've watched. I think he could have a career as a 2nd or 3rd tall kicking goals along the lines of Sam Reid, but he will have to improve his kicking.

I'm pleased that we've picked up Knoll. He is big enough to hold his own with the larger ruckmen which is something the gallant and big-hearted Sinclair can't manage. My main hope with Knoll is that he manages to avoid injuries; if he can, I then hope we can see him have a crack at the big boys. Sinkers can play forward and help out in the ruck.

Well said, all good points.