2019 trading, drafting and list management: players and personnel

[Nico]

Wouldnt touch him with a barge pole based on that.

Agree, too many things about him that scream....NO. Do I recall him doing LINES, then wants to go home, instigates a bar brawl and ongoing injury issues.

[AnnieH]

Bennell is too much of a "problem-child".
We have a no dickheads policy.

[Blood Fever]

I wouldn't touch Bennell. Dumped by two crap clubs already, nasty associates, chronic injury history. In a year we lose four upstanding bloods role models, we contemplate replacing them with this guy? seriously surely we can do better?

People are assuming the story is true. Big assumption these days.

[dimelb]

Can we be the Last Chance Saloon for Bennell? I think we have the necessary leadership, and on his part I imagine gratitude might be a feature. I'd give it a try, under our terms and without breaking the budget.

[bloodspirit]

Bloody hell. I thought he was "straight" now? He still sounds like he's still a DH and we have a no DH policy.

He might be "straight" now. The events described happened three years ago.

What the article tells us is that Bennell was mates with some vicious thugs 3 years ago. He also stood up for those mates in so much as he gave evidence in court, apparently for the defence, that he had been threatened by a man they then bashed. Assuming it was true that the man threatened him (and there's nothing saying it wasn't true), he hasn't done anything wrong by giving true testimony. Not a good look or a promising beginning I grant you but I'm not going to discard him based on that alone. Dustin Martin has some unsavoury friends too. Heck, some of my friends have their darker sides, we all do. If I were the list manager I'd be paying much more attention to what Brett Kirk could tell me about Bennell from knowing him well and working closely with him for a substantial period of time (if Kirk did get to know HB while at Freo). And also from talking to Bennell himself and other people in his life. What I'd want to see with Bennell, or someone else in his situation, is that they are owning and taking responsibility for their actions, admitting they have stuffed up where appropriate, and concrete evidence of change and a desire to be better. Sometimes that still may not be enough to win trust. However in this case his offence seems only to be associating with the wrong people not actually doing wrong himself.

[AnnieH]

He might be "straight" now. The events described happened three years ago.

What the article tells us is that Bennell was mates with some vicious thugs 3 years ago. He also stood up for those mates in so much as he gave evidence in court, apparently for the defence, that he had been threatened by a man they then bashed. Assuming it was true that the man threatened him (and there's nothing saying it wasn't true), he hasn't done anything wrong by giving true testimony. Not a good look or a promising beginning I grant you but I'm not going to discard him based on that alone. Dustin Martin has some unsavoury friends too. Heck, some of my friends have their darker sides, we all do. If I were the list manager I'd be paying much more attention to what Brett Kirk could tell me about Bennell from knowing him well and working closely with him for a substantial period of time (if Kirk did get to know HB while at Freo). And also from talking to Bennell himself and other people in his life. What I'd want to see with Bennell, or someone else in his situation, is that they are owning and taking responsibility for their actions, admitting they have stuffed up where appropriate, and concrete evidence of change and a desire to be better. Sometimes that still may not be enough to win trust. However in this case his offence seems only to be associating with the wrong people not actually doing wrong himself.

We're a football club, not a rehab facility.
I believe he was busted snorting cocaine??? That's actually doing "wrong himself" when you are a signed, professional football player.

[Mr Magoo]

People are assuming the story is true. Big assumption these days.

Doesn't seem to be an opinion piece and if not true Im guessing Bennell would have a pretty sound defamation case on his hands so Im prepared to accept that an article from the mainstream media reporting a factual situation that includes court testimony is likely to be a reasonable account of the situation.

Why would you give Bennell a chance. Hes very injury prone and obviously prone to hanging around with some pretty questionable types. Its not like hes fit and coming off a 20 game season.

[Auntie.Gerald]

Hmmm Jamie Elliot to stay on at the pies just announced

Does anyone else think the swans have a lot more in the salary cap then maybe perceived by the media ?

Our backline is cheap as chips and so to our ruckman rotation

We have just let go of $1.4 mill pa plus of retired players

The pies are full of stars and I can only think that deGoey signed on for $900k pa plus ?

[Markwebbos]

Bennell is too much of a "problem-child".
We have a no dickheads policy.

The no dickheads policy never existed #Fakenews.

What about Sydney Stack? No one would go near him because of his off-field issues. I reckon MickeyO would know if Bennell was worth a punt or not.

[waswan]

1 team in 18 took a punt on Stack and he hasnt had a cashed up offseason yet but does appear to be a good punt
why be the team to take a punt on a guy with a history 10x worse than Stack and the added insult of playing 2 games in 4 yrs due to chronic injury

[Go Swannies]

In recent years we seem to have been kicking around the edges - Clarke and Menzel, etc. I'd love to land a big fish a la the Plugger, Baz, Buddy days. So I'm standing by to hear that Dustin is the Martin moving here.

[Jimitron5000]

Talent wise Bennell would be a no-brainer.
But...he has barely played in four years and he will never become the player that his talent deserves. And he has some well documented off-field issues.
So, my opinion. Let's get him on a one-year deal and see what happens. I doubt one player can ruin a culture built up by so many over such a long period of time.

[bloodspirit]

We're a football club, not a rehab facility.
I believe he was busted snorting cocaine??? That's actually doing "wrong himself" when you are a signed, professional football player.

Who said anything about being a rehab facility? I was rather suggesting that part of the due diligence we do if we are considering signing him is to see if he has successfully sorted out his own rehabilitation already, or at least be well on track (depending on the particular issue).

At the same time, I think a big part of the club mantra (and for many other clubs also) is about developing the whole person and not just the footballer. We support and encourage our players to be the best they can be on and off the field and try to connect them to the opportunities they need.

I don't have a view about whether we should pick up Bennell but I do think we shouldn't write him off on the strength off his involvement in a criminal case as a witness. Even if he has a history of drug use that wouldn't rule him out for me, just be a sign to be more cautious. The question is where is he at now? Do we think on the available evidence he is now able, physically and mentally, to produce some good footy for us and to fit in with our culture and contribute? Plenty of examples of footy players coming from troubled backgrounds and coming good. Need look no further than James Bell. And I applaud us for giving Bell his chance and helping him to overcome the issues he was struggling with.

[Bloods05]

He might be "straight" now. The events described happened three years ago.

What the article tells us is that Bennell was mates with some vicious thugs 3 years ago. He also stood up for those mates in so much as he gave evidence in court, apparently for the defence, that he had been threatened by a man they then bashed. Assuming it was true that the man threatened him (and there's nothing saying it wasn't true), he hasn't done anything wrong by giving true testimony. Not a good look or a promising beginning I grant you but I'm not going to discard him based on that alone. Dustin Martin has some unsavoury friends too. Heck, some of my friends have their darker sides, we all do. If I were the list manager I'd be paying much more attention to what Brett Kirk could tell me about Bennell from knowing him well and working closely with him for a substantial period of time (if Kirk did get to know HB while at Freo). And also from talking to Bennell himself and other people in his life. What I'd want to see with Bennell, or someone else in his situation, is that they are owning and taking responsibility for their actions, admitting they have stuffed up where appropriate, and concrete evidence of change and a desire to be better. Sometimes that still may not be enough to win trust. However in this case his offence seems only to be associating with the wrong people not actually doing wrong himself.

You mean actually take the trouble to get to know him rather than jumping to conclusions based on limited information? Hush your mouth!

[Melbourne_Blood]

Who said anything about being a rehab facility? I was rather suggesting that part of the due diligence we do if we are considering signing him is to see if he has successfully sorted out his own rehabilitation already, or at least be well on track (depending on the particular issue).

At the same time, I think a big part of the club mantra (and for many other clubs also) is about developing the whole person and not just the footballer. We support and encourage our players to be the best they can be on and off the field and try to connect them to the opportunities they need.

I don't have a view about whether we should pick up Bennell but I do think we shouldn't write him off on the strength off his involvement in a criminal case as a witness. Even if he has a history of drug use that wouldn't rule him out for me, just be a sign to be more cautious. The question is where is he at now? Do we think on the available evidence he is now able, physically and mentally, to produce some good footy for us and to fit in with our culture and contribute? Plenty of examples of footy players coming from troubled backgrounds and coming good. Need look no further than James Bell. And I applaud us for giving Bell his chance and helping him to overcome the issues he was struggling with.

Well said, 100% agree.


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