2020 trading, drafting and list management: players and personnel

[Thunder Shaker]

I think we should look at recruiting three or four players in the draft:
* Best available at pick 3
* Campbell
* Gulden
* Best available ruck prospect over 200 cm with whatever pick we have left, if we don't draft one at pick 3

Our ruck problems have been with us for a while, and seem to be due to a marked reluctance to draft ruck prospects in the national draft.

2016: Darcy Cameron, pick 48 (4/4), one game, now at Collingwood.
2013: Toby Nankervis, pick 35 (3/4), 12 games, now at Richmond.

These are the only ruck draftees I can find in the last 10 national drafts (there may be more but I'm not familiar with the more obscure players in older drafts).

We have occasionally chosen draft smokeys with later picks. Why not try this with a ruck prospect this year? We wouldn't have much to lose except a pick in the 50s or later and a list spot for two years.

- - - Updated - - -

A lot of what you say is about how you rate our playing group. You are certainly entitled to your opinion, and there are plenty of others here that don't rate our players too highly as well. It's hard to argue a case rating how one sees a young player's development and future. We can only wait to see how things unfold.

This is why nobody who posts here regularly works in recruitment for an AFL club. They know their job better than us.

[liz]

If Sinkers was so good, why did AA spend so much time in the ruck?

Because Sinclair was injured.

[KTigers]

Maybe they think Hickey will/can get better. Whereas Sinkers has probably "peaked".

[Markwebbos]

OK everyone, the horror of the situation is slowly dawning on me. Wtih Hickey we are potentially recruiting a ruckman worse than Sinkers and about the same age to be his understudy, rather than getting a younger, better model!

It's therefore good news the deal isn't done yet.

[Swanny79]

We had a crack at Preuss...he chose GWS. No one else available at a fair price. As long as it isn’t more than a 3rd or 4th round pick. It’s not terrible. As stated in previous posts I would prefer Majak Daw...he would take a 1 year contract and I like the idea of a mobile ruckman ala Adam Goodes. A bit of a stretch I know lol

[giant]

It's spud central here at the moment....Cox, Hickey, Crouch, McCartin etc.

None of these are going to be of any use to us in climbing off the bottom.

Unless we can actually trade in a decent player, we would be better off sticking to the draft or it's going to be a bleak few years.

All four of them would be a serious upgrade on the spuds we've recruited in recent years. That said, none of them get my heart racing...

[Jimitron5000]

Obviously our ruck stocks are thin, and the stocks of ruckmen out there that might be available and willing to come to us are equally thin.
Sure, Hickey isn't the best ruckman going around but all I think the club sees him as able to give a contest so our midfielders have an even chance of a clearance.

My major concern is a regular path to goal. Perhaps the idea is that Hickey can ruck and Sinclair can be used forward a bit more to provide a target?

[ernie koala]

Obviously we are no longer a destination club.

This is a worrying situation which has being playing out for a few years now...Clark, Thurlow, Taylor, Brand, Grey.....These are players with no other options.

With a chronically injured, overpriced, Daniher the only player of note wanting to come...And now he's fit to play, he chooses Brisbane.

We need to continue to draft well, play an exciting brand of footy (which we did for parts of last season)...Then the trades worth doing will come.

[stevoswan]

Obviously we are no longer a destination club.

This is a worrying situation which has being playing out for a few years now...Clark, Thurlow, Taylor, Brand, Grey.....These are players with no other options.

With a chronically injured, overpriced, Daniher the only player of note wanting to come...And now he's fit to play, he chooses Brisbane.

We need to continue to draft well, play an exciting brand of footy (which we did for parts of last season)...Then the trades worth doing will come.

What bottom three club ever has been? We will be a destination club again.....when Buddy's fortune is off the books and we're knocking on the finals door.

As far as JD is concerned, he would have gone to whichever interstate club showed him interest....his goal was to just get out of Victoria. I don't think the Swans would be taking his decision personally.....if we ever really wanted him.

[Markwebbos]

What bottom three club ever has been? We will be a destination club again.....when Buddy's fortune is off the books and we're knocking on the finals door.

+1

[rickmat]

This forum seems to have gone off Steph Martin and it looks like the Dogs have eyes on him as experience backup for young English. My problem with Sinclair is that he is not a tap ruckman which doesn't give our midfield first use as shown with the stats. He is also not an asset around the ground. As I have said previously, my feeling is that Naismith will retire after so many major leg injuries. So we need a seasoned ruck badly who can win the ball to advantage in the centre and at boundry throwing. Hickey is one option but I don't want the Swans to give much away to get him. We know he is contracted for another 2 years so Eagles won't let him go easily. I don't who else is available out there in any of the WA or SA State Leagues but unfortunately Knoll didn't work out but didn't get much opportunity either.

[ernie koala]

What bottom three club ever has been? We will be a destination club again.....when Buddy's fortune is off the books and we're knocking on the finals door.

As far as JD is concerned, he would have gone to whichever interstate club showed him interest....his goal was to just get out of Victoria. I don't think the Swans would be taking his decision personally.....if we ever really wanted him.

We came 6th in 2017 and 6th in 2018....What trades did we secure those years?..

It's not about where we came this year...This trade season hasn't even been played out yet.

My point is simply we need to concentrate on good drafting and a positive/attacking style of play ...

IMO there are many players who look at that, before they look at the win and losses column from the year before...

Our club already has an enviable record , over the long term, of wins V losses.

Bringing also rans to the club, just to prop things up, no offence intended, does not send a positive message to potential future trades.

We have traded poorly in recent years.

[MattW]

So would I. Sinkers plays as No.1 ruck in an AFL side that didnt finish last. Hickey has played 3 sparodic games.
Sinkers has the runs on the board.

3 games? What?

"Tom Hickey Career Stats" https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/...es--tom-hickey

Runs on the board?

Sinclair was a net negative contributor in most games this year. It was a career worst year; he was virtually unplayable. 13 games played: average 9.2 disposals, 3 goals in total. Wasn't marking it, conceded too many frees, beaten in the ruck and smashed at ground level.

Hickey had a good year covering for Naitanui in 2019 and is more adept at ground level. I think he'll be an improvement as we plug the gap next year until we have assets to bring in someone decent for 2022 (assuming Naismith isn't fit).

[MattW]

Because Sinclair was injured.

Apart from round 17, where he was dropped for Amartey after being dominated around the ground by De Koning the week before.

[Thunder Shaker]

What bottom three club ever has been? We will be a destination club again.....when Buddy's fortune is off the books and we're knocking on the finals door.

Agreed - when Buddy's Billions are off the salary books, players will become more keen to be traded to the Swans again. I expect in a couple of years we'll be a couple of good players short of being a strong premiership contender, and cashed up with a shopping list. Offer it, and they will come.