Best 22 2021

[NeonBible]

I give the W in the Mitchell/Florent/Hayward/Hewett debate to us over Hawthorn.

Mitchell is a very good player and better than our three combined. But he does not change Hawthorn, they are stale and midfield going nowhere because of recruits that don't offer enough X factor, like Mitchell and Jaeger. Im not sure what becomes of our three. George is quality but no world beater, and Florent & Hayward have a way to go before being star players. But at the very least we have three young players , which is a more valuable trade commodity than having a 28 year old with mobility problems after a broken leg. Our future with those three is open to possibilities, while Hawthorn are stuck with their guy until he retires.

We win !!

[Ludwig]

Actually they say "The proof of the pudding is in the eating". Minor point I know, but a pet peeve.

I knew that, but I'm on a diet!

[TheBloods]

I give the W in the Mitchell/Florent/Hayward/Hewett debate to us over Hawthorn.

Mitchell is a very good player and better than our three combined. But he does not change Hawthorn, they are stale and midfield going nowhere because of recruits that don't offer enough X factor, like Mitchell and Jaeger. Im not sure what becomes of our three. George is quality but no world beater, and Florent & Hayward have a way to go before being star players. But at the very least we have three young players , which is a more valuable trade commodity than having a 28 year old with mobility problems after a broken leg. Our future with those three is open to possibilities, while Hawthorn are stuck with their guy until he retires.

We win !!

Hewett is not young , he is 25. And no idea what you think we would get for Florent and Hayward at the trade table. After what they have shown to this point in their careers we would be lucky to get a couple of fourth round picks for both of them. Hardly say that's valuable commodities

[Ludwig]

Hewett is not young , he is 25. And no idea what you think we would get for Florent and Hayward at the trade table. After what they have shown to this point in their careers we would be lucky to get a couple of fourth round picks for both of them. Hardly say that's valuable commodities

My guess is that we could get a late 1st rounder for Florent and a 2nd rounder for Hayward.

[Aprilbr]

I tend to agree with Ludwig on the current trade value of Florent and Hayward - let's hope we don't need to trade either of them!

For those interested in another perspective on the Mitchell trade, the following article is well worth a read. It mentions that the Swans did offer him a long term deal and he was close to signing at one point.

How Tom Mitchell became a trade bargain

[Aprilbr]

"I'd particularly wish to thank Aprilbr for that contribution to the Mitchell mystery. It is incredibly rare to be provided with such an extraordinary insight. "

Thanks for the kind words, Ruckn Roll. I am certainly not a friend to the stars but I have gotten to know a number of ex-AFL players through participating in the annual Daniher Drives around Victoria. Its a great charity initiative that I commend to all as funds raised go to MND research. Numerous ex-Essendon and Demons players attend each year and its a lot of fun. Barry Mitchell has attended several of these events which is how I got to know him. You hear a lot of footy gossip at these events!

[Markwebbos]

Actually they say "The proof of the pudding is in the eating". Minor point I know, but a pet peeve.

Thank you. It annoys me too

[Nico]

The Official Story of the Mitchell trade was known at the time, IMO, to create a narrative as a cover for why we would trade such a talented player, and a FS, no less. I believe the trade was made to kick start the player acquisitions needed to transition our game plan to what we see today, 5 seasons later. The trade made space for Hewett to develop along with the crafting of 2 first round picks, which we used for Florent and Hayward. And whatever we might think about their development, Florent and Hayward were the right selections at the time.

Like with the Joe Daniher saga, there were, and still are, several competing narratives about what the circumstances were regarding the player movement. It seems to be typical of high profile trades.

My narrative is looking the more likely based on what has transpired since the Mitchell trade. The Swans have in fact transitioned in the way that I projected 5 yeas ago. The football department has followed through in a manner that makes the Mitchell trade logical in retrospect. The Swans have continue to draft players with a focus on speed and kicking skills. And space was created for Hewett to develop as a midfielder.

The question is whether the Mitchel trade was forced upon us or was part of a long-term plan to change the way the team plays, which would have been more difficult if we had to carry another big salary for an inside midfielder that wasn't needed, despite the quality of the player. I believe the evidence of what has transpired since the trade supports my point of view. As they say, 'the proof is in the pudding'.

More likely he went for money and under the table 3rd party deals.

[Nico]

Hewett is not young , he is 25. And no idea what you think we would get for Florent and Hayward at the trade table. After what they have shown to this point in their careers we would be lucky to get a couple of fourth round picks for both of them. Hardly say that's valuable commodities

Should have traded Hayward in 2020 while he still had some currency.

[Aprilbr]

Should have traded Hayward in 2020 while he still had some currency.

A very harsh and premature call there. A developing player who has played predominantly forward in recent years in a team that gains well below inside 50 entries and where the ball is delivered poorly when it goes in. Let's see how he goes in a hopefully better side this season. He has undoubted raw talent.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

.....and let's face it, for all his possessions, Mitchell has not transformed Hawthorn into world beaters. Sure, they're rebuilding to an extent and he did miss a season......but the bottom line is that he rarely gets tagged which says a lot. It says that most AFL coaches now see what the Swans saw and concluded in 2016.

I'm not sure the Swans exactly dodged a bullet in this regard.
Tom may have a Brownlow, AFLPA MVP and be a 2 time All Australian, but does that pale into insignificance when stacked up against the "gets lots of possessions but never get's tagged" metric.
Indeed, if this particular metric was given such pre-eminence at the Swans: I'm sure Jake Lloyd would have immediately been discarded as another high possession winner that doesn't get tagged.

While the tone above may be a little heavy, but I recall your preference for subjectivity and think you may be taking your love of team / loyalty to the club a tad far on this occasion.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

The Official Story of the Mitchell trade was known at the time, IMO, to create a narrative as a cover for why we would trade such a talented player, and a FS, no less. I believe the trade was made to kick start the player acquisitions needed to transition our game plan to what we see today, 5 seasons later.

I'd love it if the Mitchell trade had been a stupendous act of forward planning by the Swans to move towards a new game plan. But I fear it's probably at least as likely that Buddy and Kurt (and yes the loss of COLA) had simply hoovered up all the slack in budget.

[Ludwig]

I'd love it if the Mitchell trade had been a stupendous act of forward planning by the Swans to move towards a new game plan. But I fear it's probably at least as likely that Buddy and Kurt (and yes the loss of COLA) had simply hoovered up all the slack in budget.

This is undoubtedly true, but it's who we decided to prune which is of interest. We traded one of our best players heading into the top of his form. If you really want a player to stay, teams find a way (usually). The question is why was Mitchell deemed to be the expendable one?

[Ralph Dawg]

B Mills Rampe Cunningham
HB Dawson McCartain Lloyd
C Blakey Kennedy Florent
HF Wicks Heeney Gulden
F Papley Reid McDonald
Foll Hickey Parker Rowbottom
Int Warner Campbell Stephens Hewett

But I know Hayward will be in there, and if so, Stephens misses out.

[Nico]

A very harsh and premature call there. A developing player who has played predominantly forward in recent years in a team that gains well below inside 50 entries and where the ball is delivered poorly when it goes in. Let's see how he goes in a hopefully better side this season. He has undoubted raw talent.

What is he in, year 5. Strewth how long do we wait for raw talent to materialise. His average game stats are horrible. He goes where the ball 'aint.