2021 trading, drafting and list management: players and personnel

[longmile]

Stephens over Serong has been a costly error so far

Maybe we should just trade all of our first rounders down for second rounders as we seem to be better at that.

Also this. We seem to have crazy success with 30s and 40s picks. Be interesting to see our success with draftees in the 30s and 40s with that of other clubs. Just dont show me our performance with top 10 picks

[i'm-uninformed2]

I wish I shared your confidence that Stephens will stay and is worth keeping. I'm guessing that if the club saw him as a potential star they'd make him a better offer.

I was extremely confident about Dawson and look where that got me?

To be fair to you, the confidence was partly derived from Jordan Dawson saying only two months ago that Swans fans had nothing to be nervous about. Lying little worm.

[Markwebbos]

To be fair to you, the confidence was partly derived from Jordan Dawson saying only two months ago that Swans fans had nothing to be nervous about. Lying little worm.

I don't know why, but I believe that JD wasn't lying when he said on July 7: "I don't think Sydney fans should be nervous at all". Maybe I'm being naive?

Something must have changed: (a) it was after a period when we'd had open borders etc and no lockdown for several months (although lockdown had started) and before he'd spent a long time separated from family and partner, so the lockdown changed his perception of being in Sydney (b) Swans offer was less than he'd hoped (c) One or more of the Adelaide clubs made him a monster offer.

But I tend to believe if it was just about money, he'd have gone back to the club and asked for more rather than requesting a trade.

I'm still secretly hoping that they'll find a way to persuade him to stay, a la ROK

[AB Swannie]

Maybe we should just trade all of our first rounders down for second rounders as we seem to be better at that.

The evidence would support this. It is amazing how good drafting can be the difference. I was looking at the 2018 draft recently and thinking how annoyed Adelaide supporters would be with their choice of Chayce Jones at pick 9. Every other top 10 pick is a gun and quite a few after. Funnily enough, Chayce Jones has a number of similar qualities to Dylan Stephens in their underage years.

[longmile]

To be fair to you, the confidence was partly derived from Jordan Dawson saying only two months ago that Swans fans had nothing to be nervous about. Lying little worm.

It's a bad look isn't it?

I remember when he said that I was super confident he was staying and the Swans were tryna find the funds. Now we know Swans had the funds and he just wanted to leave to go home.

Either he drastically changed his mind or was lying the whole time. He seems like a nice enough bloke, so I'd hope it was the former and family/partner reasons is the reason for his change of heart

[AB Swannie]

I don't know why, but I believe that JD wasn't lying when he said on July 7: "I don't think Sydney fans should be nervous at all". Maybe I'm being naive?

Something must have changed: (a) it was after a period when we'd had open borders etc and no lockdown for several months (although lockdown had started) and before he'd spent a long time separated from family and partner, so the lockdown changed his perception of being in Sydney (b) Swans offer was less than he'd hoped (c) One or more of the Adelaide clubs made him a monster offer.

But I tend to believe if it was just about money, he'd have gone back to the club and asked for more rather than requesting a trade.

I'm still secretly hoping that they'll find a way to persuade him to stay, a la ROK

I agree with this and am possibly naive too. Something changed. I also am secretly hoping he stays too.

[Ludwig]

Super apologies mate i thought your comment about Dawson being involved in mental health role with the club was interesting so i thought i would post it on Bigfooty i did say i got it from another media source as im not allowed to mention Redandwhiteonline on there as its a competing website
Again apology if i caused any angst.

No harm done. I thought it was kind of funny at the time and thought it might have been more extensive, since it came up on the first page I looked at. But now seems like a one off.

I do appreciate that you've come on here and explained yourself.

Personally, I don't see the problem of passing on something posted from another fan site, so long as the source is given attribution.

Cheers and all the best to you H2F.

[Markwebbos]

The evidence would support this. It is amazing how good drafting can be the difference. I was looking at the 2018 draft recently and thinking how annoyed Adelaide supporters would be with their choice of Chayce Jones at pick 9. Every other top 10 pick is a gun and quite a few after. Funnily enough, Chayce Jones has a number of similar qualities to Dylan Stephens in their underage years.

They didn't do great in 2019 either taking McAsey at 6 after we took you know who at 5. They look like the two potential busts of that top 10.

Mind you that might end up being our annus horribilis at the draft - Stephens, Gould, Taylor, Rowles ... the only player who definitely looks like hanging around at this stage is The Chad.

[i'm-uninformed2]

The evidence would support this. It is amazing how good drafting can be the difference. I was looking at the 2018 draft recently and thinking how annoyed Adelaide supporters would be with their choice of Chayce Jones at pick 9. Every other top 10 pick is a gun and quite a few after. Funnily enough, Chayce Jones has a number of similar qualities to Dylan Stephens in their underage years.

It is still ridiculous to think we found McInerney at 44 in that draft. He can make a fair claim for edging into the top 10 right now based on actual performance.

Who's ahead? Definitely Walsh, Smith, the two Kings, Butters and Rozee, and arguably Thomas (who's second half of this season was pretty damn good). You'd then say JMac comfortably sits alongside a group like Lukosius, Quaynor, Duursma, with maybe Blakey based on his finish to the year, and maybe Koschitzke a bit behind. And he's arguably better than any of that group to date.

We got a total gem, who has still got massive upside to come.

[TheBloods]

Mark my word Stephens will be a better player than some of the duds we have decided to keep around and offer contracts to but LOYALTY is the most important thing in football , even more than talent ! If he wants to go after only 2 years and the investment we made in him then cya later sport

[Jimitron5000]

Do you think we could talk Port into letting us have Mitch Georgiades as part of the Dawson deal?

[AB Swannie]

Do you think we could talk Port into letting us have Mitch Georgiades as part of the Dawson deal?

Sorry if this sounds blunt, but in a word, no.

[Markwebbos]

Stating the obvious, but this is probably one of our most important off-seasons ever and a very challenging one given:

Salary cap pressure | reduction in TPP
Number of out of contract players (at least one of whom looks like walking)
Underperforming high draft picks
Lack of reserves competition for most of the last two years
Compromised draft (due to lack of junior comps for most of last two years)
Soft cap cuts
etc

- - - Updated - - -

Sorry if this sounds blunt, but in a word, no.

Maybe we could borrow the Dodo to act as our negotiator? I'd love to know where he'd start negotiations with Port?

[AB Swannie]

They didn't do great in 2019 either taking McAsey at 6 after we took you know who at 5. They look like the two potential busts of that top 10.

Mind you that might end up being our annus horribilis at the draft - Stephens, Gould, Taylor, Rowles ... the only player who definitely looks like hanging around at this stage is The Chad.

Yes, if we ever feel a bit down about our first round drafting performance, we just need to make comparisons to Adelaide. Their last recent history of 1st round draft picks are
2015: Wayne Milera, Tom Doedee
2016: Jordan Gallucci
2017: Darcy Fogarty
2018: Chayce Jones, Ned McHenry
2019: Fischer McAsey
2020: Riley Thilthorpe, Luke Pedlar

Doedee was a good pick mainly because he was a massive reach and is pretty good. Thilthorpe looks to be good too but he was pick 1 so should be. The rest are pretty meh.

[Ludwig]

Stephens over Serong has been a costly error so far

I don't think you can call it an error. Stephens looked to be a perfectly fine selection. If there was a consensus at the time, it was that we would take Sam Flanders, who hasn't set the world on fire either. There were several players after the Luke Jackson pick at #3 that looked close in talent and there was no clear order to where they should fall in the draft.

With Dawson and probably Hewett gone, a couple of spots have opened in our side and Stephens should be right up there to challenge for regular senior selection next year. He can look at our list and see for himself that this is the case.

Maybe he's getting better offers from other clubs. Then once again, we are being hurt by our salary cap squeeze.

If we can't create some breathing room in our TPP, then we will be in a constant struggle to retain players. I think we should face the music this year and make hard cuts to put us back into a reasonable position where we can both retain players and compete in the player recruitment market once again.