2021 trading, drafting and list management: players and personnel

[caj23]

I'm a Stephens fan and really hope we can retain him, but I wouldv'e preferred Serong in that draft, and that was at the time, not in hindsight.

A ball hunting midfielder is always a more important component to a premiership team than outside run, especially at such a high pick. Take a look at Bradley Hill as an example, he looked good in the three peat, but was found out as soon as he played in a weaker team.

Maybe I'm underrating Stephens somewhat, he is probably closer to a hybrid mid ala Florent than a pure outside runner, but will need to put on some bulk.

Either way I do think we'll regret it if he doesnt sign on again

[gloveski]

Looks like Wicks is close to signing a 2 year deal


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[giant]

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.

I think more to the point, if we offer Stephens now (say) 3 x $300K then what do we need to offer Warner, McInerney, Rowbottam, Guilden, Campbell, and all the other young blokes that have lapped him? Paying overs for potential that hasn't been demonstrated is fraught with risk and possible discrimination.

[waswan]

Stephens over Serong has been a costly error so far

Agree but the biggest error for Swans is playing others over Stephens namely Bell.

[Markwebbos]

Agree but the biggest error for Swans is playing others over Stephens namely Bell.

Why do you say that waswan?

[Faunac8]

Did any one watch the games that Dylan played this year? Just asking because I think many posters on this site appear to have overvalued his input and ROI for our team this year.
Just as a point to compare players here is the Footywire career stats for both Dylan and James.
Not much in it but one was drafted at number 5 the other was a category B recruit

[sharp9]

What’s this nonsense about Adelaide not offering pick 4? As plenty have pointed out Kelly and Shiel were 2 first rounders and Dawson is a better option than either. If Adelaide want home they can start with 2 top 10 picks and a promising ruckman (if they have one) or 1 top 10 pick and Thilthorpe.

[waswan]

Why do you say that waswan?

Stephens chasing opportunities
Bell did nothing 2 weeks in a row to hold a spot

[waswan]

Did any one watch the games that Dylan played this year? Just asking because I think many posters on this site appear to have overvalued his input and ROI for our team this year.
Just as a point to compare players here is the Footywire career stats for both Dylan and James.
Not much in it but one was drafted at number 5 the other was a category B recruit

I saw Stephens play in 2 minds. Let him play and get his oen ball, guy looked terrified to make an error
Im not sold on him but if Bell was oit of contract he would be retiring not getting courted

[707]

What is the AFL website saying about Dawson?

[barry]

What’s this nonsense about Adelaide not offering pick 4? As plenty have pointed out Kelly and Shiel were 2 first rounders and Dawson is a better option than either. If Adelaide want home they can start with 2 top 10 picks and a promising ruckman (if they have one) or 1 top 10 pick and Thilthorpe.

Dawson and Stephens to Adelaide.
Adelaides first round pick this year (4) and next year (?) to Sydney.

Take it ?

[Markwebbos]

What is the AFL website saying about Dawson?

??

[longmile]

What is the AFL website saying about Dawson?

I presume you're talking about the podcast. They seem to think PA's pick 16 is the most likely offer even though he is probably worth more and that Adelaide are unlikely to offer pick 4/6 since he can likely just walk to Adelaide.

Also they spent 2 minutes about how good Rowbottom is.

[TheBloods]

Daily telegraph reporting we have cap space ,and open to a player to replace Dawson , premiership window

Trading Hewett to Carlton because we have CHAD and JMAC as midfield replacements

Funny i said those two were the future of the midfield and it was silly talk .

[Steve]

It's interesting how times have changed with club and player expectations when it comes to young players starting out their careers. I think both parties are far more impatient than they ever were in the past.

The early 2000's don't seem like that long ago to me - but it's so different when you look at certain players and how they started their careers (even ones that were high draft picks and/or played senior footy pretty early):

McVeigh - if I'm reading it right, it was game 74 before he had 20+ touches in a game
Fosdike, O'Keefe, Kennelly & Buchanan - averaged about 10 touches a game across their first 3 seasons (played plenty of games)
J.Bolton and Malceski - wasn't until their 3rd seasons that they started taking off

With Stephens I just think it would be a waste for him to go - we'll get nothing back in return, and I might be wrong but I see him as a skilled, hard-running outside player who suits the modern game (and the way we're trying to play). You need to be able to adapt and incorporate talented players into different roles if you're going to be a successful team.

It's also hard to know what to believe in the media - I'm sure the better journos are using genuine sources, but even then a lot of it would be second or third hand info (eg. what List Manager from Club A told them came from the Player Agent of Player 1 who had been talking to Recruiting Manager of Club B who has been speaking to Club C about Player 2 and Player 3). There would be some truth to it, but how accurate or up-to-date could be questionable (or how much of it is club of player agent trying to gain leverage but actually preferring for the player to stay).