2021 trading, drafting and list management: players and personnel

[Maltopia]

It is simple maths . How many A to B grade mid sized players are there in the AFL ? 100 ? 150 ? More ?? How many A to B grade talls are there ? 20 ? 30 ? The same percentage would work for our academy , its averaging what 2 players drafted a yr ? So there arent enough players up to the standard yet to give ourselves the chance of finding a good tall

The other maths part of it is in a team of 22 (including bench), you have a ruck usually up to four tall KPP. The Swans have T Mcartin at 194 cm, Buddy and Hickey. Plus sometimes one of Reid, Almarty or McLean, and in the future Logan). Translate that to a lower level high school team, and again, you only get around four spots in a team for the taller kids, and the rest are taken up by the small and medium players who have the leg speed, ground skills etc. So taller kids (which are a smaller proportion of the population admittedly) are competing for much fewer spots on the team and don't get to play enough to get better, or go play basketball etc, especially in non AFL traditional states.

[Mr Magoo]

I think its a matter of numbers . In essence in the southern states almost everyone has some AFL connection even if say Basketball is also the other sport they play. Here in NSW , the pool is diminished due to rugby union, league etc so the bigger units tend to head that way . From what I have seen , the swans tend to try to target some of these kids (eg McAndrew) but the reality is that the really good coordinated kids get more certainty and opportunity from rugby union and league at a younger age. Look at tommy turbo - rugby league comes in at age 16 and essentially can guarantee him a place whereas he could have stayed with the academy and hope to be drafted.

Look at this draft , not one kid drafted and believe me this wasnt a rubbish year, just a group that essentially got left behind with covid.

You soon realise with academy, if they arent drafting you , then no one seems to take a serious look so if Im a talented athlete I would rather take my chance at a scholarship from a number of predominately sydney based clubs than to hang out and maybe wait for a non committed one off chance that the Swans will pick me.

[rickmat]

4pm today Monday lodgement of list to AFL. We will then finally find out who is on the list, who is listed on the couple of rookie lists. Hopefully all will be cleared up once and for all

[The Runner]

I think the failed Karmichael Hunt and Izzy Folau experiments offer an insight on to the challenges of the different positions.

Playing in the midfield can be more instinctual, and adaptable from northern sports like the rugby codes. And we saw glimpses of Hunt making it as a footballer.
Playing tall is really difficult to learn late - the smarts required to get to the right spaces, use the body and read the footy are difficult to pick up from other sports.

As such, I think it's easier for us to produce more defensively minded players, or instinctual midfield types, than key forwards.

[Goal Sneak]

Maybe we're all just a bunch of short-arses in NSW?

[giant]

I think its a matter of numbers . In essence in the southern states almost everyone has some AFL connection even if say Basketball is also the other sport they play. Here in NSW , the pool is diminished due to rugby union, league etc so the bigger units tend to head that way . From what I have seen , the swans tend to try to target some of these kids (eg McAndrew) but the reality is that the really good coordinated kids get more certainty and opportunity from rugby union and league at a younger age. Look at tommy turbo - rugby league comes in at age 16 and essentially can guarantee him a place whereas he could have stayed with the academy and hope to be drafted.

Look at this draft , not one kid drafted and believe me this wasnt a rubbish year, just a group that essentially got left behind with covid.

You soon realise with academy, if they arent drafting you , then no one seems to take a serious look so if Im a talented athlete I would rather take my chance at a scholarship from a number of predominately sydney based clubs than to hang out and maybe wait for a non committed one off chance that the Swans will pick me.

Cheers, makes sense - I kinda thought we'd have our choice of the 200+ cm kids in NSW, but your point re more certainty in league/union makes sense.

[Auntie.Gerald]

Another significant development acitivy for talls is playing basketball in the off-season.

In Sydney if you play league of union you tend to play with ur mates from these teams a sport in the off season ie touch footy, oztag or 6 a side soccer.

When I played in the Sydney AFL competition most of the lads who came from interstate wanted to play basketball in the off season.

Playing basketball and AFL most of you life is definitely very complimentary to a 360 degree sport development all year round.

NSW boys don't tend to follow this path.

[liz]

Former No.1 pick “still in the mix” to receive AFL lifeline

Seems Paddy McCartin's spot on the list is far from a sure thing. He is still 'in the mix'.

There's an interview with Longmire (yesterday morning) included in this article. He talks about McCartin but covers a few other topic. Unsurprisingly, he refers to Sheldrick as 'a competitor'.

[707]

Former No.1 pick “still in the mix” to receive AFL lifeline

Seems Paddy McCartin's spot on the list is far from a sure thing. He is still 'in the mix'.

There's an interview with Longmire (yesterday morning) included in this article. He talks about McCartin but covers a few other topic. Unsurprisingly, he refers to Sheldrick as 'a competitor'.

I think you win your bet, was it at the meagre odds of $1.01 to use the word competitor/competitive?

[Mr Magoo]

So how many list spots do the Swans have left?

[liz]

I think you win your bet, was it at the meagre odds of $1.01 to use the word competitor/competitive?

It was another poster who offered those odds. I suggested they were too generous.

[liz]

So how many list spots do the Swans have left?

One, plus the possibility of adding another by placing Naismith on the inactive list. I suspect they'll hold off on that latter move for a while - to give the opportunity to Sheather or BOC to play senior footy, or to take a player in the mid-season draft.

[aardvark]

One, plus the possibility of adding another by placing Naismith on the inactive list. I suspect they'll hold off on that latter move for a while - to give the opportunity to Sheather or BOC to play senior footy, or to take a player in the mid-season draft.

I reckon Sheather could be next seasons Surprise Packet.

[Ludwig]

Former No.1 pick “still in the mix” to receive AFL lifeline

Seems Paddy McCartin's spot on the list is far from a sure thing. He is still 'in the mix'.

There's an interview with Longmire (yesterday morning) included in this article. He talks about McCartin but covers a few other topic. Unsurprisingly, he refers to Sheldrick as 'a competitor'.

I listened to both the KB and Longmire interviews on the McCartin listing. From KB's remarks I thought Paddy was nearly a sure thing. But yes, Longmire was much less committal, to say the least. I don't know if it's just the difference in personalities or it goes much deeper. Beatson is a straight talker, while Longmire is a hedger.

[Smith]

I listened to both the KB and Longmire interviews on the McCartin listing. From KB's remarks I thought Paddy was nearly a sure thing. But yes, Longmire was much less committal, to say the least. I don't know if it's just the difference in personalities or it goes much deeper. Beatson is a straight talker, while Longmire is a hedger.

To be fair the words “in the mix” were put to Longmire in the question, and he simply responded with the same phrase. I doubt anything has changed, unless the AFL don’t give the clearance.