2021 trading, drafting and list management: players and personnel

[Markwebbos]

The Mongrel Punt has published their top50 player rankings based on performances this year.

Swans have 8 players, which is a very strong showing. Two that stood out to me:

Sam Wicks at 42 above Luke Parker
Tom Hickey our best at 8.

The Mongrel 50 - Volume 1 2021 - The Mongrel Punt

[SwanSand]

I have a different approach to list management. I don't believe in planning in terms of a premiership window. That comes if you do the other things right and some good luck goes a long way.

We really need to plan around 5 years out, because that's how long it takes to change the complexion of a team through the draft. It's hard to expect more than adding 3 good players per year via the draft, while trade and free agency is too unpredictable to utilize for list building, especially in Sydney where it's more likely for players to leave (go home) than to want to join the club. It's a 50-50 proposition at best. It takes a solid 30 man squad to choose from to seriously compete for a premiership. There aren't any shortcuts to rebuilding the list with good young players replacing senor players who are slated for retirement as well as those younger players who haven't been able to make the grade.

I've been on this subject since the end of the 2016 season, when I believe the rebuild began. So we are now in the 5th year. We've stuck to the task of drafting players who could be successful in the kind of game plan we now have. We've done quite well overall, and seem to have hit the jackpot with the 2020 draft. So now we are off and running. The foundation is set. We just have to see how it plays out.

Completely agree with this but just as we are drafting players at the younger end to create an amazing group, we are losing players at the other end to retirement, banged up bodies and loss of speed.
The happy medium is when we have the veterans who can play the role, the sweet age spot group of players and some elite young talent through draft. Also too much elite talent is hard to keep together especially for us in sydney as they will be poached by Melbourne teams unless they know they will be playing in the grand final.

I doubt we would have been so lucky with our draft haul without injuries to key players in 2019 and 2020. We would have finished middle of the table.

I think we have a good group of talent on the list and we could be top 4 in 2022/23 and pushing for the flag. We need the X factor player sooner to push for it.

[Aprilbr]

Could the mccartins be our twin towers in defence?.
Defence would be a better place to play to avoid head knocks

I was thinking the same thing recently. I am not sure how much McCartin Senior has played as a defender in his past? He will be one to watch in the VFL for sure.

[Aprilbr]

"I think we have a good group of talent on the list and we could be top 4 in 2022/23 and pushing for the flag. We need the X factor player sooner to push for it."

We should not get too far ahead of ourselves after a great start to the season. Many challenges lay ahead for us including dealing with injuries (two of our top 5 players out for the next month, for example).

We are ahead of schedule due to some great youngsters developing rapidly but we are likely to still be a couple of steps away from the best over a long season. One of the advantages of how we have started this season is that we are now potentially a destination club as our Premiership Window begins to open up. Rather than chasing big names, our priority must be to keep this young group together as Clubs elsewhere will be targeting our talent.

[Ludwig]

Tom Harley was on 3AW Sportsday. Most of what was said was the usual pablum, but I did take notice when he said the Swans were prioritizing player retention. This is something of concern which has cropped up this year with the depth of our midfield group and the number of high quality players not getting senior games at this early part of the season.

I hope that we can keep the better developing players pn board and fighting for senior spots, even if it means losing good experience players like George Hewett, who is a RFA this year. We also face a low retirement period in the next few years, with only JPK and Franklin looking as probable retirees after 2022, followed by Reid, Rampe and Parker perhaps from 2024 on, which falls well below the usual replacement rate.

[KSAS]

Tom Harley was on 3AW Sportsday. Most of what was said was the usual pablum, but I did take notice when he said the Swans were prioritizing player retention. This is something of concern which has cropped up this year with the depth of our midfield group and the number of high quality players not getting senior games at this early part of the season.

I hope that we can keep the better developing players pn board and fighting for senior spots, even if it means losing good experience players like George Hewett, who is a RFA this year. We also face a low retirement period in the next few years, with only JPK and Franklin looking as probable retirees after 2022, followed by Reid, Rampe and Parker perhaps from 2024 on, which falls well below the usual replacement rate.

I got the impression this was the club's priority over the last few years whilst accumulating all this promising young talent. Plus they will have learnt lessons from the cap squeeze felt with the recruiting of Tippett & Buddy on big $$$$ contracts, which may become thing of the past now.

With List Management becoming a increasingly tough business in recent times (as Pies have experienced), I would expect Taylor, Gray & Clarke to be delisted at season's end before any thought of offloading Hewitt as RFA, who I think we need. Sinclair could also be possibly offloaded if he doesn't get any opportunities with Hickey's form & Naismith's pending return.

It's cruel how a player's fortunes can change so quickly in such an elite competition.

Edit: Brand could also be delisted/offloaded for same reason as Sinclair. We may well recruit developing players in next few drafts (I.e. Rucks, KPD & KPF) if we think we have enough good quality players competing for spots, in bid to keep them all happy getting sufficient games.

[bloodspirit]

Tom Harley was on 3AW Sportsday. Most of what was said was the usual pablum, but I did take notice when he said the Swans were prioritizing player retention. This is something of concern which has cropped up this year with the depth of our midfield group and the number of high quality players not getting senior games at this early part of the season.

I hope that we can keep the better developing players pn board and fighting for senior spots, even if it means losing good experience players like George Hewett, who is a RFA this year. We also face a low retirement period in the next few years, with only JPK and Franklin looking as probable retirees after 2022, followed by Reid, Rampe and Parker perhaps from 2024 on, which falls well below the usual replacement rate.

I haven't listened, but I take Harley's comments as nothing more than a vote of confidence in the list we have and not as a cause for angst. We have the cap space, and should be able to retain our players.

Not sure I can see Reid or even Rampe necessarily lasting until "2024 on". Great to see them in good form now (albeit Rampe is out injured).

It's disturbing to see reports that Carlton are trying to lure Freo youngster Adam Cerra away from the Dockers with an offer lower than what the Dockers are offering him (I saw reports on Foxsports and SEN I think). Fortunately, I do think we give this significant consideration when we draft and there aren't too many flight risks on our list (unless they are starved of opportunity or get much better offers).

[Aprilbr]

Hopefully, the young docker will resist Carlton's overtures and our youngsters will too! Our group appear to be very tight so I don't see any going unless they lack opportunities or receive a huge offer elsewhere. They can see success looming at the Swans. Melbourne clubs seem to think that they can always pick up interstate players for unders.

[Nico]

Hopefully, the young docker will resist Carlton's overtures and our youngsters will too! Our group appear to be very tight so I don't see any going unless they lack opportunities or receive a huge offer elsewhere. They can see success looming at the Swans. Melbourne clubs seem to think that they can always pick up interstate players for unders.

Says a lot about Carlton's will to or ability to develop youth. It's been their culture for decades with cheque book recruiting of elite players and cheating on the salary cap. May they stay cellar dwellers forever.

[Blood Fever]

Says a lot about Carlton's will to or ability to develop youth. It's been their culture for decades with cheque book recruiting of elite players and cheating on the salary cap. May they stay cellar dwellers forever.

Easily the most arrogant club in the VFL before the national comp. Hope the karma they've earned keeps rolling although to be fair no-one is left from that era.

[bloodspirit]

Interesting article, that Kinnear Beatson's major rival for best list manager is stepping down from his lead role at Geelong: List guru steps down: Cats recruiting manager Stephen Wells considers future (afl.com.au). The other interesting thing is there is a picture of Dan Hannebery (in Saints gear) training together with Andrew Mackie (in Geelong gear) entitled "Dan Hannebery working closely with Geelong assistant Andrew Mackie in Gold Coast hub 2020". What gives? Seems a bit weird. There must have been a lot of friendly crossover up there in those hubs. It doesn't surprise me that players and personnel from various clubs have existing and informal relationships with a range of others, to be described as "working closely" together while dressed in their respective different club gear seems odd.

[Auntie.Gerald]

Gray
Taylor
Clarke
Brand

These lads will find it hard to get into the best 22 no doubt..........but they also can play a role well this season if we have a few injuries.......which enables us to remain competitive.

[bloodspirit]

Gray
Taylor
Clarke
Brand

These lads will find it hard to get into the best 22 no doubt..........but they also can play a role well this season if we have a few injuries.......which enables us to remain competitive.

Absolutely. And they're affordable, on base wages.

[Markwebbos]

Interesting article, that Kinnear Beatson's major rival for best list manager is stepping down from his lead role at Geelong: List guru steps down: Cats recruiting manager Stephen Wells considers future (afl.com.au). The other interesting thing is there is a picture of Dan Hannebery (in Saints gear) training together with Andrew Mackie (in Geelong gear) entitled "Dan Hannebery working closely with Geelong assistant Andrew Mackie in Gold Coast hub 2020". What gives? Seems a bit weird. There must have been a lot of friendly crossover up there in those hubs. It doesn't surprise me that players and personnel from various clubs have existing and informal relationships with a range of others, to be described as "working closely" together while dressed in their respective different club gear seems odd.

I’m really hoping 2021 can be Geelong’s anus horribilis

Step 1 completed

Just need to miss the 8, sack their coach and have all their young talent walk out the door at the end of the year

[Ludwig]

I’m really hoping 2021 can be Geelong’s anus horribilis

Could be an outbreak of rectal cancer at the club.

Or Worse! I don't want to think about it.