2021 trading, drafting and list management: players and personnel

[Faunac8]

Hi markwebbos,

By no means am i knocking Gulden's ability.. he is a fantastic player in every facet! In heart and mind he could be an excellent midfielder! But when the whips are cracking we will need hardened, big bodies who are made for the contest! Gulden could do this in rotations, maybe even for a half .. but i doubt we will ever see him at 20 centre bounces like lads such as Chad and Rowy.. their bodies are made for that and that is where they thrive!

The Boomer Harvey comparison was a good one heh.. but it is a different era now .. the brutes like Oliver and Petracca and Bontempelli would monster Harvey ..

I like the idea of a 50/50 split with Gulden.. having a red hot crack in the contest.. and being given plenty of space off a forward flank or a wing.. he could be what we had hoped young Stephens would be??

Maybe they might “ monster “ a smaller player but would they catch keep up or stop them from spreading the ball?
Every position is only one outlier away from what is considered the norm the obvious exceptions being in the ruck.

[dejavoodoo44]

Gulden is a very smart player. He comprehensively out bodied Lukosius on Saturday to take a mark. And I seem to remember a great spoil in defence a few weeks back on a player twice his size.

He’s already got a tank too.

Yes, the idea that Gulden is too small, was probably the main reason that we got him for pick 32, rather than his rightful spot, around 30 picks earlier.

[NeonBible]

Maybe they might “ monster “ a smaller player but would they catch keep up or stop them from spreading the ball?
Every position is only one outlier away from what is considered the norm the obvious exceptions being in the ruck.

I am quite certain he could be an asset in the midfield, i'm sure of it! But full time.. in the way that Chad for example could.. i think it could be a tall order (no pun intended heh..)

I believe young Errol could just be our best player sometime in the future.. do i see him being that as just a midfielder?? That is debatable.. i like him on a wing.. using the ball cleverly to our forwards.. i like him as a forward, pressuring and causing turnovers and kicking head-scratching goals!! I like him everywhere.. and i have a feeling JL might just feel the same! But we don't know.. this is all some time in the future.. i'd still like to see him in the mids every now and then, to give us a different look!

This whole dilemma would go away if we could just clone him lol!!!

[AB Swannie]

Hi markwebbos,

By no means am i knocking Gulden's ability.. he is a fantastic player in every facet! In heart and mind he could be an excellent midfielder! But when the whips are cracking we will need hardened, big bodies who are made for the contest! Gulden could do this in rotations, maybe even for a half .. but i doubt we will ever see him at 20 centre bounces like lads such as Chad and Rowy.. their bodies are made for that and that is where they thrive!

The Boomer Harvey comparison was a good one heh.. but it is a different era now .. the brutes like Oliver and Petracca and Bontempelli would monster Harvey ..

I like the idea of a 50/50 split with Gulden.. having a red hot crack in the contest.. and being given plenty of space off a forward flank or a wing.. he could be what we had hoped young Stephens would be??

Sorry but I can't agree with the suggestion that Errol's height (176cms) will force him into a more outside role. He may be better suited to that role anyway due to his kicking but if Lachie Neale (177cms), Dion Prestia (175cms), and Touk Miller (178cms) can do it amongst others then there is no reason Gulden can't in the future either.

[dimelb]

Sorry but I can't agree with the suggestion that Errol's height (176cms) will force him into a more outside role. He may be better suited to that role anyway due to his kicking but if Lachie Neale (177cms), Dion Prestia (175cms), and Touk Miller (178cms) can do it amongst others then there is no reason Gulden can't in the future either.

Sheer curiosity, but how tall are Papley and Cunningham?

And why can't we have these details on the club site as it used to be?

[bloodspirit]

Yes, the idea that Gulden is too small, was probably the main reason that we got him for pick 32, rather than his rightful spot, around 30 picks earlier.

Absolutely this!

[i'm-uninformed2]

I suspect Gulden's footy IQ is so high you could play him at fullback on Max or Ben King and he'd find a way to get it done.

[NeonBible]

Sorry but I can't agree with the suggestion that Errol's height (176cms) will force him into a more outside role. He may be better suited to that role anyway due to his kicking but if Lachie Neale (177cms), Dion Prestia (175cms), and Touk Miller (178cms) can do it amongst others then there is no reason Gulden can't in the future either.

It is not just his height but his overall size, AB Swannie. Until he puts muscle on and can get himself to be a sizeable unit like Neale, Miller and the "human meatball" Prestia, he won't be as effective in the midfield! His overall build is still very slight - we worry about how green Chad, Rowy these boys are, but it's another level with Gulden! I'm not discounting it from happening - it will just take work, and a LOT of it! If he can't get his body to that stage then JL could very well decide to keep him as just a rotational mid .. to protect him! For his own good! Especially given how brilliant he can be in other areas!

[Faunac8]

It is not just his height but his overall size, AB Swannie. Until he puts muscle on and can get himself to be a sizeable unit like Neale, Miller and the "human meatball" Prestia, he won't be as effective in the midfield! His overall build is still very slight - we worry about how green Chad, Rowy these boys are, but it's another level with Gulden! I'm not discounting it from happening - it will just take work, and a LOT of it! If he can't get his body to that stage then JL could very well decide to keep him as just a rotational mid .. to protect him! For his own good! Especially given how brilliant he can be in other areas!

I’ll take that as a comment

[dejavoodoo44]

I suspect Gulden's footy IQ is so high you could play him at fullback on Max or Ben King and he'd find a way to get it done.

"So, Max, I've always heard that Ben was your parents' favourite".

"So, Ben, I've always heard that Max was your parents' favourite".

[NeonBible]

I like the debate very much everyone!! I'm sure one thing we can all agree on is that young Errol will be a fantastic player wherever the coaches decide to play him.. his footy brain is phenomenal for his age, and i stand by my point that i wish we could clone him! An Errol in each area of the ground sounds alright to me!! Heh..

[Ludwig]

I had a post around draft time last year saying that Gulden would be a gun midfielder. The only change I would make now is to say that Gulden will be an absolute gun midfielder. Not at all worried about his height. He will be like a Dayne Zorko: win the ball, hit up teammates, kick goals.

[Markwebbos]

Another player comparison is Devon Smith, B&F winner as a midfielder at the Bombers is listed (by wikipedia mind you) as 176cm 77kg. Golden Errol 176cm 76kg. I'm guessing he can add a kg in the pre-season.

Errol's decision making and footskills are so good and he gets to so many contests I can see him playing that first receiver role. Not sure his hands are as good as his feet yet.

[Bangalore Swans]

I had a post around draft time last year saying that Gulden would be a gun midfielder. The only change I would make now is to say that Gulden will be an absolute gun midfielder. Not at all worried about his height. He will be like a Dayne Zorko: win the ball, hit up teammates, kick goals.

My view on Academy players is that they are inherently tougher at the contest than players from other youth systems. Most academy guys would have been exposed to Rugby or Rugby League at some point in their youth.

Look at Campbell and Gulden. They want the physical contest more than Stephens. Mills, Wicks, Heeney and Blakey were the same in embracing the physical punishment.

As such with guys like Gulden and Campbell you can put them into the inside midfield earlier than players from other youth systems.

I think Gulden and Campbell will be ready for about 25% inside midfield game time next season. In year three you could probably get 60% inside midfield time. By year 4 they could do 90%.

We all want Parker to stay. If he doesn’t stay, Swans fans should be optimistic about the next midfield wave coming through.

[bandwagon]

Given that Gulden & Campbell are already elite kicks, wouldn't you want them in a more 'outside' role so they can fully utilise their skills?