Swans VFL 2023

[Captain]

We expect waaaaaaaaay too much of first year draftees, particularly ones like Konstanty who had no pre-season.

For point of comparison, I went and looked at the 2020 draft. Of the top 20:

* Less than half are playing regular seniors in their third year
* Four or five are still battling real growing pains and regularly out injured as their bodies adjust to the rigour of an AFL club environment
* There's probably only three or four who are making a real difference to their sides yet.

Players who make a big impact in their first year are an absolute exception. It's year three or four where you can start to judge them properly, as the conditioning and hardening takes effect.

My issue is their lack of impact when playing VFL, which is a massive step down.

We all know dominating the VFL doesn’t correlate always to AFL, but I think it’s a massive concern when they are struggling at VFL level.

There are draftees who are freaks and dominate AFL from the get go - Sheezal, Daicos, Ashcroft etc.

Then there are those who get a game but are young with loads of improvement but for the moment are making up the numbers - Phillipou, Cadman, Angwin

Then those who dominate the VFL but need to work on their craft or just can’t get picked - Sheldrick types or Dawson/Mitchell back in the day

Then down the bottom are all ours who are struggling in the VFL and literally not being able to get a kick.

That’s the concerning part.

[Maltopia]

Liz, thanks for your very detailed and insightful posts.

Who are the four players who can’t kick the ball from your not-rant long post?

[dejavoodoo44]

Liz, thanks for your very detailed and insightful posts.

Who are the four players who can’t kick the ball from your not-rant long post?

Well, I'll nominate Collis as one. I tend to dread seeing the ball in his hands.

[Blood Fever]

My reference was the national draft. The 3 picks from it, at this stage, all look like failures.

Konstanty might have been injured, but he is back now and literally can't get a kick in the VFL at the moment.

Can have all the excuses in the world, but the picks aren't looking good.

It's joke that you write them off this early.

[liz]

Liz, thanks for your very detailed and insightful posts.

Who are the four players who can’t kick the ball from your not-rant long post?

The three I had in mind stationed across half-back are Collis, Jake Brown and Max Geddes. I will say, though, that all are very willing tacklers and hard workers. And I think Collis is better now than he was in his first season with us. And Geddes is still slightly built (though that doesn't excuse his kicking).

The other I was referring to is Haley. Maybe it's not strictly true, as I know he came to us with a reputation of being a sharp shooter at country football level. But nothing I've seen from him in his handful of games so far gives any hint of this reputation. It's not just that he missed all of his attempts on Saturday. It's that they didn't ever look like getting there. It just looked as if he dropped the ball in the vague vicinity of his foot, swung his leg, and made random contact.

I really don't like potting players. Each of the first three (I'm not convinced yet about Haley) does offer something to the VFL squad. But I think having them all across half-back poses a real structural issue for the team.

I meant to make the observation in my earlier post that one of the effects of having some poor kicking players in the team is that the rest - who are OK kicks - see to then take less care over their kicks. It's like they have an alibi for poor skills / decision making, and then it spreads across the whole team. (And that's not just an observation of the VFL team, though it is more marked because there is a smattering of less skilled players. )

[Captain]

It's joke that you write them off this early.

Time will tell, won’t it.

[Blood Fever]

Yes, definitely more time is needed.

[Blood Fever]

Konstanty turned 18 late last year and hasn't had one proper pre season. You're into him already. Farcical.

[The Big Cat]

Konstanty turned 18 late last year and hasn't had one proper pre season. You're into him already. Farcical.

You've been on this forum as long as I have Blood Fever. Surely you've noticed, especially over recent years, that farcical comments make up at least half its fare.

[Captain]

Konstanty turned 18 late last year and hasn't had one proper pre season. You're into him already. Farcical.

3 disposals and then 6 disposals in the VFL is not a good sign for a first round pick. I think it’s fair to call that disappointing.

Let’s hope he turns it around and prove me wrong.

[Blood Fever]

You've been on this forum as long as I have Blood Fever. Surely you've noticed, especially over recent years, that farcical comments make up at least half its fare.

LOL

[dejavoodoo44]

Konstanty turned 18 late last year and hasn't had one proper pre season. You're into him already. Farcical.

And there also seems to be an idea gaining traction, that he was some sort of left field Kinnear special. So I looked up a few phantom drafts from last year. The four that I saw, had him going at 15, 16, 21 and 21 again.

[joeykanga]

3 disposals and then 6 disposals in the VFL is not a good sign for a first round pick. I think it’s fair to call that disappointing.

Let’s hope he turns it around and prove me wrong.

You're not much of a captain with your pessimism. There'd be a mutiny for sure.

[Ludwig]

3 disposals and then 6 disposals in the VFL is not a good sign for a first round pick. I think it’s fair to call that disappointing.

Let’s hope he turns it around and prove me wrong.

Konstanty is on a tear. He's doubling his disposal count every week. In another 3 weeks he'll be in Tom Mitchell territory.

[dejavoodoo44]

Coaches votes for the Frankston game.

5 Tom Hickey (SS)
5 Nicholas Shipley (SS)
5 Ryley Stoddart (FRA)
4 Will Fordham (FRA)
4 Dylan Stephens (SS)
4 Jackson Voss (FRA)
2 Josh Butland (FRA)
1 Trent Mynott (FRA)

Which seems quite an odd distribution, with two players getting five votes from one coach and none from the other.

I also noticed that Barry O'Connor was voted BOG for the Giants VFL side on the weekend. When I watched a small bit of their game a few weeks ago, they seemed to be trying him as a big bodied midfielder. Good luck to him, I guess, but I hope it doesn't come back to bite us too much.