2023 List Management

[barry]

I suspect our friends down the M4 may have their eye on O’Sullivan simply because he’s a NSW lad and thus has a low go-home risk. They already have a strong and young key defensive group but I dare say they’d like more depth. Unless we trade up right to the pointy end of the draft they will certainly have one pick before ours (Richmond’s first rounder) and they might have two.

Last I heard they were open to packaging up all those picks into one solitary top 3 pick, like they did last year. They seem to have a motto of quality over quantity.

[barry]

Disagree. Time and time again clubs have overrated their lists and have gone the trade rather than draft. You need a balance of youth and experience

It's a great question to ask... Is it list really in the premiership window?. You could say that last year it was built on hickey and paddy McCartin. Both of which will not be here in 2024.

[Auntie.Gerald]

It’s not either or

It is every pathway to talent

Academy
All 4 drafts
Trades
Etc

Rampe, Paps, Lloyd etc via one pathway

Mills, Gulden etc down the acamedy to draft discount

Later draft identification of talent Parker, Warner etc

Trades via Buddy, Hickey, Teddy, Kennedy

It’s getting the mix right and I have no doubt given how hard we have gone with draft midfield talent we will be looking for trade opportunities in the Ruck, KPF, KPD

You can’t loose Hickey, Bud and Paddy and that not be seriously replaced. Some internal and some external replacement.

We tend to be budget buyers with trades except every 8 years or so lash out for a footy god to come to town

I suspect we have a few options in each category of player we need and maybe we will unearth the Kennedy, Teddy, Lloyd, Rampe rather than lash out $

Maybe

But lieing still when we are on the edge of a window and or in it doesn’t make a lot of sense

[BRS328]

I agree with you Auntie

[lwjoyner]

Hopefully we dont chase Mckay and maybe give nth anothe rpick at top. prefer us to try to get Sanders (a mid. the Larke medalist) if possible and or sullivan a key defender. melican and francis can do as well as McKay who I dont yjhink has done a real lot at Nth.

[longmile]

Hopefully we dont chase Mckay and maybe give nth anothe rpick at top. prefer us to try to get Sanders (a mid. the Larke medalist) if possible and or sullivan a key defender. melican and francis can do as well as McKay who I dont yjhink has done a real lot at Nth.

No way is McKay worthy of pick 2. Crazy stuff from North Melbourne

[Ruck'n'Roll]

melican and francis can do as well as McKay who I dont yjhink has done a real lot at Nth.

Not advocating McKay - impossible without knowing the price. But he's averaged 7 intercepts per game over his 18 games this year with a best effort of 14.

[i'm-uninformed2]

Do we think a young 18yr old key defender will help our window opportunity for 2024?

Potentially not. But . . . our window is potentially open for the rest of the decade.

We'll still have the elite three of Mills, Heeney and Papley for another five years, and then there's the stellar 23 and under crew ranging from confirmed/gonna be stars like Chad, Gulden, Logan, Blakey, McCartin, Campbell etc and support acts like Amartey, Rowbottom, McLean etc. We could get a long-term defender via trade or draft, but it shouldn't just be about 2024.

[Maltopia]

The most urgent need is to get McLean re-signed. That shapes what we need significantly.

If he walks we will need to target a forward/ruck much more than a KPD for next year.

[AB Swannie]

Disagree. Time and time again clubs have overrated their lists and have gone the trade rather than draft. You need a balance of youth and experience. We picked up Francis last year. Has he gone any part in bolstering our backline. Most on here think not. JL has always said we have to keep regenerating this list year in year out. So do we go after a big fish and squander cap space? Finally the Franklin factor is out of the equation. I don't want us to give away our number one draft pick for someone who MIGHT fill a gap. McKay has a decent injury history.

We regenerated this list quickly with youth. If you want to produce more speed and run then don't recruit players in the latter part of their careers. The game gets quicker by the year.

I say stick with the draft and don't needlessly give away draft picks.

I think you are judging the pickup of Francis harshly. He came dirt cheap and was never going to be an AA. Imagine what our backline would've looked like in the games that Francis has played for us if he wasn't here. For me, he's been hugely valuable to fill holes that would otherwise be filled with much lesser players.

FWIW, I do agree with you regarding McKay. I don't think he is worth the relative cost and would create a bigger opportunity cost. We do need some help down back to be a true premiership threat but I'm not convinced that McKay is that person at that price.

[crackedactor 01]

The most urgent need is to get McLean re-signed. That shapes what we need significantly.

If he walks we will need to target a forward/ruck much more than a KPD for next year.

McLean did say he has no intentions of going any where else. Hopefully true to his word.

[Jimitron5000]

Swans fans shouldn't be worried?
Famous words and I hope the result is different with McLean as it was with Dawson.

[Maltopia]

McLean did say he has no intentions of going any where else. Hopefully true to his word.

Delay in signing might come down to dollars. He wants to stay and be paid X. Club is offering less than X or he would have signed months ago. Comes down to how far apart they are and if other clubs are offering more than what Swans have offered.

[Auntie.Gerald]

What are everyone’s thoughts Re Blakey and his most likely 2024 role for the Bloods?

I’m know he is one of those players that can play 4 or 5 roles very well and partly it depends on who else is in the squad.

I mean if we are struggling up front he could do a good job and who knows how high he could contribute. It is certainly not inconceivable for him to play a Buddy high wide leading circling back CHF role and kick 40 plus goals.

Blakey is lethal in the backline when playing a little loose in attack to play opportunistic in attack.

He has helped as a tall and or cut off / intercept tall.

[Auntie.Gerald]

You got to think that Hawthorn football Club with their rise in competing and list over hall would be offering plenty to get Hayden an old St Bedes College boy back down the road

Sam Mitchell would be after him for sure me thinks and maybe also Saint Kilda as he was a Sandringham player also in their feeder area.