2023 List Management

[Ludwig]

A half dozen years back there was a raging debate in the AFL about playing 1 or 2 ruckmen. Now that is well and truly settled. Even a club with the 2 best ruckmen in the league is better off playing just one at a time. So the 2nd best ruckman in the league plays VFL.

So the new question is how many ruckmen should be carried on an AFL list? I think if you have 2 under 30yo who are in reasonably good health, then that's enough. leaving part time forward rucks as backups if both ruckmen go down. If the fitness of one of the ruckmen is in question, then a 3rd can be carried for long term development and emergency backup.

Ladhams is contracted until 2025 and McAndrew is contracted through next season. I think we should go into 2024 with this ruck pair. We have a good set of forward-rucks like Amartey and McLean to fill in if both regulars are injured.

We should save our list spots and salary cap for areas of greater need.

I think Sean Darcy would be a boost to the team, but if recruited, then surely the better of Ladhams or McAndrew would leave next year. I don't know if it's worth the trouble hopping on the merry-go-round.


As for Crouch, I don't know how he fits into our side. We already have a plethora of inside mids. What would we do with another one? I can see some justification for upgrading our ruck stocks, but none for adding another midfielder. A wast of money.

[wolftone57]

Hayden McLean re-signs for 4 more years

[aardvark]

Four more years for Hayden McLean - YouTube

[wolftone57]

A half dozen years back there was a raging debate in the AFL about playing 1 or 2 ruckmen. Now that is well and truly settled. Even a club with the 2 best ruckmen in the league is better off playing just one at a time. So the 2nd best ruckman in the league plays VFL.

So the new question is how many ruckmen should be carried on an AFL list? I think if you have 2 under 30yo who are in reasonably good health, then that's enough. leaving part time forward rucks as backups if both ruckmen go down. If the fitness of one of the ruckmen is in question, then a 3rd can be carried for long term development and emergency backup.

Ladhams is contracted until 2025 and McAndrew is contracted through next season. I think we should go into 2024 with this ruck pair. We have a good set of forward-rucks like Amartey and McLean to fill in if both regulars are injured.

We should save our list spots and salary cap for areas of greater need.

I think Sean Darcy would be a boost to the team, but if recruited, then surely the better of Ladhams or McAndrew would leave next year. I don't know if it's worth the trouble hopping on the merry-go-round.

I think the difference in the ruck situation is that years ago every team's ruck had to be able to kick goals not just jump at a ball. I mean , in Sa, where I saw a lot of footy, in the '74 GF Tardiff was forward while Tregenza rucked and Tardiff would kick goals. When Tardiff went off injured Trigga rucked all day with only breaks on bench with Carey Rucking. I think Carey, a ruckman, kicked 4 goals. All ruckmen in the '70's, '80's & '90's needed to kick goals. take the Naughties and Sean Wren, he kicked plenty of goals. Ruckmen were required to stand tall as a forward pocket resting player. Today we call them specialist rucks because they are not picked for their footy ability but how high they can jump. As long as they can win the ruck and take a grab around the ground they are in. They are not required to rest forward.

[i'm-uninformed2]

I’m calling bull crap on the Crouch speculation. Reckon it’s a case of a journo going 2+2=5, so let’s run with it. Stand down everyone.

[chalbilto]

McLean re-signs for 4 years (source AFL site).

Great news, now just need Dyl to sign on

Now that McLean has re-signed I hope that the club gets Stephens and Melican to both re-sign as I still have high hope for both of them.

[Blood Fever]

Four more for McLean

I'm happy. Clunks contested marks, kicks straight. Can ruck when required and has done a lot more around the ground in recent weeks. Just a good, solid 100% effort team player.

Agree. Rock solid and smart player. Relieved he is staying.

[crackedactor 01]

Four more years for Hayden McLean - YouTube

Awesome News!

[crackedactor 01]

Doesn't bode well for Sheldrick tho? Can't imagine them both, Parker and Rowbottom in the same team much

I thought Sheldrick was really showing star potential in the game or two before he got injured

Not confident on Roberts tho

I love the way Sheldrick digs in and gets the hard ball, as bit like Rowbottom. Did see Roberts absolutely dominate the center in the first half in a VFL game and looked good. Only VFL standard but did look good. I think he is worth persisting with.

[goswannies]

24 August 2023 5:35pm
Spoke to him last weekend and his words “hope to get it done soon”. Mitchell said the same thing to a supporter at the B&F the year he left. Dawson said to a reporter the Swans supporters had nothing to worry about.

Perhaps Dawson was right. At the time he might have still wanted to remain a Swan. Or he was right in that the season after he left we made a grand final. If you were told at the start of 2022 you were guaranteed to be in a Grand Final, would you have taken that with such a young list and the departure of JD? Nothing to worry about indeed.

I like Hayden. I’m trusting him.

True to his word

[Kafka's Ghost]

True to his word

Dawson left because his partner wanted to go back to SA. The impact of Covid was significant on this decision.


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[Kafka's Ghost]

Dawson left because his partner wanted to go back to SA. The impact of Covid was significant on this decision.


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Doesn’t mean we weren’t stitched up by the Crows, though.


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[goswannies]

Dawson left because his partner wanted to go back to SA. The impact of Covid was significant on this decision.


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Hey, I don’t begrudge Dawson. My point was when he said we had nothing to worry about, at the time perhaps he had pie every intention to re-sign. Or he knew we’d be fine without him (I’ll give him the benefit of the former rather than his prognosticative ability with the latter). Personal relationships can often outlast a football career. He’s a good man. He made a decision for him and his family. Good character. I give him credit for phoning the goal umpire too

- - - Updated - - -

Doesn’t mean we weren’t stitched up by the Crows, though.


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I give them less credit

[caj23]

A concern with Sheldrick is that he has missed a significant chunk of both of his first 2 seasons. Did he miss a long period at the beginning of his draft year or am I imagining that?

[MattW]

Four more for McLean

I'm happy. Clunks contested marks, kicks straight. Can ruck when required and has done a lot more around the ground in recent weeks. Just a good, solid 100% effort team player.

And is getting better.