2023 List Management

[707]

......

TRADES COMPLETED DURING 2023 AFL DRAFT.......

6. Essendon gets pick 10. Geelong gets picks 11 and 31.

7. GWS gets pick 17. St Kilda gets pick 18 and a future second.

These trades I cannot fathom

[Auntie.Gerald]

You could argue that we have stacked Forwards, mids and now ruck very well at the Swans....... after bringing on board Green, and a successful trade / FA week.

Our ruck team is a perfect succession plan
Grundy 29yrs old
Ladhams - 25yrs old
Stretch - 23 yrs old
Green - 18yrs old

Our Mid succession plan is also very very good

Our key forwards is yet to be proven but we have a little bit of experience around to help via an injury free Reid etc in 2024. Plus we have a lot of promise with long contracts

Our small forwards depth is pretty good but a little unknown how good Konstanty is as yet.

Our backline has massive depth and competition for spots...........and some of the budget players will stay and some with move on in the next year or so.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Our backline has massive depth and competition for spots............

True enough, but the question most have is - Do we have sufficient height there?

[KSAS]

KPD Ollie Murphy is still on the board. He was initially ranked in the top 16 few weeks back. Interesting to see how much further he slides back.

Not enough with our hand it seems.

[Auntie.Gerald]

Very true RR

Will potential become quality and what we really need at both ends ie Tall forwards and our tall backs

Only time will tell with season 2024 being a real test for the players, our recruiters and us fans - yet we have probably given ourselves the best chance with our trades, FA and drafting so far.

Im curious as to whether we may split or use our future first round pick 22ish (which may end up more like a 26/27 in 2024) and or use our picks remaining 59,70,71 to get back into this draft tonight???

ie it is unlikely we would go after a KPD with our first pick 12ish next season...........so if we can make something happen this draft for a young developing KPD in the pick 30-40 range it makes sense? Especially while we have some cover in depth for 2024/25 to let them build up and be ready for 25/26 onwards?

Or are we bullish on a serious inside mid that we feel can over time develop ie a Kane McAuliffe ? He has the power, speed, leep and raking kick.........but maybe not the decision making and or endurance just yet? looks equally a good prospect at HBF as well as inside mid at 187cm and 88kg. a Jordan Dawson or Rampe type project as he is very strong and powerful for his age. Dawso was only 188cm in his draft year. Same for Rampe. McAuliffe also plays tall with longer arms and a big leap (top5 in the combine).

I am super curious as to what happened when our trade of picks popped up last night but didnt execute or it did????

Either way clever we pushed a pick into next season via Stephens. Left it off the table for Cleary to use our 45/55 to match Pies and then maybe bring back again or leave for next year?

I mean Cleary for a pick 24 and only using 45/55 this draft to acquire him could be a steal based on his form to date and dominance on the field.

PS Hawks fans melting a little after their first pick...............bit funny i thought vs going after Curtin or the Colonel !!!

[jono2707]

Do we realise that every time we use the term 'compromised draft', we are using a term that has been weaponised against us and the Academy system? Yes the free agency compo picks may be questioned, but the old VFL clubs will continue to attack academies given the Suns' haul last night.

Using terms like 'compromised draft' helps to reinforce the this, and undermine the sterling work we are doing to provide AFL pathways for young talent that likely wouldn't stay in the sport in NSW and Qld.

Food for thought anyway...

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Buggered if I know AG - all these trade gymnastics are too much for my poor brain to handle.

[giant]

True enough, but the question most have is - Do we have sufficient height there?

Definitely, plus (have others have noted) its age. And the fact that the lad we invested four years of development into to fill the need has just been delisted.

Given trade period plays for Barass, Himmelberg etc, we're clearly comfortable to trade for part of the solution, but drafting surely has to be another piece of the puzzle.

[KSAS]

Do we realise that every time we use the term 'compromised draft', we are using a term that has been weaponised against us and the Academy system? Yes the free agency compo picks may be questioned, but the old VFL clubs will continue to attack academies given the Suns' haul last night.

Using terms like 'compromised draft' helps to reinforce the this, and undermine the sterling work we are doing to provide AFL pathways for young talent that likely wouldn't stay in the sport in NSW and Qld.

Food for thought anyway...

Heard Andy Mahr on SEN yesterday having a bit of a whinge about GC's 4 x Academy players this year.

Stating "It is a competition and non northern clubs will feel disadvantaged, despite the NGA"

Disappointed to hear that from him as he's normally fair minded. Overlooks it's not even playing field for teams in Rugby stronghold states. Academies are the main pathways to develop local talent, who may otherwise be lost to other competing sports.

[Sandridge]

Heard Andy Mahr on SEN yesterday having a bit of a whinge about GC's 4 x Academy players this year.

Stating "It is a competition and non northern clubs will feel disadvantaged, despite the NGA"

Disappointed to hear that from him as he's normally fair minded. Overlooks it's not even playing field for teams in Rugby stronghold states. Academies are the main pathways to develop local talent, who may otherwise be lost to other competing sports.

Whinges about advantages non-Victorian teams receive should never be taken seriously while the Grand Final is played at a ground which is the home ground of a number of Victorian teams.

I have no gripe about this year's GF. Collingwood finished the season on top of the ladder and, if any team had to have a home ground advantage, it should've been them.

But in 2018, West Coast finished on top of the ladder and beat Collingwood in a lead up final but when the two clubs met again in the Grand Final, it was played on Collingwood's home ground!

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Definitely, plus (have others have noted) its age. And the fact that the lad we invested four years of development into to fill the need has just been delisted.

Do you mean Gould?
I don't think he was ever going to fulfill our need for a KPD - he was only 6ft3 and played short. I suspect the suggestion he would make a KPD was wishfull thinking by fans - rather than the clubs assessment. The club may have seen him as a Rampe replacement, but a Grundy replacement? No way.

[dejavoodoo44]

I won't link to the ABC blog from last night, as I suspect that it might bugger up the thread, but this is what their journalist, Dean Bilton, said about Cleary.

"Cleary is another that I have rated more highly than the consensus. I think he will be a 200+ game player for Sydney.
He's the engine of a midfield. The bloke who will do the dirty work to make his more flashy teammates shine. That's what he did for the Allies in the Championships win, and that's what he'll do for the Swans."

[giant]

Do you mean Gould?
I don't think he was ever going to fulfill our need for a KPD - he was only 6ft3 and played short. I suspect the suggestion he would make a KPD was wishfull thinking by fans - rather than the clubs assessment. The club may have seen him as a Rampe replacement, but a Grundy replacement? No way.

I meant as a general defender - as others have noted, outside McCartin, Blakey and Florent, our defenders aren't young, and replacements for Rampe, Lloyd, Cunningham, Reid, even 27yo Melican, will be needed at some point.

I just don't find a project ruckman a pulse-racing first round draft selection, especially since I don't ever recall us "growing our own" before. I get that we need to contribute to the overall ruck population in the competition, but why does it have to be our first round pick? Surely this is one of the roles of the academy? Pound the streets of Sydney and find every athletic beanpole who wants a shot at fame. Sigh, but thus it always is with KB.

OTOH great to have another Academy lad join the squad - probably not a 2024 option but he seems to have the right stuff and he's managed to stand out in good company.

[Nico]

I find it interesting that Collingwood was the club to bid on Cleary. They have been pretty astute over the past 2 years with their trades and drafts, and saw a lot in Cleary.

On the Andy Maher comments: these people forget that the northern academies spend a lot of time and money identifying and developing young lads in the best interests of the game, and they seem to think this happens overnight when 4 really good ones appear in one year. Well done to GC for trying to mitigate the "go home factor".

[dejavoodoo44]

I find it interesting that Collingwood was the club to bid on Cleary. They have been pretty astute over the past 2 years with their trades and drafts, and saw a lot in Cleary.

On the Andy Maher comments: these people forget that the northern academies spend a lot of time and money identifying and developing young lads in the best interests of the game, and they seem to think this happens overnight when 4 really good ones appear in one year. Well done to GC for trying to mitigate the "go home factor".

Yes, and those expressing outrage over the Suns getting four first rounders in one year, seem to have forgotten or never bothered to find out, that the only other first round academy player to come out of the Suns academy was Jack Bowes. And even if their academy does start producing players on a more consistent basis, all that really means, is that in maybe 10 or 15 years time, the majority of players on their list will be Queenslanders. In similar fashion to how the majority of people currently on the list of Victorian clubs are Victorians.

And since you mentioned Collingwood, it's probably worth noting that in the time that the Suns have been in the competition and have been struggling to produce local players, the Magpies have acquired Darcy Moore, Callum Brown, Josh Daicos, Tyler Brown, Will Kelly and Nick Daicos, because they went to the effort of noticing that they were sons of former players. And to make matters worse, they also got Quaynor through the NGA scam.