2023 List Management

[Blood Fever]

Interview on Swans website with Anthony Rocca who was Green's Under 18 coach. Huge wrap for him. Worth a look at what he says.

[wolftone57]

Caiden Cleary will be a very good mid. I can see a time our mids are going to consist of;
Cleary, Sheldrick, who are both hard as nails, Gulden, Mills, Rowbottom, another hard nut, Warner, Jordan, Roberts & forward part time mids of Heeney & Papley.

Add to that Green & McAndrew who are both really good tap rucks. This squad is now developing beautifully. I wonder if we will rookie a running half back. Or do we wait until next year because we are not short yet?

The people who keep talking about another Key defender have to realise we now have all these guys;

Arnold, Melican, Francis, McCartin, Edwards, Hamling & Rampe at a pinch. Rather him playing the flank though. The reason he first became a regular was because he played so well as a lock down flanker.

Our wings are pretty well covered as Gulden, Campbell, Corey Warner, Mitchell, McInerney, plus Florent, Blakey, Llloyd & Harry who can all play wing

At half Back we have; Rampe, Florent, Blakey, Lloyd, Harry, Vickery & Fox

Grundy in the short term will be pivotal. But in the long term developing Stretch & Green would be the plan. What of Ladhams? Well, he has to fight for a spot now. Any transgressions and I think the coaches will lose patience. He has the talent but the temperament lets him down. Maybe being around a really top quality ruck and seeing how he goes about his footy might just wake him up.

[Bloods05]

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 think the last ruckman we drafted in the first round was Brad Tunbridge.

[wolftone57]

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.

I think Green is a very good choice. He is a mobile ruck who can play as an extra mid. He can also play CHB. In the coming years he and McAndrew might just make a very formidable partnership.

You mention all the older players. I reckon Lloyd has at least 3 more left in him. Rampe, possibly 2 but one would be good, & Harry, maybe two. Melican probably 3-4 years. Fox maybe 2. Reid is not a defender.

These are our defenders minus those who are getting old you mentioned;

McCartin 23, Mills 26 (can go back if needed), Arnold 24, Francis 26, Hamling 30 (probably 2-3 more), Blakey 23, Vickery 18, Edwards 20, Maigor 19. If we add to the group in next year's draft we will have a very good group to go ahead with in 2025 and beyond. We do not need to add in a year that was not too good for backs. Everyone talks about Leake but it was funny he didn't go earlier. He was picked to go before our pick. I don't think the clubs rated him as high as the so called experts.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

I think the last ruckman we drafted in the first round was Brad Tunbridge.

Brett O'Farrell ?

[wolftone57]

I think the last ruckman we drafted in the first round was Brad Tunbridge.

he was a good player. Did he go back to the West?

[wolftone57]

Brett O'Farrell ?

Yep 14th in the 1996 draft

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Yep 14th in the 1996 draft

I think the Hawks gave us pick #4 two years later for him - a not insignificant contribution to the club.

[Smith]

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.

Not an unreasonable position.

Jed Walter was born in Perth and lived there until 10 before moving to Gold Coast. Comes from an AFL supporting family.

Is that who the academy is designed for? I guess it is to provide the continual pathway.

I’ve no issue with the Jed pick being Gold Coasts, but 3 inside 15 is a bit rich with another in the 20’s. It should be capped.

[Auntie.Gerald]

Capped per season or capped over a rolling 3 years?

[BRS328]

Jono,
You are of course correct in what you are saying, but the same Victorian Clubs never complain about the huge advantage they have when it comes to father/ son academies that they all run. For some reason that is considered different!!!
The fact is you get swings and roundabouts in both.
I suspect the thing that irks the Victorian clubs most is the success of the academy’s is making it more difficult for them to raid the northern clubs

[i'm-uninformed2]

I think the issue with our defence is not the volume and quality of our younger small and mobile defenders. Blakey is elite, Florent good and there's a few others with real potential.

It's our talls. We either have plodders or injury-prone types, and McCartin - who is elite. But he's also now the most important player on our list in some ways, as there's no replacement for him.

I'm just not sure what the club - having gone all in during the trade period, and had nothing of quality available to them at our pick last night - was meant to do. It's not like we've not tried this year; it's probably more an accumulation of historical list issues. I do have hope for Edwards, as I think he's continually improved, but you wouldn't bank on it yet. Anyway, fingers and toes crossed for Tom Mc.

[Auntie.Gerald]

I mean it is so rare to to be able to complete a list for much more than a season or two

And then if injuries strike it can unravel in an instant

At the same time I have always argued we need to give ourselves our best shot

If we can control the middle and the key turnover areas for our counter attack then this reduces the need for a seriously elite backline of KPDs

If we can apply enough scoreboard pressure (which will be a big test in 2024) then we also reduce the need for an elite KPD.

But watching a player like May or Moore be able to stand one on one isolated and deep……and keep the pressure up the field rather than stacking our defence or a plus 1 is a joy to watch.

Maybe we have gone with tall depth at value prices because we are working on still bringing in a key tall defender at the end of 2024.

Maybe we think we have enough with what we now have…….I think unlikely but it may be serviceable if our other keys areas fire.

Maybe we still have our sights on that big tall athletic goal kicking forward to trade or FA into the harbour city and need the short term value defenders just for now. Hamling, Melican and Francis all finishing end of 2024 unless renewed. Rampe retiring 2025 most likely and or slowing down?

It is a bit of a mystery and an interesting strategy Re our tall defence. I suppose what adds to the mystery is not “so far” building in more tall KPD youth of quality ?

It was equally a massive change to have Paddy Mac suddenly exit just when he and Tom were making a great combo at the back. That has made a new Plan A very trickle short term and no lack of trying to lure some experience that didn’t, in part, want to come to Sydney.

[BRS328]

You need to go back and look at the facts. Kinnear is up there with the best of them. Every club has its “busts”, but on average Kinnear and his team have done a great job. They have rebuilt on the run without bottoming out, and that takes skill and careful planning.
I am sure you will come back and say it was because of the academy, but also look at what clubs like Collingwood have done with father/son and their academy (Quaynor).
It a lot more than good luck

[BRS328]

Hamling has a 2 year contract so he will be there at least until the end of 2025.
I thought both Melican and Francis contributed at times last year which will hopefully give them some confidence going into next season, and will be handy backup in case of injury