Swans Academy and player watch

**liz** · 4th July 2014, 07:28 PM

Originally Posted by Flying South

I meant what other team is he coaching. Is he one of our academy coaches, GWS, Rams?

He's coaching the RAMS (which is the U18 side) in their TAC cup series as well as the U18 Nationals. I don't think he is aligned to either academy.

**Melb Blood Bro** · 4th July 2014, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by Auntie.Gerald

isnt Saddo a GWS Academy coach also?

How could he be a coach with both? Wouldn't that be a conflict of interest?

**Melb Blood Bro** · 4th July 2014, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by Ludwig

I would assume that no club would bid on a player without an interview. I don't think a club would spend their 1st round pick on someone so disposed.

I think Many teams would because they know that the Swans would use their top pick. I think Collingwood would even if that wasnt the case.

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Originally Posted by Matt80

Heeney and Mills were selected in the AFL All Australian U18 squad. They are both in the starting line up.

Eddie would be proud of the academy progress.

I noticed that Dunkley did not make it to the U18 squad. Has be been playing well for Victoria Country?

Mills is listed as a forward though. Does he usually spent time there?

**Ludwig** · 4th July 2014, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by Melb Blood Bro

I think Many teams would because they know that the Swans would use their top pick. I think Collingwood would even if that wasnt the case.

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Mills is listed as a forward though. Does he usually spent time there?

That post was from 3 months ago before Heeney became so famous. Now there is no doubt he will go with our first pick. But Collingwood won't be doing the bidding, because they will have to use their 1st pick on FS selection Moore.

**Melb Blood Bro** · 4th July 2014, 10:58 PM

Jack Steele named on bench.

**Auntie.Gerald** · 4th July 2014, 11:45 PM

no generally Mills plays for Northshore and the Rams in the midfield....... but it is still a compliment of his skills and hunger for the ball that he made the AA team albeit upfront for a midfield rotation.

**Conor_Dillon** · 5th July 2014, 02:30 PM

Mills is a genuine midfielder but was named as a forward just because he was too good to not be in the team.

We shouldn't underestimate how big of an achievement it is for Mills, as a bottom age player from Div 2, to make the All-Aus team...huge effort!

As far as the Heeney-Mills debate goes...wow...it's scary how good they could both be. I think in the long-run that Mills will be more inside and Heeney more outside but they're both good enough to do either. Mills is probably slightly more clean and clever in tight and Heeney is marginally more explosive out of a contest. This is from an extremely small sample size to go off and could be completely wrong but either way it's an exciting argument.

It should be noted though that they're both teenage kids and we shouldn't heap too much pressure on them. We're in the extremely fortunate position of being able to grab two (potential) top 5 midfielders in the next 2 drafts whilst still being a top 3 or 4 team which gives us the time to nurture and develop them before exposing them to the big stage. Kids of this ability generally end up at bottom 5 teams and are instantly weighted with the collective hopes of a supporter base and expected to lift their club off the bottom of the table. Remember Jack Watts in the infamous Queens Birthday encounter? Hardly fair.

**Doctor** · 5th July 2014, 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by jono2707

Interesting - I just had Mike and Mike on ESPN, an American sports chat show. They were talking about how soccer is taking off in the US and how, to further develop the sport domestically, the Major League Soccer had set up an Academy system across the competition. This system actively encourages teams to develop their own talent by giving the teams the rights to any talent they develop themselves through their own academies. Sound familiar?

The commentators were unanimous that the MLS has gotten this spot on and that an academy system is the smartest response to developing young talent in a market where football, basketball and baseball are all bigger sports. They agreed that doing this can only strengthen the sport domestically in the US, by providing quality pathways in the sport that otherwise wouldn't exist. Hmmmm.....

Wonderful comparison. Thanks for posting this.

**Melb Blood Bro** · 5th July 2014, 05:22 PM

Originally Posted by Conor_Dillon

Mills is a genuine midfielder but was named as a forward just because he was too good to not be in the team.

We shouldn't underestimate how big of an achievement it is for Mills, as a bottom age player from Div 2, to make the All-Aus team...huge effort!

As far as the Heeney-Mills debate goes...wow...it's scary how good they could both be. I think in the long-run that Mills will be more inside and Heeney more outside but they're both good enough to do either. Mills is probably slightly more clean and clever in tight and Heeney is marginally more explosive out of a contest. This is from an extremely small sample size to go off and could be completely wrong but either way it's an exciting argument.

It should be noted though that they're both teenage kids and we shouldn't heap too much pressure on them. We're in the extremely fortunate position of being able to grab two (potential) top 5 midfielders in the next 2 drafts whilst still being a top 3 or 4 team which gives us the time to nurture and develop them before exposing them to the big stage. Kids of this ability generally end up at bottom 5 teams and are instantly weighted with the collective hopes of a supporter base and expected to lift their club off the bottom of the table. Remember Jack Watts in the infamous Queens Birthday encounter? Hardly fair.

I was particularly impressed with the way Isaac spoke in his recent interview on NAB Rising Stars. Swans are going to have some great leaders in coming the years.
I found this image of Mills and Heeney standing together at a Rams function (never seen the two together).