2014 Draft Prospects

[707]

So in 2015 we have Josh Dunkley - father/son and Callum Mills - academy. Looks like our drafting is pretty much done for the next couple of years, apart from the 'outside the square' late picks.

I often wonder how much future years possibilities affect how the list is managed now. Are some of the decisions just made done with an eye to likely outcomes in the 2014 trade/draft period. I assume they are, and there will always be a bit of guesswork about current players development.

Serious injury/lack of progress/defections can all warp where you thought your list was going!

I like the thought of F-S and Academy players making up the bulk of our future recruitment. An exciting next few years as we see how it pans out.

[andy0414]

I guess at some point over the next few years the Swans will be faced with the tough decision of picking who they think is the better player over an equally good local player. It will be a bit like the 1998 draft where the Swan chose Bolton & Fosdike over Hayes & McVeigh. I'm still undecided if we would have been better off with the NSW boys. Jude has been an outstanding servant to the club but I think Lenny would have been too. And McVeigh and Fosdike's careers are very similar.

[Ludwig]

It will be interesting to see how the F/S bidding goes for the Academy Boys, especially if Heeney and Abe Davis get highly rated by recruiters. I wonder if other clubs will not bid on them or not offer a high bid since they don't get to see these players much and also feel that they would prefer to be at the Swans, having gone through years meeting with the players and coaches. There is a bit of the go home factor to consider for the non Sydney clubs. Melbourne is probably the most likely bidder as Roos would know the players well, but they are likely to be picking around 15 places before us, so even if they did bid on a player, we would still get almost a one round benefit. I don't think anyone will be spending a first rounder on any of these boys.

[YoungTalent101]

Heeney may attract some interest late in the first round if he can put together a very good year this year, but as history tells us, most clubs steer clear of picking NSW boys which could see the swans getting some absolute guns at the back end of the draft as well as pick up some talls in the first round.
Ludwig is spot on with the Melbourne comment. I think they will have their eye on some some of the academy talent with Roosy knowing a few of the boys very well

[YoungTalent101]

Has anyone got updates on how the acadmey boys are playing?

[swanspant12]

Need to draft key position backs this draft.

Our midfield is set, but our lack of key talls is concerning, especially considering alot of our backline is coming to the pointy ends of their careers.

Shaw 32, Richards 31, LRT 31, Malceski 29. Time to draft for the backline Kinnear. Get it done, genius.

[goswannies]

I think Essendon still has a 1st rounder to forfeit, so that makes it pick 17.

Unless BBR25 is suggesting we either suffer a massive form slump or tank for picks 18 and ONE?

[707]

Abe Davis is getting airplay as a probable nomination by us so what can ressie watchers tell about him?

[undy]

Abe Davis is getting airplay as a probable nomination by us so what can ressie watchers tell about him?

He looks a lot fitter in real life than he does on YouTube.
May have to find a different barber to most of the team.
Seems like a pretty good kick to me.

[Matt80]

Need to draft key position backs this draft.

Our midfield is set, but our lack of key talls is concerning, especially considering alot of our backline is coming to the pointy ends of their careers.

Shaw 32, Richards 31, LRT 31, Malceski 29. Time to draft for the backline Kinnear. Get it done, genius.

I have raised the possibility of trading for a Jake Carlisle in another thread and have been ridiculed. The trade that I proposed to get Carlisle has been even more ridiculed.

Great key backs are as precious as great key forwards. There not usually lying around as delisted free agents.

Drafting them always take years to come to fruition.

[Ludwig]

I have raised the possibility of trading for a Jake Carlisle in another thread and have been ridiculed. The trade that I proposed to get Carlisle has been even more ridiculed.

Great key backs are as precious as great key forwards. There not usually lying around as delisted free agents.

Drafting them always take years to come to fruition.

I think our key defender situation is more 'uncertain' than desperate. It seems we can carry the current group for at least another year. Laidler has worked out well and is still young and relatively inexperienced. He should only get better.

I think Membrey will make it as a third forward, so Reid can play back if we want. Nankervis is another Tippett-type player that is really more a ruck-forward than a pure ruckman. He's a very accurate kick for goal, which is another reason I think Reid can play more in defence than forward.

The uncertainty is 1) if AJ can return and pick up his career where he left off, 2)can Tommy Walsh restart his career and 3) can either Allir or XR make it at senior level. I would say that we would hope that at least one of these will make it. If 2 get through, then we will be fine for some time to come.

In any case, with Isaac Heeney joining our already deep midfield next year, likely followed by Dunkley and Mills, we can focus all of the rest of our recruiting on KPPs, and particularly KPDs. It doesn't really matter that Heeney will likely consume our first pick, because the really top KPPs will go in the first dozen players, then a gap to the next level, so there should be a number of key defenders available with our second pick. Abe Davis can hopefully join the club as a rookie. So I would imagine that we will have at least another 2 KPP prospects by next year.

I wouldn't mind using our second pick to get one of GWS's excess young defenders, maybe Frost or Jaksch.

I think the speculation about trading a gun midfielder for a gun key defender is valid, but something that we hopefully need not worry about until the after the 2015 season. If none of the players and prospects mentioned above come through then our hand may be forced.

[Cpt. Kirk]

Have a look at Josh Dunkley's twitter page.

Josh Dunkley (jdunks6) on Twitter

Lot's of links to Swans on there. It looks like the relationship is OK. Also a good picture of Josh with Adan Goodes. Josh is not far off Adam's height - a big boy for a 16 year old.

Future AFL stars train at AIS camp - YouTube

Looks good for 2015, he seems pretty keen to go to Sydney.