2018 trading, drafting and list management: players and personnel

[Rod_]

I find this all so interesting.

The swans have a young list. I would even say a good young list. Typically we trade out the players that have either had a go and didn't make it, retire and move on players that we can recruit better options. If we traded some of the better young guys I would be upset!

Given the suspected salary cap peaking we are experiencing, Hanners and Rohan were on sold to make room. (both were not getting better) Tippett and others should free up $ that will allow us to keep the 2 - 4 year players like Aliir, Haywood, McCartin etc.

Obviously Nick Blakey is held in high regard. (If Stewy Dew keeps his hands off him) we can hope he slips to 7 or 8 where we will have higher draft options late in the draft with the remaining points / selections to get the best options.

A key half back flanker was on the menu and obviously we missed out. Keeping what we have or training a new one will be priority if Mills is to move into the middle.

Rucks don't grow on trees and I am surprised we haven't been active in this area. (a recycled option)

A key forward to help buddy was in the news and presuming that Sam Reid will be back I suggest we didn't waste time chasing.

We recycle well and therefore we are not active in the trading space.

Get the best of what is available at the time and have the most points to ensure we can cover an early selections.

I agree that seeing good players being moved and traded between clubs does tickle the "I want" part of my Swans brain. However I am hopeful we select well in the draft and obtain generation next!

[Jimitron5000]

Ultimately you want to trade for players who will add to the best 22, not trade in players for the sake trading. In addition to this, players we may have had an interest in generally cost something and we are limited by what we are willing to pay in terms of salary and draft picks/players, and whether they might want to move to Sydney.
I'll trust our player development and the enjoyment I will get out of seeing say, O'Riordan become a top notch running half back and intercept marker will be far greater than seeing a recruit from another club achieve the same things.

[waswan]

Disappointing trade period but prefer to bring in guaranteed best 22 then tinker around the edges

We have the cattle just need the game plan
Try to put together a 22 its out of 28 players for me

[RogueSwan]

Part of what I'm thinking is that not only have the Swans freed up some cash to be able to keep some of the developing stars, but it could be argued that they are working off a more business like long term structure where without being reactionary, having belief in a long term plan already laid out and not picking up players that are not needed.

And so they don't find themselves in a similar position to this year in having to offload favourite sons for donuts.

[Mr Magoo]

Big lesson out of all this for the northern clubs - work hard to bring your own talent through the academies so the "go home" factor is reduced.

Would be a great success for any of those clubs if we are not just talking about one bloke getting drafted (Blakey). If there were three or four on the table for discussion then it takes away the focus on someone like blakey but also the go home factor starts to work both ways with the southern states if they do decide to draft guys out of them.

Having the academies in the TAC cup is a big step forward as it will allow them to overcome any bias that the southern kids are just better (or it may reinforce it I guess - lets see) , but my experience has been in recent years that old prejudices are hard to shake. There is still a perception that the Riverina /albury area is a better hunting ground for juniors despite the academy series now showing that the opposite is true.

[S.S. Bleeder]

Any negative judgement on anyone in our trade team is unjustified IMO.

We clearly had cap problems which we've now solved by moving on two players who contributed little in our 2018 campaign, a campaign where we beat the Premiers twice and the runner up late in the season, all with significant outs in our side.

We had a tilt at Langdon but ultimately he's decided to not move away from home and stay at the runner up Pies on what you'd think is a much increased offer from them. Not a fail, just not a win but was always unlikely.

Would have been nice to land a significant midfielder but they're all "going home" to big Vic deals, Neale is going elsewhere for picks we couldn't match.

We've secured Blakey a widely regarded top 7 pick in a super draft and now have a stronger draft hand. Plus we've added Saints future second likely to be low 20s.

Too much hysteria on here that we've failed. We haven't. Activity does not make a successful trade period, strengthening your overall position does.

Let's just sit back and in a relaxed state watch the final day frenzy occur. I'm hoping for a decent @@@@ up like Dodoro not agreeing to GWS demands for Shiel until it's too late to lodge the paperwork! Chill out folks.

I would argue that we clearly DIDN'T have cap problems. If we had cap problems we wouldn't have been looking at Moore and Langdon. Hopefully we are lining up a big fish for next year.

[AnnieH]

+1 Might stop the exodus since his arrival.

Think about it, what has happened since his arrival..... Dr Gibbs, Dew, Shaw, other coaches and staff, players leaving and not bringing in others as there is not the same culture.

On the positive, we have secured a new training facility ....aaaaannnnddddd.

It can't come down to one person, surely, but a huge amount has changed. Not a lot for the good.

One day of trade to go but there is a lot for him yo prove as it has been a failure apart from Clarke and some trading points. Whoopdedoo.

Head of Football... with no coaching experience.
I think he's as poisonous, if not more, than Stevie J.

[S.S. Bleeder]

It's time for the northern clubs to join forces to argue this to the AFL. The only reason that we aren't a basket case like the others (GWS not quite yet) is that we have a fantastic culture and development program.

GWS Giants CEO slams AFL over removal of COLA

[barry]

It's time for the northern clubs to join forces to argue this to the AFL. The only reason that we aren't a basket case like the others (GWS not quite yet) is that we have a fantastic culture and development program.

GWS Giants CEO slams AFL over removal of COLA

Gills view is that what is happening to the Giants and Gold Coast is the salary cap working perfectly.
But as we know, no COLA or retention allowance = a relative salary cap 10 to 20% lower than vic clubs. (Not in absolute $$, but in buying power)

[Mark26]

It's time for the northern clubs to join forces to argue this to the AFL. The only reason that we aren't a basket case like the others (GWS not quite yet) is that we have a fantastic culture and development program.

GWS Giants CEO slams AFL over removal of COLA

+1

[Ludwig]

We should remember that while some clubs gain good players it means other clubs are losing them. Hawthorn may have gained Wingard, but will lose Burton and their 1st round pick. I think Port actually win on that trade. Hawthorn also picked up a crybaby and an aging injured player. The Giants, who we always play twice, are now a weaker team and we might even be good enough to beat Gold Coast next year.

Our academy is still a reasonable source of picking up the occassional good player. Good drafting can make up for some of the detriments of being a club from a non-footy state.

The main thing gained this year is the clarity exposed in knowing the lay of the land in AFL. We can still support the Swans, but we don't have to take the competition seriously. We can just watch the game and not worry about ladder positon. Ladder position is for the VFL. A NEAFL premiership should be our goal.

[Thunder Shaker]

Any negative judgement on anyone in our trade team is unjustified IMO.

We clearly had cap problems which we've now solved by moving on two players who contributed little in our 2018 campaign, a campaign where we beat the Premiers twice and the runner up late in the season, all with significant outs in our side.

We had a tilt at Langdon but ultimately he's decided to not move away from home and stay at the runner up Pies on what you'd think is a much increased offer from them. Not a fail, just not a win but was always unlikely.

Would have been nice to land a significant midfielder but they're all "going home" to big Vic deals, Neale is going elsewhere for picks we couldn't match.

We've secured Blakey a widely regarded top 7 pick in a super draft and now have a stronger draft hand. Plus we've added Saints future second likely to be low 20s.

Too much hysteria on here that we've failed. We haven't. Activity does not make a successful trade period, strengthening your overall position does.

Let's just sit back and in a relaxed state watch the final day frenzy occur. I'm hoping for a decent @@@@ up like Dodoro not agreeing to GWS demands for Shiel until it's too late to lodge the paperwork! Chill out folks.

I agree. The club's clearly trading for draft points so it can match bids on Blakey - even pick 1 can be matched comfortably.

I expect Blakey to be bid on at around pick 8; if so, we would give up 26 and 33 but then retain picks 38, 39 and 40 (which move up one place to 37, 38 and 39) That's the end of the second round and the first pick of the third. Picking up four players by the start of the third round isn't so bad; par is only two (two draft rounds per club).

Some of our best players were picked at about this position in the draft. Goodes was pick 43 in 1997, O'Loughlin was pick 40 in 1994.