I think it's highly unlikely Buddy will be traded, although I think if it cost us $1m over 3 years to offload him and his salary (as Niall suggests), that's not ridiculous, that's only $333k per year. The HS article pointed out we offered $2m more over the life of the deal than GW$ did, so perhaps we could have got him for less. I know it's heresy, but its possible that, as a player, he may not be worth $1.4m next year and $1m the next.
We do have some pretty glaring holes in our list, either current or imminent, including at full-forward. Some tough decisions are going to have to be made in order to rectify the situation. I think the process started last year when the club drew a line under Rohan and Hanners. We've chosen to play an inexperienced team rather than persist with those two (even if we did try and trade in some cheaper experience).
Kennedy is 31 this year, 32 next, if you take him out of our midfield, we'd be even more stuffed than at present. Do we think his replacement is currently on the Swans list, in the draft, or playing at another club? If it's going to be Rowbottom, surely he has to get into the AFL pretty soon.
We seem to have a lot of players out of contract at year end, check out below: source footy wire
Sydney Players Out of Contract in 2019
Name Years Service Status
Colin O'Riordan 4 Non-Free Agent
Daniel Menzel 1 Non-Free Agent
Darcy Cameron 3 Non-Free Agent
Durak Tucker 1 Non-Free Agent
H.Cunningham 8 Restricted Free Agent
Harry Reynolds 1 Non-Free Agent
Hayden McLean 1 Non-Free Agent
Heath Grundy 15 Unrestricted Free Agent
Jack Maibaum 3 Non-Free Agent
J.Thurlow 1 Non-Free Agent
James Bell 2 Non-Free Agent
James Rose 5 Non-Free Agent
Jarrad McVeigh 16 Unrestricted Free Agent
Joel Amartey 2 Non-Free Agent
Jordan Dawson 4 Non-Free Agent
Kieren Jack 14 Unrestricted Free Agent
Kurt Tippett 7 Non-Free Agent
Nick Smith 12 Unrestricted Free Agent
Robbie Fox 3 Non-Free Agent
Ryan Clarke 1 Non-Free Agent
Toby Pink 3 Non-Free Agent
Zak Jones 6 Non-Free Agent
Some should/have retire, or should be made to retire: Kieren Jack, Heath Grundy, Nick Smith, Jarrad McVeigh, Kurt Tippett.
Some should be cut either though we have just recruited them: Ryan Clarke, would like to give Thurlow & Menzel a go, but unless they amaze for the rest of the season, they are just stopping the development of younger players
Some young players who have had a chance and not prove themselves at AFL level: Jack Maibaum, James Rose, Robbie Fox, Colin O'Riordan
Some players who are Non-Free Agent but if we got an amazing draft offer for them take it: Zak Jones, Darcy Cameron
All the other players are young and should be given a go to develop, especially Pink: yes i know he hasn't produce enough, but one or two years more won't break the bank and we have already invested a lot in him so keep him.
Basically we need a real clean out of older players who won't be in our next premiership and the younger players who after several years on our list have not prove they are good AFL players.
Another note, we are really going to have some salary cap space; so let not burn it with crap, non best 22 players from other club.
doof-doof
We have historically picked up some very good fringe 22 players from other clubs - eg Ted Richards, Marty Mattner, Ben McGlynn , Josh Kennedy, mumford, jolly . You cant just go out and buy topliners , the salary cap will not permit it and taking top draft picks is not the answer either - there is plenty of evidence of that.
There needs to be a balance and sometimes those guys work out and sometimes they dont. If one of thurlow or clarke work out it will be a worthwhile exercise. If they dont then that s recruiting.
True but all those players were from a long time ago:
Ted Richards: 2007 join Swans
Marty Mattner: 2008 join Swans
Ben McGlynn: 2010 join Swans
Josh Kennedy: 2010 join Swans
Mumford: 2010 join Swans
Jolly:2005 join Swans
We haven't got a first class recruit, apart from Buddy, for a very long time.
Either our recruiting has got worse or other clubs have got a lot better at identifying and keeping talent; maybe a bit or both.
doof-doof
I really think we have to hang on to Jones at all costs. He's young and exactly the type of player we need more of. If we start letting our best young players go in exchange for draft picks (and they were talking about him being "worth" about pick 20, that's because he'd be going from Sydney to Melbourne, he's worth much more than that but we wouldn't get it, only got 14 for a future Brownlow medalist) we'll become Carlton.
The clearout will largely clear itself out as McVeigh, Grundy, Smith, Jack, Tippett(!!!) will probably retire this year or next. As Mr Magoo says, we aren't going to be able to fill our team with Coniglio's, although if GWS offered to swap him for Buddy, and we keep paying the original salaries, I'd take it.
I remember last year at trade time waiting for the Swans masterstroke to be revealed ... and then nothing. So I'm praying that this year, they will bring in some serious talent, in the right age bracket. Another year of ins like 2010 would be pretty handy, including a ruckman!
Agree that persuading Jones to stay should be priority number 1. He's just entering his peak years, is improving at a good rate, and brings something different to our midfield mix. He's likely to get bigger offers from clubs like St Kilda, who have money to burn in their salary cap, so we have to hope that he likes living in Sydney and sees a positive future for the current playing list.
If he leaves for a much bigger financial offer (that the Swans don't think makes sense to match), that will be one thing. If he leaves just to go back to Melbourne, and for a financial offer in the same ball-park as the Swans' offer (eg to a Hawthorn, or Melbourne), that will be intensely annoying, and will add credence to the northern clubs' belief that they do need some kind of retention allowance while the mix of local/interstate players remains so imbalanced compared to other clubs.
It was a good article but I would suggest one factual change to this sentence:
"On the field, the Swans made two grand finals, in 2014 and 2016, and they were unfortunate to lose the latter game to the Bulldogs on an afternoon when Buddy hurt his ankle in the opening minutes and the footy gods wore red, white and blue."
That last bit should read "and the umpires and AFL administrators wore red, white and blue for not just the GF but the entire finals series." The 'fairypups' should not have even made it to the 2016 GF !!
Rowbottom yes but also this bloke.....Brayden Sier of the Magpies. Great in the finals series last year but hasn't cracked a game this season.
Time for a trade? 10 out-of-favour players your club could target - AFL.com.au
From the above article:
Brayden Sier – Collingwood
Games this year: Nil
Contract: 2019
Would suit: Sydney
A major success story in the Pies' run to the Grand Final last year after cracking an AFL debut in round 15 and playing the final 12 matches. Went at 22 disposals and 5.3 clearances in the Pies' four finals but is yet to earn a senior game this season following the arrival of Dayne Beams. With Scott Pendlebury now 31, Sier would be the logical future replacement, but at 21 is he prepared to wait that long? Sydney's Josh Kennedy turns 31 this year. Could Sier do a Kennedy and head north as an inside bull?
Makes a lot of sense to me.....
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