2019 trading, drafting and list management: players and personnel

[stevoswan]

Fox, McLean, Bell, Amartey, and Knoll re-signed for 2020

Five Swans secured - sydneyswans.com.au

Just got a notification of that.....interesting. So at least speculation on those players can now cease.

[Ralph Dawg]

Yes, I understand that, but I also understand that he's had a very lucrative contract in front of his face for a while and has decided that he thinks he's a bigger gun than he actually is, and is looking for greener midfielder pastures.
He's NOT a midfielder - he's a half-back flank. They tried him out in the midfield this year, and as far as I'm concerned, he failed the test. To be a good midfielder (not even a great one), you have to be VERY accurate with your disposals. He doesn't have that accuracy. He's a kick now, think later, type player.
Good luck to him, I hope he gets to go to Freo, or wherever he wants to go.

As a keen NRL fan, Jones is equivalent to the winger / centre who wants to play in the halves or fullback (part of a rugby league "spine"). This is due to:
a) Prestige
b) Bigger contract

I agree 100% with your assessment on Jones though. Lacks precision and poise under pressure to play inside, definitely more HB or provide run on the outside. In that roll, he has been surpassed by Ollie and Dawson. We also have Cunningham to come back and Blakey, Stoddart, McInerney and Ling all coming through. So I'm not too upset that he's going, providing we can get a decent enough deal.

[707]

Fox, McLean, Bell, Amartey, and Knoll re-signed for 2020

No indication of which list which is disappointing for those of us keeping tab of list numbers. So we've had two delisting, five fringe re-signings leaving four fringe players in limbo until after trade period you would think. Bennell to come on board after 1st Nov?

[liz]

Where does that leave Menzel, Pink, Wicks and Hirst?

Possibly they'll have to hang on until after the trade period, when the club will have a better idea of list spots available, draft picks held and player "types" needed. I think Maibaum is also out of contract, and have wondered (internally) whether there is room for both he and Pink on the list. It may come down to one or the other.

Wicks is an interesting one. I think he had a good year, and showed heaps of improvement, especially in the first half of the season. I thought he plateaued a bit in the second half of the season though, and I wonder whether he has the tools to develop into an AFL level player. Is he capable, for example, of being any better than players like Hiscox or Foote?

[liz]

As a keen NRL fan, Jones is equivalent to the winger / centre who wants to play in the halves or fullback (part of a rugby league "spine"). This is due to:
a) Prestige
b) Bigger contract

I agree 100% with your assessment on Jones though. Lacks precision and poise under pressure to play inside, definitely more HB or provide run on the outside. In that roll, he has been surpassed by Ollie and Dawson. We also have Cunningham to come back and Blakey, Stoddart, McInerney and Ling all coming through. So I'm not too upset that he's going, providing we can get a decent enough deal.

I was disappointed about the prospect of losing Jones - mostly because he does have some pace and aggro, and because he is a bit more experienced and physically mature than many of our list. The last month of the season, when Jones was missing, moderated my disappointment somewhat because the midfield did OK without him, albeit in some games against weaker sides. In particular, his absence opened up the opportunity for Rowbottom to play more in the midfield and I thought he did very well playing in a similar style to Jones. He doesn't have Jones' raw pace but he still likes to tuck the ball under his arm and take on opponents, often successfully. His kicking is more reliable than Jones' too. However, he still is very young, and it's to be expected that he'll take another couple of seasons to develop into a consistent and reliable midfield option.

[Ralph Dawg]

Possibly they'll have to hang on until after the trade period, when the club will have a better idea of list spots available, draft picks held and player "types" needed. I think Maibaum is also out of contract, and have wondered (internally) whether there is room for both he and Pink on the list. It may come down to one or the other.

Wicks is an interesting one. I think he had a good year, and showed heaps of improvement, especially in the first half of the season. I thought he plateaued a bit in the second half of the season though, and I wonder whether he has the tools to develop into an AFL level player. Is he capable, for example, of being any better than players like Hiscox or Foote?

I think he plateaued because he had to play more in the midfield given our injury situation. To me, he is more a high pressure small forward and he did this role really well at NEAFL level.

Plus he's a local junior. I hope we give him a contract.

[rb4x]

Well at least one of Bell and Amartey will need to be placed on the senior list. I would assume Bell but possibly both.

[Jeynez]

To be a good midfielder (not even a great one), you have to be VERY accurate with your disposals. He doesn't have that accuracy. He's a kick now, think later, type player.

Where does that rank guys like Treloar, Shiel, Dangerfield, O'Meara then? All very ordinary kicks of the ball, some worse than Jones.

[longmile]

Fox, McLean, Bell, Amartey, and Knoll re-signed for 2020

Five Swans secured - sydneyswans.com.au

Feel a bit sorry for Dean Towers. Always thought he was a bit hard done by and was finally showing he was seriously best 22 before his eye injury. Fox just seems like a bit more of a crap version of towers (except can take the odd screamer)

[Thunder Shaker]

Possibly they'll have to hang on until after the trade period, when the club will have a better idea of list spots available, draft picks held and player "types" needed. I think Maibaum is also out of contract, and have wondered (internally) whether there is room for both he and Pink on the list. It may come down to one or the other.

Player types we need are pretty clear. We need a couple of good midfielders and possibly a ruckman.

We were ranked 17th for inside 50s (ahead of only Gold Coast) and 16th for clearances and contested possessions (though Richmond were worse than us in both of these, so perhaps those stats are not particularly useful). We're having problems winning the ball and getting it forward. Recruiting a couple of midfielders is pretty obvious.

[Bloods05]

Feel a bit sorry for Dean Towers. Always thought he was a bit hard done by and was finally showing he was seriously best 22 before his eye injury. Fox just seems like a bit more of a crap version of towers (except can take the odd screamer)

I would have said quite the opposite. Fox is Towers with skills and better decision-making. Not a star, but a role-player. Towers always let himself down by panicking when he got the ball.

[Thunder Shaker]

I was disappointed about the prospect of losing Jones - mostly because he does have some pace and aggro, and because he is a bit more experienced and physically mature than many of our list. The last month of the season, when Jones was missing, moderated my disappointment somewhat because the midfield did OK without him, albeit in some games against weaker sides. In particular, his absence opened up the opportunity for Rowbottom to play more in the midfield and I thought he did very well playing in a similar style to Jones. He doesn't have Jones' raw pace but he still likes to tuck the ball under his arm and take on opponents, often successfully. His kicking is more reliable than Jones' too. However, he still is very young, and it's to be expected that he'll take another couple of seasons to develop into a consistent and reliable midfield option.

Jones has a weakness for a bit too much aggro at times. He's not useful if he's serving another suspension.