2019 trading, drafting and list management: players and personnel

[Blood Fever]

I can see Paps, Gray and Taylor all rotating through the midfield from the forward line. With Naismith back, Allir is free to go back as an interceptig tall (or Brand), freeing Ramps to a flank and a running game and as such, Mills spending more time in the midfield.....if that is what the club actually desire.

Sometimes I doubt this though because for all this talk about Mills being a junior mid gun, I don't see enough evidence out on the ground that he's actually up to it. Sometimes, in heavy traffic, Mills seems less than composed to me....

Hard to judge Mills potential as a midfielder when his mindset is totally focussed on being a defender. Let's wait until(if) it happens.

[stevoswan]

Hard to judge Mills potential as a midfielder when his mindset is totally focussed on being a defender. Let's wait until(if) it happens.

Fair point and I actually do want it to happen so we can find out whether he cuts the mustard.

[dimelb]

And if he does some of us will have egg on our faces!

[707]

Hard to judge Mills potential as a midfielder when his mindset is totally focused on being a defender. Let's wait until(if) it happens.

Trained with the mids last summer then due to injuries had to be thrown back. Let's see what happens this off season.

[Markwebbos]

I can see Paps, Gray and Taylor all rotating through the midfield from the forward line. With Naismith back, Allir is free to go back as an interceptig tall (or Brand), freeing Ramps to a flank and a running game and as such, Mills spending more time in the midfield.....if that is what the club actually desire.

Sometimes I doubt this though because for all this talk about Mills being a junior mid gun, I don't see enough evidence out on the ground that he's actually up to it. Sometimes, in heavy traffic, Mills seems less than composed to me....

We had a few issues with personnel down back last year, including AA playing in the ruck, and Melican not quite being up to scratch, that forced Mills to play as a tall defender. You'd hope that either Melican, Brand or even Maibaum would take Reg's role, but that still leaves Rampe playing second tall defender and AA third / interceptor, unless they play both Melican, Brand and AA plus Rampe in a less accountable role.

Maibaum was originally recruited as a potential Reg replacement, so you never know.

Hopefully there are enough talls that Mills could go to the midfield in 2020, but I am not quite convinced he is the Messiah. I like the idea of Ollie, Nephew Of BT and even Blakey getting a lot more midfield time next year. Plus rotating Paps, Gray and Taylor through there too.

[Blood Fever]

We had a few issues with personnel down back last year, including AA playing in the ruck, and Melican not quite being up to scratch, that forced Mills to play as a tall defender. You'd hope that either Melican, Brand or even Maibaum would take Reg's role, but that still leaves Rampe playing second tall defender and AA third / interceptor, unless they play both Melican, Brand and AA plus Rampe in a less accountable role.

Maibaum was originally recruited as a potential Reg replacement, so you never know.

Hopefully there are enough talls that Mills could go to the midfield in 2020, but I am not quite convinced he is the Messiah. I like the idea of Ollie, Nephew Of BT and even Blakey getting a lot more midfield time next year. Plus rotating Paps, Gray and Taylor through there too.

Rampe is an All-Australian elite one on one defender. Very hard to come by and invaluable. Don't diminish his influence by making him an interceptor. Leo Barry was similar and a fair bit shorter than Dane. He did wonderfully well although he never won a B&F.

[giant]

They've absolutely lost the plot. Gray will be useful enough - Clarke, Thurlow, Taylor and Brand are just list cloggers.

+1 (though don't particularly rate Gray either to be honest).

[dejavoodoo44]

Rampe is an All-Australian elite one on one defender. Very hard to come by and invaluable. Don't diminish his influence by making him an interceptor. Leo Barry was similar and a fair bit shorter than Dane. He did wonderfully well although he never won a B&F.

On Leo Barry. A while back, I was thinking that Stoddart reminded me of Leo. Mainly in the way that Stoddart would take off from defence, without really seeming to know where he was going, but the harem scarem run would usually work out okay. Much like the frenetic manner, in which Barry used to rebound out of defence. Then I thought to myself, with his slight build, I could never really see Stoddart playing on key position forwards, the way that Barry used to do. So just out of idle curiosity, I checked their sizes: Stoddart, 186cm; Barry, 184cm.

Of course, I'm not saying that we should try to convert Stoddart into a KPD. But it just emphasizes what a freak Leaping Leo was. How he was continually able to play on and give a beating to, brutes like Lynch, Gardiner, Gehrig, Brown, Neitz, etc.

[Blood Fever]

On Leo Barry. A while back, I was thinking that Stoddart reminded me of Leo. Mainly in the way that Stoddart would take off from defence, without really seeming to know where he was going, but the harem scarem run would usually work out okay. Much like the frenetic manner, in which Barry used to rebound out of defence. Then I thought to myself, with his slight build, I could never really see Stoddart playing on key position forwards, the way that Barry used to do. So just out of idle curiosity, I checked their sizes: Stoddart, 186cm; Barry, 184cm.

Of course, I'm not saying that we should try to convert Stoddart into a KPD. But it just emphasizes what a freak Leaping Leo was. How he was continually able to play on and give a beating to, brutes like Lynch, Gardiner, Gehrig, Brown, Neitz, etc.

Leo was unbelievable - brilliant in the air as well as very quick and athletic. Reckon he must have played Rugby League as a kid. When he took off from deep in defence, dodging and weaving, it reminded me of a RL full back. Heart in the mouth stuff that happily mostly ended up ok. Some of his high marking was breathtaking. What a player!

[bloodspirit]

I was fortunate enough to have a chat to Tom Harley this morning at Swans training. I have posted at greater length in the pre-season thread but I'll repeat a couple of points more relevant to this thread here:

* trade period is overrated; the idea of 'winning' a trade period is nonsensical; the most 'successful' and active teams tend to be those who haven't been very successful on the field recently and who have salary cap space (I assume St Kilda is an example of this). Conversely the most successful teams don't get up to too much: e.g. Richmond, Collingwood, Geelong. While we were panned in the media as having been trade period 'losers' this is not the club's view and they more think we just lost 'the PR battle'.

* Tom Harley is a little removed from our approach to the draft (and, I infer, recruiting generally). He has a fair awareness of what we are doing and who we are interested in but not too much about the detail.

* We do feel we are going to get a good player at pick 5 and that they will be significantly better than a player we might select at pick 9.

* We will bid on Tom Green if he's still available at our pick. We expect GWS to match the bid.

* We recruited the players we did both because they are good players and because they are relatively seasoned and add some experience to our group.

* The recruitment of Gray spelled the end for Menzel. We decided that Gray had better exposed form over the past few years than Menzel.

* We decided not to trade Papley unless we got Daniher (as has already been reporeted in the media - but confirmed by Harley). We were never going to offer pick 5 because we really want to pick up a great young player who will be a part of the nucleus of our side in a few years' time and because, as noted already, we consider pick 5 will give us a significantly better player than pick 9 (contrary to what some media outlets have been reporting).

* We intend to draft two great Academy players (Gulden and Campbell I assume) next year. We expect them both to be around the first round.

* We hope that in the not too distant future 6 out of our 10 best players will have come from NSW and this will hopefully help to reduce any 'go home' factor.

* We are still recovering from the removal of COLA.

* Gray and Taylor were not recruited specifically to build depth to cover Papley's position. [I didn't ask and Tom didn't comment over whether we will continue to hold on to Papley for the duration of his contract. Likewise, I didn't ask, and Tom didn't comment, about whether we will chase Joe Daniher again next year.] Papley will be expected to deal with his disappointment about not being traded and get on with it.

[Markwebbos]

Wow! I’m amazed he was that frank with you. Great information thanks

[Velour&Ruffles]

I was fortunate enough to have a chat to Tom Harley this morning at Swans training. I have posted at greater length in the pre-season thread but I'll repeat a couple of points more relevant to this thread here:

* trade period is overrated; the idea of 'winning' a trade period is nonsensical; the most 'successful' and active teams tend to be those who haven't been very successful on the field recently and who have salary cap space (I assume St Kilda is an example of this). Conversely the most successful teams don't get up to too much: e.g. Richmond, Collingwood, Geelong. While we were panned in the media as having been trade period 'losers' this is not the club's view and they more think we just lost 'the PR battle'.

* Tom Harley is a little removed from our approach to the draft (and, I infer, recruiting generally). He has a fair awareness of what we are doing and who we are interested in but not too much about the detail.

* We do feel we are going to get a good player at pick 5 and that they will be significantly better than a player we might select at pick 9.

* We will bid on Tom Green if he's still available at our pick. We expect GWS to match the bid.

* We recruited the players we did both because they are good players and because they are relatively seasoned and add some experience to our group.

* The recruitment of Gray spelled the end for Menzel. We decided that Gray had better exposed form over the past few years than Menzel.

* We decided not to trade Papley unless we got Daniher (as has already been reporeted in the media - but confirmed by Harley). We were never going to offer pick 5 because we really want to pick up a great young player who will be a part of the nucleus of our side in a few years' time and because, as noted already, we consider pick 5 will give us a significantly better player than pick 9 (contrary to what some media outlets have been reporting).

* We intend to draft two great Academy players (Gulden and Campbell I assume) next year. We expect them both to be around the first round.

* We hope that in the not too distant future 6 out of our 10 best players will have come from NSW and this will hopefully help to reduce any 'go home' factor.

* We are still recovering from the removal of COLA.

* Gray and Taylor were not recruited specifically to build depth to cover Papley's position. [I didn't ask and Tom didn't comment over whether we will continue to hold on to Papley for the duration of his contract. Likewise, I didn't ask, and Tom didn't comment, about whether we will chase Joe Daniher again next year.] Papley will be expected to deal with his disappointment about not being traded and get on with it.

Great note - thanks. One question - did he say anything about Maibaum? I'm one of the ones who hope strongly that we redraft him and am looking for some clarity.