Barry back as Swans get serious

[Rod_]

I would swap 2 or 3 "B" grade midfielders for 1 "A" grader - Which one would you keep and / or which one would you go after????

Out Fosdike, ?? and ??

In Judd? or ??

Would an "A" grade midfielder work for the Swans gameplan? Short bursts and lots of them?? I would like someone to put their hand up and be and A grader for the swans

Who could that be? Bevan, Fixter, Moore Who knows?


Rod_

[liz]

I'm not sure whether one A grader on their own would make enough difference - make it two and we're on our way.

Williams was in the top echelon of midfielders in 2001/2 but it wasn't enough, even though he had a very good support cast of Cressa, Schwass and - for some of the time - Kelly.

The thing that makes Brisbane so potent is that they have 4 or 5 A grade midfielders. WC probably have two - but with a couple of excellent B graders in there too.

Crawford has been an A grader at the Hawks for many years but it hasn't got them very close. Buckley did manage to drag the Pies to two GFs but he had Licuria and Burns playing at top B level along side him.

[Rod_]

Even if we used the money that seems we have in our salary cap, I doubt that we would get one A grader. Teams hold onto these players (Except the Swans Barry Mitchell and Greg Williams....) We go after these players and we get gazzumped. Well we are not going to get one this year anyway.

We need to train our own - long term projects etc..


Seems that you have to play with the cards that your dealt.

So I hope that Fosdike, Fixter, Schnieder, Bolton, Spriggs, Kirk and Co can give the old lads a hand. Maybe one can lift and be more than useful.

Rod_

[liz]

Originally posted by Rod_
Even if we used the money that seems we have in our salary cap, I doubt that we would get one A grader.

We got Williams and we got Schwass. It can happen.

The best way is to find a very good player but one not performing at the top who is stale in his environment. That description applies to Williams, arguably to Schwass to, and certainly to Hall and Lockett (though even below his best in his late St Kilda years Lockett was still top shelf).

But home grown is still the way to bank on. And there are a few down there in the junior ranks who could rise and rise and rise.

[Matt79]

Originally posted by liz


But home grown is still the way to bank on. And there are a few down there in the junior ranks who could rise and rise and rise.

Agree! Ocassionally a 'star' comes our way like a Lockett, Hall etc. but it has been great to see Sydney take more home grown long term projects, McVeigh and Potter both young Penno lads!!

I really hope that a) they develop into stars and b) they stay in Sydney.

The loss of Lenny Hayes does hurt a little...I mean he virtually begged to come here!

Oh well, can't win them all!