Who will Matthews replace?

[BigBadBarryNo1]

Just curious guys, who you think Benny Matthews replace in the team?

Craigie is likely to be out with injury but Benny isn't a backline player...

Benny isn't a tall so I don't think he'll be replacing Chambers in his "education" in the ruck ala-LRT..

Malceski has been playing white-hot and I'm pretty doubtful he will be dropped.. (I see him as a future captain in the Paul Kelly tradition.. )

Ablett had a cracker against the Dogs, and "may" or "may not
be injured, but unsure if we would want him not to play, according to his form against the Dogs.

McVeigh would be a hard lad to drop too, on his current playing form and run with the ball, as well as the massive 50m+ kicks he's producing off his boot.. his disposals have been good too, just needs to be harder in the tackles and he'd be a complete unit...

Hmm... I wonder if the Lions got into these spots of bother in deciding who to play, when they had plenty of form, few injuries, and coming off their first premiership (in the triple)..

[Young Blood]

I hope he replaces Kermit Ruffins in the Magoos.

[ROK Lobster]

Originally posted by Young Blood
I hope he replaces Kermit Ruffins in the Magoos.

And an injustice that will be too. Captian Coach of the Albury Tigers had a good ring to it.

[goswannie14]

Originally posted by ROK Lobster
And an injustice that will be too. Captian Coach of the Albury Tigers had a good ring to it.

Didn't you mean Albury Tigers seconds?

[Go Swannies]

As I wrote a while ago, Ben will go back into the team as soon as he's ready. It looks like Paul Roos agrees (and thinks we may lose some young talent at the end of this season!):

http://tinyurl.com/oapoj

"Roos indicated that the only change to the team to face Hawthorn at the MCG on Saturday night is the likely return of experienced premiership midfielder Ben Mathews.

"You got to get through the week and certainly Benny's an important player for us and we'll have to find a spot for him and if everyone is fit then it's going to be someone that's unlucky to miss out," Roos said.

It may end up being an easy decision if Swans defender Craig Bolton (hamstring) or midfielder Luke Ablett (bruised knee) are ruled out."

[goswannie14]

I should say I don't particularly dislike the guy, I just think that this year we are playing better without him.

[anne]

Originally posted by goswannie14
I should say I don't particularly dislike the guy, I just think that this year we are playing better without him.

Exactly - and why change things.

[NMWBloods]

Roos admitted that the careers of several young Swans earmarked as stars of the future are now in danger of stalling if they stay in Sydney.

The Swans top two draft picks from 2003, midfielders Josh Willoughby and Tim Schmidt, both 20-years-old, are yet to make their senior debut.

After playing a total of 19 career games in 2005, forward Luke Vogels and midfielder Jarred Moore also can't break into the Swans' best 22.

We obviously overdosed on the youth policy. This is something I was concerned about and it will be painful if some of these guys go off and have stellar careers elsewhere.

[SimonH]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
We obviously overdosed on the youth policy. This is something I was concerned about and it will be painful if some of these guys go off and have stellar careers elsewhere.

In the event that it's possible to 'overdose on youth', an analysis of the age of our squad doesn't indicate that we've done so. With the exception of players over 30 (and who needs an excess of them?), there is a good spread of ages throughout the squad. Our elite players are more likely to be in the 26-29 yo age bracket, which is hardly uncommon, and there's no reason to think that our 5 best players will all retire in the same year. In any event, the recent trading-in of Jolly, Spriggs, Chambers and Richards, and the rookie promotion of Vogels (turning 23 in a couple of weeks) means that Sydney has already made a concerted effort not to overdose on 18 or 19 yo's.

The 'problem' is that our mid-latter career players are all playing well (or at least well enough that dropping them is out of the question) in a side which has few injuries. 38 players on the senior list + heaps on the rookie list doesn't go into a 22 player team. The age of the unfortunate ones who miss out, can't change that. You've got to break eggs to make omelettes, and the harsh nature of list management under the rules of the AFL, means that almost every year, you have to give the arse to at least one player who you'd probably prefer to keep if you could have an infinitely long list.

By delisting players, you aren't saying to them 'you don't have what it takes to make it'; you're saying 'as our current short and long term needs stand, you're in our 3 or 4 least essential players'. Inshallah, the rejected players may go on to play 150 games elsewhere; nothing you can do about that, and no reason why you'd hope that they don't (provided they don't play well in games vs Sydney).

[giant]

Originally posted by SimonH

The 'problem' is that our mid-latter career players are all playing well (or at least well enough that dropping them is out of the question) in a side which has few injuries. 38 players on the senior list + heaps on the rookie list doesn't go into a 22 player team. The age of the unfortunate ones who miss out, can't change that. You've got to break eggs to make omelettes, and the harsh nature of list management under the rules of the AFL, means that almost every year, you have to give the arse to at least one player who you'd probably prefer to keep if you could have an infinitely long list.

As your "bunny ears" suggest, this is not really a problem at all - the article notes that this was the "price" that the Lions had to pay for a hattrick of premierships. May our "problem" last as long!!

[ugg]

Part of the 'problem' is that our injuries since Roos took over have been well below the league average (touch wood). Couple this with our winning seasons and its quite easy to see why they haven't been getting the opportunities that youngsters at other clubs might have.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Originally posted by Go Swannies
"Roos indicated that the only change to the team to face Hawthorn at the MCG on Saturday night is the likely return of experienced premiership midfielder Ben Mathews.

http://injuryupdate.com.au/injuries.php?sport=AFL

Matthews and Dempster in for NOG & B2

[BigBadBarryNo1]

It's almost like we're waiting for some of our seniors to get injured, and it looks like Craigie is out now. Maybe Schmitt could come in, with his speed, but I'm most likely thinking Dempster will with his height (and the bias for him with his old man playing).

Maybe we should have a policy to rotate out some of the seniors (yup even Crouchy) to give some of the Reservers a chance... Sure we'll get picked off at the end of each year to other teams, but hey.. nature of the business, and will save a few of the boys from injury.

I think someone like Malceski, Moore, Dempster or even Schnieder will be targeted at the end of the year, and if it means that we can have another dominant ruckman, why not? Erickson is too much of a junior and injured now, and Doyle is most likely to be delisted end of year. We need an extra ruckman that has better skills than Chambers. Maybe Ottens again? Please not Spida.. too old now. (Unless he's for "free")..

[lachlanc]

embarassment of riches scenario, that's for sure, but itsn't it bizarre that Chambers is safe while he is one of the least skilled players in the entire team? Unlike Grant Thomas - who I consider a fool - Roos is a big believer in two ruckman and with a Premiership won, who am I to disagree?

But to return to the question, I don't think Matthews has done enough to deserve inclusion v. the guys who were in Saturday's side (Chambers aside, but I've already addressed that). This doesn't mean he wont' be picked - he will be - so the sad truth is that someone like Malceski, Richards, or McVeigh will have to go.

On current form, I think Richards should go, even though he is my love child but for team balance it has to be McVeigh, who I think is at last starting to show some promise. (Roos it was who called him Macca, I'm sure)

But long term, I worry for those guys like Grundy, Moore, Vogels etc. who are stars in the twos but who are unlikely to get a game with us this year. If I was them, I'd be so frustrated I'd thinking of playing - ooh - for the likes of Port Power or some other skanky losers!

[dendol]

Originally posted by BigBadBarryNo1
Maybe we should have a policy to rotate out some of the seniors (yup even Crouchy) to give some of the Reservers a chance... Sure we'll get picked off at the end of each year to other teams, but hey.. nature of the business, and will save a few of the boys from injury.

Roos has never rotated anything but captains. He has already mentioned that Mathews will come straight back in when fit, and Willo will play if fit.

I think someone like Malceski, Moore, Dempster or even Schnieder will be targeted at the end of the year, and if it means that we can have another dominant ruckman, why not? Erickson is too much of a junior and injured now, and Doyle is most likely to be delisted end of year. We need an extra ruckman that has better skills than Chambers. Maybe Ottens again? Please not Spida.. too old now. (Unless he's for "free")..

I think the only one at risk of leaving is Moore. On current form, Schneider and Malceski will retain their spots and will stay with the Swans beyond this year. Dempster is an interesting one, but seeing as he is a father-son pick, heres hoping his heart lies with Sydney. And Willo's imminent retirement may mean a spot for him, as does perhaps Tadgh wanting to go home.