2021 trading, drafting and list management: players and personnel

[Blood Fever]

Feel like there is a bit of sydney afl parochialism in that call bloodspirit. Reality is that last years draft haul wont really be proven as greatest ever for quite a while yet. While Gulden has definitely shown his colours , McDonald and Campbell just showed promise (albeit some very nice glimpses of class ) and Sheather hasnt even performed at the highest level yet and its not like hes smashing it like say hannaberry did in ressies in his first year.

Hanneberry played little or no ressies IIRC

[Mr Magoo]

That is a massive call given our hauls last year and in 2018! I would rate Logan, Braeden, Errol & Marc as potentially our greatest ever draft haul. Blakey, Rowbottom, McInerney & Wicks is also turning out very well.

In case it's not clear, I'm rapt we drafted Roberts. I think he's the most likely to debut first of our latest draftees. Both he and Sheldrick ooze promise, while Warner and Rankin have potential.

Feel like there is a bit of sydney afl parochialism in that call bloodspirit. Reality is that last years draft haul wont really be proven as greatest ever for quite a while yet. While Gulden has definitely shown his colours , McDonald and Campbell just showed promise (albeit some very nice glimpses of class ) and Sheather hasnt even performed at the highest level yet and its not like hes smashing it like say hannaberry did in ressies in his first year.

[bloodspirit]

From Inside the draft: The 20 first-round deals that didn't get done (afl.com.au) - fascinating:

While the Giants were on the clock [with their second first round pick that they used to take Alleer], Sydney rang about moving up from pick 18, while Melbourne had offered pick 19 and 39 for the selection and Brisbane was interested with 20 and a future second-round pick. It's likely all had the same idea in mind – snaring defender Darcy Wilmot – and even though the Lions had the next pick (where Wilmot was selected), by purchasing the Giants' selection it would have meant no other club could leapfrog them.

- - - Updated - - -

So, if that's true, we would have preferred Wilmot to Sheldrick. [Not sure any other scenario makes sense - unless we were also interested in Alleer.] Wilmot was possibly a greater need but hopefully Sheldrick will be the better player.

[bloodspirit]

This could be our most productive draft haul in many years.

That is a massive call given our hauls last year and in 2018! I would rate Logan, Braeden, Errol & Marc as potentially our greatest ever draft haul. Blakey, Rowbottom, McInerney & Wicks is also turning out very well.

In case it's not clear, I'm rapt we drafted Roberts. I think he's the most likely to debut first of our latest draftees. Both he and Sheldrick ooze promise, while Warner and Rankin have potential.

[707]

I posted something like this on draft night but to repeat - I watched Roberts play for South Adelaide seniors on a number of occasions this year, he's a very good footballer who is a great pick up in the 30's, looked to be a very good kick which is a must and plenty of upside. Will be a favourite of the coaches.

[Roadrunner]

Roberts is a wonderfully composed mid in traffic which is a special talent and he certainly has a lovely kick which looked very obvious when playing HFF.

He is more active and involved than I expected when I watched him play for SA vs WA.

He reminds me of a Robert Harvey or Dawson style of player where everything looks in slow motion and they have alot of time.

But he appears to not have the exit speed from contests of the modern day mid. Yet nor did Chad Warner in the footage I watched prior to drafting. Then in 2021 Chad looked like he doubled his exit speed from contests

Look forward to watching his development.

This could be our most productive draft haul in many years. All our picks have heaps of potential and midfield is where most games are won, so KB and team have done a great job imo- I’m confident that all these lads will make a contribution. Of course we still have a need for talls but I’m expecting a lot from Ladhams both in the ruck and up forward. Big Tom needs a partner and has to be managed re his workload. Our only weakness seems to be in defence and I wonder what the coaches are going to come up with; however a strong midfield will help reduce the pressure.

Maybe this is the reason Horse wants more time in the middle for Isaac?

[Auntie.Gerald]

Roberts is a wonderfully composed mid in traffic which is a special talent and he certainly has a lovely kick which looked very obvious when playing HFF.

He is more active and involved than I expected when I watched him play for SA vs WA.

He reminds me of a Robert Harvey or Dawson style of player where everything looks in slow motion and they have alot of time.

But he appears to not have the exit speed from contests of the modern day mid. Yet nor did Chad Warner in the footage I watched prior to drafting. Then in 2021 Chad looked like he doubled his exit speed from contests

Look forward to watching his development.

[bloodspirit]

Just wondering if this is the same source that guaranteed that Jordan Dawson was staying with the Swans.

I do feel that Paddy will join our list. The cards are falling into place.

I wish we had a more reliable 3rd party player information source. Draft Guru gets close, but not quite right. I like Footywire, but their info is often wrong.

I'm feeling more an more confident with our draft picks. Chris Doerre gave us an A rating. He really rates Sheldrick and so do I. I checked some of the June and July player rankings and Roberts was #4 with Chris Doerre and in the top 5 with others, so I don't give much credence to his fall down the pecking order for anything other than his syndesmosis injury. He should be a quality player. I can see Corey Warner eventually taking over for Harry Cunningham as a lock down defender. He has the tools to do the job.

Paddy never said anything to me about Dawson, and I never reported any intel about Dawson from any other source either.

Doerre wound up having Roberts outside his final top 20 draft rankings injury or no. He felt Roberts didn’t have enough impact in the games against SA and wasn't damaging enough with his ball use. That said I think that Roberts' selection was a clear case of us taking the best player available.

I'm feeling a bit for Roberts at the moment. He must have had very mixed feelings on draft night given he slid as far as he did after going on record to say he wanted to be picked as high as possible. He's been drafted interstate to a city he's visited once in his life and to a club where he doesn't know anyone. So far the coaches haven't really spoken to him about what they want from him. I look forward to the club wrapping their arms around him and him settling in.

I'm much less concerned about the other draftees, mostly because of their different personalities but also Corey's got Chad plus those 4 WA guys are having a bit of small group bonding time now and forming a team within a team, which will help them when they join the main group.

I like your suggestion about Warner one day being a lockdown defender. He's got the competitiveness and toughness to do the job and the athleticism to offer a bit coming out of defence too. Meanwhile I think a player like JMac is a better fit for the wing position, Corey's alternative mooted role.

[Ludwig]

I spoke to Paddy and he told me he is definitely going to be added to the list in the SSP period, and that's why he skipped the ND. He also said he expects to be playing down back.

Just wondering if this is the same source that guaranteed that Jordan Dawson was staying with the Swans.

I do feel that Paddy will join our list. The cards are falling into place.

I wish we had a more reliable 3rd party player information source. Draft Guru gets close, but not quite right. I like Footywire, but their info is often wrong.

I'm feeling more an more confident with our draft picks. Chris Doerre gave us an A rating. He really rates Sheldrick and so do I. I checked some of the June and July player rankings and Roberts was #4 with Chris Doerre and in the top 5 with others, so I don't give much credence to his fall down the pecking order for anything other than his syndesmosis injury. He should be a quality player. I can see Corey Warner eventually taking over for Harry Cunningham as a lock down defender. He has the tools to do the job.

[MattW]

Former No.1 pick “still in the mix” to receive AFL lifeline

Seems Paddy McCartin's spot on the list is far from a sure thing. He is still 'in the mix'.

There's an interview with Longmire (yesterday morning) included in this article. He talks about McCartin but covers a few other topic. Unsurprisingly, he refers to Sheldrick as 'a competitor'.

Haha - yep. Also cagier re Paddy McCartin than Kinnear.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

I spoke to Paddy and he told me he is definitely going to be added to the list in the SSP period, and that's why he skipped the ND. He also said he expects to be playing down back.

Thanks very much bloodspirit. I feel much happier knowing that.

I came across this table on the AFL website. 70 players drafted this year and just 1 taken from all of NSW with 1 also from Qld. This is a little concerning to the national game development strategy. In comparison, my old school, St Pats Ballarat (regional city of 100,000 pop), had 3 players taken in the top 20! One school! Should alarm bells be ringing at AFL HQ?

For the good of the game, it concerns me too. or the good of the Swans, I think a year without a high profile draftee would be a good thing for retaining our concessions. As to the AFL, they will of course do nothing substansive. Given their woefull efforts prior to the foundation of the Academy, does it matter? I think the best option would be for them to stay out of the Swans way.

[Southern Swan15]

When will we know if we are committed to paddy mccartin?

Sent from my SM-A715F using Tapatalk

[Aaron]

Just up on the AFL website

Main list - 36

Cat A - 5 Fox, McAndrew, McLean, Taylor, Wicks

Cat B - 2 BOC, Sheather

So only one Cat A Rookie vacancy - McCartin? We can put Naismith on the LTI list to create another vacancy

This is the link of this official list : "Every club's full AFL list after November 29 deadline"

[TheBloods]

Looks interesting. On similar lines, the documentary, Wild Wild Country, is very much worth watching; if you haven't seen it.

My eldest got me onto it , i remember it like it was yesterday , they were in my classes i used to teach back in the 80s decked in their orange crap . Not their fault , they didnt know what was going on , easily led

[Aprilbr]

I came across this table on the AFL website. 70 players drafted this year and just 1 taken from all of NSW with 1 also from Qld. This is a little concerning to the national game development strategy. In comparison, my old school, St Pats Ballarat (regional city of 100,000 pop), had 3 players taken in the top 20! One school! Should alarm bells be ringing at AFL HQ?

The 2021 NAB AFL Draft by the numbers: Every player and their junior club