2010 draft talk (continuation thread)

[SimonH]

... We have 10 rookie spots because we're allowed to pre-select players who have resided in NSW for at least the past 3 years in addition to the 6 normal spots for each team. However, we've used this quite sparingly in the past 2 years - most likely due to the reserves restrictions on on-field playing numbers. ...

My personal belief, and I suspect it might be backed by something that emanated from the club a few years back but can't be sure, is it's because they're tight-arses (i.e. budgets are tight). They think, unfairly in my view given that every single ND and RD ever conducted throws up examples of players who have been grossly underrated (and grossly overrated) by the marketplace, that there are precious few NSW pre-selections who have even the tiny chance of making it required to justify spending a mere $30,000 or so on their salary, plus investing coaching resources into 'em.

As liz has said in the past, to be fair to the club I think the apologists' view is that by the time a NSW boy is 18, it's already too late. 12 months or 2 years of elite training won't get him to AFL standard if he's starting from too low a base. You have to get 'em at 13 or 14 through the Swans Academy and/or the scholarship program.

All of that said, I think as a simple matter of PR, they would be mad not to take a few this year, now that GWS will be more or less monopolising local talent into the foreseeable future after this year.

[707]

I was disappointed we didn't take a full quota of rookies last year, I believe $ may have been the reason. I know there was a lot of discussion on these boards about who we should be picking as rookies and I notice that some we could have taken at our picks have made AFL debuts or have been given a second year.

I know the odds are small at the outer edges of the draft and in rookie land but even if it throws up one good player it may just be the extra brick that wins you a flag.

I hope we don't skimp this year although it is a comprimised draft.

Note that pick 73 is actually live pick 69 because three picks before that are rookie upgrades for other clubs and Freo will have to pass with pick 68 to get John Anthony in the PSD. We will pass at that stage too if we intend to pick up a player in the PSD.

[707]

Agree this should be part of the Draft thread.

As for Conca going to WCE with pick 4, thats dreaming as he looks like a pick 20 region player. Everything I've seen has the top 11 picks fairly settled, it's only from Melbourne at pick 12 that the order becomes blurred.

I think what this speculation says is that we will get a very good player at pick 21. I've read extensively and watched clips of the top 25 or so players and all look very delicious. They can't all be gone by pick 21 so we'll do well regardless of who has been taken beforehand.

Pick 40 is far more problematic.

[707]

Copied this over from the Conca thread as this is where it should be.

As for Conca going to WCE with pick 4, thats dreaming as he looks like a pick 20 region player. Everything I've seen has the top 11 picks fairly settled, it's only from Melbourne at pick 12 that the order becomes blurred.

I think what this speculation says is that we will get a very good player at pick 21. I've read extensively and watched clips of the top 25 or so players and all look very delicious. They can't all be gone by pick 21 so we'll do well regardless of who has been taken beforehand.

Pick 40 is far more problematic.

[Triple B]

I was disappointed we didn't take a full quota of rookies last year, I believe $ may have been the reason........

As has been said before, the biggest problem with filling the quota of rookies is getting them and the other fringe players in the main squad a game.

With the restrictions on being only able to play x number of listed players (main list and rookies), if we have a good run with injuries, players will miss out on lots of games. Typically at the start of the year players are forced to miss games when fit and raring to go because of it. Towards the end of last season, we didn't have enough fit players to fill the spots.

So unless you have Nostradamos like abilities, the club is in a near impossible postion to accurately judge just how many rookie spots to fill for the betterment of the club. When that is the situation, it's not a surprise that financial considerations come into it.

Hopefully the new league will ease the restriction situation and it can be juggled more successfully.

[laughingnome]

Just thinking out loud, but is it possible for plisted players who can't play in Canberra because of restrictions to play in the Sydney Comp for that weekend?

[707]

Just thinking out loud, but is it possible for plisted players who can't play in Canberra because of restrictions to play in the Sydney Comp for that weekend?

Or what about loaning them to who ever we are playing in the Canberra League, we could do the match ups then, promising CHF versus our own promising CHB!

[Auntie.Gerald]

i think loaning to sydney comp is a great idea to build pathways etc..........

North Shore might be keen

[ugg]

Just thinking out loud, but is it possible for plisted players who can't play in Canberra because of restrictions to play in the Sydney Comp for that weekend?

The agreement in place up to this year was that Swans players who couldn't play were to line up for Tuggeranong, but AFAIK this has never happened.

[ugg]

List of all the senior-list players who have nominated for the AFL national draft

Joe Anderson (Carlton), Jarrod Atkinson (Essendon), Jaxson Barham (Collingwood), Jarrad Blight (Collingwood), Jarrad Boumann (Western Bulldogs), Steven Browne (Carlton), Ben Bucovaz (Fremantle), Ryan Cook (Collingwood), Anthony Corrie (Collingwood), Steven Dodd (Fremantle), Beau Dowler (Hawthorn), Robert Eddy (St Kilda), Brad Fisher (Carlton), Ryan Gamble (Geelong Cats), Chris Hall (Fremantle), Chris Johnson (Carlton), Paul Johnson (Melbourne), Travis Johnstone (Brisbane Lions), Tom McNamara (Melbourne), Luke Miles (St Kilda), Ryan Murphy (Fremantle), Jay Nash (Port Adelaide), Jay Neagle (Essendon), Brock O'Brien (Fremantle), Matthew O'Dwyer (Sydney Swans), Rhys O'Keefe (Carlton), Dean Polo (Richmond), Tim Ruffles (Fremantle), Tyson Slattery (Essendon), Josh Smith (North Melbourne), Matt Spangher (West Coast), Michael Still (Essendon), Kristin Thornton (Sydney Swans), Stephen Tiller (Western Bulldogs), Travis Tuck (Hawthorn), Beau Wilkes (West Coast).

No Barlow.

[Primmy]

Gosh Krisso is keen! Wouldn't have thought he would be persisting....and I would love MOD to keep trying. Are any of us surprised Cheese hasn't nominated? Didn't think his heart was in it, so...

[liz]

Gosh Krisso is keen! Wouldn't have thought he would be persisting....and I would love MOD to keep trying. Are any of us surprised Cheese hasn't nominated? Didn't think his heart was in it, so...

Players who haven't nominated for the ND might be saving themselves for the PSD. You'd think they'd only do that if they thought they had a club that was pretty keen on them, though.

Notice that Jordy Mac isn't on the list either.