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AFLW 2024 - Round 4 - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
List Mgmt. 2022 Draft and Trade Hypotheticals: Kinnear & Dalrymple - we march to no drum but our own!
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LukeParkerno1
Post-Human
I'll have a crack but this year is impossible! From 4 (will be 5 after the Ashcroft bid) to 18 it's a lottery!
Mock draft on afl.com yesterday had us taking Hollands and Barnett the ruck.
I think most have Hollands going earlier than our pick? Anyway we have that type of player covered with the emergence of Stephens as a genuine contributer.
I think our recruiters will look at the size and athletic profile of Ed Allan and select him with our first pic.
He has the body and athleticism to contribute fairly quickly and in any number of positions - which they'll rank highly given our trajectory.
Barnett would be a pick for a few years down the track that not many could be upset with given Sinkers and Naismith moving on. Looks to already have a good tank and the body at 97kg to contribute at VFL level from the get go.
Allen and Barnett; two great picks that will contribute to our flag year after this upcoming one IMHO.
I think most have Hollands going earlier than our pick? Anyway we have that type of player covered with the emergence of Stephens as a genuine contributer.
I think our recruiters will look at the size and athletic profile of Ed Allan and select him with our first pic.
He has the body and athleticism to contribute fairly quickly and in any number of positions - which they'll rank highly given our trajectory.
Barnett would be a pick for a few years down the track that not many could be upset with given Sinkers and Naismith moving on. Looks to already have a good tank and the body at 97kg to contribute at VFL level from the get go.
Allen and Barnett; two great picks that will contribute to our flag year after this upcoming one IMHO.
LukeParkerno1
Post-Human
I won't be thrilled with Barnett but it's a needs pick. I won't be shocked if we do though. Whispers have been that we have been impressed with Oli Hotton, so maybe that's one pick no idea there. I'm feeling Hustwaite, Hotton, Allen personally. If we take 2 of those 3 I'd be thrilled. Barnett does seem to be rising, Pies would be looking there their ruck stocks are worse than ours. Hollands for me is very vanilla, he'll do fine but is he any different to what we have? Not sure he is.
If we are ever going to go for a good ruck prospect in the draft may as well be one like this. That we desperately need one too, just makes the pick all the better.
LukeParkerno1
Post-Human
I’m not totally against it just would prefer other alternatives. I just wonder whether he’s a type that can go FWD as long term Ladhams is a pure ruck he’s one that needs to be in there. That said give me taking Barnett over Keeler at least.
With that speed off the mark and endurance I am sure he can go forward or back as needed. Ladhams also a good option to go forward half the time IMHO. It's just with Buddy and Reid there this year and the gifting of games to McDonald for a potential future payoff he had little opportunity to do so.
LukeParkerno1
Post-Human
Maybe. I'm not against the selection, I have more of an issue of Hollands who is as bland and vanilla as can be. I'd be more annoyed with that selection actually.
After next year, I would say the Pies ruck stocks probably look better than ours. Cameron and Cox (who has a couple left). Frampton who they just brought in, started off as a ruck, Begg who has played a few games as a developing ruck.
We'll have Ladhams. Then some part timers in Amartey and McLean. Maybe McAndrew is starting to get physically ready.
LukeParkerno1
Post-Human
Depends where you see Cameron/Cox. Was a good reason they lost they prelim in the end. They did well beforehand though. Hasn’t Frampton been brought across as a defender? Thought they said that at the time. Can’t comment on a egg probably played in the games I didn’t watch. You might be right though.
Still rate Ladhams over those personally. He’s a top ruck just doesn’t work with Hickey that well
Allan (or Hustwaite), then Barnett, would be fantastic.
Round it out with Van Es with the 3rd pick if we can. Obviously as yesterday showed, I'd love to be able to grab Gruzewski but he won't be around at 41. Would be happy to use our 2nd rounder next year to move up and grab him.
Yeah I don't think they're a gun duo. But they were a point off a Grand Final. Frampton went from ruck, to fwd/ruck, to KPD. What I'm saying is though, that they have some backup/depth. They may well go for a ruck and it might be Barnett. I just don't see them as needing a ruck more than we do. I think we do, and fairly urgently.
Maybe the club intends on bringing in Edwards from the academy as a rookie pick, and then a mature ager next year as the backup for Ladhams while McAndrew in particular develops. Who knows. I'm generally of the opinion that you fill needs when you can, rather than assume it'll happen next year.
Ladhams has shown promise, I don't know if he'll be a consistent top ruck though. And he is only one person.
LukeParkerno1
Post-Human
No chance using next years 2nd, at this stage it’s likely a stronger class. Gives us an asset to trade for a player next year too. Don’t mind Van Es though, could be a value pick at the range he’s one of those risk/reward picks 3rd round worth the gamble
LukeParkerno1
Post-Human
Yeah you and I do differ in that philosophy whilst I am not against being aggressive and filling holes I’d rather keep some resources and safety before risk. That is why I do lean to smaller types although to be fair I do have good taller types going high. I did have Logan as the top pick in that sraft.
I don't think we will, but again, I'm suggesting what I would like us to do, not what we will do. Just think Gruzewski offers us more than Van Es. He's been primarily an (undersized) KPD, but capable of going forward and has a good leap, offers a marking threat. I'm not saying we get him as a KPF, but it's nice to have the option once Buddy, Reid go, and one of the other 3 KPFs are injured / out of form.
LukeParkerno1
Post-Human
You are more likely to get a better alternative next year if you are looking for a forward type. Unless it’s Jefferson not sure I’m taking a forward this year. Also feel we only take 1 tall type and that might be Barnett early, Darymple took English early and he’s worked out.
If we were rebuilding, and were years off challenging, I see the logic in just grabbing best available at most picks. You've got a few years to sort out who plays best where, it doesn't matter if some areas are weaker, and if you have too many mids, you can throw a few up forward / off half back to see how they go, or trade them later on for value (that you could use to poach some talls that have had a few years of development at least).
I see the Swans as being much less able to poach anyone of note going forward (loss of COLA has further disadvantaged us). We might get lucky with fringe recruits like Hickey (and we'll be hoping with Francis). Paddy's situation is a one off. Ladhams will be very rare and was only because he had issues with Port, had a good interaction with us around his draft year.
So the academy and draft/develop (that includes rookie/SSP/MSD) are where it's at for me. If we're confident of some talls to fill needs later on in the draft, or rookie draft (keeping in mind we have the 2nd last pick), then sure.
But, since we're obviously now in a flag window, and given the likely departures next year (they are all talls, could be 4 or more), I'm concerned about our ability to challenge consistently beyond 2023. We all agree talls take more to develop, so logic suggests you bring them in now, rather than later. Even if we aren't fully sold on the talls at this draft, I still think we need to consider just bringing in a couple of the best we possibly can. Get a mid as well, just give us our best chance of having a 22 without holes, and have some depth in all areas at VFL level post-2023.
I don't care as much about getting the best possible KPF over a several year period (and waiting a year, we could still miss out given our likely draft position). I care about us having the best team we possibly can with the picks we have, without holes or weaknesses, while we're in a flag window.
LukeParkerno1
Post-Human
Our window is not just a year if anything with our age profile it actually looks a lot longer than most. It’s not just next year.
LukeParkerno1
Post-Human
We will only take the talls if we rate them and everything out of the club says we don’t. It’s why I’m expecting 1 tall and that might be Barnett it makes sense. Then two smaller types, rookie Edwards. Keep a spot open in the MSD for another ruck. That’s the way I’m expecting us to go with a 2 to 1 split in the ND more smalls than talls
Maximumlnsanity
All Australian
Barnett is the opposite of a needs pick lmao. Ladhams is only 25
LukeParkerno1
Post-Human
We still need one considering we have two rucks going out the door this off season. Now that might be just an Edwards rookie pick not sure there. That may be the way we go, take the smalls first round and then just rookie Edwards We have enough rucks for next year- Hickey, Ladhams and then the part timers in Amartey/McLean , with McAndrew developing.
I'm literally the one thinking about longer term! If we were to bring in some talls this year, we have more chance that they can play a role in 2024 onwards (when we will have lost a bunch of existing talls), than if we don't. We have heaps of younger guys in other areas, or at least the other areas don't have impending retirements. There is no point us having them raring to go, challenging for the next 5 years, if after next year we struggle in key position areas and the ruck, because we cop a single injury or suspension. I'm talking about having all areas of the team ready to challenge consistently, or at least giving us our best shot.
Otherwise, we have our smalls who are good enough to challenge for flags for the next 3-5 years (or longer). But if we lose Buddy, Hickey, probably Reid and maybe Rampe next year, that hurts a lot, along with Melican, Gould, Amartey and McLean who all only have 1 year on their contracts. We just don't seem to have anything like that problem for the non talls. I do not understand how people don't see this as a pressing issue for our ability to stay in the flag window.
I give up.
Ladhams played 11 games this year. Granted we have Hickey still, but the games he missed were mostly due to form, injury and suspension, not because we didn't want to play both of them in the same team.
Ladhams is going to have to be our no.1 ruck, probably at points in 2023, but definitely from 2024 onwards, but he's not a certainty to be amongst the best in the league.
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