List Mgmt. 2023 GWS Giants List Management - Academy, Free Agent, Trade, Draft

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Nov 23, 2015
13,163
20,414
AFL Club
GWS
Trade Period, October 6–18
  • Restricted & Unrestricted Free Agency Period: Friday, October 6, 9am – Friday October 13, 5pm (bid matching ends Monday October 16, 5pm)
  • Trade Period (1), picks & players: Monday, October 9, 9am – Wednesday October 18, 7.30pm
Quiet Period, October 19–November 20
  • Trade Period (2), picks only: Monday, October 23, 9am – Friday November 10, 5pm
  • List Lodgement 1*: Tuesday, October 31, 2pm
  • Delisted Free Agency Period (1): Wednesday, November 1, 9am – Wednesday November 8, 5pm
  • Delisted Free Agency Period (2): Friday, November 10, 9am–5pm
  • List Lodgement 2*: Tuesday, November 14, 2pm


Here's the list of GWS players who are out of contract in 2023 (I'll progressively cross them out as they re-sign):
  • Lachie ASH
  • Callan WARD (Free Agent)
  • Brayden PREUSS
  • Tom GREEN
  • Finn CALLAGHAN
  • Lachlan KEEFFE (Free Agent)
  • Jake RICCARDI
  • Harry HIMMELBERG (Free Agent)
  • Cam FLEETON - delisted (25/9/23)
  • Matt FLYNN (Free Agent) - signed by West Coast as an Unrestricted Free Agent
  • Xavier O'HALLORAN
  • Jack BUCKLEY
  • Callum BROWN
Rookie lists:
  • Phil DAVIS (Free Agent) - retiring at end of 2023 season
  • Jacob WEHR (Free agent)
  • Dan LLOYD (Free Agent) - retiring at end of 2023 season
  • Cooper HAMILTON
  • Wade DERKSEN
  • Nick MADDEN (Cat B) - assumed re-signed due to 2 sources of info
  • Jason GILBEE (Cat B) - delisted (25/9/23)
Current list sizes (for when we get to list/draft/trade speculation):
  • main list = 36 minus 3 (Fleeton, Flynn + Kennedy delisted with a view to be re-selected in the rookie draft)
  • rookie A = 6 minus 2 (Davis, Lloyd)
  • rookie B = 2 minus 1 (Gilbee)
  • total = 44 minus 5
This is the future pick spreadsheet that comes into play only at trade time, as future picks are used in end of season (2023) trading:


Here's the 2023 AFL Academy Squad, so these (roughly) represent the best players for next year as they stand now:

2023 NAB AFL ACADEMY​

NAMESURNAMESTATESTATE LEAGUE CLUBCOMMUNITY CLUB
LachlanCaborNSW/ACTSydney Swans AcademyShellharbour
NateCaddyVIC MNorthern KnightsYarrambat
JackCallinanTASTasmania DevilsClarence
CaidenClearyNSW/ACTSydney Swans AcademySydney University
DanielCurtinWAClaremontWest Coast
JackDeleanSASouth AdelaideReynella
ZaneDuursmaVIC CGippsland PowerFoster
MitchellEdwardsWAPeel ThunderSouth Mandurah
WilliamGreenVIC MNorthern KnightsNorthcote
RileyHardemanWASwan DistrictsCaversham
WilliamLorenzVIC MOakleigh ChargersBoroondara Hawks
KaneMcAuliffeSANorth AdelaideCentral Augusta
ColbyMcKercherTASTasmania DevilsLaunceston
AshtonMoirSAGlenelgPlympton
ConnorO'SullivanNSW/ACTMurray BushrangersAlbury
WilliamPattonSAWest AdelaideMitcham
NathanPhilactidesVIC MOakleigh ChargersBlackburn
EthanReadQLDGold Coast Suns AcademyPalm Beach Currumbin
ArcherReidVIC CGippsland PowerInverloch-Kongwak
HarleyReidVIC CBendigo PioneersTongala
ArchieRobertsVIC MSandringham DragonsHampton Rovers
JakeRogersQLDGold Coast Suns AcademyBroadbeach
RyleySandersTASSandringham DragonsNorth Launceston
CooperSimpsonVIC CDandenong StingraysMount Martha
GeorgeStevensVIC CGWV RebelsSouth Warrnambool
KoltynTholstrupWASubiacoNewtown-Condingup
OrlandoTurnerNTWest AdelaideSouth Alice Springs
JedWalterQLDGold Coast Suns AcademyPalm Beach Currumbin
NickWatsonVIC MEastern RangesEast Ringwood
DarcyWilsonVIC CMurray BushrangersWangaratta Rovers

Happy speculating for 2023!

EDIT: 11/12/22 - Added Free Agent status to OOC player list
EDIT: 24/2/23 - Crossed out Tom Green from OOC player list! (Woo Hoo!!) & Added 2023 Coates Talent League Fixture Link
EDIT: 27/2/23 - Crossed out Finn Callaghan from OOC player list! (Woo Hoo Hoo!!!)
EDIT: 27/4/23 - Crossed out Jacob Wehr from OOC player list
EDIT: 10/5/23 - Crossed out Jack Buckley from OOC player list :thumbsu:
EDIT: 9/7/23 - Crossed out Callum Brown from OOC player list
EDIT: 18/7/23 - Crossed out Lachie Ash from OOC player list
EDIT: 20/7/23 - Crossed out Xavier O'Halloran from OOC player list
EDIT: 3/8/23 - Crossed out Harry Himmelberg from OOC player list
EDIT: 9/8/23 - Crossed out Wade Derksen from OOC player list
EDIT: 17/8/23 - Noted Dan Lloyd retiring at end of season
EDIT: 19/8/23 - Crossed out Jake Riccardi from OOC player list
EDIT: 28/8/23 - Noted Phil Davis retiring at end of season
EDIT: 25/9/23 - Noted Cam Fleeton & Jason Gilbee delisted
EDIT: 4/10/23 - Noted Flynn, Preuss & Keeffe situations
EDIT: 9/10/23 - Updated Flynn to WCE, removed Preuss from OOC player list
EDIT: 12/10/23 - Updated Madden with 2 sources of information
EDIT: 19/10/23 - Updated Keeffe & Hamilton re-signed
EDIT: 31/10/23 - adjusted main list numbers with Adam Kennedy delisting (with a view to be re-selected in rookie draft)
 
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In the last few days in the News Corp newspapers ‘AFL draft guru’ Kevin Sheehan gave and ‘rated’ his top prospects for 2023. There were 78 of them and each got an individual and detailed write-up. From a GWS perspective there were some interesting points to pick-out, especially given some of the observations recently made in this thread. To start with the GWS Academy had only one player rated:

“HARVEY THOMAS

Club: GWS Giants Academy/ Oakleigh Chargers/Turvey Park FC- NSW/ Caulfield Grammar

Height: 174 cm

Weight: 65 kg

DOB: 08/08/05

A small defender or midfielder, Thomas is clever, creative and has shown to be a ball magnet. A left-footer who uses the ball with precision, he has relocated from the Riverina in New South Wales to attend school in Melbourne and has mixed his football between the Giants Academy and the Oakleigh Chargers. Thomas has averaged 23.5 disposals and 12.5 tackles in his two matches for the Giants this season, having missed a few other games through injury”.

Note that Thomas has relocated to Melbourne. We have seen in past years how Academy graduates who had located to Melbourne/Victoria appear to be subject to the ‘go home factor of the football-heartland’ or at least that they are less in a practical sense 'home-grown products' than those living in NSW.

If GWS had kept the extended recruiting zone up to the Murray this would have meant only one more player on Sheehan’s list:

“CONNOR O’SULLIVAN

Club: Murray Bushrangers/ Albury FC/ Xavier High School- Albury

Height: 198 cm

Weight: 92 kg

DOB: 19/05/05

A tall forward or defender who has continued to mature physically, O’Sullivan has grown another 3cm and is a player developing his knowledge as a forward and a defender. He has an exciting natural leap, while good speed has been another weapon in his roles at either end of the ground. O’Sullivan has been a consistent performer for the Bushrangers in the early part of the season, averaging 18 disposals and 7.7 marks in his first three matches. Being from Albury in NSW, he looks set to play with the Allies in the under-18 national championships”.

Our fellow ‘expansion’ club by contrast is doing exceedingly well. The article states “As far as Academy prospects go, Gold Coast looks set to hit the jackpot with three highly-rated players set to graduate from the Suns’ Academy this season. Midfielder Jake Rogers, key forward Jed Walter and forward-ruckman Ethan Read are all part of the AFL Academy squad and are considered to be top-30 picks.”

Meanwhile our cross-town rivals had three nominated:

“CAIDEN CLEARY

Club: Sydney Swans Academy/ Sydney Uni FC

Height: 180 cm

Weight: 77 kg

DOB: 05/03/05

A clever, courageous and prolific ball-winner, Cleary is an in-and-under type player who extracts the ball well from stoppages. He has been a consistent player for the Swans in the Coates Talent League over the past two years, as well as having 32 disposals in the Futures game on AFL Grand Final day last year. Cleary has begun this season well, averaging 27 disposals and using both his speed and work ethic to win contested ball. He has been part of the Swans’ Academy since under-10s”.

“CALEB MAY

Club: Sydney Swans Academy / South West Sydney Blues FC

Height: 205 cm

Weight: 96 kg

DOB: 13/05/05

A developing ruckman, May has taken significant steps forward this season with his performances for the Swans in the Coates Talent League. He has averaged 12.5 disposals, four marks and 32 hitouts from his four matches to date. Under the tutelage of renowned Swans ruck coach and former AFL star Steve Taubert, May looks set to play for the Allies in the under-18 national championships this year”.

INDHI KIRK

Club: Sydney Swans Academy/ UNSW Bulldogs FC

Height: 181 cm

Weight: 75 kg

DOB: 31/08/04

A wingman or defender, Kirk has matured as an AFL prospect both with his physical development and performance over the past year. He covers the ground exceptionally well, is a good decision maker and uses the ball well by hand and foot. Kirk was arguably the Swans Academy’s best player in their first four matches in the Coates Talent League. He averaged 25 disposals and then handled the step up to VFL with the Swans, playing a game against the Northern Blues and having 17 disposals to again be among his team’s best players. He is in line to play in the national championships for the Allies as an approved overage player. Kirk is the son of former Sydney star Brett Kirk, making him eligible for the Swans under father-son rules at season’s end”.
 
Not sure if my theory is right or partially in the right direction but with the improvement of the reserves and the lack of Academy players featuring I think the club has moved some of its funding from the academy into making the reserves team more competitive with mature players and not heavily reliant on the academy players as top ups
Academy players still feature with Will Shaw, Billy Clark past academy players who have returned to the club and then Madden and Gillbee current listed players from the academy but opening up spots in the VFL team to a wider pool of players is certainly making a more competitive team
Interested in others thoughts on this as the academy wasn’t working for the club in the previous format and it will be interesting to see what changes of any are made at the end of the year and maybe with a revised bidding system it wouldn’t create too much angst among the Eddie’s out there
 
No news on the club opening up spots with Jones and Kennedy out for the season but surely someone has shown something around the state leagues a possible is for O'Connor to be picked up and play a mature role for the VFL team and possibly step up as he has experience and is a mature body who could play multiple roles

If they don't go for O'Connor Not sure of needs but I think it will be more who is available and choosing best talent if they are on the clubs list and I cant see them taking a 2nd pick unless someone slips who they are keen on
 
No news on the club opening up spots with Jones and Kennedy out for the season but surely someone has shown something around the state leagues a possible is for O'Connor to be picked up and play a mature role for the VFL team and possibly step up as he has experience and is a mature body who could play multiple roles

If they don't go for O'Connor Not sure of needs but I think it will be more who is available and choosing best talent if they are on the clubs list and I cant see them taking a 2nd pick unless someone slips who they are keen on


I’ve been following the Giants VFL this year a little as there has been a number of players who have made the move from the Victorian talent league, in particular some Sandringham lads. One lad kicked goal of the week against Essendon that may be a chance for MSD, looks like a player based on the replay. I have attached the link, hopefully it works.
 
An opportunity perhaps??

Carlton has just given their ruck Marc Pittonet a 4 year contract.

That leaves Tom De Koning on the outer (perhaps) and his contract expires this year.

23 years old - 2.03m or 6'8" in the old language.

Is he worth considering with Preuss and Flynn also out of contract after this year?
 
An opportunity perhaps??

Carlton has just given their ruck Marc Pittonet a 4 year contract.

That leaves Tom De Koning on the outer (perhaps) and his contract expires this year.

23 years old - 2.03m or 6'8" in the old language.

Is he worth considering with Preuss and Flynn also out of contract after this year?
I don't think we can afford him. I would if possible resign Flynn, but as a free agent he will attract interest. Swans, St Kilda, Carlton all spring to mind as suitors.
 
An opportunity perhaps??

Carlton has just given their ruck Marc Pittonet a 4 year contract.

That leaves Tom De Koning on the outer (perhaps) and his contract expires this year.

23 years old - 2.03m or 6'8" in the old language.

Is he worth considering with Preuss and Flynn also out of contract after this year?
Would be great for us.
Expensive in terms of Money and draft capital
probably makes it tough.
 
You're probably right, but may as well give it a crack.

Those big money, long-term contracts we have are looking more stupid over time.
Hopefully one or two of them decide to leave, we keep Himmelberg instead.
Surely the AFL admin wants us to be good at list management, does something to help. Otherwise what is the point of having introduced new clubs unless they become somewhat self sustainable financially, which can only happen with good list management.
 
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No news on the club opening up spots with Jones and Kennedy out for the season but surely someone has shown something around the state leagues a possible is for O'Connor to be picked up and play a mature role for the VFL team and possibly step up as he has experience and is a mature body who could play multiple roles

If they don't go for O'Connor Not sure of needs but I think it will be more who is available and choosing best talent if they are on the clubs list and I cant see them taking a 2nd pick unless someone slips who they are keen on

Media reports are that twelve players are undergoing medical testing from the AFL in the lead up to the MSD, they are:

1. Clay Tucker (Eastern Ranges): 18, 204 cm, Ruckman.

2. Ethan Stanley (Box Hill): 19, 188 cm, Wing.

3. Flynn Riley (Northern Knights): 19, 206 cm, Ruckman.

4. Jack Buller (Claremont): 22, 199 cm, Key Forward.

5. Jaiden Hunter (Perth): 21, 194 cm, Defender.

6. James Trezise (Richmond VFL): 21, 188, Forward.

7. Mutaz El Nour (Richmond VFL): 21, 192 cm, Defender.

8. Robert Hansen Jnr (Subiaco): 19, 180 cm, Forward.

9. Ryan Maric (Gippland Power): 19, 193 cm, Forward.

10. Rye Penny (Calder Cannons): 19, 186 cm, Defender.

11. Will Elliott (Oakleigh Chargers): 19, 203 cm, Key Forward.

12. Brandon Ryan (Northern Bullants): 25, 200 cm, Ruckman/Forward.
 

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OK, so some (disorganised) thoughts on MSD, without any knowledge of our TPP situation:
  • Injury-wise, the two spots are created by Jones & Kennedy having LTIs, both of whom play small/medium forward roles. Do we have a need for direct replacement(s)? We still have Greene, Daniels, Bedford, Peatling, Ward, Lloyd, McMullin & Stone (when back from injury), plus Callum Brown could play there, and Harry Rowston could pinch hit there. So TBH, I'm probably not too interested in getting a small/medium forward. That rules out IMHO Trezise & Hansen from the above list, and I'm not seeing an imperative to bring up anyone from our VFL side.
  • What about KPF? We picked up Derksen in last year's MSD, and he hasn't debuted yet. So that's the kind of time frame you're looking at - is anyone worth the pick/time/energy this year? Buller is slow and I'm unconvinced he's AFL quality (meh, but what do I know?), Elliott would be an absolute hail mary given he's done very little, Maric probably goes earlier but anyway he's 193cms and we have Gruzewski yet to debut who's shown good signs. So, again, little interest there. Any veteran out there who we might think about? I don't think it likely.
  • Rucks. Well, Preuss has been out of action the whole season, and Madden is very young and not first grade quality yet. So, relying on just Briggs and Flynn is a risk. There's 3 rucks on that list, and of course Sam Naismith was also mentioned earlier (but without a medical check, is he likely?). Of those, only Brandon Ryan would be "ready to go", which is really what we'd want, not another 18/19 year old who need to be developed. This would be a risk management factor - if we lost Briggs and Flynn, could Himmelberg, Derksen, Keeffe & Riccardi be used to see out the year. I guess there might be differing opinions; I'm going to guess that GWS (the club) doesn't jump to selecting a ruckman.
  • What about tall defenders? We are a touch short there, but a lot on short-term injuries: Taylor, Aleer, Davis. Apparently we were a little interested in Jaiden Hunter in his draft year; we possibly have two slots opening up at the end of the year, so it would be an opportunity to "try before you buy" on someone. El Nour is too small for me. Jarrod Lienert is the other guy I've banged on about before, but without a medical I presume that he's unlikely to feature in the MSD. I don't think that there's anyone from the VFL team likely in that role.
  • What about medium/small defenders? We've got a bunch of quality guys (Ash, Cumming, Whitfield although out of form), with Wehr out injured and Fahey yet to debut, so not really a huge need. Except ... none of them are really good lockdown defenders! Interesting that Luke Teal's name is not on that list, but he's one dubbed as being able to lock down as well as rebound. I would be interested in him from that perspective, as potentially filling a gap in skills we have in the team.
  • Finally, mids. IMHO we're one or two short in that area of the team list, especially with Ward being primarily played as a forward. We could also do with some zip, and I'm yet to be convinced by Angwin on a wing. I did think the loss of both Hopper and Taranto cut our inside mids, and we didn't really fix that, with just Rowston taken at last year's ND. So, I would not be averse to getting a midfielder of some persuasion - a backup pure inside mid would be fine, or someone more inside/outside or even a winger. Mitch Szybkowski was highly rated in last year's draft initially, but eventually was overlooked, seen as a slow inside mid. And whilst I didn't want him last year for exactly the expected reasons, right now I would be OK taking him as a back up for this year, and also to see if he could be a long term backup. We've got Kelly injured, Ward playing forward, and if Green were also to be injured our inside mid stocks would be pretty thin. Kobe Ryan is another inside mid who went undrafted last year, and could be considered in the same boat. I know that PMBangers wasn't keen on anyone who missed out last year, viewing that they hadn't really improved, I'd still look at our list balance as another factor. Otherwise, we could of course look at Barry O'Conner (Irishman, former Swan) who is playing well for our VFL team. I'd be happy with upgrading him - he's familiar with our team, coaches, playing style etc, and upgrading him (even if just for the remainder of this season) would cover us for any injuries. He's 193 cm & 93 kg so a big-bodied mid. The other one who was talked about early, but isn't on that list of medicals, is Quinton Narkle. I'm not really a fan of his, and wouldn't have taken him on in trade/PSD/PSSP for this year, but as a MSD back-up, he probably hits the ground running and is able to add some speed and zip, on a wing, HFF or even a midfield bench player.
Am I expecting that we select anyone? Well, no, not really. I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't open up a spot and didn't even look to take someone. Alternatively, perhaps we're keeping things very close to our chest, which I like very much.

Bottom line, I have NFI. :p
 
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OK, so some (disorganised) thoughts on MSD, without any knowledge of our TPP situation:
  • Injury-wise, the two spots are created by Jones & Kennedy having LTIs, both of whom play small/medium forward roles. Do we have a need for direct replacement(s)? We still have Greene, Daniels, Bedford, Peatling, Ward, Lloyd, McMullin & Stone (when back from injury), plus Callum Brown could play there, and Harry Rowston could pinch hit there. So TBH, I'm probably not too interested in getting a small/medium forward. That rules out IMHO Trezise & Hansen from the above list, and I'm not seeing an imperative to bring up anyone from our VFL side.
  • What about KPF? We picked up Derksen in last year's MSD, and he hasn't debuted yet. So that's the kind of time frame you're looking at - is anyone worth the pick/time/energy this year? Buller is slow and I'm unconvinced he's AFL quality (meh, but what do I know?), Elliott would be an absolute hail mary given he's done very little, Maric probably goes earlier but anyway he's 193cms and we have Gruzewski yet to debut who's shown good signs. So, again, little interest there. Any veteran out there who we might think about? I don't think it likely.
  • Rucks. Well, Preuss has been out of action the whole season, and Madden is very young and not first grade quality yet. So, relying on just Briggs and Flynn is a risk. There's 3 rucks on that list, and of course Sam Naismith was also mentioned earlier (but without a medical check, is he likely?). Of those, only Brandon Ryan would be "ready to go", which is really what we'd want, not another 18/19 year old who need to be developed. This would be a risk management factor - if we lost Briggs and Flynn, could Himmelberg, Derksen, Keeffe & Riccardi be used to see out the year. I guess there might be differing opinions; I'm going to guess that GWS (the club) doesn't jump to selecting a ruckman.
  • What about tall defenders? We are a touch short there, but a lot on short-term injuries: Taylor, Aleer, Davis. Apparently we were a little interested in Jaiden Hunter in his draft year; we possibly have two slots opening up at the end of the year, so it would be an opportunity to "try before you buy" on someone. El Nour is too small for me. Jarrod Lienert is the other guy I've banged on about before, but without a medical I presume that he's unlikely to feature in the MSD. I don't think that there's anyone from the VFL team likely in that role.
  • What about medium/small defenders? We've got a bunch of quality guys (Ash, Cumming, Whitfield although out of form), with Wehr out injured and Fahey yet to debut, so not really a huge need. Except ... none of them are really good lockdown defenders! Interesting that Luke Teal's name is not on that list, but he's one dubbed as being able to lock down as well as rebound. I would be interested in him from that perspective, as potentially filling a gap in skills we have in the team.
  • Finally, mids. IMHO we're one or two short in that area of the team list, especially with Ward being primarily played as a forward. We could also do with some zip, and I'm yet to be convinced by Angwin on a wing. I did think the loss of both Hopper and Taranto cut our inside mids, and we didn't really fix that, with just Rowston taken at last year's ND. So, I would not be averse to getting a midfielder of some persuasion - a backup pure inside mid would be fine, or someone more inside/outside or even a winger. Mitch Szybkowski was highly rated in last year's draft initially, but eventually was overlooked, seen as a slow inside mid. And whilst I didn't want him last year for exactly the expected reasons, right now I would be OK taking him as a back up for this year, and also to see if he could be a long term backup. We've got Kelly injured, Ward playing forward, and if Green were also to be injured our inside mid stocks would be pretty thin. Kobe Ryan is another inside mid who went undrafted last year, and could be considered in the same boat. I know that PMBangers wasn't keen on anyone who missed out last year, viewing that they hadn't really improved, I'd still look at our list balance as another factor. Otherwise, we could of course look at Barry O'Conner (Irishman, former Swan) who is playing well for our VFL team. I'd be happy with upgrading him - he's familiar with our team, coaches, playing style etc, and upgrading him (even if just for the remainder of this season) would cover us for any injuries. He's 193 cm & 93 kg so a big-bodied mid. The other one who was talked about early, but isn't on that list of medicals, is Quinton Narkle. I'm not really a fan of his, and wouldn't have taken him on in trade/PSD/PSSP for this year, but as a MSD back-up, he probably hits the ground running and is able to add some speed and zip, on a wing, HFF or even a midfield bench player.
Am I expecting that we select anyone? Well, no, not really. I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't open up a spot and didn't even look to take someone. Alternatively, perhaps we're keeping things very close to our chest, which I like very much.

Bottom line, I have NFI. :p

Think you are very much on the money. Other than O'Connor or someone similar, none are likely to impact this year. In terms of the MSD I think the best is if we can use it like Collingwood have successfully over the past years, finding a diamond in the rough before others have spotted such players. An example is Ash Johnson. For us hopefully Wade Derksen. I suspect such players are more likely to stay in non-traditional footy states than highly rated youngsters. Of course there 17 other clubs all trying to do the same.
 
OK, so some (disorganised) thoughts on MSD, without any knowledge of our TPP situation:
  • Injury-wise, the two spots are created by Jones & Kennedy having LTIs, both of whom play small/medium forward roles. Do we have a need for direct replacement(s)? We still have Greene, Daniels, Bedford, Peatling, Ward, Lloyd, McMullin & Stone (when back from injury), plus Callum Brown could play there, and Harry Rowston could pinch hit there. So TBH, I'm probably not too interested in getting a small/medium forward. That rules out IMHO Trezise & Hansen from the above list, and I'm not seeing an imperative to bring up anyone from our VFL side.
  • What about KPF? We picked up Derksen in last year's MSD, and he hasn't debuted yet. So that's the kind of time frame you're looking at - is anyone worth the pick/time/energy this year? Buller is slow and I'm unconvinced he's AFL quality (meh, but what do I know?), Elliott would be an absolute hail mary given he's done very little, Maric probably goes earlier but anyway he's 193cms and we have Gruzewski yet to debut who's shown good signs. So, again, little interest there. Any veteran out there who we might think about? I don't think it likely.
  • Rucks. Well, Preuss has been out of action the whole season, and Madden is very young and not first grade quality yet. So, relying on just Briggs and Flynn is a risk. There's 3 rucks on that list, and of course Sam Naismith was also mentioned earlier (but without a medical check, is he likely?). Of those, only Brandon Ryan would be "ready to go", which is really what we'd want, not another 18/19 year old who need to be developed. This would be a risk management factor - if we lost Briggs and Flynn, could Himmelberg, Derksen, Keeffe & Riccardi be used to see out the year. I guess there might be differing opinions; I'm going to guess that GWS (the club) doesn't jump to selecting a ruckman.
  • What about tall defenders? We are a touch short there, but a lot on short-term injuries: Taylor, Aleer, Davis. Apparently we were a little interested in Jaiden Hunter in his draft year; we possibly have two slots opening up at the end of the year, so it would be an opportunity to "try before you buy" on someone. El Nour is too small for me. Jarrod Lienert is the other guy I've banged on about before, but without a medical I presume that he's unlikely to feature in the MSD. I don't think that there's anyone from the VFL team likely in that role.
  • What about medium/small defenders? We've got a bunch of quality guys (Ash, Cumming, Whitfield although out of form), with Wehr out injured and Fahey yet to debut, so not really a huge need. Except ... none of them are really good lockdown defenders! Interesting that Luke Teal's name is not on that list, but he's one dubbed as being able to lock down as well as rebound. I would be interested in him from that perspective, as potentially filling a gap in skills we have in the team.
  • Finally, mids. IMHO we're one or two short in that area of the team list, especially with Ward being primarily played as a forward. We could also do with some zip, and I'm yet to be convinced by Angwin on a wing. I did think the loss of both Hopper and Taranto cut our inside mids, and we didn't really fix that, with just Rowston taken at last year's ND. So, I would not be averse to getting a midfielder of some persuasion - a backup pure inside mid would be fine, or someone more inside/outside or even a winger. Mitch Szybkowski was highly rated in last year's draft initially, but eventually was overlooked, seen as a slow inside mid. And whilst I didn't want him last year for exactly the expected reasons, right now I would be OK taking him as a back up for this year, and also to see if he could be a long term backup. We've got Kelly injured, Ward playing forward, and if Green were also to be injured our inside mid stocks would be pretty thin. Kobe Ryan is another inside mid who went undrafted last year, and could be considered in the same boat. I know that PMBangers wasn't keen on anyone who missed out last year, viewing that they hadn't really improved, I'd still look at our list balance as another factor. Otherwise, we could of course look at Barry O'Conner (Irishman, former Swan) who is playing well for our VFL team. I'd be happy with upgrading him - he's familiar with our team, coaches, playing style etc, and upgrading him (even if just for the remainder of this season) would cover us for any injuries. He's 193 cm & 93 kg so a big-bodied mid. The other one who was talked about early, but isn't on that list of medicals, is Quinton Narkle. I'm not really a fan of his, and wouldn't have taken him on in trade/PSD/PSSP for this year, but as a MSD back-up, he probably hits the ground running and is able to add some speed and zip, on a wing, HFF or even a midfield bench player.
Am I expecting that we select anyone? Well, no, not really. I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't open up a spot and didn't even look to take someone. Alternatively, perhaps we're keeping things very close to our chest, which I like very much.

Bottom line, I have NFI. :p
Fair summary and it sounds that you know the team inside/out. They’ll need to fill at least one spot because if they lose any more due to a long term injury they take the risk of having too many soldiers down. Your summary on the mids sounds convincing now that Kelly is out for 4. Someone with zip that can create pressure around the contest. My tip would be that they’ll elevate someone within as there has been some good performers in the VFL.
 
Fair summary and it sounds that you know the team inside/out. They’ll need to fill at least one spot because if they lose any more due to a long term injury they take the risk of having too many soldiers down. Your summary on the mids sounds convincing now that Kelly is out for 4. Someone with zip that can create pressure around the contest. My tip would be that they’ll elevate someone within as there has been some good performers in the VFL.
Yes, I think that's probably the most likely. Just gives us a safety net. I'd be happy with taking a punt on one player from elsewhere and elevating someone from VFL, but suspect it will just be one elevation from VFL (at most).
 
OK, so some (disorganised) thoughts on MSD, without any knowledge of our TPP situation:
  • Injury-wise, the two spots are created by Jones & Kennedy having LTIs, both of whom play small/medium forward roles. Do we have a need for direct replacement(s)? We still have Greene, Daniels, Bedford, Peatling, Ward, Lloyd, McMullin & Stone (when back from injury), plus Callum Brown could play there, and Harry Rowston could pinch hit there. So TBH, I'm probably not too interested in getting a small/medium forward. That rules out IMHO Trezise & Hansen from the above list, and I'm not seeing an imperative to bring up anyone from our VFL side.
  • What about KPF? We picked up Derksen in last year's MSD, and he hasn't debuted yet. So that's the kind of time frame you're looking at - is anyone worth the pick/time/energy this year? Buller is slow and I'm unconvinced he's AFL quality (meh, but what do I know?), Elliott would be an absolute hail mary given he's done very little, Maric probably goes earlier but anyway he's 193cms and we have Gruzewski yet to debut who's shown good signs. So, again, little interest there. Any veteran out there who we might think about? I don't think it likely.
  • Rucks. Well, Preuss has been out of action the whole season, and Madden is very young and not first grade quality yet. So, relying on just Briggs and Flynn is a risk. There's 3 rucks on that list, and of course Sam Naismith was also mentioned earlier (but without a medical check, is he likely?). Of those, only Brandon Ryan would be "ready to go", which is really what we'd want, not another 18/19 year old who need to be developed. This would be a risk management factor - if we lost Briggs and Flynn, could Himmelberg, Derksen, Keeffe & Riccardi be used to see out the year. I guess there might be differing opinions; I'm going to guess that GWS (the club) doesn't jump to selecting a ruckman.
  • What about tall defenders? We are a touch short there, but a lot on short-term injuries: Taylor, Aleer, Davis. Apparently we were a little interested in Jaiden Hunter in his draft year; we possibly have two slots opening up at the end of the year, so it would be an opportunity to "try before you buy" on someone. El Nour is too small for me. Jarrod Lienert is the other guy I've banged on about before, but without a medical I presume that he's unlikely to feature in the MSD. I don't think that there's anyone from the VFL team likely in that role.
  • What about medium/small defenders? We've got a bunch of quality guys (Ash, Cumming, Whitfield although out of form), with Wehr out injured and Fahey yet to debut, so not really a huge need. Except ... none of them are really good lockdown defenders! Interesting that Luke Teal's name is not on that list, but he's one dubbed as being able to lock down as well as rebound. I would be interested in him from that perspective, as potentially filling a gap in skills we have in the team.
  • Finally, mids. IMHO we're one or two short in that area of the team list, especially with Ward being primarily played as a forward. We could also do with some zip, and I'm yet to be convinced by Angwin on a wing. I did think the loss of both Hopper and Taranto cut our inside mids, and we didn't really fix that, with just Rowston taken at last year's ND. So, I would not be averse to getting a midfielder of some persuasion - a backup pure inside mid would be fine, or someone more inside/outside or even a winger. Mitch Szybkowski was highly rated in last year's draft initially, but eventually was overlooked, seen as a slow inside mid. And whilst I didn't want him last year for exactly the expected reasons, right now I would be OK taking him as a back up for this year, and also to see if he could be a long term backup. We've got Kelly injured, Ward playing forward, and if Green were also to be injured our inside mid stocks would be pretty thin. Kobe Ryan is another inside mid who went undrafted last year, and could be considered in the same boat. I know that PMBangers wasn't keen on anyone who missed out last year, viewing that they hadn't really improved, I'd still look at our list balance as another factor. Otherwise, we could of course look at Barry O'Conner (Irishman, former Swan) who is playing well for our VFL team. I'd be happy with upgrading him - he's familiar with our team, coaches, playing style etc, and upgrading him (even if just for the remainder of this season) would cover us for any injuries. He's 193 cm & 93 kg so a big-bodied mid. The other one who was talked about early, but isn't on that list of medicals, is Quinton Narkle. I'm not really a fan of his, and wouldn't have taken him on in trade/PSD/PSSP for this year, but as a MSD back-up, he probably hits the ground running and is able to add some speed and zip, on a wing, HFF or even a midfield bench player.
Am I expecting that we select anyone? Well, no, not really. I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't open up a spot and didn't even look to take someone. Alternatively, perhaps we're keeping things very close to our chest, which I like very much.

Bottom line, I have NFI. :p
More of an idea than me. In reality, a small % of MSD turn out to be AFL quality. Maybe we save the money for next year.
 
OK, so some (disorganised) thoughts on MSD, without any knowledge of our TPP situation:
  • Injury-wise, the two spots are created by Jones & Kennedy having LTIs, both of whom play small/medium forward roles. Do we have a need for direct replacement(s)? We still have Greene, Daniels, Bedford, Peatling, Ward, Lloyd, McMullin & Stone (when back from injury), plus Callum Brown could play there, and Harry Rowston could pinch hit there. So TBH, I'm probably not too interested in getting a small/medium forward. That rules out IMHO Trezise & Hansen from the above list, and I'm not seeing an imperative to bring up anyone from our VFL side.
  • What about KPF? We picked up Derksen in last year's MSD, and he hasn't debuted yet. So that's the kind of time frame you're looking at - is anyone worth the pick/time/energy this year? Buller is slow and I'm unconvinced he's AFL quality (meh, but what do I know?), Elliott would be an absolute hail mary given he's done very little, Maric probably goes earlier but anyway he's 193cms and we have Gruzewski yet to debut who's shown good signs. So, again, little interest there. Any veteran out there who we might think about? I don't think it likely.
  • Rucks. Well, Preuss has been out of action the whole season, and Madden is very young and not first grade quality yet. So, relying on just Briggs and Flynn is a risk. There's 3 rucks on that list, and of course Sam Naismith was also mentioned earlier (but without a medical check, is he likely?). Of those, only Brandon Ryan would be "ready to go", which is really what we'd want, not another 18/19 year old who need to be developed. This would be a risk management factor - if we lost Briggs and Flynn, could Himmelberg, Derksen, Keeffe & Riccardi be used to see out the year. I guess there might be differing opinions; I'm going to guess that GWS (the club) doesn't jump to selecting a ruckman.
  • What about tall defenders? We are a touch short there, but a lot on short-term injuries: Taylor, Aleer, Davis. Apparently we were a little interested in Jaiden Hunter in his draft year; we possibly have two slots opening up at the end of the year, so it would be an opportunity to "try before you buy" on someone. El Nour is too small for me. Jarrod Lienert is the other guy I've banged on about before, but without a medical I presume that he's unlikely to feature in the MSD. I don't think that there's anyone from the VFL team likely in that role.
  • What about medium/small defenders? We've got a bunch of quality guys (Ash, Cumming, Whitfield although out of form), with Wehr out injured and Fahey yet to debut, so not really a huge need. Except ... none of them are really good lockdown defenders! Interesting that Luke Teal's name is not on that list, but he's one dubbed as being able to lock down as well as rebound. I would be interested in him from that perspective, as potentially filling a gap in skills we have in the team.
  • Finally, mids. IMHO we're one or two short in that area of the team list, especially with Ward being primarily played as a forward. We could also do with some zip, and I'm yet to be convinced by Angwin on a wing. I did think the loss of both Hopper and Taranto cut our inside mids, and we didn't really fix that, with just Rowston taken at last year's ND. So, I would not be averse to getting a midfielder of some persuasion - a backup pure inside mid would be fine, or someone more inside/outside or even a winger. Mitch Szybkowski was highly rated in last year's draft initially, but eventually was overlooked, seen as a slow inside mid. And whilst I didn't want him last year for exactly the expected reasons, right now I would be OK taking him as a back up for this year, and also to see if he could be a long term backup. We've got Kelly injured, Ward playing forward, and if Green were also to be injured our inside mid stocks would be pretty thin. Kobe Ryan is another inside mid who went undrafted last year, and could be considered in the same boat. I know that PMBangers wasn't keen on anyone who missed out last year, viewing that they hadn't really improved, I'd still look at our list balance as another factor. Otherwise, we could of course look at Barry O'Conner (Irishman, former Swan) who is playing well for our VFL team. I'd be happy with upgrading him - he's familiar with our team, coaches, playing style etc, and upgrading him (even if just for the remainder of this season) would cover us for any injuries. He's 193 cm & 93 kg so a big-bodied mid. The other one who was talked about early, but isn't on that list of medicals, is Quinton Narkle. I'm not really a fan of his, and wouldn't have taken him on in trade/PSD/PSSP for this year, but as a MSD back-up, he probably hits the ground running and is able to add some speed and zip, on a wing, HFF or even a midfield bench player.
Am I expecting that we select anyone? Well, no, not really. I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't open up a spot and didn't even look to take someone. Alternatively, perhaps we're keeping things very close to our chest, which I like very much.

Bottom line, I have NFI. :p
Great analysis mate! Would love to get you on the pod for an episode?
 

4 GWS Academy boys named:
  • Harvey Thomas, our top ranked player - seems to have grown a touch to 177 cm
  • Jack Glanvill, has performed OK in midfield for the academy team in Thomas' recent absence
  • KPF Charlie McCormack
  • overage defender Dayne Posthuma
#NAMESURNAMEHTSTATESTATE LEAGUE CLUB/COMMUNITY CLYB
3CaidenCleary182NSW/ACTSydney Swans Academy/Sydney University
4RyleySanders186TASSandringham Dragons/North Launceston
5ColbyMcKercher182TASTasmania Devils/Launceston
6HarveyThomas177NSW/ACTGWS Giants Academy/Turvey Park
7LachlanCabor181NSW/ACTSydney Swans Academy/Shellharbour
8StanleyWaistcoat178NTNT Academy/South Fremantle/Sporties Spitfires
9JakeRogers172QLDGold Coast Suns Academy/Broadbeach
10LeonardoLombard178QLDGold Coast Suns Academy/Broadbeach/Burleigh
11PhoenixGothard179NSW/ACTMurray Bushrangers/Albury
12WilliamRowlands180NTNT Academy/Southern Districts/Norwood
13JackCallinan179TASTasmania Devils/Clarence
14IndhiKirk181NSW/ACTSydney Swans Academy/UNSW Eastern Suburbs
15JamesLeake188TASTasmania Devils/Launceston
16OrlandoTurner176NTNT Academy/Norwood/South Alice Springs
17ClayShadforth180NTNT Academy/South Adelaide/Palmerston
18MaxRider186NSW/ACTSydney Swans Academy/UNSW Eastern Suburbs
19JackGlanvill186NSW/ACTGWS Giants Academy/Turvey Park
24SamuelMarshall185QLDBrisbane Lions Academy/St Bedes Mentone
25JedWalter195QLDGold Coast Suns Academy/Palm Beach Currumbin
26WilliamGraham186QLDGold Coast Suns Academy/Palm Beach Currumbin
27HeathOllington190TASTasmania Devils/North Launceston
28NickWilliams191QLDGold Coast Suns Academy/Surfers Paradise
29TyeGander193NSW/ACTSydney Swans Academy/St George Dragons
30CharlieMcCormack198NSW/ACTGWS Giants Academy/Coolamon
31ThomasBeaumont186TASTasmania Devils/Launceston
38PatrickSnell194QLDBrisbane Lions Academy/Wilston Grange
39EthanRead200QLDGold Coast Suns Academy/Palm Beach Currumbin
40BradleyMcDonald199QLDBrisbane Lions Academy/Maroochydore
41ConnorO’Sullivan198NSW/ACTMurray Bushrangers/Albury
42DaynePosthuma200NSW/ACTGWS Giants Academy/Queanbeyan
44CalebMay206NSW/ACTSydney Swans Academy/South West Sydney Blues
 
OK, so some (disorganised) thoughts on MSD, without any knowledge of our TPP situation:
  • Injury-wise, the two spots are created by Jones & Kennedy having LTIs, both of whom play small/medium forward roles. Do we have a need for direct replacement(s)? We still have Greene, Daniels, Bedford, Peatling, Ward, Lloyd, McMullin & Stone (when back from injury), plus Callum Brown could play there, and Harry Rowston could pinch hit there. So TBH, I'm probably not too interested in getting a small/medium forward. That rules out IMHO Trezise & Hansen from the above list, and I'm not seeing an imperative to bring up anyone from our VFL side.
  • What about KPF? We picked up Derksen in last year's MSD, and he hasn't debuted yet. So that's the kind of time frame you're looking at - is anyone worth the pick/time/energy this year? Buller is slow and I'm unconvinced he's AFL quality (meh, but what do I know?), Elliott would be an absolute hail mary given he's done very little, Maric probably goes earlier but anyway he's 193cms and we have Gruzewski yet to debut who's shown good signs. So, again, little interest there. Any veteran out there who we might think about? I don't think it likely.
  • Rucks. Well, Preuss has been out of action the whole season, and Madden is very young and not first grade quality yet. So, relying on just Briggs and Flynn is a risk. There's 3 rucks on that list, and of course Sam Naismith was also mentioned earlier (but without a medical check, is he likely?). Of those, only Brandon Ryan would be "ready to go", which is really what we'd want, not another 18/19 year old who need to be developed. This would be a risk management factor - if we lost Briggs and Flynn, could Himmelberg, Derksen, Keeffe & Riccardi be used to see out the year. I guess there might be differing opinions; I'm going to guess that GWS (the club) doesn't jump to selecting a ruckman.
  • What about tall defenders? We are a touch short there, but a lot on short-term injuries: Taylor, Aleer, Davis. Apparently we were a little interested in Jaiden Hunter in his draft year; we possibly have two slots opening up at the end of the year, so it would be an opportunity to "try before you buy" on someone. El Nour is too small for me. Jarrod Lienert is the other guy I've banged on about before, but without a medical I presume that he's unlikely to feature in the MSD. I don't think that there's anyone from the VFL team likely in that role.
  • What about medium/small defenders? We've got a bunch of quality guys (Ash, Cumming, Whitfield although out of form), with Wehr out injured and Fahey yet to debut, so not really a huge need. Except ... none of them are really good lockdown defenders! Interesting that Luke Teal's name is not on that list, but he's one dubbed as being able to lock down as well as rebound. I would be interested in him from that perspective, as potentially filling a gap in skills we have in the team.
  • Finally, mids. IMHO we're one or two short in that area of the team list, especially with Ward being primarily played as a forward. We could also do with some zip, and I'm yet to be convinced by Angwin on a wing. I did think the loss of both Hopper and Taranto cut our inside mids, and we didn't really fix that, with just Rowston taken at last year's ND. So, I would not be averse to getting a midfielder of some persuasion - a backup pure inside mid would be fine, or someone more inside/outside or even a winger. Mitch Szybkowski was highly rated in last year's draft initially, but eventually was overlooked, seen as a slow inside mid. And whilst I didn't want him last year for exactly the expected reasons, right now I would be OK taking him as a back up for this year, and also to see if he could be a long term backup. We've got Kelly injured, Ward playing forward, and if Green were also to be injured our inside mid stocks would be pretty thin. Kobe Ryan is another inside mid who went undrafted last year, and could be considered in the same boat. I know that PMBangers wasn't keen on anyone who missed out last year, viewing that they hadn't really improved, I'd still look at our list balance as another factor. Otherwise, we could of course look at Barry O'Conner (Irishman, former Swan) who is playing well for our VFL team. I'd be happy with upgrading him - he's familiar with our team, coaches, playing style etc, and upgrading him (even if just for the remainder of this season) would cover us for any injuries. He's 193 cm & 93 kg so a big-bodied mid. The other one who was talked about early, but isn't on that list of medicals, is Quinton Narkle. I'm not really a fan of his, and wouldn't have taken him on in trade/PSD/PSSP for this year, but as a MSD back-up, he probably hits the ground running and is able to add some speed and zip, on a wing, HFF or even a midfield bench player.
Am I expecting that we select anyone? Well, no, not really. I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't open up a spot and didn't even look to take someone. Alternatively, perhaps we're keeping things very close to our chest, which I like very much.

Bottom line, I have NFI. :p
Nice summary, I'm assuming we'll open up a slot at least and see if one of the main two (Maric and Tucker) manage to slip to our selection, as unlikely as it is, just in case, but outside of that there's little that we could use.

I wouldn't be against taking Rye Penny though, liked him for a late draft Pick last year and he's shown some glimpses on ball this year
 
Here's the Fox Sports article talking about the MSD. It links two players to the Giants. (I really don't get why those two would be on our radar - they don't seem to fit our needs IMHO.)


While recruiters have been hesitant to talk up this year’s mid-season draft class, one player has most of them excited: Ryan Maric.The 193cm forward prospect from Gippsland Power is widely expected to be taken with the first selection in Wednesday’s draft — and, therefore, land at West Coast — after a dramatic surge since 2021.Maric, who’s reportedly been interviewed by eight AFL clubs ahead of the mid-season draft, has excited recruiters with his efficient, natural kick and goal nous.

The 18-year-old is set to land at the Eagles, while Eastern Ranges’ 204cm ruckman Clay Tucker — the top ruck prospect of the mid-season draft class — could also be taken early. Tucker has had a consistent season with the Ranges to date, showing good athleticism at stoppages and around the ground, while also drifting forward to kick two two-goal hauls. Tucker has been training with Hawthorn, while the Giants have also been linked to him.

The Giants are also expected to have at least one selection in the draft, even though they could put two players — Adam Kennedy (knee) and Darcy Jones (knee) — on their inactive list due to season-ending knee injuries.

McDonald’s Williamstown teammate Marty Hore — the former Melbourne defender — has also been in excellent VFL form, averaging 22.9 disposals and 10.6 marks from eight matches. He’s been linked to the Giants and the Western Bulldogs.
 
Here's the Fox Sports article talking about the MSD. It links two players to the Giants. (I really don't get why those two would be on our radar - they don;t seem to fit our needs IMHO.)


While recruiters have been hesitant to talk up this year’s mid-season draft class, one player has most of them excited: Ryan Maric.The 193cm forward prospect from Gippsland Power is widely expected to be taken with the first selection in Wednesday’s draft — and, therefore, land at West Coast — after a dramatic surge since 2021.Maric, who’s reportedly been interviewed by eight AFL clubs ahead of the mid-season draft, has excited recruiters with his efficient, natural kick and goal nous.

The 18-year-old is set to land at the Eagles, while Eastern Ranges’ 204cm ruckman Clay Tucker — the top ruck prospect of the mid-season draft class — could also be taken early. Tucker has had a consistent season with the Ranges to date, showing good athleticism at stoppages and around the ground, while also drifting forward to kick two two-goal hauls. Tucker has been training with Hawthorn, while the Giants have also been linked to him.

The Giants are also expected to have at least one selection in the draft, even though they could put two players — Adam Kennedy (knee) and Darcy Jones (knee) — on their inactive list due to season-ending knee injuries.

McDonald’s Williamstown teammate Marty Hore — the former Melbourne defender — has also been in excellent VFL form, averaging 22.9 disposals and 10.6 marks from eight matches. He’s been linked to the Giants and the Western Bulldogs.
Slow news day maybe! Def need a midfielder.
 

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