Player Watch #33 Caiden Cleary

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Punts said:
Go watch Longmires presser , sounds like jmac is in front on paply
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I'm not denying what was stated in the presser. I just have my doubts, in particular as to whether he'll be confident enough on the knee to do what we need him to do. Our reputation for playing those we shouldn't in finals precedes us.
 
A real solid game.
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BloodySwan said:
It's hard not to get excited when a kid rises to AFL level almost instantly. It'll only be a season or two before he is locked into our best 22
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At this trajectory I'll be surprised if he doesn't have a Brownlow and a Norm Smith by end of next year.
 
BloodySwan said:
It's hard not to get excited when a kid rises to AFL level almost instantly. It'll only be a season or two before he is locked into our best 22
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The most exciting thing for me is what he's shown that we didn't already know. We knew coming in he was a clean, classy extractor, but there were question marks over his outside game, his disposal, his explosiveness, his forward nous, etc. Not major question marks, just what separated him from the premier midfielders in his draft year.

His last couple of games has demonstrated he is actually much more well-rounded than previously thought, which is super exciting. He's giving Hanners vibes, genuine inside/outside mid.

I still think he makes way when we've got a full strength side, especially if Taylor Adams can recapture his mid-season form, but I reckon he'll play a lot of footy next year.

And the good news is he and Sheldrick are sufficiently different that I don't think they'll be necessarily competing for the same spot. In fact all three of our fringe mids, in Corey, Gus and Cleary, are distinctly different archetypes. Hopefully they can all come on and lock down a place over the next 2 years.
 
Caiden's one of a number of up and coming young players who will fight to fill positions over the next few years. Corey, Caiden and Angus. Snell and Caleb, Jacob, Hannily, possibly even Hamling. McAndrew, Buller, Ladhams or Green, Francis could finally crack it, which will help us patch the enormous hole when Rampe, Fox and Cunningham need replacing. We keep recruiting smart footy brains and putting them under determined leaders showing to teach them the levels expected. Caiden is a beauty. It was very heartening to see him grasp some time in the midfield.

This year we've had a few cement best 22 status, like Melican, Matty Roberts and Campbell have. Hopefully we can continue to roll with an ever larger depth
 
Heeney2Franklin said:
I reckon he almost made himself undroppable just needed another 2 more games of similar performances and he would of stayed in.

Could be a massive 2025 for him.
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He got 16 disposals which is nice, but he has not made himself undroppable yet. He has not done enough to ensure that.

I think he will in 2025, but not quite yet.
 
I don't know if Cleary will be in our finals side or even if he should be. But I get a sense of what could've been this year...

All season we've looked for a decent ground level pressure forward, trialling Fox (with mixed results) and persisting with Wicks despite his form issues.

Could Cleary have been the answer all along?

I understand that expecting a full season out of an 18 year old first year player would've been a huge ask - he's already had a long and demanding year playing nearly every game where possible. But I think back to when we clearly had enough confidence in him at the senior level to give him his debut. He got 25 minutes of game time, and 35 the next. We didn't really learn much about him or what he could do. Our form slump begins the following week, Wicks gets dropped, and then the results start to get reaaaally ugly.

Maybe if we'd given him a proper go in round 15 & 16, things might've been different. Even if he couldn't do anything to stop the disastrous few weeks that would follow - no individual could - at the very least we'd have gotten a better idea of the player we have on our hands so we're not considering him for finals selection based on just two games at the end of the season.
 
caesar88 said:
I don't know if Cleary will be in our finals side or even if he should be. But I get a sense of what could've been this year...

All season we've looked for a decent ground level pressure forward, trialling Fox (with mixed results) and persisting with Wicks despite his form issues.

Could Cleary have been the answer all along?

I understand that expecting a full season out of an 18 year old first year player would've been a huge ask - he's already had a long and demanding year playing nearly every game where possible. But I think back to when we clearly had enough confidence in him at the senior level to give him his debut. He got 25 minutes of game time, and 35 the next. We didn't really learn much about him or what he could do. Our form slump begins the following week, Wicks gets dropped, and then the results start to get reaaaally ugly.

Maybe if we'd given him a proper go in round 15 & 16, things might've been different. Even if he couldn't do anything to stop the disastrous few weeks that would follow - no individual could - at the very least we'd have gotten a better idea of the player we have on our hands so we're not considering him for finals selection based on just two games at the end of the season.
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I'd put it this way. He won't play finals if our best 23 are fit, but I'd feel far more comfortable if he came in as injury cover compared to the likes of James Bell or Jordan Foote in previous years.
 

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Adnico26Parker said:
www.sydneyswans.com.au

Caiden Cleary Puts Newtown Back on the Footy Map

After three AFL games as Sydney’s sub, Cleary played his first game as a starter for the Swans in round 23 against Essendon, taking the opportunity with both hands as he filled the absence of Tom Papley and Sam Wicks as a small forward.
www.sydneyswans.com.au www.sydneyswans.com.au

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The tense of that suggests to me (even though i was 95% confident it would be the case) that Cleary won't be playing and will be 1 of the 4 gone. Straight swap of Paps in for him but atleast he showed signs and a big PS and he could lock himself into the 22/23
 
Kbroome said:
The tense of that suggests to me (even though i was 95% confident it would be the case) that Cleary won't be playing and will be 1 of the 4 gone. Straight swap of Paps in for him but atleast he showed signs and a big PS and he could lock himself into the 22/23
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As much as I’d want him to keep his spot, I agree that it’s inevitable he’ll be one to miss come finals.
 
Jeffers said:
if he can improve his kicking game in the off season then watch out!
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Feel like we say that about for just about every player we have had this decade 😅
 
Kbroome said:
Well given he was the only draft pick to play this year it kinda had to be him. None the less he will imo be the best draft pick by us since Gulden (sorry Matty and Gus)
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roberts is a much better all-round player than i thought, and has even improved on that ... past few weeks have been a revelation
and i seriously rate sheldrick, but i dread that he's gonna be one of those players who never properly gets a crack at it because of injuries
although not challenging your call, no doubt cleary looks a ripper
 
the hypnotoad said:
roberts is a much better all-round player than i thought, and has even improved on that ... past few weeks have been a revelation
and i seriously rate sheldrick, but i dread that he's gonna be one of those players who never properly gets a crack at it because of injuries
although not challenging your call, no doubt cleary looks a ripper
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Roberts has reached the stage after 27 games of being a best 22 player. He has good skill level and temperament. Found his niche.
Sheldrick's appearances have been promising in terms of skill and temperament but patchy in number so it's hard to judge and he's not best 22. He might get there or he might not, particularly based on who is in front of him.
Cleary has played two games in a non-preferred position displaying a lot of energy and reasonable skill, particularly for a first year player. He's not best 22 and like Sheldrick, has a lot in front of him in his preferred position but some are wondering if he can, like Roberts, make an impact in another position.
Sums it up I think.
There is a risk of shiny new toy syndrome.
 
Back in May of this year, in the reserves thread, I mentioned Cleary 'seems to me to be a player that would be equally at home in the seniors' and that he was just 'smooth'.

Now I don't claim to be Robinson Crusoe with those thoughts (caesar88 for one has expressed similar sentiments) but I've thought he looks more comfortable in the firsts (even playing out of position) than Sheldrick has.

Cleary had a bit of a run on the ball late on the weekend and got a couple of clearances and he just seemed unhurried giving the ball out.

In a way he reminds me of a Pendelbury type midfielder, whereas Sheldrick is a much more in and under player.
I see Cleary as a guy who can play inside/outside and could slot in, as he has been, up forward.
Sheldrick for me is much more a one position (ball extractor) player.

Hopefully both players have long and distinguished careers at the Swans, bit IMO, at this point of time, Cleary is more likely to achieve that, perhaps even down to opportunity.

(Sorry Dubai Quacker, rustycrate et al). :(
 
hairy biker said:
Back in May of this year, in the reserves thread, I mentioned Cleary 'seems to me to be a player that would be equally at home in the seniors' and that he was just 'smooth'.

Now I don't claim to be Robinson Crusoe with those thoughts (caesar88 for one has expressed similar sentiments) but I've thought he looks more comfortable in the firsts (even playing out of position) than Sheldrick has.

Cleary had a bit of a run on the ball late on the weekend and got a couple of clearances and he just seemed unhurried giving the ball out.

In a way he reminds me of a Pendelbury type midfielder, whereas Sheldrick is a much more in and under player.
I see Cleary as a guy who can play inside/outside and could slot in, as he has been, up forward.
Sheldrick for me is much more a one position (ball extractor) player.

Hopefully both players have long and distinguished careers at the Swans, bit IMO, at this point of time, Cleary is more likely to achieve that, perhaps even down to opportunity.

(Sorry Dubai Quacker, rustycrate et al). :(
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geez, i agree on cleary but i thought sheldrick looked right at home in his senior games last year ...
 

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Player Watch #33 Caiden Cleary

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