List Mgmt. 2025 National Draft Thread - Beaten at your own game, Bidney?

[robbieando]

 

[Cadsky]

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Surprised McNamara didn’t get a chance but whatever wasn’t on my high “let’s get” list

 

[liz]

Hopefully McNamara signs up for our U19 squad and gets opportunities in our VFL side. Edwards, Kirk and Wicks all won their Cat B spots after a 19th year. Maybe Bell too. Can’t quite remember.

Papley, Lloyd, Rampe, Aliir and McLean are others who’ve carved out good (to outstanding) AFL careers after being overlooked as an 18 yo.

 

[Adnico26Parker]

Hopefully McNamara signs up for our U19 squad and gets opportunities in our VFL side. Edwards, Kirk and Wicks all won their Cat B spots after a 19th year. Maybe Bell too. Can’t quite remember.

Papley, Lloyd, Rampe, Aliir and McLean are others who’ve carved out good (to outstanding) AFL careers after being overlooked as an 18 yo.

I was just thinking the exact same thing. From what I've seen, he seems like he's one who'll fight for a spot.

 

[wolftone57]

What does that mean for the list and Rampe/Lloyd etc? Or was that on the cards anyway.

It means nothing. they are still drafted back as Rookies.

Heatherton is interesting. He was ranked in the Top 10 at Under Age Level. He injured his back at the end of the 2024 season and missed most of 2025. In his three appearances he kicked, 3.1, 5.0 and 3.2 in the Coates League. So, he can see the ball through the Big white Ones. Be interesting watching his development. He injured his back toward the end of 2024 but kept playing. Unfortunately this culminated in the back just getting worse and him needing medical intervention after being diagnosed with two stress fractures in his back. he only played the three games, that is why he slipped so badly in draft calculations.

 

[Ed_Gein]

2 more forwrds... any chance of a defender???

 

[bedford]

2 more forwrds... any chance of a defender???

! McCartin was a forward and we picked up Serong and have Rampe and Hambling as back ups

 

[SwansLifer]

2 more forwrds... any chance of a defender???

Don't worry. Swans never let a forward play...forward, without doing their "apprenticeship" in defensive 50. So realistically it's 2 more defenders.

I'm joking people that complain about everything. Settle down.

 

[wolftone57]

Wow!! I did not know we'd be able to pre-list Hetherton. I'm pumped to get him. Perfect!! Now I'm really satisfied with this draft, notwithstanding missing out on Lachie.

Our tall forward stocks this year are through the roof: suddenly we'll have Curnow and Logan, neither of whom played for us in 2025, as well as a freshly Bill-Knowles-rehabbed Amartey with McLean and Ladhams as back up and Hetherton developing in the 2s. I think abruptly we'll go from having one of the weakest bunch of KPFs playing this year to one of the strongest next year. Might not count for much if we don't get it done elsewhere.

We have also bolstered the midfield with a couple of players as well. One who is a Mature Ager who averages 5 clearances & 5 tackles/game. He is only 178cm but seems to be a cannonball.

The midfield is a place we need to concentrate. We have talent. We have bullocking and role players. The coaches need to makec their minds up to how it looks next year. Do Mills and Roberts fill that Big Bodied Mid role for us? Roberts would need to find some aggression. But at junior level he was a bit like Joey Kennedy, able to get in and extract by using wriggle and force to get out. So, who goes in there now? Kyle will eventually be a mid but he will play reserves for now and if he does play Seniors he will probably play HF/HB or wing.

The backs will be interesting with young Serong coming and a fit Edwards as well as the developing Snell. I think we now have super depth. The ruck situation is good but next draft, maybe a developing Ruck to play seniors within three years.

I think this is the best list we have had in quite a while. It is made up of players who all have ability but will play their role. The trouble with Superstars is they seldom win you a Premiership. There is a saying;

Rather a champion team than a team of champions

 

[Neverwas]

I hope McNamara can play in the Academy as an overager next year because he is dead stiff to miss out.

It's not widely known that whilst he was not invited to the combine his running vertical jump in the pre season testing would have put him at 3rd in the Combine ahead of Jevan Phillipou.In addition he is clearly a good runner seldom beaten for pace or stamina

He performed moderately well early in the season as a half back and part time mid but steadily improved until late in the season when he was getting stints in the forward line and showed heaps of talent there, earning a BOG for the Allies at half forward and kicking 3.2 but narrowly missed for the 2 minors with 18 disposals.

He also showed really good forward craft playing in the 2s against GWS and kicked 2 goals, one of which was a very impressive snap, with limited ToG.

To me he is a very clever player with heaps of potential and I hope that the club is not burning it's bridges with the academy and becoming a sort "the other man's grass is always greener"sort of club.

 

[SwansLifer]

We have also bolstered the midfield with a couple of players as well. One who is a Mature Ager who averages 5 clearances & 5 tackles/game. He is only 178cm but seems to be a cannonball.

The midfield is a place we need to concentrate. We have talent. We have bullocking and role players. The coaches need to makec their minds up to how it looks next year. Do Mills and Roberts fill that Big Bodied Mid role for us? Roberts would need to find some aggression. But at junior level he was a bit like Joey Kennedy, able to get in and extract by using wriggle and force to get out. So, who goes in there now? Kyle will eventually be a mid but he will play reserves for now and if he does play Seniors he will probably play HF/HB or wing.

The backs will be interesting with young Serong coming and a fit Edwards as well as the developing Snell. I think we now have super depth. The ruck situation is good but next draft, maybe a developing Ruck to play seniors within three years.

I think this is the best list we have had in quite a while. It is made up of players who all have ability but will play their role. The trouble with Superstars is they seldom win you a Premiership. There is a saying;

Rather a champion team than a team of champions

Agree with this in the most part absolutely, except for the ruck. Green was/is a ruck that was going to take a long time, and personally I still think he is a ruck that will play within 3 years, if he is going to at all. So couldn't he still classify as that ruckman?
Ladhams is 27, Grundy is 31. Not going to retire in the next couple of years.

I don't know the stats, but what do you think the % is of teams drafting ruckman and them staying on a list and having a long career?
Ruck is, and always will be for me anyway, that I think you can pick a mature ager, unless you have an early pick and its clear. This only increases with the way ruck rules are changing.

 

[wolftone57]

I hope McNamara can play in the Academy as an overager next year because he is dead stiff to miss out.

It's not widely known that whilst he was not invited to the combine his running vertical jump in the pre season testing would have put him at 3rd in the Combine ahead of Jevan Phillipou.In addition he is clearly a good runner seldom beaten for pace or stamina

He performed moderately well early in the season as a half back and part time mid but steadily improved until late in the season when he was getting stints in the forward line and showed heaps of talent there, earning a BOG for the Allies at half forward and kicking 3.2 but narrowly missed for the 2 minors with 18 disposals.

He also showed really good forward craft playing in the 2s against GWS and kicked 2 goals, one of which was a very impressive snap, with limited ToG.

To me he is a very clever player with heaps of potential and I hope that the club is not burning it's bridges with the academy and becoming a sort "the other man's grass is always greener"sort of club.

The difference is Jevan Phillipou can match it at SANFL level in a team that couldn't win a raffle with the only ticket. WWT was pretty ordinary but managed to win 7 games. Don't know how because all top 5 teams slaughtered them. Phillipou will be a really good player but will need to work on his defensive actions. He already knows this and is keen to get to work.

 

[wolftone57]

Agree with this in the most part absolutely, except for the ruck. Green was/is a ruck that was going to take a long time, and personally I still think he is a ruck that will play within 3 years, if he is going to at all. So couldn't he still classify as that ruckman?
Ladhams is 27, Grundy is 31. Not going to retire in the next couple of years.

I don't know the stats, but what do you think the % is of teams drafting ruckman and them staying on a list and having a long career?
Ruck is, and always will be for me anyway, that I think you can pick a mature ager, unless you have an early pick and its clear. This only increases with the way ruck rules are changing.

I think you need to do both with a ruck. Green is one but you need to take care of the future. In four years who do we have? Certainly not Grundy and Ladhams has that REALLY BIG BODY that is doubtful to make it past about 33-34 and his knees have always been a bit dicky. So, we need to look at another draft Ruck plus a trade. Maybe we can trade back McAndrew, he did some pretty nice things at SANFL level in a top 3 side (top 3 two years running).

 

[Bandicoot]

Agree with this in the most part absolutely, except for the ruck. Green was/is a ruck that was going to take a long time, and personally I still think he is a ruck that will play within 3 years, if he is going to at all. So couldn't he still classify as that ruckman?
Ladhams is 27, Grundy is 31. Not going to retire in the next couple of years.

I don't know the stats, but what do you think the % is of teams drafting ruckman and them staying on a list and having a long career?
Ruck is, and always will be for me anyway, that I think you can pick a mature ager, unless you have an early pick and its clear. This only increases with the way ruck rules are changing.

I just hope that Green doesn't follow the same path as Naismith and D Cameron.
It seems to be the pattern of rucks. They spend 5-6 years with their original club but due to lack of games get picked up by another club and end up as excellent rucks.

 

[SwansLifer]

I think you need to do both with a ruck. Green is one but you need to take care of the future. In four years who do we have? Certainly not Grundy and Ladhams has that REALLY BIG BODY that is doubtful to make it past about 33-34 and his knees have always been a bit dicky. So, we need to look at another draft Ruck plus a trade. Maybe we can trade back McAndrew, he did some pretty nice things at SANFL level in a top 3 side (top 3 two years running).

I agree for sure. But what my thinking would be here is by the time Grundy retires Ladhams has a 2-3 year timeline of being #1 ruckman. By then, Green is well and truly either ready to be a genuine AFL player or not on the list as he just hasn't translated. Why you don't continually go down the ruckman prospect is you need to put so many more years into a ruckman. My thinking from a long, long time ago has always been, let someone else spend that time on the ruckman and develop them, they're easy to get when they actually come into their own ie 26-30. That is essentially 8 years after draft. Look at the rucks around the comp. Premiers wise:
2025: Brisbane - McInerney (31) didn't get drafted and then went rookie the following year.
2024 s: Brisbane - Fort (31) 35th team. Joking, but journeyman.
2023: Collingwood - Darcy Cameron (27yo) - 2nd team. Doesn't matter that he WAS a Swan. 2nd team and yet another team that developed him.
2022: Geelong - Stanley (31) 2nd team.

These are the last 4 and all of them are late in their careers and high majority at 2nd club. You can put Max Gawn as 2021 and it doesn't matter. Rucks, unless they're generational are able to be had when in their prime for not much. Even Brodie Grundy cost us bugger all and he is playing great since coming to the Swans. Drafting a ruck is really not that smart as a general rule of thumb.

 

[anotherletdown]

I hope McNamara can play in the Academy as an overager next year because he is dead stiff to miss out.

It's not widely known that whilst he was not invited to the combine his running vertical jump in the pre season testing would have put him at 3rd in the Combine ahead of Jevan Phillipou.In addition he is clearly a good runner seldom beaten for pace or stamina

He performed moderately well early in the season as a half back and part time mid but steadily improved until late in the season when he was getting stints in the forward line and showed heaps of talent there, earning a BOG for the Allies at half forward and kicking 3.2 but narrowly missed for the 2 minors with 18 disposals.

He also showed really good forward craft playing in the 2s against GWS and kicked 2 goals, one of which was a very impressive snap, with limited ToG.

To me he is a very clever player with heaps of potential and I hope that the club is not burning it's bridges with the academy and becoming a sort "the other man's grass is always greener"sort of club.

Pretty sure he is still academy tied next year. I wonder if there is some strategy in taking Hetherton this year, as he would have been free to all next year. Can't help but think that call was very line-ball

 

[Callipygian]

Green is going fine and hopefully opportunities open for him just as he starts to deserve them. I don't think we'll lose him if we want him. We can prioritise him ahead of Ladhams if we continue to believe in him. It would be great if Green could get a taste of seniors this year (2026) and then maybe start playing more often as 2nd ruck next year (2027).

 

[SwansLifer]

I just hope that Green doesn't follow the same path as Naismith and D Cameron.
It seems to be the pattern of rucks. They spend 5-6 years with their original club but due to lack of games get picked up by another club and end up as excellent rucks.

Yes. And this is why I don't like selecting ruckman. They take too long to develop, particularly if you don't have a coaching staff (Swans don't) that will give young players a go and let them make mistakes. It's just so much easier allowing everyone else to do the heavy lifting and then have a huge selection, instead of 1 guy you drafted.

 

[SwansLifer]

Green is going fine and hopefully opportunities open for him just as he starts to deserve them. I don't think we'll lose him if we want him. We can prioritise him ahead of Ladhams if we continue to believe in him. It would be great if Green could get a taste of seniors this year (2026) and then maybe start playing more often as 2nd ruck next year (2027).

I agree. And I'm certainly not someone that advocates for just not drafting ruckman, but how long do you give him? His progress this season looked pretty good for mine, but I don't think he is even close to being AFL ready. And by that I mean you need to be able to make mistakes when you come in.
All I'm saying in, you need to commit to at least 4-5 years typically on someone like Green to expect him to potentially develop into a player.

 

[Callipygian]

And Hetherton is another who apparently would have rated top 10 at the national draft combine for running vertical leap - seems to be a massive theme in our recruiting this year. Surely not a coincidence?!

The other theme is we're picking a lot of players with high ceilings who are a bit speculative. That could be said of Kyle, King, Hetherton and Chamberlain. To a lesser extent it applies to Phillipou too - except I think his floor is a fair bit higher than the rest of them provided he knuckles down and buys in to bloods culture. That leaves only Cootee as a proven product out of all our draft hand.

Since we're not rebuilding, I don't mind this strategy at all. If two of those players can turn out to be really good, then it doesn't matter if the rest are busts because our cupboard is not bare and we can go again.

 

[RampeRobe]

Feels good to bring in multiple 190cm plus players - feels like we are finally getting with the program

 

[Slingshot Footy]

I think you need to do both with a ruck. Green is one but you need to take care of the future. In four years who do we have? Certainly not Grundy and Ladhams has that REALLY BIG BODY that is doubtful to make it past about 33-34 and his knees have always been a bit dicky. So, we need to look at another draft Ruck plus a trade. Maybe we can trade back McAndrew, he did some pretty nice things at SANFL level in a top 3 side (top 3 two years running).

I think with where Green is tracking at the moment we’re probably better off participating in the ruck merry go round when it suits us. I could support a pick for a ruck next year if the right one fell in our lap but probably more comfortable to save it for the 2027 draft. It’s a hard position to draft at the moment with the very recent rule changes. Will springy rucks be back in vogue now that body work will be less of a factor? Time will tell, but we definitely need to see how the 2026 season pans out before we consider our choices on personnel. The extra man on the interchange will also be an interesting development moving forward. A lot to consider…

 

[Slingshot Footy]

Really happy overall with this draft as we cool off on the rookies. There’s a huge amount of potential in this crop and while not everyone will make it in all likelihood, you have to hope that at least 2 or 3 of the 6 will add something meaningful to our list.

I’m probably most excited by Kyle as I think he’s barely scratched the surface of his potential. Our last rugby convert, Kieran Jack, turned out pretty well for us with his grit and two way running so there’s a lot to like.

The biggest bonus from this draft for me would be Chamberlain developing into that Swiss Army knife type of player that Dawson was for us as we rose from the ashes of the 2010s.

 

[Kbroome]

Will say that is an awfully smart and cheeky play by the Swans to get Hetherton.

Getting a developing tall was crucial and thought it might have cost us a main list spot so to get him on the Cat B through his development period is a huge win, especially for 2026 draft and 2027

 

[kickthething]

His dad looks a like a whippet tho !!

His mum on the other hand…………l