Past Matthew Ling - delisted 2021

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Matthew Ling

Matt Ling is lightning-quick and has a pinpoint left-foot kick. The problem is a torrid injury run prevented him from hitting his best over his first two seasons at the Sydney Swans. Serious toe and Achilles injuries limited the club’s top 2017 AFL Draft selection to just 16 NEAFL games across the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Season 2020 is his time to shine.

Matthew Ling
DOB: 21 April 1999
DRAFT: 2017
RECRUITED FROM: St Mary's (Vic)/Geelong U18

 
It was 4-6 weeks 5 weeks ago.

Hopefully we see him back soon and I certainly wouldn't be calling him a bust, unless Malceski was a bust.

If he doesn't play next year surely the writing is on the wall
 
Mate.

Seriously.

What the fu** is wrong with you?

And if you're just baiting well well played (I guess).

He'll probably play within the next couple of weeks.

There's play NEAFL and there is play AFL. Clear as anything he'll need to be playing in the AFL next season otherwise we should move him on. Hope he sashes it, just past the point of expecting it, he was meant to be fine the start of this year. Wish him every piece of luck, deserves to get some luck going his way
 

Mick Oxlong

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There's play NEAFL and there is play AFL. Clear as anything he'll need to be playing in the AFL next season otherwise we should move him on. Hope he sashes it, just past the point of expecting it, he was meant to be fine the start of this year. Wish him every piece of luck, deserves to get some luck going his way
Give the kid a break, there’s ability to play football and ‘the ability to play’. He’s injured, something he can’t help but we (the club) can by rehabilitation and support to get his body right!
 
Jan 13, 2007
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There's play NEAFL and there is play AFL. Clear as anything he'll need to be playing in the AFL next season otherwise we should move him on. Hope he sashes it, just past the point of expecting it, he was meant to be fine the start of this year. Wish him every piece of luck, deserves to get some luck going his way

I'm sure that the club will take a whole host of factors into account when deciding whether they "move him on" or extend him. One, just one, of those factors will be the number of games he's played in his first 3 years. Another might be his readiness to play Round 1 2021. Another might be whether we've managed to hang on to or develop as the case may be players like McInerney, Lloyd, Dawson, Cunningham, and Stoddart.

So it's not "clear as anything".....except perhaps mud.
 
Jul 20, 2001
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Hey Masey, maybe you should read the Durak Tucker thread that you posted in?

Heh, I can barely remember what I did yesterday. I did forget about that however the only reason we know is because he posted Instagram! I don’t think I have seen anything from the club including leaving him as TBC despite him being ruled out a month ago.
 

Mick Oxlong

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Heh, I can barely remember what I did yesterday. I did forget about that however the only reason we know is because he posted Instagram! I don’t think I have seen anything from the club including leaving him as TBC despite him being ruled out a month ago.

Ditto. I vaguely recall someone saying something, I think it was ‘what’s his name?’!
 

Artygunner

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So if this bloke is not injured, can someone tell me why he didn't get a run in the Marsh series? Are we conceding that his recruitment was a failure?
 
So if this bloke is not injured, can someone tell me why he didn't get a run in the Marsh series? Are we conceding that his recruitment was a failure?

I'll quote myself here only because I can't be stuffed repeating it, but this was my guess:

Maybe holding him off early in the season will give Ling his best chance to debut. Given his history it wouldn't surprise me if they want to see him get through say a month of NEAFL footy before bringing him into senior contention.
 
Feb 28, 2007
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So if this bloke is not injured, can someone tell me why he didn't get a run in the Marsh series? Are we conceding that his recruitment was a failure?

I hate when the Swans reach for players using our first round pick. We should stop trying to outsmart ourselves by going for the player we think is a steal that no other club has in their top 15 calculations for a reason.
 
I hate when the Swans reach for players using our first round pick. We should stop trying to outsmart ourselves by going for the player we think is a steal that no other club has in their top 15 calculations for a reason.

Agreed. We seemed to have learnt from this one onwards though which is good
 
I hate when the Swans reach for players using our first round pick. We should stop trying to outsmart ourselves by going for the player we think is a steal that no other club has in their top 15 calculations for a reason.

You're under the assumption that the club went for Ling because he was a steal, or because we were trying to be clever and go against the tide.

In actuality we obviously went into the 2017 draft identifying elite skills as the number one priority above all else and felt that Ling best suited that need. Which he did, and still does if he can stay fit.

I wanted Worpel that year or at least any inside mid, but the fact we didn't go that route didn't suddenly make me think the club was being too cute or acting in any way that wasn't the best choice they thought at the time.
 

Caj

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You're under the assumption that the club went for Ling because he was a steal, or because we were trying to be clever and go against the tide.

In actuality we obviously went into the 2017 draft identifying elite skills as the number one priority above all else and felt that Ling best suited that need. Which he did, and still does if he can stay fit.

Ed Richards has the same attributes (highly skilled with run and carry)and was rated a higher prospect than Ling. Not sure why we overlooked him in favour of Ling
 
Ed Richards has the same attributes (highly skilled with run and carry)and was rated a higher prospect than Ling. Not sure why we overlooked him in favour of Ling

The recruiting team would be sure why. There's always a lot of behind the scenes stuff that's taken into account, like the interviews, combine results etc. Every club is swayed by these things so it's not like we're alone there.

Having said that, I am impressed by the fact that it seems we focused more on ability than anything else in the most recent draft, taking Gould despite his well-documented performance at the combine, and Taylor despite his well-documented (but completely unproven?) potential baggage.
 
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