Past #9: Andrew Swallow - 224 NM games - 3x Syds - captain '12-'16 - #43 '05 ND - thanks Spitta

[Ghostwriter]

Good pick up.

 

[=KaNga=]

great pick up!

 

[Mr. Blonde]

He was rated top 25 by most people.

 

[Benno_900]

Very happy with this pick!

 

[Ishy]

Any players with a surname or Spits left in the draft??

 

[=KaNga=]

i've heard some criticism of his kicking skills.

will fit in nicely with us lol

 

[tashibatts]

3 guys coming from Perth so far (though I imagine Green might already be in Melbourne)

Surprised we have Swallow, but it's good.

Go Roos

 

[Dingster]

Andrew Swallow
Small Mid
State: WA, Club: East Fremantle, Height: 183.0cm, Weight: 76.5kg, DOB: 02-Jun-87
Medium inside midfielder/defender, with terrific ball winning ability and workrate. WA U18 captain in 2005 winning All-Australian U18 honours. AIS/AFL Academy graduate in 2004. Showed outstanding speed/agility combination at NAB AFL Draft Camp with 2.92sec for 20 metres (Top 3%) and 8.12sec for AFL agility run (Top 7%). From Ross Moyne FC.

 

[Dingster]

From footydraft.com...

Andrew Swallow

Details:
Club: Rossmoyne/East Fremantle
DOB: 2 June 1987 Hgt: 183cm Wgt: 75kg
Position: Midfielder
Natural Foot: Right

Honours:
AIS/AFL Academy 2003
2002 Under 15s WA & All Australian
Under 16s WA 2003
AIS Scholarship Holder
Under 18s WA 2004 & 2005
Under 18s WA Captain 2005
Under 18s All Australian 2005
Interchange in WAFL Colts Team of the Year 2004
WA State Screening Tests 2004
AFL Draft Camp 2005

2004 WAFL Stats:
Colts: 6 games, 2 goals, 16.5 PPG
Reserves: 4 games, 3 goals, 17.8 PPG
Seniors: 3 games, 0 goals, 16.7 PPG

Background: Swallow came through the system in blazing glory and did all there was to be done at junior levels. He came through the ranks with fellow East Fremantle boys Josh Kennedy and Mitch Clarke in the 2003 Under 16 championships where he earnt an AIS-AFL scholarship, and subsequently performed well in the under 17s International series. In 2004, he was initially ineligible for the draft, but despite later being granted an exemption from the AFL he was overlooked. This was a little surprising given he gathered 24 possessions for East Fremantle in the final home and away round of that season. This extra year has helped his development even more as he has played many league games, and managed to pick up 20 and 33 possessions in successive weeks late in the season. He once again played in the under 18s carnival and earnt All Australian honours.

Strengths:
- Enormous speed helps him get out of heavy traffic.
- Tough in and under midfielder who attacks the footy hard
- Body has not fully developed so room for improvement in that area
- Played against men for two years in WAFL
- can play as a small defender and provide good drive out of the backline.

Weaknesses:
- Often doesn’t have great disposal
- Reason for not being drafted in 04, is there something we don’t know?

Footydraft.com Verdict: Swallow is a premier midfielder who has a lot of quality traits, although disposal is questioned sometimes it is not a real concern. Along with Murphy and Ellis he is one of the best midfielders in the draft. Would be unlucky not to go top 15.

 

[Groucho]

Like this quote from his East Freo Colts coach,Andrew Lockyer:"Andrew is a mid fielder who can play defensively as an onballer. Very very quick very strong over the ball and has good hands. Might be a bit suspect with his kicking but that can be rectified. I reckon he'll go top 10."

Never a top 10 but most pundits had him top 20 so good get there.

 

[year of the roo]

Very happy with Swallow, a real bargain pick-up and that quality highly rated player that fell through that we were all hoping for.

 

[footyfanatic007]

Outside of Ellis, is the best pickup of the draft, was touted ALL year is top 7 maybe top 5!

 

[crazy_big_al]

good pick up

 

[Tas]

Sounds like a future Simpson, a guy who can get plenty of the ball but can't kick.

 

[Event Horizon]

As always with so many interstate pick ups one hopes that the home pull isn't there...

 

[windsock]

Not wantinmg to be a knocker, but ...

Unless Neville Stibbard is posting on here, I don't know how this kid can be judged a 'good pick' ahead of either of the other two kids we drafted. Just because Swallow's name was bandied about by other amateurs (such as that Burgatron nitwit) as a possible early pick doesn't mean he is any more of a prospect than Hutchison or Riggio.

 

[tashibatts]

Should know Kasey Green (listed as an East Freo player).. so might make the move to Melbourne easier.

Go Roos

 

[Z_K]

Count me as another who doesn't buy this 'stole him late' type thing. Clubs didn't overlook him for a laugh.

Anyway, most importantly we can get creative with his nickname.

So far we could have a pr0n related nickname and a kid who could have jumped straight from a joe Pesci flick in Riggio.

 

[Shinboners]

Weaknesses:
- Often doesn’t have great disposal
- Reason for not being drafted in 04, is there something we don’t know?

although disposal is questioned sometimes it is not a real concern.

This worries me. I think it was the Bulldogs recruiting manager who said that unless the player can kick, he won't recommend them to the club.

Someone posted elsewhere that his disposal problems could easily be rectified, so I hope they start on that this summer.

Unless Neville Stibbard is posting on here, I don't know how this kid can be judged a 'good pick' ahead of either of the other two kids we drafted. Just because Swallow's name was bandied about by other amateurs (such as that Burgatron nitwit) as a possible early pick doesn't mean he is any more of a prospect than Hutchison or Riggio.

Yep. It's like a few years ago when Port fans got all giddy when Salopek fell into their laps. Swallow has potential, but we're really not going to know whether we got lucky with him falling into our laps or if the recruiters at the other clubs found a fault (his disposal?) and did the right thing by passing him over.

 

[Mr Reliable]

He's only got a kicking problem at North if he regularly swings his boot at the ball and misses it altogether.

 

[Z_K]

He's only got a kicking problem at North if he regularly swings his boot at the ball and misses it altogether.

Nice.

 

[Moti]

The guy Captained the WA State team and was the best player in all 3 games at the Carnival. His 37 possession game in the WAFL, which is against men, has to give him some kudos.

No doubt he has room to improve, but his junior credentials match almost anyone's at the draft so there should be some optimism.

 

[Sco]

I reckon his sister would be a good pick up too

 

[Lidge]

'HJ' Swallow - our new cult hero.

 

[Rooboy 34]

Not wantinmg to be a knocker, but ...

Unless Neville Stibbard is posting on here, I don't know how this kid can be judged a 'good pick' ahead of either of the other two kids we drafted. Just because Swallow's name was bandied about by other amateurs (such as that Burgatron nitwit) as a possible early pick doesn't mean he is any more of a prospect than Hutchison or Riggio.

Easy there. I know that Matty puts an absolute bucket load of hours into getting his phantom draft. He may not have played senior AFL football, but he is no "nitwit"...

I agree though that until we see him play, we probably shouldn't get too excited. Don't forget that Steven Armstrong (formally) of Melbourne was also a state U18 captain, and that hasn't done much for him since...