David Swallow

[The Purple Hill]

I remember a similar level of hype about Bryce Gibbs.

Just sayin'

Excellent point

 

[Kaladin Stormblessed]

I remember a similar level of hype about Bryce Gibbs.

Just sayin'

Exactly

We hear this every year. Gibbs, Cotchin, Rich (when he was a 17 year old), Scully, Trengove etc etc.

It's a completely opposite case of a bird in one hand is worth two in the bush where undrafted players are the best thing since sliced bread.

 

[StonesThrow]

vids?

 

[swansfan51]

Exactly

We hear this every year. Gibbs, Cotchin, Rich (when he was a 17 year old), Scully, Trengove etc etc.

It's a completely opposite case of a bird in one hand is worth two in the bush where undrafted players are the best thing since sliced bread.

All I've said was that he was better than Scully, Trengove and Martin while a year younger, which he was. And that he's in a very unique situation because he's been able to train and play professionally with his club for almost 18 months before having his first AFL season. Which he is.

vids?

[youtube]Mkr4FCfyjG4[/youtube]

 

[r dub 19]

God some melbourne fans can't stand the thought of another young player being better than Scully and Trengove. Watched GC play a few weeks ago, Swallow was amazing. Good post OP.

 

[DivideandMultiply]

I remember a similar level of hype about Bryce Gibbs.

Just sayin'

He is faster and more aggressive/hard at it than Gibbs was.

Best Jr midfielder I have seen but I am no expert.

 

[LIONOFZION]

Got a good look at him via ABC iView against the Casey Scorpions -

http://www.abc.net.au/iview/#/view/616373

Already a solid build, clean, hits the ball and man hard, very good skills, has a nice turn of speed, good motor, well balanced, keeps his feet ... just looks a natural slotting them through from 45-50m on the run or snapping them over his shoulder - LOOK OUT

 

[DivideandMultiply]

Got a good look at him via ABC iView against the Casey Scorpions -

http://www.abc.net.au/iview/#/view/616373

Already a solid build, clean, hits the ball and man hard, very good skills, has a nice turn of speed, good motor, well balanced, keeps his feet ... just looks a natural slotting them through from 45-50m on the run or snapping them over his shoulder - LOOK OUT

Gee Smith and Lidy look impressive as well.

Liked Swallows 1%ers.

In the first quarter great smother and also cut off two kicks/marks, 1 to create an opportunity by bringing the ball to ground near their forward 50 and that great interception for the snap and goal.

Also his composure, makes the awkward look good. Received that looping handball over the top in the first but moved quickly off a step into space as his team mate blocked and slotted it through. Or scoring opportunity he created in the second, hit the slippery ball on the deck at pace and just kept soccering/running it forward to a teamate in the square.

It's rare to see a young guy with that kind of cleverness but composure or skills to match.

 

[free at last]

I have been saying for a while he is the most complete junior footballer I have ever seen.

Unlike most first year players David Swallow goes both ways, the defensive side of his game is exceptional for a class ball winner.

Will have a career like a Nathan Buckley.

Personally think he is the best player drafted in the last ten years.

fingers crossed he emulates BUCKS.plays for the suns & then says trade me to freo please.you can take the boy from freo, but you can't you take the freo out of the lad.

 

[estibador]

fingers crossed he emulates BUCKS.plays for the suns & then says trade me to freo please.you can take the boy from freo, but you can't you take the freo out of the lad.

Let's hope he doesn't emulate Bucks and finish premiership-less then.

 

[DivideandMultiply]

Let's hope he doesn't emulate Bucks and finish premiership-less then.

You should delete this post then let me re-post it......

A "touche" of the highest order.

Anyway why would he want to be traded back to either club. Those kids may have a pretty bright future and will have developed and grown together.

Still I would trade Cox, Kerr and pick 4 for him in a heart beat.

 

[free at last]

Let's hope he doesn't emulate Bucks and finish premiership-less then.

Doh!

 

[Byron_Clanger]

It depresses me even more knowing we could of had him if GC or GWS didn't come in

FML

 

[swansfan51]

Forgot to post this earlier, but Swallow came 4th in the JJ Liston trophy for best player in the VFL. He's still 17.

 

[thumping]

Hopefully joins his brother down at Arden st after a few seasons working on his tan

 

[WALL-e]

The AFL will be hoping the opposite

 

[folester41]

looks to be a gun, would have been perfect for west coast if the draft wasnt compromised.

not sure he is going to be as amazing as everyone is making out, but he is certainly going to be very good for a young man.

 

[Patron]

Swallow, by alot.

Bennell has more talent and skill. But there isnt much doubt that swallow will be the better player.

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

Bennell has more talent and skill. But there isnt much doubt that swallow will be the better player.

no chance, bennell seemingly has more flair, but swallow also has a lot of x-factor/flair as well

swallow's skill level is higher than bennell's

 

[r dub 19]

no chance, bennell seemingly has more flair, but swallow also has a lot of x-factor/flair as well

swallow's skill level is higher than bennell's

This.

 

[indieswan96]

If you were to rate him against the No 1 Draft Picks of this Decade where would he rank in terms of junior performance, talent, upside and versatility?

 

[swansfan51]

If you were to rate him against the No 1 Draft Picks of this Decade where would he rank in terms of junior performance, talent, upside and versatility?

For junior performance he would rank 1st. Only 2 other #1 draft picks this decade won the Larke Medal, which is awarded to the best player at the under 18 championships - Murphy and Watts. Murphy was 18, Watts was 17, whereas Swallow was 16. Therefore I'd argue that being the best performed junior player in his year, while younger than any other #1 draft pick to achieve the feat, ranks him #1.

Talent is much harder to rank effectively, considering all of them are at different points of their careers. As argued above, Swallow's junior performances were better than anyone else, but talls like Riewoldt and Kreuzer generally mature later. Ranking him against the other midfielders of the decade taken at #1, they are Hodge, Deledio, Murphy, Gibbs and Scully. Scully is an "easier" judgment to make, as Swallow was better than him in 2009 when he was a year younger. I'd rank him ahead of Hodge, Gibbs and Deledio in terms of 1st year AFL impact potential, Murphy probably had the best 1st year of that group and I'd rank them about even. But this is extremely arbitrary and really a stab in the dark. He has above average pace, good disposal on both sides, excellent decision making, good tackling and defensive pressure, above average stamina, good goal sense. I think that would rank him in the top 1/3, he lacks some standout qualities of Riewoldt but is a very strong package all-round.

Upside he would be in the bottom half. Obviously the likes of Kreuzer, Riewoldt and Goddard had far greater potential to develop because of their size and role. Also does the fact he was the best performed junior suggest that he has less room to move? I regard 'upside' as the most annoying term on these forums, because what I've just written looks like its suggesting that Swallow is close to peaking and can't become an elite AFL midfielder, which is absolutely not the case.

Versatility - would rank behind Goddard, obviously. I see him being able to play a similar halfback general role to Deledio and Hodge due to his excellent decision making and disposal, so he'd be on par with them. He has also shown the ability to have serious scoreboard impact, probably more so than guys like Cooney. He's a midfielder and that's where he will play most of his time, but he does have the ability to play other roles to some extent. If Watts or Kreuzer are able to play elsewhere later in their careers then they'd obviously rank ahead of him for versatility, but he'd be on par with, or ahead of, the other mid-size players taken at pick #1.

So from all the number 1 picks from 2000-2010 (yes that spreads over 11 years but who cares) here's my overly-simplified and arbitrary rankings so people can rip into them:

Junior performance - 1/11
Talent - 4/11
Upside - 7/11 (I hate the term, have no idea where to rank him)
Versatility - 5/11
Potential impact in 1st AFL season - 1/11

Why do I rate him 1st in the last category? I consider Murphy the standout at the moment. Swallow has the benefit of an entire year training and playing professionally in an AFL environment, which none of the others have had. I think that puts him in the perfect position to have the best debut year of any of the #1 picked midfielders (it would be unfair to compare the key position players. Kreuzer had a superb first year by KPP standards but that is nowhere near a Murphy or Deledio).

 

[DrTomSwift]

Will Swallow (along with Bennell) be participating in DC?

 

[swansfan51]

Will Swallow (along with Bennell) be participating in DC?

The DC is based on who gets nominated by the AFL clubs. Clubs did not nominate Swallow because he was already playing in the VFL with the Gold Coast, and they'd publicly committed to him. Clubs did nominate Bennell so he will be participating, even though the Gold Coast have now strongly suggested they'll be picking him in the top 3.

 

[swansfan51]

So this thread is a quick reminder of just how good this guy is, and since we already know where he's going to be playing, he isn't really a 'draft prospect'. He won the Larke medal in 2009 as the best player in the u18 championships, ahead of the stars of the '09 draft like Scully, Trengove and Martin. He did that while he was considerably younger than all of them, almost a year younger than Trengove. When you consider that all 3 of those players are being touted by their supporters as future stars of the game, its worth remembering that Swallow was outplaying them and hasn't had his chance to shine yet.

I know tonight would have been the first opportunity for a lot of posters to watch him play. I think he will silence a few of the doubters in this thread pretty quickly.