The Year 2015 (the distant future)

[RUNVS]

Anyway I know that often these threads can prove pointless but I was wondering how the Swans were shaping up list wise for next few seasons and if we have the cattle to still be a strong team in 2 years time (obviously not taking into account drafting and trading). I also thought this might be a good way of finding potential future holes in our list.

Anyway feel free to disagree but I personally think that by 2015 the Swans will have lost Goodes, Bolton, O'Keefe, Shaw and Mattner with Ted Richards getting on a bit but probably still playing. Anyway that is a bit of a hole to fill especially at the halfback line so I was wondering what people thought of

Goodes - Rohan
Bolton - Mitchell
Shaw - Armstrong
Mattner - ?
Richards (if he stops playing) - Johnson will be our number 1 defender, Grundy number 2 and Rampe number 3 so I am quite comfortable here as well.

Now obviously Rohan is not of the quality of Goodes but in theory he will be able to play a similar role for us when he gets back on the park and if Mitchell lives up to his hype he will be able to replace Bolton. Armstrong has potential but I am not 100% sold on him yet.

So what does everyone else think about our older players, who will replace them when they retire and where will the holes in our list be that we should draft towards?

 

[TheTrademark]

Goodes... no one... (maybe Jetta if he bulks like no ones business)
Bolton - Parker
Shaw - Armstrong (unfortunately)
Mattner - I want it to be Everitt (it won't be)
Richards - Johnson
LRT - ? Walsh - (would need some more time before this happens but look at Pyke!!)
O'Keefe - ? Mitchell

 

[Indie_]

I'd feel more comfortable comparing Mitchell to Bolton after I've seen him play a few games first.

 

[Debris]

Sydney, as always, will target a fringe player from another club to fill any problems in the line-up and turn them into a champion.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Sydney, as always, will target a fringe player from another club to fill any problems in the line-up and turn them into a champion.

On that you can rely.

And never underestimate how success breeds success. I don't doubt our recruiting staff are finding it considerably easier to have their calls returned than 20 years ago.

 

[mattwillcoz]

Can't they just play forever?

 

[GotTheGoodes]

"replace" in terms of role.... You can not ever replace Goodes. Period.

Goodes: I reckon Rohan could fill that utility role that can kick a goal or two moving between the midfield. I don't think it's out of the realms of possibility for Gazza to become an absolute superstar of the comp by then either. He should have all of 2014 to get back into it proper so I'm hoping for big things from the boy in 2015.

Bolton: Easy as for Parker who is already playing that in and under role while Bolts has gone more foward recently. However one of Boltons most important aspects is his leadership and sheer unadulterated throw your body on the line bloodthirsty lust for the contest. That is something I think Hanners has taken on board and replicates very very well which (by 2015) Hanners will be the man at the club for that kind of leadership.

Shaw: This is the tough one for me. Armstrong COULD do something very similar with a lot of moulding and attention. He's got a great kick IMO, if he could just stop getting soworked up whenever he gets a touch. Shaw can look up, assess the options and generally make a good choice. That's something i think Armstrong needs to work on big time if he is to fill this role.

Teddy/Marty: We need a partner in crime for AJ, Rampe could be that man. I didn't mind what I saw of him the other day and think if the both of them could play together a bit over the next couple of years they should be able to take the bigs & small quite well. It's flexibility that I think Marty/Grundy/Teddy/AJ have in spades and we need to somehow partially replace.

LRT: The ultimate utility and possibly our most important player IMO (based on flexibility/use/role/reliance on etc). Fwd, Ruc, Back... Yes there may be others that play each role better, but noone else in our team can do what LRT can do. The hyphenator could play ping pong with a paper clip on the moon dang it. Everritt could cover him if he could get his defensive chops up to scratch IMO. Has the tall gangly looking frame that is actually unsuspectingly powerful and quickwhen it needs to be. Long way to go for Everritt to cover such an amount of positions when he hasn't even really locked in a position yet really. But I think he could.

Rok: Hanners/Jack could alternate between tag/run off opponent depending on opponent. Rok's got a few years left in him though IMO... Look at him for f**ksake... The man is a gladiator. He's never had a skin fold test because his skin doesn't fold. He doesn't own a washing machine he just uses his abs.... His jumper isn't so small when he puts it on, it jsut gets scared of his ripping muscles it shrinks in fear of being torn to shreds...... You get the idea....

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

The future is quite different to the present. The one thing we have in common with the present is we still call it the present, even though it's the future.

 

[Bloody]

The future is quite different to the present. The one thing we have in common with the present is we still call it the present, even though it's the future.

The humans are dead..

 

[S120]

There are no more elephants.

There is also no more unethical treatment of elephants.

 

[Bonz]

In 2015???

We will be in the middle of a COLA driven Brisbane Style Era running for our forth straight premiership.

 

[SydneyPhilly]

I'd actually put Mitchell for Bolton and Parker for ROK

Now, also remember that the exact same structures aren;t going to work in 3 years. We don;t have the same team we had from 3 years ago and it shows.

Goodes for Rohan is a maybe. I like Rohan, and he has potential in buckets, but I see him ideally playing as a faster Bruest type role somewhere down the line. Yes, I can see him as a tall fast wing a la Goodes, but that would take a lot of moulding and I'd rather just have Gaz playing as a high HFF/pressure forward - its where he seems most natural.

Bolton for Mitchell I see quite clearly. Looking at Mitchell now, if he's finally over the niggles (and he's well on his way by reports) then he slots in as a perfect foil to Kennedy as a number 2 clearance guy - whcih is kinda what Bolton was/has been for a while now. Firstly he was the second line in and under guy (arguably) to Kirk, and then Kennedy. Mitchell can do that by 2015, and he's going to be very good at it.

I like Armstrong, I really do. But I feel he's more a natural replacement for Malceski should he go down with another knee. As stupid as this sounds, I think Campbell Heath set our backline recruiting back more than anyone lets on as it seems on paper that it was Heath who was going to replace Mattner as the Shutdown/4th Tall hybrid defender at some stage between now and 2015. Alex Brown might be that guy at some stage soon, but I'm just not sure. At current, I don't see anyone replacing Shaw though. I think this and a tall defender become priorities at some point shortly.

Richards/LRT - See above point.

ROK - I'd put Parker in instead. I like Parker as the HFF/Mid hybrid O'Keefe is, as I've seen Parker this season pop up and kick a few goals on a occasion - exactly like a younger ROK. Add to that the body similiarities and it makes sense.

Just a note: Our Midfield is probably the least worrisome part of the next 3 years. Kennedy, Jack, Hanners make a great 3 player core. Mitchell is a question mark, but will be good if the question ever gets answered. Add to that a draft gem in Perris, who by all accounts is a gun in the making, and we're set for the next 5 years, at least. The real problem has to be the backline and the development there: Armstrong, Smith, Rampe and Johnson are our only real 'young' defenders worth their salt at AFL Level. We need more and we need them soon if we're to continue as a top flight club.

Okay, sorry about the essay but I've put a lot of previous thought into this and thought I'd share.

 

[The King!]

Goodes will play until 2016 mark my words

 

[Punts]

Need to start looking for a key back Teddy and LRT only getting older not much coming up from the reserves.I think we should have a chat with Frawly from Melbourne out of contract and was an All Aus in 2010 only 24 years old to

 

[Bloody]

Need to start looking for a key back Teddy and LRT only getting older not much coming up from the reserves.I think we should have a chat with Frawly from Melbourne out of contract and was an All Aus in 2010 only 24 years old to

What about Jesse White for Daniel Talia...surely crows won't let him slip through again

 

[Punts]

What about Jesse White for Daniel Talia...surely crows won't let him slip through again

Yer doubt that

 

[Gongswan]

 

[Pewdy]

Without stating the obvious, i'd like to imagine we will be chasing KPD's in the near future. The retirements of Teddy and LRT are imminent, and Grundy isn't getting any younger.