The Swans are simply brilliant at identifying players who seem to be struggling at other clubs, recruiting them and then turning them into bloody good players.

Whereas, for us, Ingerson is really the only player who comes to mind that we've been able to reinvent successfully (and that was a long time ago). I'm hoping Sellar may be the next one (and Magner and Couch, if taking mature age rookies from VFL clubs counts). In short though, our history's not been that great in this area.

I'd be interested in people's views as to what makes the Swans so good at identifying and then successfully recycling players.

Josh Kennedy is the latest recycled player to shine IMO. This is his bio from the Swans website. I would love him in the red and the blue - a bargain trade at pick 39.

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Kennedy continues to blossom since joining the Swans from Hawthorn in 2010 and is among the club’s most important players.

Topped the AFL in clearances last season with 168 and finished second at the Swans in disposals and third in tackles.

Incredibly fit and possessing impressive strength and durability, Kennedy played every game for the second straight season.

A year after finishing third in the best and fairest, he tied for second with Rhyce Shaw, behind only Adam Goodes.

Player honours: 2nd best and fairest 2011 (equal); 3rd best and fairest 2010.

Brownlow Medal: 2011 votes 3; career votes 3

Previous AFL club: (Hawthorn 2008-09: 13 games, 1 goal).

Draft history: 2006 NAB AFL Draft 3rd round father/son selection (Hawthorn) No. 40 overall; 2009 NAB AFL Draft traded by Hawthorn for No. 39 (Sam Grimley).

Kennedy is not a recycled player, nor is Mumford or McGlynn. They were targetted by the Swans as good players who weren't getting opportunities at their own club. They paid overs to get Mumford and it was a great move. Kennedy the same.

Remember Darren Jolly?? Premiership ruckman x 2?? Was getting 8 minutes a game under Daniher because of his lovechild Jeff White. Swans pounced and did brilliantly.

There are plenty of these types at other clubs. The Swans are great at recruiting to plug a gap. They really do their homework to get ready made players. Rhyce Shaw, Ted Richards, Stewart Maxfield - the list goes on. We could learn a lot from them.

Clint Bizzell is one that comes to mind, Powell as well. I'll admit they're not exactly recent though!

Swans have been able to some absolute bargains over the years, for me Jolly is the best one. I really didn't want him to go and was filthy with ND for just giving him chop-out ruck duties, had he been given more a chance I don't think he would've gone.

They've done well over the years the swans.

The Swans have been more willing than most over the last ten years to swap away their first and/or second round picks to grab ready made players theyve identified that are struggling to find a niche at other clubs. The Swans have done this to remain in or thereabouts the 8, as hey know their market will quickly lose interest in attending Swans games if they are not winning.

Over the last couple of years the bigger clubs on the cusp of success have followed this method, think Hawthorn with Gunston, Hale & Gibson, Pies with Jolly and Ball, Cats with Ottens etc.

Can't underestimate a good club culture, either. Love watching Kennedy go at it.

The Swans' admin has said on many occasions that given their location in the rugby heartland they simply can't afford to bottom out as Melbourne clubs do from time to time. If they stop performing they will see their members vanish. As such they have adopted a different approach to list building and choose to target players who will fill a role for them at other clubs rather than trying to get high draft picks and develop them. They are also one of the leaders when it comes to tapping external markets, such as the recruitment of Mike Pike. It has clearly been a good tactic for them as they have been a very successful side for a number of years and show no sign of dropping out of the 8.

They've erred too, Bradshaw comes to mind.

^{bradshaw had terrible luck with injury cant fault that.}

Pickett was good for a year

Mitch Clark!

To an extent though, the Swans' approach is great at minimising their downside but also limits their upside. They may not look like falling out of the eight but neither do they look like they'll win a flag any time soon... And you need to have a pretty solid list to begin with to go down the top up route. That's not to diminish the Swans, they're great at identifying undervalued talent, but that approach just wouldn't have worked for us. It may however start to come into play now. PS We've done the "consistently good" thing under Northey and to an extent Daniher but I'd rather take the higher risk approach and try to nab a flag.

Let's be honest though....i saw last nights game from the 2nd Q and the Swans were atrocious...How good are they really?

They were outscored in the last Q when everybody said that GW$ would fall away....

It has clearly been a good tactic for them as they have been a very successful side for a number of years and show no sign of dropping out of the 8.

If they keep playing like they did last night they have no chance of making the 8, but lets put that one down to Patricks Smiths favourite words, "Hubris".

Edited March 25, 201213 yr by rjay

I like to think of this the other way around - like how have ex-Melbourne players fared in recent years at other clubs. While we can stretch the memory banks with Earl Spalding etc - in recent years ex-Melb players excluding the current years crop (jury out) have been somewhere between spuds to fringe players with the odd outright disappointment:

Brockster

Buckley

Chris Johnson

Paul Johnson

Cameron Bruce

Travis Johnstone

Kyle Cheney

Pia Miller's husband

The last gun to leave the Dees was Scott Thompson (IIRC)

I think we've fared well in retrospect with the ins and outs

PS - Andrejs Everitt has not hit his straps at the Swans and that Irish kid looks just as bad at the Swans as he did at St Kilda (could be an absolute gun if only we played international rules)