Demanding Success

Gawn did most of the training yesterday but he and clisby headed back before the final run.

My thoughts on today. ■ Spencer runs pretty well for a big fella. He is a massive man. ■ Viney has a very solid core. ■ Viney and Michie did some kicking drills after some 60 odd metre run throughs. Michie appears to have a neat kick on him. ■ Clark looks to be going pretty well. Something would have to go wrong for him to not make round 1. ■ McDonald is a great runner. (I know we all know this) he doesn't just lead every run, he dominates them. ■ Trenners has started back very well in the running stakes. The new interchange rules will suit him. It will take the sting out of the pace near the end of quarters. ■ I chatted to Chip, Watts and Dunn when going back to my car. They did the tan and then runs up the Anderson Street hill. For anyone that has done this before it is hard work that hill. They aren't really back until the 18th. ■ Josh Mahoney said that there will be 15 players plus the draftees on this date. He is very positive about the way things are going. ■ Evans is running pretty well. I hope he has a decent run with no injuries. ■ Howe looks very fit so early. ■ Matt jones has a bit of work to do running especially with the new rules. Not saying he is unfit, just needs some work. I guess it is his first real pre-season. I'm hoping all the current mids push hard and push each other. ■ Hogan did lots of running with Viney and Michie. The kid really can run and is a big unit. ■ They did some short ball work but its mostly about running. ■ Tyson ran mostly the whole session. ■ My mate's favourite player Terlich, ran off and did the tan after the ball work while most did a timed run. ■ The run was about 5 minutes as far as they could go. McDonald led easily. Fitzy was about a half lap behind at the end. ■ Nicholson and Hogan did a kicking drill near me. Nicho kicked the ball really well. He obviously has some decision making issues during games which affects his kicking. Maybe Roosy can simplify things for him to help this. I am not a negative person and try to take positives from everything but he will be under the pump under roos game plan if he can't do this. ■ I didn't see Blease go near a footy and he ran the whole time. ■ Toumpas will really benefit from his first preseason uninjured. He ran well and kicks beautifully. ■ Rawlings is everywhere at training. He impresses me. He appears to have a rapport with everyone.

I have seen Mitch honeychurch quite a few times. Small mid but very hard at it and can kick goals. Came back from injury for the u/18s grand final and played very well. kicked 3 goals. Faded near the end of that game but it was his first game in about 5 or 6 weeks so that can be forgiven. Also won the vicmetro b&f. He would be quite good value later in the draft. He trains very hard and will give himself every chance of making it.

It would be nice if the Docherty deal didn't get done. He would be handy.

There could also be another Tasmanian on our list. Kolodjashnij. I know we have been impressed with him. He is one of the guys really in the mix. Freeman will be picked if not taken earlier. He gives us something we don't have as a mid and something a lot of teams don't have as a mid. My only issue with him is he can go quiet at times.

Yes, pick 88

Just to add to it, I'm not sure how many picks gws might want to use in the draft. If they only use the minimum of 3 picks and we trade pick 2 to them we might be able to get a second round back as well. Gws will have 1, 2 and 9, plus they still have Adams to off load. They may have no need for a second round pick and might not care to hand it over.. A third round might be the go at least. Gws took plowman at 3 last year and scharenberg would appeal to them over another mid imo. They need some more depth in the taller backs. I've seen scharenberg many times and he could easily in the future play the quarterback role. He can play taller and on smalls.

Carlton will not be getting a compo pick. They have Thomas.

Can't give any results on the interviews but we spoke to Mitch Robinson last week and Shane savage this week. Both are unhappy at their current clubs and want to move. Personally I would be happy with them at the dees just as starters. Obviously not giving up too much but we have 2 second rounders (most likely) and a third. I'd like to get one for a fourth or swap of players.

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this or heard it. I was at the games last Wednesday and heard Michael o'laughlin interviewed on sen. During the interview he said he was asked a month or so ago to be an assistant coach. He didn't mention the team. Due to the timing of this request I would guess we were are part of this. They didn't go into it further and maybe didn't even really pick up on the comment. It is very possible that he would come with roos. I am of the belief roos is coming. Of course, I could be wrong.

I had an interesting conversation this morning. I was told that a melbourne board member had a conversation with Wilson before the first article by her. After the conversation he (stupidly) mistakenly sent a text to her instead of the intended recipient mclardy. The text basically ridiculed her and mentioned that she didn't know [censored]. This I am being told is the reason she is going so hard at us.

In not counting hogan- Viney Pick 4 (glad we still have it) Barry Dawes Pederson Rodan Byrnes Hope I didn't miss anyone Outs so far Green Jurrah Rivers Moloney Gysberts Martin Morton Lawrence (rookie) Rumoured Cook Sheahan (rookie) Most likely/possible Bate Bennell Petterd I have been told that Nicholson and Evans will be upgraded. Depending on the delists gives us pick 4, 49, don't think we will use any from here, debatable though, except for rookie upgrades. We may even use 49 for a rookie upgrade. Psd pick 3 should be used as well. 2 rookie picks as rookie list is down to 4. Sheehan (rookie)

Cook wil be delisted but I haven't done the numbers on the ins and outs. Jacobs would be a good get for psd if we were able to get it.

This is what I know about Gysberts and why he was traded- -he is not competitive at all in one on one drills -he could not bench press 50kgs and was very ordinary with the other weights -in today's football the club believed he is not strong enough to play as an inside mid and did not appear to want to improve in the strength area -his endurance is rubbish and again he didn't appear to want to improve. Anyone that went to preseason would have observed this first hand -he doesnt have a defensive side to his game which goes against the way neeld wants to play. Very similar to moloney. -he was not a neeld favourite right from the start because of his work ethic and unlike blease was not prepared to turn it around Neeld has made his decisions on soft footballers at our club and we are seeing the product of this. I'll admit I'm a bad loser but even more I hate watching us get pumped so often. I'm happy to move on guys that aren't competitive. Gys is one of those guys. Viney and wines would crush him easily now in that area and hogan has already stated he hates losing. These are the guys I want at our club. The high draft picks are just a by-product of us moving them on.

Was told yesterday that cook could possibly be involved in the trade for pederson. I'm was not told of any details just that cook could be involved.

Once again we bend over and get hammered by the afl with no lube.

I have some friends in recruiting and plowman at the start of the year was probably melbourne's number 1 player for this year in the TAC. That is not including interstate players obviously. The club loved him. He missed so much football that things have changed a little. They still think he is a great prospect and I know he is a favourite. I think if we missed on hogan then he was going to be a dee. He ticks every box a recruiter is looking for. I would not be unhappy if we pick him. I know a cannons coach and he thinks he could be anything.

I Was told this morning that gws are seriously considering McRae and that would leave toumpas still available at 4.

I can speak about o'rourke. He is an introvert and my only knock on him is he goes a little quiet in close games. He starts games very well though and is very talented. I'm not sure he would be a neeld favourite but that is just my opinion.

Everything that I have heard out of the club has come to fruition. I am very happy with what we have done so far. Let's not forget that we are not finished yet and there will be a high number of our players moving on. I'm still led to believe that we will still end up with another 2 or 3 second round picks with the players we move on. These picks will bring in players/midfielders such as Graham, Kennedy if he slides. We are addressing our biggest weaknesses IMO. I'm rapt with the first 2 real days of trade. On another note I've heard that we are/were keen on neade, also from the nt. Gws could only nominate 2 and Barry is one. I thought Jed Anderson was the other. Neade could be a late pick.

Another north player Ben Warren is a target of the dees.

Not to be overly critical of o'rourke but I've seen a fair bit of him and he goes a bit too quiet in the close ones IMO. He does start games very well. Maybe it is just a fitness thing. He is also very introverted. Maybe personality traits do effect players in close games. I don't really believe he would be a player to fit the neeld game plan.

Almost the whole swans backline are from other clubs. The swans and the cats have gone down different paths to success. There is no right or wrong method. We just need to get some of the right people and work harder to get it right. I'm hoping neeld is finally the answer. The last 6 years have been very hard.

I agree on hrovat but as you say too similar to viney. We need a little variety. But it would be hard to say no if he was still there in the third round. Ive said this already but I think we will have a few 2nd round picks. Trading will be interesting for us. I also know we are keen on hogan.

I would like to get Kennedy early and macrae at 13. I'm also a fan of nick Graham. Not sure where he is ranked though. IMO Kennedy is much better than people give him credit for. His height is the only issue but some of the really good players are his height.(Kerr, Harvey, jack). He kicks goals too.