List Changes Announced

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

With the trade period soon to commence, several more clubs have announced changes to their lists.

WESTERN BULLDOGS
Christian Howard, Tom Young and Brett Goodes have been delisted. Young was originally drafted by Collingwood and played nine games 2011-12 before being traded to the Bulldogs where he played a further 15 games. Goodes debuted in 2013 and played 15 games. He recently played in the Bulldogs VFL premiership win. Howard was drafted in 2009 but a hip injury wiped out the first half of 2010 and he spent the remainder of the year in the VFL. He debuted in 2011 and played six games. The young defender/wingman had an excellent preseason in 2012 before a knee injury sidelined him for six weeks. He came back to play 11 games. Named as an emergency six times, he managed only one game in 2013 and just seven more in 2014.

Source: Denis Bicer, Western Bulldogs Media Release, westernbulldogs.com.au

GEELONG
Midfielder/ruckman Mark Blicavs will be upgraded to the senior list after spending the past three seasons as a category B rookie. Since debuting in round one 2013, Blicavs has gone onto play 45 games, including five finals.

Irishman Padraig Lucey has been signed as a category B rookie after appearing on the TV show, The Recruit, which was produced by former Brisbane coach Michael Voss. Lucey is currently in Ireland before returning to begin preparation for preseason training. Football manager Neil Balme said Lucey was a very good athlete with potential.

Josh Cowan and James Toohey have had their contracts extended, while Nick Bourke, George Burbury, Jordan Schroder, Jackson Sherringham and Jesse Stringer have been delisted. Cowan, drafted in 2009, has played three senior games but has suffered injury setbacks over the past three seasons. Toohey spent the 2014 campaign on the club’s rookie list and will remain as a rookie next year.

Bourke was drafted this year as a rookie but never played a senior game while Sherringham was rookie listed in 2012 and debuted that same year. He played five games but shoulder and hamstring injuries wiped out his 2013 season. He returned this year for just two more games. Burbury debuted in 2013 and played seven games. Schroder debuted in 2012 and played just five games. Stringer was rookie listed in 2010 and elevated to the senior list in 2012. He played in the 2012 preseason and then a further eight games before being suspended for the remainder of the season for an off-field incident. He added seven games last year but played only four in 2014. Schroder was drafted from the Calder Cannons, taken at pick 54 in the 2010 AFL draft. His AFL debut came in Round 10 2012 and he went on to play five senior games for the club. Schroder also enjoyed a successful VFL career in the blue and white hoops. In his time at Geelong, Schroder played 64 VFL games and was a member of the 2012 VFL premiership side. The winner of the 2013 JJ Liston Trophy, Schroder more recently took out the VFL Cats best and fairest award for the 2014 season.

Burbury, Schroder, Sherringham and Stringer all played in the Cats' 2012 VFL premiership win. Schroder also won the VFL Liston Trophy (VFL Brownlow equivalent) and was named the Cats' VFL best and fairest.

Source: Stacey Oates, Geelong Media Release, AFL Record

SYDNEY
As previously reported, Ryan O'Keefe knew his time with the Swans was over. At the time he was weighing up his options and considering a chance with another club. However, he decided against it and joined teammate Lewis Roberts-Thomson in the Grand Final motorcade for retired players.

Source: Jordan Laing, Sydney Media Release

PORT ADELAIDE
Brent Renouf, Campbell Heath and Cam Hitchcock have been delisted. Coach Hen Hinkley acknowledged their commitment to the club and noted that injuries to all three had prevented them from having the desired impact with the team. Renouf was originally drafted by Hawthorn in 2006 and played 52 games with the Hawks including the 2008 Premiership. Traded to Port at the end of 2011, he struggled with knee tendonitis in 2012 which restricted him to just ten games. He was plagued with knee problems again in 2013 and played only five games. He was delisted by Port and then rookie listed for 2014 and had preseason knee surgery. With ongoing injury and unable to break into the powerful Port line up, Renouf managed just one game in 2014.

Heath was originally drafted by Sydney in 2008 but played just two games due to two knee reconstructions early in his career. He had an injury free 2012 but could not break into the senior side. He did play in the Swans' NEAFL Grand Final that year before being traded to Port where he played a further 14 games. Hitchcock was drafted to the rookie list in 2010 and subsequently elevated to the senior list that year. Injuries over the course of his career saw him play only 35 games with the Power.

In related Port Adelaide news, disgruntled Bomber ruckman/forward Paddy Ryder has stated that Port is his destination of choice. Brisbane was another club who had expressed interest in Ryder. Just days before the Grand Final, Ryder was in Adelaide meeting with Coach Ken Hinkley and other Port officials.

Source: James Wakelin, PA Media Release

Additional information for all of the above: AFL Record Season Guides