Review 2023 (Season 8) Swans AFLW Discussion

[Callipygian]

Well, we're in the 8 baby! After our historic first win, let's enjoy it while it lasts. It may not last too long - we play ladder leaders Geelong next week.

Scott Gowan said that the indicator of our improvement will not be our first win, or our second win, but the gap between them. He said that if 7 weeks pass between our first and second win, that won't be a great sign. But if we get back to back wins, the consistency will indicate real improvement. We've got tough matches the next couple of weeks but our next couple of home games (v Eagles, Sunday 24 September and v Hawks, Saturday 14 October both @ Henson) look like promising opportunities. By then we'll hopefully have Monty Ham and Lexi Hamilton back too.

Personally, I hope the coach does not make a habit of dissing the opposition in the week leading up to the match in future! Too risky by far.

 

[Arwib]

Yeah I can't see us getting close to Geelong or Brisbane, those two would just about be our hardest matchups and we're just not in that weight division though. After that things do open up.

 

[Kiama Chris]

There was significant improvement during the game as we spread better and found targets more often. Our ball handling improved too. There's no reason we won't build on that and give most teams a pretty good run for the money. The top sides may be beyond us but based on that effort I can see us knocking off a few more.

 

[Callipygian]

For the record this is what Gowan said about the Giants at the presser during the week leading up to the game:

“(GWS have) got a bit of work to do … we know we’re on the right path and it’s really important for us to realise that we’re not coming up against a side that’s performed really well... No disrespect to them but they’re the least performing side in the inaugural clubs. We think we’ll get there quicker than them.”

Zing!

Lucky we backed it up. Now that I read those comments I think maybe they were less accidental than I had. No idea why you would do it. Doubt it would have increased the crowd. Maybe he thought it would boost our confidence? But why say it publicly. The "no disrespect" is just insulting. That's like saying "no disrespect but you're overweight and not very good at football"

 

[Ticky009]

For the record this is what Gowan said about the Giants at the presser during the week leading up to the game:

“(GWS have) got a bit of work to do … we know we’re on the right path and it’s really important for us to realise that we’re not coming up against a side that’s performed really well... No disrespect to them but they’re the least performing side in the inaugural clubs. We think we’ll get there quicker than them.”

Zing!

Lucky we backed it up. Now that I read those comments I think maybe they were less accidental than I had. No idea why you would do it. Doubt it would have increased the crowd. Maybe he thought it would boost our confidence? But why say it publicly. The "no disrespect" is just insulting. That's like saying "no disrespect but you're overweight and not very good at football"

I honestly don't mind it. Let's be honest, no one gives a shit. The high road has given us no concessions or any favourable review or views in the media. In other words, in the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter. And I speak for myself when I have at times wanted to the club to be a bit more vocal. And for the record, Gowan was factually correct - GWS are the worst performing inaugural side.

 

[Callipygian]

I'm not saying I hate it. But nor would I say that I liked it. I'm more saying:

1) Don't make a habit of it; and

2) what's the point?

Who was the message for? our players? GWS? the wider public? Whatever the answer, what does it achieve? Results will speak for themselves.

Also, if you are going to do it, I think much better to lace it with humour... a bit of an eyebrow raise, look of mock horror or wink, and a look down the camera. Be a bit vaudeville villain about it.

 

[Callipygian]

Our season is off to a great start and, thanks to a soft draw, there's hope for more success.

First we get our first ever victory in a gutsy comeback. Then a spirited and much-improved-on-last-season showing against Geelong. Our new recruits are playing a massive role and easing the pressure on our erstwhile leaders.

I'm not too optimistic about our chances of victory against Brisbane this week but it's not out of the question and, again, like against Geelong, I hope we put up a stronger fight.

Then the next 5 games (rounds 4-8) all look winnable. If we could win 3 of those games, that would be AMAZING! Then the last couple of games are a little tougher but I still think we could dream of winning one of those and finishing with 5 wins, just outside of finals. That would be a super successful season for us I think. Any less than 3 wins would be disappointing.

I reckon we should measure ourselves against:

(a) the other teams who were in the final expansion (i.e. Port, Essendon & Hawthorn); and

(b) the Giants (who we have already called out as being not that good).

If we finish in front of most or all of them, that would be another great sign.

 

[Callipygian]

For the record this is what Gowan said about the Giants at the presser during the week leading up to the game:

“(GWS have) got a bit of work to do … we know we’re on the right path and it’s really important for us to realise that we’re not coming up against a side that’s performed really well... No disrespect to them but they’re the least performing side in the inaugural clubs. We think we’ll get there quicker than them.”

Zing!

Lucky we backed it up. Now that I read those comments I think maybe they were less accidental than I had. No idea why you would do it. Doubt it would have increased the crowd. Maybe he thought it would boost our confidence? But why say it publicly. The "no disrespect" is just insulting. That's like saying "no disrespect but you're overweight and not very good at football"

Chloe Molloy has said that as a player she wasn't that big a fan of Gowans saying that - she said she said to him "you're not the one who has to be out on the field with the [revved up opposition] players running through you!" Not 100% clear whether she was joking or serious but I think there was a bit of earnestness in what she was saying.

 

[Kiama Chris]

Chloe Molloy has said that as a player she wasn't that big a fan of Gowans saying that - she said she said to him "you're not the one who has to be out on the field with the [revved up opposition] players running through you!" Not 100% clear whether she was joking or serious but I think there was a bit of earnestness in what she was saying.

If I was the player I would not have been happy. Struck me as a brain snap, which was a real surprise. He seems a very considered sort of bloke. Hope we don't see that again!

 

[Callipygian]

Another thing I wanted to comment on, is the change in coaching personnel this year.

Apart from the addition of Colin O'Riordan

38

Colin O'riordan

Age

29

Ht

186cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.7

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

6.3

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.0

4star

MG

190.1

3star

D

8.5

2star

K

4.0

1star

HB

4.5

3star

M

1.8

2star

T

1.5

2star

MG

98.5

2star

D

15.8

4star

K

8.2

4star

HB

7.6

5star

M

5.0

5star

T

2.4

4star

MG

267.8

5star

, we also have the arrival of Tanya Hetherington. I had spotted Tanya in some of the pre-season vids and wondered who she was until they started posting 'Tanya's Take' on the club website and I put two and two together. Apparently she is a GWS player who retired at the end of last year.

One of them also seems to have taken the place of Baker Denneman who has disappeared off to Western Australia (according to Linked In). It seemed that Baker may have been the senior assistant coach last year (because he stepped in for Gowans when Gowans was unwell and couldn't coach R9 last season). I wonder who is the senior assistant now? Does anyone know?

 

[SwansProudly]

Another thing I wanted to comment on, is the change in coaching personnel this year.

Apart from the addition of Colin O'Riordan, we also have the arrival of Tanya Hetherington. I had spotted Tanya in some of the pre-season vids and wondered who she was until they started posting 'Tanya's Take' on the club website and I put two and two together. Apparently she is a GWS player who retired at the end of last year.

One of them also seems to have taken the place of Baker Denneman who has disappeared off to Western Australia (according to Linked In). It seemed that Baker may have been the senior assistant coach last year (because he stepped in for Gowans when Gowans was unwell and couldn't coach R9 last season). I wonder who is the senior assistant now? Does anyone know?

The Sydney Swans AFLW Squad was established in 2022 under the leadership of experienced head coach Scott Gowans.
He is joined by Nick Davis as senior assistance coach, a former Collingwood and premiership-winning Sydney Swans player, as well as Bronwyn Gulden who joins the club as line coach.

Official AFL Website of the Sydney Swans Football Club. All the latest news, videos, results and information.

Official AFL Website of the Sydney Swans Football Club

www.sydneyswans.com.au

Tanya Hetherington announced her retirement from the ALFW competition after 46 games with the GWS Giants. The experienced defender has returned to the sport in 2023 to join the Sydney Swans as a line coach

AFLW Coaches: Tanya Hetherington

Official AFL Website of the Sydney Swans Football Club

www.sydneyswans.com.au

 

[Callipygian]

Thanks for that SP. Genius idea looking on the club website. Wish I'd thought of it. Very interesting that Davo has become senior assistant. I wonder if the Academy misses him. Or have Leon and Spike got him covered?

No mention of Colin O'Riordan

38

Colin O'riordan

Age

29

Ht

186cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.7

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

6.3

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.0

4star

MG

190.1

3star

D

8.5

2star

K

4.0

1star

HB

4.5

3star

M

1.8

2star

T

1.5

2star

MG

98.5

2star

D

15.8

4star

K

8.2

4star

HB

7.6

5star

M

5.0

5star

T

2.4

4star

MG

267.8

5star

though. Was that just a pre-season thing? Poor COR. I hope they keep him in mind if other opportunities arise. Top bloke!

 

[Kiama Chris]

Thanks for that SP. Genius idea looking on the club website. Wish I'd thought of it. Very interesting that Davo has become senior assistant. I wonder if the Academy misses him. Or have Leon and Spike got him covered?

No mention of Colin O'Riordan though. Was that just a pre-season thing? Poor COR. I hope they keep him in mind if other opportunities arise. Top bloke!

I imagine that the AFLW assistant jobs are not 12 months so perhaps they all work with the Academy between times?

 

[SwansProudly]

Thanks for that SP. Genius idea looking on the club website. Wish I'd thought of it. Very interesting that Davo has become senior assistant. I wonder if the Academy misses him. Or have Leon and Spike got him covered?

No mention of Colin O'Riordan though. Was that just a pre-season thing? Poor COR. I hope they keep him in mind if other opportunities arise. Top bloke!

I loved it when COR presented the Irish girls Julie O'Sullivan and Tanya Kennedy their jumper for their debut, when the other girls (Alice Mitchell and Montana Beruldsen) had their family.

 

[Callipygian]

For those who have been wondering what the non-selected players do to get a game, I found out from Kate Reynolds (our back-up ruck who is currently rehabbing an injury and a teeny chance of making it back to play a game this season) after the game on Saturday that the answer is: they play in scrimmage matches. What? This means they generally fly to Melbourne and participate in games formed between mashed up teams with random players from other teams.

Then, this evening, I found an article telling about the arrangement and its shortcomings in more detail: Players' perspectives: When you don't get selected in the senior team.

 

[Arwib]

Posted this in the general forum but just wanted to note that Sydney are a Big Club in AFLW terms:

 

[Callipygian]

More than luck: The Irish influence in AFLW

As more Irish stars bring up their 50-game milestones ESPN's Elly McNerney looks at the impact of these players on AFLW from Cora Staunton to Aine Tighe.

www.espn.com.au

Happily, we're doing our best to take advantage of the Irish goldmine too. And it has paid big dividends this season. The keys to us being the biggest improvers in the league this season IMO are:

* the three big recruits from other clubs (Moy, Big Boy and Gardiner)

* internal development and improvement of players and coaches plus the connection and proper pre-season; AND

* the Irish additions.

Tanya Kennedy has quickly elevated herself to become one of my favourite players. I love her strength, toughness and work rate (which rivals Gardiner's, only I think Gardiner just works a little smarter and has that sense of always knowing where to go - a bit like Tom Mitchell - plus Gardiner's kicking is a little more effective). If I'm comparing Laura to Titch then I'll compare Tanya to JPK in that she's a clearance beast and just great to have around the footy - a heart and soul player, like Joey.

Julie O'Sullivan has shown a lot and I will watch her career develop with interest.

Too soon for me to say much about Paris McCarthy. And poor Jennifer Higgins never got a chance.

***

Looking beyond this season, I am super interested to see how we use the trade and draft period to improve. I think that, with the season we're having

+ with our SWANS HQ

+ with the way our club has done a better job of integrating the AFLW team with the rest of the club than any other team in the comp

+ with the most numerous and passionate fanbase of any club in the comp,

we're going to become a DESTINATION CLUB!!

We still need to improve a lot to become a top 4 team and mix it with the likes of Melbourne, Adelaide, NMFC and Brisbane, so it will be brilliant to have any competitive advantage in attracting new talent to the club.

 

[SwansProudly]

More than luck: The Irish influence in AFLW

As more Irish stars bring up their 50-game milestones ESPN's Elly McNerney looks at the impact of these players on AFLW from Cora Staunton to Aine Tighe.

www.espn.com.au

Happily, we're doing our best to take advantage of the Irish goldmine too. And it has paid big dividends this season. The keys to us being the biggest improvers in the league this season IMO are:

* the three big recruits from other clubs (Moy, Big Boy and Gardiner)

* internal development and improvement of players and coaches plus the connection and proper pre-season; AND

* the Irish additions.

Tanya Kennedy has quickly elevated herself to become one of my favourite players. I love her strength, toughness and work rate (which rivals Gardiner's, only I think Gardiner just works a little smarter and has that sense of always knowing where to go - a bit like Tom Mitchell - plus Gardiner's kicking is a little more effective). If I'm comparing Laura to Titch then I'll compare Tanya to JPK in that she's a clearance beast and just great to have around the footy - a heart and soul player, like Joey.

Julie O'Sullivan has shown a lot and I will watch her career develop with interest.

Too soon for me to say much about Paris McCarthy. And poor Jennifer Higgins never got a chance.

***

Looking beyond this season, I am super interested to see how we use the trade and draft period to improve. I think that, with the season we're having

+ with our SWANS HQ

+ with the way our club has done a better job of integrating the AFLW team with the rest of the club than any other team in the comp

+ with the most numerous and passionate fanbase of any club in the comp,

we're going to become a DESTINATION CLUB!!

We still need to improve a lot to become a top 4 team and mix it with the likes of Melbourne, Adelaide, NMFC and Brisbane, so it will be brilliant to have any competitive advantage in attracting new talent to the club.

the post.

Julie O'Sullivan is improving each week.
Sofia Hurley has had some good games over the last few rounds.

another + is UNSW (apart from their sponsorship)

The university supports 13 Sydney Swans AFL and AFLW players in their studies, including 2023 Bob Skilton Medal winner, Errol Gulden, Co-Captains Dane Rampe and Callum Mills, as well as the AFLW 2022 number 1 draft pick, Montana Ham.

...

Sydney Swans AFLW star Montana Ham is studying Applied Exercise Science / Master of Clinical Exercise Physiology at UNSW, aiming for a role in physiotherapy at a sporting club in Australia, or abroad.

The 19-year-old is encouraging any athletes considering study to enrol and foster a future beyond life on the field.

“I think it's extremely important to undertake some kind of study,” said Ham.

“You don’t know how long your career is going to span, you could retire for a number of reasons, be it injury or you’ve played out your career. It’s invaluable to have options outside of life on the field, because footy is not forever.”

“It also allows for you to have a focus outside of the club. When you’re at University you’re just focused on the study, which is a nice break from constantly thinking about footy.”

Swans and UNSW Partner for the Future of Footy

The Sydney Swans and UNSW have combined elite sport and world-class education to ensure players have a future after footy.

www.sydneyswans.com.au

The club has a well-established connection to UNSW with former premiership players Ted Richards (Bachelor of Commerce) and Tadhg Kennelly (Bachelor of Arts) both inducted into the UNSW Sports Hall of Fame in 2018 and fellow Premiership player Nick Smith (Bachelor of Economics and MBA) named the UNSW Athlete of the Year in 2012.

The 10 Swans players currently studying part-time at UNSW include Sydney locals Dane Rampe (Graduate Certificate/Masters of Commerce) and Errol Gulden (Bachelor of Arts), who were both drafted from UNSW-ES Bulldogs Football Club.

UNSW teams up with Sydney Swans to further athlete education

A new partnership between the two Sydney institutions extends across the AFLM and AFLW teams, aligning with UNSW’s Women in Sport and Active Recreation Strategy.

newsroom.unsw.edu.au

Key to the success of this partnership is the UNSW Elite Athlete Program, which offers a tailored support system designed to help student-athletes balance their academic and sporting commitments. The Elite Athlete Program offers flexible study options, personalized timetables, and access to academic mentors who understand the demands of a professional sporting career. "We're proud of the success of our Elite Athlete Program," Professor Brungs stated. "It's a testament to our commitment to providing athletes with a world-class education and the necessary tools to succeed in their sporting endeavors."

Vice-Chancellor & President Professor Atilla Brungs with Sydney Swans AFLW player & UNSW Elite Athlete Montana Ham

UNSW and Sydney Swans Looking Ahead To 2024 & Beyond

A Winning Partnership: UNSW and Sydney Swans Forging a Path to Success On and Off the Field

www.sport.unsw.edu.au

 

[Ticky009]

Posted this in the general forum but just wanted to note that Sydney are a Big Club in AFLW terms:

That's brilliant, I'm super pleased that our membership has rolled over into attendances. It would actually be a bit higher if they could get the ruddy scanners working at Henson Park properly.

 

[Callipygian]

That's brilliant, I'm super pleased that our membership has rolled over into attendances. It would actually be a bit higher if they could get the ruddy scanners working at Henson Park properly.

This week's crowd ought to nudge our average upwards I reckon. I'm planning to drag a few friends and family if I can.

 

[Kiama Chris]

This week's crowd ought to nudge our average upwards I reckon. I'm planning to drag a few friends and family if I can.

Paying attention from Korea.

 

[SwansProudly]

This week's crowd ought to nudge our average upwards I reckon. I'm planning to drag a few friends and family if I can.

I wish I could join everyone at the game.
Maybe one day, ....
Please #CheerThis

 

[Callipygian]

If we make finals, how much do we need to worry about the rest of the comp bitching about the concessions we got ahead of this season and the uneven playing field? Just inevitable and we suck it up?

 

[Kiama Chris]

There have been a fair number of consistent contributors this season but Bec Privitelli has really caught my eye. How often has she either kicked our first or been the provider?
A good year I reckon.

 

[Callipygian]

A lot of players have had their best years, and I quite agree that Priv is one of them (not that I can claim to have watched much (or even any) of her career at GWS and Carlton).

Has Brenna Tarrant had a better season?

Laura Gardiner has had her best season by a huge margin. Morphett and Hurley too. Then obviously the Irish girls who hadn't played before. I'd suggest that Sheppard and Whelan have improved from last year, also Heads, and then there's Mitchell who didn't get to play last year. We've had lots of improvers and contributors. I'd say we've been fortunate except that I think actually we've earned it though the excellent development of our players and the good recruiting.