Anyone rate the Swans a chance for 2012?

[AndyLucimitis]

People always use the 'No Judd - No Carlton' line on the Blues.

Having just watch the Swans against Carlton for probably the 4th or 5th time over the last 3 years I would almost say 'No Goodes - No Swans'.


It seems the Swans just do not look like scoring unless Goodes gets his hands on the ball. There is no 'spark' from anyone else.


Bit of worry given he's moving into the twilight of his career.

 

[vonn]

Wow Blue_Judd you beat us for one year and suddenly you're experts on the Swans?

Sydney have been rebuilding since 2008. Not many people who don't watch most of our games will know this. 2011 is a trying year, 2012 a push for the top 4, 2013-2014 will be up for contention.

Hopefully. Buuut we all know footy doesn't go like that..

 

[jonoman89]

No, i don't think so.

Goodes, Bolton, ROK etc. are in the twilight of their careers. I think there will be a lapse in Sydney's fortune whilst their younger kids fill the void of their older stars for the next few seasons. After that they'll be right to go.

They've got some great young kids, they definitely will not be a cellar-dweller side even if they do lapse a bit. Really good drafting.

 

[The King!]

Wow Blue_Judd you beat us for one year and suddenly you're experts on the Swans?

Sydney have been rebuilding since 2008. Not many people who don't watch most of our games will know this. 2011 is a trying year, 2012 a push for the top 4, 2013-2014 will be up for contention.

Hopefully. Buuut we all know footy doesn't go like that..

i agree that seems to be the clubs direction, games like today that get watched by some people who dont see us often and they wonder what you are talking about.

I think we have an alright mix in terms of age, but like most teams its ifs and buts, i.e if reid develops how he should and if johnston comes into the side.

I do think goodes sometimes shines as the one class player too much, but im confident jack and a few others can take over. I am confident goodes can play to a reasonable age as well.

Im naturally optomistic about my own side, i think they have shown enough to suggest gradual improvement over the next few years, but its a cut throat world and depends on your trading and drafting, especially with free agency. IF we could get a class forward we would be laughing.

 

[Ron The Bear]

Wouldn't think Sydney could win a flag next year. The average age of their teams has decreased by a full year since 2009, and recent history shows it's hard to manufacture a flag tilt with that trend.

Longmire has done a good job keeping the Swans competitive so far after the losses of Bolton, Bradshaw and Kirk. IMO they would need to recruit a couple more quality mature-aged players from other clubs AND hope the teams above them come back to the pack.

 

[SM]

Really hope the Swans look to mature aged recruits from lower leagues a la Geelong, Carlton, Hawthorn and Collingwood. (Spot the similarity between all four teams)

We could really use with a mature aged FF, another key back, and some outside pace. Not sure we'll be able to find all three in 18 year olds.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Seen nothing to suggest they will give a flag a tilt in the next 3 -5 years.

 

[SM]

Seen nothing to suggest they will give a flag a tilt in the next 3 -5 years.

Really? Ran the Dogs right to the wire last year and could have made the PF.

All we need pretty much are the players I mentioned above, don't even need to be AFL stars really, just guys who can come in and play that role, and I think we'd be up for it. If Bradshaw had gotten fit this year I have no doubt we could have challenged this year. So we just need to find a young FF who can play a role with greater output than White, LRT or Johnston, as they clearly aren't giving us enough at this point in time.

 

[Casual_Observer]

Seen nothing to suggest they will give a flag a tilt in the next 3 -5 years.

Ditto. Fading fast, a couple years near the bottom from now on. At least like Lions and Suns, the first few games with GWS will be competitive (but boring to everyone interstate) until you become their bitch.

 

[weagles_fan]

Really? Ran the Dogs right to the wire last year and could have made the PF.

All we need pretty much are the players I mentioned above, don't even need to be AFL stars really, just guys who can come in and play that role, and I think we'd be up for it. If Bradshaw had gotten fit this year I have no doubt we could have challenged this year. So we just need to find a young FF who can play a role with greater output than White, LRT or Johnston, as they clearly aren't giving us enough at this point in time.

LOL North and Swans supporters love overrating their team.

 

[The King!]

LOL North and Swans supporters love overrating their team.

Which supporters dont? Worse when u see fans jut whinging about their side, swans can play rubbish footy at times like today, but I think there's enough for the fans to be excited about without seeming riddiculous

Not to mention the fact we looked quite good with Bradshaw firing last year so that was not really a bad assumption to think he could make a difference had he got fit this year

 

[telsor]

Swans...

Make finals - near certainty.

Make the top4 - unlikely..only real chance is if the Hawks fall over without Roughhead ( and Franklin for a while ).

Grand final - practically impossible.

Premiership - No realistic chance.

 

[Rassilon]

Ditto. Fading fast, a couple years near the bottom from now on. At least like Lions and Suns, the first few games with GWS will be competitive (but boring to everyone interstate) until you become their bitch.

Is it 2007 all over again?

 

[Casual_Observer]

Is it 2007 all over again?

If it helps you sleep at night by all means use that... to me it doesnt matter what happened last year or two years ago. I'm just going by my personal opinion and I can assure you if it helps it's more than likely wrong.

 

[Scotland]

Nope, no chance at all.

Flat track bullies for another year.

 

[Rassilon]

If it helps you sleep at night by all means use that... to me it doesnt matter what happened last year or two years ago. I'm just going by my personal opinion and I can assure you if it helps it's more than likely wrong.

Haha, yeah. I am only drawing reference to the fact the same, or very similar things have been said about the Swans for the last 4-6 years.

 

[Bollox]

Need some attacking flair through the middle that can make a decision, then actually kick the ball to a target.
Have about 90% of a good team that if well drilled MIGHT press for a grannie appearance...but our list and their experience/coaching under Roos is really based on having a key target or two up forward. Longmire is doing great, but i think we all understand we arnt really a flag threat until a bit more of the list is turned over for some classy skills and pace.

Concerned about OKeefe. He went so long without injury and now looks seriously restricted by this. Great player can play another role but i think his time anywhere thru the middle is over and the sooner its recognised the better.

Short answer..no. But i'm stoked we'll hopefully will be playing finals again.

 

[dobbins]

LOL North and Swans supporters love overrating their team.

And you sir are just loving having something to say on the Swans each time. Go and get a life, you are bitter and twisted.

 

[.Shotties.]

Seen nothing to suggest they will give a flag a tilt in the next 3 -5 years.

You'd think people would have learnt of the hazards of making such long range calls by now.

 

[NobleBlood]

Shortest betting odds for the spoon in 2003 - finished 3rd.

Still we don't instill a lot of confidence in people on this forum. We haven't beaten Geelong and Collingwood in 5 years. Excluding the bulldogs last year, I think a stat for any then-Top 4 team would be similar.

 

[Teffy]

They're probaably the most honest side in the AFL outside of Geelong and Collingwood, but I can't see them getting near a flag.

In fact, I can't see them holding off a decent rebuild for much longer either.

 

[S120]

I don't understand why people still think the Swans are going to bottom out in the traditional sense some time soon. It just will not happen. The club doesn't want to go there due to the competition in the Sydney market. That's just the way it is. Fair-weathered Swans fans will drop off if the Swans lose too much. There are 20-25k passionate and loyal fans in Sydney who will turn up no matter what but the rest will drop off when it gets tough.

Knowing that, Longmire has slowly filtered young players through the side this year with the usual mix of experience and consequently the side is being remade right before our eyes at the moment. While the average age of the side is still fairly old relatively speaking (around 25 I think), the composition of the side is much younger than it has been for a while, while Goodes, Jude, ROK, Shaw blow the average age out a bit.

Missed the 8 in 2009, bounced back to place 5th and go one win from a PF last year and have been floating around the 5th-7th spots for much of this year. For a side full of younger players, I'm happy with this. I want us to be able to beat top 4 sides as much as the next fan, but we just aren't there yet. But having said that, we're far away from needing to bottom out.

As Stat suggested, I'd be really up on our chances of being able to compete better with top 4 side with a fit Bradshaw sitting at FF (meaning Goodes wouldn't have to be wasted in the forward line any longer as a consequence, pressure taken off Reid, not relying on McGlynn to be our major goal kicker and blah blah blah) but we wouldn't be able to beat the Pies, Cats, Blues consistently with him in the side anyway IMO. As a side, we're just not there yet.

 

[Ron The Bear]

Still we don't instill a lot of confidence in people on this forum. We haven't beaten Geelong and Collingwood in 5 years. Excluding the bulldogs last year, I think a stat for any then-Top 4 team would be similar.

Won 2 of last 18 v top three teams.

1st 1-3
2nd 0-6
3rd 1-7
4th 4-2

 

[Big Blood]

Not a chance for 2012, even if Reid really improves. Forward structure is still suspect and we need more bite and spark from the mids. Rucks are good. Defence is great.

Swans are well advanced on rebuilding, for those who haven't noticed. 20-odd new players on the list since end of 2009.

As for bottoming out --- that's for fools. Well-managed clubs like Sydney, Pies and Geelong turn their list over without sliding.

 

[S120]

It's worrying that the trend has lasted for so long but it has to break sooner rather than later (that's what I keep telling myself anyway...).

Still, I'd rather my side beat all the sides it ought to and struggle to beat the best few sides than beat the best every now and then while stuggling to beat the sides sitting below them on the ladder. I can't slag off my team for lack of will, heart or consistency. The wins against a top team will come...hopefully as soon as Longmire pulls his finger out and leaves Goodes in the middle.