Can Sydney rebound after their GF debacle?

[Gavin Excell]

Will the loss fire Swans up to take next step in 2015 or will the nature of their embarrassing defeat cut deep at their confidence?

Safe bet to be up there but unsure if real flag challenger

 

[Exe Gesis]

No

 

[raskolnikov]

They will be up there again. They're too good a team not to. The GF loss will buoy them, rather than deflate them, much like Geelong in 09.

 

[RUNVS]

If the Swans players stop believing the hype of the media and going into games thinking that simply by turning up they have won then sure they can rebound. How a team can go into the grand final expecting victory is anyones guess but the Swans somehow managed to do it.

 

[bugalugs213]

The depth drops away sharply after the first 5 millionaires.

 

[RUNVS]

Aliir
Bird
Cunningham
Davis
Derickx
Franklin
Goodes
Grundy
Hannebery
Heeney
Hewett
Hiscox
B.Jack
K.Jack
Jetta
Johnson
Jones
Kennedy
Laidler
Lloyd
Marsh
McGlynn
McVeigh
Mitchell
Naismith
Nankervis
Parker
Perris
Pyke
Rampe
Reid
T.Richards
X.Richards
Robinson
Rohan
Shaw
Smith
Tippett
Towers

Black - proven AFL players who are in no danger of losing form due to age in 2015
Red - Older players who are in the best 22 on paper but could lose form dramatically in 2015
Blue - Players who have shown a bit at an AFL level but have not proven themselves to be proper AFL players yet
Green - Player who has been injured so much we cannot rely on them to play in 2015
Purple - Have not proven themselves at an AFL level yet (with little to no experience in AFL games)

If anyone does not want to count that then the results are

Black - 19
Red - 4
Blue - 4
Green - 1
Purple - 11

 

[HODGEYROAD]

They can win the flag if Hawthorn drop off, but if not NO. To put it simply they can't beat the Hawks on the MCG, bar one fluke in 2012 when the hawks kicked 11.15 they have not beaten them their since 2007.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Sydney will not finish in the top 8 next season. Mark my words.

 

[HODGEYROAD]

Sydney will not finish in the top 8 next season. Mark my words.

Bookmarked

 

[Exe Gesis]

Bookmarked

I expect a full written apology from you and all other doubters next year.

Of course, in the miniscule chance that I'm wrong, I will duly eat swan, so to speak.

 

[SugarCoat]

I'm worried about their defence.
They have lost Malceski who sets their play up.
Richards is 33, Grundy is 28/29.
Rhyce Shaw is done as a player.

 

[HODGEYROAD]

I expect a full written apology from you and all other doubters next year.

Of course, in the miniscule chance that I'm wrong, I will duly eat swan, so to speak.

I really hope you are right, I just can't see a side with that much talent missing the 8.

 

[RUNVS]

I'm worried about their defence.
They have lost Malceski who sets their play up.
Richards is 33, Grundy is 28/29.
Rhyce Shaw is done as a player.

Don't worry as we have

Aliir Aliir - 0 games but always has a smile on his face
X.Richards - 20% of one game back in 2013
Reid - gone into defence sometimes once in a blue moon
Johnson - Been injured for the last 2 years and keeps re-injuring himself

So no need to worry as our defence is fine

 

[stevoswan]

Sydney will not finish in the top 8 next season. Mark my words.

You're a joke! And your mob will? Mark these words, we'll thrash you twice(or once, not sure of the fixture), we'll be top four, probably top two with Port or Hawks, and Carlton, well frankly, who cares.......in this day and age, irrelevant.

 

[Exe Gesis]

You're a joke! And your mob will? Mark these words, we'll thrash you twice(or once, not sure of the fixture), we'll be top four, probably top two with Port or Hawks, and Carlton, well frankly, who cares.......in this day and age, irrelevant.

Get it off your chest, why dont you! lol.
You make me laugh anyway.
Another one to bookmark....Carlton to defeat Sydney 1/1 or 2/2.

 

[Hawkk]

If the Swans players stop believing the hype of the media and going into games thinking that simply by turning up they have won then sure they can rebound. How a team can go into the grand final expecting victory is anyones guess but the Swans somehow managed to do it.

Which is strange as they had lost 6 of the last 9 games they played against Hawthorn leading into that game

 

[Cynic]

If they persist with their stupid four tall setup they have no chance. If they drop that carbon rod called Reid and use Goodes only against teams where they can't be exposed on the rebound they'll get to the GF though.

 

[WeAreGeelong]

If the Swans players stop believing the hype of the media and going into games thinking that simply by turning up they have won then sure they can rebound. How a team can go into the grand final expecting victory is anyones guess but the Swans somehow managed to do it.

I personally think that the loss had more to do with Hawthorn being so well drilled and not letting you guys into the game at all. They know how to win grand finals and played accordingly. I'm not so sure Sydney went into the game thinking they just had to turn up - it was a grand final, so they should definitely have been up for it. Hawks just too good on the day.

Swans are a very good side though, so I imagine they'll be right amongst it again next year. Just think you need to give the Hawks a bit more credit. I think the loss had more to do with Hawthorn being too good on the day, rather than the Swans not being sufficiently switched on.

 

[RUNVS]

Which is strange as they had lost 6 of the last 9 games they played against Hawthorn leading into that game

I am not saying it was smart. The Swans did the same thing against GWS in round 1 where you can tell almost straight away that the effort just wasn't there.

 

[JUBJUB]

I expect a full written apology from you and all other doubters next year.

Of course, in the miniscule chance that I'm wrong, I will duly eat swan, so to speak.

Dane does not like this at all

 

[stevoswan]

I personally think that the loss had more to do with Hawthorn being so well drilled and not letting you guys into the game at all. They know how to win grand finals and played accordingly. I'm not so sure Sydney went into the game thinking they just had to turn up - it was a grand final, so they should definitely have been up for it. Hawks just too good on the day.

Swans are a very good side though, so I imagine they'll be right amongst it again next year. Just think you need to give the Hawks a bit more credit. I think the loss had more to do with Hawthorn being too good on the day, rather than the Swans not being sufficiently switched on.

Agree almost entirely.... I think the Swans were a little cocky though, over read how good they were against North a bit, and ran into a Hawk side that had the perfect attitude and approach for a GF. Once the Swans were rattled, they knew not how to regroup as the Hawks were like a pitbull and never let up. Thoroughly deserved premiership to a team perfectly primed (and coached) on the day. As for how we will react to it, and progress next season, it's intriguing. The GF loss will obviously hurt, but I am confident we will bounce back. Worried about our defence(trade ban didn't help that either), ageing and depth a bit thin, but other areas are well covered and top shelf in quality. We'll be thereabouts at the end no doubt, but may need some luck to go all the way. But we will definitely beat Carlton......you still there GG?

 

[Exe Gesis]

Oh I'm still there. Patiently biding my time till the match-up.

 

[Barry_Badrinath]

I expect Sydney to be up there again and would be very surprised if they aren't. However in recent years the teams that got flogged in a grand final have struggled to back it up the following year.

(the following teams lost the grand final by 40+ the year before)

2011 Saints dropped back to 7th
2008 Power missed the finals
2005 Lions missed the finals
2004 Pies missed the finals
2001 Demons missed the finals
1997 Swans dropped back to 7th
1996 Cats dropped back to 7th
1995 Cats backed it up and made the Grand Final again
1994 Carlton had a good season but went out in straight sets, finishing 5th.
1992 West Coast won the flag
1991 Essendon dropped back to 6th and lost it's only final

Whereas the teams that lost by close margins had good years.

2014 Dockers finished 4th but went out in straight sets
2013 Hawks won the flag
2010 Saints made the Grand Final
2009 Cats won the flag
2007 Swans came 7th
2006 Eagles won the flag
2003 Pies made the Grand Final
2002 Bombers came 5th

From that it seems like losing a tight one can spur you on whereas a flogging can knock a lot of wind out of the group and leave them questioning the future. Although it could just mean that the teams that got flogged weren't that great in the first place. I'd say it's a bit of both.

 

[stevoswan]

Oh I'm still there. Patiently biding my time till the match-up.

We'll know the answer on Friday 29th May, Round nine. We only play each other once.

 

[BigVic]

No. Remember Port Adelaide circa 2008 and Collingwood circa 2005. Port took 5 years to get back to the winners circle. Collingwood bottomed out in 2004-05 and it took 5 years for them to reach their next GF.