Preview Grand Final Sydney v Geelong MCG

[kickthething]

I can’t help to think we like playing Geelong.

 

[bloodsbigot]

Is anyone else
Going through absolute ebs and flows of butterflies…I feel so excited but so sick at the same time (and I’ve given birth) god I just want to win so so much I’m bloody nervous…hopefully will get some
Sleep tonight might have to take a melatonin.

Feeling kinda good that the last time we won’t was 2012 and it’s now 2022 Bring if on boys and bring it home

I usually get that sick feeling about 5 minutes before the bounce.

 

[kickthething]

I usually get that sick feeling about 5 minutes before the bounce.

Just don’t get it 5 mins after the bounce

 

[caesar88]

A few reasons I am not stressed about this game, despite the monumental stakes.

1. I feel like we like playing Geelong and they're a team we get off the canvas against. In 2014 and 2016, though we felt confident at the time, hindsight shows we were literally playing our bogey teams on both occasions.

2. Even though we have lost games with them before, I just look at some of our players - Mills, Gulden, Papley, Rowbottom, Hickey, Parker - and I think, they literally won't let us lose a grand final.

3. And if we do end up losing this one, I just have so much confidence in this list and our coaching that I'd back us to be back here in the near future to give it another shake anyway.

 

[Dubai Quacker]

Just don’t get it 5 mins after the bounce

I’ll get the sick feeling when Hawkins gets his first mark after clearly shoving Tommy Mac in the back.

 

[Bloods86]

Finished work, on the way to the airport, have managed to hold off on the emotions til now. Excited and nervous!

 

[caesar88]

For the superstitious folks (and stats lovers):

 

[scaryness]

My head says Geelong unfortunately. Going to need to pool all of our energy into some Swans Spirit Bomb.

This the least confident I have been in all 4 our more recent GFs.

 

[sataris]

My head says Geelong unfortunately. Going to need to pool all of our energy into some Swans Spirit Bomb.

This the least confident I have been in all 4 our more recent GFs.

The spirit bomb never works!!

 

[RW]

My head says Geelong unfortunately. Going to need to pool all of our energy into some Swans Spirit Bomb.

This the least confident I have been in all 4 our more recent GFs.

They did finish two games clear on top of the ladder, so there's that.

We have had a strong finish to the season though, similar to 2005.

I can make a case for both sides, to be honest.

 

[Gimmeafree]

My head says Geelong unfortunately. Going to need to pool all of our energy into some Swans Spirit Bomb.

This the least confident I have been in all 4 our more recent GFs.

Hang in there. I’ve felt a touch flat after the prelim heart stopper but can now see it’s the perfect prep given both sides had weeks off. Aside from this we will win because:

1. Leg speed and that we will run them ragged across the expanses of the MCG
2. Young guns will back themselves to run through their opposition - no respecting their elders tomorrow
3. Ability to adjust game plans on the fly - like we did with freo
4. We always match up well v cats - they fear us
5. We have nothing to lose and will throw everything at it, cats know they’re favourites - everything to lose mindset

simply, Geelong will not know what hit them.

 

[ashep]

I can’t help to think we like playing Geelong.

Geelong are better than Brisbane but I can't see anyone having 42 possies and tearing us apart the way Neale could have which was probably my biggest fear.

 

[Bloods86]

I've rocked up at Adel Airport way too early (was bedlam at security last time I flew). Ah well, somehow the whisky at the Penfolds bar is reasonably priced. One of very few rocking any form of footy attire. Saw someone in Pies gear, averted eyes.

 

[zyzzbruh]

Gut feeling is he doesn't ruck, McLean will.

This makes me nervous. I have a feeling the coaches have a picture of how they want McLean to play, up forward and the ruck. I have 0 confidence that he can pull it off.

 

[Millky95]

The spirit bomb never works!!

It defeats Kid Buu and a whole lot of movie villians

 

[Bloods86]

Hang in there. I’ve felt a touch flat after the prelim heart stopper but can now see it’s the perfect prep given both sides had weeks off. Aside from this we will win because:

1. Leg speed and that we will run them ragged across the expanses of the MCG
2. Young guns will back themselves to run through their opposition - no respecting their elders tomorrow
3. Ability to adjust game plans on the fly - like we did with freo
4. We always match up well v cats - they fear us
5. We have nothing to lose and will throw everything at it, cats know they’re favourites - everything to lose mindset

simply, Geelong will not know what hit them.

No.3 is key. They've jumped us a few times recently, but we've adjusted. They need to put us away early.

 

[Jewelsbon]

I am comfortable, the rank outsider tag is calming me.

Yep exactly how I'm feeling too

 

[Troystenvic]

My head says Geelong unfortunately. Going to need to pool all of our energy into some Swans Spirit Bomb.

This the least confident I have been in all 4 our more recent GFs.

Have your modship stripped. All good not be confident. I've got you covered. It's been a positive board this week for the most part

 

[Tedeski]

100% and genuinely no disrespect to them, but this isnt Geelong 2007 or Essendon 2000 or some side that killed Everyone
Can only beat who you play. but have had a nice run of things, they won 2 more games than us not 6 or 7

Look at their last 18 home & away games.
Going backwards from rd 22.
WC, GC, Saints, Bulldogs,Port, Carl, Melb, North, Rich, WC, Bulldogs, Adel,
Port , StK, GWS, Freo (loss), North, Haw.

Only 3 games against teams tbat finished in finals.
Melb(win), Rich(lucky win) Freo(loss).

Their top of the ladder finish is very flattering to say the least.
They are definitely no where near the team deserving of their favourite tag going into this game.
We have this one. Follow the plan, stick to our pressure, take our opportunites, play out the game to the end & the is ours.
Then we

 

[ShireSwan]

The actual Geelong side won't underestimate us like everyone else

Thank you for raining on my parade. It's why I come here.

 

[Piesnchess]

McRae seems to be a great coach but scratch a little deeper and the whole "fairy tale rise" is hyped up by the Melbourne media. Most of this team of Pies played in a GF, PF and SF, before they dropped unexpectedly to 17th. So the real story is how a team with its premiership window wide open could let it suddenly blow shut. Reopening a premiership window after it was inadvertantly shut is only exciting if the recent past is ignored, otherwise it seems like McRae wasn't the architect of a miraculous renaissance, but merely picking up from where the Pies already were before Buckley had one bad year in among several years of finals.

The Swans story is one of an incredible achievement, the demolition and rebuilding of a club while a pandemic swept the world. At the end of 2018, the Swans had played finals every year since Horse took the reins in 2011, but the great warriors of the 2012 Premiership were slowly retiring and the list needed to be rebuilt, almost from scratch. In 2018 and 2019 thousands of games of experience were lost to the Swans, as legend after legend called time.

In 2019 the Swans finished 15th. In 2020 the Swans finished 16th. Yet in the middle of a pandemic, after cuts to support staff and restrictions on almost every aspect of footy life, the Swans were bust rebuilding, taking punt after punt on unproven young players, not just to replace the seasoned heroes but also to adopt an untried new game plan, fashioned around speed, defensive pressure, corridor use, precision kicking and team first attitude. For the last few games of 2020 the new game plan slipped quietly into place, unannounced and unremarked upon by the media, but not wholly unnoticed by dedicated Swans fans. The following 2021 pre-season was a chance to polish and tune the new game plan.

Buddy was restored too, with a year off to get into great shape, a new training regime and a broader role. He, along with Reid and Kennedy, were crucial to supporting and teaching the younger players, often in entirely unfamiliar new roles. The club drew on the support and dedication of the Swans family, on the unquestioned support of former Swans players. The club recruited through both orthodox and unorthodox channels. Fresh leadership faces were welcomed too. Naturally there were hitches. Our main ruck, Sam Naismith broke down again after he looked set to deliver on his promise. Several players were pilfered by southern states, who offered a chance to return home to be closer to family in the pandemic and, of course, a much cheaper cost of living. Players were switched around and new faces filled new roles.

The end result of this remarkable rebuild was a young team playing a very new game style that suited their natural abilities. If any proof of the efficacy of the game plan was needed, these young Swans shot from 16th in 2020 to 6th in 2021 as they blew away many highly regarded teams, including the reigning premiers. Through the season of 2021 the Swans put more pieces into place. They reinvigorated and remotivated Hayward and found a new role for Blakey. In 2022 Reid became the backup ruckman he was always destined to become. A retired ex-Saints forward became our number one key defensive interceptor, gems were found in the Swans reserves for positions they were uniquely suited for. A midfielder became a half back flanker, another became a forward as pieces continued to fall into place.

Come the 2021 finals and the young Swans team were caught in the spotlights of the EF by a finals hardened GWS. Injuries ruled out a number of key players, blunting their possession game without Mills and Kennedy, together representing a huge chunk of of the Swans midfield engine. Without the calm assurance needed to guide the young team through their first ever final, they struggled early on. In the 2nd half the Swans showed their true talents against the Giants but they ultimately fell short by a solitary point. Collingwood fans can no doubt empathise with the heartbreak. Horse and the team knew they could have gone so much farther.

The Swans are the real fairytale. A complete rebuild of the team and a game plan to match which will see them dominate the AFL for a generation. They did it virtually from scratch in just a couple of years. Horse distilled the experiences of the last of the 2012 Premiership team and poured that wisdom into younger bodies to open and keep open decade long premiership window. Collingwood has Nick Daicos but Swans have truck loads of such young talent.

Collingwood under McRae play a not-dissimilar game to the Swans, as do Geelong. I'd be surprised if more teams don't seek to emulate aspects of the Swans game plan that emerged in 2021 and which has been further refined through 2022. Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. Win or lose this weekend, the Swans will continue to refine their game plan and add to it an alphabet of backup plans B, C, D, E, F, G....and so on. A chance to play finals regularly has to be the ace card for Swans recruiters to attract talent. Sydney based clubs don't have as much access to the huge talent pool that Melbourne teams do. It's hard to lure a players for less money (after rent/mortgage) far from family and friends. Sustained success is a way to bring in the players we need to evolve, and, of course, we'll continue to grow our own.

McRae would be well aware of how good Horse is at tactical coaching. The loss of Sam Reid in the PF tore a vital cog from the Swans machine, weakening our f50 pressure, and opening opportunities to Collingwood's rebounding defenders and allowing Nick Daicos to go forward. Reid's loss was a blue ribbon wrapped gift to McRae and Collingwood. Horse trusted his defence and was wise to rest Sam as he'll be one of several key players this weekend. In any case, there'll be a plan C of he goes down.

This weekend we'll see the two best teams and two best coaches going head to head for the biggest prize. It's going to be a cracking match. Swans are the only team with a genuine chance of getting the win against Geelong. In any case, the Swans will be back if we miss this one, while Geelong's premiership window is propped open with Selwood's walking frame. Geelong have spent 11 years getting to GFs so they can win another premiership. Few Swans have even tasted a Grand Final, and only Buddy, Reid and Parker have won a premiership. Geelong have a list of seasoned vets at the twilight of their careers, while most of the Swans list are young and inexperienced, but they may have another decade of playing together with every player getting better and the game plan constantly refined with each season.

Who wins? Will it be the old men, desperate to capture one last flag before their speed across the ground is determined by the speed limiter of their mobility scooters? Or will it be the young bucks. A rush of puberty hormones pushing them on to reckless abandon on the field, while the change room mirrors are smeared in the blood of their opponents and the freshly squeezed pus of their anxiety zits?

I hope it isn't decided by Stevic and/or Meredith, two umpires who regularly put the boot into the Swans. "Oi, is your zit bleeding - Blood rule, off you go"

Damn you Collingwood fan. Now you've gone and made me write an essay.

Whist I appreciate your long post, and i do take some of your points, yes, we still had some fine senior players, in the squad, but we have brought in a lot of good kids last season and this one, and they have driven the team on with their youthful enthusiasm, such as Nick Daicos, Jack Ginnivan, McCreery, Murphy, Johnson, Henry, Begg, McCrae. What stuffed us after 2019, was the Do Better Report, the only club who has done one, aside from the Hawks now, and the salary cap debacle that led to the Treloar and Stephenson fiascos. That really derailed the whole Club , all that distraction, that then led to Eddie Leaving, and Bucks had stayed too long. We went off the rails, confidence collapsed, and we crashed. You have to take into account that McRae came in on a hiding to nothing, we were at a very low ebb, when he took over, we didnt even have a new President, and the Board was in flux. Thankfully, Graham Wright came in, and he has done wonders, and Fly as Coach, has done a marvellous job, he instilled confidence and belief back into the whole Club, especially the players. We do need a big forward like Cameron or Lynch, but they dont grow on trees, and if we get McStay he will be a big help downback. Yes, we do play a similar game style to the Swans, intense pressure, chaos, and tackles, relentless tackles, that was a cracking PF, decided in last seconds , I was proud of the boys we left nothing out there. I dont think we would beat the Cats tomorrow, had we fell in. They have a near fit and rested list, fresh, their PF was a walk in the park, we have no Grundy, Taylor adams, Cox is done, limping , Maynard has a shoulder gone, Mihochek on one leg. We would have lost, and i could not stand losing to them, the arrogant ageing Cats. BTW, listening to all the radio shows, TV, the Cats are red hot favourites, nobody down here gives the Swans a dogs chance in hell. Its really amazing, Cats total bias. I as a neutral reckon Swans have a very good chance, if you play as you did against us , and tackle them relentlessly, pressure, intense heat, chaos footy. They say the Cats are fielding the oldest team ever seen in a Grand Final in history, so there you go. For mine, Swans by 7 points, in one hell of a tough match, Warner to get the Norm Smith. Good luck Swannies.

 

[BruceFromBalnarring]

Whist I appreciate your long post, and i do take some of your points, yes, we still had some fine senior players, in the squad, but we have brought in a lot of good kids last season and this one, and they have driven the team on with their youthful enthusiasm, such as Nick Daicos, Jack Ginnivan, McCreery, Murphy, Johnson, Henry, Begg, McCrae. What stuffed us after 2019, was the Do Better Report, the only club who has done one, aside from the Hawks now, and the salary cap debacle that led to the Treloar and Stephenson fiascos. That really derailed the whole Club , all that distraction, that then led to Eddie Leaving, and Bucks had stayed too long. We went off the rails, confidence collapsed, and we crashed. You have to take into account that McRae came in on a hiding to nothing, we were at a very low ebb, when he took over, we didnt even have a new President, and the Board was in flux. Thankfully, Graham Wright came in, and he has done wonders, and Fly as Coach, has done a marvellous job, he instilled confidence and belief back into the whole Club, especially the players. We do need a big forward like Cameron or Lynch, but they dont grow on trees, and if we get McStay he will be a big help downback. Yes, we do play a similar game style to the Swans, intense pressure, chaos, and tackles, relentless tackles, that was a cracking PF, decided in last seconds , I was proud of the boys we left nothing out there. I dont think we would beat the Cats tomorrow, had we fell in. They have a near fit and rested list, fresh, their PF was a walk in the park, we have no Grundy, Taylor adams, Cox is done, limping , Maynard has a shoulder gone, Mihochek on one leg. We would have lost, and i could not stand losing to them, the arrogant ageing Cats. BTW, listening to all the radio shows, TV, the Cats are red hot favourites, nobody down here gives the Swans a dogs chance in hell. Its really amazing, Cats total bias. I as a neutral reckon Swans have a very good chance, if you play as you did against us , and tackle them relentlessly, pressure, intense heat, chaos footy. They say the Cats are fielding the oldest team ever seen in a Grand Final in history, so there you go. For mine, Swans by 7 points, in one hell of a tough match, Warner to get the Norm Smith. Good luck Swannies.

Nice essay but it’s not about you.

 

[Jewelsbon]

Whist I appreciate your long post, and i do take some of your points, yes, we still had some fine senior players, in the squad, but we have brought in a lot of good kids last season and this one, and they have driven the team on with their youthful enthusiasm, such as Nick Daicos, Jack Ginnivan, McCreery, Murphy, Johnson, Henry, Begg, McCrae. What stuffed us after 2019, was the Do Better Report, the only club who has done one, aside from the Hawks now, and the salary cap debacle that led to the Treloar and Stephenson fiascos. That really derailed the whole Club , all that distraction, that then led to Eddie Leaving, and Bucks had stayed too long. We went off the rails, confidence collapsed, and we crashed. You have to take into account that McRae came in on a hiding to nothing, we were at a very low ebb, when he took over, we didnt even have a new President, and the Board was in flux. Thankfully, Graham Wright came in, and he has done wonders, and Fly as Coach, has done a marvellous job, he instilled confidence and belief back into the whole Club, especially the players. We do need a big forward like Cameron or Lynch, but they dont grow on trees, and if we get McStay he will be a big help downback. Yes, we do play a similar game style to the Swans, intense pressure, chaos, and tackles, relentless tackles, that was a cracking PF, decided in last seconds , I was proud of the boys we left nothing out there. I dont think we would beat the Cats tomorrow, had we fell in. They have a near fit and rested list, fresh, their PF was a walk in the park, we have no Grundy, Taylor adams, Cox is done, limping , Maynard has a shoulder gone, Mihochek on one leg. We would have lost, and i could not stand losing to them, the arrogant ageing Cats. BTW, listening to all the radio shows, TV, the Cats are red hot favourites, nobody down here gives the Swans a dogs chance in hell. Its really amazing, Cats total bias. I as a neutral reckon Swans have a very good chance, if you play as you did against us , and tackle them relentlessly, pressure, intense heat, chaos footy. They say the Cats are fielding the oldest team ever seen in a Grand Final in history, so there you go. For mine, Swans by 7 points, in one hell of a tough match, Warner to get the Norm Smith. Good luck Swannies.

You guys won me over last week - your team and your supporters, both were incredible and incredibly good sports.
All the best for next season.

 

[ShireSwan]

yep average age 53.6

That exact age is not old. And no, its not entirely due to it being my age. At all.

 

[Punts]

Holmes got through his test

Big risk of the wing but guess we are doing same