In retrospect, how goshdarned awesome was the Swans/Eagles rivalry?

[BlueTouchPaper]

Much prefer the modern Hawks-Cats rivalry.

Feels like there was a better spread of talent/exciting players and certainly more exciting contests.

 

[jko'neal]

I feel sometimes people confuse close games with good games.

Good games are generally exciting for most of the match, close games are sometimes only exciting for the last 5 minutes.

That's how I felt about a lot of the Swans v Eagles games. Wasn't West Coast's fault though... I just didn't enjoy the way Sydney played most of the time.

Totally agree with this comment, as soon as two sides high on the ladder play a close game it's called a titanic struggle and one of the great games. The game between Collingwood and WC a few weeks back was a prime example, fantastic second half but the first half was utter rubbish and would have been bagged big time if it was teams in the bottom half of the ladder involved.

 

[eaglespremiers]

PS. Staker says hi.

I think he would prefer to not have to say "hi".
Besides, the more defining moment for Staker in the Syd v Eagles clashes would have to be his fumble in the goal square of the 2005 GF.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Swans style of play was a blight on the game. Don't fool yourself into thinking it was a pleasure to watch.

Entirely a matter of opinion.

I loved the way we played back then, and I loved the way it gave people the shits, particularly Vlad, who had to eat his words.

Look, it's great to see speccies and long bombs etc; I like them as much as the next fella, but aesthetics are entirely incidental to the game. It's great that the rules of our game make it a fair chance you'll see something breathtaking every time you watch it, but the players are under no obligation whatsoever to make it an aesthetically-pleasing spectacle. They are there to win matches, by any means necessary within the rules of the game.

If you want a guaranteed aesthetically-pleasing spectacle every time, buy yourself a season ticket to the ballet.

 

[bodazoka]

I am very excited to be playing them again in a game for top of the ladder.

 

[bodazoka]

Irony is another supporter telling the supporters of two other teams that they dont have a rivalry..

Wait no its just idiotic.

 

[Pea Barrel]

who and who???

Teams that did just as good as yours, i.e. lose grand finals. But won a couple as well.

 

[RUNVS]

Paul Roos has said in hindsight as much as he would have loved to have won both Grand Finals it was probably fair that both teams came away with one flag each.

 

[King Dev]

Well, they did play in two of the worst Grand Finals i have ever seen. The Swans of 2005 and 2006 were painstaking to watch. Ross Lyon still hasn't gotten over it!

 

[FLYINV]

For me I still consider West Coast the one true rivalry we have. The weird thing is I don't hate West Coast but actually really respect them and their senior players who were around back in '05 & '06, and I was hoping they'd win yesterday so we'd be 1 & 2 heading into next Sunday's game.

Re: Sydney's playing style during the Roos years I've always considered it as typifying everything you're taught to do as a kid; be accountable for your man; put your head over the ball, tackle hard, never give up. Sydney didn't go out to play dour football they just fought tooth and nail at every contest, and in '05 and '06 the Eagles were the only team willing to do the same.

 

[CAS79]

Paul Roos has said in hindsight as much as he would have loved to have won both Grand Finals it was probably fair that both teams came away with one flag each.

Strap yourself in for the decider gf in 2012

 

[Provost_]

you're the one complaining and whining so that means you know what I say is true.

lol, nice deflection. You come into a thread about Swans/Eagles rivalry to complain and whine
Then project that onto my post, me thinks you know what I say is true.

Nice try, fail.

 

[MaccaKnowsBest]

Well, they did play in two of the worst Grand Finals i have ever seen. The Swans of 2005 and 2006 were painstaking to watch. Ross Lyon still hasn't gotten over it!

lol...because 07 was so much better for the neutral spectator.

 

[Spuddage]

Love that the vics cant stand that there is a rivalry between two non-vic teams that is based on respect and tough past matches rather than the dividing lines drawn up by town planners.
As someone above said, no hatred at all for sydney just a heap of respect. (except for Barry Hall, but the saints turned him into a thug so I guess swans weren't to blame!)

 

[dagriggstar]

I can't believe the amount of complaining there is in this topic. Screams to me of a bunch of people who just enjoy "scoring" rather than actual football being played.

I think it's a fantastic that two completely different teams could combine for so many great games. If they met in the finals this year it'd take it to a whole new level. May be headed for a role reversal with WC now being known for their pressure (the forward press) and Sydney having injected leg speed into their line up. Could be headed for another Essendon style "ridiculous amount of inside 50's, still loose vs Sydney" game

 

[Terex8]

It's 2 expansion franchises playing against each other.

Personally, Essendon/Hawthorn in the 80's, Carlton/Essendon in the late 90's & Geelong / Hawthorn in the late 00's have far more meaning and intensity owing to their lack of franchise cultures.

 

[Father Jack]

It's 2 expansion franchises playing against each other.

Personally, Essendon/Hawthorn in the 80's, Carlton/Essendon in the late 90's & Geelong / Hawthorn in the late 00's have far more meaning and intensity owing to their lack of franchise cultures.

How much meaning and intensity does each respective rivalry have on a scale of one to ten?

 

[Terex8]

How much meaning and intensity does each respective rivalry have on a scale of one to ten?

Hard to quantify but the Hawthorn/Essendon matches in the mid 80's would be a number of notches above Sydney/West Coast.

Hawthorn were a far more talented side than what WC/Sydney produced & the 1985 Essendon side was one of the greatest to grace an AFL/VFL field. There was also the East / North West, Jeans / Sheedy and the onfield brawls that were as brutal as ever seen.

 

[Father Jack]

Hard to quantify but the Hawthorn/Essendon matches in the mid 80's would be a number of notches above Sydney/West Coast.

Hawthorn were a far more talented side than what WC/Sydney produced & the 1985 Essendon side was one of the greatest to grace an AFL/VFL field. There was also the East / North West, Jeans / Sheedy and the onfield brawls that were as brutal as ever seen.

So a suburban rivalry in a state comp is greater than an intercity one in a national comp?

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

It's 2 expansion franchises playing against each other.

Personally, Essendon/Hawthorn in the 80's, Carlton/Essendon in the late 90's & Geelong / Hawthorn in the late 00's have far more meaning and intensity owing to their lack of franchise cultures.

VFL rivalries interest me like a Kentucky feud interests me. Geelong/Hawthorn, Carlton/Collingwood, McCoys/Hatfields... Do we have a national comp or not?

 

[Jeeves]

VFL rivalries interest me like a Kentucky feud interests me. Geelong/Hawthorn, Carlton/Collingwood, McCoys/Hatfields... Do we have a national comp or not?

Exactly. Perhaps we should start talking about one of the great rivalries over the last 100 years, East Fremantle v South Fremantle. There have been many epic and brutal games but what is the relevance of discussing state league rivalries when discussing the national competition which began in 1987? The Sydney/ West Coast rivalry that has developed is as good, if not better than any other rivalry that has developed over the past 25 years.

 

[Terex8]

There have been many epic and brutal games but what is the relevance of discussing state league rivalries when discussing the national competition which began in 1987?

The national competition didn't start in 1987. The likes of South Fremantle/East Fremantle & Port/Norwood never had the best players from the WAFL & SANFL playing in a neutral league like the VFL did from the late 70's.

 

[Jeeves]

The national competition didn't start in 1987. The likes of South Fremantle/East Fremantle & Port/Norwood never had the best players from the WAFL & SANFL playing in a neutral league like the VFL did from the late 70's.

Sorry. You lost me.

 

[Apex61]

It's 2 expansion franchises playing against each other.

Personally, Essendon/Hawthorn in the 80's, Carlton/Essendon in the late 90's & Geelong / Hawthorn in the late 00's have far more meaning and intensity owing to their lack of franchise cultures.

Brisbane Lions beating the Pies twice had a lot of intensity for me up here in Sunny QLD.
And if there was no Queensland based team I wouldn't follow a suburb of Melbourne team period (or the AFL/VFL).

Must suck to be a Tassie AFL fan having the Hawks push onto ya.
I am sure Tassie will feel intensity winning a GF against any of the Mainland sides, when/if they get a side from Vlad.
Go the Apple Island!

 

[sydney eagle]

It's 2 expansion franchises playing against each other.

Personally, Essendon/Hawthorn in the 80's, Carlton/Essendon in the late 90's & Geelong / Hawthorn in the late 00's have far more meaning and intensity owing to their lack of franchise cultures.

Sydney were not an" expansion franchise", they were (and perhaps still are) a Melbourne club team (South Melbourne) that were moved to Sydney to provide an AFL team in that city and ensure their own survival.