Opinion Our biggest improver in 2014

[bedford]

AJ , is the one more likely to be eased in my sources say and he has been told to shed some bulk

 

[Punts]

He did say he wants to play R1 and didn't want to miss anymore senior footy but I would probably say the same after being out for 12months , I guess once he starts full training they will have an idea were he is at , would be pumped to see him R1 as I rate him in the top 10 players when he is at is best but there is no doubt he cant be rushed

 

[swansfan51]

Biggest improver - Kinnear Beatson. I am tipping Zak Jones to be a significant improvement on his previous potato crop.

 

[MarkP]

Biggest improver - Kinnear Beatson. I am tipping Zak Jones to be a significant improvement on his previous potato crop.

Well the base is pretty low so you are probably on the money

 

[GotTheGoodes]

Its a long way out to be picking a side for round 1

I don't know, you don't know, I just hope they all improve a bit. Anyhow this thread is pre season.

Yeah I know it's a long way out mate but surely some hypotheticals can't hurt. The question "Our biggest improver in 2014?" leads me to want to discuss that fringe group of guys (Cunningham, BJack, Rampe etc) and if they can knock some of the other more established guys out of the side. Can they fit in the side and what do they need to do it etc.

Trying to base it on what we've been hearing pre-season so far just about the whole list is good for round one. About the only real injury issue could be Jetta which the club says he should be right but based on past timeframes I'll be adding a few weeks on to that.

As Punts says, seems like we're really pushing the fitness base with lots of running. I'm going to keep a very clos eye on Benny. Sounds like he'll come out of his best pre-season to date by all accounts so can't wait to see how he goes if they do give him more midfield time. I think his hardness and hunger are real assets in the mdifeild set up. For my mind he just needs to work on his endurance, speed and delivery into the fwd 50. Hoping he goes nuts and smashes it though and earns an AA... Then again, that's my wish for everyone on our list.

 

[Swansujelly]

with everyone fit, only the back up ruck is our only question mark.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Well the base is pretty low so you are probably on the money

It's been on a steady incline Jetta, Rohan, pity Lamb left and now Jones who looks to have the will and determination to succeed.

 

[Sim_21]

As Punts says, seems like we're really pushing the fitness base with lots of running. I'm going to keep a very clos eye on Benny. Sounds like he'll come out of his best pre-season to date by all accounts so can't wait to see how he goes if they do give him more midfield time. I think his hardness and hunger are real assets in the mdifeild set up. For my mind he just needs to work on his endurance, speed and delivery into the fwd 50. Hoping he goes nuts and smashes it though and earns an AA... Then again, that's my wish for everyone on our list.

From what I saw today mate, Benny was looking very hungry and going hard at it. Endurance seemed to be right up there too, popping up with the ball everywhere but also providing pressure which is a great bonus. Delivery still needs to be worked on, but I can see him having a very good season at this rate. Hopefully he can keep it up throughout the whole year

 

[Swanhotels]

From what I saw today mate, Benny was looking very hungry and going hard at it. Endurance seemed to be right up there too, popping up with the ball everywhere but also providing pressure which is a great bonus. Delivery still needs to be worked on, but I can see him having a very good season at this rate. Hopefully he can keep it up throughout the whole year

He needs to have a bloody good year or it will be catcha later. He has has been fairly ordinary for a while now and I don't think he is in the best 22 unless he pulls out something special.

 

[GotTheGoodes]

He needs to have a bloody good year or it will be catcha later. He has has been fairly ordinary for a while now and I don't think he is in the best 22 unless he pulls out something special.

I think that's a bit harsh to be fair. Yeah I agree he hasn't been outstanding but he certainly isn't in the "catcha later" category IMO. He's had to play off a developing Reid or a resting ruckman for his crumbing opportunities. Delivery into the 50 has often been the long bomb fwd and thus isn't ideally suited to his previous role in the side as that small forward. His forward defensive pressure work has been good IMO and he's hard at it and likes a contest. With a greater fitness base and thus move to the midfield I can see him really putting in a fantastic season for us.

 

[Swanhotels]

I think that's a bit harsh to be fair. Yeah I agree he hasn't been outstanding but he certainly isn't in the "catcha later" category IMO. He's had to play off a developing Reid or a resting ruckman for his crumbing opportunities. Delivery into the 50 has often been the long bomb fwd and thus isn't ideally suited to his previous role in the side as that small forward. His forward defensive pressure work has been good IMO and he's hard at it and likes a contest. With a greater fitness base and thus move to the midfield I can see him really putting in a fantastic season for us.

I really hope you are right. I don't dispute that hes not hard at it however his disposal is terrible and decision making poor, with the young players coming through I would think he def would be on his bike if he doesn't improve significantly this year.

 

[nottenthagain]

I think it's about a bit more than pride, excitement and hunger. These guys are professional athletes, football is their livelihood, and the career span of an AFL player is very short, so they need to follow opportunity wherever it exists. A player could very well love the Swans and not want to leave because of their passion for the club and desire to play seniors in Sydney, but if there are no opportunities to get into the seniors all the love and passion for the club shouldn't keep them at a place where they don't get the chance to play regular senior football. Football is a job for these guys, and in any other field of work people would never question the pride, excitement and hunger of a person who left an employer that repeatedly passed them over for promotion (that's effectively what one player getting senior games over another is in the football workplace).

The Swans are a strong team and it's not easy to break into a side that's settled and winning games. The only reason so many younger (e.g. Brandon Jack) and fringe (e.g. Everitt and White) got so much senior football in 2013 was because of a massive injury toll, so if the Swans don't have another horror run with injuries it will be hard for young and fringe players to establish themselves in the 22.

I'm not talking so about the first and second year players as they are very much in the development stage and probably don't expect to play much senior footy early on, more the guys who've been on the list for 3 or more years but still haven't broken into the senior team as regulars. By that stage they're already 21-22 years old and realistically will only be able to play at the elite level for another 8-10 years before their bodies give up on them (apart from the occasional freak like Goodes or Jude Bolton).

In 2013, a year in which the senior list was destroyed by injury, only 2 young/rookie players (Rampe and Mitchell) were able to break into the side for extended periods and establish themselves as important parts of the 22. A lot of others got chances, but I don't think you could say that any of them are even close to being automatic selections at this stage. Based on that, it's unlikely that more than 1-2 guys who haven't already had an extended run in the seniors have a chance of being the breakout player of 2014, so the ones to look at are more likely to be those who are already in the best 22-25. I mentioned Smith and Parker before, and I'd add Rohan as he could be anything if he gets his body right. Of those who are yet to debut or play more than a handful of games it's a lot harder to say, but based on those that I've seen (I don't live in Sydney so can't see reserves games) I'd say Cunningham or Biggs.

Either way, the Swans look well stocked for young talent, so the players who do break in will have earned their spots against stiff competition, and competition for spots is great for any team. Those who miss the cut will look elsewhere and good luck to them, I always like to keep an eye on Swans players that change clubs and hope that they do well.

Like the post. I think we are really well stocked at the moment. Our biggest issues will be making the right drcisions when it comes to the end of season... who to cut, who to trade? We'll have to play that well because last thing we want is to release a future star.

 

[nottenthagain]

At the moment up in Manchester for a couple of days, then back to London for most of the week, then up to Hull for next weekend to meet the team and watch us beat Spurs.

Pffft... no chance. 3-1 to the north londoners.

 

[swansfan51]

Elite delivery; Mal, Macca, Biggs, Reg, LRT, Deano, Jones, AJ, Kizza

Astonishingly good troll, 10/10

 

[Wolftone]

Astonishingly good troll, 10/10

Did you know that Reg, even though he has a few clangers, has an 83% effective disposal rate? His major problems are; not seeming to be able to get hands free in the tackle, decision making in tight situations, kicking across goal. His long kicking and longer passes down the line are very good. It is a matter of Reg making the right decisions. In the finals Reg was very good. His delivery excellent but in the Hawks & Freo matches his slowness in the tackle was exploited.

 

[swansfan51]

Did you know that Reg, even though he has a few clangers, has an 83% effective disposal rate? His major problems are; not seeming to be able to get hands free in the tackle, decision making in tight situations, kicking across goal. His long kicking and longer passes down the line are very good. It is a matter of Reg making the right decisions. In the finals Reg was very good. His delivery excellent but in the Hawks & Freo matches his slowness in the tackle was exploited.

He lead the entire league of 400+ players in goals conceded from turnovers in 2012. A lot of factors influence effective disposal rate, it is a very misleading statistic. Utterly elite ball-user Gary Ablett Jnr has 67%, notorious ball-butcher Shaun Grigg has 77%. Players who get their disposals in space or defence have higher DE ratings, because of the way Champion Data assesses it. Kicks over 40m to a contest count as effective disposals, short handballs to advantage (for example from a clearance) often do not.

 

[bedford]

Champion Data should f off

 

[swansfan51]

Champion Data should f off

Pretty much summarises my post yep

 

[bedford]

AS I've posted before, Roos had us doing our own stats

 

[Sydswans0512]

Yes Deano has the best kicking style I have seen in a long time and was very close to cracking it last year. I think we should have played him in the finals and not Rohan & Jetts as they were not ready to play finals footy. I would have played Deano & BJ.

The speed machines; Jetts, BJ, Rohan, Deano, Harry, Hannas, Kizza, Jones?, Perris & Robbo.

Clever little buggers; Parker, Mitchell, Lloyd, Macca. Joey (not so little but bloody clever), Ryano (see Joey), Birdy, Rohan (see Joey), Marsh (see Joey) & Goodes (see Joey), Aliir (seems to be clever at the baulk ,might be the next Harry O/ now known as Heritier Lumumba).

Elite delivery; Mal, Macca, Biggs, Reg, LRT, Deano, Jones, AJ, Kizza,

Guts; personifies; Hannas, Kizza, Teddy, Jones, Parker, Mitchell, Joey, LRT, Ryano, Goodes, everyone in the seniors really.

LRT elite delivery lol

 

[melbournehammer]

i reckon we really only have two elite users of the ball. macca and jetta. jetta's use is worst when he has gone for long runs but when he has a short burst he has the longest penetrating kick in the side and often to advantage.

mal has an excellent long flat kick and can be put in that category when in space - but then so can most players.

use of the ball by foot is consistently our weakest element and i tend to think it is part of the reason we are a long kick to a contest side - and very rarely do we hit targets inside fifty on the lead. the freo game is an excellent example of our inability to hit targets - we couldnt getit and when we got it we couldnt keep it because we couldnt kick to a leading forward. my one hope for our biggest improver for next season is that we look for targets more often than just try and welly the thing as long as we can to tippett's head.

 

[baja]

He lead the entire league of 400+ players in goals conceded from turnovers in 2012. A lot of factors influence effective disposal rate, it is a very misleading statistic. Utterly elite ball-user Gary Ablett Jnr has 67%, notorious ball-butcher Shaun Grigg has 77%. Players who get their disposals in space or defence have higher DE ratings, because of the way Champion Data assesses it. Kicks over 40m to a contest count as effective disposals, short handballs to advantage (for example from a clearance) often do not.

So you dismiss stats for arguments sake then throw in your own stats? Lol. I see both sides but as you say Reg does lead the comp in conceding goals from turnovers but its not that strange as he is a CHB that plays nearly 100% game time every week playing on the best forwards in the comp.
Our style of the defence absorbing the incoming ball to pretty much his exact position then rebounding adds to it.
Yes he does a few clangers now and then and most like to focus on that, usually soccer fans that don't understand anything about the game or body work etc. Yes his clangers hurt but he is generally a beautiful user of the ball and is one of the first picked every week he must be doing something right.

 

[Swansujelly]

When Reg gets the ball, it is watch through your fingers time. Sometimes good, often bad, but he does the job well enough.

 

[bungee]

In defence of Reg. He's an integral part of the best defence double act in the game. Knocking Reg is like knocking Tonto, Dr Watson or Robin for not being up to the standard of The Lone Ranger, Sherlock Holmes or Batman respectively. As support to our own Super Ted he's the best sidekick in the business and those two are a dynamic duo like no other. Long may they don their capes and wear their Swans coloured underpants on the outside.

 

[db swannie]

Allir Allir