Toast Path to finals - We're in the Eight baby!!

[bedford]

They could have had him sitting in the stand with his champagne glass I reckon.


Aaron Frances in the corner on the bench

One of your best

 

[bedford]

Need more Lizard on things like this.

The Lizard and Errol are now the fan favourites.

And Chad

 

[ErrolisGoldun]

The lop-sided free kick count did not cost us this game. Anyone who thinks it did is delusional. At worst, some 50-50 calls went against us but it was hardly a Bravedogs 2016 repeat. Most were there, some could have gone either way. The bump on Heeney was bullshit. But the umpiring was not a factor in the loss against Melbourne, yet reading the match thread, you’d think it was the steal of the century. This happens every week. Because we whinge so much and so often, it’s easy for the powers that be and the other teams’ supporters to tune us out and/or ridicule us. We’re not doing ourselves any favours with our constant CONSTANT whining. We’ve lost any moral high ground we might have had. We don’t save it for the weeks we’re genuinely getting shafted. Now we just whinge all the bloody time and it’s so so boring to read.

And it’s worthwhile remembering that an umpire single-handedly got us into the finals last week. Yes there was still a bit of time left, but I think we all know we wouldn’t have managed a goal the way we were playing.

It’s honourable you are trying to take the high road here but the fact of the matter is the umpiring has a fairly significant impact on games.

The bewilderment at some decisions should rightfully be called out on the match day thread as it’s a way of dealing with the frustration as a supporter.

There were multiple decisions made by the umpires that went against one team more than the other and yes that resulted in a lopsided 10-18 free kick differential in a close game.

All we want is consistency, generally the finals are umpired at a higher level than the H&A (apart from 2016) and all I hope for each game that we don’t notice the umpires. But if we do I will call that out.

It’s not for you to determine how members/supporters show their support or deal with umpiring impacting our team.

I want even bother to address your last paragraph, as I don’t want to be hypocritical.

 

[MF]

The constant whinging about umpires is honestly out of control. Every single call (or non call) against us is presented as some sort of AFL conspiracy to keep us out of our rightful place at the top. Every. Single. Call. It’s honestly painful to read. It’s an AFL thing in general though. Other boards do it too, and we have been dudded more than most in the past (ie the Bulldogs GF), so I guess I can understand it. The umpiring is pretty shocking across the board. But wow, every match thread inevitably descends into a ceaseless whingefest about how hard done by we are (whether it’s true or not) and it gets immensely irritating and repetitive.

The conspiracy talk annoys me. Both from ours and opposition supporters.

But there's nothing wrong with highlighting the fact that we've consistently been at the bottom of the free kick differential year after year for a quarter of a century.

 

[momentbymoment]

the conspiracy stuff is bs, but this idea the AFL have helped us more than others seems ignorant to me, Basically chuckes us in nsw and said good luck

There is no conspiracy but there is cognitive bias and more importantly, structural inequalities. That’s why the most important game of the year is played at the MCG, favouring Melbourne clubs. There is no secret to why Melbourne based clubs have dominated the flag over the last 20 years.

 

[Tedeski]

There is no conspiracy but there is cognitive bias and more importantly, structural inequalities. That’s why the most important game of the year is played at the MCG, favouring Melbourne clubs. There is no secret to why Melbourne based clubs have dominated the flag over the last 20 years.

Well this is all on us.
We can't complain about all else until we fix this part of our game which is damning.

Fourth-quarter flops: Swans' huge final-term problem

Sydney has been the fifth-worst fourth-quarter team in 2023, winning just eight of 23 last terms

www.afl.com.au

 

[momentbymoment]

Well this is all on us.
We can't complain about all else until we fix this part of our game which is damning.

Fourth-quarter flops: Swans' huge final-term problem

Sydney has been the fifth-worst fourth-quarter team in 2023, winning just eight of 23 last terms

www.afl.com.au

Well yes, but we can’t change the fact that home ground advantage is recognised for every game of the season except the most important game.

It is what it is …

 

[caesar88]

it is a cool pic

Is it my imagination but is Hayward featured way more than you would expect in swans marketing /promo pics ?

I know the club's media actually use data from across social media to track the players that get the biggest response. It is why you see Heeney and Gulden and Warner all over everything, and previously Buddy, JPK etc. Hayward is obviously among those, and looking at his Instagram he has 24k followers, which are like Vic player numbers, so it explains why.

My beef with it is that all it really does is give those players even more profile and exposure when they don't really need it, while others who are arguably as deserving of attention just end up getting even less.

We Swans fans often say the AFL media don't pay enough attention to our players beyond their favourites but I'd argue our own media team are the worst culprits. It's just the reality of marketing I guess.

 

[Wolftone]

I don't think we will go much further than this. We simply do not have the endurance to see out matches. If you look at our mids last weekend. In the last they were 5 metres behind their opponents. Hickey was stuffed and Gawn got on top. Our fitness is a very real problem and it has to be addressed next season. Horse does not address this problem. He seems mystified that we can't see out matches. But the reality is our preseason was filled with ball work and very little endurance after the second week. Usually in the first 4 weeks you get your endurance up.

We need to get Paps back and Clarke out of the side. As much as Ryan is a trier his lack of skill at this level is obvious. The Sub should be between Roberts & Corey Warner or Fox if he goes.

 

[Wolftone]

I know the club's media actually use data from across social media to track the players that get the biggest response. It is why you see Heeney and Gulden and Warner all over everything, and previously Buddy, JPK etc. Hayward is obviously among those, and looking at his Instagram he has 24k followers, which are like Vic player numbers, so it explains why.

My beef with it is that all it really does is give those players even more profile and exposure when they don't really need it, while others who are arguably as deserving of attention just end up getting even less.

We Swans fans often say the AFL media don't pay enough attention to our players beyond their favourites but I'd argue our own media team are the worst culprits. It's just the reality of marketing I guess.

i bet Will's Insta followers would be nearly all girls lol

 

[caesar88]

i bet Will's Insta followers would be nearly all girls lol

Or TV repairmen who keep track of Hayward's form so they know how many jobs they'll have each weekend

 

[GotTheGoodes]

There is already hype for a potential "historic" Pies vs Carlton final.

And you better believe the AFL will move heaven and earth to make it happen.

Imagine the sheer amount of people that would want to be at that Grand Final... It would break all kinds if records I reckon... But the AFL wouldn't be concerned with that at all...

 

[The King!]

Can we get whoever did the demons final
preview last year start the Carlton final thread ?

 

[The King!]

was Bonz cmon we need your luck

 

[lazy77]

It’s honourable you are trying to take the high road here but the fact of the matter is the umpiring has a fairly significant impact on games.

The bewilderment at some decisions should rightfully be called out on the match day thread as it’s a way of dealing with the frustration as a supporter.

There were multiple decisions made by the umpires that went against one team more than the other and yes that resulted in a lopsided 10-18 free kick differential in a close game.

All we want is consistency, generally the finals are umpired at a higher level than the H&A (apart from 2016) and all I hope for each game that we don’t notice the umpires. But if we do I will call that out.

It’s not for you to determine how members/supporters show their support or deal with umpiring impacting our team.

I want even bother to address your last paragraph, as I don’t want to be hypocritical.

I’m not taking the high road. I’m just bored of the identical whinging every week. I’m well aware of the umpiring bias against us over multiple seasons. The overall free kick counts don’t lie. We have been shafted more times than I can count. I just don’t think it’s been as big a factor in the last couple of seasons as people make out. Now we even get the rub of the green sometimes - not that this board ever notices or admits it. In the first half against Adelaide, virtually all the calls seemed to go our way. It evened out in the second half, and the match thread became apoplectic with the injustice of it all. Corruption! Conspiracy! Like clockwork. And then a ridiculous call saves the game and our season, but it’s not politically correct to mention that? Well no. It happened and I will mention it. There was nothing wrong with my last paragraph.

But look, this is just how the AFL forums operate. Everyone thinks they’re shafted by the umpires, and historical data does show we get shafted more often than just about anyone else. I’m not trying to shut anyone up. I just personally find the constant whinging a bit dull.

Plus I am a bit of a contrarian. I can’t help it. I can’t stand the bleating in unison, but I can recognise that this is more of a me problem. So whatever. Bleat away.

 

[Ticky009]

Can we get whoever did the demons final
preview last year start the Carlton final thread ?

Haha - are you requesting Bonz for the Melbourne Final Preview?

 

[Bonz]

Haha - are you requesting Bonz for the Melbourne Final Preview?

I'm happy to write something up

 

[Bonz]

I'm happy to write something up

Will get it up tomorrow evening

 

[The King!]

Will get it up tomorrow evening

then get the preview done as well please

 

[Bonz]

then get the preview done as well please

I promise this preview will have plenty of laughs and stupidity

 

[GoTheSwannies]

I promise this preview will have plenty of laughs and stupidity

And a bit of crude humour if that gif is anything to go by.

 

[MF]

PSA: Members tickets for the final go on sale in 30 minutes.

 

[SwansProudly]

PSA: Members tickets for the final go on sale in 30 minutes.

I hope everyone got the tickets they wanted.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Preview thread?

 

[SwansProudly]

Preview thread?

Bonz is having it online tonight