Round 14 V Fremantle @ SCG

[SWANNIES RULE]

If we lose this, I honestly can't see us making the 8. A huge dissapointment given the high expectations many people had for us in 2007. But a win this week would still keep us in the hunt for 5th-6th at the end of the year. It's huge game and we simply can't afford to drop it.

So are there any changes that should be made in your opinion?

Will Hall, LRT and Tadhg be a chance to return from injury? Should Schneider be brought back?

Post your thoughts before, during and after the match here.

 

[Masss#10]

Well, i rekkon LRT would be a huge inclusion and so would Hall and Tadhg. LRT would be a great in for the likes of C.Bolton and Leo, last yr we saw how damaging craig can be loose with his penetrating kicks, so that would be a plus...i dnt know what other ppl think but schnieder needs to be included, he is a must, he is a similar player to buchanan and i dnt see why buchanan isnt getting droppt and schnieder is becozz they have had similar seasons...

 

[Masss#10]

if we dont beat fremantle then we would struggle to make the 8 but i dnt think we should care about top 4, even though it is a huge advantage, sydney has a nack of winning big games in finals and if we do get drawn against geelong it would be at the g and they cant play there....the only place i think we will do crappy at is AAMI...

 

[SWANNIES RULE]

We can't afford another slow start. They have too much fire power and will blow us away.

 

[snappy]

im watching the replay of the freo game and i can tell you that our midfield and half back line will be in trouble going on recent form..
there is alot of pace, and foot skills are spot on, farmer has definately given the impact they have needed, alot like brown has for richmond.

 

[is2SWaNz]

Roos pointed out that he'll make some changes. Hopefully he doesn't drop someone who didn't deserve it, Schneider will definitely be back, but we'll just wait until Oldman Pop has a say.

This is another danger game and we all remember what happened last year. Everyone thought Freo was gone and won all their remaining games after the split round (except against Sydney of course - beat them by 33 points at the SCG). Their midfield has always been dangerous, they love to run and run and run. But if the Swans turn up with their toughest tackling, pressure and more tackling, it will be hard for Freo to play they want to. Not writing off Freo or anything, but I think Freo will have a chance to win, although I don't remember when was the last time they defeated us on home soil.

Our tackling has been sloppy and also our communication on the field with one another is almost non-existent (mentioned by TheMase in RWO which I thought was quite true).

Well, i rekkon LRT would be a huge inclusion and so would Hall and Tadhg. LRT would be a great in for the likes of C.Bolton and Leo, last yr we saw how damaging craig can be loose with his penetrating kicks, so that would be a plus...i dnt know what other ppl think but schnieder needs to be included, he is a must, he is a similar player to buchanan and i dnt see why buchanan isnt getting droppt and schnieder is becozz they have had similar seasons...

LRT might play, but we can never be too sure. And as for Tadhg, he will not play. I wouldn't want to rush him back anyway. And as for Buchanan, I think he'll be dropped, IMO, he knows he'll get dropped. He even admitted that he's been inconsistent but so has the team, but his efforts and skills have gone backwards. Schneider will return after a very good solid performance in the 2s and I think he'll replace Buchanan.

 

[Bloods boy from the Bush]

Hall, LRT & Schnider back in Tadgh is still a couple of weeks away and best we dont rush him save him for the trip to perth in round 16. As for the match both teams 6 & 7 and were expected to be 2 potential Grand Finalists. Its season on the line stuff for both clubs so it will a huge game. I think the Swans should be able to bounce back back after the last couple of weeks and should put up a real fight against the resurgent Dockers. As stated earlier in the Thread it is vital we get off to good start which we usually do at the SCG on Sunday Afternoons. Hopefully Hall can have impact and Goodes continues his recent good form. Only question mark I have is who can stop the rampaging Matthew Pavlitch he almost pinched the Prelim for them last year single handedly. I dont think Leo or Bolts are quite up to taking on the Pav. Then there is the Tarrent factor he will be desperate to make up for his indiscretion in Darwin and will be out to show hes commited to the Dockers run towards the the 8. All in all should be a cracking game which as I say every week will be won and lost in the midfield as both Forward lines look strong and defences will be stretched.
Swans by 26 points.

 

[Tuco]

My one hope is that the fast brand of attacking footy they brought to the table in the second half - but especially in the last qtr - will continue into the first qtr this week. Someone was asking in another thread what the difference between the Dogs game earlier this year and Sunday was...and it was simply that. A willingness to want to play football from the very first bounce.

Watching the Swans on the weekend was like an extreme case of the beer goggles effect. They started off looking shocking but seemed to get better and better as my boozing...I mean as the game went on.

 

[RUNVS]

Afew weeks ago i would have said that the Swans would beat the Dockers comfortably but now im not so sure. Sydney have just come off 2 disappointing defeats and Fremantle have just had a big win. On paper the Swans should win but on paper Sydney should have beaten St kilda, Kangaroo's, Essendon and Collingwood. Im really worried about this match because if we dont win then Sydney might have problems reaching the top 8 which is incredibly disappointing considering at the begining of the season we were hoping for a top 4 spot.

 

[liz]

Freo's peformance looked good at the weekend, but remember they were playing the team that puts close to no physical pressure on its opposition. It is much easier to execute perfect skills in those circumstances than under the pressure that Collingwood and Geelong applied to us. (Not that I am trying to excuse the inadequacies of the Swans' performances in those games.)

I'd actually prefer to play a team that has had a comfortable win against an easybeat the week before. If Freo turn up expecting the same, they're going to be in for a shock.

I am also moderately confident that those who've only been chosing to play one or two quarters recently will decide its worth putting in the effort for the whole game for Goodes and O'Loughlin.

Add to that the hopeful dropping of at least one of the two chocolates...

 

[is2SWaNz]

Afew weeks ago i would have said that the Swans would beat the Dockers comfortably but now im not so sure. Sydney have just come off 2 disappointing defeats and Fremantle have just had a big win. On paper the Swans should win but on paper Sydney should have beaten St kilda, Kangaroo's, Essendon and Collingwood. Im really worried about this match because if we dont win then Sydney might have problems reaching the top 8 which is incredibly disappointing considering at the begining of the season we were hoping for a top 4 spot.

When I read these types of posts, it has me worrying and thinking hard if the Swans are capable to strangle the running Fremantle Dockers.

We are celebrating two great big milestones this Sunday and also including Spida's AFL life membership award and Dempster's 50th (if Crouch plays, it would also be his 200th game, but i highly doubt it) would probably just give us another boost to play well. And of course, its at home and the players know we are all disappointed the way they played and most likely want to redeem themselves and prove that the Swans are still in there.

I'm not saying its going to be an easy task, because the way the Swans are going at the moment, everything seems impossible, but I know Swans can turn it around (how many times did we think they've finally turned around the corner this season?). Not going to discredit the Fremantle Dockers, because we also got to be very wary what happened last year. Everyone thought they were gone, but they won all their remaining games (excluding Sydney's game), and we could be facing that same prospect this Sunday. It could be another repeat of the Docker's fantastic run into the finals series.

This is like a milestone galore and what a better way than to celebrate it at home? On a Sunday afternoon! Sweet!

 

[SWANNIES RULE]

Afew weeks ago i would have said that the Swans would beat the Dockers comfortably but now im not so sure. Sydney have just come off 2 disappointing defeats and Fremantle have just had a big win. On paper the Swans should win but on paper Sydney should have beaten St kilda, Kangaroo's, Essendon and Collingwood. Im really worried about this match because if we dont win then Sydney might have problems reaching the top 8 which is incredibly disappointing considering at the begining of the season we were hoping for a top 4 spot.

I disagree with that. Fremantle's list is easily one of the most talented lists in the AFL, they don't have as many liabilities as we do either.

 

[Tuco]

I don't think we can rightly say we are good to beat anyone on paper right now. We're averaging 39 pts in our first halves, and haven't really ever looked like being in form all year. I've been waiting for us to put a game together for weeks now. No. I pretty much go to the footy these days expecting every team to be hard to beat. But Im far from believing there is a side in this comp that we can't beat either!

We absolutely must win on Sun!!!

 

[CAS79]

I'm feeling pretty comfortable this week.

I think the team will hit the game at the start and strangle Freo in an ugly contest that limits scoring until the pressure of our style grates on the Dockers and we get a run on toward the end. Swans by 6 goals.

 

[PAVnTAZ]

I'm feeling pretty comfortable this week.

I think the team will hit the game at the start and strangle Freo in an ugly contest that limits scoring until the pressure of our style grates on the Dockers and we get a run on toward the end. Swans by 6 goals.

I hope the Sydney lads are drinking from the same dam as you mate. I think we are in for a close one. Freo are a tougher proposition this year. We have lost a few close ones on the road but for all of those games we've had big outs. This week the only injuries from our best 22 are Peake and Longmuir. Plus the fact that the MRP have forgotten to keep suspending our players at will lately.
Freo by 11 points.

 

[Corpuscles]

I have resigned myself to a likely even preferable Swans defeat.

I think the season was on the line in the last 2 weeks and NOW would rather Swans get done than crawl over the line in a slugfest to bully the poor Shockers. Then it would only take one more loss and then they could go into tank mode & play the kids and experiment with a new approach

Can't see Pavlova, Tarrant , Healand, Farmer, Murphy, Bell all being held from kicking goals and at SWANS END where would 12-14 goals come from?

I'd luv to be pleasantly surprised !!!!! but only a true return to dominant 6+ goal winning form with a few match winning performances from key forwards, and Goodesy and most others all better than 6/10 for me to be happy and look forward to a possible chance from 5th or 6th!

Swans have been galant and unlucky at times, but something is just not right!

 

[Tedeski]

I have resigned myself to a likely even preferable Swans defeat.

I think the season was on the line in the last 2 weeks and NOW would rather Swans get done than crawl over the line in a slugfest to bully the poor Shockers. Then it would only take one more loss and then they could go into tank mode & play the kids and experiment with a new approach

Can't see Pavlova, Tarrant , Healand, Farmer, Murphy, Bell all being held from kicking goals and at SWANS END where would 12-14 goals come from?

I'd luv to be pleasantly surprised !!!!! but only a true return to dominant 6+ goal winning form with a few match winning performances from key forwards, and Goodesy and most others all better than 6/10 for me to be happy and look forward to a possible chance from 5th or 6th!

Swans have been galant and unlucky at times, but something is just not right!

We'll get jumped early..................4 goals to 2 behinds. Then in the 2nd Q we'll come out firing & kick 3 goals to Freo's 4 or 5. So we'll be 5 or 6 goals down at half time. That should leave us in the best possible position to come home hard in the second half.

Freo by 2 - 10 points...............................but yet another GALANT defeat by the brave Swans.

Sounds all to familiar doesn't guys.............................& I'm sick of it.
Please come out & put them away early Bloods....................or for christ's sake, go down by 60 to 100 points so we don't have to umm & ahh as to whether we are still in it & then we can get on with playing the talented youngsters.

 

[Bomber57]

If Sydney don't beat Fremantle this weekend the AFL will just give Sydney more money

 

[Corpuscles]

If Sydney don't beat Fremantle this weekend the AFL will just give Sydney more money

bwhahahaha GOOD!

Incredible how much sh!t sticks to the insides of empty heads! Bummers have had more money than they know what to do with ......but hasn't helped a bit for the last 6 yrs!!!

(btw isn't it past your bed time?)

 

[is2SWaNz]

I have resigned myself to a likely even preferable Swans defeat.

I think the season was on the line in the last 2 weeks and NOW would rather Swans get done than crawl over the line in a slugfest to bully the poor Shockers. Then it would only take one more loss and then they could go into tank mode & play the kids and experiment with a new approach

Can't see Pavlova, Tarrant , Healand, Farmer, Murphy, Bell all being held from kicking goals and at SWANS END where would 12-14 goals come from?

I'd luv to be pleasantly surprised !!!!! but only a true return to dominant 6+ goal winning form with a few match winning performances from key forwards, and Goodesy and most others all better than 6/10 for me to be happy and look forward to a possible chance from 5th or 6th!

Swans have been galant and unlucky at times, but something is just not right!

This is how I'm feeling right now as well. I think its over.

Their forward has more structure and are actually functioning. Unlike the Swans line who has kicked no more than 2/3 goals in a row at half-time is just a dismal performance.

I reckon it's going to be a blow out. Our forward line is non-existent also adding to the fact that our poor delivery and slow midfielders are just making everything worse. You'd think Swans would've turned all that around and yet they are continuing to play like the way they do for over the past few games. Seriously, when is Roosy going to realise that we need to drop those players who don't benefit the team at all! Probably one or two players could've made the difference...

Preparing myself for the worst.

 

[natlovestheswans]

Hm.. what are we all thinking for ins and outs?

In: Hall, LRT, Schneider
Out: Vogels, McVeigh, Bevan

I don't know if i can see McVeigh and Bevan getting dropped though.. they are pathetic every week and yet still find a spot.

 

[natlovestheswans]

I think its over.

We have to stay positive! Last night i was thinking that we only have to win the next 12 games in a row and then we'll be premiers! Haha. But really, we just need to take it one week at and time and it's gonna be tough this week but we can do it.

 

[RUNVS]

We have to stay positive! Last night i was thinking that we only have to win the next 12 games in a row and then we'll be premiers! Haha. But really, we just need to take it one week at and time and it's gonna be tough this week but we can do it.

Exactly. Even if the Swans finish 8th they still have a chance to win the flag, especially if they find some form. I know alot of people will tell us no team has won in recent years unless they finish in the top 4 but their is always a first time for everything. As long as Sydney have a statistical chance of winning the flag i will remain hopful.

 

[natlovestheswans]

Exactly. Even if the Swans finish 8th they still have a chance to win the flag, especially if they find some form. I know alot of people will tell us no team has won in recent years unless they finish in the top 4 but their is always a first time for everything. As long as Sydney have a statistical chance of winning the flag i will remain hopful.

Yup, Sydney knows what it takes in finals. Just look at 2005 and the fact that we had to play all 4 finals and how tight 3 of them were. Making top 4 is ideally what we want, but i think 5th or 6th is okay too.

 

[pistol17]

If Sydney don't beat Fremantle this weekend the AFL will just give Sydney more money

Another Victorian whinging... how unusual is that?