Unofficial Preview SEASON 2025 - Best 22, Game Plan, Personnel

[tombomb]

Maybe why Buddy was overlooked. And I use overlooked as a reason not to be picked.

Franklin wouldn't have wanted to do the media part of being captain.

 

[Kiama Chris]

Franklin wouldn't have wanted to do the media part of being captain.

Probably not most of the off-field stuff. Pretty shy guy.

 

[Punts]

Still think Campbell will struggle this season at senior level and just be that player throughout his career.

The playing out of position is just excuses

Just what i think

 

[Kiama Chris]

Still think Campbell will struggle this season at senior level and just be that player throughout his career.

The playing out of position is just excuses

Just what i think

Sadly, I agree. His best is good but it appears too rarely.

 

[SwansLifer]

Can't wait until the pre season starts and we get to see who has made a leap. There should be around 4-5 of the youngsters that show out this year and either elevate themselves into serious 22 contention or, the ones that are in there, become stars.

 

[RainMachine]

Is Chad back? Didn't notice him in any of the footage.

catching up with ex-teammates and good mates bob skilton, paul kelly, gerard healy

 

[The King!]

Paply isn’t a leader

Just my opinion

He was woeful as skipper too, he is like the team ratbag

Let him Cook

 

[The King!]

We only see the public face of captaincy and then on field bits and as a massive Mills fan I can't say the parts I see wow me in his time as co skipper and solo skipper.

Nothing bad , just don't feel like he stands out as a leader , but he might be amazing around the club

 

[Punts]

Also think Florent should be pushed out of defence , and no more Lloyd back there also.

Tell Blakey to harden up and focus on defence first also.

Actual defenders

 

[Nuggetz]

I can see Cox selecting more experienced & hardened players in his 1st season as head coach. So like Adams v Sheldrick, I can understand Cox picking Adams because of his experience. It's a 'safer' selection imo.

 

[Callipygian]

Cox on keeping players fresh during the season:

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I just find this confusing. So we do or we don't want to use the least amount of players? Sounds more like a "don't" (which is an unconventional view) but it's a bit unclear.

I think the true leaders are: Mills, Rampe, Grundy, Blakey & Rowbottom. I'd make Blakey & Rowbottom as VC.

Personally I see Adams as more of a leader than Grundy - but it's hard to lead when you're not in the team. I see Blakey as a future leader but I'm not sure he's there yet.

Errol is a born leader - just needs to get the balance right with focusing on his own game at this still relatively early stage of his career. He'll be club captain one day. Happy for him to be in a leadership group despite him doing too much barking and not enough performing last season.

 

[SGBeach]

I whine a lot, I want I want I want

huh?

 

[SwansLifer]

I just find this confusing. So we do or we don't want to use the least amount of players? Sounds more like a "don't" (which is an unconventional view) but it's a bit unclear.




Personally I see Adams as more of a leader than Grundy - but it's hard to lead when you're not in the team. I see Blakey as a future leader but I'm not sure he's there yet.

Errol is a born leader - just needs to get the balance right with focusing on his own game at this still relatively early stage of his career. He'll be club captain one day. Happy for him to be in a leadership group despite him doing too much barking and not enough performing last season.

First point, I think Cox is part of the new generation of coaches that like to dabble in the optimisation space.
Horse is of the view I'm ok with Player X at 60-65% rather than Player Y at 95%
Cox sounds like he is a, rest up and get right and play someone else. IMO this alone could have been the difference between the Swans winning a premiership last season or not so I'm excited to see him put it in action in '25.

Completely agree on the other points too.

 

[caesar88]

I just find this confusing. So we do or we don't want to use the least amount of players? Sounds more like a "don't" (which is an unconventional view) but it's a bit unclear.

When taken with his quote about wanting "everyone on the list to have an opportunity to play AFL footy", I interpreted it to be Cox saying he didn't necessarily think having the least amount of players used was a good thing because it didn't build up enough senior depth.

 

[Kiama Chris]

When taken with his quote about wanting "everyone on the list to have an opportunity to play AFL footy", I interpreted it to be Cox saying he didn't necessarily think having the least amount of players used was a good thing because it didn't build up enough senior depth.

I get the impression that Horse allowed Grundy to decide to keep playing when Blind Freddy could see that he was tired. Seems that Cox sees the double benefit from resting players that need it.

 

[RedBloodBlackSwan]

I think that comment by Cox on rotating players is the clearest yet sign yet of a break from Longmire’s coaching philosophy.

Horse had such singular focus on week to week, it made him lose sight of the bigger picture. He would play players where they would best contribute that week, but not necessarily where they would best play over their career. He would play his best players injured / tired because it was safer to expect them the contribute that week than someone in the reserves.

It made Horse probably the leading H&A coach of the past decade, but his teams were rarely cherry ripe come finals.

The flip side for everyone on here, is that if Cox’s Swans are out of the 8 at times, or in 5-8 place near the end of the season, well that may be the price to pay for having a rotating squad.

 

[strauchanie59]

Still think Campbell will struggle this season at senior level and just be that player throughout his career.

The playing out of position is just excuses

Just what i think

Could very well be right, but I hope the coaches give him a decent chance by playing him in one position (half-forward/small forward) for a good chunk without being dropped/being sub.

He has points of difference that not many on the list have.

 

[RedBloodBlackSwan]

On the even spread of votes for the leadership group, my take is that there weren’t enough good candidates.

I’d argue any team with Gulden in the leadership group is struggling for strong leaders. Gulden may be a very good leader one day, but it is pretty clear he lacks the maturity to be a very good leader today. That’s no knock on Gulden, it’s a knock on most 21 year olds.

As some have mentioned, we should tighten the leadership group, rather than widen / obscure the line between leader and player.

I’m also of the school that the best player doesn’t need to be leader. Look at Tom Harley at Geelong. He was nervous he would be dropped while leading his team to a premiership.

 

[rustycrate]

Sadly, I agree. His best is good but it appears too rarely.

I think we have too many outside players in the Best 23 and he is not the best at getting the ball.
I think the new coach Cox will replace outside players with inside players.
Out: Players like Campbell, Lloyd
In: Players like Sheldrick, Cleary, Adams

 

[hairy biker]

I’d argue any team with Gulden in the leadership group is struggling for strong leaders. Gulden may be a very good leader one day, but it is pretty clear he lacks the maturity to be a very good leader today.

I've been a fan of Errol's leadership since he came into the team and I do think he is a natural leader.

Where I think he fell away last season is that he was trying to be what he perceived a good leader to be, rather than be himself.
If you like he was actually trying too hard and went away from his natural style and he ended up being less effective and arguably the harder he tried the more it started to affect his overall performance.

Obviously observational, but if he is 'just himself ' from here on in then I have no doubt he will be a future Swans captain and in the relatively near future.

 

[RedBloodBlackSwan]

I've been a fan of Errol's leadership since he came into the team and I do think he is a natural leader.

Where I think he fell away last season is that he was trying to be what he perceived a good leader to be, rather than be himself.
If you like he was actually trying too hard and went away from his natural style and he ended up being less effective and arguably the harder he tried the more it started to affect his overall performance.

Obviously observational, but if he is 'just himself ' from here on in then I have no doubt he will be a future Swans captain and in the relatively near future.

I won’t raise a stink if he is part of the leadership group next season.

I think he has the kind of personality that doesn’t turn off footy. So I reckon he is facing more demons than most this offseason, both about his individual performances and leadership. I think he will be better for it.

I reckon Cox also has an opportunity to resent what leadership means in the club. This will help too.

I still feel his was voted in last season based on what people thought he would inevitably become, not where he was. I hear your point on the barking (though Mills barked a fair bit too last season!). For me it was more his petulance (eg. award “speeches”, post GF comments, a bit of FIGJAM, etc).

 

[Bandicoot]

I think that comment by Cox on rotating players is the clearest yet sign yet of a break from Longmire’s coaching philosophy.
Horse had such singular focus on week to week, it made him lose sight of the bigger picture. He would play players where they would best contribute that week, but not necessarily where they would best play over their career. He would play his best players injured / tired because it was safer to expect them the contribute that week than someone in the reserves.
It made Horse probably the leading H&A coach of the past decade, but his teams were rarely cherry ripe come finals.
The flip side for everyone on here, is that if Cox’s Swans are out of the 8 at times, or in 5-8 place near the end of the season, well that may be the price to pay for having a rotating squad.

Didn't hurt Brisbane.

 

[Kbroome]

I won’t raise a stink if he is part of the leadership group next season.

I think he has the kind of personality that doesn’t turn off footy. So I reckon he is facing more demons than most this offseason, both about his individual performances and leadership. I think he will be better for it.

I reckon Cox also has an opportunity to resent what leadership means in the club. This will help too.

I still feel his was voted in last season based on what people thought he would inevitably become, not where he was. I hear your point on the barking (though Mills barked a fair bit too last season!). For me it was more his petulance (eg. award “speeches”, post GF comments, a bit of FIGJAM, etc).

So Cox in 1 week has said:

1. Rotations

2. Forward structure change

3. Pressure and Speed

4. Not a massive stylistic change but tweaks and adjustments.



I like what i hear

 

[BloodySwan]

Do we need to change gameplan much? Just put an emphasis on pressure over ability. We can lose a bit of finesse for some grunt and we should be able to come out on top.

The biggest thing it will mean is dropping players like Blakey if he doesn't play accountable football enough

 

[LukeParkerno1]

So Cox in 1 week has said:

1. Rotations

2. Forward structure change

3. Pressure and Speed

4. Not a massive stylistic change but tweaks and adjustments.



I like what i hear

I think that all goes to another small being picked as a FWD, that's absolute music to my ears! Points 2 and 3 are linked to that, to have more pressure and speed you can't have 3 talls plus Grundy, it's too slow