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

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Florent, Haydos, Joel, Logan, Lloyd, J Mac, Blakey, Warner, Tmac, Campbell and Gulden.

How will they respond to the Cox mantra of playing more accountable footy ?

The only guys I really trust to put in 100% all the time are Rowie, Heeney, Melican, Cunningham, Papley, Hayward, Grundy and Fox.

Could be some big names and big egos having to earn their spot next year. And you know what ?

I CAN’T WAIT.

Time of the Cadbury favourites is over.
I disagree on Papley & Hayward.
 
He had a 4 week run where he had 2 contested marks per game.

Hayden McLean has had 17 games out of 48 games in the last two seasons where he has taken multiple contested marks in the same game and he averages roughly 1.3 contested marks per game in that span

He has the turning circle of a busted Queen Mary. He shouldn't play unless it's to back Amartey up imo.

Logan, and Amartey and use Logan a bit in the ruck for relief (similar to what the Lions did with Daniher). You could use both Joel and him in there to break it up and give the opposition different looks.

You bring in obviously CC for Parker then another small Hanily, Campbell or Dattolli for that other forward position.
 
He has the turning circle of a busted Queen Mary. He shouldn't play unless it's to back Amartey up imo.

Logan, and Amartey and use Logan a bit in the ruck for relief (similar to what the Lions did with Daniher). You could use both Joel and him in there to break it up and give the opposition different looks.

You bring in obviously CC for Parker then another small Hanily, Campbell or Dattolli for that other forward position.
Daniher is 201cm whereas Logan is only 196cm, therefore given he is giving up both a height and weight disadvantage to other rucks both main and secondary he would and has gotten trounced when he plays there.

Also Amartey's turning circle isn't much quicker than that of McLean.

Simply put its either better secondary ruck to help out Grundy or more goals if you are choosing between McLean and Amartey for the second tall spot

Either you go with Amartey and hope that he improves up to the level that McLean was as a secondary ruck whilst also having the better forward output. Or you go with the better second ruck in McLean and possibly give away some goals that will need to be scored by the medium/small that comes into the lineup
 

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Daniher is 201cm whereas Logan is only 196cm, therefore given he is giving up both a height and weight disadvantage to other rucks both main and secondary he would and has gotten trounced when he plays there.

Also Amartey's turning circle isn't much quicker than that of McLean.

Simply put its either better secondary ruck to help out Grundy or more goals if you are choosing between McLean and Amartey for the second tall spot

Either you go with Amartey and hope that he improves up to the level that McLean was as a secondary ruck whilst also having the better forward output. Or you go with the better second ruck in McLean and possibly give away some goals that will need to be scored by the medium/small that comes into the lineup

I'd take Amartey as the second ruck and comfortably it's not even close actually personally. We are TOO SLOW up forward. Get some more dynamics into that forward line.

Logan played some minutes as a ruck this year and looked good, you only need a few minutes a quarter we aren't talking him rucking the whole game
 
I agree with the concerns raised in this (ie. that if we play McCartin forward our defence could be left vulnerable), but they're so dumb when they say "the Swans only have one top-line defender and that's McCartin." If McCartin's a top-line defender at this stage then I am Keith Richards.

There's also a guy called Lewis Melican, who I actually thought was better than McCartin this year. But they've never heard of him.


I think the apparent flux of our key positions will be one of a few reasons why I don't think we're going to be serious contenders this year. 2026 and onwards, sure.

But if we're messing around with the key talls and defenders, it's going to be a consolidation year imo.

If McCartin goes forward, which I'm not against, it'll require consolidation down back and we'll need guys like Snell and Edwards to come in immediately and play up to standard. Particularly with Rampe seemingly on his last legs.

Then if McCartin stays back, we'll need competition from somewhere for the talls and we've really only got Jack Buller as I see it who might be a threat.

Plus what McCartin going forward might mean for Logan going into defence.

I'm all for the experimentation tbh. 2025 is a year to consolidate and find the best make-up moving forward.
 
I remember horse saying they played the likes of amartey and Hayward as defensive fwds to negate the opposition intercept defenders.

I wonder if that's another reason why we're trialling mccarting fwd & also maybe cox isn't as confidence in our other tall fwds. Potentially mccartins organisational skills are needed up fwd too.
 
I remember horse saying they played the likes of amartey and Hayward as defensive fwds to negate the opposition intercept defenders.

I wonder if that's another reason why we're trialling mccarting fwd & also maybe cox isn't as confidence in our other tall fwds. Potentially mccartins organisational skills are needed up fwd too.
Instead of panicking himself, he can hopefully make oppo defenders panic. Might preserve his playing career as well.
 
Amartey has has one season where he's been durable and he hardly rucked. I highly doubt they play him as a fwd/ruck considering his injury history.

I’d actually have Logan doing it more gets him involved. Not fussed who we play out of Amartey/Mclean just not both please
 
He has the turning circle of a busted Queen Mary. He shouldn't play unless it's to back Amartey up imo.

Logan, and Amartey and use Logan a bit in the ruck for relief (similar to what the Lions did with Daniher). You could use both Joel and him in there to break it up and give the opposition different looks.

You bring in obviously CC for Parker then another small Hanily, Campbell or Dattolli for that other forward position.
I agree for the most part, but I think McDonald is going to be better as the lead up the ground player and then have the endurance and speed to beat his man back. If he is utilised like that he won't be able to play many minutes as a BU ruck.
 
I remember horse saying they played the likes of amartey and Hayward as defensive fwds to negate the opposition intercept defenders.

I wonder if that's another reason why we're trialling mccarting fwd & also maybe cox isn't as confidence in our other tall fwds. Potentially mccartins organisational skills are needed up fwd too.
Honestly I think there is more chance of Harry Cunningham playing majority midfield this season than McCartin playing forward. It was just a drill.
 

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I'd take Amartey as the second ruck and comfortably it's not even close actually personally. We are TOO SLOW up forward. Get some more dynamics into that forward line.

Logan played some minutes as a ruck this year and looked good, you only need a few minutes a quarter we aren't talking him rucking the whole game
Logan was terrible in the ruck and the numbers back it up.

Logan also rucked more last year than he did this year so i'd suggest having a look at stats

Logan is winning the ruck contests at about half the rate that McLean wins them and about 60% the rate that Amartey wins it in the ruck
 
Logan was terrible in the ruck and the numbers back it up.

Logan also rucked more last year than he did this year so i'd suggest having a look at stats

Logan is winning the ruck contests at about half the rate that McLean wins them and about 60% the rate that Amartey wins it in the ruck

Through rucking him you get the bloke involved and that is a positive, we don't need four talls, 3 is plenty with Grundy there as one
 
With Cox the proof will be in the pudding

Because let's be honest he's just answered with rehearsed statements, like, you're not going to see into his soul from an awkward four minute address

He's got a lot to lose by making changes for the sake of it
Yup. He needs to gain and keep the respect of his bosses, line coaches and the players. Pretty sure he'll be starting off with a positive balance but I doubt he will do anything stupid to lose it.
 
I remember horse saying they played the likes of amartey and Hayward as defensive fwds to negate the opposition intercept defenders.

I wonder if that's another reason why we're trialling mccarting fwd & also maybe cox isn't as confidence in our other tall fwds. Potentially mccartins organisational skills are needed up fwd too.
The fact that McCartin is being trialed as a forward, I'm thinking it spells the end at our club for one or more of Amartey, McLean or Logan as forwards in the senior team.
I said & many others said ALL YEAR that we had one too many tall potato forwards in our team.
Now a potato defender joins them.:rolleyes:
 
The fact that McCartin is being trialed as a forward, I'm thinking it spells the end at our club for one or more of Amartey, McLean or Logan as forwards in the senior team.
I said & many others said ALL YEAR that we had one too many tall potato forwards in our team.
Now a potato defender joins them.:rolleyes:

My hope is that McCartin plays the 'swing man' role and goes fwd and back depending on matchups, BUT we start with only two true key forwards, with an extra medium or small.
 
The fact that McCartin is being trialed as a forward, I'm thinking it spells the end at our club for one or more of Amartey, McLean or Logan as forwards in the senior team.
I said & many others said ALL YEAR that we had one too many tall potato forwards in our team.
Now a potato defender joins them.:rolleyes:
Lol at McCartin being described as a potato.

He is a decent KPD often battling against bigger guys.

He has had disrupted years with concussion, and people are quick to single out defenders on what are issues further upfield. It's lazy.
 
The minimum you need to run a midfield (not counting wings) is 4. Some teams run 5 with one on the bench at any given time. Often they'll run an additional resting in the forward line.
In our case we run Jordon as a negating forward, not a midfielder.
There's room for Sheldrick but structurally at the expense of either a winger (my preference), negating forward or a tall forward. 5 man bench.
Mids: Heeney, Mills, Rowbottom, Sheldrick
Wings: Gulden, McInerney, Lloyd/Florent
Forwards: Jordon, Warner (rotates through mid)
I feel if Warner is pushed out of the midfield into more of a forward role, he will be heading to WA for 2026.
It sounds like Bailey Smith all over again.
Warner would demand midfield time or "see ya later".
 
I feel if Warner is pushed out of the midfield into more of a forward role, he will be heading to WA for 2026.
It sounds like Bailey Smith all over again.
Warner would demand midfield time or "see ya later".
Catch 22. He may well be headed there anyway. The best thing that Cox can do is structure the team the way he believes will give us the most sustainable results. We here just offer our opinions on what that might be.
 
My hope is that McCartin plays the 'swing man' role and goes fwd and back depending on matchups, BUT we start with only two true key forwards, with an extra medium or small.
The only swingman role for Tom will be between the seniors & reserves if he doesn't discover the ability to know when to punch & when to mark as a defender or discover the ability to become a dangerous marking forward.
 
The fact that McCartin is being trialed as a forward, I'm thinking it spells the end at our club for one or more of Amartey, McLean or Logan as forwards in the senior team.
I said & many others said ALL YEAR that we had one too many tall potato forwards in our team.
Now a potato defender joins them.:rolleyes:
I think too much is being made of Tommy potentially playing forward. Unless we think Edwards is going to burst onto the scene or we're contemplating using Francis, Hamling or (God forbid) Logan as a lock down KPD, it just makes no sense. It makes even less sense when you throw his concussion history into the equation.

Suspect he was just running there to provide a target during one of the first training sessions of the new season. Come R0, he will be patrolling the D50.
 

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