Swans = Best Team Last Three Years

[Schneiderman]

This is not an arrogant claim, just a statement of fact.

For 2003-2005 (Premierships - P/W/L/D Win%
1 Port Adel 1 74/51/22/1 68.92%
2 Sydney 1 74/47/27/0 63.51%
3 West Coast 0 71/44/25/2 61.97%
4 Bris Lions 1 73/45/27/1 61.64%
5 St Kilda 0 71/43/28/0 60.56%

Now considering that only three of the top 5 teams have won a premiership during that time, the other two cant claim the title. So of the three who have won, their finishes after finals are as follows:

Sydney - 3rd, 5th, 1st
Port - 4th, 1st, 6th
Brisbane - 1st, 2nd, 11th

So with a premiership, consistently high finishes, wins in finals every year, and the second highest win %, the best team 2003-2005 is the Sydney Swans under Paul Roos.

And I laugh at all of the opposition supporters who suggest we were "lucky" to win it this year, or that we somehow "stole" it. Especially those who support the Saints or Weagles.

 

[Spin Doctor]

This is not an arrogant claim, just a statement of fact.

For 2003-2005 (Premierships - P/W/L/D Win%
1 Port Adel 1 74/51/22/1 68.92%
2 Sydney 1 74/47/27/0 63.51%
3 West Coast 0 71/44/25/2 61.97%
4 Bris Lions 1 73/45/27/1 61.64%
5 St Kilda 0 71/43/28/0 60.56%

Now considering that only three of the top 5 teams have won a premiership during that time, the other two cant claim the title. So of the three who have won, their finishes after finals are as follows:

Sydney - 3rd, 5th, 1st
Port - 4th, 1st, 6th
Brisbane - 1st, 2nd, 11th

So with a premiership, consistently high finishes, wins in finals every year, and the second highest win %, the best team 2003-2005 is the Sydney Swans under Paul Roos.

And I laugh at all of the opposition supporters who suggest we were "lucky" to win it this year, or that we somehow "stole" it. Especially those who support the Saints or Weagles.

Game set and match!!!!

i must say, i was like "wtf" when i clicked on the thread.......but u nailed it. well done.

 

[cosby]

sydney have been very consistent since roosy took over. he's a good coach. the thing about sydney is they can never be written off. they've beaten 'bigger name' teams in the last three years consistently. how often have brisbane or port been on winning streaks, flogging teams, came up against the swans, been heavily backed and then...sydney do whatever they have to to win. i admire them.

 

[Jako]

and people say Eagles supporters are cocky...

 

[teams]

Runner and premier in a three year period beats premier. Brisbane is.

 

[Bernie Quinlan]

Gee, how utterly original. A Sydney fan starting off a topic about how the Swans are the best team in the AFL. It's not as though it hasn't been done at least 14,562 times already.

Take it to the Swans board, mate. Where people might actually give a toss about this meaningless, self-obsessed drivel.

 

[cosby]

brisbane will be a big improver next year, injuries permitting.

 

[Doggies422]

Runner and premier in a three year period beats premier. Brisbane is.

Thats true.

 

[The King!]

Gee, how utterly original. A Sydney fan starting off a topic about how the Swans are the best team in the AFL. It's not as though it hasn't been done at least 14,562 times already.

Take it to the Swans board, mate. Where people might actually give a toss about this meaningless, self-obsessed drivel.

if u dont give a toss why reply?


cant argue with facts last three years we have been best, expand it two more and brisbane were way better than anyone

 

[teams]

if u dont give a toss why reply?


cant argue with facts last three years we have been best, expand it two more and brisbane were way better than anyone

Leave it at three and Brisbane still have it.

 

[Bernie Quinlan]

if u dont give a toss why reply?

Because it eventually reaches a point where people get utterly sick of such cr*p. And then they respond, despite the fact that they've ignored it each and every one of the previous times it has been raised. Comprende?

cant argue with facts last three years we have been best, expand it two more and brisbane were way better than anyone

It's not a fact. It's highly subjective opinion. As I would have thought has already been made abundantly clear from the replies to Schneiderman's post.

 

[The Hobo]

In the end, it's premierships that count.

Port: 1
Brisbane: 1
Sydney: 1

So all equal here.

The next thing people will remember, is "who did they beat in the GF"

Brisbane:1
Port: 0
Sydney:0

Therefore Brisbane are number 1

In 20 years time, nobody will differentiate between Ports last 3 years, and Sydney's last 3 years. If anything, they might remember Port's minor premiership (unlikely, but more likely than remembering Sydney's finishing positions at year end)

So that leaves it at

1) Brisbane
2) Port
3) Sydney

Though realistically there is nothing between Port and Sydney

 

[CharlieG]

=1st - Brisbane, Port, Sydney
=4th - the rest.

Who gives a flying fig who the 'best team of the past three years' is. In the one stat that counts, the three teams are all square.

 

[teams]

=1st - Brisbane, Port, Sydney
=4th - the rest.

Who gives a flying fig who the 'best team of the past three years' is. In the one stat that counts, the three teams are all square.

As a moderator on BF, you are hereby advised that things go to two stats.

 

[CharlieG]

As a moderator on BF, you are hereby advised that things go to two stats.

As a moderator on BF, I have no idea what relevence that has to the discussion.

Sydney could have played in the past 10 GFs... if we'd only won one, we'd still be only the equal of the other teams that have won one flag in that time.

 

[Lynch drops a mark]

as an eagles supporter i really respect what the swans did this year

they were on the road for like 6 weeks in a row, lost the first week of the finals

scraped by the skin of there teeth in the semi, killed the saints and came back from 10 points down in the last quarter of a grand final

nothing but respect for them, i think that they won't be so lucky with injuries next year and will also have a ruck that isn't as good as this year with ball gone

the football gods were definetly looking down on them through the finals series

 

[Bloods Rule!]

Picking three years skews the results. More generally, in recent years Port dominated the H&A for two years - and won a premiership. Ove the same time, the Lions won three premierships. Yes, the Swans have been up there since Roos took over - and have a premiership. But it's a wrong to say the Swans have been the best team of any year except 2005. Both Port and the Swans have shown that you have to serve a finals apprenticeship before you have the toughness to win the big one.

So, the Swans aren't as bad as supporters of many other teams think. But they have yet to prove themselves as good as some Swans supporters are starting to believe. Yes, they won it tough this year - if they do back to back next then we can start talking about years of dominance.

 

[Schneiderman]

But they have yet to prove themselves as good as some Swans supporters are starting to believe. Yes, they won it tough this year - if they do back to back next then we can start talking about years of dominance.

But my point is that the facts clearly show that they were as good as they were. It has nothing to do with the 2006 season, or how good/bad they may yet become whilst the team stays relatively the same.

My point is merely aimed at showing certain supporters that there was no more "luck" about our win than anyone else's. Considering the success we have had over the last three years, its about time people took stock of what this team has achieved, and just how good they have been.

 

[James23]

id rather a premiership and another grand final appearance over 1 premiership and a couple of top 5 finishes

brisbane it is

the swans scenario this year reminds of 1997 when everyone was like 'the crows fluked it' 'theyre the worst premiers team ever' bla bla bla.. only one way to shut these people up and thats to back it up in 2006

 

[The Magenius]

Best team in the last 10 seconds, ummmm Carlton. swans fan manipulating stats to prove how great you have been in the last 36 months, WOW , want a medal ?

 

[Bloods Rule!]

Best team in the last 10 seconds, ummmm Carlton. yay swans fan manipulating stats to prove how great you have been in the last 36 months, WOW , want a medal ? ???

Bitter?

 

[Johnson#26]

Brisbane were the better team. They weren't even that good in 2004, yet made the GF. The Swans have been the most consistant from 03-05. It has been a transitional period. The Lions, Power and Pies faded from power, as the Swans, WCE and Saints made it to the top.

 

[timthefish]

oh ffs.

three deserving premiership teams. the real point i believe schneiderman should have been happy with making is that any suggestion that the swans were "lucky" this year is rubbish. we're a quality team that has beaten all the other big teams over the last few years on big occasions (and this year, when it counted). like many premiership teams we did have a good run with injuries but much of that must be credited to the actions of the club.

 

[Thunderbird]

Let's discuss the point of Schneiderman's post.

Schneiderman chose a particular three-year period in which he could demonstrate the best consistency from the Swans, which coincides with Roos' three full seasons as coach. The choice of period may be artificially chosen to prove his point the best. Even then I would say that Port were better in the last three years because they won more games.

However, if one chooses any x-year period where x is 1 to 10 and ending with the 2005 season, the Swans would be fairly high in the rankings for each of those periods. For example, in the full 10-year period covering the seasons 1996 to 2005, and going by win percentage or number of wins, the Swans rank fourth behind (in no particular order) Essendon, Brisbane and Port Adelaide. Those three sides also won premierships during that time.

In the last ten years, each side has missed the finals at least twice. The sides that made the finals eight times are Essendon and Sydney. (The Brisbane Lions made the finals seven times, but only because they were formed by a merger after 1996. Hence the Brisbane Lions also missed the finals twice as well. The Brisbane Bears made the finals in 1996.)

The Swans did not make the finals in 2000 (10th place) and 2002 (11th place). In both seasons the Swans had bad luck in close games, losing about six games in each season by 7 points or less. In both seasons the Swans finished with a percentage greater than 100. The Swans are the only side that has not finished a season with a percentage below 100 in the last 10 seasons (the last time the Swans did so was 1994 when the Swans finished last in a rebuilding season).

The Swans were not the best side in the last ten years. But the Swans were one of the most competitive sides in the last ten years, making the finals as often as Essendon (eight times). If a side makes the finals often enough, sooner or later they will win a premiership. (Saints and Eagles fans, your time is near.)

So this talk about the Swans being the worst side ever to win a flag is rubbish. The Swans weren't the most talented side either - Paul Roos said exactly that back in March - but we won in 2005 and that's all that matters. In the 2005 season, the Swans won the flag from third place. So did Brisbane in 2003 (and the comparisons between the 2003 and 2005 finals seasons are very interesting but that's for another time). The Swans enjoyed the fortune of the football gods this year, but without exception the same can be said of any premier in any year.

On a personal note, yes I am enjoying the win very much, especially since I was at the game. I look forward to more success, or if that's not possible, the success of other sides with long-suffering fans. If you're a fan of the Dogs, Cats, Demons, Saints or Dockers, keep the faith because our drought-breaking win shows there is hope for you all.

(My stats here may be a little inaccurate with respect to other sides. If that's the case then feel free to post appropriate corrections.)

 

[Ripper]

and people say Eagles supporters are cocky...

You are allowed to be a bit cocky when you actually win something.