swans have not improved over last season team...what rot

[Svenny]

Hall is about the same O'loughlin is about the same....in fact the team hasnt improved it hasnt gone backwards either (it didnt need to its a still anawesome bloody side)

NOTE: I am nt bagging the swans please dont fire up..

I think the media is getting carried away again, they beat west coast by a point because of a coaching mistake from woosha, they beat freo at home on a ground they never played on yeah two good wins but it wasnt like beating the saints at the MCG last seaon in the prelim....that was an awesome win...i rate that the best finals win of all

Look swans have a great chance to repeat and this isnt bagging them this is just looking at facts the swans 06 are not a better side than 05 (crouch Ball and Williams gone it cant be..Davis isnt the player he was 12 months ago..)...Bolton has improved Okeef maybe slightly too..Goodes has improved (by being injuryfree)..so you add all of that up and they are about the same as last season (an awesome team to be reckoned with)

if they win the flag I would then say yep they are better than the 05 because I think the west coast they beat in 06 (if they win GF) is a far better than the west coast of 05

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

Team Improvement:
- Addition of Malceski
- Addition of Richards
- Addition of McVeigh
- Improvement of C.Bolton
- Improvement of A.Goodes
- Improvement of M.O'Loughlin
- Improvement of R.O'Keefe
- Improvement of S.Dempster
- Improvement of D.Jolly

Team Decline:
- Loss of Ball
- Loss of Williams
- Loss of Crouch
- Kirk's drop of form
- Barry's drop of form

Improvement no doubt.

And no way the WCE's team is "far better" than last years.

And if you don't want posters to resort to personal attacks, try not to discredit yourself by saying Sydney had an easy game against Freo and only beat WCE in Round 1 of the finals because of Woosha's mistakes.

 

[Syd]

So we haven't improved, unless we win, in which case we have improved?

 

[jom09]

Hall is about the same O'loughlin is about the same....in fact the team hasnt improved it hasnt gone backwards either (it didnt need to its a still anawesome bloody side)

NOTE: I am nt bagging the swans please dont fire up..

I think the media is getting carried away again, they beat west coast by a point because of a coaching mistake from woosha, they beat freo at home on a ground they never played on yeah two good wins but it wasnt like beating the saints at the MCG last seaon in the prelim....that was an awesome win...i rate that the best finals win of all

Look swans have a great chance to repeat and this isnt bagging them this is just looking at facts the swans 06 are not a better side than 05 (crouch Ball and Williams gone it cant be..Davis isnt the player he was 12 months ago..)...Bolton has improved Okeef maybe slightly too..Goodes has improved (by being injuryfree)..so you add all of that up and they are about the same as last season (an awesome team to be reckoned with)

if they win the flag I would then say yep they are better than the 05 because I think the west coast they beat in 06 (if they win GF) is a far better than the west coast of 05

That is just a stupid thing to say, O'loughlin is in much better form then he was going in to last years grand final and i would say hall is aswell. Plus i think new additions that they have made to the team help aswell. No wonder why people on this froum hate west cost fans with stupid posts like this.

 

[Wagamama]

I agree to an extent with your thoughts on the Eagles team last year. It will be good if you get your top 22 on the ground. I think your side is in better shape this year purely through the fact that Kerr will be fully fit for Saturday and Lynch is definitely playing with more confidence and authority.

I do think the Swans have improved quite a bit in the mid to lower tier players: Malceski, McVeigh and Ablett have really stepped up and I am surprised that missing Ball, Willo and Crouch has not had a bigger impact on the side. Goodes is also having a great year.

I'm really looking forward to a cracking game on Saturday and if we roll the Eagles hopefully then all the whining about the Swans being lucky will stop and some on this board will start paying us the the kudos the team deserve.

 

[Svenny]

Team Improvement:
- Addition of Malceski
- Addition of Richards
- Addition of McVeigh
- Improvement of C.Bolton
- Improvement of A.Goodes
- Improvement of M.O'Loughlin
- Improvement of R.O'Keefe
- Improvement of S.Dempster
- Improvement of D.Jolly

Team Decline:
- Loss of Ball
- Loss of Williams
- Loss of Crouch
- Kirk's drop of form
- Barry's drop of form

Improvement no doubt.

And no way the WCE's team is "far better" than last years.

And if you don't want posters to resort to personal attacks, try not to discredit yourself by saying Sydney had an easy game against Freo and only beat WCE in Round 1 of the finals because of Woosha's mistakes.

hey I didnt say your side was bad...I just dont think its as good as the 05 model...yeah some of your fringe layers have improved..Bolton is a great player and has improved..goodes because he's fit...Davis has gone backwards too

sydne did have an easy game v freo...freo had never played on that ground...and was in its first prelim....

I am raising a question.....geez peiople esp swans fans are sensitive.....

I still think its anawesome side but it hasnt gotten better from 05...how hard is that to comprehend..also last season you finished third easily..this year you scarped into 4th on % with an easier draw....

look at the facts and reply to them please

 

[Bollox]

Sven..the media isnt getting carried away...u are again.

You dont seem to understand yet do u.

West Coast have not beaten Sydney away from Subiaco in 7 years.

Sydney are the premiers...they BEAT West Coast to get that...right ?
....and Sydney recently beat your team AT SUBIACO.

The issue u should be addressing is how to beat a team that has simply proven itself to be better than yours....a team that can beat the west coast on any ground in the country and have done....a team with a distinctly blue collar list compared to yours.

How is the West Coast going to improve enough to beat the benchmark team is what u need to address first

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

hey I didnt say your side was bad...I just dont think its as good as the 05 model...yeah some of your fringe layers have improved..Bolton is a great player and has improved..goodes because he's fit...Davis has gone backwards too

sydne did have an easy game v freo...freo had never played on that ground...and was in its first prelim....

I am raising a question.....geez peiople esp swans fans are sensitive.....

I still think its anawesome side but it hasnt gotten better from 05...how hard is that to comprehend..also last season you finished third easily..this year you scarped into 4th on % with an easier draw....

look at the facts and reply to them please

Can you read????

I have specifically noted those aspects of our team which have improved since last year. And I never said you said our side was bad.

If you want to talk about the team's improvement from last year than you shouldn't be mentioning the Freo final or the first final against WCE: both are totally irrelevant to the topic you raied.

get half a brain and reply to my facts please.

 

[Svenny]

I agree to an extent with your thoughts on the Eagles team last year. It will be good if you get your top 22 on the ground. I think your side is in better shape this year purely through the fact that Kerr will be fully fit for Saturday and Lynch is definitely playing with more confidence and authority.

I do think the Swans have improved quite a bit in the mid to lower tier players: Malceski, McVeigh and Ablett have really stepped up and I am surprised that missing Ball, Willo and Crouch has not had a bigger impact on the side. Goodes is also having a great year.

I'm really looking forward to a cracking game on Saturday and if we roll the Eagles hopefully then all the whining about the Swans being lucky will stop and some on this board will start paying us the the kudos the team deserve.

yeah great post

That second tier has improved for you...I suppose we wont know wether the whole team has improved or not untill sat...good luck will be awesome...

Goodes is fit...he carried a bung knee for a year (and still played )

mentally the swans are the toughest team I have ever seen..been watching GF's since 85...only hawks of 89 are as mentally tough

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

I suppose we wont know wether the whole team has improved or not untill sat...

Yet you openly stated at the start of this thread that Sydney have not improved since last year.... Nothing like being consistent. Undermines your whole argument.

 

[Rex]

Until Magic or 'Paddy' as we like to call him improves his kicking from set shots, I'm always going to be worried.

 

[Svenny]

Can you read????

I have specifically noted those aspects of our team which have improved since last year. And I never said you said our side was bad.

If you want to talk about the team's improvement from last year than you shouldn't be mentioning the Freo final or the first final against WCE: both are totally irrelevant to the topic you raied.

get half a brain and reply to my facts please.

I based on what I saw...I think the 05 team would have belted freo by 10 goals at telstra staduim

you beat freo..not one person tipped freo.....

wce final was the same as 05 you beat it with wce players missing...

like I said this sat will tell the real story..

dont get so defensive....mate our team has copped so much abse its nt funny..yet we have made finals 15 out of 19 seasons and 4 GF's......we stil cop it

 

[GrayNicolls]

Svenny your obsession with the swans is concerning................

 

[Svenny]

Yet you openly stated at the start of this thread that Sydney have not improved since last year.... Nothing like being consistent. Undermines your whole argument.

No i did say if they win we can then end th arguement they have improved

 

[Svenny]

Svenny your obsession with the swans is concerning................

hmm Illkie discussing other teams besides my own whats wrong with that...I also discussed crows also...

how much do you know about about west coast??

 

[Barry Schneider]

Sydney are going into the GF with much better form than last year.
Hall had a great season but poor finals series last year but he is in red hot form now.
Micky was struggling with knee tendonitis which affected his mobility and allowed his man to run off him all day.Not anymore.He is great form and also chases his man down the ground.
O'Keefe is playing better.No one can run with him and very few can beat him on the lead.
LRT was a considered a joke before last years GF but is now an integral part of the comps stingiest defence.
Jolly is in much better form.
C Bolton just continues to improve.
Goodes is playing much better than last year.He is a real match winner now.
I think we are in better form than last year with improvement across the board.
I am much more confident this year than last year as we are playing better and many of our players are in career best form.

 

[GrayNicolls]

hmm Illkie discussing other teams besides my own whats wrong with that...I also discussed crows also...

how much do you know about about west coast??

discussing hey?????? its a blatant troll

i reckon i know a bit about west coast seeing that i live in perth but you don't see me starting ridiculous threads about them

to say we haven't improved is just rubbish - read robert walls' article eek in todays west and you'll see that he actually makes some sense about us compared to last season

 

[Big Cox]

Swans have improved but we have improved more. This is the best our injury list has been all year with only 2 people on it. Adkins and Smith.

Lynch > Gardiner, Graham > Gaspar, Waters > Green, Armstrong=Sampi, R.Jones < Staker,

Whereas Sydney id say

Doyle < Ball, Malceski > Bevan, Crouch > McVeigh, Williams > Richards

Our form has improved aswell. Dean Cox is back to his best, as is Lynch Hansen Kerr and Embley. Its a close game no doubt about it but I think we have improved more then Sydney hence why we are favs for the game

 

[sackrash]

I actually think this is one of the most thought out posts by svenny, so not sure why people are attacking him (although on past form it is kind of warranted!). One thing I would say in comparison to last year. In the lead up to the finals, there was a lot of focus on Barry Hall. He played well last finals series, but he wasn’t a dominant player in any of the games. I think his total goal tally was about 8 goals for the finals campaign (working roughly, if someone knows the exact amount, please post it, but I worked out 1st final : 2 goals , 2nd Final:1 goal, 3rd : 3? GF:2 total :8)

So far this series, in less games he has kicked 11 goals. And that’s from only 2 games. I would watch out for him on Saturday, I mean he kicked 5 in WA, a ground he doesn’t traditionally do well at….and this year there has been almost no media attention to him (and goodes will soak up most of it now)

 

[Big Cox]

Sydney are going into the GF with much better form than last year.
Hall had a great season but poor finals series last year but he is in red hot form now.
Micky was struggling with knee tendonitis which affected his mobility and allowed his man to run off him all day.Not anymore.He is great form and also chases his man down the ground.
O'Keefe is playing better.No one can run with him and very few can beat him on the lead.
LRT was a considered a joke before last years GF but is now an integral part of the comps stingiest defence.
Jolly is in much better form.
C Bolton just continues to improve.
Goodes is playing much better than last year.He is a real match winner now.
I think we are in better form than last year with improvement across the board.
I am much more confident this year than last year as we are playing better and many of our players are in career best form.

Im MUCH more confident this time around too.....

 

[Big Cox]

Sydney are going into the GF with much better form than last year.
Hall had a great season but poor finals series last year but he is in red hot form now.
Micky was struggling with knee tendonitis which affected his mobility and allowed his man to run off him all day.Not anymore.He is great form and also chases his man down the ground.
O'Keefe is playing better.No one can run with him and very few can beat him on the lead.
LRT was a considered a joke before last years GF but is now an integral part of the comps stingiest defence.
Jolly is in much better form.
C Bolton just continues to improve.
Goodes is playing much better than last year.He is a real match winner now.
I think we are in better form than last year with improvement across the board.
I am much more confident this year than last year as we are playing better and many of our players are in career best form.

Who is playing poorer though.........
Fosdike
LRT was one of your best last year on GF day
Barry id say has had a poorer year
Davis for sure
and the outs from last time around are worse then the ins
Kirk hasnt had his best year
Bolton has lost form since the first 11 rounds

 

[Butane]

The outcome of the grand final doesn't really mean much when discussing if Sydney had improved or not this year. I don't think they have, and if they have it has to be by a small margin. Now don't go yelling at me, its my opinion. I think they were lucky in the end to finish top 4 and played a fantastic game in Perth during the finals. And they could easily win the preimership again. But they are not like the teams of Essendon 2000, Brisbane 2001-3 and even Port Adelaide in those years ending with the 2004 cup.

Just an opinon, feel free to yell and scream and whinge and cry till your red.

 

[Cyclops]

My impression (as an infrequent viewer) is that the Swannies are more solid this year.

In another thread I wrote this:

Sydney look to be a better side this year, their phenominal teamwork is a notch better. If anything the Eagles have had a less dominant season than 2005, but their timing has improved, ie they didn't tail off badly.

I think the Swans were very lucky last year to even make the GF. This year they have definitely earned it, and they have the gameplan to overcome the vastly superior West Coast midfield.

It'll be close unless the Eagles poor forward line can translate their midfield dominance into goals on the board. I think a narrow Eagles win is the most likely outcome.

...then I saw today's Age and found Robbie Walls basically responding to me.

"Swans Thrive on Pluck, not Luck"

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2006/09/25/1159036472751.html

I knew that bugger read Bigfooty!

 

[Sedition]

Swans have improved but we have improved more. This is the best our injury list has been all year with only 2 people on it. Adkins and Smith.

Lynch > Gardiner, Graham > Gaspar, Waters > Green, Armstrong=Sampi, R.Jones < Staker,

Whereas Sydney id say

Doyle < Ball, Malceski > Bevan, Crouch > McVeigh, Williams > Richards

Our form has improved aswell. Dean Cox is back to his best, as is Lynch Hansen Kerr and Embley. Its a close game no doubt about it but I think we have improved more then Sydney hence why we are favs for the game

And there is where your problem lies.

You talk in terms of 'stars' and invididual players.

We talk in terms of TEAM.

We have some improved players - mayb we have some players who are not as good as...

BUT

We have a betta team.

 

[Big Cox]

And there is where your problem lies.

You talk in terms of 'stars' and invididual players.

We talk in terms of TEAM.

We have some improved players - mayb we have some players who are not as good as...

BUT

We have a betta team.

That is just ridiculous. You have a better "team". When abouts did you come back from 54 points down, or even 22 pts down away from home. If you cant see this current Eagles crop have spirit and work as a team then id question how many games you have seen us play this year