News Swans Talk in the Media: 2021

Remove this Banner Ad

Status
Not open for further replies.
Reader mode
Announcement: Swans YouTube Channel
  • Index
    • So thanks to the awesome Kennedy Parker you will notice a sticky post at the top of the pages now. This link will take you directly to the Swans YouTube channel which features interviews etc.
     
  • Index
    • How good is this furphy ad for Swans fans!

    www.sydneyswans.com.au

    Furphy Unbelievable Club Story: I see it, but I don't believe it!

    With the 2021 Finals series kicking off, and thanks to Furphy, we take a look back at one of our most unbelievable finals wins including a little known story from the rooms
    www.sydneyswans.com.au www.sydneyswans.com.au

    Dare to dream Bloods fans as the impossible can happen in finals!
    C'mon Swans!!!!
     
    27AUG21: Buddy Franklin/The Age
  • Index
  • Index
    • Skeparovic said:
    How good is this furphy ad for Swans fans!

    www.sydneyswans.com.au

    Furphy Unbelievable Club Story: I see it, but I don't believe it!

    With the 2021 Finals series kicking off, and thanks to Furphy, we take a look back at one of our most unbelievable finals wins including a little known story from the rooms
    www.sydneyswans.com.au www.sydneyswans.com.au

    Dare to dream Bloods fans as the impossible can happen in finals!
    C'mon Swans!!!!
    Click to expand...

    that finals series was indescribable ...
    2005 was my first year working in melbourne (originally from nsw) and i remember that davis game so clearly, working that night in a busy office full of people almost all going for geelong (victorians, not necessarily geelong fans) ... and feeling grim for so long in that game ... and then that quarter, and hudson's last goal call ...

    the week before that we were robbed in perth
    the week after was possibly even more enjoyable than the cats game, very much the underdogs and blowing st kilda off the park in the last quarter ...
    and the week after that ...
     

    Log in to remove this ad.

    the hypnotoad said:
    that finals series was indescribable ...
    2005 was my first year working in melbourne (originally from nsw) and i remember that davis game so clearly, working that night in a busy office full of people almost all going for geelong (victorians, not necessarily geelong fans) ... and feeling grim for so long in that game ... and then that quarter, and hudson's last goal call ...

    the week before that we were robbed in perth
    the week after was possibly even more enjoyable than the cats game, very much the underdogs and blowing st kilda off the park in the last quarter ...
    and the week after that ...
    Click to expand...
    The Prelim like 96 was the best finals nights i've had live
     
    the hypnotoad said:
    that finals series was indescribable ...
    2005 was my first year working in melbourne (originally from nsw) and i remember that davis game so clearly, working that night in a busy office full of people almost all going for geelong (victorians, not necessarily geelong fans) ... and feeling grim for so long in that game ... and then that quarter, and hudson's last goal call ...

    the week before that we were robbed in perth
    the week after was possibly even more enjoyable than the cats game, very much the underdogs and blowing st kilda off the park in the last quarter ...
    and the week after that ...
    Click to expand...

    I was fortunate enough to be at this game and at the end to which Davis scored all of those goals. Amazing game and amazing experience I’ll never forget!
     
    TheMase said:
    I was fortunate enough to be at this game and at the end to which Davis scored all of those goals. Amazing game and amazing experience I’ll never forget!
    Click to expand...

    i'd like to think if i was still in nsw at the time i'd have been there too
    but 2005 was a fantastic year to be my first in melbourne
    clearly remember in early february, one of my first days at the new job, being cronfronted by one of the bosses, all smarmy and smug, asking me if i followed football, told him 'yep, the swans', and he said, 'oh, you're from sydney (i wasn't), so you know nothing about football' ... he turned out to be an absolute snake, gutless backstabber ... but worse, he was a melbourne supporter! ... and he had the nerve to say i knew nothing about football!
    that whole sweet season, i had those comments in mind ...
    was a great year for the swans to break the drought
     
    2005 was my first year getting into AFL, I wasn't at the game, was just a casual observer who got roped into watching AFL that year by a couple mates who followed the code.

    I worked until 9pm that day, so my mates recorded the game so I could go over and watch it after work. My mates were acting all down and low as we were watching it, emphasizing how far down we were in the 4th quarter. Then Nick Davis happened!!

    Not surprised they were happy to watch the game twice that night!

    and from there I was hooked!!
     
    How the Swans rebuilt their list into a flag contender

    Sydney Swans list boss Kinnear Beatson long ago figured out the importance of understanding the person behind the footballer.

    That’s why Beatson sought Ollie Florent’s mum Rachael’s approval before they drafted him with their first pick, No.11 overall, five years ago.

    Her husband, former professional tennis player Andrew, lost his cancer battle only three months earlier — and now the Swans wanted to know how she would feel if they whisked her son interstate.

    It was the week before the draft, and Beatson, coach John Longmire and then-player welfare manager Dennis Carroll were at the Florent household.

    “We were lucky, because of her husband’s background in tennis, that he had a really good network of friends in Sydney,” Beatson told The Daily Telegraph.

    “Rachael was so supportive of it, but if we got the indication it was going to break her heart, we wouldn’t have made that call. Footy is important, but there are bigger issues at times.”

    The race to the 2021 Toyota AFL Finals Series is on and every match matters. Watch Live & Ad-Break Free on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-days free >

    Florent was part of what the Swans wanted to become. The chance had arrived after a sustained period of success for a refresh — but definitely not a rebuild.

    You can’t risk completely rebuilding in a Sydney market that can lose interest quickly, according to Beatson.

    Beatson, Longmire and co. foresaw the club’s finals reign ending before it happened, even if there was never any acceptance it had to happen.

    The bubble eventually burst two years ago, after nine-straight September runs that included the 2012 premiership, two other grand finals and a preliminary final.

    Back-to-back bottom-four finishes followed as reality sunk in. They’ve had 20 debutants in the past four seasons.

    Ryan O’Keefe, Lewis Roberts-Thomson (2014), Adam Goodes, Rhyce Shaw, Mike Pyke (2015), Ted Richards, Ben McGlynn (2016), Kurt Tippett (2018), Heath Grundy, Kieren Jack, Jarrad McVeigh and Nick Smith (2019) all retired.

    Smith was Beatson’s first of many diamond-in-the-rough selections as part of Sydney’s recruiting team in the 2006 rookie draft.

    Players such as Tom Mitchell, Gary Rohan, Dan Hannebery, Nic Newman, Toby Nankervis, Zak Jones and Tim Membrey also departed for various reasons.

    Hawthorn’s golden era made every other club look inwards at their own operation, even Sydney.

    “There was certainly a point in time when we realised we needed to become a better kicking team than what we were,” Beatson said.

    “That probably came around the same time as the Hawthorn cluster-type thing, when it was becoming harder to penetrate defences.”

    The process began in the 2015 draft, long before Don Pyke joined forces with Longmire to help transform the club’s ball movement into one of the AFL’s best.

    The Swans matched Melbourne’s bid on Academy product Callum Mills at No.3, but also snaffled Tyrone Leonardis and Jordan Dawson — both noted for their kicking — with picks in the 50s.

    Florent (2016), Matt Ling (2017), Nick Blakey, Justin McInerney (2018), Dylan Stephens (2019), Braeden Campbell and Errol Gulden (2020) also fit the bill.

    Leonardis didn’t work out and injuries have ravaged Ling’s career to date, but the strike rate has otherwise been good, both high and low in the draft.

    But there’s always more than one recruiting priority.

    Beatson was at Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds campus one wet, wild, “bloody terrible” weekend day in 2017 to watch the Geelong Falcons.

    Falcons prospect Tom McCartin, brother of then-Saint Paddy, was on Sydney’s radar after identifying the need to bring in some taller talents.

    The conditions were hardly conducive to a breakout game for a key forward, but McCartin was magnificent on this afternoon, albeit the rain curbed his marking impact.

    “I remember sitting there thinking, ‘I’m glad it’s a crappy day’, because a lot of blokes had gone home,” Beatson said. “He wasn’t clunking them, but on a dry day he would have.”

    The lasting memory of Joel Amartey’s TAC Cup (now NAB League) career is him missing a sitter from the top of the goalsquare after the siren that would have won Sandringham Dragons the grand final.

    At least for most people. Beatson recalls something different: the moment 197cm Amartey cleanly, and athletically, gathered the ball on the bounce and screwed a kick over his shoulder for a goal.

    If the Swans’ recruiting guru was drinking at the time, he would have spat it out. Players of Amartey’s size aren’t supposed to be able to do that.

    Amartey had already caught Beatson’s attention playing for his school side Mentone Grammar in the months earlier.

    “I remember one specific game at Mentone — they might’ve been playing Ivanhoe Grammar — and it was like the coach had instructed Joel to just go for his marks,” he said.

    “This raw colt suddenly had an explosion of confidence.”

    Beatson has countless stories like this, after more than 30 years in and around the AFL system, at Carlton, Western Jets, Brisbane and Adelaide before joining the red and white.

    Tom Papley’s eye-catching 2015 finals series for Gippsland Power. Chad Warner’s insatiable appetite for the contest, including the cheeky grin that defies his ferocious on-field manner.

    How underlying injuries had, perhaps, impacted other recruiters’ assessments of Dawson and Robbie Fox, allowing them to be Sydney bargains.

    Or how no one else was interested in Academy product Sam Wicks, largely because, Beatson believes, he might have been played out of position as a junior.

    “He was played on-ball, but I always thought if he would make it, it would be as a small forward, because he’s tenacious and a good tackler,” he said.

    Then, of course, there’s Beatson’s Nat Fyfe story.

    Fremantle’s dual Brownlow medallist had an underwhelming national under-18 championships, but a brilliant WAFL grand final display for Claremont made everyone take notice.

    What was a ho-hum interview between the Swans and Fyfe turned with one question from club recruiter Rick Barham: “Have you been in any fights at school, Nat?”

    It was a Hail Mary question with no previous context or information. “I’ve been in a few fights at school,” Fyfe responded. Barham: “So, who won?”

    Beatson remembers Fyfe’s reaction like it was yesterday.

    “Nat had been pretty reserved up until this point, but it was like a light bulb moment,” Beatson said.

    “He jerks back, looks at us and says, ‘Who do you think?’. That was it — it was a little insight into the mentality of this guy and his competitiveness.”

    But it’s not always skill and perceptiveness in the list management space. Beatson is big enough to admit that.

    He pointed to Warner and ruck recruit Tom Hickey as perfect examples. Hickey’s playing career-best football for Sydney, his fourth club.

    Not Beatson or anyone would have predicted his 2021 performances despite noting how well he played two years ago, when Nic Naitanui was sidelined at West Coast.

    Warner is enjoying a breakout season in his second year in the AFL.

    “We hadn’t seen in Chad’s draft year the pace and power he’s got — at least not to the degree we’re seeing now,” Beatson said.

    “Sometimes, you have a bit of luck in recruiting. That’s part of it, because we’re picking them so young and their bodies are still developing.

    “Seeing them develop into significantly good players is one of the most rewarding things in recruiting — and I think we’re seeing that at the minute with Justin McInerney.”

    The Swans Academy, overseen by Chris Smith and Jared Crouch, is another obvious key plank in the club’s ongoing success.

    Most of the external focus is on the top-end crop — Mills, Isaac Heeney, Blakey, Campbell and Gulden — but there have also been lower-profile success stories, such as Wicks and James Bell.

    Beatson has long advocated for the Academy against its critics, pointing to the need to increase the sport’s profile and fanbase in NSW, as much as produce players.

    He’s also quick to highlight that Gold Coast co-captain Jarrod Witts and Adelaide’s Ben Davis are the only two Sydney metropolitan products at clubs other than the Swans or Giants.

    “There’s no doubt the Academy has helped us, but we don’t get them cheaply,” Beatson said.

    “We’ve got to match bids for them and that’s fair enough, that’s the system.

    “One thing I would say is if you did an analysis of other clubs’ list, in particular some big Melbourne-based clubs and West Coast, look at their ability to lure players home.

    “Not only the number of them, but where those players were taken in a draft. They’re usually first-round picks or priority picks. We don’t have that benefit.”

    All and sundry at the Swans have received praise for their transformation this year from ugly ducklings, but Beatson is already looking further ahead.

    National recruiting manager Simon Dalrymple, senior recruiting analyst Chris Keane, future recruiting co-ordinator Ross Monaghan and their “weekend warriors” will be right there with him.

    Only time will tell whether Sydney’s finals assault will end on Saturday or add another trophy to the cabinet.

    “I genuinely feel I’m representing, in my role, the Swans community and members and supporters, so there’s pressure to get it right for them more so than for your own reputation,” Beatson said.

    “It’s a great tick that we made finals this year, but we’ve got to make sure we’re back there next year. The campaign starts again.”

    THE SWANS’ LIS T EVOLUTION

    Season, Age, Rank, Experience, Rank

    2021: 25.0, 11th, 95.7, 9th

    2020: 24.4, 17th, 76.1, 17th

    2019: 24.4, 17th, 84.7, 12th

    2018: 25.4, 9th, 107.5, 4th
    Click to expand...
     

    (Log in to remove this ad.)

    28AUG21: Swans v GWS EF Match Reports/Multiple
  • Index
    • I'm getting really bloody tired of this lot beating us in Finals. Read it and weep!

    www.afl.com.au

    GIANTS SURVIVE: Heartbreak for Swans as late surge falls short

    Sydney has been knocked out of the 2021 AFL Finals series after being defeated by Greater Western Sydney
    www.afl.com.au www.afl.com.au

    www.foxsports.com.au

    WOW: Swans’ frantic comeback somehow falls short as Giants pinch epic by a point

    Wayward Swans butcher golden finals chance as Giants pinch epic one-point win
    www.foxsports.com.au www.foxsports.com.au

    www.theage.com.au

    Greene brain fade sours Giants’ win over Swans in finals thriller

    In one of the best finals in recent years, the Giants fell over the line by one point but Toby Greene marred the victory by making contact with an umpire.
    www.theage.com.au www.theage.com.au

    www.abc.net.au

    Demons through to preliminary final, Giants beat Swans by one point in cliffhanger

    Melbourne defeats the Brisbane Lions by 33 points to edge a step closer to the grand final, while the Sydney Swans' season is over after falling agonisingly short against GWS.
    www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au
     
  • Index
    • Ticky009 said:
    I'm getting really bloody tired of this lot beating us in Finals. Read it and weep!

    www.afl.com.au

    GIANTS SURVIVE: Heartbreak for Swans as late surge falls short

    Sydney has been knocked out of the 2021 AFL Finals series after being defeated by Greater Western Sydney
    www.afl.com.au www.afl.com.au

    www.foxsports.com.au

    WOW: Swans’ frantic comeback somehow falls short as Giants pinch epic by a point

    Wayward Swans butcher golden finals chance as Giants pinch epic one-point win
    www.foxsports.com.au www.foxsports.com.au

    www.theage.com.au

    Greene brain fade sours Giants’ win over Swans in finals thriller

    In one of the best finals in recent years, the Giants fell over the line by one point but Toby Greene marred the victory by making contact with an umpire.
    www.theage.com.au www.theage.com.au

    www.abc.net.au

    Demons through to preliminary final, Giants beat Swans by one point in cliffhanger

    Melbourne defeats the Brisbane Lions by 33 points to edge a step closer to the grand final, while the Sydney Swans' season is over after falling agonisingly short against GWS.
    www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au
    Click to expand...
    Thank you Specy for everything on this thread this season
     
    bedford said:
    My god David King was all positive for us just then on SEN , interesting thoughts and agree with some .
    Click to expand...

    Heard it too. Much talk how the loss will drive our improvement in Finals.

    They replayed the first question at the Horse presser. This was about how Horse and the Swans had found the Tassy experience. Horse finally said we just lost by a point, how about we talk about the footy? King astutely said it was just as well Horse was on Zoom.
     
    Grand Uncle Horace said:
    Heard it too. Much talk how the loss will drive our improvement in Finals.

    They replayed the first question at the Horse presser. This was about how Horse and the Swans had found the Tassy experience. Horse finally said we just lost by a point, how about we talk about the footy? King astutely said it was just as well Horse was on Zoom.
    Click to expand...

    One journalist asked if there were any unexpected retirements in the sheds after the game. All of probably 20 minutes after the side actually got into the dressing room. Horse looked livid anyone would be silly enough to ask it.
     
    S120 said:
    One journalist asked if there were any unexpected retirements in the sheds after the game. All of probably 20 minutes after the side actually got into the dressing room. Horse looked livid anyone would be silly enough to ask it.
    Click to expand...
    It’s a shame what “journalists” have become. Most are just looking for the click bait headline. You’d most likely get better more informative questions from bigfooty.
     
    30AUG21: Swans talk after EF exit/SEN
  • Index
    • Last edited:
  • Index
    • SGBeach said:
    King on SEN
    swans talk starts at 35'25''

    “I’m not concerned”: Is Swans star Luke Parker replaceable?

    "It’s a replaceable position for me."
    www.sen.com.au www.sen.com.au

    Really liked his take on the Parker situation.. Swans are in a strong position
    Click to expand...

    Really enjoyed that particularly the summary of the game and what it means for the club moving forward.

    Not sure I agree that Parker is replaceable. He's been a beast and is in his prime right now. Lose him, and we're becoming overly reliant on an ageing Kennedy and another group who are still very much in the upward curve of their careers (mills and hewett excluded of course).
     
    Reader mode
    Status
    Not open for further replies.

    Remove this Banner Ad

    Similar threads

    Ticky009
    Media Swans Talk in the Media 2024
    290 291 292 293 294
    Replies
    7K
    Views
    292K
    Voula
    V
    Ticky009
    Review The Week in Between - now we wait. Selection talk and other guff.
    19 20 21 22 23
    Replies
    562
    Views
    14K
    bedford
    B
    Ticky009
    • Locked
    News Swans Talk in the Media 2023
    122 123 124 125 126
    Replies
    3K
    Views
    157K
    Ticky009
    Ticky009
    Ticky009
    Media AFLW Swans News in the Media 2024
    3 4 5 6 7
    Replies
    170
    Views
    6K
    Ticky009
    Ticky009
    elastic
    Autopsy A win for the true believers - swans down pies
    21 22 23 24 25
    Replies
    608
    Views
    15K
    Ctracks
    C
    Heeney2Franklin
    Autopsy Swans by 27 over GWS the 2nd quarter to be watched ad infinitum
    14 15 16 17 18
    Replies
    436
    Views
    11K
    SM
    SM
    SwansProudly
    POTY 2024 GF Swans v. Lions
    Replies
    24
    Views
    828
    S120
    S120

    Remove this Banner Ad

    Back
    Top