Preview Grand Final 2024 - Sydney Swans / South Melbourne Bloods vs Brisbane Bears/ Fitzroy Lions - The Big Dance

[kickthething]

Be nervous as hell if Mills is picked, but as long as they've learned from the Reid scenario and genuinely done rigorous testing, not the close enough and jab it up or whatever the hell they did back then. I won't pretend to be a medico, 18 days sound too short but it's very close to the timeframe too. So as long as Mills is genuine and if he picks himself it's because he's truly fit and properly tested it out. Obviously as captain if genuinely fit, he would play be a good in.
If he were to play and plays poorly or worse, does a hammy, and we lose it's virtually unforgiveable - obviously if we somehow still won in that scenario it would get masked over, but still wouldn't be a great look.

Whether Mills or Fox (if Mills isn't fit) I think that extra mid sized player would be useful in the 22. Campbell to be sub imo, not looking 100% himself but trying to get a 15-20 minute burst like in the first final may be best use of him.

If we were faced with this in round 20, people would be saying Mills needs to come back through the vfl…..if he isn’t right, a gf pressure cooker….for a player who has not played a lot of game time this year, isn’t the environment to risk a 50/50.

 

[Dubai Quacker]

articles/discussion appearing that COVID ripped through the Geelong team. Saw a Geelong physio who had a mask on TV and did wonder.

Boys need to be careful this week.

The Geelong physio just had a mask on to keep Gary Rohan at bay.

 

[Day_night_honourer]

Please just leave the injury-risk and hard-luck players out.
They'll get there chance again within the 2025/2026/etc Swans dynasty

 

[Nuggetz]

150 years of history. Greatest club of all.

 

[Nuggetz]

When do the players fly out? Wed or Thur?

 

[kickthething]

I saw a;interview that suggested Thursday

 

[Ticky009]

When do the players fly out? Wed or Thur?

Last I heard it was Thursday - neither us or the Lions will get any additional training time on the ground despite previous requests due to Perry concert.

 

[Ticky009]

I hope Roberts continues to play like he did on Friday night - was involved in a fair few of our chains as we moved up the field.

I have high hopes for this one #defendersfanclub

 

[Nuggetz]

Last I heard it was Thursday - neither us or the Lions will get any additional training time on the ground despite previous requests due to Perry concert.

Wow. I get trying to have great entertainment but it shouldn't be impacting the teams. Lions played at the G on Sat, so it shouldn't bother them but I think it would've been helpful for us to have some more practise at the ground.

 

[Nuggetz]

I hope Roberts continues to play like he did on Friday night - was involved in a fair few of our chains as we moved up the field.

I have high hopes for this one #defendersfanclub

His long kicks are very impressive, great depth & precision. Defence looks like his ideal spot for the next few years.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Works fine In rugbae leeg.

They even left the porch lights on.

* That excuse is up there with curtain fading during DS

If it ain’t broke why change it? Day GF’s are much better football wise than twilight or night when the dew comes in. Rugby league need night Gf’s…did you see how pathetic their crowd was on Friday?

 

[RedBloodBlackSwan]

I hope Roberts continues to play like he did on Friday night - was involved in a fair few of our chains as we moved up the field.

I have high hopes for this one #defendersfanclub

I know people are rightly celebrating JJ as a come from nowhere regular starter. Similar credit needs to go to Roberts.

What an amazing year for who was a fringe player at best last year (doubt many of us had him in our best 23s at the start of the year, before word got out he was ripping up the preseason).

 

[LukeParkerno1]

His long kicks are very impressive, great depth & precision. Defence looks like his ideal spot for the next few years.

The so called as I put it “quarterback” general in the backline is so important in AFL nowadays, Roberts plays that role so well. I’m at ease when he has the ball.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

If we were faced with this in round 20, people would be saying Mills needs to come back through the vfl…..if he isn’t right, a gf pressure cooker….for a player who has not played a lot of game time this year, isn’t the environment to risk a 50/50.

If he was in Heeney like form I’d take the punt but let’s be real for a second he’s played probably 8 or so games (whatever it is) and bar the second last game has he been fantastic in any of them? He has played half fit all season and I love Mills.

 

[SM]

Wow. I get trying to have great entertainment but it shouldn't be impacting the teams. Lions played at the G on Sat, so it shouldn't bother them but I think it would've been helpful for us to have some more practise at the ground.

I don't think it's impacting them, it's standard. They just aren't giving the teams anything extra.

 

[Donza]

If it ain’t broke why change it? Day GF’s are much better football wise than twilight or night when the dew comes in. Rugby league need night Gf’s…did you see how pathetic their crowd was on Friday?

Lel ok

Can you name me a
Qualifying final.
A semi final.
A elimination final
A preliminary final.

That's played at 2.30pm

 

[Kiama Chris]

I hope Roberts continues to play like he did on Friday night - was involved in a fair few of our chains as we moved up the field.

I have high hopes for this one #defendersfanclub

Huge 60m pass to Amartey in a one on one cm perfect.

 

[bloodsbigot]

The so called as I put it “quarterback” general in the backline is so important in AFL nowadays, Roberts plays that role so well. I’m at ease when he has the ball.

I said I didn't understand what the big deal was about Roberts at the start of the season, now I'm glad I was wrong.

 

[Olian]

Lel ok

Can you name me a
Qualifying final.
A semi final.
A elimination final
A preliminary final.

That's played at 2.30pm

None that’s what make the Grand Final unique.

 

[RedBloodBlackSwan]

On the Mills selection, one perspective to consider is what impact the decision could have on the headspace and performance of the other 21 starting players.

Imagine you are another player in the starting lineup.

Now imagine if you just found out Mills was overlooked to err to the side of safety, and this meant that Fox - who helped get your team to where it is this year - gets to have a go. You would no doubt feel a little for Mills with his bad run this year, but you would be ecstatic for Fox and trust him completely to play his role.

Now imagine the reverse and the Swans err to the side of brining in higher top-end talent and leadership in Mills. You are no doubt happy for Mills but you feel very bad for Fox - and you have some underlying doubt about whether you can really trust Mills to sprint / accelerate / twist at 110% on the big day. And if you get ahead of yourself, you also wonder how you would feel with Mills holding the cup aloft after barely playing all year, rather than Rampe who has led so well.

Now multiply the delta of each of these scenarios by 21, for the others players who will also be starting. Can the potential of Mill’s upside outweigh this?

To me it only does if there is 110% confidence in Mill’s hamstring. The testing must be as rigorous, if not more rigorous, than game day. We can live with him re-injuring at training. We can’t on game day.

 

[SM]

On the Mills selection, one perspective to consider is what impact the decision could have on the headspace and performance of the other 21 starting players.

Imagine you are another player in the starting lineup.

Now imagine if you just found out Mills was overlooked to err to the side of safety, and this meant that Fox - who helped get your team to where it is this year - gets to have a go. You would no doubt feel a little for Mills with his bad run this year, but you would be ecstatic for Fox and trust him completely to play his role.

Now imagine the reverse and the Swans err to the side of brining in higher top-end talent and leadership in Mills. You are no doubt happy for Mills but you feel very bad for Fox - and you have some underlying doubt about whether you can really trust Mills to sprint / accelerate / twist at 110% on the big day. And if you get ahead of yourself, you also wonder how you would feel with Mills holding the cup aloft after barely playing all year, rather than Rampe who has led so well.

Now multiply the delta of each of these scenarios by 21, for the others players who will also be starting. Can the potential of Mill’s upside outweigh this?

To me it only does if there is 110% confidence in Mill’s hamstring. The testing must be as rigorous, if not more rigorous, than game day. We can live with him re-injuring at training. We can’t on game day.

Yeah heard this point made on First Crack about Holmes missing in 22 and the message it sent to Geelong players.

 

[Nuggetz]

They'll put Mills through a rigorous fitness test. If he passes, coaches will have same confidence in his body like the other 22 players who will be picked. Any doubt, they won't pick him imo. The body language of Mills & others celebrating with him on the ground looked like Mills is confident about playing in the GF.

 

[SM]

They'll put Mills through a rigorous fitness test. If he passes, coaches will have same confidence in his body like the other 22 players who will be picked. Any doubt, they won't pick him imo. The body language of Mills & others celebrating with him on the ground looked like Mills is confident about playing in the GF.

Of course he's confident, it's like it's a rule for us to risk a player with injury.

It's not even as if he was playing great football before the hamstring, he was awful in the QF, gastro or not.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

They'll put Mills through a rigorous fitness test. If he passes, coaches will have same confidence in his body like the other 22 players who will be picked. Any doubt, they won't pick him imo. The body language of Mills & others celebrating with him on the ground looked like Mills is confident about playing in the GF.

So how did Reid pass that rigorous fitness test?

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Lel ok

Can you name me a
Qualifying final.
A semi final.
A elimination final
A preliminary final.

That's played at 2.30pm

That’s what makes the GF special and having the presentation at say 5:25pm then you can still get dinner with your family. It also allows clubs to have post match functions. Think of our side, it allows us to have a function in Sth Melbourne and then be able to do it in Sydney the next day.

It isn’t getting anymore fans at twilight which is a terrible time to watch footy at the ground as the sun is in your eyes half the game