The fight for top 4 & top 8

[Tas]

I might get crucified by other swans supporters but I agree with the forward line part. We regularly have more inside 50s than our opponents but we don't take enough marks. It's been hard this year finding a genuine forward but our gameplan let's us take advantage of the speed of our outside run by pushing back. Reid needs help and when Goodes plays forward he undoubted assists by taking the best defender. Then you rotate a tall in Mummy or Pyke through there and it's a pretty makeshift forward line until trade week. It's our weakest point by far.

However I disagree that our mids don't dominate enough. Our midfielders are just a top 8 midfield no more, no less, but they're also very capable of kicking goals which is absolutely beneficial and vital to any contender. I think we are yet to see the best of our midfield with Rohan (serious outside pace) out and Mumford being injured. Of course thats aided by our backline.nOur shining light is our defence. I would even go as far as saying as a unit it's the best in the league. It's premiership ready, our midfielders are starting to hit their peak and we just need a forward line to finish it off. Wouldn't lock us in for top 4 but hopefully a home final. % is huge this year.

I thought Reid was the second coming of Christ? tbh I haven't seen a lot of Swans games this year, has he been injured/out of form?

On the positive side, if you can score well with a dysfunctional forward line then there is a lot of scope for improvement. It is really good to have mids that can hurt you on the scoreboard.

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

Good teams win the close games...they have a belief, confidence that they will win......Hawthorn dont have that, when challenged they fall to pieces.

Hawthorn were challenged in rd 1 by the best team in the history of football - Coll were in front early in the last - and resonded to win comfortably.

 

[liz]

I thought Reid was the second coming of Christ? tbh I haven't seen a lot of Swans games this year, has he been injured/out of form?

He may yet prove to be, but at the moment he's a 20 year old playing as a key forward - a tough gig. He was apparently carrying a number of small niggles that prevented him training mid-week for a month or so not long back. But he's kicked 2 goals in each of our past 5 games, so he's started to make an OK contribution on the scoreboard.

 

[jod23]

Notsureifserious.jpg

Take your pick from Pendlebury (remember that guy?), Ball, Tarrant, Didak, Krakouer, Johnson & McCaffer. Plus our first choice back ups for those missing players e.g. Keeffe and Sinclair.

Our out's affect our structure more than yours. Just saying. You beat us though, be happy.

 

[vonn]

I thought Reid was the second coming of Christ? tbh I haven't seen a lot of Swans games this year, has he been injured/out of form?

On the positive side, if you can score well with a dysfunctional forward line then there is a lot of scope for improvement. It is really good to have mids that can hurt you on the scoreboard.

No one said Reid was the second coming of christ. He has struggled against the best defenders of each team with no support with Goodes injured. His form and goal kicking has improved gradually as he has been played further up the ground. Obviously he has the makings of a great KPF he just needs more support and experience. He's only really in his second year taking on the best defenders.

 

[Leg End]

On the positive side, if you can score well with a dysfunctional forward line then there is a lot of scope for improvement. It is really good to have mids that can hurt you on the scoreboard.

Pretty astute observation.

If the Swans construct a core functional forward line around Reid, the this will be a pretty formidable team for years to come - including this year.

 

[Arwib]

Clearly we need to get Cloke maybe.

 

[Collingwoodity]

Our out's affect our structure more than yours. Just saying. You beat us though, be happy.

but that's not what you said. you said "ball & who??" implying that ball was the only decent player missing from the team.

 

[Slattery_20]

No one said Reid was the second coming of christ. He has struggled against the best defenders of each team with no support with Goodes injured. His form and goal kicking has improved gradually as he has been played further up the ground. Obviously he has the makings of a great KPF he just needs more support and experience. He's only really in his second year taking on the best defenders.

The issue is the stupid, astronomical expectations put on him after last year where he was, in reality, only solid.

He killed us. Only kicked 2-3 himself, but we couldn't get near him; created a lot more.

He's actually going OK, for a 20-30 game key tall. Patchy, up and down, but some good glimpses of real quality. He's probably suffered more than most from Goodes being out IMHO; he'd take a good defender.

 

[bombermick]

Trouble is it's going to be tough for the Swans to find the key forward they need with their drafting position. Most of the top forwards come via early picks, so their energies need to be expended at chasing Cloke or another established forward. And, while you have good youngsters, you're more likely to pinch a flag now than later.

 

[Slattery_20]

Trouble is it's going to be tough for the Swans to find the key forward they need with their drafting position. Most of the top forwards come via early picks, so their energies need to be expended at chasing Cloke or another established forward. And, while you have good youngsters, you're more likely to pinch a flag now than later.

It's going to be hard, but they're good at it - seem to do well finding players from any sort of avenue.

Reid was a 2nd/3rd rounder; Johnson was quite a late pick, I think Goodesy himself was a 3rd rounder or so.

 

[Slattery_20]

I thought Reid was the second coming of Christ? tbh I haven't seen a lot of Swans games this year, has he been injured/out of form?

On the positive side, if you can score well with a dysfunctional forward line then there is a lot of scope for improvement. It is really good to have mids that can hurt you on the scoreboard.

His first ~6 weeks were straight-up poor. But he's been putting it together recently.

 

[Syd]

Trouble is it's going to be tough for the Swans to find the key forward they need with their drafting position. Most of the top forwards come via early picks, so their energies need to be expended at chasing Cloke or another established forward. And, while you have good youngsters, you're more likely to pinch a flag now than later.

Looks a lot more dangerous of late with Mumford and Pyke rotating at FF and the return of Goodes who will start spending more time up forward.

Add TDL in with McGlynn on a weekly basis and we'll have a much more solid\effective setup well and truly in place before September.

 

[Roughies Boys]

Looks a lot more dangerous of late with Mumford and Pyke rotating at FF and the return of Goodes who will start spending more time up forward.

Add TDL in with McGlynn on a weekly basis and we'll have a much more solid\effective setup well and truly in place before September.

If Sydney gets in the GF it better be against either of Essendon, West Coast or Adelaide. Not Hawthorn or Collingwood

 

[Syd]

If Sydney gets in the GF it better be against either of Essendon, West Coast or Adelaide. Not Hawthorn or Collingwood

I'd much rather play Hawthorn than Adelaide TBH.

Collingwood's had the wood on us for the past 5 year, but Adelaide has owned us like forever.

Recent form against Hawthron Shows us as pretty much a 50/50 proposition against your mob.

IF we made it, and IF I had a choice, give me the dirty birds from out west and lets go again!

 

[MF]

Reid's carried a lot of niggles this year and hasn't been able to train at all until about a month ago. For a 20 year old KP forward he's doing better than you'd expect anyway.

We need both Reid and Goodes at 100% if we're going to challenge for a premiership. Our defence is probably the best in the league, our midfield is between 4th-8th and our forward line is probably somewhere around 10th-16th so that's where the improvement really needs to come from.

 

[cinderella man]

If Sydney gets in the GF it better be against either of Essendon, West Coast or Adelaide. Not Hawthorn or Collingwood

Have not seen to many Swans supporters talking Grand Finals on BF. Extremely hard to win and Swans supporters as a rule are pretty realistic where their team is at. The best part about being a Swans fan is the fact that we dont have to win flag after flag to justify being a great club, unlike very bitter supporters from some other clubs especially the ones who's clubs history's are littered with Premierships.

 

[jod23]

but that's not what you said. you said "ball & who??" implying that ball was the only decent player missing from the team.

I wasnt implying anything? I was generally asking if you had any other players out. I was stuck at work and missed the Collingwood match. The only game ive missed all season. After you told me your outs, I do believe our out's are more important structure wise.

 

[cAsEy_18]

So, we are apparently 'very fortunate' to only play 2 of the top 8 sides twice.

Just statistically, considering we are one of the top 8 sides, that means there are 7 other sides in the top 8, and 10 out of it. Considering you only play 5 teams twice, it makes extremely logical sense to play just 2 top 8 sides twice.

And if you are going to make the argument that the ladder was volatile early, but is more set now, then I would suggest sitting 4th on the ladder now, and just a game behind 1st/equal on wins with 2nd, would say something.

Having said all that, I don't expect a top 4 finish with our run home, but am very happy to be in the discussion at this time of the year. I'll take a 5th-6th spot, win a final and at least a competitive semi-final. A win in the finals could still be difficult, as we could easily draw a Carlton or a Geelong the 1st week.

My little note though - if West Coast win it all this year they'll have my tremendous respect. I'm not going to deny in the slightest Collingwood's significant injuries, but I (and I'm sure I'm not the only one) thought West Coast's hopes were dashed when LeCras's knee went. Not to mention throwing in Kennedy, Embley and Nicoski on top of that...and still top 4? Damn impressive.

 

[doppleganger]

Hawthorn were challenged in rd 1 by the best team in the history of football - Coll were in front early in the last - and resonded to win comfortably.

Are you having a laugh?

Best team in history of football....it wasn't anywhere near a full strength Collingwood team, were down almost 1000 games experience and 8-9 players from a full strength team.

Collingwood had 7 players with less than 15 games to their name, including 3 debutants.

In rd 1, the average age was 23.6 and average games played 77, in the PF of 2011 Collingwood's avg age was 26.0 and the avg games played was 140. It was Collingwood's most inexperienced team since 2008.

Hawthorn was 25.4 and 107 games in the PF, in rd 1 they were 25.3 and 94 games...their team make up remained similar.

The reality is that Hawthorn struggled to beat a team of kids, finally pulling away in the final 10 mins when the kids hit the wall.

 

[Terex8]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/exp...der-that-matters/story-fncqi979-1226417097939

Good perspective.

 

[Tas]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/exp...der-that-matters/story-fncqi979-1226417097939

Good perspective.

Not really, we have been in the 8 for a nanosecond and it is padding the stats for the clubs that have played/beaten us. It should be based on the form against the top 6 teams because anyone below that is really making up he numbers at this point in time.

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

Are you having a laugh?

A little, yeah...

You said Hawthorn fall apart in close games when challenged, I said that they won from behind when challenged in round 1.

Tongue in cheek comment aside, was I wrong?

 

[doppleganger]

A little, yeah...

You said Hawthorn fall apart in close games when challenged, I said that they won from behind when challenged in round 1.

Tongue in cheek comment aside, was I wrong?

Guess I need to clarify.

You are correct, Hawthorn can beat a team of kids and average sides when pushed.....but when challenged by a good side they choke.

And still find it funny how Hawthorn fans continue to try and validate that they are any more than the 6th best side so far in 2012.

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

So, we are apparently 'very fortunate' to only play 2 of the top 8 sides twice.

Just statistically, considering we are one of the top 8 sides, that means there are 7 other sides in the top 8, and 10 out of it. Considering you only play 5 teams twice, it makes extremely logical sense to play just 2 top 8 sides twice.

I have no issues with Essendon's draw, it reflects where they finished last year.

I admit I was ready to write them off early after the escapes v North and GC but I think they deserve to be where they are at. Might get squeezed out of the top 4 come seasons end but it wouldnt suprise me if they didnt. Watson is in career form and the forward line is working well.