The Swans Blog

[The Swans Blog]

What is The Swans Blog?
The Swans Blog is a fan blog and community that was founded in October 2016 following the Swans' defeat to the Bulldogs in the grand final. Frustrated at the game, The Swans Blog founded the blog as a means to write about their passion - the Sydney Swans. Seeing a gap in the market for a blog just following the Swans, The Swans Blog set out to be the one-stop "shop" for Sydney Swans news, opinion content and more.

In the last year the blog has grown to more than 3,000 followers, 1 full-time contributor and 7 semi-regular contributors. We post match reports, injury updates, neafl reports, player ratings, opinion pieces, podcasts, press conferences and more.



We're always on the lookout for more contributors, so if you fancy writing an article or two, let us know!

In the beginning...
View the spoiler below...

Spoiler

I'm currently writing a 5 part series covering the Swans' performance from the pre-season (post trade) to the end of the season, after the Grand final. Part 1 covers pre-season, part 2 the first half of the season, part 3 the second half of the season, part 4 the finals and part 5 the player performances. It's not easy to find time to write sometimes, but I am pretty keen on doing my season review. The articles that I'm writring are fairly comprehensive and would certainly exceed what people would think are the reasonable limits for a message board (10k+ words)!

In general, I think that the sentiment and general optimism of this forum is echoed in what I'm writing. I'm pretty positive and upbeat about the season overall and I think that the club and players performed well for the most part. A few shitty performances aside, we did well. Limping into the grand final wasn't ideal and the carnage of the previous finals was too much to overcome. A bit like the Lions in '04 when they went in with too many injured players, they just couldn't compete for long enough.

I'm really looking forward to improved performances in 2017.

Part 1: pre-season performance and expectations

For many Swans supporters, 2016 was an optimistic season, looking forward to improved performances from young players in a developing year. With the trade constraints in mind, the captures of Callum Sinclair and Michael Talia, as well as recruiting academy star Callum Mills looked like good business. There was a lot of quiet optimism of another strong challenge in 2016 if we could keep our best team on the park.

The rumors surrounding Lewis Jetta had a visible affect on his performances late in the season, not only hurting his own form and value, but hurting the team as well. By the time he left the club, he was playing touch football, barely getting stuck in and trying to stay as far away from harm as possible. With three important players retiring, external expectations were somewhat low compared to previous seasons, with most considering finishing top 8 a stretch. As always, the clubs’ internal expectations were set high and Longmire believed that the club could finish near the top.

Many pundits had the Swans finishing bottom half of the 8, with David King hilariously predicting Fremantle to win it all and Dogs out of the top 8. He did at least have the Swans in at 6th, while Dermott “Blondie” Brereton didn’t even have the Swans in. Certainly no media personality predicted the Swans to finish top 4, let alone first and make another grand final. Only a few die hard Swans supporters, tragic’s if you will, myself included, would have had any hope of finishing top of the pile.

Part 2: first half of the season

While the pre-season had shown glimpses of what was to come, there weren’t many pundits and experts that fancied the Swans to do as well as they did. The Swans hit the bye with a 10-3 record and 140%, second on the ladder behind Geelong.

They had beaten premiership rivals Hawthorn at the MCG, keeping them goalless in the first quarter, as well as beating undefeated North Melbourne in round 10. Losses to Richmond, Adelaide and GWS kept the Swans in the mix at the top, while Geelong surged and North hit the slopes. Defeating both grand finalists was quite an achievement, as many other clubs had struggled to match it with the Hawks and Eagles.

The Swans had debuted 5 players in the first game of the season, 3 of them playing their first AFL game. They would later debut another 3 players, Jack Hiscox, Aliir Aliir and Harrison Marsh, with two of those becoming important defensive players.

Part 3: second half of the season

Performances throughout the first season were solid, sometimes spectacular with an occasional dash of the good old Swans that we know. You know, the type that shoots their foot off after playing dice, gambling their limbs, pride and occasionally livelihoods. Sitting 2nd on the ladder with a 10-3 record was a fantastic start to the season, especially with the biggest loss against GWS and the other two by under 2 goals.

Expectations were high with the Swans, with experts tipping them to finish in the top 4, if not top 2, and bookmakers had them as favourites leading up to the bye. The young players were standing up and making a name for themselves, none more so than Mills, a virtual lock in for NAB Rising Star.

Sometimes though, watching Sydney after the bye is like going out to town on a Friday night. You haven’t slept well during the week, you’re feeling run down, but you have a big one anyway. You forget to eat before you drink, so you’re off your face after a few pints and wind up dancing with a guy wearing a dress. Before you know it, it’s 930 and you’ve been bundled into the taxi after being kicked out of your favourite kebab shop. You wake up with a wicked hang over and wish it never happens again, but it does.

Part 4: the finals

While performances throughout the season, certainly towards the end of the second half had supporters on their feet, the finals were another beast altogether. Having lost 3 finals in a row since the infamous 2014 grand final, it was up to the Swans to break the mould. Having finished the season 16-5 and full of expectation, what was to come was nothing short of stunning.

As already covered last month, the sheer number of injuries that the Swans suffered to key players in the finals was nothing I’ve seen before, let alone many Swans or AFL supporters. Every match the Swans played with 2 players on the bench for most of the 2nd halves, with only blistering starts holding them on. Even though the club made the grand final, it was reminiscent of the Lions in ’04. By the end, too many important players were too far off their best, or even from their fittest state to ably contribute.

Part 5: the players

Few could argue that Josh Kennedy was a deserving winner of the Swans best and fairest award, with another stellar season and excellent finals campaign. Battered and bruised, he lifted the Swans higher than ever, almost dragging them across the line. His finals were the best he’s ever had, with absurdly good performances against GWS, Geelong and the Bulldogs, with one of the all time great first half performances in a grand final. Unfortunately though, there just weren’t enough players around him to carry the team to the end, and he often cut a lone figure wrestling the ball and getting it forward.

The order of finishers of the best and fairest shouldn’t have surprised many, with Hannebery and Grundy having arguably career best seasons. While Parker went a close 2nd in the Brownlow medal, to the imperious and oft favoured Dangerfield, he didn’t quite reach the same lofty heights with the club, finishing 4th.

It’s hard to look at the season as anything else but a success. An ageing backline was by far the biggest concern, with no one looking likely to step up. Talia was recruited from the Dogs, but with 30 games under his belt, he was just as untried as the rest of the options. Richards wasn’t supposed to start playing as soon as he did, and it’s possible that he wasn’t supposed to play much at all, staying in the shadows as a backup player when needed.

17,670 words all up! That's a lot of typing!

 

[CD__]

I can barely contain my excitement Chumpy!

 

[miggs]

Oh god its still going

 

[miggs]

I can barely contain my excitement Chumpy!

i love how thats his name now.

chumpy must be fuming

 

[CD__]

i love how thats his name now.

chumpy must be fuming

I meant it affectionately

 

[miggs]

Oh shit hes online

Hi chunkychicken

 

[The Swans Blog]

Chumpy is fine. It was the first thing bedford said to me at the grand final catch up "Hi Chumpy".

It's like an entirely new moniker that miggs made up all on his own, very inventive

 

[miggs]

Chumpy is fine. It was the first thing bedford said to me at the grand final catch up "Hi Chumpy".

It's like an entirely new moniker that miggs made up all on his own, very inventive

Haha classic bedders

 

[Number37]

J.K Chunky Chicken.

Always interesting to read a fresh POV.
Nice work Chunky.

 

[miggs]

Bloody RW been here too.

 

[RW]

Bloody RW been here too.

Damn straight I have, don't forget who's in charge here!!!

 

[The Swans Blog]

http://theswansblog.com/2016/10/20/the-uncontractables/

Now that the AFL’s trade week has finished, the Swans have turned their attention to their out of contract players.

Want-away forward Xavier Richards, who requested a trade to a Victorian era club, is still with the Swans after no other club courted him. It wasn’t that the club was asking anything for the uncontracted forward, there wasn’t any interest in him. Still, he can develop into an important player for the club, after displaying some level of talent later in the season after impressive performances in the NEAFL.

The club went ham at the trade table to work their way to pick 9 and there's a few obvious suspects to be delisted - Hiscox and Murray. Davis might get another year, as well as Melican the Pelican. Marsh will be incredibly stiff if he's not extended, but who knows. Club could be loading up for pre-season, delisted and rookie drafts. Time will tell.

 

[caesar88]

https://sydneyswansblog.wordpress.com/2016/10/20/the-uncontractables/


The club went ham at the trade table to work their way to pick 9 and there's a few obvious suspects to be delisted - Hiscox and Murray. Davis might get another year, as well as Melican the Pelican. Marsh will be incredibly stiff if he's not extended, but who knows. Club could be loading up for pre-season, delisted and rookie drafts. Time will tell.

There's no way Marsh gets delisted. He would have played in the GF if it weren't for the fact the captain took his place. I even reckon he's above Laidler.. Murray didn't do much wrong in the reserves from the limited amount i saw of him

 

[miggs]

There's no way Marsh gets delisted. He would have played in the GF if it weren't for the fact the captain took his place. I even reckon he's above Laidler.. Murray didn't do much wrong in the reserves from the limited amount i saw of him

Sssh

The man has spoken

 

[miggs]

https://sydneyswansblog.wordpress.com/2016/10/20/the-uncontractables/


The club went ham at the trade table to work their way to pick 9 and there's a few obvious suspects to be delisted - Hiscox and Murray. Davis might get another year, as well as Melican the Pelican. Marsh will be incredibly stiff if he's not extended, but who knows. Club could be loading up for pre-season, delisted and rookie drafts. Time will tell.

Another great read chumpy

 

[cherub]

There's no way Marsh gets delisted. He would have played in the GF if it weren't for the fact the captain took his place. I even reckon he's above Laidler.. Murray didn't do much wrong in the reserves from the limited amount i saw of him

It was reported in the West Australian that Harry Marsh had signed a 2 year contract extension. It was a few days ago. It was The West, though.

 

[The Swans Blog]

I haven't posted anything recently on the blog, been a bit busy with real life things.

Anyway, I am looking for other columnists if anyone would like to contribute. At the moment the blog has close to 100 followers and I post regularly in Swans groups and other sources with good engagement numbers.

I'm hoping for columnists to join in to talk about:
- Tactics
- Reserve team
- List management
- General news

miggs I would only accept you if you posted something that didn't talk about your love for new members

I'm also developing an Android app for the blog that will also serve as a portfolio item as I want to move into mobile development instead of being stuck in web development. It's no where near ready yet, but I will keep you guys posted if anyone is interested!

 

[RW]

Um, are you planning to make money from this thing chumpy? Or just doing it for the love of the game and the club?

 

[The Swans Blog]

Um, are you planning to make money from this thing chumpy? Or just doing it for the love of the game and the club?

The love of course. How can I make money from it with such a small fan base? Charge money for an app? Please.

 

[GotTheGoodes]

The love of course. How can I make money from it with such a small fan base? Charge money for an app? Please.

... he says that now.....

 

[RW]

The love of course. How can I make money from it with such a small fan base?

Oh for sure but I thought it might have been part of a bigger plan for world domination

 

[The Swans Blog]

Oh for sure but I thought it might have been part of a bigger plan for world domination

Of course...

 

[CD__]

Chumpy does rhyme with Trumpy...coincidence?

Oh for sure but I thought it might have been part of a bigger plan for world domination

 

[miggs]

Of course...

Youre definatley pinky and im the brain

 

[The King!]

100 people in chumpys family