14?

[goswannies]

Nothing says that the player wearing the #14 has to be the next Bob Skilton or Paul Kelly. And nothing against Craig Bird. He works hard. But is he the best/most worthy player to be wearing the revered #14?

Between Bobby & Kels, 14 has been donned by Michael Kennedy, Michael Byrne, Bill Picken, Stephen Allender, David Young & Tony Franklin. None really in the Kelly/Skilton mould.

Craig Bird is an in and under onballer like Kelly & Skilts (in contrast to the other wearers). A local product (unlike Kennedy, Byrne & Picken). But can he be a future leader of the club? Is the #14 still as important ad it once was?

Should / could anyone else wear it with distinction? Hanners? Does it even matter?

[Big Al]

I really don't care who wears what number to be honest.

[Lucky Knickers]

Clap my hands at this incredibly useful and productive thread.

[ScottH]

Me 2.
Bird was touted as being the next big thing. Injuries have set him back a bit.
But a number should by no means make a player live up to the reputation of that number.

See current #5 for the Bombers. Or a previuos #4 for the swans.

[mcs]

Who cares really! Its a number- Birdy has been hampered significantly by injuries, and I still have hope for him, but in the end its just a number.

[jono2707]

That's numberwang!

[chalbilto]

Clothes maketh the man, a number does NOT maketh a football star. All a number does is associate a player with it.

[Rob-bloods]

Forget numbers the real point here really is that notwithstanding injuries Bird looks a very ordinary player.....and unfortunately he has too many mates at present. Watching the Tigers and Weagles this weekend shows us right up.

[Bas]

Not a numbers person myself either. They should wear the jumper with distinction rather than the number.

Sadly the latter went missing today.

[Nordberg]

14 is being defiled by Craig Bird, a useless player.

[BSA5]

What's with the Craig Bird hate? He and Mitchell had about the same influence on the game as each other. For a guy with <50 games experience versus one of the best inside mids in the competition, in a team that got absolutely flogged, I'll take that every day.

[Doctor]

Bird did a decent job on his direct opponent. Considering the number of wins Hawthorn had on the day, Bird's effort has to be regarded as one of the better ones.

[GongSwan]

Number profiling? Is there not a law against that? Maybe thats something else lol

[Jewels]

What's with the Craig Bird hate? He and Mitchell had about the same influence on the game as each other. For a guy with <50 games experience versus one of the best inside mids in the competition, in a team that got absolutely flogged, I'll take that every day.

I'm with you BS. We were dreadful across the park on Sunday and in my opinion Bird was one of the few that can hold his head up as having done his job.
Did you people expect him to just majestically be a Kelly or a Skilton? Give the poor kid a break, he battles enough with his injuries let alone supposed "supporters" getting on his case because he's not the footballer people expect because of the number on his back!

[2005]

Craig Bird.

What does he offer ???
The guy is a spud. Personally the number thing not an issue, hes just no good.
He is slow, falls over to often, doesnt kick enough goals , has no penetration in his kicking and just does sweet &*& all.

Sammy Mitchell had influence , have a look again.

[BSA5]

Craig Bird.

What does he offer ???
The guy is a spud. Personally the number thing not an issue, hes just no good.
He is slow, falls over to often, doesnt kick enough goals , has no penetration in his kicking and just does sweet &*& all.

Sammy Mitchell had influence , have a look again.

Bird had influence, have a look again.

The guy is our cleanest and most composed player in traffic. Yes, he's not quick, yes, his kicking is a bit up-and-under (far from terrible though), but he has an innate ability to find space where there is none and get clean ball away to the outside runners. He was in our top 5 players against the Hawks.

[dimelb]

Bird had influence, have a look again.

The guy is our cleanest and most composed player in traffic. Yes, he's not quick, yes, his kicking is a bit up-and-under (far from terrible though), but he has an innate ability to find space where there is none and get clean ball away to the outside runners. He was in our top 5 players against the Hawks.
The handball wizard strikes again.

[Doctor J.]

For Craig Bird, think Greg Williams. No one wanted him, too slow and can't kick.

For someone who has played < 50 games Bird is well ahead of where Williams was at the same stage. If he can get his body right, he will go on to become one of the most influential midfielders in the comp.

There thats completely stuffed him!!!!!

He'll probably join other notable love children of mine such as Heath James and Sean Dempster

[Primmy]

The handball wizard strikes again.

OOhh I like that. The Handball Wizard. (thought....does that show our age? does anyone else geddit?)

[RogueSwan]

The handball wizard strikes again.


OOhh I like that. The Handball Wizard. (thought....does that show our age? does anyone else geddit?)

We did this last year (http://www.redandwhiteonline.com/forum/showthread.php/30930-Wanted...-A-Forward-Line?p=493863&viewfull=1#post493863)

[Triple B]

We did this last year (http://www.redandwhiteonline.com/forum/showthread.php/30930-Wanted...-A-Forward-Line?p=493863&viewfull=1#post493863)

Who??

[ScottH]

Who??

(clap)

[chuckie]

For those that don't know David Young was a very good player.
I was at a Swans sportsmans night years ago and his name came up, we were told he tore his cartlidge in both knees in his first year with the club, but was made to keep playing although he could hardly run because he was on really good money.
This affected his whole career from then on as he always had trouble with his knees.
Players of that era will tell you he was going to be a star.
He finished up at Collingwood.

[Doctor J.]

For those that don't know David Young was a very good player.
I was at a Swans sportsmans night years ago and his name came up, we were told he tore his cartlidge in both knees in his first year with the club, but was made to keep playing although he could hardly run because he was on really good money.
This affected his whole career from then on as he always had trouble with his knees.
Players of that era will tell you he was going to be a star.
He finished up at Collingwood.

Yep David Young was a very talented footballer who in my opinion his injuries meant we never got to see the best of him. His first year he was one of the keys in us getting into the finals, and if it wasn't for Glendinning in rd 22 busting Young's shoulder with a bump similar to what Yeates did to Dermie in the 89 GF, maybe the result of the 77 elimination final might have been different. As I said we never saw the best of him. He played nearly every game with South after being given pain killimg injections before the game and in some cases at half time.
When he went to Collingwood they knew his knees were stuffed so gave him time to get over his injuries. He did get over them but sadly for him and the football world ruptured his achilles and this ended his career. He is a classic example of injury mis management, that would not happen today.

[BSA5]

Bird playing a pretty handy game so far today. Swallow has barely touched it since Bird moved to him.

[ScottH]

Bird was OK today. I reckon he is warming up, slowly.

[Triple B]

I reckon he was better than OK Scott.

He's got 2 votes from me in the TLM. Very very good IMO

[BSA5]

Bird was OK today. I reckon he is warming up, slowly.

Only OK? After moving onto Swallow, he broke even, or even beat him (remember, Swallow's main influence came in the first quarter, when McVeigh was on him), and Swallow is a champion. Bird consistently found space, won clearances, and hit up targets inside 50 when nobody else could. He was our best out there today IMO.

[RogueSwan]

...Bird ... hit up targets inside 50 when nobody else could...

That is what I loved most about his game today. Some great kicking today.

[swansrule100]

birdy is tracking well in his career, missing almost a year set him back, but he is obviously talented, sometimes a little slow, but he is improving his fitness, he is on of my favourites, he does a lot of extraction work out of the packs that doesnt get u a stat but helps set up clearances.

[BSA5]

Another top notch game today. Thread's starting to look a little bit silly, really.

[bandwagon]

Another top notch game today. Thread's starting to look a little bit silly, really.

Absolutely. Happy to come back to this thread every week and have a little giggle.

[707]

A bit silly?? after last night against Brisbane, this is now a VERY silly thread, maybe it needs to be mothballed?

[goswannies]

The initial intent of this thread was more about the significance of the number 14 gurnsey to the Swans ... NOT Craig Bird.
In the same way Royce Hart's number 4 at Richmond holds significance, and Michael Jordan's 23 for the Chicago Bulls, Port's captain - I think - always wears the number 1; the point of the thread was more about whether the number 14 at the Swans does - or if it should - hold a special significance over and above the fact that two similar Swans champions in Skilton & Kelly wore it. Not once in the initial post did it question whether Bird was an unworthy player to be at the Swans or to have his place in the senior side.

[BSA5]

The initial intent of this thread was more about the significance of the number 14 gurnsey to the Swans ... NOT Craig Bird.
In the same way Royce Hart's number 4 at Richmond holds significance, and Michael Jordan's 23 for the Chicago Bulls, Port's captain - I think - always wears the number 1; the point of the thread was more about whether the number 14 at the Swans does - or if it should - hold a special significance over and above the fact that two similar Swans champions in Skilton & Kelly wore it. Not once in the initial post did it question whether Bird was an unworthy player to be at the Swans or to have his place in the senior side.

I was more referring to some of the responses that followed, rather than the OP.

Although, Bird has plenty of talent. The coaching staff gave the number to him for a reason, and they didn't do it lightly.

[goswannies]

I was more referring to some of the responses that followed, rather than the OP.

Fair call on that, though I think the consensus for most posts is quite rightly pro- Bird.


Although, Bird has plenty of talent.

Agreed. Just needs some luck with injuries. IMO Heath James was skilled too but fragile hammys never allowed him to fulfill his potential... Although the Swans persisted with him as long as they could (and then some).


The coaching staff gave the number to him for a reason, and they didn't do it lightly.

Personally, I'm not sure there needs to be a reason for giving the number 14. It was retired for a couple of years out of respect for Kells (like they did for 5 for Ablett at Geelong). But, apart from Skilts & Kells, there were a lot of players in between who were no more (and possibly less) significant than Craig (except, maybe, player, caretaker coach & long-time servant Tony Franklin). In fact, had Paul Kelly stuck with the original number 45 that he wore for his first 2 seasons, for his entire career, I think the number 14 jumper would have considerably less significant at the Club.

The man maketh the jumper, not the other way around.

[Primmy]

Played like a grownup. Taken a step I would say.

[Cpt. Kirk]

Played like a grownup. Taken a step I would say.

Unfortunate that he has had a bad run with injuries when he started playing around the same time as Jack they both looked to have great potential.