Swans Like Mike

[ScottH]

Contract renewed for 2 more years, till 2014.
Bird for 2 years as well
http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7106/newsid/150463/default.aspx

Morton for 12 months
http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7106/newsid/150459/default.aspx

[gumby_bolts]

And Mr Bird too by the looks of it.

[barry]

And Mr Bird too by the looks of it.

Pyke - 2 years
Bird - 2 years
Morton - a new contract, doesnt say how long.

[erica]

Morton - 1 year
http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7106/newsid/150459/default.aspx

[Jewels]

Pyke - 2 years
Bird - 2 years
Morton - a new contract, doesnt say how long.

Twelve months.

Pyke and Bird have both signed new two-year deals, while Morton extends his tenure at the Swans by a further 12 months.

[Primmy]

oooh that's mean for Morton. Maybe they are signalling to him, ok now lets see what you can do. Its a very short contract!

[CJK]

extends

This

[satchmopugdog]

Morton sounds sooo keen.that's what we want...go Mitch knock em dead in 2013

[Bindo]

Has Jetta re-signed yet? Heard some terrifying rumours on GF day.

[barry]

oooh that's mean for Morton. Maybe they are signalling to him, ok now lets see what you can do. Its a very short contract!

Mitch is at his 3rd club. Its the swans or up-country for him. Also small forwards we have plenty of with McGlynn and Rohan to push into the team. The negotiations heavily favoured the club rather than the player on this one. He'll be year to year for a while I suspect.

[Jewels]

Has Jetta re-signed yet? Heard some terrifying rumours on GF day.

I think if a player of Jetta's calibre was out of contract we would have heard about it by now, there would have been plenty of clubs sniffing around.

[BSA5]

Was Morton only on a one year contract to begin with? Or was(/is) he on a 2 year contract, with that now extended to a third year (so ending at the end of 2014)?

[ShockOfHair]

Says here (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/sydney-veteran-jude-bolton-se-to-play-on-while-the-swans-re-sign-mike-pyke-mitch-morton/story-e6frf9io-1226506604787)Jude is also playing on.

Was there ever any doubt?

[BillyRayCypress]

Says here (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/sydney-veteran-jude-bolton-se-to-play-on-while-the-swans-re-sign-mike-pyke-mitch-morton/story-e6frf9io-1226506604787)Jude is also playing on.

Was there ever any doubt?

Hopefully won't end in tears for him. You can't see him getting through a season with such a significant tear in his acl.

[CJK]

Was Morton only on a one year contract to begin with? Or was(/is) he on a 2 year contract, with that now extended to a third year (so ending at the end of 2014)?

I believe so but everyone is assuming not

[royboy42]

I think if a player of Jetta's calibre was out of contract we would have heard about it by now, there would have been plenty of clubs sniffing around.
I was pretty sure someone from the Swans said our premiership side was all re signed with the exception of Jude, once Pike, Morton and Bird were nailed down?
Antone else recall this?

[ScottH]

Says here (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/sydney-veteran-jude-bolton-se-to-play-on-while-the-swans-re-sign-mike-pyke-mitch-morton/story-e6frf9io-1226506604787)Jude is also playing on.

Was there ever any doubt?

May!!

Just says he is on the list.

[wolftone57]

Hopefully won't end in tears for him. You can't see him getting through a season with such a significant tear in his acl.

Funnily enough I agree with you. I am a bit disappointed as I think one year more might see his body out and I'd hate to see him go out an injured wreck. I reckon if the body starts to give out give up. But Jude would play with both legs broken and his head chopped off!

[Bloody Hell]

Funnily enough I agree with you. I am a bit disappointed as I think one year more might see his body out and I'd hate to see him go out an injured wreck. I reckon if the body starts to give out give up. But Jude would play with both legs broken and his head chopped off!

People talk about the concussion thing with Tippett, but it's much worse for Bolton.

If you look at his post season interview they ask him where he was when the siren sounded - answer = I'm not too sure, I was a bit concussed towards the end.... I've heard him say "a bit concussed" more than any other player.

[leeo]

I think if a player of Jetta's calibre was out of contract we would have heard about it by now, there would have been plenty of clubs sniffing around.

Could of sworn jetta extended his contract last year. 1 year for Morton is a good thing imo, I think it'll push him harder.

[annew]

With Folau now quitting it goes to show what an amazing effort Mike's is. Must have been very committed.

[BillyRayCypress]

With Folau now quitting it goes to show what an amazing effort Mike's is. Must have been very committed.

I think Mike's IQ is considerably higher than "I'll take my pay now Folau".

[neilfws]

Could of sworn jetta extended his contract last year.

You're correct.

Sydney Swans re-sign livewire Lewis Jetta until the end of 2013 as local rival GWS continue to circle. (http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/sydney-swans-re-sign-livewire-lewis-jetta-until-the-end-of-2013-as-local-rival-gws-continue-to-circle/story-e6frf3e3-1226043691950)

[Velour&Ruffles]

With Folau now quitting it goes to show what an amazing effort Mike's is. Must have been very committed.

Too right - he is one of the really great AFL stories of all time.

Up yours, BT.

[YvonneH]

With Folau now quitting it goes to show what an amazing effort Mike's is. Must have been very committed.

There have been a number of articles lately that have used Mike as an example i.e. one on the looking at international recruits. Just another feather in the cap of the Sydney Swans recruiting team and our team 'culture'

[liz]

There have been a number of articles lately that have used Mike as an example i.e. one on the looking at international recruits. Just another feather in the cap of the Sydney Swans recruiting team and our team 'culture'

It is possible that Folau wouldn't have stuck it out, or become good enough, regardless of which club he joined. But when you hear Mike (or Tadhg) talk about their time learning the game, you realise just how many people at the club spent huge amounts of time with them, not just teaching them skills, but also teaching them about the game and about its history. Given the make-up of the Giants' list, specifically the sheer number of teenagers they are still absorbing into their club and the dearth of senior players to mentor all the youngsters, it is hard to imagine they have / had the resources to invest into Folau to immerse him into the game to anything like the same level.

[Primmy]

Far too logical liz. But ok, I think I agree with you 100%. Also he has immediate family who are all NRLers. Players and followers. Must have been very difficult to be the odd one out, without enough resources to make the afl game magic.

[Go Swannies]

I said to him at the B&F - "for the rest of your life you'll be an AFL Premiership play." and he replied "I've already thought of that" and then gave an uncharacteristic big grin.

[jono2707]

Izzy just never seemed to get it. Karmichael has done so much better as he seems to read the play fairly well and he gives the impression that he wants to master this game. Mike Pyke seems to be the same and he looks to be a smart guy, therefore able to take on the great coaching he's received. He took his game to another level in the GF and hopefully he can keep it up.

Now if GWS had gotten their original target, Jarrod Hayne, well he could have been anything. He would make a great AFL player and GWS would still be spewing that they didn't get him to start with.

[BillyRayCypress]

Folau was able bodied to play but they forgot to check whether he was able minded. He wasn't and would never have picked up the requirements of the game.

I have a pack of leftover leaflets that will probably go into the recycle bin that the AFL printed prior to last junior footy season. They had a picture of Keiren Jack on one side and Folau on the other. I was considering using them as letterbox drops in a certain suburb but question the value of that with Folau's defection. Unless someone here can think of a funny caption to add.

I doubt Hayne would have been much better to Folau and the league player poaching experiment is finished I hope. Another example of some pea brained official who thinks kids will convert to league because of either Hunt or Folau.

Both Pyke and Hunt not only have the necessary I.Q to learn the game but most importantly, the passion to learn and play.

[MightyBloods]

People forget that Hunt played aussie rules as a junior. Work ethic aside, no one can discount the value of learning the basics of a game as a young kid. This was always going to make Hunt's transition to AFL easier than Folau's.

[ABloodsMan]

Hunt played 2 games of footy for his school. He came into this with the same amount of experience as Folau.

[Auntie.Gerald]

also Hunt was always in creative positions ie 5/8 / Lock in his junior years and then FB for many years at the highest level

these are positions where one needs great lateral vision and great fitness as well

Issy played run straight and hard or leap over your opposition and that is it.........in two yrs from now if Issy persisted like Mike he could be anything !