Reggi
18th April 2004, 11:34 AM
Today's game is vital for Swans
By STUART MAXFIELD
April 18, 2004
THERE'S no question there's certainly a bit of an extra feeling whenever we take on the Kangaroos ? a feeling that probably does go right back to 1996 when they beat us in the grand final.
It would be simple to say that grand final loss has us fired up every time we play them, but the fact is there's only a handful of us left from that grand final team and if we've got to draw on that for motivation when we take on the Kangaroos, then we are in trouble.
Put simply the rivalry isn't a poisonous one, or one of hate.
It's borne out of one factor ... a very healthy respect.
The Swans have a great amount of respect for the achievements of the North Melbourne Football Club.
They are a club with a small supporter base, with ordinary training facilities, yet a club that is always competitive and always one of the hardest to beat.
I can't remember too many easy games against North. A couple of years ago we beat them by 100 points but that was a real one off. Most of the time, the games are tight and we've won a couple of them in memorable comebacks.
The Kangaroos have a lot of great players who are just so competitive and so consistent.
Guys like Leigh Culbert and Anthony Stevens are very good players who make you compete every minute of the game.
I guess the management of both clubs have a bigger, more personal rivalry than the players.
A couple of years ago, there was a lot of talk about them trying to move into Sydney and stealing some of our fans. It didn't go down too well when it came to the people running the club but the players didn't really get too caught up in the politics.
From my perspective, they were simply a club trying to improve.
By the same token, I can see how that would have enhanced any rivalry between the two clubs.
The Kangaroos pride themselves on playing a very intense, physical game .. they are a team who loves to go hard at the footy.
Naturally, we like that style as well and the challenge whenever we have played them has always been to match that physical type of game.
I think back to that grand final loss and the experience it was ... what a great contest it was.
The game probably could have gone either way at some stage ? basically like any game against North.
There are a few clashes that stick out, but none more so when we played them at the SCG back in 1999 and came from seven goals down to beat them at the death. It was one of our great wins and the atmosphere at the ground was something else.
Today, I'm expecting nothing more than another really tight contest. I don't really know a lot of their boys personally but I get the feeling by the way they play they'd all be a pretty good bunch of blokes.
Like always we will respect them enormously, knowing that if we are going to win, we are really going to have to earn it.
http://www.sundaytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,9353,9307810-28780,00.html
By STUART MAXFIELD
April 18, 2004
THERE'S no question there's certainly a bit of an extra feeling whenever we take on the Kangaroos ? a feeling that probably does go right back to 1996 when they beat us in the grand final.
It would be simple to say that grand final loss has us fired up every time we play them, but the fact is there's only a handful of us left from that grand final team and if we've got to draw on that for motivation when we take on the Kangaroos, then we are in trouble.
Put simply the rivalry isn't a poisonous one, or one of hate.
It's borne out of one factor ... a very healthy respect.
The Swans have a great amount of respect for the achievements of the North Melbourne Football Club.
They are a club with a small supporter base, with ordinary training facilities, yet a club that is always competitive and always one of the hardest to beat.
I can't remember too many easy games against North. A couple of years ago we beat them by 100 points but that was a real one off. Most of the time, the games are tight and we've won a couple of them in memorable comebacks.
The Kangaroos have a lot of great players who are just so competitive and so consistent.
Guys like Leigh Culbert and Anthony Stevens are very good players who make you compete every minute of the game.
I guess the management of both clubs have a bigger, more personal rivalry than the players.
A couple of years ago, there was a lot of talk about them trying to move into Sydney and stealing some of our fans. It didn't go down too well when it came to the people running the club but the players didn't really get too caught up in the politics.
From my perspective, they were simply a club trying to improve.
By the same token, I can see how that would have enhanced any rivalry between the two clubs.
The Kangaroos pride themselves on playing a very intense, physical game .. they are a team who loves to go hard at the footy.
Naturally, we like that style as well and the challenge whenever we have played them has always been to match that physical type of game.
I think back to that grand final loss and the experience it was ... what a great contest it was.
The game probably could have gone either way at some stage ? basically like any game against North.
There are a few clashes that stick out, but none more so when we played them at the SCG back in 1999 and came from seven goals down to beat them at the death. It was one of our great wins and the atmosphere at the ground was something else.
Today, I'm expecting nothing more than another really tight contest. I don't really know a lot of their boys personally but I get the feeling by the way they play they'd all be a pretty good bunch of blokes.
Like always we will respect them enormously, knowing that if we are going to win, we are really going to have to earn it.
http://www.sundaytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,9353,9307810-28780,00.html