Mid-season review - what do you want from the rest of the year

[Mark Busuttil]

I don't know about anybody else, but I was pleased with the fight of the Swans against the Hawks.
I love the club & I always want them to win. Having said that, I think that there are tough times ahead. I think that making the finals would be putting up wallpaper to hide cracks that seem to be getting bigger. The lapse against the Bulldogs was unreal - it's like they went for a tea break. What's frustrating is that they did the same thing in the 2nd qtr in Canberra last year too!!!
Personally, I hope they are competitive in most of the games we have left (especially against Collingwood) & that those living in Melbourne (including myself) actually get to see them win a game.
Is this draft the tainted draft or is it just the 17yo that are now at mercy of Gold Coast?
Do we play the kids & start rebuilding from now - low finishes after this year will yield little with the 2nd NSW team coming into the comp (what a stupid move by the AFL this is - but let's save that for another thread.)
Or should the club do whatever it takes to make the finals (eg. go for experience over youth, etc.). I've heard many supporters say that the club can't "bottom out" because the finances will go down the toilet.
Is there any point of finishing 7-8, playing first final in Melbourne (maybe) & getting belted like has happened many times in 80's, 90's & even last year (ok, last year we finished 6th, beat the Roos & then got belted in Melbourne.)
I'm sick of not being in a game, having no chance of winning & then closing it us at the end to have a "respectable" loss. (like Rnd 1 against Saints).

Anyway, I've said enough - what does everybody else think/hope/wish/expect?

[liz]

Is this draft the tainted draft or is it just the 17yo that are now at mercy of Gold Coast?

The latter

[Bas]

I'd be happy for them to bottom out if the draft was good.

Unfortunately it won't happen in a Sydney market.

[smasher]

I feel we recruited very well last year when we went for two fast players (Hannebury,Heath) and Lewis Johnstone for a key position.We chose to grab their signatures then let them finish schooling commitments in Victoria and we will gain the benefit next year.The draft will,apparantly,not give us the choice we would be going for as the GC seems to have it all wrapped up.We therefore showed great insight by what we did in 2008.Hopefully we will reap the benefits.
I haven't given up on DOK either.Some players come on quicker than others.

[Triple B]

I feel we recruited very well last year when we went for two fast players (Hannebury,Heath) ............

Hannebury looked sensational in the couple of games he played for lots of reasons, but his speed wasn't one of them.

[msb]

Just beat collingwood, at least once anyway! And being in Melbourne myself, I wouldnt mind seeing a win here, best hope is against the tigers later in the year.

[Cant turn right]

I want them to win as many games as possible, particularly ones against the odds.

[Plugger46]

Make the finals again, which I expect us to do.

[Lucky Knickers]

- Turn up to play in the first quarter of all remaining games
- Improve our forward pressure
- Beat Pies and Crows

[CureTheSane]

Anything short of winning the flag will be a disappointment.

I personally think the team is still lulling the opposing teams into a false sense of us being really crap.

[dimelb]

Beat Collingwood.
AND go all out to rebuild, not just do it if we lose.

[SwansFan1972]

Beat who we should beat (which should have included Hawks on Sunday), and be competitive against those who have the wood on us quality wise (ie, not the pies and crows, puleeeze lets beat them, as we should).

Whatever ladder position falls our way from that, so be it. It would be great to see them go 7-4 in the back half of the season (probably minimum needed to appear in finals) but this year I reckon making the finals is only going to lead to heartbreak for all bar two teams, one of whom is also destined for heartbreak on the big day anyway.

Would much rather make finals in a year when our team and others mean they have a realistic shot at the ultimate prize. Scratching and scraping into the finals as an end in itself seems pointless to me.