Round 2 - Fremantle

**Cheer Squad** · 2nd April 2012, 07:24 AM

Hmmmm.

We come into Round 2 having had a weeks break , following an almost unconvincing win against the Giants, which was really little more than Round 5 of the NAB Cup.

The Dockers are coming off a thrilling, hard fought win against the Cats. It's fair to say their preparation coming into this game has been far better than ours.

More importantly, their recent form against us at the SCG has been very good, with comfortable wins against us last year, and the year before. So the ground holds no fears for them. They know how to win over here.

Has anything really changed in terms of the team we put on the park against them in Round 17 last year?

It would be nice to see us score a win at our first home game, but to be honest, the signs are not good. And what happens if it rains?

The heart says the Swans, but the head says the Dockers. By about 2-3 goals.

**wolftone57** · 2nd April 2012, 07:48 AM

Cheer Squad I think it all depends on the team we put on the park. We have to get out of this mind set that we are picking our best team based on past performance and experience. Today's game calls for a far different approach. This approach needs to take in the complexities of the team you are playing and where it is being played. If this were being played at Pattersons for instance an extra runner would be good but at the SCG Talls tend to be valuable. The Dockers have a very mobile and tall rucking division and we have to take that into account and not doing that would lead to disaster. The midfield match ups have to be right even if it means Smithy playing a defensive mid role. So I don't think every player who played round one is a cert to play this week.

**lwoggardner** · 2nd April 2012, 09:12 AM

Originally Posted by Cheer Squad

Has anything really changed in terms of the team we put on the park against them in Round 17 last year?

OPSM number 18 won't be there for the other side.

**Primmy** · 2nd April 2012, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by lwoggardner

OPSM number 18 won't be there for the other side.

good point. however there are three others who are vying for his position.......

**Sandridge** · 2nd April 2012, 10:23 AM

If the Dockers don't get 7 goals from free kicks like they did last year we'd have to be a chance!

**Aaron** · 2nd April 2012, 11:43 AM

The forecast is a few showers. Hopefully no rain in the 4 quarters and we can have a win

**ShockOfHair** · 2nd April 2012, 11:52 AM

I'm not sure we've improved much from last year, but in a wild fit of early season optimism I'm tipping the red and white.

**Dosser** · 2nd April 2012, 12:49 PM

I hope that Freo may have lost a bit of their SCG advantage as the result of incorporating a new game plan under a new coach. They are big, they are faaaast, they have Sandilands and my current non-swans man-crush: Nathan Fyffe. Our bigs are slower than theirs (Goodes excepted) and we are at about 60% of their disposal skill level. I just hope that the Geelong game and this week's travel take a lot out of them, but then we are coming out of a bye and dont perform well either. I was impressed/concerned by the standard of Freo on the weekend and think they may have a harder edge now. It doesnt look good for us, but then we NEVER give in. A tough tussle but the Dockers by 14.

**Big Al** · 2nd April 2012, 01:07 PM

booooooooooooooo...

you might be right though.

**Triple B** · 2nd April 2012, 05:03 PM

Originally Posted by Dosser

...but then we NEVER give in.

We will NEVER, SURRENDER.... be a good line for a club song.

**top40** · 2nd April 2012, 05:43 PM

Originally Posted by Dosser

I hope that Freo may have lost a bit of their SCG advantage as the result of incorporating a new game plan under a new coach. They are big, they are faaaast, they have Sandilands and my current non-swans man-crush: Nathan Fyffe. Our bigs are slower than theirs (Goodes excepted) and we are at about 60% of their disposal skill level. I just hope that the Geelong game and this week's travel take a lot out of them, but then we are coming out of a bye and dont perform well either. I was impressed/concerned by the standard of Freo on the weekend and think they may have a harder edge now. It doesnt look good for us, but then we NEVER give in. A tough tussle but the Dockers by 14.

Historically there is a roller coaster record involving Freo and the Swans at the SCG.

The first two games, in 1995 and 1996 were won by the Dockers. The '95 game was remembered for a crowd of 11,000 watching Plugger kick his 100th season goal, and his 1,000th career goal. The 1996 Round 2 game which the Swans lost, gave no sign of the season that lied ahead for both teams in season 1996.

However, from 1998 until 2007 things returned to a predictable Swans dominance. Seven strong wins straight. Small ground, often damp conditions, why shouldn't Sydney have been so strong?

The signs of a return to the Dockers having an upper hand arose in 2008. That game saw Fremantle via Matthew Pavlich deep in the final quarter, kicking but missing a goal that would have given them a 19 point lead. Eventually Sydney narrowly won.

Then we have two of the worse games I have ever seen at the SCG: Sydney V Fremantle 2010, and Sydney v Fremantle 2011. Both games were notoriously over umpired, both resulted in Dockers victories. The former game Sandillands dominanted a Swans teams missing a suspended Shane Mumford for the tackle against Gary Ablett. The latter game will infamously be remembered as the day "Razor Ray robs us".

History suggests that the Dockers should be favourite. Ironically, their coach, Ross Lyon has never been a senior coach for a SCG game in his entire now six season career.

Fremantle by 14.