We owe the crows a belting

[veramex]

The Crows always make me nervous and us getting so much attention might be touch distracting. Perhaps what scares me the most is that I'm buying into the hype. Does anyone really think players aren't susceptible to buying into it as well, especially the younger ones?

A couple of real reputation threatening danger games up ahead. Richmond at the MCG poses the larger challenge, but the Crows improvement is a touch worrying too. We're the number one contested team, they're the number two. Key role playing job has to be on Dangerfield who is winning so many clearances and racking up the possies.

Hopefully we do a nice, four quarter North Melbourne job on them.

We will be fine. Adelaides wins have come against suns, giants, port and bulldogs. They lacked 4qtr effort against hawks (sound familar to anyone watching the swans last year). Their defence will struggle - as long as we can win it in the middle or go very close to 50/50 we will be fine. Go the swannies!

[Jewels]

I'm sick of the stupid radar and I hope we've smashed it by now. I would prefer that we lead from the front and have such an air of superiority about us for the next few years that we intimidate our rivals and have them beaten pretty much before they take the park against us. It's worked for teams like Geelong and Collingwood, so why can't it be our turn now???

Yep I'm with you Jono, stuff the bloody radar!

[Big Al]

al I am a cold shirker & I am already in thermals How can you wear shorts at night at this time of year? I will be wearing a fleecy shirt, thick jeans, windcheater and jacket (if needed).

I only wear long pants when I have to and that's at work and formal functions. Every other time I wear shorts regardless of what time of year it is. Some people keep 234 cats or save their hair in scrap books, always wearing shorts is my little quirk.

[Jewels]

I only wear long pants when I have to and that's at work and formal functions. Every other time I wear shorts regardless of what time of year it is. Some people keep 234 cats or save their hair in scrap books, always wearing shorts is my little quirk.

My husband shares your quirk Al. He works through the night and amazes everyone that no matter how cold, how wet and miserable, he always wears shorts. Longish shorts but shorts non the less.

[Big Al]

My husband shares your quirk Al. He works through the night and amazes everyone that no matter how cold, how wet and miserable, he always wears shorts. Longish shorts but shorts non the less.

When I watched the Reserves at Tuggeranong last year in the freezing cold I got some strange looks. I assumed it was because they weren't used to someone that good looking at their ground. In hindsight it could have been because of the shorts.

[Dosser]

When I watched the Reserves at Tuggeranong last year in the freezing cold I got some strange looks. I assumed it was because they weren't used to someone that good looking at their ground. In hindsight it could have been because of the shorts.

As I understand it Al, the looks you got from the men would have been envious, and from the women it would have been pure, unbridled desire.

[Big Al]

As I understand it Al, the looks you got from the men would have been envious, and from the women it would have been pure, unbridled desire.

Gee I hope so... Bit awkward if it was the other way around.

[Dosser]

Gee I hope so... Bit awkward if it was the other way around.

Beggars can't be choosers?

[cherub]

Yep I'm with you Jono, stuff the bloody radar!

My worry is that other clubs will try and poach our guys when they come out of contract. I know it looks like a really cohesive group, but the window for these guys to make good money is limited. I do have faith that the administration have strategised to weight and time contracts as well as possible, but the point of the salary cap was to equalise teams. Still the prospect of long term success must be tantalising. And most other clubs aren't as good at bringing out the best in these guys.

[GongSwan]

My worry is that other clubs will try and poach our guys when they come out of contract. I know it looks like a really cohesive group, but the window for these guys to make good money is limited. I do have faith that the administration have strategised to weight and time contracts as well as possible, but the point of the salary cap was to equalise teams. Still the prospect of long term success must be tantalising. And most other clubs aren't as good at bringing out the best in these guys.

I think the culture at the club is good enough to retain players who might get a few extra dollars elsewhere. The promise of a group of young players coming through together also weighs in our favour. If we look at how many players have left the Swans because they wanted to leave, I think that's a pretty short list. Imagine too, what a club would have to give up to get JPK or Parker off us, they'd have to buy Cloke or Buddy and trade them, plus maybe a draft pick. So unless a player is very unhappy with things at the Swans, which seems unlikely at this point, we're a good chance at keeping them all. This might be Jude's last year too, and I say might be, which would leave room for a draft pick at a lower pay scale

[Melbourne_Blood]

It has been spoken of before of how close our playing group is. With a lot of players coming from around the country and not knowing anybody when they get to club, they form close bonds to their teammates, who they not only spent time with at the club, but also socially ( plus many live together). For many they have no social group outside the club as they dont know anyone else in Sydney. This and other factors ( the Bloods culture, influence of past and present champions etc.) would mean it would be fair to say out of any club that was going to lose players to bigger pay cheques, we would have to be close to the most impervious.

[707]

The next four games are huge for us.

Adelaide we rarely beat, even when we should

Richmond, it's two or is it three shock wins against us in the past few seasons

Melbourne, that embarrassing thrashing in 2010 and the draw last year

St.Kilda, we wouldn't want to drop that one either.

So if we can beat these four sides we not only set ourselves up for a potentially high finish but it will almost expunge all those nightmare recent results against them.

Please Swans, keep on rolling for another month at least .... please :-)