2013: The defining year for the Swans and a lot more

[Ludwig]

So much happened in 2013 that I think we will be talking about this year for a very long time. It's too difficult to say how much will be good and how much bad.

It started with the loss of Alex Johnson with an ACL injury.

A couple of months later there was the Indigenous Round incident with Adam Goodes, which has carried on till now and likely to go beyond.

Then, of course, there is the signing of Buddy Franklin and everything that comes with that, from the loss of Mummy and a few other players, and setting in motion several punitive measures by the AFL that might bite hard for many years to come.

With the benefit of hindsight, a few less evident matters are becoming clearer.

Despite having acquired Tippett in the previous year and Mike Pyke having a banner year in 2013, the club went into a mini panic with the loss of Mummy that may also have long lasting repercussions. Part of this is a result of 2013 looking to be an excellent draft year, with very few duds popping up even as we look into picks in the 40s and few genuine stars are sure to come out of this draft.

Before the ND began we already committed 2 spots to ruckmen with questionable credentials. Tom Derickx was a panic move and really unnecessary. The other was the American Pat Mitchell. They turned out to be poor choices, but mistakes are made and so be it. Why we signed Tom for another 2 years is beyond me.

But the real focus is on the 2013 National Draft. It would seem that we wanted Zak Jones and I can see why we liked him. He's a real competitor and has a lot of talent as well. It must have been hard to judge who would be available at pick 32, but with Hewett available, he had to be taken. I would suspect that we would have liked a KPD at that spot, and perhaps had our eye on McStay, who was snatched up by Brisbane at pick 25.

It's that next pick #35 when we took Toby Nankervis that baffles me. Here we have a ruckman who has years of development ahead of him. There are only 8 picks to be taken before our next pick at #44, and only one club, the WB, who might be interested in a ruckman. And there is still Ben Brown available, who eventually went to NM at pick 47. Aliir was not even rated as a rookie prospect, so would have easily been available at our first rookie slot, which we passed on for lack of space. He should have been taken at that selection instead of signing Pat Mitchell.

Between picks 35 and 44 we see the following key defenders get drafted:
Alex Pearce, who is looking good at Freo after 10 games.
Cameron Giles, who was picked by Carlton, but has not played due to injury, but is a good prospect nonetheless.
Jake Kolodjashnij, who has pushed Jared Rivers out of the Geelong backline and played well against us on Saturday.
Tom Barrass, who also played well against us in the Eagles game.

I was hoping we would take Kolodjashnij at the time, but we took Nankervis instead. As it turned out the WB took mature ager Mathew Fuller, so both Nankervis and Brown would have almost certainly been available at pick 44 anyway.

Given that we already knew that AJ had surgery complications, it would have been nice to have picked up one of those KPDs in the 2013 draft, especially given that we won't have the opportunity to get any this year due to the need to use most of our draft picks on Mills and the trade restrictions and salary cap reduction.

Perhaps if we had won the 2014 GF the club management would have been hailed as geniuses. But history is what it is and now we seem to be in a malaise and left wondering where it went all went wrong. Something wasn't right about how we played that 2nd half at Geelong, but I don't know what it is. We haven't looked right all year.

[Scottee]

Not a good year Ludwig. It seems that we don't manage well post premiership. Just hope that we get the opportunity to test our skills there again before too long. It looks like a large mountain to climb ATM.

[barry]

What really threw our ruck syrategy out the window was the sub rule.. we could no longer play 2 ruckman at once. This forced us to choose between mummy and pyke, both better together than as individuals.

[DA_Swan]

I blame Joe Daniher not coming as a father son in 2012 Draft for 2013 - the classic sliding door scenario for him and us walks into a drug contoversy at Essendon and we end up pissing off the rest of the competition eventually losing COLA in securing Tippett and Buddy - one of them would have been great - i remember when a coach said you cant have too many midfielders - we have and we will need to trade someone with ability eventually to get near a quality key defender

[Ampersand]

Given our problem is primarily in attack I'm not sure how much stock I'd put in missing out on KPDs.

I said a few weeks ago after the Lions game that the issue doesn't come down to personnel - we've had injuries/suspensions, yes, but the team is not substantially different from the one that pulled off the streak last year - but the fact that the psychological fallout from the 2014 GF has never actually been dealt with. Sure, they sat down and reviewed the game on Monday but how on earth did our captains maintain their positions after that insipid leadership performance? How can you fully trust your teammates again when they fail to show up for the biggest game of the year? How can you trust the coaching staff when they apparently have and continue to have no plan for when the wheels fall off? And, most importantly, how can you truly aspire to get back to the big stage when it was also the site of one of your biggest humiliations?

Players are playing tentatively and without confidence that their effort will be ultimately rewarded.

[barry]

Hard to believe we were flag favs last year.
I agree, its a confidence thing.

[707]

Re Daniher, whilst no one knew it at the time, Essendon has turned into a quagmire with seemingly no way forward.

I watched a bit of the GWS (this a side missing a heap of their best players) running all over them in the last quarter of yesterday's game and shots of James Hird in the coaches box tells a story - he looks like a bloke who doesn't want to be there but keeps insisting he is still the Messiah!

Daniher may not play finals for a very long time as I reckon regardless of WADA outcome, the Essendon list is in very bad shape with no easy way back. Their @@@@@ of a recruiting manager has his work cut out.

[Scottee]

Given our problem is primarily in attack I'm not sure how much stock I'd put in missing out on KPDs.

I said a few weeks ago after the Lions game that the issue doesn't come down to personnel - we've had injuries/suspensions, yes, but the team is not substantially different from the one that pulled off the streak last year - but the fact that the psychological fallout from the 2014 GF has never actually been dealt with. Sure, they sat down and reviewed the game on Monday but how on earth did our captains maintain their positions after that insipid leadership performance? How can you fully trust your teammates again when they fail to show up for the biggest game of the year? How can you trust the coaching staff when they apparently have and continue to have no plan for when the wheels fall off? And, most importantly, how can you truly aspire to get back to the big stage when it was also the site of one of your biggest humiliations?

Players are playing tentatively and without confidence that their effort will be ultimately rewarded.

I think you nailed the psychology of it Ampersand.

[liz]

And, most importantly, how can you truly aspire to get back to the big stage when it was also the site of one of your biggest humiliations?

That's the question that I've been pondering in recent weeks. I don't think it's affecting all the players - Jetts and Hanners seem to have come out this season committed to being better. And I can't imagine Buddy ever being fearful of failure. But you have to wonder how many of them really, truly want to get back there, certainly in 2015 with the Hawks looking as good as ever.

[Melbournehammer]

That's the question that I've been pondering in recent weeks. I don't think it's affecting all the players - Jetts and Hanners seem to have come out this season committed to being better. And I can't imagine Buddy ever being fearful of failure. But you have to wonder how many of them really, truly want to get back there, certainly in 2015 with the Hawks looking as good as ever.

I must say Liz that if that is the case we seriously have a weak team. Most elite sportspeople want to have another crack again and again and again. Think Lleyton Hewett against roger federer. Certainly he would have to believe that everything would have had to go right for him to win. But he sure as heck wasnt trying to avoid that outcome.

They have been humiliated a few times because they are not good enough. But I actually think its mostly that they have been found out for two things - 1. we lack run from the backline and 2. we lack skills to pass to advantage consistently in the forward line.

I think it is more that we - when we are running on top of the ground - can pressure teams into error and we take advantage of that. Once the pressure slows down though we cant move the ball and we cant stop the ball from being moved.

At the moment they are being humiliated by everyone. every week. every game. i dont think it is fear of that, because that is already happening. I think our limitations are just becoming more glaringly obvious

[stevoswan]

A defining year indeed, a year where the Swans continued with aggressive (and opportunistic) recruiting in an attempt to ensure a strong future. What will define the year more than anything else I think, is the AFL's and associated Victorian clubs response to an 'outsider' acting like a powerful/aggressive Victorian club. They didn't like it one bit, and vindictively put us back in our place, going overboard to placate the squealing Mexicans. Petulant and unprofessional! I think 2013 actually defines the AFL as a zenophobic bunch of morons more than anything else, cowardly acting with little grace or transparency, safe in the knowledge the dumb and impressionable masses would be on their side anyway thereby avoiding what would be justifiable controversy. The truth is slowly coming out, and we may yet not have seen the end to this sorry saga, but again, the a fore mentioned lack of empathy and unwillingness to embrace truth south of the border(including most of the press) will most likely ultimately see this current and unjust status quo remain...... As for the future of our 'handicapped' club down the track, I don't even know where to start, there are so many variables and possibilities to consider (including my mental health!) I'm probably better off just sitting back, while attempting to maintain a positive outlook, and let it all unfold, in the hope the current management/coaches know what they're doing. I sincerely hope they have revenge at the forefront of their thinking.......that said, it is strange and possibly, testing times ahead for Swans fans, especially considering that this year has been, let's face it, a poor response from the team to last years GF humiliation........But as always, GO SWANS (and **** the AFL!!!!!)

[rojo]

Is Stewie Maxfield still with the Swans?

Stewie Dew could have been in the running for the Melbourne coach's job and is said to be in the running for the Carlton gig and played hard in his time but what is his stand-out input at the Swans? It was 'rumoured' that Ross Lion was the engine that had the players ticking over during his time as assistant undf Roos.

I was a bit surprised to read in Josh Francou's report prior to the game v Geelong that he 'hoped' the Swans were going to be on their game. I don't necessarily agree with a lot of motivational hype but when the media were in the Hawks' change rooms earlier this year and the cameras flashed around there was a big sign up saying something like, 'We are the hunters'. Who is there driving the Bloods ethos these days? Macca does not seem have that natural hard-edgedness and Jack is pretty low key .

After the Grand Final loss there was an opportunity to revisit where the Swans were at and redefine the 'culture'. Come up with something a bit new that all the players like Buddy and KT etc. could have input into and all buy into something fresh. To me it seemed at the beginning of the year it was too much same old, same old, when it shouldn't have been in light of the GF melt-down.

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Is Stewie Maxfield still with the Swans?

Stewie Dew could have been in the running for the Melbourne coach's job and is said to be in the running for the Carlton gig and played hard in his time but what is his stand-out input at the Swans? It was 'rumoured' that Ross Lion was the engine that had the players ticking over during his time as assistant under Roos.

I was a bit surprised to read in Josh Francou's report prior to the game v Geelong that he 'hoped' the Swans were going to be on their game. I don't necessarily agree with a lot of motivational hype but when the media were in the Hawks' change rooms earlier this year and the cameras flashed around there was a big sign up saying something like, 'We are the hunters'. Who is there driving the Bloods ethos these days? Macca does not seem have that natural hard-edgedness and Jack is pretty low key .

After the Grand Final loss there was an opportunity to revisit where the Swans were at and redefine the 'culture'. Come up with something a bit new that all the players like Buddy and KT etc. could have input into and all buy into something fresh. To me it seemed at the beginning of the year it was too much same old, same old, when it shouldn't have been in light of the GF melt-down.