Swans website says Macca, Jack and Hanners are in line to play Collingwood!
Swans website says Macca, Jack and Hanners are in line to play Collingwood!
That doesn't really excite me very much.
Add Rohan, Towers, Rose and Foote to that list and it would be pretty upsetting.
McVeigh is the only player who should be walking straight back in to the team, and there is little chance he is 100%
What is it they say about playing injured players?
Regardless, McVeigh has always taken 2 or 3 games to get back to his best.
The difference between insanity and genius is measured only in success.
Last edited by liz; 31st July 2018 at 08:38 PM. Reason: Typo - "except", not "expect"
Agree totally. Will be livid if that happens. And if Longmire and the other coaches think that rushing back the likes of Hannabery and Jack is the right thing to do considering that their form this year hardly even justifies selection at all, then we really do have some major issues with our decision makers off field...Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
Interesting thoughts from Rohan Connolly: Has Sydney's consistency proved a double-edged sword? | Footyology
Has Sydney’s consistency proved a double-edged sword?
Rohan Connolly
It goes without saying of a club which has missed out on finals just once in the past 15 seasons that consistency is a trademark. And in a competition tighter than ever, Sydney’s proud record over that period has been phenomenal.
The Swans have been less prone than any rival to flighty ups and downs not just from week to week, but season to season. But it’s the logical extension of that big plus which, perversely, right now is a big worry.
When Sydney loses four games from five, can it be dismissed merely as a bad form slump? Or is there something more entrenched and consequently a bigger cause for concern?
Last edited by liz; 31st July 2018 at 09:22 PM. Reason: Please don't repost in full content from another site. Just a paragraph or two, plus a link, is fine
I don't think this article says anything particular insightful or new, but I think it's largely spot on. We probably do depend more on our top handful than most clubs. It's been the case ever since the decision was made to commit a relatively large proportion of the salary cap to Tippett and Franklin, while also having a handful of top notch midfielders who demanded good salaries. That has limited the club's ability to chase up and coming talent from other clubs. I think we have fewer imports currently on our list than any other club - just four at the moment (and that includes Tippett).
And our consistent finals have meant we haven't had much access to top draft picks, though access to Heeney and Mills lessens that effect somewhat.
But what can the club do other than gradually try to introduce more top line talent into the side while trying to maintain its playing standards (and sometimes managing that but not achieving it, as has been the case for periods this year and last)? When we've been winning, the media has congratulated the club for "rebuilding on the run". When we're losing, people like Connolly point it out as if it's something insightful.
Generally I find Rohan Connolly one of the more informed and less hysterical commentators, however while his article has some good points, he does look overlook the fact that West Coast lost all three games without their main forwards, and the game against North without Kennedy. His point about the youth and inexperience of our team at present is one that many other commentators have ignored. Remember, it usually takes a young player at least 2-3 preseasons to build up the stamina and strength to get through an AFL season. Isaac Heeney was rested for several games during his first season, but this season the young guys have had to carry the load. Two six game breaks will only exacerbate that physical stress on young bodies, and it seems like several of them have now hit the proverbial wall.
Having said all that however, although we may now slide down the ladder this year, the silver lining is a top 10 draft pick plus Nick Blakey, with guys who have played finals for years finally having time to get fit again, and another preseason plus invaluable experience for the young lads. Whilst the football press seems to be salivating over Sydney’s demise, I’m thinking Geelong 2006.
I agree that his citing of West Coast is a strange counter-example to the Swans.
The Pies are the best example of a club that has coped remarkably well with some real quality out of its side, though I think their ladder position is somewhat inflated by playing a lot of the bottom teams twice.
My changes would be Jack, Hannebery, McVeigh for Jones, Fox and Newman. Any of these three ins would be better (even half fit and out of form) than the outs, with the exception of Jones. At least they are totally familiar with the the team defensive structures.
Those who have the greatest power to hurt us are those we love.
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