Hard to understand how making the finals is a fail.
Take into account injuries, retirements etc and who knows what could have been.
Same for all clubs of course, but for me, you make the finals and season = a win regardless.
Hard to understand how making the finals is a fail.
Take into account injuries, retirements etc and who knows what could have been.
Same for all clubs of course, but for me, you make the finals and season = a win regardless.
The difference between insanity and genius is measured only in success.
If your goal is to win a premiership, then you have to treat not winning one as a fail. This year we never looking like winning one. It felt like we were making up the numbers all year long.
Or to put it another way - 2018 was a fail because, for whatever reason, we weren't good enough to be a genuine contender. That's a lower standard we didn't meet.
If your goal is to win a premiership every year, your football life will be very sad.
Everyone wants to win a flag, but it isn't going to happen for 17 teams every year.
Saying that the team that wins the flag is the only successful team is short sighted and to some degree elitist.
Members are at an all time high = success
Swans not collapsing at the end of the season after some poor games = success
Swans winning percentage despite losing a key forward, ruckman and ruck/forward and other key players during the year = success
The difference between insanity and genius is measured only in success.
Two posts....two different conclusions. Which one is the more realistic? Here's my 'two cents worth'.....
A glass half empty view and displays a lack of grip on the realities of what constitutes success and largely ignores this seasons adversities.
A glass half full view which displays a better grip on the realities of what constitutes success and rightly considers this seasons adversities.....
The view that concludes that a clubs season is a failure just because it didn't win the premiership is elitist in the extreme......and potentially damaging to the clubs chances of future success because in the face of perceived 'failure', blame games begin and kneejerk decisions are made......potentially very destructive to a clubs fabric.
The 'end of season review' will obviously identify areas of failure (game plan, possibly fitness and conditioning, etc) and work on them but I'm sure our club will push on with a sensible and confident 'glass half full' approach.....which hopefully makes our clubs 'glass' (trophy cabinet) much 'fuller'.
Last edited by stevoswan; 26th September 2018 at 03:02 PM.
Considering that I wrote the team off in July (and was making actual "plans" for September), I think we did a great job this year.
I think general "fitness" was our problem this year. Too many injured players playing on half-full tanks. IMO, I think a week of running up and down the sand dunes at Kurnell at the height of summer will greatly go towards our strength conditioning.. something we need badly. It seems to have worked in the past. Our boys are falling apart at the seams.
Other than that... we need to get rid of the dead wood, which could very well happen with such an exciting trade period coming up.
Wild speculation, unsubstantiated rumours, silly jokes and opposition delight in another's failures is what makes an internet forum fun.
Blessed are the cracked for they are the ones who let in the light.
I agree that our fitness looked suspect during the season, it seemed to effect our will to contest 'to the death' in some matches this season. Last season, at 0-6, we did it week in, week out for the rest of the season then smashed Essendon in the first final. We showed some mental and physical toughness this year after losing to GC and Essendon but had nothing left in the tank for the first final.
Strength and fitness conditioning should definitely be a priority in the off season.....and a renewed/refreshed game plan.....and yes, extensive deadwood removal.
On the fitness thing; once key players are carrying injuries regularly it comes to a tipping point. I am sure Kennedy carried some sort of injury for most of the season as did Buddy. Add the fatigue factor of young players and the team's ability to see out games is heightened. I reckon we did darn well under the circumstances. One of the reasons Collingwood has kicked on late in the season has been their ability to have few changes.
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