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Thread: 2018 Season....Still Proud of the Swans!!!!(Swans' season review)

  1. #1

    2018 Season....Still Proud of the Swans!!!!(Swans' season review)

    Like most folks here, I am disappointed that the Swans bowed out of the finals in such a disappointing fashion. That said, I am proud of the team this year, especially, and am very optimistic of the future. Here are some thoughts I have had while the season is dwindling away in the fourth quarter. Please remember, I am a native born Yank, so I may miss some of the nuances, but I hope my overall points may be considered somewhat valid. Plus, it helps me get through my disappointment to write all of this out! 😊

    The Swannies are a special team. They have made the finals fifteen of the last sixteen years. That is an incredible feat and it shows the absolutely rock-solid foundation this team is built on from the top on down. Teams normally have to cycle from success to failure because of the draft system, especially in sports with a salary cap. The Swans are the Patriots. The Swans are the Spurs. They don’t always win, but they always find a way to be in the mix. That is incredibly difficult.

    It seems to me that the AFL is a sports league that is build upon some form of “equitable engineering” compared to other leagues that I watch. The NHL never had a COLA to compensate for the very large discrepancy between Canadian and American salaries due to the currency exchange rate. The GWS Giants seem to be a team that was largely engineered…the league wanted another successful team in New South Wales and were going to make darn sure it happened. I can imagine the powers-that-be are furious that GWS was so injured this year.

    The Swans have been able to succeed in the last few years, despite have a stacked deck. From the COLA trade ban (a direct reaction to Buddy, in my opinion), to the inherent Victoria bias, the Swans find a way to get there. This year had been especially unfortunate. The Swans are built for the SCG, IF they have their tall forwards. Tippett bows out. Sam Reid misses an entire year (again). Naismith is also gone for the entire season and Sinclair has to fill in…making him unavailable as a tall forward. Buddy then gets a bad injury on a crappy ground (thank you Perth) and he never really gets a chance to recover because the Swans simply ran out of options.

    Melican was developing into quite a defender and then he is gone for the year. The Swans then lose their rising star to an absolutely immature and inexcusable injury. I hope Mills was given the riot act behind the scenes because, young or not, there is NO excuse for a professional athlete to get injured playing another physical sport recreationally with their friends during the season. This was a big year for Mills to step up and now expectations will be even bigger.

    Then there is Gary Rohan…a polarizing figure to say the least. Unfortunately, his tragic personal situation, as well as injury, really made him unavailable to the team. There is Hanners. He isn’t old by any means, but I don’t think his body can hold up.

    And don’t forget the Swans had the second most difficult fixture this year.

    Despite these challenges, the Swans have been able to work in a large amount of young players and get them invaluable time on the big stage. These players have had off periods, but also moments of superb play…Ronke, Flourent, McCartin, Hayward. They should continue to grow and improve. McVeigh isn’t perfect, but looks fantastic for his age a lot of the time. Parker, Kennedy, Rampe, Franklin still have solid years left.

    The Swans set the model for rotating in new players but maintaining a standard of excellence. Of course, we all wish they had more premierships. (I still believe 2016 was an officiating disgrace that rivals Super Bowl XL. A little hint…sports leagues NEVER admit that officiating is substandard…even when it is terrible. When the league states, for the public, that officiating was “not up to standard”, then you know that it was abysmal bordering on scandal proportions. I for one believe there was no way the Bulldogs were going to be allowed to have their Cinderella Story ruined…but that is another post). We Swans fans sometimes get a bit spoiled expecting that excellence and it can be frustrating to see the team have a down year. This was a “down year” and the team was one loss from being top four again.

    The Swans are in a good position. Hanners should be dealt and they have money to spend. The young ones will continue to grow and, barring another rash of devastating injuries, this team should be playing another final one year from now.

    So don’t get too down about this defeat and here is to 2019. GO SWANS!!!!!!!

  2. #2
    Veterans List dejavoodoo44's Avatar
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    A lot of good points.

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    Very realistic and positive post with information and facts which I can’t disagree with. Unfortunately Sydney were smashed , dismantled and dissected tonight and I can’t help but feel psychologically this will have an impact for years to come .

  4. #4
    Travelling Swannie!! mcs's Avatar
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    Always proud of our boys, and all in all, a good season.

    But so very disappointed to go out so meekly tonight, without even a whimper if one is truly honest. I think we have a bright future and hope these speed humps along the way are just that - but after a meek exit last season, and another one this year - and of course pain going back to the 2 grand final eras, one wonders if this era will go alongside the 1930s of one that promised so much, but just couldn't quite deliver.

    Onwards to 2019 - but tonight hurt a lot and will hurt until we can make amends in the finals - a good regular season means nothing if you don't do the business at the business end of the season.
    "You get the feeling that like Monty Python's Black Knight, the Swans would regard amputation as merely a flesh wound."

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    Quote Originally Posted by Faunac8 View Post
    Very realistic and positive post with information and facts which I can’t disagree with. Unfortunately Sydney were smashed , dismantled and dissected tonight and I can’t help but feel psychologically this will have an impact for years to come .
    You reckon? This was one game. It happens. We have done this to teams in finals many times. Essendon last year, Geelong the year
    before etc. They didn't fall apart. Footballers are mostly optimistic types, if they didn't think they were any good and could win they'd
    never put the boots on in the first place.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by mcs View Post
    Always proud of our boys, and all in all, a good season.

    But so very disappointed to go out so meekly tonight, without even a whimper if one is truly honest. I think we have a bright future and hope these speed humps along the way are just that - but after a meek exit last season, and another one this year - and of course pain going back to the 2 grand final eras, one wonders if this era will go alongside the 1930s of one that promised so much, but just couldn't quite deliver.

    Onwards to 2019 - but tonight hurt a lot and will hurt until we can make amends in the finals - a good regular season means nothing if you don't do the business at the business end of the season.
    I think the 2000s have been a great era for the club, five GFs, two premierships, in the finals every year, mostly we win 13-16 home
    and away games out of 22 every year. The club seems pretty well run with decent, smart and committed people at the helm. The players
    are not off doing stupid stuff on their days off. No people wearing Swans beanies punching defenceless people on the ground
    repeatedly. Man, you could do a lot worse than supporting the Swans I tell you. Sure, yesterday and the final last year against Geelong
    were off days, and we ran into two teams having "on" days, and it's unfortunate. But recent history shows mostly it's us who are having
    the "on" day. Actually, it's been an "on" couple of decades in my opinion.

  7. #7
    recruit me pretty please! Cosmic Wizard's Avatar
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    Doesn't address the issue of why we lost so many home games!

    There is something wrong and needs to be address.

    Above all, our midfield is totally shot; would not be surprise if we become a 8-12 side next year.

    Buddy won us countless games, that why we made finals.

    Our first draft pick must be on the best player, not on a hope.
    doof-doof

  8. #8
    Senior Player Matty10's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by KTigers View Post
    You reckon? This was one game. It happens. We have done this to teams in finals many times. Essendon last year, Geelong the year before etc. They didn't fall apart. Footballers are mostly optimistic types, if they didn't think they were any good and could win they'd never put the boots on in the first place.
    I agree with the idea of trying to be positive - and the Swans have been a wonderful club to support. But there has been an increasing trend away from a 'never-give-up' attitude over recent years in finals (2014 GF perhaps being the starting point). Perhaps that is just the nature of a cut-throat game, but they don't seem to steel themselves for the biggest games like I would expect.

    I am not sure about the likelihood of long-term mental scarring, but the shock losses sure seemed to be a result of players not being able to will themselves into the game as much as any physical limitations.

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    Quote Originally Posted by U.S. Swan View Post
    Like most folks here, I am disappointed that the Swans bowed out of the finals in such a disappointing fashion. That said, I am proud of the team this year, especially, and am very optimistic of the future. Here are some thoughts I have had while the season is dwindling away in the fourth quarter. Please remember, I am a native born Yank, so I may miss some of the nuances, but I hope my overall points may be considered somewhat valid. Plus, it helps me get through my disappointment to write all of this out!

    The Swannies are a special team. They have made the finals fifteen of the last sixteen years. That is an incredible feat and it shows the absolutely rock-solid foundation this team is built on from the top on down. Teams normally have to cycle from success to failure because of the draft system, especially in sports with a salary cap. The Swans are the Patriots. The Swans are the Spurs. They don’t always win, but they always find a way to be in the mix. That is incredibly difficult.

    It seems to me that the AFL is a sports league that is build upon some form of “equitable engineering” compared to other leagues that I watch. The NHL never had a COLA to compensate for the very large discrepancy between Canadian and American salaries due to the currency exchange rate. The GWS Giants seem to be a team that was largely engineered…the league wanted another successful team in New South Wales and were going to make darn sure it happened. I can imagine the powers-that-be are furious that GWS was so injured this year.

    The Swans have been able to succeed in the last few years, despite have a stacked deck. From the COLA trade ban (a direct reaction to Buddy, in my opinion), to the inherent Victoria bias, the Swans find a way to get there. This year had been especially unfortunate. The Swans are built for the SCG, IF they have their tall forwards. Tippett bows out. Sam Reid misses an entire year (again). Naismith is also gone for the entire season and Sinclair has to fill in…making him unavailable as a tall forward. Buddy then gets a bad injury on a crappy ground (thank you Perth) and he never really gets a chance to recover because the Swans simply ran out of options.

    Melican was developing into quite a defender and then he is gone for the year. The Swans then lose their rising star to an absolutely immature and inexcusable injury. I hope Mills was given the riot act behind the scenes because, young or not, there is NO excuse for a professional athlete to get injured playing another physical sport recreationally with their friends during the season. This was a big year for Mills to step up and now expectations will be even bigger.

    Then there is Gary Rohan…a polarizing figure to say the least. Unfortunately, his tragic personal situation, as well as injury, really made him unavailable to the team. There is Hanners. He isn’t old by any means, but I don’t think his body can hold up.

    And don’t forget the Swans had the second most difficult fixture this year.

    Despite these challenges, the Swans have been able to work in a large amount of young players and get them invaluable time on the big stage. These players have had off periods, but also moments of superb play…Ronke, Flourent, McCartin, Hayward. They should continue to grow and improve. McVeigh isn’t perfect, but looks fantastic for his age a lot of the time. Parker, Kennedy, Rampe, Franklin still have solid years left.

    The Swans set the model for rotating in new players but maintaining a standard of excellence. Of course, we all wish they had more premierships. (I still believe 2016 was an officiating disgrace that rivals Super Bowl XL. A little hint…sports leagues NEVER admit that officiating is substandard…even when it is terrible. When the league states, for the public, that officiating was “not up to standard”, then you know that it was abysmal bordering on scandal proportions. I for one believe there was no way the Bulldogs were going to be allowed to have their Cinderella Story ruined…but that is another post). We Swans fans sometimes get a bit spoiled expecting that excellence and it can be frustrating to see the team have a down year. This was a “down year” and the team was one loss from being top four again.

    The Swans are in a good position. Hanners should be dealt and they have money to spend. The young ones will continue to grow and, barring another rash of devastating injuries, this team should be playing another final one year from now.

    So don’t get too down about this defeat and here is to 2019. GO SWANS!!!!!!!
    Great summary of the year US Swan. I agree there is a future, but I think there are a lot of worrying signs. The Swans used to pride themselves on doing all the little things right, but there are signs that some of the players are not in the right headspace - things like Papley giggling after kicking his last quarter goal when the team itself has been absolutely embarrassed. There is a sense that some of the players are playing for themselves rather than the team.

    There are other little things like lack of awareness, lack of talking and players flying against each other for marks that are also a worry. The good thing about this is that it can be fixed by coaching and development, so there is an upside.If the coaches respond.

    However, I think we are clearly in rebuilding mode because our list lacks fast fierce tackling midfielders that have become the prerequisite for success.

    The youngsters are still a year or two away from reaching their potential, by that stage we will have lost Grundy, Smith, McVeigh , Hanners and Buddy, Joey will be past their best. There ae only a few in the twos that show the potential to be best 22.

    We need a big recruiting year, really big, we have hung on to players who are just not quite up to it and have little prospect for improvement.

    Of course we will regroup, but we are in a critical period for the future. I can any hope that the management and the coaching group are up to it.

    PS I am interested in how you came to follow the Swans so closely given you are a born and bred Yank.

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  10. #10
    Travelling Swannie!! mcs's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by KTigers View Post
    I think the 2000s have been a great era for the club, five GFs, two premierships, in the finals every year, mostly we win 13-16 home
    and away games out of 22 every year. The club seems pretty well run with decent, smart and committed people at the helm. The players
    are not off doing stupid stuff on their days off. No people wearing Swans beanies punching defenceless people on the ground
    repeatedly. Man, you could do a lot worse than supporting the Swans I tell you. Sure, yesterday and the final last year against Geelong
    were off days, and we ran into two teams having "on" days, and it's unfortunate. But recent history shows mostly it's us who are having
    the "on" day. Actually, it's been an "on" couple of decades in my opinion.
    I agree KT, but doesn't make truly woeful performances like last night any easier to take. But we are a great club, and I'm proud to follow us. And I'm lucky to have been born into such a good period in the history of our club
    "You get the feeling that like Monty Python's Black Knight, the Swans would regard amputation as merely a flesh wound."

  11. #11
    Senior Player Bloody Hell's Avatar
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    Big offseason required by the recruiters. There is a stark lack of depth at the club.

    With all due respect for Tom McCartin, he put in a monster year, but should have played 2/3 games at most. The fact he was lumped with such a workload for a KP at such a young age doesn't reflect well. I would hope that next year with Reid, Naismith and another ruck he will be allowed to develop his game at the lower level.

    If you were playing ressies rather than 1st's this year pack your bags. Can't believe Darcy offered less than McCartin.
    The eternal connundrum "what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object" was finally solved when David Hasselhoff punched himself in the face.

  12. #12
    "PS I am interested in how you came to follow the Swans so closely given you are a born and bred Yank."

    Since you asked, Scottee, I will give you the honest, lame truth. I am in college and see at the back of a software magazine from ea sports something called "AFL 99" for the pc. I buy it on a whim and am blown away...it's so weird but awesome! I then go to a grand final party and get involved in a league of six teams within two states...imagine a bunch of Americans pretending to play Aussie Rules with 11 a side and a few natural Aussies coaching and laughing at us. We did have a few ex-AFLers participate and Paul Roos even came out to talk to us. I eventually became hooked. Our teams were sponsored by actual AFL teams and they would post our local scores at the end of a weekly AFL match on a local station called Fox Sports World at the time. We thought we were the bomb! Nowadays, thanks to Watchafl….I get every game live-stream for about $150 U.S. It is fantastic but my girlfriend is sick of me yelling at the TV at 3 a.m. on a work night! Why the Swans? I am afraid it is the lamest of reasons. Hockey is my first love and my team is the Red Wings...Red and White. That's it. That's how they got picked. But I have been following them for 20 years since and never miss a game!


    As an aside, for four years, I have gotten everyone in my office to pick a team to cheer for and I post weekly scores and updates. They don't understand the sport but people love having something to cheer for. It's great when someone who never heard of AFL before says "did you see that play by Nic Nat?" I will be having my annual grand final party where about 50 people come (mainly for the meat pies) but it is a good time. Just doing my part to spread Aussie Rules around the world!

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