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Thread: Season review

  1. #1

    Season review

    Well, if you'd told me at the beginning of the season that we'd finish 16th, I would have been pretty disappointed. But given the disruptions to the season with injuries and COVID, and given the games we have gotten into youngsters and the promise they have shown, and given the exciting gamestyle we appear to be evolving towards, that's not how I feel. I feel upbeat. And I feel grateful to have pick 3 and the possibility of picking up a top draft pick plus Campbell plus Gulden.

    Some of the players that I think made important strides this year:

    James Rowbottom - fabulous player, gonna be a good one for us for a long time

    Justin 'The Nut' McInerney (indulge me) - very exciting with his speed and dare and kicking

    Sam Wicks - may never have gotten a chance to show his worth at the level but for all the disruptions. Whatever his future holds, he's shown what he can do. Bit the same for James Bell.

    Jordan Dawson - improved again on last year. So versatile. So damaging.

    Tommy McCartin - has shown he has another string to his bow. A number of us, myself included, tipped him to possibly work out as a KPD from the day he was drafted.

    Dylan Stephens - has only just arrived but has shown enough to convince me he has a long future in the game (and hopefully with us).

    Tom Papley - at least in the first half of the season, he took his game to another level.

    Robbie Fox - had a great year for a journeyman. I'm not sure how long he will stay in the best 22 but he deserved his place this season and I don't think he'll be cut.


    I don't know about making strides, but Lloyd, Harry C and Rampe played as well as they ever have (before Rampe kamikazed into a goal post to save a goal and broke his hand). Mills was also reliable and led well.

    Will Hayward started poorly but grew as he was thrown into more different roles and has become a more versatile and valuable player in my view. Olly Florent started well but had just a middling season in my view. I would like to see more from him going forward. Hewett was reliable and important until he was ruled out by injury. It was good to see Blakey getting time in the midfield in the back half of the year. He got more involved and was able to put his speed and footskills to good use.

    Parker and JPK were solid, but appear past their best. Sinclair did ok. So did Colin O'Riordan. Melican returned to form. Aliir was mercurial. Sam Reid was disappointing. McLean tried hard.


    Thurlow and Clarke may have saved themselves from delisting. Ronke has gone backward.



    Saw this pretty thin season wrap for us on SEN:

    What WorkedThe Swans continued the AFL’s quietest rebuild by getting games into their young core of players, aided by spots opened due to injuries to Lance Franklin (0 games) and Isaac Heeney (6), while Dane Rampe and Josh Kennedy (11 and 12 respectively) also missed blocks of games.
    James Rowbottom and Nick Blakey in the second half of the season spent more time in the midfield, and Rampe’s injury led to Tom McCartin spending time in defence, where he looked more than comfortable.
    Game style wise the Swans took the ball aggressively through the corridor, and their pressure around the ball stood up for the majority of the season.
    What Didn’t WorkWhile their pressure was good, the Swans were reactive to their opponents, losing clearances and contested Possession in all but five games.
    A byproduct of this was the Swans won the inside 50 count only three times in 17 games, ranking 13th for inside 50s generated and 16th for marks inside F50.
    Tom Papley started the season in brilliant form as a small forward before a flat spot. In the final game of the season against the Cats he kicked 2.5 from 17 disposals and was an ever-present threat to the elite Cats defenders.
    The Swans still need to find their preferred forward mix for the post-Franklin era, whether that involved McCartin, Blakey or a recruit from another club such as Joe Daniher.
    Pre-Season FocusStoppage work and developing a sustainable forward half game to generate repeat entries, and take the heat off the back 6.
    Way Too Early 2021 Forecast12th-16th
    What does everyone else think?
    All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated, and well supported in logic and argument than others. -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001)

  2. #2
    I found this here on espn: https://www.espn.com/afl/story/_/id/28777532/pass-fail-every-afl-club-make-break-assessed

    Sydney

    2020 pass mark: Find a successor to BuddyThe Swans are unlikely to play finals after finishing 15th in 2019, with few bright spots in a difficult year. A similar season may follow, but possibly more importantly is finding a successor to Lance Franklin, who is now firmly in the twilight of his career.They went hard at Joe Daniher last offseason, and perhaps another attempt at luring the star Don north would be the obvious move. If not, then learning to build the forward line around the incredibly talented Nick Blakey makes sense.With the Sydney sporting market a notoriously difficult one to crack for the Swans, finding a long-term, flamboyant star forward is a must.Pass or fail? FailA fail in terms of finding a Buddy successor, but the Swans can stride into the offseason with plenty of confidence despite finishing 16th.Tom Papley was their leading goal kicker on 26, with daylight second, and the Swans do look well placed for small and medium forwards.The talls are a concern though, with Buddy unable to get on the park, Sam Reid again inconsistent and Tom McCartin swung into defence at times. Nick Blakey looks exciting, but might be best suited higher up the field than deep in attack.
    All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated, and well supported in logic and argument than others. -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001)

  3. #3
    And a vanilla season wrap from The Age: https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/the-bottom-10-wrapping-the-seasons-of-the-teams-that-missed-finals-20200920-p55xeo.html

    SYDNEY

    Position: 16thThe positives: Tom Papley had a good year that admittedly tailed off, although he has confirmed he will stay a Swan. They got more games into Tom McCartin, Will Hayward and Nick Blakey too, with all suggesting they can have good careers. James Rowbottom was very impressive in the midfield.The negatives: Lance Franklin didn't play a game. His hamstring injury stopped him from running out in 2020, that coming after only 10 games in 2019. With millions remaining on his mega-contract, the Swans will want more from him in the next couple of years but that looks unlikely at this stage.Overall: Sydney, despite finishing at the bottom end of the bottom eight again, performed to expectations this season. If their young players continue to improve and their ageing stars hold consistency and effort then there is no reason they can't improve next season.
    All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated, and well supported in logic and argument than others. -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001)

  4. #4
    My review would be:

    Wins/Ladder position: When backwards by about one game, and couldnt even finish about Hawthorn who are falling off a cliff. Did beat Norf (basket case) and Adelaide (new coach, cleanout coming). Fail.
    Games into kids: Had a good look at all the new kids, and while no new elite, all look promising. Rowbottom and Blakey standouts. Win.
    Mid tier players Finally found a good spot for Cunningham and Fox. Florent held his own. Papley staying. Mills stayed in the backline. Heeney missing. Pass.
    Older players: Didnt see much of Rampe. No buddy. JPK's days in the midfield almost over. However Reid played most of the season. All these players are near the end.
    2020: Very odd year, with most games at night in dewy conditions which we usually hate. Dont take much notice of results, especially the form of marking players.
    Ruck: Still a shambles, and no sign of anyone stepping up. Will have to trade or draft in. This will cost us something.
    Review of 19/20 trade and draft period: In hindsight we came away quite well. Didnt sell the house for JD, and Stephens and co look good pick ups. Still look at Tom Green from GWS with envy. Overall a win.
    List holes Still a major problem that will need addressing for any significant climb up the ladder, no matter how good the kids are.

    Near future: Continue to build up the list via draft and available free agents, however the list holes (ruck, key forward, JPK replacement) will need to be seriously addressed in next 2 years if we want to play finals again.
    Last edited by barry; 22nd September 2020 at 02:28 PM.

  5. #5
    The Club has posted this: https://www.sydneyswans.com.au/news/817596/swans-stats-leaders-in-2020. Have I been too harsh on Parker? Maybe he's still at/close to his best?
    All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated, and well supported in logic and argument than others. -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001)

  6. #6
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    Parker, Lloyd, Rampe, Papley, Mills, Rowbottom, Dawson all wonderful.

    Some promising signs in the evolution of our footy, don't expect to always get it right. Some of the next generation coming through went ok, and plenty need to pull their fingers out or will find themselves delisted or on the trade table in the coming years. Off season recruits gave us nothing but nice to get some reward out of Thurlow and Clarke who appeared to be heading for the axe start of this yr.

    Need a quality ruckman and key forward.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by TheBloods View Post
    Off season recruits gave us nothing but nice to get some reward out of Thurlow and Clarke who appeared to be heading for the axe start of this yr.
    I thought that Taylor was pretty good the last two or three games. Got around the ground a lot more than earlier in the season, and had a few goal assists. I'd put him ahead of Ronke for a small forward role.

    And not in response to TheBloods, but more generally, Florent hasn't been getting a lot of love, but I liked his season. He moves well in traffic, and plays an important, if not showy, link game. And he tackles.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by O'Reilly Boy View Post
    I thought that Taylor was pretty good the last two or three games. Got around the ground a lot more than earlier in the season, and had a few goal assists. I'd put him ahead of Ronke for a small forward role.

    And not in response to TheBloods, but more generally, Florent hasn't been getting a lot of love, but I liked his season. He moves well in traffic, and plays an important, if not showy, link game. And he tackles.
    I didnt' mind what I saw of Taylor. I didn't overly care for it either. He is very meh. As is Florent. NoB overtook him this yr as a teenager. Not good enough.

  9. #9
    We didnt get a single player in the #22 under 22 from AFL players association

    22Under22 - AFL Players


  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by bloodspirit View Post
    Well, if you'd told me at the beginning of the season that we'd finish 16th, I would have been pretty disappointed. But given the disruptions to the season with injuries and COVID, and given the games we have gotten into youngsters and the promise they have shown, and given the exciting gamestyle we appear to be evolving towards, that's not how I feel. I feel upbeat. And I feel grateful to have pick 3 and the possibility of picking up a top draft pick plus Campbell plus Gulden.

    Some of the players that I think made important strides this year:

    James Rowbottom - fabulous player, gonna be a good one for us for a long time

    Justin 'The Nut' McInerney (indulge me) - very exciting with his speed and dare and kicking

    Sam Wicks - may never have gotten a chance to show his worth at the level but for all the disruptions. Whatever his future holds, he's shown what he can do. Bit the same for James Bell.

    Jordan Dawson - improved again on last year. So versatile. So damaging.

    Tommy McCartin - has shown he has another string to his bow. A number of us, myself included, tipped him to possibly work out as a KPD from the day he was drafted.

    Dylan Stephens - has only just arrived but has shown enough to convince me he has a long future in the game (and hopefully with us).

    Tom Papley - at least in the first half of the season, he took his game to another level.

    Robbie Fox - had a great year for a journeyman. I'm not sure how long he will stay in the best 22 but he deserved his place this season and I don't think he'll be cut.


    I don't know about making strides, but Lloyd, Harry C and Rampe played as well as they ever have (before Rampe kamikazed into a goal post to save a goal and broke his hand). Mills was also reliable and led well.

    Will Hayward started poorly but grew as he was thrown into more different roles and has become a more versatile and valuable player in my view. Olly Florent started well but had just a middling season in my view. I would like to see more from him going forward. Hewett was reliable and important until he was ruled out by injury. It was good to see Blakey getting time in the midfield in the back half of the year. He got more involved and was able to put his speed and footskills to good use.

    Parker and JPK were solid, but appear past their best. Sinclair did ok. So did Colin O'Riordan. Melican returned to form. Aliir was mercurial. Sam Reid was disappointing. McLean tried hard.


    Thurlow and Clarke may have saved themselves from delisting. Ronke has gone backward.



    Saw this pretty thin season wrap for us on SEN:

    What WorkedThe Swans continued the AFL’s quietest rebuild by getting games into their young core of players, aided by spots opened due to injuries to Lance Franklin (0 games) and Isaac Heeney (6), while Dane Rampe and Josh Kennedy (11 and 12 respectively) also missed blocks of games.
    James Rowbottom and Nick Blakey in the second half of the season spent more time in the midfield, and Rampe’s injury led to Tom McCartin spending time in defence, where he looked more than comfortable.
    Game style wise the Swans took the ball aggressively through the corridor, and their pressure around the ball stood up for the majority of the season.
    What Didn’t WorkWhile their pressure was good, the Swans were reactive to their opponents, losing clearances and contested Possession in all but five games.
    A byproduct of this was the Swans won the inside 50 count only three times in 17 games, ranking 13th for inside 50s generated and 16th for marks inside F50.
    Tom Papley started the season in brilliant form as a small forward before a flat spot. In the final game of the season against the Cats he kicked 2.5 from 17 disposals and was an ever-present threat to the elite Cats defenders.
    The Swans still need to find their preferred forward mix for the post-Franklin era, whether that involved McCartin, Blakey or a recruit from another club such as Joe Daniher.
    Pre-Season FocusStoppage work and developing a sustainable forward half game to generate repeat entries, and take the heat off the back 6.
    Way Too Early 2021 Forecast12th-16th
    What does everyone else think?
    You beat me to it Bloodspirit. Was just about to start a similar thread.

    I agree with most of what you have said. There have been a number of bonus outcomes from this difficult year. All the players, coaches and staff need to be congratulated on coping so cracefully with the Covid crisis.

    Back to the players, the opportunities afforded by injuries, to Fox, Melican and Thurlow seems to have boosted them to the level where you would expect them to be regular selections. This has been a huge unexpected bonus.

    The development of Wicks as a pressure forward seems to have been a success, although he is going to have some stiff competition in the side next year with Campbell and Gulden arriving.

    Dylan Stephens has lots of potential and will probably be a regular next year after putting on a few kilos.

    The development of Jordan Dawson and Tom McCartin has been sensational.

    Absolutely loving Justin McInerney's rise. Looks to me like a matchwinner. Great natural talent, speed, stamina, poise and co-ordination and still learning the game so lots of upside. Rowbottom looks very classy.

    The move of Harry C to defense has been a great success and the backline is the strength of the side.

    Not totally happy with Florent and his disposal. He may be getting a game now but is this doesn't improve I think he might be forced out as the side gets stronger with time. Hope he can sort that out.

    Blakey needs to mature a bit to achieve his considerable potential but that will come.

    Since about the half way mark of the season the thing that excites me most about 2020 is the draft when it became apparent we were heading for an unusually high draft pick and picking up Campbell, Gulden and ?????. Add them to the list and we have a big upgrade to the list along with the improvement of the current players and loads of potential.

    The shopping list for next year may still be a ruckman and a good kpp forward, however, with luck, Naismith and Buddy might actually play, in which a case a good year could be had (Covid permitting).

    One other thing that really excites is the new game plan with quick ball movement and direct play. We seem to have nearly nailed that and it is great to watch. Just need to do it for 4 quarters.

    Really upbeat as well. Go Swans!!
    We have them where we want them, everything is going according to plan!

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by barry View Post
    We didnt get a single player in the #22 under 22 from AFL players association

    22Under22 - AFL Players

    Why would we

    Said all year that our younger players paled in comparison to other clubs at this stage of their careers. NoB our best and he wasn't close to cracking that team, especially that midfield.

  12. #12
    I think we’ll see a strong representation from our club in that team ( 22 under 22) over the next couple of seasons.


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