Note that the fairypuppies are rated as having the easiest draw.????
It's a bit of a tough draw: double ups against three out of the top 8 sides (including runners-up) despite finishing middle plus a fair bit of travel with trips to WA (x 2) and Tassie.
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)
Swans finished seventh (after finals). A tougher fixture can be expected.
Firstly, the Swans play GWS twice every year. That constrains the fixture a bit. Secondly, return games are generally assessed in blocks of six sides. So a side that finished 7th has similar fixturing to a club that finished 12th.
Our return games are Essendon (8th), GWS Giants (6th), North Melbourne (18th), St Kilda (10th), Western Bulldogs (2nd). In blocks of six, that is 2-2-1 so it is fairly normal. Last year, we had a 1-2-2 fixture after finishing 16th.
We have the Bulldogs as our only return game against a top-4 side and we beat them last season. We also get GWS because we are fixtured to play against them twice every year. We only end up with a third top 8 side because we got Essendon (8th). I don't mind playing Essendon twice, they always bring a good game and if we beat them we have earned it.
We also get St Kilda (10th), a difficult matchup.
Our only game against a bottom six side is North Melbourne, but I don't mind getting last season's spooners twice. I expect they will improve next year.
Overall, a somewhat tricky fixture. It was rated equal ninth in difficulty (tied with Geelong), but I rate it slightly harder because our return opponents can all be expected to improve in different ways next year. At least we have avoided Fremantle. They have got lots of good players in the draft in the last couple of years and they will be big improvers next year.
"Unbelievable!" -- Nick Davis leaves his mark on the 2005 semi final
Yeah, I've got no complaints about the fixture. I don't necessarily want an easy run and given that I consider us a top 6 team in 2022 it's fair enough if we have to play tough opposition.
What I like is that there are a couple of afternoon home games. I don't mind that our other games (especially away games) are on Friday/Thursday nights.
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)
Am I just a bit of an old grouch, but I sometimes feel as if I'm in a schoolyard with the 'wees and the poos', the 'fairypuppies', ' the plastics' etc?
I suspect the old grouch, but hope not.
Any support?
So frustrating because it should be straight forward. But it would need to have the AFL moving from fiddling at every step to a simple world where you play a team at home, then next time away, then back at home etc.
Hit the reset button and say from this point it will apply and it's an easy fix - which can then mean every team plays at least once in each state each year. Good for membership and club growth surely too.
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"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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