With the loss we won pick 3. As long as the cygnets accounted for themselves well, we were always going to win, regardless of the result of the game.Originally Posted by barry
For some teams, 2020 was perhaps a wasted season. For us, I feel it was a season of growth and opportunity. Injuries hobbled us. But the young kids got exposure. Many of the second tier recruits from last year have developed. Our ageing warriors who were broken are having the time to get fixed. 2021 has promise.
Last edited by goswannies; 21st September 2020 at 01:21 PM.
I'm very positive about the season.
At the start of the year, we knew very little - if anything - about whether McInerney, Stephens, Rowbottom and Wicks could play. We know now they can. What they'll become, we will find out - but they can play.
We know McCartin can now play KPD brilliantly. We know now Blakey can develop as a midfielder. That's six players aged 20 or under we weren't sure about at the start of the year.
I also think we saw Dawson double up on last year. Hayward got better. Papley got better.
Sure, there are still some obvious deficiencies, but between all that, and a willingness to play with a lot more run and dare, and Campbell and Guiden to come, there is a lot to like about our trajectory.
'Delicious' is a fun word to say
Thats also uncalled for. I'm not going down this route of personal abuse again.
You're being overly negative here.
This year was the first time since 1995 we have missed the finals two years in a row. No other club had such a streak that goes back 25 years. Only Geelong has won more games in the last 25 years.
Another streak we have that is still unbroken is no 100-point defeats since 1998. No other club has gone longer.
Making the finals doesn't happen every year. We have missed the finals five times in the last 25 years (2000, 2002, 2009, 2019, 2020), fewer times than any other club. Missing the finals from time to time is normal. Percentages of seasons making the finals for all clubs from 1996 inclusive (25 years):
Adelaide: 56% (14/25)
Brisbane Lions: 42% (10/24)
Carlton: 32% (8/25)
Collingwood: 52% (13/25)
Essendon: 52% (13/25)
Fremantle: 28% (7/25)
Geelong: 72% (18/25)
Gold Coast: 0% (0/10)
Greater Western Sydney: 44% (4/9)
Hawthorn: 52% (13/25)
Melbourne: 28% (7/25)
North Melbourne: 52% (13/25)
Port Adelaide: 46% (11/24)
Richmond: 32% (8/25)
St Kilda: 40% (10/25)
Sydney: 80% (20/25)
West Coast: 68% (17/25)
Western Bulldogs: 48% (12/25)
Or, sorted from greatest to least:
80%: Sydney (20/25)
72%: Geelong (18/25)
68%: West Coast (17/25)
56%: Adelaide (14/25)
52%: Collingwood (13/25), Essendon (13/25), Hawthorn (13/25), North Melbourne (13/25)
48%: Western Bulldogs (12/25)
46%: Port Adelaide (11/24)
44%: Greater Western Sydney (4/9)
42%: Brisbane Lions (10/24)
40%: St Kilda (10/25)
32%: Carlton (8/25), Richmond (8/25)
28%: Fremantle (7/25), Melbourne (7/25)
0%: Gold Coast (0/10)
"Unbelievable!" -- Nick Davis leaves his mark on the 2005 semi final
This list is very good, and certainly correlates to 'winning'. But if its a "soul" measure then GWS arent much different from Port, Collingwood, and way better than Richmond or Brisbane..
I'd be interested in a top 18 of "soul" and "culture", and does it equate to winning. Mcs might have a list ?
We lost five games by under 10 points: Carlton (5), Collingwood (9), Essendon (6), Geelong (6), Richmond (8). Three of those five sides are playing finals.
Our injury list was long, we fielded the youngest side in most games this year, and despite that we were competitive even though we weren't winning many games.
We have some decent young players. Last year, an article on the AFL website ranked Sydney sixth for best under-23 players, and a similar article on SEN this year ranked Sydney's under-23 players first.
"Unbelievable!" -- Nick Davis leaves his mark on the 2005 semi final
Talk about having too much time on ones hands.... it was a throwaway jibe and that's it.
But to put it more simply - what is the underlying 'identity' of a club like GWS/Gold Coast? Neither really have anything in that regard - primarily because they are young clubs and they develop over time. But there is definitely something wrong at GWS, which seems to be moving back towards a club packed with talent but with very little direction or shared want. Williams now saying he wants out too...
"You get the feeling that like Monty Python's Black Knight, the Swans would regard amputation as merely a flesh wound."
Whateley says that the claim that the Giant$ side is stacked with talent is out-of-date.
He may have a point in that they are missing Davis, Ward, a ruckman etc.
But something clearly not right whether it’s captaincy, hub-life, coaching, sense of expectation / entitlement, I don’t know.
They still have way more talent on their list than clubs that made finals.
Playing finals has been the justification for players turning down mega$ from Vic clubs.
Could be something of an implosion during the off-season. Likewise at the Bombers.
Last edited by Markwebbos; 21st September 2020 at 02:38 PM.
GWS have massive issues. There is clearly a weird culture there. But also, they have a list problem.
The players that were crucial to their rise - Shaw, Davis and Ward - are now over 30 and just about done. Haynes is 28. Greene is 27. Cameron is 27. They're about to lose at least Williams, and probably one or two more. They've got no ruck. Football teams get old very quickly.
Yes, they have some good young talent. But I reckon they've missed the window in which they were destined to win a flag - 2016-19 - and it'll be a few years before they knit back together a balanced squad to go again. They might eke one out in the next two years, but I'd be surprised.
'Delicious' is a fun word to say
David king (perenial shiit writer) reackons Ross Lyon should coach the giants.
If David King or even worse than him, Garry Lyon know so much about coaching GWS or any club for that matter,
how come they don't put their hand up. It's way easier chirping away in the corner I guess.
On Zac Williams leaving the giants...
The 26-year-old broke the news to the Giants on Monday, with his preferred destination a Victorian club that would allow him to be closer to his Albury-based sister.
Losing Williams is a particularly bitter outcome for GWS, given the talented half-back flanker is a NSW product who grew up in Narrandera, came through the club's academy pathway and was mentored by inaugural coach Kevin Sheedy.
NSW boy goes to victoria to be close to his sister which lives 4 hours away. lol.
Surely the swans can have a crack ?
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