The last 7 games of the season

[barry]

In the last 4 rounds of the season, and the 4 weeks of finals, we played other finals teams in 6 of our 7 games.

In that time we lost 3, won 3.
We kicked 72 goals, they kicked 70 against us.
We kicked 69 points, they kicked 65 against us.

By good luck or good management (probably both), we ended up with the flag. We won when we had to.

This, convinces me more than anything that we need to improve to win a flag in 2013. Improve a lot. A tippett lot.

[albrotha]

Does this not indicate that all the others have to improve to beat the Mighty Flying SWANS.

[mcs]

In the last 4 rounds of the season, and the 4 weeks of finals, we played other finals teams in 6 of our 7 games.

In that time we lost 3, won 3.
We kicked 72 goals, they kicked 70 against us.
We kicked 69 points, they kicked 65 against us.

By good luck or good management (probably both), we ended up with the flag. We won when we had to.

This, convinces me more than anything that we need to improve to win a flag in 2013. Improve a lot. A tippett lot.

Those stats are interesting. But remember two of those three losses were by about a kick, and easily could have went either way. The Hawthorn one especially could have went the other way, had the couple of 50/50 calls (well more like 80/20 calls that fell the 20 side!) went our way as they should have.

Of course we have to improve to win the flag in 2013 - but what those 6 games also shows, and that isn't reflected in the stats you've presented is we won the three games that counted.

[barry]

Those stats are interesting. But remember two of those three losses were by about a kick, and easily could have went either way. The Hawthorn one especially could have went the other way, had the couple of 50/50 calls (well more like 80/20 calls that fell the 20 side!) went our way as they should have.

Of course we have to improve to win the flag in 2013 - but what those 6 games also shows, and that isn't reflected in the stats you've presented is we won the three games that counted.

What is sobering is that none of those sides we played had as poor a record against fellow finalists as us.

For example, Hawthorn only lost 1 or 2 of the last 6 games agains Syd, Collingwood, Geelong. Similar for pies.

[TakeTheSaucepan]

This, convinces me more than anything that we need to improve to win a flag in 2013. Improve a lot. A tippett lot.

You're right Barry, we do need to improve. But that's the case every year. If you don't get better you're going backwards. That's why I've found it incredible that so many Swans fans have been against recruiting Kurt Tippett. With him, Rohan coming back, Mitchell, Lamb, Armstrong etc. pushing for selection, and with the expected improvement in Reid, Johnson, Parker, Smith etc., we are going to be difficult to beat.

[Mark Busuttil]

Barry - if you add Gary Rohan & Ben McGlynn, that is improvement. Then there is Tom Mitchell & maybe Tippett (plus Lamb, Armstrong, Everitt, etc. that will be pushing for senior selection which makes players play better.) Players that missed out will be hungry to play. Also, players like Jetta & Hannaberry will improve (& if Reid starts puting games together like we think he can) - the future is looking great. Also, Collingwood is weaker by losing their forward (that hack from West Coast is no replacement) & Hawthorn have lost 2 players too and Adeliade will lose Tippet so that helps us too.

[Mark Busuttil]

Also, we broke our biggest hoodoos in the finals - Adelaide in Adelaide (actually Adelaide anywhere), Collingwood at ANZ Stadium & MCG. We won not because of talent or skill but belief. I saw that when we won at Geelong last year & against Hawthorn in the 3rd quarter of last years finals series. It has been building for a long time now. How many teams can say that they have beaten Geelong 2 of last 3 times they have played. The only danger now is a premiership hangover either from complacency or big head syndrome. Otherwise, we are a huge chance to go back-to-back (even more than 2006 because we have more talent).

[Mug Punter]

You're right Barry, we do need to improve. But that's the case every year. If you don't get better you're going backwards. That's why I've found it incredible that so many Swans fans have been against recruiting Kurt Tippett. With him, Rohan coming back, Mitchell, Lamb, Armstrong etc. pushing for selection, and with the expected improvement in Reid, Johnson, Parker, Smith etc., we are going to be difficult to beat.

I think that the organic improvement out of Parker, Johnson, Reid, Mitchell etc etc will keep us thereabouts.

Tippett would be the icing on the cake. A rotoating forward line of Reid, Goodesy and Tippett would be so hard to match up on.

Our list is looking pretty formidable. With the antics of the last few years now over (almost) we can then concentrate on talent banking and developing some home grown champions

[sharp9]

We need to improve one thing more than anything else....centre clearances and, by extension, number of forward fifity entries generally. For some reason (which I can't quite work out) we just don't get the ball forward nearly as much as the other top teams....notwithstanding we had more i50s vs Collingwood when we lost.

Centre clearances vs Hawthorn in GF were in the region of 20 to 5 and in the round 22 game this was a prime driver in their winning with several goals from CCs.

I feel that this is doable and we'll win if we fix this stat. doubly so if we get tippett.

I really think that we cannot sustain another finals campaign without our fair share of the ball (QF and GF) - other teams will make sure they win if they have that dominance in 2013.

[Alan]

You're right Barry, we do need to improve. But that's the case every year. If you don't get better you're going backwards. That's why I've found it incredible that so many Swans fans have been against recruiting Kurt Tippett. With him, Rohan coming back, Mitchell, Lamb, Armstrong etc. pushing for selection, and with the expected improvement in Reid, Johnson, Parker, Smith etc., we are going to be difficult to beat.

Perhaps it is not that Tippett is coming into our side that has everyone "up in arms", but who will go to make way for him.

[tabs]

another great stat i found was that the Swans compiled the most votes per team in the Brownlow this year, 1 vote ahead of Hawthorn. The top 4 teams at the end of the season were the top 4 teams to compile votes in the Brownlow

[DamY]

I remember reading an article about how the i50 stat for swans looked funny because of the way we delivered it? As the season progressed, long bombing didn't work as Reid was our main tall target and just got double-teamed. I think maybe the midfielders were running with the ball but I'm not so sure

[ShockOfHair]

We need to improve one thing more than anything else....centre clearances and, by extension, number of forward fifity entries generally. For some reason (which I can't quite work out) we just don't get the ball forward nearly as much as the other top teams....notwithstanding we had more i50s vs Collingwood when we lost.

Centre clearances vs Hawthorn in GF were in the region of 20 to 5 and in the round 22 game this was a prime driver in their winning with several goals from CCs.

I feel that this is doable and we'll win if we fix this stat. doubly so if we get tippett.

I really think that we cannot sustain another finals campaign without our fair share of the ball (QF and GF) - other teams will make sure they win if they have that dominance in 2013.

I can't work out with our midfield how we're not smashing it in the clearances but maybe it's because we now have a much better spread. Plus we're the best tacklers.

The low i50 count is partly a function of our game style, the 'slingshot' and the 'swarm'. A lot of the opposition entries are either shallow or the ball just gets locked in their forward half. What I really like about our game style is how well our midfielders get back up in numbers in defence and move the ball so well by hand, or they get in the hands of someone like Shaw and Jetta and there's your slingshot.

The low the inside entries are not really a problem if you're winning the games, but yes, more clearances would be nice. I expect other teams will do a lot of strategising about that over summer.