We need to lose this weekend...

[reigning premier]

One thing's for sure, they won't be resting any of our "good" players...

[Triple B]

The Swans have already said they will rest "sore" players next week.

Of course they should.

It's a no-brainer.

[AnnieH]

Honestly, between you and me guys, I really think the swannies are going to struggle against the Hawks on Sunday. Big time.

See how the media goes later in the week.

[Ludwig]

Not about tanking

It's not about trying to lose the game, it's that it doesn't matter much one way or the other if we win or lose. We could well end up in 7th even if we win. There is potentially a slightly better draft outcome if we end up in 8th.

The issue here is how to best prepare for the finals. Since winning is not important, we should focus on which players should be rested and if resting certain players will bring some life back into them when round one of the finals start. While our potential first round opponents have all to play for this round, we can treat it as a training session or a rest week, which may well give us an advantage in that first final.

This is the only way to use the loss to Collingwood to our advantage, and may well be enough to bring us to the second round of the finals. To waste this opportunity by gutting the team in order to win a meaningless game would be both foolish and counter-productive to out slim finals chances. Going into the finals relatively fresh may be both physically and psychologically beneficial.

[anne]

The Swans have already said they will rest "sore" players next week.

[NMWBloods]

Both teams want to win and the better team will win.

Thanks. That probably should have had attached!

[573v30]

Translation please...?

Both teams want to win and the better team will win.

[NMWBloods]

Swans wont tank, swans don't tank we will bring our B game and try and win
just like the rest of the season, contary to popular belief we arn't down on form or playing worse than 2006/2005

If hawks wan't that top 4 spot bad enough and bring their A game they will beat us...

Translation please...?

[mulfa]

Swans wont tank, swans don't tank we will bring our B game and try and win
just like the rest of the season, contary to popular belief we arn't down on form or playing worse than 2006/2005

If hawks wan't that top 4 spot bad enough and bring their A game they will beat us...

Tanking just creates a loser culture

Isn't saying we should tank this game to play teams other than the egales/ crows/ pies/ just saying there better than us..

It's the same thing when you aim to sit on the bottom for a few years to get the best pics of the draft, your really saying that the coaching staff isn't good enough to develop a
competetive side from what it's given.

[Captain]

Well the match is officially a sell-out so it's going to be interesting to see if they tank it in front of a sell-out crowd to get that finals plan you want

A sell out at the scg means there will be about 15,000 spare seats

Why not tank? Rest Hall, Micky O, Spida and whoever else needs a break. Give blokes like LRT, Grundy, Laidlaw, Vogels etc a run and see who can step up.

Least then when we lose, we can blame it on the kids and know that having our good players back for the first week of the finals will make a difference and hence give us some confidence....

[gossipcom]

Well the match is officially a sell-out so it's going to be interesting to see if they tank it in front of a sell-out crowd to get that finals plan you want

[top40]

Bad form leading into the finals doesn't have to be a bad thing. Look at Hawthorn in 2001,Collingwood in 2002, and us in 2003 . All three teams had experienced bad upset losses in the last few rounds of the home and away season.

In 2001, the Hawks had lost in August that year at home to Freo, (with the Dcokers winning their very first game of the season), and lowly ranked St Kilda, (with Barry Hall kicking a goal at siren's end to finish his career as a Saint). Hawthorn then went on to go very close to a Grand Final appearance, with unexpected wins in the finals against us, (yes we were favourites), and Port Adelaide at Football Park. They finally lost in a close PF to the then very good Essendon.

In 2002 Collingwood had lost their round 22 game to wooden spooners, the Western Bulldogs. They went on to be within two kicks from a premiership with finals wins over Port (in a major upset), and the Crows in the PF.

In 2003, in the last month of the home and away season, we experienced bad losses to Collingwood at Telstra Stadium; and to Hawthorn, (who didn't qualify for the finals), at the SCG. We had also lost our number 1 ruckman Jason Ball to a shoulder injury. Yet against the odds we managed to upset Port Power the dominate minor premiers in week one of the finals, and obtain a home Preliminary Final and a week off.

[iigrover]

By my reckoning, attached, the will Swans have a pretty good finals run and will meet Wet Toast in the GF (and will win by a point)

[573v30]

I'd rather the team win and have momentum coming into the finals than relying on luck to fall on our side again.

[Captain]

I like your thinking Captain. A finals series of Hawthorn, North, Port and Geelong would be a god-send. You couldnt pick 4 easier sides.

Exactly, would much rather that then Adelaide, Pies, WestCoast etc and would much rather play away games in Melbourne then Perth or Adelaide.