Experts don't pick Sydney in Top 8

[Old Royboy]

I think what ROK is getting at is that fully paid up members of the Bloods brotherhood are cut an awful lot more slack at the selction table than the blokes who "play footy for fun". Schneider is gone, but he was in the latter group, along with Nick and Monty.

The message is that up to a point, our selectors (including the leadership group) prefer committed hacks rather than talented party boys. Other side of the coin is that this makes it much harder for newbies to break into the side.

[Zlatorog]

You'd have to actually attend a game to be within spitting distance. NARF!

No, he can still spit at his TV screen...

[Go Swannies]

7. there is no clear separation between then playing group and the selection committee.

So you think players like Brett Kirk and Craig Bolton sit around at the meeting saying "Ben would be really upset if we didn't select him and it'd break my heart to tell him he's heading to Canberra this weekend. So let's play him again - who cares if we lose? Anyway, if we throw this game we can get back to the cool-down pool earlier and can go back to picking on Nick Davis. By the way, how's you investment portfolio going? I'm really sorry I went long on Macquarie Bank"?

[ROK Lobster]

7. there is no clear separation between then playing group and the selection committee.

[Go Swannies]

Definitely. AFL coaches never get anything wrong.

But the Swans' match selectors consistently pick Mathews, McVeigh and Bevan. The only options are:

1. they are considered the best selections,
2. there are no other options,
3. they are being picked so the Swans will lose,
4. they have such influence over the selectors that they are being picked against the best interests of the club.

Which option do you pick?

[Go Swannies]

Criticism of players who continually put in poor performances, ie Matthews, McVeigh, and to a lesser extent Bevan(at least he is hard at it), is not over the top, it's reasonable criticism, born out of total frustration.

However, the question must be asked as to why RWO judge them as playing badly when the coaches judge them as playing well? Are we so much better informed than the Swans' coaching team? And how weird is it that the coaches' favouritism is so pronounced that they even give them regular B&F votes yet the Swans' board choses to ignore this?

Now here's a scandal worthy of AFL investigation.

[ernie koala]

Some of criticism especially towards Jude Bolton, Jarrad McVeigh, Ben Mathews and Paul Bevan here is over the top BS at times!!

I just shake my head and wonder at some people at times.

Granted that Mathews was lucky to play all 23 games last year, but he must have done the job that was required for him to play in every game. Did people think about that before criticising him?

Criticism of players who continually put in poor performances, ie Matthews, McVeigh, and to a lesser extent Bevan(at least he is hard at it), is not over the top, it's reasonable criticism, born out of total frustration.

[RogueSwan]

Finally, our X factor as always will be Adam Goodes. He?s the barometer for the Swans ? usually if he plays well we win and if he goes missing we lose. If he?s primed for a big year as we've been reading then I think we?ll do OK.

Granted that a firing Goodes is great, I would not have thought he was the barometer. Unfortunately I think it is Bazza. I have seen plenty of games when Goodes has had a blinder and the rest of the team stunk, but when Bazza plays well so does the rest of the team. It probably indicates that the skills are up if they can pin point Bazza, through his triple teaming.

On the topic, the Footy hand out in the Sun Herald last sunday, 2/03/08, predicted 7th place.
from memory:

1. cats
2. weagles
3. hawks?
4. ?
5. pies
6. ?
7. swans
8. lions

[Flossie]

I think we should all expect the best from the team. I think they will be up in the top eight, maybe even top four. I never write the Swannies off, they are a tough determined unit.

[stellation]

I reserve my right to spit at the coach or players if the circumstances warrant it.

You'd have to actually attend a game to be within spitting distance. NARF!

[ROK Lobster]

Lets not turn into Tigers supporters.

I reserve my right to spit at the coach or players if the circumstances warrant it.

[TheGrimReaper]

Spot on BEA,i dont mind a little constructive criticism but some of it on here is way over the top.

Lets not turn into Tigers supporters.

Some of criticism especially towards Jude Bolton, Jarrad McVeigh, Ben Mathews and Paul Bevan here is over the top BS at times!!

I just shake my head and wonder at some people at times.

Granted that Mathews was lucky to play all 23 games last year, but he must have done the job that was required for him to play in every game. Did people think about that before criticising him?

[swantastic]

No it won't, but @@@@canning the team before they have even had a chance to do anything is hardly going to help.
We have enough naysayers and doubters in the media, AFL House and the umpires rooms with our own 'supporters' turning on us too.

Spot on BEA,i dont mind a little constructive criticism but some of it on here is way over the top.

Lets not turn into Tigers supporters.

[ash3]

Definitely the 8 - possibility of top four depending on injuries.

[BeeEmmAre]

'Expecting' it won't make it happen.

No it won't, but @@@@canning the team before they have even had a chance to do anything is hardly going to help.
We have enough naysayers and doubters in the media, AFL House and the umpires rooms with our own 'supporters' turning on us too.