The flagellation thread

[Nico]

Collectively our midfield was crap. It was so bleeding obvious last week when Geelong went long over Hawthorn's press they were found out. So what did we do right from the start, chip it around the midfield until we turned it over. It was as bad as we have played for the year in the first half. Hanners and Kennedy did kicks that didn't get the required distance. Sure they had a player behind the play but we refused to to move it quickly into the forward line.

Worst on the ground...Maxfield for that unforgiveably stupid act of running into the play. Too old and too slow around the field. Get a runner who has some speed to get the messages out. Good servant of the club but his use by date has passed as a runner.

[Nico]

we need class in the midfield for these big games. We're most admired being hard working but our skills let us down so badly when it counts. Don't know who's on the market but we need to address this for us to be top 4 material.

Were we slaughtered out of the centrre or what. They scored so many times from clean clearances. We were intimidated in the first half.

[Jeffers1984]

we need class in the midfield for these big games. We're most admired being hard working but our skills let us down so badly when it counts. Don't know who's on the market but we need to address this for us to be top 4 material.

[Cheer_Cheer]

Hanners was clearly injured and should not have played.. Bevan would have offered more. Tadgh is well and truly done. White although improved, still seems to be missing that certain nous that will stop him becoming a good player. I think Seaby or Pyke would offer more. I now say "Go the Hawks" !!! I am going for anyone who can knock Collingwood out..

[goswannie14]

It was easy to get seduced by the hype after beating St Kilda but Hawthorn were a 6 win better side than us during the course of the regular season. A win tonight would have been a MASSIVE overachievement. That is the reality of the situation - there is some distance between the top 4 and us. We were consistently inconsistent this year and at times during the season were woeful. Still winning a final last week was a great effort and I think to finish in the top 6 is pretty reasonable.

Pretty much how I see it. Inconsistency is part of having a young team. To have blooded so many youngsters this year is a positive for the future.

[hot potato]

Swans often play with the same predictability. Magic was in the stands.
Compared to The Hawks and the other top 4, it appears they are in slow motion.
As Mick M. pointed out in The Oz yesterday, finals are another level in intensity. Reid was run down, even Goodesy was run down.
Felt for Ted tho, without any backup, he looked so helpless running around Buddy who was his magnificent self.

SWANS did well but outclassed by the gun teams.
Be fun to have a game in Sydney every weekend next year.

[top40]

The club's. 5th VFL/AFL flag will come in 2013.

[swans_premiers]

I'm not convinced this side is anything more than what it is. We are a long way from hawthorn and collingwood. And Carlton flogged us. We are a really solid mid table side who will get the most out of itself. I don't know where the next level for this side comes from.

Reid, Rohan and Parker to step up next year.

[jono2707]

I give us a 7 for the year. We toiled pretty well for a good part of the season and ended up about where we deserved on the ladder ( which was better than most experts' predictions). Thanks for the ups and downs boys - onwards and upwards in 2012!!!

And let's show that GWS sham that footy is about heart and not about $$$'s...

[Melbournehammer]

I'm not convinced this side is anything more than what it is. We are a long way from hawthorn and collingwood. And Carlton flogged us. We are a really solid mid table side who will get the most out of itself. I don't know where the next level for this side comes from. Surely people aren't expecting Jesse white to turn into the next plugger. Or spangher ? AJ may improve his disposal but surely he's not going to be a superstar rebounding defender is he ? We have a number of players who are good ordinary footballers but it's whether some of them really step up. And I don't actually know who they might be. I think we are already getting the best out of all of our players greater than 25. I don't think there is much room for improvement in the Richards, mcveigh, goodes, shaw, Mattner bracket. And while I love the young uns there is no guarantee that they'll leap forwards.

[Go Swannies]

I thought so little of our finals chances that I'm in Canada right now. But it was a great end to the season and should set us up for 2012. But we need better skills and a functional forward line. Cameos from Jesse and Spang are tiring. Can still say we have a lot of talented kids but next year they need to actually produce as last year's "talented kids" didn't carry us through to Top 4 this year. Maybe it was a new coach and injuries but next year there can be no excuses.

[SwansFan1972]

It was easy to get seduced by the hype after beating St Kilda but Hawthorn were a 6 win better side than us during the course of the regular season. A win tonight would have been a MASSIVE overachievement. That is the reality of the situation - there is some distance between the top 4 and us. We were consistently inconsistent this year and at times during the season were woeful. Still winning a final last week was a great effort and I think to finish in the top 6 is pretty reasonable.

+1. But until tonight, it was nice to entertain delusions of grandeur - in spite of all sensible evidence both this season and since the current finals format was implemented.

[SwansFan1972]

Seagulls were annoying.

And were bloody useless - couldn't even be relied upon to drop one in Buddy's eye ....

[dawson]

It was easy to get seduced by the hype after beating St Kilda but Hawthorn were a 6 win better side than us during the course of the regular season. A win tonight would have been a MASSIVE overachievement. That is the reality of the situation - there is some distance between the top 4 and us. We were consistently inconsistent this year and at times during the season were woeful. Still winning a final last week was a great effort and I think to finish in the top 6 is pretty reasonable.

[i'm-uninformed2]

I reckon we are still missing Stefan Carey