Jake Lloyd 200th Game

**southsideswan** · 19th September 2022, 03:44 PM

It is rare that a player reaches 200 games (4.5%). Jake has a record that I believe no other player has achieved in AFL/VFL history (love to be corrected). He was considered in 2 drafts and 1+ rookie drafts before he was selected. It is likely he was rejected 250 times before being selected by the Swans in his second rookie draft.

There may have been others overlooked more times but did any of these play 200+ games? I'm just an educational guessing at 250 times. Does any one else have a more accurate figure? A topical trivia story papers could run in grandfinal week maybe?!

Also want to make mention that Jake is one of the fittest players. In the 2 matches he missed, they were due to head knocks the previous week.

**RogueSwan** · 19th September 2022, 04:01 PM

Rampe? I'm not sure if he was officially overlooked in any drafts but didn't he do a few pre-seasons with the Bulldogs before being drafted by us?

Also, I don't like this portent. In my mind we have a pretty poor history when it comes to winning milestone games. The latest was losing to the Bombers in Parker's 250th. Before that we lost to the Blues in Rampe's 200th.

**cherub** · 19th September 2022, 05:30 PM

Didn't we win on Isaac's 150th?

**neilfws** · 19th September 2022, 11:25 PM

Originally Posted by RogueSwan

Also, I don't like this portent. In my mind we have a pretty poor history when it comes to winning milestone games. The latest was losing to the Bombers in Parker's 250th. Before that we lost to the Blues in Rampe's 200th.

Portents - well, it gave me an excuse to crunch some numbers around milestones.

Total games in South Melbourne/Sydney history where a player had a milestone: 673, involving 387 players.

The breakdown: 336 played at least 50 games, 168 played at least 100 games, 91 played at least 150 games. Then 47 (200), 20 (250), 9 (300) and 2 (350).

Wins-Draws-Losses: 346-1-326. Since 1982: Wins-Losses = 178-152. Post-2012 even better: 56-29.

Players have had a milestone in 26 finals, Wins-Losses: 13-13. Some notable games: Jude Bolton won in his 300 (2012 PF). Adam Goodes won in his 350 (2014 PF). Jarrad McVeigh lost in his 300 (2017 SF).

In Grand Finals: Vic Belcher played his 200 in the winning 1918 GF. Andrew Dunkley played his 100 in the losing 1996 GF.

Versus the Cats: 52 games with a milestone for a player. Wins-Losses = 25-27. Moving on quickly...

...versus the Cats since 1982: 10-9. Yay!

Versus the Cats in finals: 3 milestone games. Wins-Losses = 2-1. The wins are Hec McKay game 150 (1934 PF) and Adam Schneider game 50 (2005 SF). The loss, the aforementioned McVeigh 300.

In summary then: I don't think they go worse in milestone games (in fact across all time, I think the winning percentage is better than that for total games). I think losses in particular milestone games stick in our minds: Kirk 200, McVeigh 300, Goodes 300, Bolton 250 - creating a false impression that milestones are bogey games.

**goswannies** · 20th September 2022, 12:10 AM

Originally Posted by southsideswan

It is rare that a player reaches 200 games (4.5%). Jake has a record that I believe no other player has achieved in AFL/VFL history (love to be corrected). He was considered in 2 drafts and 1+ rookie drafts before he was selected. It is likely he was rejected 250 times before being selected by the Swans in his second rookie draft.

There may have been others overlooked more times but did any of these play 200+ games? I'm just an educational guessing at 250 times. Does any one else have a more accurate figure? A topical trivia story papers could run in grandfinal week maybe?!

Also want to make mention that Jake is one of the fittest players. In the 2 matches he missed, they were due to head knocks the previous week.

And he’s one of two Swans whose names coincidentally relate to Star Wars … the other being George Lucas (4 games in 1947)

**Matty10** · 20th September 2022, 01:08 AM

Originally Posted by goswannies

And he’s one of two Swans whose names coincidentally relate to Star Wars … the other being George Lucas (4 games in 1947)

It took ages for that to register, but then I finally got it - Yippee!

**RogueSwan** · 20th September 2022, 09:20 AM

Originally Posted by cherub

Didn't we win on Isaac's 150th?

I was thinking >=200. Maybe you could consider 150 but 50 and 100 shouldn't count (for this purpose

)

**RogueSwan** · 20th September 2022, 09:22 AM

Originally Posted by neilfws

... creating a false impression that milestones are bogey games.

Like I said "in my mind"

**i'm-uninformed2** · 20th September 2022, 10:23 AM

He's been a beauty. His defensive craft and toughness has strengthened considerably in the past few years, he held his standards when we were having our down years, and I reckon with all the young guys coming into the system, he would have been one of the examples the coaches could point to as to how to train and prepare if you want to succeed as an AFL footballer.

**Roadrunner** · 21st September 2022, 09:22 AM

Originally Posted by i'm-uninformed2

He's been a beauty. His defensive craft and toughness has strengthened considerably in the past few years, he held his standards when we were having our down years, and I reckon with all the young guys coming into the system, he would have been one of the examples the coaches could point to as to how to train and prepare if you want to succeed as an AFL footballer.

He has been good for us though I must confess he has frustrated me in a fair few games, especially with his kicking. But we’ll done Lloydy!😊