Universal Love The thread for people who think we will win the 2015 flag

[swansfan51]

Did we really have a lot of luck injury wise?

Yes, this was our luckiest injury run in the past 10 years and incredibly unlikely to be repeated.

 

[db swannie]

It's hard for me to speak too confidently about 2015. We are still too 4 material, but with the dickheads at the afl banning us from trade week means we have, to some extent, fallen back a little, by virtue of the fact that others were allowed to improve their lists whilst we couldn't.

I hope Zac Jones finds a place, same Mitchell, maybe BJack as a small forward, which we lack.

I don't really care what happens to Jetta anymore. Same with Reid, either put him at chb or drop him. He's not a forward and doubt he ever will be.

I'm all for optimism, but it's October and only a month after a terrible GF loss.

 

[Punts]

Will take a lot of luck to win next year injury wise

I can't see the current key defensive group and ruck division winning 2016

I cant seeing winning in 2015 with our number 1 defender at 32 and declining , no Mal and a 33 yo Shaw. It could take Rohan/Jones etc a year to find there feet and get the structure set , even more so if Ted does fall off and we have to play XR or Aliir. Will wait and see if they throw Reid back.

Pyke needs more help and is 31.

Hope we can draft in 2015

 

[The King!]

I cant seeing winning in 2015 with our number 1 defender at 32 and declining , no Mal and a 33 yo Shaw. It could take Rohan/Jones etc a year to find there feet and get the structure set , even more so if Ted does fall off and we have to play XR or Aliir. Will wait and see if they throw Reid back.

Pyke needs more help and is 31.

Hope we can draft in 2015

I dont see many sides closing the gap on us gives me hope for next year

Hawks we need to lose motivation or somehing, port are a massive concern, i see freo and cats struggling to keep up, and beyond that unless waite higgins etc work out i dont see another side jumping

We need our good to get better and heeney hewitt etc to push for selection and reid has to go back because at best ted maintains his output

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

I dont see many sides closing the gap on us gives me hope for next year

Hawks we need to lose motivation or somehing, port are a massive concern, i see freo and cats struggling to keep up, and beyond that unless waite higgins etc work out i dont see another side jumping

We need our good to get better and heeney hewitt etc to push for selection and reid has to go back because at best ted maintains his output

Do you really think so mate? i don't know they seem to have major slumps through the season lost 6? in a row because they were missing Trengove who is one player.

They will get a much tougher draw this year.

 

[The King!]

Do you really think so mate? i don't know they seem to have major slumps through the season lost 6? in a row because they were missing Trengove who is one player.

They will get a much tougher draw this year.

Look at the age of the list and the upside
Plus add ryder for bugger all

That side should almost be flag favourites if you factor in things like how unlikely a three peat is

 

[SilentHunter_]

Look at the age of the list and the upside
Plus add ryder for bugger all

That side should almost be flag favourites if you factor in things like how unlikely a three peat is

There's literally no one in our reserves that is good enough to play defence at an AFL level is there?

 

[db swannie]

Do you really think so mate? i don't know they seem to have major slumps through the season lost 6? in a row because they were missing Trengove who is one player.

They will get a much tougher draw this year.

They were missing more than him for a while, though didn't have a terrible run with injuries.

The fixture will be interesting. They should get a difficult draw, but with Richmond getting 15 matches at the G, it's obvious that the game is being run by lunatics.

 

[The King!]

There's literally no one in our reserves that is good enough to play defence at an AFL level is there?

Not right now imho, but xr aliir may come on quick or aj back from injury, but it was the same this year.

Teds decline bothers me

Reid needs to go back

If you cannot trade at all you better hope xr aliir davis etc come on quick or ted finds the fountain of youth, but the best forwards beat him in 2014

Dont get me wrong the side is still good

But no trades could cost us a flag

 

[Banyo Bloods]

Why all the doom and gloom about Ted Richards he isn't on his last legs yet and stlll is a very solid defender don't remember him getting monstered. Some of the delivery to his man wouldn't matter who was defending they wouldn't have gotten there. Our delivery to our forwards makes opposition defenders seem a bit better still works very well with Grundy. Everyone praying fo Shaw to retire. Maybe he is at the end but I don't remember a more successful return from a knee reco than Shaw's took Malceski ages to be effective again where as Shaw was ready to go and really showed no signs of the knee troubling him. His kicking has always been a bit up and down but with Mal gone his run with Rohan and marshalling the troops is going to be important.

 

[SilentHunter_]

Why all the doom and gloom about Ted Richards he isn't on his last legs yet and stlll is a very solid defender don't remember him getting monstered. Some of the delivery to his man wouldn't matter who was defending they wouldn't have gotten there. Our delivery to our forwards makes opposition defenders seem a bit better still works very well with Grundy. Everyone praying fo Shaw to retire. Maybe he is at the end but I don't remember a more successful return from a knee reco than Shaw's took Malceski ages to be effective again where as Shaw was ready to go and really showed no signs of the knee troubling him. His kicking has always been a bit up and down but with Mal gone his run with Rohan and marshalling the troops is going to be important.

Every single ******* time against hawthorn (roughead) he gets smashed, watch the matches.

 

[Punts]

Do you really think so mate? i don't know they seem to have major slumps through the season lost 6? in a row because they were missing Trengove who is one player.

They will get a much tougher draw this year.

Both KD Carlilse and Trengrove missed at the same time , imagine both Ted and Reg missing for us.

They had no 2nd ruck with Trengrove out which meant Westoff had to ruck taking him out of the forward line which meant Shultz was double teamed.

Could argue they have added the best Ruck/Forward in the comp.

They were 2 games clear on top a halfway point with the 3rd youngest side in the comp , another year of experience.

Added Voss as assistant.

Imo there forward line wouldn't be to far off the Hawks , Westoff , Shultz , Ryder , Wingard , Gray , etc etc.

They will be dangerous

 

[Punts]

Why all the doom and gloom about Ted Richards he isn't on his last legs yet and stlll is a very solid defender don't remember him getting monstered. Some of the delivery to his man wouldn't matter who was defending they wouldn't have gotten there. Our delivery to our forwards makes opposition defenders seem a bit better still works very well with Grundy. Everyone praying fo Shaw to retire. Maybe he is at the end but I don't remember a more successful return from a knee reco than Shaw's took Malceski ages to be effective again where as Shaw was ready to go and really showed no signs of the knee troubling him. His kicking has always been a bit up and down but with Mal gone his run with Rohan and marshalling the troops is going to be important.

JR got a hold of him in R23 in ONE QUARTER ( kicked 3 in first ) and we had to move Rampe onto him.

Pav kicked 4 on him in the first Final.

Petrie 3 and had he kicked straight it would of been 5.

His decision making has also dropped off and been getting done on the lead far to much

I still think he is a very good defender but I don't think he should be taking the num 1 forwards next season , thinking more of a glass role as he is a very good interceptor and reader of the play. I think with most of the top teams now going with 3 talls , North - Waite , Pertrie , Brown , - Port Ryder , Westoff , Shultz that 3 tall backs might be needed

 

[Leg End]

Some may call this glass overflowing, but we were a dominant force in 2014 and lost the Granny because we were out enthused and went in comfortable after what we did to Norf. You don't lose all of that overnight.

Much to work on, but Top 4 still very likely and then it's game on.

 

[Banyo Bloods]

Every single ******* time against hawthorn (roughead) he gets smashed, watch the matches.

,
Delivery on the lead not monstered as in wrestling one on one. He is a premier forward. I watch every match by the way, every year. I don't agree with the Ted is done sentiment that's all. He has some players he struggles with but what I often see is how bloody well he reads the ball especially when the midfield force the pressured kicks. Grand Final seems to cloud everything. Yes it was abysmal but as pessimistic as I am the only worry for me is the loss of Malceski at this point. If we can get a player to really step it up and also learn that we need some outside mid defenders against some teams I think we will do ok.

 

[Banyo Bloods]

JR got a hold of him in R23 in ONE QUARTER ( kicked 3 in first ) and we had to move Rampe onto him.

Pav kicked 4 on him in the first Final.

Petrie 3 and had he kicked straight it would of been 5.

His decision making has also dropped off and been getting done on the lead far to much

I still think he is a very good defender but I don't think he should be taking the num 1 forwards next season , thinking more of a glass role as he is a very good interceptor and reader of the play. I think with most of the top teams now going with 3 talls , North - Waite , Pertrie , Brown , - Port Ryder , Westoff , Shultz that 3 tall backs might be needed

You have some valid points and suggestions IMO but as a group they were still the best performed defence in the comp for the year. All very harsh when looking for answers and scapegoats for that GF. I'm sure you would like to be proven wrong next year as much as I am hoping. I would imagine watching Lake, spangher and Gibson for the whole season you could find some crap games from them against certain individuals. i don't tend to watch every opposition game that's on so can't really comment and I don't judge just on stats.

 

[Punts]

You have some valid points and suggestions IMO but as a group they were still the best performed defence in the comp for the year. All very harsh when looking for answers and scapegoats for that GF. I'm sure you would like to be proven wrong next year as much as I am hoping. I would imagine watching Lake, spangher and Gibson for the whole season you could find some crap games from them against certain individuals. i don't tend to watch every opposition game that's on so can't really comment and I don't judge just on stats.

The guys I named that got a hold of him , Pav , JR , Petrie etc I actually think that Reid would be more suited to take them IF he is even moved back which I hope but Horse seems to love him forward so will wait and see on that.
Reid would be suited them sort of tall forwards with a bit of speed and leap as he is also quick and has a very good leap etc but the Cloke , Hawkins type he would out muscled , then we would need a 3rd up much like Ted could do next year , as you say he reads and intercepts very well and would help Reid.

 

[Banyo Bloods]

The guys I named that got a hold of him , Pav , JR , Petrie etc I actually think that Reid would be more suited to take them IF he is even moved back which I hope but Horse seems to love him forward so will wait and see on that.
Reid would be suited them sort of tall forwards with a bit of speed and leap as he is also quick and has a very good leap etc but the Cloke , Hawkins type he would out muscled , then we would need a 3rd up much like Ted could do next year , as you say he reads and intercepts very well and would help Reid.

I think Reid doesn't have the game smarts to work in combo. Grundy and Richards work very well as a combo (most of the time) Reid hasn't quite got that natural ability to support another defender. In isolation Reid would get "monstered" in my Opinion and is probably why he is used as a loose defender with less accountability more so. Still a good summer learning the trade might be a good thing for the Swans because of Reid could emmulate what spangher did in the GF then he could really find his niche.

 

[swansfan51]

I think Reid doesn't have the game smarts to work in combo. Grundy and Richards work very well as a combo (most of the time) Reid hasn't quite got that natural ability to support another defender. In isolation Reid would get "monstered" in my Opinion and is probably why he is used as a loose defender with less accountability more so. Still a good summer learning the trade might be a good thing for the Swans because of Reid could emmulate what spangher did in the GF then he could really find his niche.

If you want him to emulate Spangher then it would have been a lot better to keep Spangher instead of signing someone on a 5 year, multi million dollar contract.

 

[Leg End]

If you want him to emulate Spangher then it would have been a lot better to keep Spangher instead of signing someone on a 5 year, multi million dollar contract.

Best form of defence is to get first use of the ball so it's their defence, not ours, which has the problem.

 

[Banyo Bloods]

If you want him to emulate Spangher then it would have been a lot better to keep Spangher instead of signing someone on a 5 year, multi million dollar contract.

He was always injured during our time. I thought he was great in the games he played for us, didn't shirk it. I wish we did keep him but Hawks have used him better and probably the only guy I was happy for in the GF week or so later at least.

 

[Nool Carpenna]

Best form of defence is to get first use of the ball so it's their defence, not ours, which has the problem.

Agree 100%

It's as though we are so preoccupied with making a tackle that our contest on the ball is s**t. While stats don't mean everything.... who were the top 4/5 tackling teams in the comp last season and where we're the premiers on that list?

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Just don't want the Hawks to go 3 in a row but I cant see who will knock them off when its crunch time in big finals.

To much experience it pains me to say and there leaders step up when it matters.

Would rather Port , think they will mighty good in 2015 with Ryder and still have a very young list that are up and coming.

Secret is to beat the in a Prelim, but nobody seems to be able to do that in the last 30 seconds!

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

If hawthorn win three in a row i think ill move overseas

If Hawthorn win three in a row I'm moving to Camberwell and painting my house red and white with a big "2012" on the roof.

And The World's Biggest Swans Flag in the front garden.

A bit desperate, but I can't think of anything else that's even remotely appropriate.

 

[Dan87]

I'm really interested in an age analysis of the list. But can't be bothered enough to do it myself. Because I think we're not much older than Port. Take out Goodes, Shaw and Richards and I think our profile is just as optimistic.