Mega Thread General Pre-Season Discussion, News and Updates

[Jack2Jack]

Lol at D-rex as a full-time defender, I just think of the pasting Grundy cops on here at times, people will be going ballistic on Derickx

The guy would give away a ton of free kicks, plus at ground level he would be a liability.
Most of all though the guy drops the un-droppable marks all..the...time...the only goal Geelong kicked in that first half domination of ours came because moments earlier D-rex let a simple mark not only slip through his hands but go out the back as well. Intercept marking is the key to our defence.

We need another mature-bodied defender but we don't have one and this isn't the answer, better to try Reid down there or pump some games into X.Richards, McLaren if we're really serious about finding another competent key defender.
Sure giving D-rex a little bit of time down there is ok it might help him improve a few defensive things but making him spend any serious time training or playing reserves as a defender is a just an absolute waste of time, and it robs him of valuable time he could put into improving as a ruckman...which subsequently robs him of the chance to be playing AFL level football, because playing ruck is his only chance of making it at AFL level.

 

[mtooler]

AFL article today
"This time last year, Tom Mitchell was barely running as he worked through his recovery from an ankle injury, so it has been encouraging for the young midfielder to make a bright start this summer. Mitchell completed an off-season running program for the first time since joining the Swans in the 2011 NAB AFL Draft, and it has reaped significant benefits. He started pre-season on day one for the first time and was a standout in both 3km time trials. Putting on size is not a concern for the contested ball specialist, so improving his fitness can be a priority. A breakout year looms with a clean bill of health. – Nathan Schmook"

The question is can Tom Mitchell become the Messiah and turn a rag tag bunch of minor premiers into a well drilled battle hardened bunch of minor premiers? I think yes, get on the TMitchell express! Toot toot!

 

[swansfan51]

He was so incredibly unfit this year that he laid more tackles in his last game than any of our midfielders managed to do in a game all year, and was our 2nd leading clearance winner and 2nd leading possession winner. He was then dropped, it must have been due to his lack of fitness.

He is a very good player, he was a very good player this year, and the only difference next year will be that he'll get the games he deserves. And he will play extremely well again.

 

[McRobie]

I put $50 on him for the Brownlow.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Should of played finals.. cant believe they went with a guy coming off a PCL.

29 disposals 14 tackles in round 23..

 

[Punts]

I was at pre season training about this time last year and Tom was doing stuff all and went out in the NAB ( only NAB ) and dominated that game against the giants after a limited pre season.

A full pre season finally he will start r1 and wont be removed imo and will most games walk away with the most clearances and tackles , that's how much I rate him. I did forget at times last year how good this kid is even though I did see a lot of the 2s last year but he was injured a fair bit.

Should of been in front of a few leading in to the finals in 2014.

I think he will have a cracker of a year , looking forward to it and don't forget Hewett/Heeney

 

[MarkP]

I just hope they play him in his correct position of inside mid and not as some quasi small/half forward.

Anyway this will be his year. All the bad luck has been used up and he will rise to the top of the pile pretty quickly.

 

[Millky95]

Mitchell, Parker and Kennedy will be a lovely stoppage group

 

[RUNVS]

He is so injury prone though I worry he is going to do something to himself one week before the season is due to start. If he can stay fit for a long period of time he really is going to be a gun for us, a gun that is in a much needed position as our clearance work in the last few years has been terrible.

 

[Banyo Bloods]

Exactly his run of injuries does not give me the confidence that he will play to his full potential. Some guys seem to be right to get up for every game ala Jude Bolton but not Tom. Hope things turn around for him on that front.

 

[Tuco]

Not really much you can do for an ankle. They're good or they're not. Great to hear TM is raring to go.

I suspect his non selection last year had everything to do with the fact we weren't willing to bet on carrying another injured player as there must have already been a motherload of general soreness in the squad externally we never heard about. And we had Bird assigned already.

But Mitchell is a weapon. Not just a holding player. If we expect to scare other sides we need players like him. Defensive players vanish in big games as they focus on a narrow role. Our midfield needs some hard ball winners in the mix.

Massive positive for 2015.

 

[swansfan51]

I suspect his non selection last year had everything to do with the fact we weren't willing to bet on carrying another injured player as there must have already been a motherload of general soreness in the squad externally we never heard about.

So injured he was dropped after being our 2nd best midfielder, and remained so injured that he was best on ground in the reserves grand final.

 

[Sanecow]

So injured he was dropped after being our 2nd best midfielder, and remained so injured that he was best on ground in the reserves grand final.

It's weird considering what eventually happened but I guess they thought "don't flirt with form."

 

[Tuco]

So injured he was dropped after being our 2nd best midfielder, and remained so injured that he was best on ground in the reserves grand final.

All true. But Leo Barry basically won us a GF in 2005 playing with a fractured cheekbone. On field performance doesn't necessarily correlate with a full bill of health.

It all comes down to the degree of risk the selection committee decide to allow. Not saying I agree with him missing a spot, of
course.

 

[RW]

As per bungee's request, I have done some end of year housekeeping and moved any posts relating to rants from the grand final, as this thread isn't really the place for it.

Wishing all of our posters a happy and safe New Year and go Bloods in 2015.

 

[Number37]

As per bungee's request, I have done some end of year housekeeping and moved any posts relating to rants from the grand final, as this thread isn't really the place for it.

Wishing all of our posters a happy and safe New Year and go Bloods in 2015.

Dismissing valid discussion as 'rants' is a bit over the top with the moderation.

How the team performed in their last (most important game in 2014) has plenty of relevance to preparations for 2015 and beyond.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Dismissing valid discussion as 'rants' is a bit over the top with the moderation.

How the team performed in their last (most important game in 2014) has plenty of relevance to preparations for 2015 and beyond.

Think it's more like everything pretty much has been said its going over old ground now.

 

[RW]

Dismissing valid discussion as 'rants' is a bit over the top with the moderation.

JohnG's reply after yours expressed my thoughts for the most part. I'm certainly not dismissing the opinions of posters who raised valid points and I apologise if any relevant posts were moved, but a lot of it has already been said.

 

[Number37]

Think it's more like everything pretty much has been said its going over old ground now.

It will be pretty difficult to discuss our team without reference to the 2014 GF debacle for the foreseeable future. It may well be going over old ground, but will be nonetheless relevant if, for example, we see a slow start to season 2015.
Everyone is intelligent enough to choose what is relevant for them. A decree from higher powers about what can and can't be discussed in what threads is a bit over the top and IMO it does nothing but stymie otherwise good discussion, even if we don't all agree.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

It will be pretty difficult to discuss our team without reference to the 2014 GF debacle for the foreseeable future. It may well be going over old ground, but will be nonetheless relevant if, for example, we see a slow start to season 2015.
Everyone is intelligent enough to choose what is relevant for them. A decree from higher powers about what can and can't be discussed in what threads is a bit over the top and IMO it does nothing but stymie otherwise good discussion, even if we don't all agree.

Your first sentence is true but tell me do you believe that what happened in the GF has any correlation to what may happen in 2015? everyone is disecting on how/what we will need to beat Hawthorn in 2015 but who knows they might not even be in contention.

If 2015 amounts to nothing it wont be because of the 2014 GF it will simply be this team has climbed the mountain to many times and needs rejuvenation.

But my personal opinion even before the GF debacle(you can check my posts) is this team still has another 2 years to grab a flag.

 

[RW]

Of course people can still bring up the GF, but it's not the focus of this thread. There are others on the board who have expressed a desire to move on from the debacle, too. We as a board just have to find the right balance between moving forward and talking about what went wrong.

I hope everyone has a Happy New Year.

 

[swansfan51]

The Grand Final is absolutely relevant, as is the 2013 Preliminary Final. Both showed up our midfield as being utterly, completely outclassed when they were put under a large amount of pressure. That has to remain in our memory if we don't want it repeated in the finals for a 3rd consecutive year.

 

[Number37]

Your first sentence is true but tell me do you believe that what happened in the GF has any correlation to what may happen in 2015? everyone is disecting on how/what we will need to beat Hawthorn in 2015 but who knows they might not even be in contention.

If 2015 amounts to nothing it wont be because of the 2014 GF it will simply be this team has climbed the mountain to many times and needs rejuvenation.

But my personal opinion even before the GF debacle(you can check my posts) is this team still has another 2 years to grab a flag.

For now I think it is still relevant to any discussion that we as supporters might have.
We can't pretend it never happened and we can't go on ad infinitum about the debacle that it was.
I think we will find out very early next season if it was the exception or the rule.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

For now I think it is still relevant to any discussion that we as supporters might have.
We can't pretend it never happened and we can't go on ad infinitum about the debacle that it was.
I think we will find out very early next season if it was the exception or the rule.

Maybe give it a month or so

 

[daymee]

Maybe a reason or something for a pathetic performance

Sports isn't science, you can't do A talent v X talent = win, that's why bookies and punters love it. No one expected 2012 Swans performance or 2014 Hawthorn performance and that is the "magic" of live sport. You can't find a definitive reason , and even if you did, you could never prove it scientifically.

Just gotta move on


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