Preview Face-Off: Round 22 v the Swanettes

[GROTTO]

2 consecutive 6 day breaks. 3 of our best 6 players carrying niggles, with 1-2 of them a chance to miss entirely. Top 2 already secured...

Look, it should still be a pretty good game but I don't see us winning. 2 consecutive 6 day breaks at this time of the year is more brutal than many realise.

Swans by 15 pts.

+1

Definitely agree. I would rather rest players like Tex, Sloane and Talia who have apparently a few injury niggles. Resting Sauce and see how we would go without him, would be good match day simulation for the coaches box.

Imagine the upside if we were to roll them missing key personal or even have a solid honorable loss. If they do bash us at home, then we know we have had massive outs for the game which would be automatic ins for the finals should we we play them again. Keeping an Ace up our sleeve is not the worst of ideas.

Geez we limped into the finals series last year and we saw the destruction that took place.

 

[db swannie]

There really are

It's a mixed bag, like here. Some think we will win, some are not so sure.

I think the fact that you've already secured a top 2 finish means that some believe the Crows are not going to go full tilt.

 

[Cromulent]

Heeney smashed us that game. I think Cheney was on him but was well and truly beaten.

I'm confident Kelly will be able to keep him quiet like he did with Stringer

 

[Kickin Goals]

It's a mixed bag, like here. Some think we will win, some are not so sure.

I think the fact that you've already secured a top 2 finish means that some believe the Crows are not going to go full tilt.

We will be going full tilt do not won't to play you guys first week of the finals.

 

[Red mist]

We will be going full tilt do not won't to play you guys first week of the finals.

I'd have the mentality to take on all comers. We are there for a reason and thaughts of avoiding a certain team wouldn't be considered..

 

[lamby]

Btw, is top 4 that important these days since the week off was introduced? Was only the first year, but both teams in the 2016 GF played all 4 weeks.

Expecting swans to have more to play for nonetheless. Should win by a goal or 2.

I think the week off is a bit of noise. Bulldogs were top 4 most of the year and had 15 wins. Most years the top 4 are a fair bit better than 5-8. Last year 1-7 was VERY even.

 

[Ticky009]

For those interested, the legendary grimlock has posted how our two teams stack up stat wise on the Swans board. Visit the Stats thread for some number crunching fun

 

[Jarman3]

I'm confident Kelly will be able to keep him quiet like he did with Stringer

Heeney is a much tougher proposition than Stringer, IMO. But yeah, I'd be giving Kelly first crack at him.

 

[db swannie]

I'd have the mentality to take on all comers. We are there for a reason and thaughts of avoiding a certain team wouldn't be considered..

I tend to agree. You're top of the ladder for a reason.

 

[db swannie]

We will be going full tilt do not won't to play you guys first week of the finals.

As supporters we tend to have sides we want to avoid, but I doubt your coach or players would, you're going to be minor premiers.

Lot of excitement from both sides about this game, which is great.

 

[Alwaysacrow]

I'm confident Kelly will be able to keep him quiet like he did with Stringer

If Crows lose it won't be because of that I'm sure.

 

[Number37]

I'm confident Kelly will be able to keep him quiet like he did with Stringer

Does Kelly play midfield?

Heeney has been playing as a midfielder most of the year. Occasionally has a rest up forward, unlike last year when he played mainly forward with short stints in the midfield.

 

[db swannie]

Heeney is a much tougher proposition than Stringer, IMO. But yeah, I'd be giving Kelly first crack at him.

Heeney - unlike Stringer - doesn't sulk if the ball doesn't come his way. He goes and finds it. This is irrelevant I know, but I've watched a fair bit of Stringer this year, and I know why Bulldogs fans give him a hard time, he's a bloody sook.

 

[pirate bob]

Does Kelly play midfield? Heeney has been playing as a midfielder most of the year. Occasionally has a rest up forward, unlike last year when he played mainly forward with short stints in the midfield.

No, Kelly doesn't play in the midfield.

 

[GROTTO]

Bigger problem I think is that with the bye if we win and get another week off, we play two games in a month.

Correct me if I am wrong, but didnt the Hawks and Cats over the years have this same issue and still won the flag?

 

[Cromulent]

Does Kelly play midfield?

Nah I meant when Heeney is forward. When he's in the mid Brad will probably run with him.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Correct me if I am wrong, but didnt the Hawks and Cats over the years have this same issue and still won the flag?

Yes!

In 2015 and 2016 we actually followed a similar path to those premiership teams by having a week off in the 2nd week of finals. Unfortunately though we had a match those weeks.

 

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

Yes!

In 2015 and 2016 we actually followed a similar path to those premiership teams by having a week off in the 2nd week of finals. Unfortunately though we had a match those weeks.

We took it to new levels by having the Prelim off as well.

 

[takeheed]

Correct me if I am wrong, but didnt the Hawks and Cats over the years have this same issue and still won the flag?

Referring to the extra week off introduced just last year inbetween finals and reg season i believe

 

[Shaz2012]

It's a mixed bag, like here. Some think we will win, some are not so sure.

I think the fact that you've already secured a top 2 finish means that some believe the Crows are not going to go full tilt.

I am thinking like that too. A few weeks ago, I had tipped you to lose to Hawthorn and beat the Cats and then lose to us. That was before we had top 2 sewn up. Its easy to say our boys are going to treat it like any other match. But in the back of their mind there will always be some instinct to hold themselves back and not get injured. Every hard contest, every time they have to run at full speed at a lost cause "just in case", etc, etc. In fact I dont want to see any of our guys go courageously back into a marking contest where they may get crunched. The sort of things I will be expecting from them in a final, I will be hoping like hell they dont do that on Friday. We have seen what happens to our team this season when we aren't 100% there mentally. I am expecting a strong showing from us early in the match. But I wonder if we will drop off after that first 10 minutes or so.

Would love to get the 4 points, but number 1 priority for me is getting through unscathed.

 

[GROTTO]

Referring to the extra week off introduced just last year inbetween finals and reg season i believe

Im almost fairly certain Clarko rested a lot of players in one of those years in the final round, which basically mimics having the extra week off like this year and last. They won the flag without too many issues of players being rested or only playing 2 games in a month.

 

[GROTTO]

Would love to get the 4 points, but number 1 priority for me is getting through unscathed.

Agree.

Im not saying we tank. However any player that isnt at or close to 100% should be rested.

I still would like to see how we would go if Sauce was not playing ie rest him. Tbh its madness to not trial this out at least once before September for a full game.

 

[ok.crows]

It's a mixed bag, like here. Some think we will win, some are not so sure.

I think the fact that you've already secured a top 2 finish means that some believe the Crows are not going to go full tilt.

The opinions expressed on the Swans board about the game are perfectly fair enough.

The opinions expressed on the Swans board about the relative merits of the two cities as places to live are way, way off. I think maybe Sydney residents have to badmouth other places in order to justify to themselves the outrageous costs of living in Sydney. In actual truth Sydney is a way overpriced rat hole.

 

[GROTTO]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-...s-most-liveable-city-for-seventh-year/8812196

Top five most liveable cities:

1. Melbourne
2. Vienna
3. Vancouver
4. Toronto
5. Adelaide,

 

[brad cooper]

The opinions expressed on the Swans board about the game are perfectly fair enough.

The opinions expressed on the Swans board about the relative merits of the two cities as places to live are way, way off. I think maybe Sydney residents have to badmouth other places in order to justify to themselves the outrageous costs of living in Sydney. In actual truth Sydney is a way overpriced rat hole.

Totally agree, Sydney has an outrageous cost of living. Maybe the AFL should introduce some sort of cost of living into the swans salary cap to help offset this.