Universal Love Season 2021 15 wins 7 losses 120%

[Heeney2Franklin]

Well here we are what a superb season the Swans have provided us nobody would of predicted a 5th or 6th finish or could of predicted the impact Hickey, Gulden, Jmac, Warner and to a lesser extent McDonald early in the season.

No matter what happens next week the team has exceeded all expectations and we have really unearthed some quality players going forward which should hopefully result in a consistent run at finals again.

Now there was ONE person (yes only one who had us finishing 6th)



Barrett's ladder prediction
1. Port Adelaide
2. Brisbane
3. Richmond
4. Geelong
5. West Coast
6. Sydney
7. Western Bulldogs
8. St Kilda

 

[Millky95]

Well here we are what a superb season the Swans have provided us nobody would of predicted a 5th or 6th finish or could of predicted the impact Hickey, Gulden, Jmac, Warner and to a lesser extent McDonald early in the season.

No matter what happens next week the team has exceeded all expectations and we have really unearthed some quality players going forward which should hopefully result in a consistent run at finals again.

Now there was ONE person (yes only one who had us finishing 6th)

View attachment 1212455

Barrett's ladder prediction
1. Port Adelaide
2. Brisbane
3. Richmond
4. Geelong
5. West Coast
6. Sydney
7. Western Bulldogs
8. St Kilda

Well, let's just hope WCE win so he can be wrong and we finish 5th

 

[Slingshot Footy]

While the season hasn't finished it's certainly been a joy to watch (particularly during lockdown) and the development of the entire list has been a sigh of relief as I haven't had to worry for a lack of depth in the team. Despite the scrutiny we put a number of players under week after week we are extremely fortunate to have the role players that we do pushing for selection and keeping others accountable. The team is only as good as our weakest performers and those blokes have kept us in games when other sides' fringe players have not.

Looking forward to the finals series and hoping that we take on the role of the hunters rather than the hunted! Cheer Cheer boys, up the Bloods!

 

[sthmelb_dimmies]

Nostradamus tag please mods

CC: bungee

 

[Superstar swan]

Fantastic season. Hard to criticise at all no matter what happens from here

 

[Chaisa]

Well here we are what a superb season the Swans have provided us nobody would of predicted a 5th or 6th finish or could of predicted the impact Hickey, Gulden, Jmac, Warner and to a lesser extent McDonald early in the season.

No matter what happens next week the team has exceeded all expectations and we have really unearthed some quality players going forward which should hopefully result in a consistent run at finals again.

Now there was ONE person (yes only one who had us finishing 6th)

View attachment 1212455

Barrett's ladder prediction
1. Port Adelaide
2. Brisbane
3. Richmond
4. Geelong
5. West Coast
6. Sydney
7. Western Bulldogs
8. St Kilda

I think Connolly did as well.

Still startling us making finals. TBH I got the feeling it was going to be a very good year after that R1 clash, but still it's a remarkable year. With only a couple of exceptions everyone's had a better year than 2020. Our kds are really, really good. Next few years are going to be big.

 

[scaryness]

Well here we are what a superb season the Swans have provided us nobody would of predicted a 5th or 6th finish or could of predicted the impact Hickey, Gulden, Jmac, Warner and to a lesser extent McDonald early in the season.

No matter what happens next week the team has exceeded all expectations and we have really unearthed some quality players going forward which should hopefully result in a consistent run at finals again.

Now there was ONE person (yes only one who had us finishing 6th)

View attachment 1212455

Barrett's ladder prediction
1. Port Adelaide
2. Brisbane
3. Richmond
4. Geelong
5. West Coast
6. Sydney
7. Western Bulldogs
8. St Kilda

Gotta give a shout out to RohanConnolly for being another media pundit to be in the extreme minority and back us in for finals!

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Gotta give a shout out to RohanConnolly for being another media pundit to be in the extreme minority and back us in for finals!

Oh wow is that his actual account?

 

[scaryness]

Oh wow is that his actual account?

Yep

 

[Ticky009]

Such a top effort for the coaching staff and players in making finals. We had some glimpses of the new style towards the end of last year, but just didn't have the cattle on the park and perhaps the confidence to really put it to good use, but this year? Yeah that was a whole new story.

It's not often the Swans are praised as being a team that are great to watch, but we are. The Richmond game was were we pretty much forced everyone else to stand up and take notice, that win was amazing made even more so because it was without Buddy.

Then we have our best four quarter effort which is the Eagles game down in Geelong, what a perfect afternoon of footy.

But overall I've just enjoyed the effort and the skill in watching us move the ball from one end of the ground to the other.

Could not be prouder of everyone at the Swans.

 

[Ticky009]

With injuries and such pending, it's hard to know for sure, but this is what I would say our best team looks like for finals, if we can get them all out there and firing:

B - Rampe, McCartin, Cunningham
HB - Lloyd, Melican, McInerney
C - Dawson, Hewett, Gulden
HF - Heeney, Franklin, Papley
F - Wicks, McLean, Hayward
R - Hickey, Mills, Parker

IC - Kennedy, Rowbottom, Florent, ________?

The last spot I have down to one of four players (Warner, Campbell, Fox and O'Riordan), and it's a flexible spot that could change depending on the opposition and performance. Either between Warner & Campbell for a half forward/wing/rotating mid role, or Fox & O'Riordan for a medium defender/defensive depth role. Whichever role might be needed most depending on our opposition, and then whoever out of each pair is fittest and most likely to contribute.

However given the only players we have right now under injury clouds are mids, I would say Warner. Tbh, I'd probably be inclined to say Warner anyway as I'm a fan and I'd hate to see what was a promising season kinda put on the shelf because of an injury.

Caesar, Universal Love thread = journey we've had. Changes for next week belong in the preview thread I think.

 

[caesar88]

Caesar, Universal Love thread = journey we've had. Changes for next week belong in the preview thread I think.

I got the green threads mixed up

 

[Ticky009]

I got the green threads mixed up

All good mate.

 

[BruceFromBalnarring]

Nostradamus tag please mods

CC: bungee

View attachment 1212485

Which thread is this off? Can you bump it?

 

[the hypnotoad]

love the fact those first three breathtaking games weren't a mirage ...
love errol the boy wizard and paddlepop lion tom, incredible first-year players who carved out their own roles ...
love that blakey found a role (hope he recovers well and comes back even better) ...
love that this team genuinely has other teams' fans drooling at the way we play football ...
love parker kicking for goal ...
love that franklin seems to absolutely love playing with this team ...
love that hewett, fox and cunningham are better than i ever gave them credit for ...
love that mills really is as good as he always promised to be ...
love the brash youth but cool composure of mcinerney, wicks, gulden, warner, campbell, et al ... they all know they're good, but they just seem to friggin love playing football together the way they do, and that makes them even better ...
love heeney ...
love what this team will learn from a finals experience way ahead of schedule ...
love wondering just how good this team could be over the next five years or so ...

 

[Ticky009]

That's how you do folks!! Well said the hypnotoad

 

[BruceFromBalnarring]

I think we’re in this up to our ears. There’s a real resilience about this group.

 

[SwansProudly]

Which thread is this off? Can you bump it?

sthmelb_dimmies bungee

2021 - Best 22

This could change with a couple of our young players but right now what we are lacking with our under 24 brigade is a real star, someone who will likely become a top 10 or top 20 player in the competition. We have a lot of pretty good young players but we lack that star factor so far. Do you...

www.bigfooty.com

 

[Tedeski]

Excellent!
Who would have thought?
I had no idea we could do it & much against my thinking, Buddy has played most of it.

 

[Kapers]

Wowee, what a season.

Honestly, this was the season I was hoping for last year, but we were injury-ravaged and struggled against lower teams.

This year we just came out guns blazing, had a down patch and still managed to pinch a few, then had a very strong finish.

I don't know what finals hold, and to a certain point I hate finals because they're so damn stressful, especially with no next week to respond from a disappointing game, but I'm so proud of my side, especially seeing how disappointing Carlton, Fremantle, West Coast, GCS, and so on are.

 

[The King!]

Lost 7, prefer 0

I give it a C minus

Picked us for the flag at 67 dollars for 25 buck bet so cmon please

 

[Maddhew]

A lot has gone right this year, reasons for improvement:

• Buddy has exceeded exceeded expectations in his 8th year, particularly after the previous 2
• Dawson is now elite, we need to keep him
• Luke Parker is only 28 but looked like slowing down early, he has been back to his best
• Kennedy had a better year than expected, hasn't slid too far
• Mills in the midfield has been a revelation
• Heeney has found better consistency, still has room for improvement
• Hickey has had the best year in the Ruck that I can remember for a Swan
• Blakey mid season was an unpopular selection, and improved to an unfortunate out
• McCartin is a seriously good key defender, he's 21
• Jmac, Gulden, Warner look excellent.
• We have depth, serious depth

 

[Ticky009]

A lot has gone right this year, reasons for improvement:

• Buddy has exceeded exceeded expectations in his 8th year, particularly after the previous 2
• Dawson is now elite, we need to keep him
• Luke Parker is only 28 but looked like slowing down early, he has been back to his best
• Kennedy had a better year than expected, hasn't slid too far
• Mills in the midfield has been a revelation
• Heeney has found better consistency, still has room for improvement
• Hickey has had the best year in the Ruck that I can remember for a Swan
• Blakey mid season was an unpopular selection, and improved to an unfortunate out
• McCartin is a seriously good key defender, he's 21
• Jmac, Gulden, Warner look excellent.
• We have depth, serious depth

I'd quibble on our depth, think we'd be awfully exposed if our defenders went down.

 

[the hypnotoad]

love the fact those first three breathtaking games weren't a mirage ...
love errol the boy wizard and paddlepop lion tom, incredible first-year players who carved out their own roles ...
love that blakey found a role (hope he recovers well and comes back even better) ...
love that this team genuinely has other teams' fans drooling at the way we play football ...
love parker kicking for goal ...
love that franklin seems to absolutely love playing with this team ...
love that hewett, fox and cunningham are better than i ever gave them credit for ...
love that mills really is as good as he always promised to be ...
love the brash youth but cool composure of mcinerney, wicks, gulden, warner, campbell, et al ... they all know they're good, but they just seem to friggin love playing football together the way they do, and that makes them even better ...
love heeney ...
love what this team will learn from a finals experience way ahead of schedule ...
love wondering just how good this team could be over the next five years or so ...

oh yeah, knew i forgot someone ... dawson ... rated him the snippets i saw his first preseason however long ago that was, just seemed to do everything well then, and even more so now ... so calm and football smart
i'm sure he'll stay, too, even though he's now one of the most wanted players in the league
absolutely an a-grade footballer

 

[SwansProudly]

When you look at our number of wins,
only 2 wins away from top of the ladder
only out of top 4 on percentage
(likely) 4 wins ahead of the next team below us on the ladder
#ProudlySydney #GoBloods #Bloods