Preview Round 13 Swans vs Tigers

[SBD Gonzalez]

Nobody else has nominated for this week’s preview & I thought it might be cathartic to write one …. simply because it means we can all look forward, instead of dwelling on the utter dumpster fire that was the SCG yesterday.

I've finished mowing the lawn, so here goes. I’ll try not to sound defeatist. But jeez its hard at the moment.

The Key Details:

Sydney Swans(4-8) vs Richmond Tigers (3-9)

Venue: MCG

Date: Saturday June 7

Time: 1.20pm AEST

Cox Status: not sacked

Preamble

2024 feels like a long time ago.

Ah yes, those blissful late autumn days, when we were flattening everyone and sat coyly atop the AFL ladder, peering down at the huddled unwashed masses far below.

Days when talk on the Swans Bigfooty board revolved around who we should be resting, because we could basically stand down most of our stars and still brush aside whatever hapless opponent the AFL draw dictated was the week’s roadkill.

Gulden was a deity.

Heeney was going to win the Brownlow by as far as Cripps is tall.

Chad was unstoppable.

Jordon was the recruit of the millennia.

Hayden McLean was serviceable because he tries hard.

But, dear reader, as we all know, dark clouds were gathering.

And the first hint of vulnerability came against the lowly, wretched Richmond Tigers.

For those who have forgotten, in the corresponding game at the MCG last year, Richmond won. By 5 points. In what was widely considered at the time to be the upset of the decade.

It was, unfortunately, a sign of things to come.

Errol was stifled. Heeney was below his Colgate-brilliant best. Chad was strangely quiet. Jordon allowed Tim Taranto to get completely off the leash. McLean may or may not have played, to this day nobody is really sure.

Richmond’s playing ranks were decimated. Indeed so deep was their crisis, they had to get a bloke called Mykelti Lefau out of the cheer squad to stick some boots on & have a crack. He kicked 2 goals, sang the team song, jumped back over the fence and went home with his wife and kids.

That game was the thin edge of the wedge. A sign that the Swans weren’t an unstoppable force.

And now we’ve come to know that the Swans are more than stoppable. They’ve stopped.

Is our season officially over? Probably. Would a win here provide a glimmer of hope? Probably not.

Is a win important? Very much so. Our coach needs it desperately.

Will we win?

I have no bloody idea anymore. The Tigers were widely tipped to go winless this season. But right now, this one feels like it could go either way.

The Teams

When it comes to Richmond, the biggest question each week is …. Will Noah Balta be allowed out to play?

My understanding is that yes, he will.

It’ll be strange watching an opposition player run around with an ankle bracelet, but such is modern life.

Prestia, Hopper, Taranto and Hugo R took it right up to the Orange Team in the midfield this week. Nank is Nank (sigh). Vlaustin, McIntosh (he of the cool Vitas Gerulaitis style headband) and Broad are still effective down back. Tom Lynch is still a threat, when he's not being an utter douche. And then there’s the sprinkling of first round draft kids all over the park. Wholesale change isn’t likely. The Tigers have surprised everyone this season by being competitive.

Unlike a certain other team.

Speaking of the Swans ……

Where do I start?

Well, on the positive side, there didn’t seem to be any “tight hamstrings”. And Justin McInerney broke his own 2025 record by going one whole game without getting suspended. Onya “Torana”.

The only potential injury concern appeared to be Pete Ladhams, who had a mangled noggin & looked slightly maimed in the leg too. Only time will tell if he’s OK.

Callum Mills will re-emerge from the coaches box & take his place in the line-up this week.

Aaron Francis (who has strangely become one of our most important players since his display against Carlton and subsequent concussion) might also be available.

Harry C played three quarters in the VFL side & wasn’t disgraced. In fact, his withdrawal from the game at ¾ time triggered perhaps the worst 4th quarter display by any side in the history of the sport. Bringing Harry back would be a cry of desperation, but given where things are at …. desperate measures might be called for.

Ollie Florent was poor in the VFL. But that didn’t stop McLean coming straight back in, so who knows?

As happens every week, there’ll be some calling for Buller’s inclusion. That won’t happen. Give it away folks, it is NOT going to happen.

Wicks seems very unlikely.

Probably the most interesting thing this week is who Cox decides to hang out to dry. Will it be the youngsters? If so, Sid Mitchell, Gus, Corey and Cleary are all vulnerable (unfairly so in my view). Will he finally move on the hopelessly out of form elder statesmen such as Lloyd? (spoiler alert: no). Does Adams survive after an underwhelming display? Is the Honeymoon over for Bice and he’ll be re-introduced to his VFL teammates?

I honestly don’t know. But Cox is in a terrible position – he has to make changes, but the VFL side is woeful and finding the answers in the twos just ain’t gonna happen.

Forced to hazard a guess, I’m going to say:

In: Mills Francis Cunningham Florent

Out: Bice Cleary Hamling Ladhams

The Verdict

I don’t know if we’ll win or not.

But I am confident Heeney will start complaining to the umpires within the first 5 minutes & we’ll go on to concede at least four 50m penalties.

Cheer cheer (if you haven’t left the ground already).

Excellent stuff mate. You could ghost write for Titus O’Reily. (Fewer spelling mistakes too.)

 

[Jeffers]

Laidler lol

Solid player for us back in the day and also has a very fit missus

 

[crankygeese]

I might as well have a crack at putting a team together. I think it's all out all change. Honestly, it's hard to find a team that I'd be happy to put out there.

Some of the guys I'll name probably don't have a future with the Swans, but I think it's time to find out, and some blokes simply have to be dropped, either to send a message to them to pull their finger out or because they're not part of the solution now and they won't be part of the solution in the future.

Some blokes have to come back in even though they'll not be part of the future, but simply because every time I've seen them play they never give up or because they're actually putting in an effort in a shite VFL team.

Even with our injuries, our lack of movement into space to provide alternatives to long kicks, our constant hack kicks, our lack of handball game and running off each other for handball receives and changing angles and general lack of desire and cohesion is damning. I don't think this team I've named is very good, or is necessarily going to feature some long term Swans players, but something has to change and some messages have to be sent to players who don't seem to care.

OUT -
Lloyd - His time stalling our forward movement at every chance while he makes a cup of tea and offering little defensively has to come to an end
Rampe - He's not the same player, this might be a one game drop, but he needs to think about the standard he wants to set, especially as he apparently wants another year
McLean - Is offering nothing. Used to be a reasonable contested mark, now he's just a tall lump of flesh in a guernsey
Bice and Cleary - Have to be dropped after that, but should be given a pat on the back and told to rediscover form in the VFL and that an AFL spot is available for them if they can get back to their best.

IN
Fox and Cunningham - I don't think either are long term solutions, but they both play from the first siren to the final siren, which is a standard we need to set for the season
Buller - Not sure he's the solution, but none of our forwards are doing a damn thing, and he's at least fighting in a bad VFL team, taking marks and kicking goals, deserves a chance
Hanily - Deserves another chance, his last two in the VFL have been a hiding to nothing because our VFL team is so bad, but he's still laying tackles, taking marks, and kicking goals, he's gone back to the VFL and played his role, he needs to bring that energy to the AFL
Dattoli - If he's fit, then he has to come in after kicking 3 goals, reward performance.
Snell - Similar to Buller, might not be the solution, but others have to be dropped and we have to see what he's capable of, our VFL team sucks and he's doing a thankless job for them.
Paton or Bowman - Just because I don't want to reward Florent, while Bice and Cleary have to be dropped. If Dattoli isn't fit then Bowman can take his spot and both of these guys get named. If Fox or Cunningham aren't fit then Paton gets a game.

NOTES
Campbell - Needs to play somewhere where he'll be more involved than just as a pressure forward. Put him on the wing or half back where his kicking will actually be used. He's wasted where he is
Blakey - Needs to be moved out of a lockdown key defender role, he's one of our best runners and best field kicks, why the hell are we wasting him as a lockdown defender?
Mills - Has to take over the McVeigh role. Has to step up and be a captain, or be stripped of the captaincy at the end of the season. He's played 8 games for us in the 18 months as a solo captain because he got into drunken fight with a teenager and his first game back he should have been rubbed out for 3 weeks or more.
Ladhams - Is he good enough, probably not, he's a truckstop Joe Daniher with his brain fades, but he's actually been working hard, which is minimum standard and more than a lot of others can say.
Hamling and Francis - They're not the solution now, they're not the solution in the future. Please don't persist with them.
Florent - Shouldn't be rewarded for a poor game in the VFL when he should have been a leader for them. Others have been poor in the VFL too, because our VFL team sucks, but he had to go back to the VFL and set a standard to show them all he meant business and he didn't do that.

BACK	Cunningham/Paton	McCartin	Fox/Paton
HALF BACK	Blakey	Melican	Mills
CENTRE	McInerney	Rowbottom	Campbell
HALF FORWARD	Hayward	Ladhams	Heeney
FORWARD	Hanily	Buller	Dattoli/Bowman
ON BALL	Grundy	Warner	Sheldrick
BENCH	Jordon	Snell	CoWarner
BENCH	Adams	Mitchell

 

[crankygeese]

One final note, if a player gives away a 50m penalty, they have to be taken off. If they give away a second 50m penalty, they have to be subbed off and/or dropped for next week.

Our coaches deserve a serve for the gameplan calls they've made, but that's for another more relevant thread. On gameday, a 50m penalty has to be punished. Our discipline is shite and needs to change. We can't control our injury list, we can control our effort and discipline, we're not doing that and that's the worst part about this. Especially as right now it seems like there are no consequences for players with low effort and discipline on gameday.

 

[AflNerd22]

do you guys think caleb mitchell holds his spot? (for fantasy)

 

[Adnico26Parker]

I might as well have a crack at putting a team together. I think it's all out all change. Honestly, it's hard to find a team that I'd be happy to put out there.

Some of the guys I'll name probably don't have a future with the Swans, but I think it's time to find out, and some blokes simply have to be dropped, either to send a message to them to pull their finger out or because they're not part of the solution now and they won't be part of the solution in the future.

Some blokes have to come back in even though they'll not be part of the future, but simply because every time I've seen them play they never give up or because they're actually putting in an effort in a shite VFL team.

Even with our injuries, our lack of movement into space to provide alternatives to long kicks, our constant hack kicks, our lack of handball game and running off each other for handball receives and changing angles and general lack of desire and cohesion is damning. I don't think this team I've named is very good, or is necessarily going to feature some long term Swans players, but something has to change and some messages have to be sent to players who don't seem to care.

OUT -
Lloyd - His time stalling our forward movement at every chance while he makes a cup of tea and offering little defensively has to come to an end
Rampe - He's not the same player, this might be a one game drop, but he needs to think about the standard he wants to set, especially as he apparently wants another year
McLean - Is offering nothing. Used to be a reasonable contested mark, now he's just a tall lump of flesh in a guernsey
Bice and Cleary - Have to be dropped after that, but should be given a pat on the back and told to rediscover form in the VFL and that an AFL spot is available for them if they can get back to their best.

IN
Fox and Cunningham - I don't think either are long term solutions, but they both play from the first siren to the final siren, which is a standard we need to set for the season
Buller - Not sure he's the solution, but none of our forwards are doing a damn thing, and he's at least fighting in a bad VFL team, taking marks and kicking goals, deserves a chance
Hanily - Deserves another chance, his last two in the VFL have been a hiding to nothing because our VFL team is so bad, but he's still laying tackles, taking marks, and kicking goals, he's gone back to the VFL and played his role, he needs to bring that energy to the AFL
Dattoli - If he's fit, then he has to come in after kicking 3 goals, reward performance.
Snell - Similar to Buller, might not be the solution, but others have to be dropped and we have to see what he's capable of, our VFL team sucks and he's doing a thankless job for them.
Paton or Bowman - Just because I don't want to reward Florent, while Bice and Cleary have to be dropped. If Dattoli isn't fit then Bowman can take his spot and both of these guys get named. If Fox or Cunningham aren't fit then Paton gets a game.

NOTES
Campbell - Needs to play somewhere where he'll be more involved than just as a pressure forward. Put him on the wing or half back where his kicking will actually be used. He's wasted where he is
Blakey - Needs to be moved out of a lockdown key defender role, he's one of our best runners and best field kicks, why the hell are we wasting him as a lockdown defender?
Mills - Has to take over the McVeigh role. Has to step up and be a captain, or be stripped of the captaincy at the end of the season. He's played 8 games for us in the 18 months as a solo captain because he got into drunken fight with a teenager and his first game back he should have been rubbed out for 3 weeks or more.
Ladhams - Is he good enough, probably not, he's a truckstop Joe Daniher with his brain fades, but he's actually been working hard, which is minimum standard and more than a lot of others can say.
Hamling and Francis - They're not the solution now, they're not the solution in the future. Please don't persist with them.
Florent - Shouldn't be rewarded for a poor game in the VFL when he should have been a leader for them. Others have been poor in the VFL too, because our VFL team sucks, but he had to go back to the VFL and set a standard to show them all he meant business and he didn't do that.

BACK	Cunningham/Paton	McCartin	Fox/Paton
HALF BACK	Blakey	Melican	Mills
CENTER	McInerney	Rowbottom	Campbell
HALF FORWARD	Hayward	Ladhams	Heeney
FORWARD	Hanily	Buller	Dattoli/Bowman
ON BALL	Grundy	Warner	Sheldrick
BENCH	Jordon	Snell	CoWarner
BENCH	Adams	Mitchell

When was the last time Fox played a game?

 

[crankygeese]

Who's on the centre line ?

Bloody US English dictionary. Fixed.

 

[bedford]

do you guys think caleb mitchell holds his spot? (for fantasy)

Seriously how do we know, you've got your fantasy comp , why not work it our yourself !

 

[crankygeese]

When was the last time Fox played a game?

Grand final. I admit it would be rushing him back, which is why Paton is listed as an alternative because I understand it's a lot to ask of him. Leidler would also work. Cunningham played in the VFL, but both Fox and Cunningham put in full shifts which is the main criteria. Leidler and Paton could be the alternatives if neither are fit.

I just think at this point we have to stop rewarding players with games who aren't trying. Effort is my defining criteria.

 

[strauchanie59]

No better time than this game to give players like Campbell, Cleary and co. a few centre bounces.

 

[crankygeese]

do you guys think caleb mitchell holds his spot? (for fantasy)

He better. There were a number of players who were significantly worse than him.

 

[bedford]

Grand final. I admit it would be rushing him back, which is why Paton is listed as an alternative because I understand it's a lot to ask of him. Leidler would also work. Cunningham played in the VFL, but both Fox and Cunningham put in full shifts which is the main criteria. Leidler and Paton could be the alternatives if neither are fit.

I just think at this point we have to stop rewarding players with games who aren't trying. Effort is my defining criteria.

Leidler no

 

[bedford]

No better time than this game to give players like Campbell, Cleary and co. a few centre bounces.

At Beaconsfield Saturday morning

 

[Adnico26Parker]

Grand final. I admit it would be rushing him back, which is why Paton is listed as an alternative because I understand it's a lot to ask of him. Leidler would also work. Cunningham played in the VFL, but both Fox and Cunningham put in full shifts which is the main criteria. Leidler and Paton could be the alternatives if neither are fit.

I just think at this point we have to stop rewarding players with games who aren't trying. Effort is my defining criteria.

He was considered a test for last weekend, and presumably failed the fitness test given he didn't play. Off the back of no preseason at all.

 

[Bloods86]

do you guys think caleb mitchell holds his spot? (for fantasy)

He should this week, but doesn't mean he will.

 

[Bloods86]

Grand final. I admit it would be rushing him back, which is why Paton is listed as an alternative because I understand it's a lot to ask of him. Leidler would also work. Cunningham played in the VFL, but both Fox and Cunningham put in full shifts which is the main criteria. Leidler and Paton could be the alternatives if neither are fit.

I just think at this point we have to stop rewarding players with games who aren't trying. Effort is my defining criteria.

If effort is the defining criteria, don't play unfit players. We know Cunningham and Dattoli are "unfit" (for a full seniors game, which everyone in the 23 must be ready for), and Fox isn't even back yet. We're also going to be playing Mills who would still be a bit underdone.

 

[bedford]

Everyone thinks Cox is the same as Horse , well he's not , he's tried to change too much , we are a running attacking team , that was exposed in September .
All that was needed was a plan B like going man on man at times , as Fagan says you have to be able to change during a game , Horse couldn't do that.
Would rather lose a game like Saturday by trying to score , take them on, if it doesn't work , that's footy , but try.
We are not the same as 05 which were contested hard nuts , recruiting maybe , but the games not like that anymore, it is hard running and capitalizing on turnovers
Best now plan for next year and beyond, we all want contested mids , you only get them in the draft , so maybe an early pick and then 3 academies picks and that with trading a couple of contracted players out , it's a tough industry , so be as tough as anyone else. King , i got to 10

 

[McGowan3]

Everyone thinks Cox is the same as Horse , well he's not , he's tried to change too much , we are a running attacking team , that was exposed in September .
All that was needed was a plan B like going man on man at times , as Fagan says you have to be able to change during a game , Horse couldn't do that.
Would rather lose a game like Saturday by trying to score , take them on, if it doesn't work , that's footy , but try.
We are not the same as 05 which were contested hard nuts , recruiting maybe , but the games not like that anymore, it is hard running and capitalizing on turnovers
Best now plan for next year and beyond, we all want contested mids , you only get them in the draft , so maybe an early pick and then 3 academies picks and that with trading a couple of contracted players out , it's a tough industry , so be as tough as anyone else. King , i got to 10

On the right track.

 

[Adnico26Parker]

Open training this Friday for Melbourne fans:

Round 13 v Richmond
MCG
Friday, June 06
3:00pm – 4:00pm

 

[Kbroome]

You can tell that the boys don't want to take on the kicks because they are scared to make a mistake, and thats why the mistake is happening by doing nothing and then kicking it long.

Coxy needs to tell the half backs to take the game on, and also to be leading the bloody distance run in game because if they aren't then they can go back to the VFL to do it

 

[Bloods86]

FB: Mills McCartin Hamling
HB: Leidler Melican McInerney
C: Chad Jordon Mitchell
HF: Blakey Heeney Hayward
FF: Cleary McLean Hanily
R: Grundy Sheldrick Adams
Int: Buller Rowbottom Roberts Campbell
Sub: Corey

Changes:

• Mills in for Rampe
• Buller in for Ladhams
• Leidler in for Bice
• Hanily & Cleary in for Lloyd & Corey (sub)

Changed my mind, giving Hamling more than 1 week down back. Rampe's been poor as well.

If Adams isn't midfield, swap for Corey. JJ must start at CBs, which we've stopped doing anywhere near as much in recent weeks.

 

[Punts]

FB: Mills McCartin Hamling
HB: Leidler Melican McInerney
C: Chad Jordon Mitchell
HF: Blakey Heeney Hayward
FF: Cleary McLean Hanily
R: Grundy Sheldrick Adams
Int: Buller Rowbottom Roberts Campbell
Sub: Corey

Changes:

• Mills in for Rampe
• Buller in for Ladhams
• Leidler in for Bice
• Hanily & Cleary in for Lloyd & Corey (sub)

Changed my mind, giving Hamling more than 1 week down back. Rampe's been poor as well.

If Adams isn't midfield, swap for Corey. JJ must start at CBs, which we've stopped doing anywhere near as much in recent weeks.

Would love to see leidler, reckon he will be a buety

 

[Bloods86]

Would love to see leidler, reckon he will be a buety

I think he's only been solid at reserves level, but early days. Not much experience to help him (or Snell) in VFL either. Still, with Florent, Lloyd, Blakey, Bice in the form they are in, I'd bring him in and push Blakey forward or even just on the wing.

 

[Punts]

I think he's only been solid at reserves level, but early days. Not much experience to help him (or Snell) in VFL either. Still, with Florent, Lloyd, Blakey, Bice in the form they are in, I'd bring him in and push Blakey forward or even just on the wing.

Tigers have a sippy front half to and bice has been a little exposed of late

 

[Bloods86]

Tigers have a sippy front half to and bice has been a little exposed of late

Yeah, they'll still have 3 talls to contend with too, admittedly 2 first years.