2008

[SOPH_CROSS]

So the end has come the year is over it hurts and im trying 2 hold back the tears

2008
It has been an up and down year a tough year

Injuries really hurt us

A team of Players lacking in intensity stuggling to find form!

Young blood in the team but not given the opportunity to show what they had

Media scrutiny “TOO OLD” and Era over an unsure coach.

Players we need but we lost through injury/suspension
-Goodes
-Barry
-Davis
-Malceski
-Playfair
-MOL

A 19th man and interchange rules, tunnelling and “in the book” the swans have had it all

Its hurt us its hurt the fans and we have had it dished out to us!

I think most of us knew this year would be a struggle and the second half of the season proved it only winning three games!

4 quarters of football hard for us to play our style of play not what it used to be!

The Swans need to rebuild and 2009 is the year to do it!

But on a happy note a 6th finals to the boys!

It may be time to say goodbye to some loved ones but we have had some amazing young talent present itself and even some of the old blokes have showed they can still can go at it!

The hurt will meet the doc the young will train hard and we shall find something we need in the draft/trade!

Exciting young players are coming next year in the likes of Murphy, Currie and Bruce! Jack, Moore, Bird, Veszpremi, McVeigh & Bevan will benefit amazingly from this year and will have learnt plenty!

Thanks 2008 you have given me some of my most memorable moments in my life and I cant wait for 2009 we will rebuild and we will go at it again!

 

[MushroomRocket]

on the whole a good year. changing of the guard has begun.

 

[MushroomRocket]

why cant north melbourne just die?

god i hate them.

 

[Hollow Knight]

You went further than most BigFooty "experts" (including myself) thought possible and you unearthed some exciting kids in the process (Bird, Jack, Vesz etc).

Don't be too down.

 

[Hooley McBoob]

Don't be too down.

Thanks BrownDog.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Thanks BrownDog.

Plus you haven't unleashed Brendan Murphy yet. Was so close to being ours too. Damnit Kennelly.

 

[Swanstar]

Great year i feel overall had you said to me at the start of the season we would finish 5th and make a Semi i would of taken it.

=-Retirements-=

Spida: We probably got him a year to late we would of gone back to back had we managed to get a trade for him at the end of 05.

Leo: Thanks mate for saving the cup with that mark has been a champion.

Crouch: Played 194 consecutive games for the Bloods and finished inside the top 10 for B&F 6years in a row champion of the club.

 

[Tuco]

Lot of positives this year. Heads up guys

(please promise me we'll be seriously looking at the conversion rates over the summer for once though. 9.15? That should be a freak scoreline not one of half a dozen similar efforts over the course of a year)

 

[PVF]

I'm excited for next year.

The last time both Goodes and Hall were healthy at the same time we were playing in Grand Finals, let's hope it happens again!

 

[RW]

Good thread Soph.

Not gonna say too much now but while I was gutted at the loss tonight, and the third quarter was tough to watch, I'm not nearly as disappointed as I was this time last year when we went down to Collingwood in what was a fairly insipid performance.

It was a pretty tough game tonight and we were right in it up to half-time (if only we'd kicked straight and kept our noses in front at the long break! ), just ran out of legs in the second half. Brilliant effort to make it this far actually given we'd limped into the finals, only a couple of weeks ago our future looked extremely bleak. I think what 2008 -- and the last couple of weeks -- have shown is that it's not all doom and gloom, we will probably have our ups and downs over the next couple of years but this team is still all heart, and there is enough talent coming through to give us all some hope!

 

[SM]

Well Everitt's pulled the pin, either Crouch or Barry or both should as well, Barry especially. He's just not the man he was, and I'd rather he quit now than tarnish his reputation. I love the man, but really...

Good year over all, as McCaveny said (Though I actually hate the man now) it was all down to last week, whether this season was a success or failure, and we beat the Roos, made an impact on September, and that was all we could really hope.

 

[RW]

why cant north melbourne just die?

god i hate them.

That's why I'm so glad we beat them last week!!

 

[PVF]

Why are people saying Crouch should retire? He still has game, should play on imo.

 

[Hooley McBoob]

Why are people saying Crouch should retire? He still has game, should play on imo.

I agree. Halfway through this season I thought he was gone, but he has been very valuable in the games he has played this year and I would love to see him have a crack next year.

 

[Costanza_]

Now that the alcohol induced rage/morbid depression has subsided, I feel it's safe to post. I was bitterly disappointed with the second half last night, but all-in-all it's been a good year.

• I had us finishing outside the 8 this year, so to host a final and go one better than last year was a real positive with the ageing nature of our list.
• We have great leaders at the club, and for the most part maintained our intensity and effort - even if our skills, accuracy and delivery let us down.
• We blooded a few young guys who look like they'll develop into strong players. Jack, Bird, Moore and Veszpremi will form the nucleus of what will be a pretty solid midfield.
• Bevan and McVeigh really stood up this year. Both are experienced enough now to start assuming more responsibility as our older players start to move on.
• From all reports, we have a better crop of youngsters than people give us credit for. Currie and Murphy in particular will be important players for us over the next 3-6 years, I hope they are in the listed team come Rd 1, 2009. Guys like Laidlaw, Barlow and Brazabon also look the goods.

On a more sombre note, our record against Top 8 sides this year shows that we're simply not in the premiership mix. The list will go through alot of changes over the next few years, and we might be in for some tough times. Drafting will be extremely important over the next 2-3 years. We'll have alot of holes to fill, and alot more youngsters to blood. I'll be there every week, as will all of you who post here. But the more fickle Swans supporters are going to lose interest while we rebuild. Hopefully that means no more games at ANZ

 

[disgruntled goat]

I'm excited for next year.

The last time both Goodes and Hall were healthy at the same time we were playing in Grand Finals, let's hope it happens again!

Yeah, me too.
This morning I feel like I want to just get on with next season.
The rest of this finals series will be okay, Cats should win it, but then there's the trade and draft periods, and ... just yes. Can't wait for next year, it really does feel like we're on the doorstep of an exciting new era.

 

[legend166]

Don't worry about next year, MIKE PIKE will save us all.

 

[carsoutback]

So what's everyone's take on Hall? According to the media, rumors are rife that he's had enough and will retire. What's the feeling out there?

 

[SM]

God I hope not, he was our BOG last night, or at least, it felt like he was.

 

[kira]

2008

The Good Stuff
- finishing ahead of what most pundits would of thought.... proving again, you never write off the swans
- unearthing good young talent
- improved players like mcveigh and bevan
- realising the dalai lama and hopoate are true red and white swan supporters

The Bad Stuff
- barry hall
- 19 man
- match fixing (preseason with mcveigh told not to kick a goal... if anyone forgot)
- tunnelling
- poor finals crowd

Overall
this was a year of higher than expected performances with positive glimpses for the future... but overall it would be the year of 'controversy' for the club

 

[carsoutback]

2008

The Good Stuff
- finishing ahead of what most pundits would of thought.... proving again, you never write off the swans
- unearthing good young talent
- improved players like mcveigh and bevan
- realising the dalai lama and hopoate are true red and white swan supporters

The Bad Stuff
- barry hall
- 19 man
- match fixing (preseason with mcveigh told not to kick a goal... if anyone forgot)
- tunnelling
- poor finals crowd

Overall
this was a year of higher than expected performances with positive glimpses for the future... but overall it would be the year of 'controversy' for the club

Nice snapshot that -and the whole "Nick Davis for trade" crap started by his manager didn't help either. Some unsettling events there but maybe every club has 'em.

 

[Penguin Too]

Overall a good year! If only we were accurate! The Dogs kicked 18.4 to our 14.10 earlier, and if we had converted our inside 50 marks in those first 2 quarters, who knows.. We really missed Magic - both Hall and Rhino have been too inaccurate this year! Take Roughead out of Hawthorn, Welsh from the Doggies, Chapman from Geelong (although they are so good anyway), or Milne from the Saints and how do you expect they would go? Like taking Didak from Collingwood, and look what happened to them..

Next year will be great - you watch them come back mrefreshed and strong through the midfield.

Go the Bloods!

BTW love the Springsteen avatar - "the screen door slams, Mary's dress waves etc..

 

[carsoutback]

Go the Bloods!

BTW love the Springsteen avatar - "the screen door slams, Mary's dress waves etc..

Cheers. That makes 3 of us here so far. Some real taste and class on this board. BROOOOOOOOOOOOCE. But, really, these are the smallest avatars in the history of avatarism.

 

[Penguin Too]

the history of avatarism.!!!

That alone deserves a new thread! Bring on the best avatars in the Swans Bigfooty forum..