Building For a Shot at the Top

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Wolftone

Wolftone

Cancelled
Feb 1, 2012
6,415
5,732
AFL Club
Sydney
Today's injury report says Sam and Braeden are ready to go. Lewis will play a scratch this week and Chaddy is training with the main group. Healthy list at the pointy end.

Having a very healthy list come finals is always more beneficial than the opposite. This means we will not play any injured players like previous years. Not only that this year any player on the list can come in and do a job. We do not have a best 25 like previous years. We have a best 35 or more.

Some pundits are saying we can go all the way. I am on that bandwagon. If we keep playing the way we are and lift the competitive intensity a bit more we certainly can go all the way. We need to start well though and maintain the intensity for four quarters. As Longmire says our team is still a work in progress.

Why can we go all the way? We move the ball better than any team in the AFL. Listen to this Ollie, you need to get your kicking right, and our best is better than any team so far this season. What we need to do in the next few weeks is to put together a series of wins that back that up. We need to totally destroy sides. So far we are far too nice. Time to get nasty. The way we did against Eagles.

We have players isolating and still we win. We have all our fitness staff isolated but get it done. This team is truly amazing. They work for each other. We have uncovered some stars. Justin McInerney is amazing. Errol Gulden incredible. Young Stevens came in the other day and played a good game. Bell, Wicks, Amartey have all played their roles. Blakey has become a star.

Luke Parker, Josh Kennedy and George Hewett are leading the charge. Bud is giving when it is important. Every player plays with passion and love of his teammate. They are a close group. This group can go all the way. I did not believe we could play in a GF in 2012 until late in the season. It was too early in our development. We had players like Reid, Parker, Smith, Jonno etc who were young and generally would be seen as not ready. But toward the end of that season I could see something special brewing and thought we could do it. I think it was round 17 I knew we could do it.

This season ain't over yet. We can win this. We take every week as it comes but as a supporter looking ahead is something afforded us. We can speculate and hope, pray (if you are disposed) and beg for glory.



On JAT-L29 using BigFooty.com mobile app
 

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I am fairly confident we'll have another poor performance or two leading into finals, maybe not GC or Hawks-esque (both of which came after periods/games where we looked incredible and people got on the hype express), but enough to have lots of wailing and gnashing of teeth, the media will drop off us, our list will suddenly be full of holes again, these rosy outlooks will be forgotten etc.

So while we'll make finals, we're a chance for Top 4, and you can't rule anything out, I'm not going to get ahead of myself, knowing it can all change pretty quickly.
 
Wolftone said:
Today's injury report says Sam and Braeden are ready to go. Lewis will play a scratch this week and Chaddy is training with the main group. Healthy list at the pointy end.

Having a very healthy list come finals is always more beneficial than the opposite. This means we will not play any injured players like previous years. Not only that this year any player on the list can come in and do a job. We do not have a best 25 like previous years. We have a best 35 or more.

Some pundits are saying we can go all the way. I am on that bandwagon. If we keep playing the way we are and lift the competitive intensity a bit more we certainly can go all the way. We need to start well though and maintain the intensity for four quarters. As Longmire says our team is still a work in progress.

Why can we go all the way? We move the ball better than any team in the AFL. Listen to this Ollie, you need to get your kicking right, and our best is better than any team so far this season. What we need to do in the next few weeks is to put together a series of wins that back that up. We need to totally destroy sides. So far we are far too nice. Time to get nasty. The way we did against Eagles.

We have players isolating and still we win. We have all our fitness staff isolated but get it done. This team is truly amazing. They work for each other. We have uncovered some stars. Justin McInerney is amazing. Errol Gulden incredible. Young Stevens came in the other day and played a good game. Bell, Wicks, Amartey have all played their roles. Blakey has become a star.

Luke Parker, Josh Kennedy and George Hewett are leading the charge. Bud is giving when it is important. Every player plays with passion and love of his teammate. They are a close group. This group can go all the way. I did not believe we could play in a GF in 2012 until late in the season. It was too early in our development. We had players like Reid, Parker, Smith, Jonno etc who were young and generally would be seen as not ready. But toward the end of that season I could see something special brewing and thought we could do it. I think it was round 17 I knew we could do it.

This season ain't over yet. We can win this. We take every week as it comes but as a supporter looking ahead is something afforded us. We can speculate and hope, pray (if you are disposed) and beg for glory.



On JAT-L29 using BigFooty.com mobile app
Click to expand...
Great to see your emotions and love for the club Wolfie.
 
I have absolute faith that we're a genuine flag contender this year. We have a great mix of a core senior group who consistently turn up every week, but more importantly, we now have that group of younger guys who are giving us that upward lift. I've seen a number of teams win the flag with that dynamic.

The one concern for me is that we have failed to show up in quarters throughout the year, which has cost us games, and has the potential to cost us passage to the next round of finals in any given week. So for me, that is the key focus for the rest of the year.

Primarily, it's our first quarters that I think are most important. Come finals, when elimination is a factor, a good start is critical. You dont want to waste all your energy trying to peg back a deficit.

Screenshot_20210722-091708_Chrome.jpg
Focus on intensity from the opening bounce (easier said than done of course). But if we focus on getting that right, we're on the right track. Particularly given intensity will lift come finals, it's critical we drill that aspect into our players.

I'll be checking the stats from here, if we lift in that one area, my faith in a flag will increase. If it remains the same, then we're at risk of finding ourselves in a bit of a hole at some point in the finals, which may unravel us.

We've shown fighting spirit and belief in ourselves, so it's not a huge concern. I'd just rather we get our noses in front and try to build on a lead.
 
GoTheSwannies said:
I have absolute faith that we're a genuine flag contender this year. We have a great mix of a core senior group who consistently turn up every week, but more importantly, we now have that group of younger guys who are giving us that upward lift. I've seen a number of teams win the flag with that dynamic.

The one concern for me is that we have failed to show up in quarters throughout the year, which has cost us games, and has the potential to cost us passage to the next round of finals in any given week. So for me, that is the key focus for the rest of the year.

Primarily, it's our first quarters that I think are most important. Come finals, when elimination is a factor, a good start is critical. You dont want to waste all your energy trying to peg back a deficit.

View attachment 1183485
Focus on intensity from the opening bounce (easier said than done of course). But if we focus on getting that right, we're on the right track. Particularly given intensity will lift come finals, it's critical we drill that aspect into our players.

I'll be checking the stats from here, if we lift in that one area, my faith in a flag will increase. If it remains the same, then we're at risk of finding ourselves in a bit of a hole at some point in the finals, which may unravel us.

We've shown fighting spirit and belief in ourselves, so it's not a huge concern. I'd just rather we get our noses in front and try to build on a lead.
Click to expand...

the youth/inexperience thing is a factor in that issue of going missing for quarters ... i think there's signs in the past month we're already growing out of that (first one and a half quarters the other day more an aberration due to the pre-game chaos ... well, i hope) ...
 
the hypnotoad said:
the youth/inexperience thing is a factor in that issue of going missing for quarters ... i think there's signs in the past month we're already growing out of that (first one and a half quarters the other day more an aberration due to the pre-game chaos ... well, i hope) ...
Click to expand...

Yeah, good points. That's my concern, if our youth/inexperience is the cause, then that issue will be intensified when the furnace of finals footy is applied. Given many have had limited or no exposure to finals footy, there's a real need to train with that focus in mind. That the pressure gauge will lift come finals, particularly from the outset of a match, so if we can work on going missing / imposing ourselves over 4 quarters we'll go some ways to resolving that issue.

And I'm sure the coaching staff have already thought of this, addressed the playing group and are working on ways to improve in that area.
 
GoTheSwannies said:
Yeah, good points. That's my concern, if our youth/inexperience is the cause, then that issue will be intensified when the furnace of finals footy is applied. Given many have had limited or no exposure to finals footy, there's a real need to train with that focus in mind. That the pressure gauge will lift come finals, particularly from the outset of a match, so if we can work on going missing / imposing ourselves over 4 quarters we'll go some ways to resolving that issue.

And I'm sure the coaching staff have already thought of this, addressed the playing group and are working on ways to improve in that area.
Click to expand...

i understand your concern ... but this group of younger players seems to have a different mindset ... gulden, mcinerney, wicks, warner, amartey et al seem to play with no fear at all of the occasion, the opposition, the big names ... in fact, they seem to welcome it ...
and then there's the hickey factor ... i am convinced there's something about the big man that is inspiring all those around him ... as if he's come into this club, this season with the attitude that he's been given a chance as the no1 ruck, that he's appreciative but also that he's thriving and has prepared himself to truly establish himself as a genuine afl ruckman, almost a sense of defiance ... and the young blokes in particular, and the likes of florent (who's been maligned for much of his career), have been lifted by hickey's presence and have adopted the same attitude
and yet, this team will also learn from anything that lies ahead this season
 
I would put a young papley in the same boat as those youngsters you quoted above. And he didn't fire a shot in the 2016 GF (which was not unexpected). For the kids, it will be a learning lesson, I have no doubt about our core senior group, they will know what's expected and will come to play. Our kids will need to learn on the fly.

Btw, I didn't mean to come across as negative at all, just pointing to areas for improvement

I'll finish how I started, I have faith we can go all the way.

We will pummel the dogs in the GF to take back what was rightfully ours in 2016. The premiership cup!!
 

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GoTheSwannies said:
I would put a young papley in the same boat as those youngsters you quoted above. And he didn't fire a shot in the 2016 GF (which was not unexpected). For the kids, it will be a learning lesson, I have no doubt about our core senior group, they will know what's expected and will come to play. Our kids will need to learn on the fly.

Btw, I didn't mean to come across as negative at all, just pointing to areas for improvement

I'll finish how I started, I have faith we can go all the way.

We will pummel the dogs in the GF to take back what was rightfully ours in 2016. The premiership cup!!
Click to expand...

ha, nicely! and yes, papley also plays with that same defiant mentality ... i think he's definitely seen by the likes of wicks and co as a 'spiritual leader' (although i'm generally not a fan of such labels)
 
Having a very short injury list is a huge factor in our favour, as we haven't yet got the depth of some other, more fancied clubs.

Struggling to outdo our competition in Q1 may be a sign that most teams are able to go with us for a quarter or even a half. Q3 is called the premiership quarter because usually the better team is still playing with an intensity that the other simply can't match.

A game style based on of accurate kicking and quick ball movement through the corridor is very tiring for an opposition to chase. Even if they can chase hard enough for one or two quarters it eventually exhausts them. By contrast, when the Swans don't have the ball they bring an incredibly intense pressure for the short period required to regain possession, knowing they can quickly switch back to a more efficient style. By controlling the tempo they also control how much the other team is having to exert themselves.

There's a whole game of strategy aimed at wearing the other team down. Efficiency is key in such a long game, so it's no surprise to find the Dogs are the most efficient users of the ball. We are rated 6th but then, we're better at winning the contested ball. The top 6 teams are also the top 6 for marks inside 50 v. opposition, which suggests good ball movement alone is not enough, if it can't be capped off with a mark inside 50

The lack of finals experience may be a concern if the moment overwhelms young players. Our style of play can punish skill errors heavily. Teammates must be there to ensure there's an option or mitigate any turnover. We rate 11th for average frees vs. opponent, while the Dogs are well ahead of anyone (quell surprise)
 
bungee said:
Having a very short injury list is a huge factor in our favour, as we haven't yet got the depth of some other, more fancied clubs.

Struggling to outdo our competition in Q1 may be a sign that most teams are able to go with us for a quarter or even a half. Q3 is called the premiership quarter because usually the better team is still playing with an intensity that the other simply can't match.

A game style based on of accurate kicking and quick ball movement through the corridor is very tiring for an opposition to chase. Even if they can chase hard enough for one or two quarters it eventually exhausts them. By contrast, when the Swans don't have the ball they bring an incredibly intense pressure for the short period required to regain possession, knowing they can quickly switch back to a more efficient style. By controlling the tempo they also control how much the other team is having to exert themselves.

There's a whole game of strategy aimed at wearing the other team down. Efficiency is key in such a long game, so it's no surprise to find the Dogs are the most efficient users of the ball. We are rated 6th but then, we're better at winning the contested ball. The top 6 teams are also the top 6 for marks inside 50 v. opposition, which suggests good ball movement alone is not enough, if it can't be capped off with a mark inside 50

The lack of finals experience may be a concern if the moment overwhelms young players. Our style of play can punish skill errors heavily. Teammates must be there to ensure there's an option or mitigate any turnover. We rate 11th for average frees vs. opponent, while the Dogs are well ahead of anyone (quell surprise)
Click to expand...

I really like the bolded part of your post. I'm sure pyke has a fair bit to do with the evolution in playing style. The way the team plays at the moment is very efficient, very well structured, and the system undoubtedly works. If it is in fact Pyke, he's an absolute genius and should be snapped up by a team in no time.
 
GoTheSwannies said:
I really like the bolded part of your post. I'm sure pyke has a fair bit to do with the evolution in playing style. The way the team plays at the moment is very efficient, very well structured, and the system undoubtedly works. If it is in fact Pyke, he's an absolute genius and should be snapped up by a team in no time.
Click to expand...
I think Pyke has added his thoughts to the coaching group and polish to the style but, in truth, the changes to game style have been evolving as we rebuilt, and the present style was pretty much in place by late 2020. It takes the right personnel to play that style of footy. It's not a sort of style we could have played back in 2012 with the players on board then. Honing the style and drilling the game plan into the team is probably where Pyke has added most. He brought in a fresh new voice too. What strikes me as key is we haven't thrown the baby out with the bath water. The key elements that we valued as a team, playing for each other, hard two way running, solid defending and rebound from defence, hard contested footy, these are all still in place, but we've added another layer.

It's been a real team effort, through coaching, recruiting, fitness, reserves and all parties working in concert. We have the makings of a great footy team, and a culture that could make the Swans a real destination club over the next decade. Kudos all round.
 
bungee said:
Having a very short injury list is a huge factor in our favour, as we haven't yet got the depth of some other, more fancied clubs.

Struggling to outdo our competition in Q1 may be a sign that most teams are able to go with us for a quarter or even a half. Q3 is called the premiership quarter because usually the better team is still playing with an intensity that the other simply can't match.

A game style based on of accurate kicking and quick ball movement through the corridor is very tiring for an opposition to chase. Even if they can chase hard enough for one or two quarters it eventually exhausts them. By contrast, when the Swans don't have the ball they bring an incredibly intense pressure for the short period required to regain possession, knowing they can quickly switch back to a more efficient style. By controlling the tempo they also control how much the other team is having to exert themselves.

There's a whole game of strategy aimed at wearing the other team down. Efficiency is key in such a long game, so it's no surprise to find the Dogs are the most efficient users of the ball. We are rated 6th but then, we're better at winning the contested ball. The top 6 teams are also the top 6 for marks inside 50 v. opposition, which suggests good ball movement alone is not enough, if it can't be capped off with a mark inside 50

The lack of finals experience may be a concern if the moment overwhelms young players. Our style of play can punish skill errors heavily. Teammates must be there to ensure there's an option or mitigate any turnover. We rate 11th for average frees vs. opponent, while the Dogs are well ahead of anyone (quell surprise)
Click to expand...

the depth of umpiring talent a couple of clubs have developed is something to marvel at
 
the hypnotoad said:
the depth of umpiring talent a couple of clubs have developed is something to marvel at
Click to expand...
Dogs still lead the competition in the two stats that really matter "Frees not paid to the opposition" and "Frees that weren't there but thanks anyway* "

* Otherwise known as "See Bevo in the car park afters for a fat brown envelope stuffed with 50s"
 
Wolftone said:
Today's injury report says Sam and Braeden are ready to go. Lewis will play a scratch this week and Chaddy is training with the main group. Healthy list at the pointy end.

Having a very healthy list come finals is always more beneficial than the opposite. This means we will not play any injured players like previous years. Not only that this year any player on the list can come in and do a job. We do not have a best 25 like previous years. We have a best 35 or more.

Some pundits are saying we can go all the way. I am on that bandwagon. If we keep playing the way we are and lift the competitive intensity a bit more we certainly can go all the way. We need to start well though and maintain the intensity for four quarters. As Longmire says our team is still a work in progress.

Why can we go all the way? We move the ball better than any team in the AFL. Listen to this Ollie, you need to get your kicking right, and our best is better than any team so far this season. What we need to do in the next few weeks is to put together a series of wins that back that up. We need to totally destroy sides. So far we are far too nice. Time to get nasty. The way we did against Eagles.

We have players isolating and still we win. We have all our fitness staff isolated but get it done. This team is truly amazing. They work for each other. We have uncovered some stars. Justin McInerney is amazing. Errol Gulden incredible. Young Stevens came in the other day and played a good game. Bell, Wicks, Amartey have all played their roles. Blakey has become a star.

Luke Parker, Josh Kennedy and George Hewett are leading the charge. Bud is giving when it is important. Every player plays with passion and love of his teammate. They are a close group. This group can go all the way. I did not believe we could play in a GF in 2012 until late in the season. It was too early in our development. We had players like Reid, Parker, Smith, Jonno etc who were young and generally would be seen as not ready. But toward the end of that season I could see something special brewing and thought we could do it. I think it was round 17 I knew we could do it.

This season ain't over yet. We can win this. We take every week as it comes but as a supporter looking ahead is something afforded us. We can speculate and hope, pray (if you are disposed) and beg for glory.



On JAT-L29 using BigFooty.com mobile app
Click to expand...
I hope we have not peaked too early. Injury list is encouraging. Few more games to go. Essendon will account for themselves. I really hate don't like Essendon. Rotate more players through the team. Ready for finals.
 
Wolftone said:
Today's injury report says Sam and Braeden are ready to go. Lewis will play a scratch this week and Chaddy is training with the main group. Healthy list at the pointy end.

Having a very healthy list come finals is always more beneficial than the opposite. This means we will not play any injured players like previous years. Not only that this year any player on the list can come in and do a job. We do not have a best 25 like previous years. We have a best 35 or more.

Some pundits are saying we can go all the way. I am on that bandwagon. If we keep playing the way we are and lift the competitive intensity a bit more we certainly can go all the way. We need to start well though and maintain the intensity for four quarters. As Longmire says our team is still a work in progress.

Why can we go all the way? We move the ball better than any team in the AFL. Listen to this Ollie, you need to get your kicking right, and our best is better than any team so far this season. What we need to do in the next few weeks is to put together a series of wins that back that up. We need to totally destroy sides. So far we are far too nice. Time to get nasty. The way we did against Eagles.

We have players isolating and still we win. We have all our fitness staff isolated but get it done. This team is truly amazing. They work for each other. We have uncovered some stars. Justin McInerney is amazing. Errol Gulden incredible. Young Stevens came in the other day and played a good game. Bell, Wicks, Amartey have all played their roles. Blakey has become a star.

Luke Parker, Josh Kennedy and George Hewett are leading the charge. Bud is giving when it is important. Every player plays with passion and love of his teammate. They are a close group. This group can go all the way. I did not believe we could play in a GF in 2012 until late in the season. It was too early in our development. We had players like Reid, Parker, Smith, Jonno etc who were young and generally would be seen as not ready. But toward the end of that season I could see something special brewing and thought we could do it. I think it was round 17 I knew we could do it.

This season ain't over yet. We can win this. We take every week as it comes but as a supporter looking ahead is something afforded us. We can speculate and hope, pray (if you are disposed) and beg for glory.



On JAT-L29 using BigFooty.com mobile app
Click to expand...
Went with my son to Adelaide for the qualifying final in 2012. Adelaide were a hot side. Couldn't believe the level of determination to beat them. Began to REALLY believe we could do it.
Loved smacking the Pies at ANZ and toddled off to the MCG.
The best footy experience of my life.
Beat the unbeatable Hawks.
I think this group is even tighter. Not quite as battle hardened yet, but all the ingredients are there.
 
We've got nine players in our squad who played the 2016 GF. And those nine are well distributed across defense, midfield, forwards, followers. Lloyd, Rampe, Mills, JPK, Buddy, Parker, Papley, Heeney, Hewitt.

That's a pretty good cohort of players who have experienced the searing cauldron of a grand final, dotted throughout the squad and providing a steady hand to the youngsters.
 
Oh and that's not to mention Sam Reid who played in 2012.
 
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