Toast McClelland Trophy 2016... Home and Away Review

[Nool Carpenna]

Whilst it is not the ultimate prize, I feel we are entitled to bask in it for a moment or two before s**t gets serious

Hard for us to know but I think the quality of on-field performances to date reflects a truly "Bloods-like" performance behind the scenes.

I dips me lid to all involved

 

[The King!]

Its good to get top 2 and especially first

Gives you that important home ground advantage through the finals.......oh

 

[SilentHunter_]

Been a great season. Just have to finish the job.

 

[Mister B]

Absolute bullshit. We shouldn't play finals, should be the minor premier wins it all like the EPL... for this year only.

 

[CD__]

Absolute bullshit. We shouldn't play finals, should be the minor premier wins it all like the EPL... for this year only.

And for 2014!

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Its good to get top 2 and especially first

Gives you that important home ground advantage through the finals.......oh

Besides the shitness of that decision this thread is to celebrate what a season it has been tipped to miss the 8 due to losing over 1000 games experience we have undoubtedly had our best season to date.

I think Longmire deserves another coach of the year.

 

[The King!]

Besides the shitness of that decision this thread is to celebrate what a season it has been tipped to miss the 8 due to losing over 1000 games experience we have undoubtedly had our best season to date.

I think Longmire deserves another coach of the year.

Give it to clarko

 

[Kirkswan]

Seriously worth a moment or twos basking...

Once again at the beginning of the year, they wrote us off... our defence was too old and too slow, we were too reliant on Buddy, we would be starting a long slide down the ladder... AND THEY WERE WRONG AGAIN!!!!

Instead, we've blooded 6 or 7 debutantes this season and still are the Minor Premiers!!

Take a bow Horse & Co and all the players, we salute you!

 

[Troystenvic]

Huge Effort. Moving along now...

 

[The Gong]

In the spirit of being a one-eyed supporter...would have beaten Tigers, Dogs and Hawks if it weren't for those cheating umps. Adelaide only won because they missed the big shove in the back from Eddie and GWS....um...well...they just spanked us.

Hell of a job. Thanks for all the great feels, Swannies. Already done us proud. Let's go one better.

 

[Nool Carpenna]

Besides the shitness of that decision this thread is to celebrate what a season it has been tipped to miss the 8 due to losing over 1000 games experience we have undoubtedly had our best season to date.

I think Longmire deserves another coach of the year.

Yes.... a celebration!

As a long time sports coach and a lay-student of the craft, I have had reservations about horse, but this year he has been super impressive with his man management. With a relatively inexperienced lineup, consistency loomed as a major obstacle. Preparation is paramount at the highest levels of sport and I can't help but be impressed by confidence and composure displayed throughout the year. A couple of little hiccups, but the way we dealt with some tricky games in the last few weeks is very reassuring. This group have adopted some very good habits, not just for this years finals but several seasons ahead and I get the feeling this may just be the beginning of something great.

If we maintain this focus, I can't see anybody taking the grand prize from us

 

[scaryness]

Best Wins:
1. Geelong at Skilled
Coming up against the now 2nd team on the ladder at their ground where they are 'unbeatable', Kieren Jack's media controversy throughout the week and after a poor loss to the Bulldogs the week before. Played some signature Swans football with Rampe, Grundy and Aliir shutting down the Cats forward line. After criticism the week before regarding the Swans reliance on Buddy, the Swans end up with 11 goalscorers with Buddy only kicking 1 goal.

2. Hawthorn at MCG
Any time you beat Hawthorn its one of the best wins of the season, especially on their deck. The quote-unquote Bondi Billionaires were the stars with Tippett arguably having his best game of the season and Buddy kicking 3 goals, 2 from the centre square. Rohan also cemented his spot in the best 22 after 3 goals in his first game of the season. While Gunston kicked 4 for the Hawks; Rampe, Grundy, Mills and Nick Smith's job on Rioli were anchors in defence leading to Hawthorn's lowest score of the season.

3. North Melbourne at SCG
While maybe looking unimpressive now, the Swans were the first team to add to the Roo's loss column after they started 9-0. Mitchell, Kennedy and Hannebery were far too good in the midfield for North with 41, 35 and 34 disposals respectively. Zak Jones had a career best game and Heath Grundy kept Drew Petrie to 6 disposals. No fuss win that outed North as potential (and eventual) pretenders.

You could also argue a couple of demolition jobs like the Richmond and Colligwood games could be on the list.

Worst Losses:
1. GWS at Showgrounds
Our only loss by more than two goals all season, the Swans were beaten in every statistical area of the game. Kurt Tippett got injured early in the game that resulted in 10 weeks out of action, and the GWS defenders had an absolute field day against some terrible inside 50 kicks.

2. Richmond at MCG
Say no more...

3. Western Bulldogs at SCG
Coming off the bye and only 3 weeks after the GWS loss, the Swans once again lost a close game in the final seconds. Buddy (5 goals) and Parker (34 & 3) were awesome but a 6 goals vs 2 goals third quarter with no midfield pressure is one to forget. A brain-fart by Hannebery resulted in a relatively easy goal to Will Minson, and a too-easy mark and goal to Johanissen sealed the win for the Dogs with less than a minute left

 

[caesar88]

In a season that's featured probably the best top seven I've ever seen in my life as an AFL-watcher, we cannot underestimate how huge it is for us to finish on top with a very healthy percentage.

We've had one of the greatest defensive seasons in AFL history. One of the best rebuilds in AFL history. One of the top ten highest percentages since 1990. Averaging over 8 individual goal-kickers per game. Averaging over 100 points per game. Averaging an opposition score of just over 66. 15 players with over 10 goals for the season. Four players in the top 20 in the comp in disposals. Lowest losing margin of any team this season. Second-best top 8 record of all teams this year. Second-best away record of all teams this year.

Uncovered at least eight players who weren't best 22 but will be in coming seasons (Mills, Hewett, Papley, Aliir, Marsh, Naismith, XR, Jones). Beat Hawthorn at the MCG. Beat Geelong at the Cattery. Should have at least five All Australians (JPK, Hanners, Parker, Buddy, Rampe) but if they really know what they're doing, we should have six with Grundy also. Mills should win Rising Star. Hanners and Parker will both be up there in the Brownlow. Buddy will have 80 at least by season's end (bringing his total up to 790).

So many memorable moments, basically from every game won this year:

Round 1 vs Collingwood: Buddy kicking the opening goal of our season in the first 60 seconds; that piece of play where four of our kids had successive possessions to result in a goal (think it was Hewett, Heeney, Paps and Mills)
Round 2 vs Carlton: That orgasmic kick from Cunningham to Sinclair inside 50.
Round 3 vs GWS: Parker's screamer over the GWS flogs.
Round 5 vs West Coast: Teddy kicking a goal from outside 50, then taking a screamer.
Round 6 vs Brisbane: The debut of Aliir Aliir
Round 7 vs Essendon: Heeney booting five and still being upstaged by Buddy with six (including a banger from 60m out)
Round 9 vs Hawthorn: Buddy sinking another goal from outside 50 to put the final nail in Hawthorn's coffin
Round 10 vs North: Tom Mitchell's epic third quarter, Hanners with Handball of the Year
Round 11 vs Gold Coast: Parker's dribbler, Sir Dane of House Rampe's audition for FIFA goal-keeper
Round 13 vs Melbourne: Aliir's hands in wet (with the long sleeves)
Round 16 vs Geelong: Kizza's opening goal, Mills' tackle on Hawkins, Teddy playing full forward in the helmet
Round 18 vs Carlton: Buddy's candy-sell and goal on the 50m arc
Round 19 vs Fremantle: Tom Mitchell's epic third quarter (he's the third quarter specialist), JPK's goal from against the boundary line, Naismith's mark and first goal, Aliir's intercept marking on the wing of Subiaco
Round 20 vs Port Adelaide: SIR DANE OF HOUSE RAMPE'S GOAL. GOAL OF THE YEAR. GOAL OF THE CENTURY. GREATEST DEFENDER IN AFL HISTORY. #MANCRUSH
Round 21 vs St Kilda: Nanka's bump and Buddy's rampage on the run all at once, XR and Papley combining in the goal square a few times
Round 22 vs North Melbourne: (genuinely can't recall this game it was terrible but lolnorf)
Round 23 vs Richmond: Everything about this game should be remembered otherwise you have abused the right to be a South Melbourne/Sydney Swans supporter.

(Don't know if anyone could tell but I have enjoyed 2016 probably more than any other season. Premiership or not I feel like we can't lose this year.)

 

[Tuco]

Give it to clarko

He's a 'genius'.

 

[msb77]

Awesome effort to finish on top and I am confident (hopeful) that we have learnt from how 2014 panned out. I think we really need to strike now and get that buddy invested flag because there may not be too many more opportunities. It would be very disappointing not to win the flag this year.

 

[Ticky009]

Do they have an award for how many teams we broke? Magpies & Norf were kinda shizen after they played us.

 

[The King!]

Do they have an award for how many teams we broke? Magpies & Norf were kinda shizen after they played us.

We broke richmond on the weekend

 

[Ticky009]

We broke richmond on the weekend

Nah. They've been broke for 15 years

 

[SilentHunter_]

We may break the AFL soon.

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

"You can't break everything" AFL.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Tuco]

This year leaves 2014's H&A achievement for dead.

In 2014 it was all COLA, Academies, Buddy destroying our depth, Colless vs Fitzpatrick, Stadium wars, Eddie hating on us. Darcy hating on us. Rita hating on us. Hanners, Parker etc all "leaving" apparently. "You can't have everyone". Then Trade Ban!

But all that just pales compared to the beginnings of the treatment of Adam Goodes which gained traction that year.

This then translated into 2015 which was an annus horribilis. The Goodes hate turning into a national sport. And all the hate was validated by the AFL's actions and their non-actions - they basically sponsored the haters.

But in 2016 we just responded with a season of pure football. All the white noise just went away.

2016 - whatever happrns these finals - was a high water mark in all the years I've followed the Swans.