Our Draw

[Footy Smarts]

Now I'm not one for conspiracy theories or anything like that but it seems this season everything has gone against us. In particular I think our draw ended up being the hardest in the league by a comfortable margin. This isn't based on any intention by the AFL but just that we happened to play teams twice that performed far better than people expected. Look at these matches against the top 8:

Hawthorn - Played them twice as always. Was always likely to be tough.
Sydney - Play them twice. They were likely to be top 8 but not many predicted them to be this good.
Adelaide - At the start of the year telling us to play them twice would have been welcome. In hindsight a much harder couple of games than expected preseason.
West Coast - Only played them once but played them away. At home we'd be hot favourites but away we're outsiders.
Collingwood - Like Hawthorn we played them twice and they were always likely to be tough.
Fremantle - Only played them once but like WCE we played them away. Also got them first round coming off a short preseason with them raring to go. Couldn't play them at a worse time.
North Melbourne - Only played them once but on their favourite ground. Also we were coming off a 6 day break after playing Hawthorn and they'd had a training run against GWS.

Just the way it's turned out, we've played the surprise packets (Sydney and Adelaide) both twice while the teams that performed below their preseason expectations (Carlton, Essendon and Melbourne) we only played once. The luck just went against us.

Considering this draw and the injuries we've had I think we can be proud of how the team has performed this year. There's also no reason we shouldn't be battle hardened and ready for September.

Thoughts?

 

[AlterRob]

If we missed the eight I'd be pretty pissed off to be honest considering some of the easy draws other teams managed to get.
But in being the best team in the comp for the last 5 years we had to expect that we weren't going to get any favours from the AFL in regards to our draw, however unfair that may seem.
Still, now that finals are coming up, there's no time for lame excuses like a hard fixture, we just have to simply beat whichever poor sucker gets drawn up against us and go back to back baby.

 

[Hoffy95]

Played the top 4 twice each and only one of the bottom 10 teams twice. Insane.

We'd be in Adelaide's position if we had their draw.

 

[Stig_90]

The good teams will get the tougher draws. We won the premiership, we were always going to get the likes of Collingwood and Hawthorn twice. It might even out a little more once GC and GWS start to really improve.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

We've had a hard run into the finals. And the matches we've lost this season have been all to top 8 sides, I think we've had a very good season considering losses of key personnel and amount of debutantes we've had. Only thing I'm critical of has been the failure to gain percentage against the bottom teams. The weekend for example...Moderate sized wins against Port, Gold Coast, GWS which could cost us if we don't win on the weekend.

 

[catswhiskers]

Would be interesting to see a difficulty ladder based on wins by teams played (at this stage).
For example Geelong played Hawthorn twice = 16 wins x2 = 32 + Sydney once so far = 16 wins x1 = 16 + .....................................................................+ GWS once = 2 wins x1 =2 .

In fact I reckon someone already has done this.

Roger are you out there???

 

[SleazySimon]

The good teams will get the tougher draws. We won the premiership, we were always going to get the likes of Collingwood and Hawthorn twice. It might even out a little more once GC and GWS start to really improve.

Since when is this the norm? I can't remember another year where the draw was this handicapped towards the bottom teams (adelaide and north case in point). Even during our premiership years we were never givin a draw this unfair. Last year. Last year's top 3 teams have been punished having to play each other twice. It's not even a draw its its like a horse race where some are handicapped.

 

[Stig_90]

Since when is this the norm? I can't remember another year where the draw was this handicapped towards the bottom teams (adelaide and north case in point). Even during our premiership years we were never givin a draw this unfair. Last year. Last year's top 3 teams have been punished having to play each other twice. It's not even a draw its its like a horse race where some are handicapped.

Since the Suns first year last year. It was pretty much tailored to make it a little easier on the two new teams mainly, but the bottom 4-6 have benefited too. The AFL loves equalisation.

 

[pinion]

i think it's more about who we played once - GWS, port adelaide, melbourne and gold coast. an extra game or two against those teams and we'd be top 4 or close to it.

but that's the nature of winning the flag - you naturally get a tougher draw

and i'm sure cookie would also have been mighty pissed if we didn't get home games against collingwood and hawthorn.

 

[supahoops]

Since when is this the norm? I can't remember another year where the draw was this handicapped towards the bottom teams (adelaide and north case in point). Even during our premiership years we were never givin a draw this unfair. Last year. Last year's top 3 teams have been punished having to play each other twice. It's not even a draw its its like a horse race where some are handicapped.

You're right it's not a draw. It's a fixture. And we've been fixt up. Will only make it sweeter.

 

[iameviljez]

i think it's more about who we played once - GWS, port adelaide, melbourne and gold coast. an extra game or two against those teams and we'd be top 4 or close to it.

but that's the nature of winning the flag - you naturally get a tougher draw

and i'm sure cookie would also have been mighty pissed if we didn't get home games against collingwood and hawthorn.

Bang on. You win the flag, you draw the crowds, you win the right to play the big games. There's no way on earth I'd trade in playing Hawthorn, Sydney or Collingwood twice for another GWS snoozefest. I prefer that to the sort of draw that the Bulldogs get every year.

 

[Turbocat]

The sure sign of us not being a top side is when we start worrying about who we are playing instead of others worrying about playing us.

You have a point , sure its a tough run , and we have had a few injuries and a few setbacks. Just this week with Smedts and Varcoe for example. But thats footy. It gives someone a chance and if playing tough sides is the price of the paradigm. Be the market leader and you will play Fri night , you will play big games and you will have a chance at winning the thing.

 

[footscore]

personally don't mind playing the best twice, three times or more
(Although I'm unsure the players would feel the same way)

There is a very good reason why some experts feel certain top 8 teams will struggle this September and it's by no fault of their own it's just that playing weaker teams means you become conditioned to that standard of footy.
We have had a very tough month and it finishes with one of the premiership favorites and so what better way to head into a final than having played 4-6 mini-finals already

I mean go check who Fremantle and North Melbourne have played the last month and they now are expected to be as finely tuned up for a do or die final as what we will be?

 

[vinum coupe]

Now I'm not one for conspiracy theories or anything like that

lol

Yes you are

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

It will back fire. Giving us a nightmare draw in the lead up to the finals will only prime us more. We have been put through hell and back, and are still standing.

 

[SleazySimon]

The sure sign of us not being a top side is when we start worrying about who we are playing instead of others worrying about playing us.

You have a point , sure its a tough run , and we have had a few injuries and a few setbacks. Just this week with Smedts and Varcoe for example. But thats footy. It gives someone a chance and if playing tough sides is the price of the paradigm. Be the market leader and you will play Fri night , you will play big games and you will have a chance at winning the thing.

Bak in our great heyday of being a 'top side' we never had a draw this tough, maybe that's what made us a top side?!

 

[Turbocat]

Bak in our great heyday of being a 'top side' we never had a draw this tough, maybe that's what made us a top side?!

Ahh no.

 

[SleazySimon]

An unfair draw means the AFL is actively trying to prevent the best team from winning the flag. In no other professional sports comp in the world is the draw this uneven in some teams playing each other once or twice. It is a conspiracy and its more evidence of the AFL killing our once great game. If the draw was even like it should be and used to be we would be the team of the 2000's and be better t&an the hawks of the 80's

 

[romeoh]

An unfair draw means the AFL is actively trying to prevent the best team from winning the flag. In no other professional sports comp in the world is the draw this uneven in some teams playing each other once or twice. It is a conspiracy and its more evidence of the AFL killing our once great game. If the draw was even like it should be and used to be we would be the team of the 2000's and be better t&an the hawks of the 80's

A team that wins 3 of the last 5 flags should get a tough draw. I have no issue with that. We have had several years of tough draws-if you're good enough you manage.

 

[footscore]

A team that wins 3 of the last 5 flags should get a tough draw. I have no issue with that. We have had several years of tough draws-if you're good enough you manage.

kinda makes you step back as a supporter and really appreciate how awesome this team was/is/always will be given what they have achieved the last 5 years with draw, retirements/injuries/drafting of players such as Harley, Rooke, Mumford, Egan, Milburn, Ablett, Prismall, Ottens, Ling, Mooney, King, coach, fitness staff + assistant coach........hmmm
I forget somebody?

 

[Jensen]

I don't mind stuff like playing hawks/pies twice, they're big games so you expect it to happen. Playing Sydney/Adelaide twice is just bad luck as they weren't expected to be where they are.

However I'm sick of the double trips to Perth every year, while west coast and freo have only played down here once each since 2009. Last time we didn't play at Perth twice is 2007.

 

[_Me_]

sydney 154
hawks 152
collingwood 140
geelong 140
adelaide 126
west cost 126
north 96
freo 92

this is the ladder when you award points for wins based on the oppositions place on the ladder
(assuming we win, hawks win and pies win this week)

this in a way gives a better depiction of form, and takes out the meaningless results against gc and gws
however it means a victory against the hawks is 18 points and against gws is 1 point
so not perfect methodology - but gives an idea of how good the swans have been

 

[STC]

Amazing isn't it - you'd have wanted to play Freo & West Coast again at home if you have to play them away. In a sense North are the only top 8 team we were "lucky" to play once.

 

[Jmac2225]

We have been the best side over the past 5 years comfortably. We deserve the tough draw.

It's a credit to our team we have performed as well as we have this year.

 

[Strangled Cat]

We have been the best side over the past 5 years comfortably. We deserve the tough draw.

It's a credit to our team we have performed as well as we have this year.

We deserve a tough draw just like shit teams deserve the best kids, right?