Opinion Posts That Don't Deserve a Thread (Random Opinion or Questions)

[Ticky009]

Ooops.
Although I suppose 1 out of 4 will probably be better than the Hawks win rate next year.

View attachment 1536627

In case you were wondering;

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2023 AFL Sydney Swans Calendar | Paper Pocket (SOLD OUT)

Good get HB, that's hilarious.

 

[BloodySwan]

Ever since Smith won the Norm Smith I've been thinking about how AFL treats people as soon as they hit 30. The minute it happens we treat them like they are over the hill and will fall apart.

Balloon d'Or was just won by Benzima who is 34. Previous winners were Messi (34 at the time) and Modric (33 at the time).

AFL is a more taxing sport than Soccer is on the body but the AFL community as a whole definitely treats players 30+ as pensioners.

 

[caesar88]

Ever since Smith won the Norm Smith I've been thinking about how AFL treats people as soon as they hit 30. The minute it happens we treat them like they are over the hill and will fall apart.

Balloon d'Or was just won by Benzima who is 34. Previous winners were Messi (34 at the time) and Modric (33 at the time).

AFL is a more taxing sport than Soccer is on the body but the AFL community as a whole definitely treats players 30+ as pensioners.

The what d'what

 

[BloodySwan]

The what d'what

Benzima doing his best balloon impression

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

So nearly a month on from the grand final, how are we all feeling?

(I don't know enough about trades and draft picks and all that stuff to even have an opinion, so I tune out of all those off-season discussions, so I've been a bit absent from the Swans board.)

Everyone holding up?

For me, it all feels a bit surreal. Not sure if that's because it hasn't even sunk in yet (now that's a scary thought), or if it means I've finally grown up and showed some maturity and am now big enough to refuse to be hit for six by a curve ball like that (to mix metaphors from two different sports).

 

[sataris]

Ever since Smith won the Norm Smith I've been thinking about how AFL treats people as soon as they hit 30. The minute it happens we treat them like they are over the hill and will fall apart.

Balloon d'Or was just won by Benzima who is 34. Previous winners were Messi (34 at the time) and Modric (33 at the time).

AFL is a more taxing sport than Soccer is on the body but the AFL community as a whole definitely treats players 30+ as pensioners.

Funnily enough most players 'peak' in soccer at around 31.

 

[Millky95]

So nearly a month on from the grand final, how are we all feeling?

(I don't know enough about trades and draft picks and all that stuff to reven have an opinion, so I tune out of all those off-season discussions, so I've been a bit absent from the Swans board.)

Everyone holding up?

For me, it all feels a bit surreal. Not sure if that's because it hasn't even sunk in yet (now that's a scary thought), or if it means I've finally grown up and showed some maturity and am now big enough to refuse to be hit for six by a curve ball like that (to mix metaphors from two different sports).

I feel like I just had a bad break up. Still can't wear anything red. Just hurts to think about it

 

[Nuggetz]

So nearly a month on from the grand final, how are we all feeling?

(I don't know enough about trades and draft picks and all that stuff to even have an opinion, so I tune out of all those off-season discussions, so I've been a bit absent from the Swans board.)

Everyone holding up?

For me, it all feels a bit surreal. Not sure if that's because it hasn't even sunk in yet (now that's a scary thought), or if it means I've finally grown up and showed some maturity and am now big enough to refuse to be hit for six by a curve ball like that (to mix metaphors from two different sports).

What I've realised is I shouldn't get too caught up in the result and just enjoy the hype and build up, not just for AFL but most major sports events. I get way too stressed out about something I can't influence, what's the point? The stress dampened the enjoyment for me.

 

[ScottBo]

I feel like I just had a bad break up. Still can't wear anything red. Just hurts to think about it

I've reprogrammed myself to think I went to Melbourne for a Robbie Williams' concert. There are a missing few hours on Saturday afternoon, but I've put that down to all the bar and restaurant hopping.

 

[Del198236]

I feel like I just had a bad break up. Still can't wear anything red. Just hurts to think about it

just spent 2 weeks in the tablelands south of Sydney.. Wore my Swans beanie every day (after all,, we did make the granny)

 

[The King!]

So nearly a month on from the grand final, how are we all feeling?

(I don't know enough about trades and draft picks and all that stuff to even have an opinion, so I tune out of all those off-season discussions, so I've been a bit absent from the Swans board.)

Everyone holding up?

For me, it all feels a bit surreal. Not sure if that's because it hasn't even sunk in yet (now that's a scary thought), or if it means I've finally grown up and showed some maturity and am now big enough to refuse to be hit for six by a curve ball like that (to mix metaphors from two different sports).

without going into boring shit, the last few years I have realised its just a silly game

yeah stings as a fan and want to win, love my swans dont get me wrong, but if them losing grand finals is a big problem then I have a pretty good life.


It is all part of a fun journey, talking dribble on here is fun.

Helps I didn't spend thousands to go, but I let sports fandom become too intense, so working on that as silly as it sounds (prior to us making a grand final)

 

[Jewelsbon]

So nearly a month on from the grand final, how are we all feeling?

(I don't know enough about trades and draft picks and all that stuff to even have an opinion, so I tune out of all those off-season discussions, so I've been a bit absent from the Swans board.)

Everyone holding up?

For me, it all feels a bit surreal. Not sure if that's because it hasn't even sunk in yet (now that's a scary thought), or if it means I've finally grown up and showed some maturity and am now big enough to refuse to be hit for six by a curve ball like that (to mix metaphors from two different sports).

I moved on pretty quickly this time - Geelong were so good and so good all year and, whilst I'd have liked us to have put up a bit more resistance, I haven't been left with that feeling gnawing at me that we were ripped off (2016) or that we were the great team that shit the bed (2014).
I also flew to Europe on the Monday morning so I've been able to keep myself otherwise entertained

 

[kickthething]

What I've realised is I shouldn't get too caught up in the result and just enjoy the hype and build up, not just for AFL but most major sports events. I get way too stressed out about something I can't influence, what's the point? The stress dampened the enjoyment for me.

We unexpectedly made the GF. I moved on during the game. It was too big a mismatch on the day to carry any baggage. I don’t get as wired about the w-l these days.

 

[bedford]

I moved on pretty quickly this time - Geelong were so good and so good all year and, whilst I'd have liked us to have put up a bit more resistance, I haven't been left with that feeling gnawing at me that we were ripped off (2016) or that we were the great team that s**t the bed (2014).
I also flew to Europe on the Monday morning so I've been able to keep myself otherwise entertained

Same

 

[Tedeski]

I moved on pretty quickly this time - Geelong were so good and so good all year and, whilst I'd have liked us to have put up a bit more resistance, I haven't been left with that feeling gnawing at me that we were ripped off (2016) or that we were the great team that s**t the bed (2014).
I also flew to Europe on the Monday morning so I've been able to keep myself otherwise entertained

I always tell my family going into the game that as an interstate team we give a 'home' Vic GF team a 5 goal head start. I put that down to two nights not sleeping in their own bed, which creates a different scenario to any other regular interstate game when they often arrive on game day.

So far under Longmire, apparently our first quarter scores in GFs are 5.9 to 17.15 to our opposition, according to something I read.
It's a thing & a 5 goal head start is the best way to approach any future GFs we are in.
Our two winning ones were against another interstate team West Coast which made it an even scenario & against the Hawks in 2012 where we were 1.4 to 4.5 & produced a great effort to hang on & win after that start.

 

[The King!]

It does help to have seen a premiership or two. If I were a saints fan losing grand finals I might find it worse

 

[Mister B]

We had a shit game but resigned to the fact there was no team in the league that was beating Geelong on Grand Final day. Prefer to look back on a ripper season, the fact that I got to 4 games in Sydney as well as all the games in Melbourne and the positive way fellow supporters really engaged with each other this year through the likes of BigFooty and newer means like the TB poddy.

 

[Nuggetz]

Back in melb. Getting flashbacks of the afl gf. heck.

 

[caesar88]

Last year I counted down our top 5 performances of 2021. I thought I would do so again for this year, now that the dust has settled. As per last year's, I've gone for quality of performance as opposed to the spectacle/entertainment value, so our beltings of West Coast, Essendon, St Kilda etc don't make the cut, as fun as they were to watch.

5. Round 2 vs Geelong @ SCG (Swans won by 30 points)
This game will look REALLY good in the history books when it shows we beat the eventual premiers by five goals, but it was a different Geelong team at the time and the quality of opposition isn't what made it a great win. Let's be honest, there was a gigantic, Buddy-sized cloud lingering over this match, from the build-up all week to every play during the game. But our young team just handled the occasion perfectly. We systematically chipped away at Geelong and never really looked troubled after the first ten minutes. It was actually surreal that we played so assertively throughout that we were able to spend the entire fourth quarter playing kick-it-to-Buddy.
POTY votes - Heeney, Mills, Warner, Franklin, P. McCartin.

4. Round 12, vs Melbourne @ MCG (Swans won by 12 points)
I feel like I'm being a bit harsh on this one given that it was our first "put the competition on notice" performance from us for the year after a middling first half of the season. It wasn't quite the complete performance we saw later on, which is the only reason it's not higher. It was more of a win built on fight and ticker. Our pressure was through the roof and it actually built and built as the game went on. The fact there was never more than a few goals in it throughout meant that there were sooo many crucial moments and contests. It was a great early example of how particularly our young players would perform under the microscope in a finals-like game. They passed with flying colours.
POTY votes - Reid, Rowbottom, P. McCartin, Mills, McDonald.

3. Round 18, vs Fremantle @ Optus Stadium (Swans won by 14 points)
OK I'm biased towards this one for a few reasons. One because I just love when our great team comes to my homeland and gets a win over the local teams. (I had COVID the week of this game, but I felt the spirit from my couch.) But I also really like games of footy that resemble games of chess. This didn't feel like two teams having their own way. In fact it was the opposite. Neither could get the game on their preferred terms, so it was going to be about who could adapt best to the terms of the game. Two defensive sides, not a lot of ball movement = play keepings off. We figured out this formula and executed it so brilliantly that Freo literally didn't have an answer for it. Arguably Horse's best night at the office for the year.
POTY votes - Warner, Gulden, Fox, Mills, Florent.

2. Round 22, vs Collingwood @ SCG (Swans won by 27 points)
An impressive win that only grew in it's magnitude at the completion of Collingwood's season with the realisation that this mob were really ******* difficult to beat this year. They lost their two finals by a combined 7 points, and yet against us, we led for 100% of the game and never let them get closer than two or three goals. Everything about the game was just quintessentially how we wanted to play. We were strong and a force at the coalface; our back-line was borderline impenetrable; our forward line was multi-faceted and firing on all cyllinders; and this game was also the culmination of weeks of switching up our tempos and playing different styles based on the circumstances of the game, which I think is going to be our trademark ace up the sleeve in the future.
POTY votes - Fox, Rowbottom, Rampe, Parker, Lloyd.

1. Qualifying Final, vs Melbourne @ MCG (Swans won by 22 points)
What else could possibly be number one? This was the very pinnacle of our season, and it would gradually only go down from then on. In what was only the first or second final for the majority of our team, in front of nearly 80,000 in a final on the road at the MCG, they just ******* delivered. It was the last truly great performance we'd have for the year (only relates to the first half of the prelim unfortunately.) It seems to be becoming a bit of a recurring thing with Melbourne - they bring their A-games against us, and then we best it. Earlier in the year, Gawn had the game of his life; on this occasion, Oliver was tearing it up in the middle and May was absolutely dominant. These should almost always mean Melbourne are winning - and they did lead for large parts of the game - but the way we played with such pressure and intensity, such force used around the contest and when moving the ball, the talented threats we have that can pop up and wreak havoc... we were just too good.
POTY votes - Rowbottom, Hickey, Mills, Parker, Florent.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Last year I counted down our top 5 performances of 2021. I thought I would do so again for this year, now that the dust has settled. As per last year's, I've gone for quality of performance as opposed to the spectacle/entertainment value, so our beltings of West Coast, Essendon, St Kilda etc don't make the cut, as fun as they were to watch.

5. Round 2 vs Geelong @ SCG (Swans won by 30 points)
This game will look REALLY good in the history books when it shows we beat the eventual premiers by five goals, but it was a different Geelong team at the time and the quality of opposition isn't what made it a great win. Let's be honest, there was a gigantic, Buddy-sized cloud lingering over this match, from the build-up all week to every play during the game. But our young team just handled the occasion perfectly. We systematically chipped away at Geelong and never really looked troubled after the first ten minutes. It was actually surreal that we played so assertively throughout that we were able to spend the entire fourth quarter playing kick-it-to-Buddy.
POTY votes - Heeney, Mills, Warner, Franklin, P. McCartin.

4. Round 12, vs Melbourne @ MCG (Swans won by 12 points)
I feel like I'm being a bit harsh on this one given that it was our first "put the competition on notice" performance from us for the year after a middling first half of the season. It wasn't quite the complete performance we saw later on, which is the only reason it's not higher. It was more of a win built on fight and ticker. Our pressure was through the roof and it actually built and built as the game went on. The fact there was never more than a few goals in it throughout meant that there were sooo many crucial moments and contests. It was a great early example of how particularly our young players would perform under the microscope in a finals-like game. They passed with flying colours.
POTY votes - Reid, Rowbottom, P. McCartin, Mills, McDonald.

3. Round 18, vs Fremantle @ Optus Stadium (Swans won by 14 points)
OK I'm biased towards this one for a few reasons. One because I just love when our great team comes to my homeland and gets a win over the local teams. (I had COVID the week of this game, but I felt the spirit from my couch.) But I also really like games of footy that resemble games of chess. This didn't feel like two teams having their own way. In fact it was the opposite. Neither could get the game on their preferred terms, so it was going to be about who could adapt best to the terms of the game. Two defensive sides, not a lot of ball movement = play keepings off. We figured out this formula and executed it so brilliantly that Freo literally didn't have an answer for it. Arguably Horse's best night at the office for the year.
POTY votes - Warner, Gulden, Fox, Mills, Florent.

2. Round 22, vs Collingwood @ SCG (Swans won by 27 points)
An impressive win that only grew in it's magnitude at the completion of Collingwood's season with the realisation that this mob were really ******* difficult to beat this year. They lost their two finals by a combined 7 points, and yet against us, we led for 100% of the game and never let them get closer than two or three goals. Everything about the game was just quintessentially how we wanted to play. We were strong and a force at the coalface; our back-line was borderline impenetrable; our forward line was multi-faceted and firing on all cyllinders; and this game was also the culmination of weeks of switching up our tempos and playing different styles based on the circumstances of the game, which I think is going to be our trademark ace up the sleeve in the future.
POTY votes - Fox, Rowbottom, Rampe, Parker, Lloyd.

1. Qualifying Final, vs Melbourne @ MCG (Swans won by 22 points)
What else could possibly be number one? This was the very pinnacle of our season, and it would gradually only go down from then on. In what was only the first or second final for the majority of our team, in front of nearly 80,000 in a final on the road at the MCG, they just ******* delivered. It was the last truly great performance we'd have for the year (only relates to the first half of the prelim unfortunately.) It seems to be becoming a bit of a recurring thing with Melbourne - they bring their A-games against us, and then we best it. Earlier in the year, Gawn had the game of his life; on this occasion, Oliver was tearing it up in the middle and May was absolutely dominant. These should almost always mean Melbourne are winning - and they did lead for large parts of the game - but the way we played with such pressure and intensity, such force used around the contest and when moving the ball, the talented threats we have that can pop up and wreak havoc... we were just too good.
POTY votes - Rowbottom, Hickey, Mills, Parker, Florent.

Beautiful mate.

 

[caesar88]

Beautiful mate.

I know I am, but what did you think of my comment?

 

[scaryness]

Last year I counted down our top 5 performances of 2021. I thought I would do so again for this year, now that the dust has settled. As per last year's, I've gone for quality of performance as opposed to the spectacle/entertainment value, so our beltings of West Coast, Essendon, St Kilda etc don't make the cut, as fun as they were to watch.

5. Round 2 vs Geelong @ SCG (Swans won by 30 points)
This game will look REALLY good in the history books when it shows we beat the eventual premiers by five goals, but it was a different Geelong team at the time and the quality of opposition isn't what made it a great win. Let's be honest, there was a gigantic, Buddy-sized cloud lingering over this match, from the build-up all week to every play during the game. But our young team just handled the occasion perfectly. We systematically chipped away at Geelong and never really looked troubled after the first ten minutes. It was actually surreal that we played so assertively throughout that we were able to spend the entire fourth quarter playing kick-it-to-Buddy.
POTY votes - Heeney, Mills, Warner, Franklin, P. McCartin.

4. Round 12, vs Melbourne @ MCG (Swans won by 12 points)
I feel like I'm being a bit harsh on this one given that it was our first "put the competition on notice" performance from us for the year after a middling first half of the season. It wasn't quite the complete performance we saw later on, which is the only reason it's not higher. It was more of a win built on fight and ticker. Our pressure was through the roof and it actually built and built as the game went on. The fact there was never more than a few goals in it throughout meant that there were sooo many crucial moments and contests. It was a great early example of how particularly our young players would perform under the microscope in a finals-like game. They passed with flying colours.
POTY votes - Reid, Rowbottom, P. McCartin, Mills, McDonald.

3. Round 18, vs Fremantle @ Optus Stadium (Swans won by 14 points)
OK I'm biased towards this one for a few reasons. One because I just love when our great team comes to my homeland and gets a win over the local teams. (I had COVID the week of this game, but I felt the spirit from my couch.) But I also really like games of footy that resemble games of chess. This didn't feel like two teams having their own way. In fact it was the opposite. Neither could get the game on their preferred terms, so it was going to be about who could adapt best to the terms of the game. Two defensive sides, not a lot of ball movement = play keepings off. We figured out this formula and executed it so brilliantly that Freo literally didn't have an answer for it. Arguably Horse's best night at the office for the year.
POTY votes - Warner, Gulden, Fox, Mills, Florent.

2. Round 22, vs Collingwood @ SCG (Swans won by 27 points)
An impressive win that only grew in it's magnitude at the completion of Collingwood's season with the realisation that this mob were really ******* difficult to beat this year. They lost their two finals by a combined 7 points, and yet against us, we led for 100% of the game and never let them get closer than two or three goals. Everything about the game was just quintessentially how we wanted to play. We were strong and a force at the coalface; our back-line was borderline impenetrable; our forward line was multi-faceted and firing on all cyllinders; and this game was also the culmination of weeks of switching up our tempos and playing different styles based on the circumstances of the game, which I think is going to be our trademark ace up the sleeve in the future.
POTY votes - Fox, Rowbottom, Rampe, Parker, Lloyd.

1. Qualifying Final, vs Melbourne @ MCG (Swans won by 22 points)
What else could possibly be number one? This was the very pinnacle of our season, and it would gradually only go down from then on. In what was only the first or second final for the majority of our team, in front of nearly 80,000 in a final on the road at the MCG, they just ******* delivered. It was the last truly great performance we'd have for the year (only relates to the first half of the prelim unfortunately.) It seems to be becoming a bit of a recurring thing with Melbourne - they bring their A-games against us, and then we best it. Earlier in the year, Gawn had the game of his life; on this occasion, Oliver was tearing it up in the middle and May was absolutely dominant. These should almost always mean Melbourne are winning - and they did lead for large parts of the game - but the way we played with such pressure and intensity, such force used around the contest and when moving the ball, the talented threats we have that can pop up and wreak havoc... we were just too good.
POTY votes - Rowbottom, Hickey, Mills, Parker, Florent.

Top 4 I definitely agree with but in a different order, I actually think both Melbourne games were our best games.

I would swap out Round 2 for the Richmond game when we were 33 points down and playing zero defence yet solidified after half time and just kept coming even after seemingly losing the momentum many times. I listened to that on radio at work and that was the game that I thought we were a legit chance to be big this season.

 

[caesar88]

Top 4 I definitely agree with but in a different order, I actually think both Melbourne games were our best games.

I would swap out Round 2 for the Richmond game when we were 33 points down and playing zero defence yet solidified after half time and just kept coming even after seemingly losing the momentum many times. I listened to that on radio at work and that was the game that I thought we were a legit chance to be big this season.

The Melbourne games were both great but I looked at that mob in the context of where their seasons were at. Round 12 we caught Melbourne in the midst of a 0-3 run for them, as opposed to in the finals where they were coming in hot and it was a big final on their home deck. They were up and about and we kinda broke them.

As for the Richmond game, I had that as my honourable mention in sixth place. I had to weigh up "ability to rally for a huge come-from-behind victory" against Richmond and "ability to lead comfortably for most of the game" against Geelong. I went with the latter simply because I think it's more impressive and clinical, as opposed to spirited and gutsy. But I can easily see how one could have it the other way around.

 

[Mister B]

I do have to worry about some of our fans on Facebook. Just read someone suggesting they were outraged at the delisting of Naismith and Ronke saying they would be more beneficial than Buddy. I am not ruling out the possibility they may not be fully functioning from a mental standpoint.

 

[bedford]

I do have to worry about some of our fans on Facebook. Just read someone suggesting they were outraged at the delisting of Naismith and Ronke saying they would be more beneficial than Buddy. I am not ruling out the possibility they may not be fully functioning from a mental standpoint.

Don't worry it will happen here , some absolute standouts