Training Pre Season - Who's deadset training the house down 2024 style.

[bedford]

Could anyone else not tell Ladhams & Grundy apart half the time? I think the moisture made everyone's skin look so shiny that Ladhams' tattoos were hard to spot and with his new long hair he legitimately looked like Grundy at times. It was one thing when it was just the headband but when he tied it up in the bun halfway through I thought for sure he was just taking the piss.

Thought the same

 

[Donza]

Weird. Didn't even notice Lloyds absence.

BT is sad

 

[Bloods86]

Could anyone else not tell Ladhams & Grundy apart half the time? I think the moisture made everyone's skin look so shiny that Ladhams' tattoos were hard to spot and with his new long hair he legitimately looked like Grundy at times. It was one thing when it was just the headband but when he tied it up in the bun halfway through I thought for sure he was just taking the piss.

I actually thought it was Grundy a few times until I saw the number.

They need to play rock paper scissors, or get JK to officiate a wrestle, to decide who has to have a trim.

 

[Borgan]

I think that's more on the coaches than the player tbh. He's had the capability, but been playing a negating role in the middle for the last two years. Given the absences with injury atm - expect that role to continue tbh.

To the eye he looks abit bigger, and more powerful in the hips

 

[Dubai Quacker]

Thought the same

Ladhams is Rock Jesus.

Grundy is more Cafe Latte Jesus.

Not hard to tell them apart, despite the flowing locks.

 

[liz]

To the eye he looks abit bigger, and more powerful in the hips

The way he broke tackles - particularly in the first half - suggests he’s done a lot of work on lower body power over the off season.

 

[Wheresbuddy]

Mitchell played more games in his final year at the Swans than he did in any subsequent year at Hawthorn. What's your point?

Horse will play the best fit in any vacancy in our best 22. You can afford to play favourites, a coach can't. They'll do what they think is best for the team overall.

Horse only rated him after he literally bashed the door down in the NEAFL and he had no choice. In my opinion, he set a very high standard for him to become a regular, albeit in a very strong midfield. His treatment of Darcy Cameron was even worse. Cameron was the dominant NEAFL ruck yet only got one AFL game for us as a forward no less, even whilst we were in the middle of a ruck crisis.

To be fair, this is nor unique to Horse. All coaches have their favourites. They're only human and picking a team has always been a combination of objective, subjective and emotional factors. How often do we hear selections made on "gut" feelings or the premise that a player has never let me down etc? Hence why I will not be surprised if Fox (Mr Dependable) or Roberts (big preseason wraps from coaching staff) get picked before Sheldrick. And you know what? I'm fine with that.

 

[caesar88]

Young but the future. It is one thing to look at the present, and that is most important. But you cannot ignore the future. Most struggling clubs look at the present. They need wins to justify their existence. Swans take care of the present but always have an eye to the future. That is why we stay in contention continually.

Going all in with the best team is what you are stating.

Me , I agree, but I always have an eye to the future as well.

Sheldrick and Roberts etc need opportunities in the overall scheme of things. Yes we need to win a premiership this year. But not at the expense we throw everything at it for a few years and find ourselves like St Kilda or Essendon or North and gave to rebuild. Sheldrick and Roberts leave for better opportunities. Rebuild is awful. Swans contend and inject youth at the same time. That is what I am saying 88.

I know what you're saying rusty, I just don't agree with it at all. But that's okay

 

[the hypnotoad]

Horse only rated him after he literally bashed the door down in the NEAFL and he had no choice. In my opinion, he set a very high standard for him to become a regular, albeit in a very strong midfield. His treatment of Darcy Cameron was even worse. Cameron was the dominant NEAFL ruck yet only got one AFL game for us as a forward no less, even whilst we were in the middle of a ruck crisis.

To be fair, this is nor unique to Horse. All coaches have their favourites. They're only human and picking a team has always been a combination of objective, subjective and emotional factors. How often do we hear selections made on "gut" feelings or the premise that a player has never let me down etc? Hence why I will not be surprised if Fox (Mr Dependable) or Roberts (big preseason wraps from coaching staff) get picked before Sheldrick. And you know what? I'm fine with that.

agree on cameron ... i was really hoping we'd give him more time in seniors
he's continued to improve at c'wood, and good luck to him ... but it was unfortunate we didn't give him much of a chance

 

[Tedeski]

Why bother at this stage , i think we can win the flag

Just trying to start all nice & positive.

 

[caesar88]

IMO he's struggled in terms of getting involved but Corey Warner has looked class every time he's had the ball at senior level.

 

[Wolfgang West]

This year will be no different to last. Starting the season with injuries to a core part of the ground. Midfield Mills, Parker and now Adams for the reported 3-4 weeks. ( which we all know is 6 in Swans speak ) Back line decimated last year mids this year. Talent put us back in the finals race last year when we got a few back but so did a s**t load of luck. This year likely not to be as lucky. Melbourne will play Oliver perhaps on limited minutes with Petracca and Viney but will smash the starting mids we wheel out here.
Expect to be 0-2 in the blink of an eye.

 

[Wolfgang West]

Why bother at this stage , i think we can win the flag

Stop It.

 

[sthmelb_dimmies]

Why bother at this stage , i think we can win the flag

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

Why bother at this stage , i think we can win the flag

Agree Bedders, think we can go undefeated actually

 

[the hypnotoad]

This year will be no different to last. Starting the season with injuries to a core part of the ground. Midfield Mills, Parker and now Adams for the reported 3-4 weeks. ( which we all know is 6 in Swans speak ) Back line decimated last year mids this year. Talent put us back in the finals race last year when we got a few back but so did a s**t load of luck. This year likely not to be as lucky. Melbourne will play Oliver perhaps on limited minutes with Petracca and Viney but will smash the starting mids we wheel out here.
Expect to be 0-2 in the blink of an eye.

i don't think viney's that good, he gets a lot of it, butchers a lot of that, and slowing right down

 

[Wheresbuddy]

This year will be no different to last. Starting the season with injuries to a core part of the ground. Midfield Mills, Parker and now Adams for the reported 3-4 weeks. ( which we all know is 6 in Swans speak ) Back line decimated last year mids this year. Talent put us back in the finals race last year when we got a few back but so did a s**t load of luck. This year likely not to be as lucky. Melbourne will play Oliver perhaps on limited minutes with Petracca and Viney but will smash the starting mids we wheel out here.
Expect to be 0-2 in the blink of an eye.

Taking a more optimistic point of view, if Chad, Rowbottom, Heeney and Gulden +/- Sheldrick lift and get us to 2-0, then we will look back at this moment and say it was the making of our premiership midfield.

But yes, I do agree it could go as you say. The Demons and Pies are no mugs.

 

[swanssince2002]

Good points all round, first 2 games will tell us something about the season. Do understand there are some key outs, but can't help but believe if we win both games, just how important early momentum will be. The buzz would be crazy.

Lose both and well, we would be hoping for another 2005 run (started off quite slow as well, losing to top 4 teams in the first few rounds) which is very unlikely and it will be like last season instead.

 

[Mister B]

It's almost like you don't give away your real game-plan against a rival in the preason....

I'd agree if the real forward line gameplay hadn't mimicked this for the last half a decade (probably longer to be honest.)

 

[Jimbo OZ]

Horse only rated him after he literally bashed the door down in the NEAFL and he had no choice. In my opinion, he set a very high standard for him to become a regular, albeit in a very strong midfield. His treatment of Darcy Cameron was even worse. Cameron was the dominant NEAFL ruck yet only got one AFL game for us as a forward no less, even whilst we were in the middle of a ruck crisis.

To be fair, this is nor unique to Horse. All coaches have their favourites. They're only human and picking a team has always been a combination of objective, subjective and emotional factors. How often do we hear selections made on "gut" feelings or the premise that a player has never let me down etc? Hence why I will not be surprised if Fox (Mr Dependable) or Roberts (big preseason wraps from coaching staff) get picked before Sheldrick. And you know what? I'm fine with that.

Cameron was a victim of circumstance. He was injured as well when we had the ruck crisis and was fit when we didnt.

 

[Dan87]

I think Sheldrick is IN

Absolutely unleash him

 

[Nuggetz]

Silver lining is guys like Heeney & Sheldrick who likely have wanted to show their ability in the midfield, now have a solid 1 month opportunity to perform. They should be fired up to showcase their skills & prove they can play a midfielders role in the team. 1 month of these guys going nuts before the cavalry arrives.

Imagine Heeney/Sheldrick/Rowbottom lifting to another level in the midfield & then Parker & Adams adding to that depth when they return. That would be amazing.

 

[RubbaDuck]

I too was taken with Corey Warner's performance. I think he's done a body of work over the preseason, perhaps extra under the tutelage of his brother.

Warner, Roberts, Sheldrick all improve their chances of senior games with Mills, Parker and Adams out. A situation that may not be ideal for the team in the immediate future will certainly pay us dividends over the longer term.

 

[RubbaDuck]

Grundy really does give us an extra midfielder in the way he surges and stays involved in the play. He looked a little rusty but others did too. Ladhams looks better with some hair on him. He's moving well and has clearly put a lot of work in. He's still not a quick decision maker but he makes a fine battering ram.

 

[RubbaDuck]

Personally I've got no interest in bringing youth into the side. Our time for that was 3-4 years ago.

I'd be OK with Sheldrick coming into the side because he could potentially alleviate the possible absences of Adams & Parker. Not because he's a young player and we need youth.

Agree. I have no issue with players having to force their way in. I think it's important.

An important mark of a successful club is depth. If you want to play for a club who are in the premiership window you have to bide your time, fight through the depth of other talented players competing for your spot and make the most of any opportunity. The alternative is to go play for Norf or West Coast and become a walk up start in a string of defeats.

I wonder if we'd have finished minor premiers in 2014 if we'd gifted games to an underdone Mitchell that year? Would Mitchell have perservered to become the player he did? We had an incredibly strong midfield, Mitchell wasn't fully fit and he had to force his way in. He did that in 2015 after undertaking his first full pre-season, playing 19 games for us in 2015 and a whopping 26 games in 2016 as we topped the ladder again.

The other downside of being in a premiership window is good players can ask good money. Our salary cap was maxed, with a host of players on top coin. Mitchell had to decide between more finals with his teammates in 2017 or more money with Hawthorn. He chose cash.