ErrolisGoldun
Club Legend
- Jun 14, 2021
- 1,338
- 2,412
- AFL Club
- Sydney
Recent history….
The last time we played Geelong at the SCG it was the scene of one of the greatest nights of football in Sydney, Buddy Franklins 1000th goal!! We also got the chocolates on a night where all eyes were on Buddy, quite rightly.
Imagine correctly planning and organising (trip from Melbourne) to go to the game in preparation for the inevitable crowd invasion and to be a part of the “zombie’s” (which is what it looked like watching from the stands), but unfortunately breaking a leg a few weeks before the game and being stuck with the senior citizens and little leaguers up in the stands! Was so good to be there for it though.
Unfortunately these were the last fond memories Swans supporters have experienced with Geelong.
The Grand Final was a version of torture, everything they did worked and nothing we did, had any semblance of cohesion. The worst timing to have one of the most horrific days at the office from a young and upcoming team.
Somehow Geelong waited until 6 games into the season to unfurl their Flag versus us (what a coincidence!) which saw another shellacking given by 93pts.
Our team were hit by injuries to any player over 6ft 4in which left us a team ofshort people, small persons and the most literal David v Goliath seen on a football field, aka Millsy (our best midfielder mind you, middleweight at best) v Tomahawk Hawkins (heavyweight model for Cotton On, apparently the footy is a side gig and doesn’t get paid much, just a love job, gets the big bucks from modelling!), also the current All Australian captain. Geelong beat us up and laughed in our face, was also probably the weakest effort I have seen from a Swans team since the dark ol days PB (Pre Barassi).
Therefore this game in itself should have additional meaning due to the two scars our team holds versus Geelong over the last 12mths, but wait there’s more…..
Season thus far….
Swans have been severely hit by injuries throughout 2023, especially to our tall timber, which has impacted on our continuity and form. Year started off well but fell apart pretty quickly which means we don’t have many games left to get enough wins to make the finals.
We have finally got a lot of players back from injury and just had the most complete performance I have seen from a Swans team in the absolute mauling of West Coast. 171 point victories are not run of the mill and this actually points to the potential of this side. The only other time in recent history a similar result occurred was one of the best teams of the AFL era, Geelong circa 2011, beating up on Melbourne at their fortress Kardinia Park.
Most of our players played themselves into form, the only change should be to bring back our best tall defender, Tommy McCartin, to take on the Cotton On Tomahawk, in what would be a fair fight, Millsy will probably run with Blicavs now, never shirking a challenge and being the Swans “man for all seasons”.
Only concern out of the West Coast game is the impact of the bye on most teams this season.
There is a log jam of teams within 2 wins from Saints in 5th to GWS 14th, we need to start our run from 13th and 24pts but with an extremely healthy percentage. Geelong are 9th on 28pts and seem to have turned a corner on form.
The game…..
This is make or break time, we will never have greater momentum heading into a game, our whole team are riding high on one of the largest wins in our clubs history, we have finally got balance back into the line up and cohesion with our forwards (which has been sadly lacking majority of the year).
We should have an attitude of unfinished business and look to play at our most intense and this actually should be a mini final in the players minds.
How should Horse motivate the players prior to/during the game?
A) “Yabbie” Jeans, Hawthorn coach with the “pay the price” style inspirational speech. An analogy on purchasing a pair of cheap shoes versus the effort needed to win the GF. The half time speech went down in footy folklore & inspired the team to the 1989 flag (v Geelong)
B) bring Nick Davis back as runner, Geelong’s Bogey man! Allegedly Kirky told Nick Davis after a goal was kicked on him early last quarter “you owe us one” in Semi final in 2005, this lead to the greatest individual last quarter played in the history of the game, Davis kicked 4 goals and single-handedly won the game in the last seconds (we only had 3 goals to 3QT, also game v Geelong)
C) Terry Wallace style, get all the players to sign a footy, symbolising their commitment to the cause, a line in a sand type game, to get the players to lift a bit extra for a momentous game
D) “other” any other motivational tactic?
E) Players should be able to motivate themselves, they do this during the week or Horse to maintain his measured self are not acceptable options, please go back to one of A-D, have you watched the last 2 games v Geelong?!?
Get excited fellow Swans supporters, our boys in Prime Time, in form versus the Cats who will be coming hard for the 4pts, like Christmas in July, it’s an early Elimination final in June!
It will definitely be the end of the Financial Year, hopefully it’s also not the end of the Swans year!!
Swans by 14, for Millsy!!
The last time we played Geelong at the SCG it was the scene of one of the greatest nights of football in Sydney, Buddy Franklins 1000th goal!! We also got the chocolates on a night where all eyes were on Buddy, quite rightly.
Imagine correctly planning and organising (trip from Melbourne) to go to the game in preparation for the inevitable crowd invasion and to be a part of the “zombie’s” (which is what it looked like watching from the stands), but unfortunately breaking a leg a few weeks before the game and being stuck with the senior citizens and little leaguers up in the stands! Was so good to be there for it though.
Unfortunately these were the last fond memories Swans supporters have experienced with Geelong.
The Grand Final was a version of torture, everything they did worked and nothing we did, had any semblance of cohesion. The worst timing to have one of the most horrific days at the office from a young and upcoming team.
Somehow Geelong waited until 6 games into the season to unfurl their Flag versus us (what a coincidence!) which saw another shellacking given by 93pts.
Our team were hit by injuries to any player over 6ft 4in which left us a team of
Therefore this game in itself should have additional meaning due to the two scars our team holds versus Geelong over the last 12mths, but wait there’s more…..
Season thus far….
Swans have been severely hit by injuries throughout 2023, especially to our tall timber, which has impacted on our continuity and form. Year started off well but fell apart pretty quickly which means we don’t have many games left to get enough wins to make the finals.
We have finally got a lot of players back from injury and just had the most complete performance I have seen from a Swans team in the absolute mauling of West Coast. 171 point victories are not run of the mill and this actually points to the potential of this side. The only other time in recent history a similar result occurred was one of the best teams of the AFL era, Geelong circa 2011, beating up on Melbourne at their fortress Kardinia Park.
Most of our players played themselves into form, the only change should be to bring back our best tall defender, Tommy McCartin, to take on the Cotton On Tomahawk, in what would be a fair fight, Millsy will probably run with Blicavs now, never shirking a challenge and being the Swans “man for all seasons”.
Only concern out of the West Coast game is the impact of the bye on most teams this season.
There is a log jam of teams within 2 wins from Saints in 5th to GWS 14th, we need to start our run from 13th and 24pts but with an extremely healthy percentage. Geelong are 9th on 28pts and seem to have turned a corner on form.
The game…..
This is make or break time, we will never have greater momentum heading into a game, our whole team are riding high on one of the largest wins in our clubs history, we have finally got balance back into the line up and cohesion with our forwards (which has been sadly lacking majority of the year).
We should have an attitude of unfinished business and look to play at our most intense and this actually should be a mini final in the players minds.
How should Horse motivate the players prior to/during the game?
A) “Yabbie” Jeans, Hawthorn coach with the “pay the price” style inspirational speech. An analogy on purchasing a pair of cheap shoes versus the effort needed to win the GF. The half time speech went down in footy folklore & inspired the team to the 1989 flag (v Geelong)
B) bring Nick Davis back as runner, Geelong’s Bogey man! Allegedly Kirky told Nick Davis after a goal was kicked on him early last quarter “you owe us one” in Semi final in 2005, this lead to the greatest individual last quarter played in the history of the game, Davis kicked 4 goals and single-handedly won the game in the last seconds (we only had 3 goals to 3QT, also game v Geelong)
C) Terry Wallace style, get all the players to sign a footy, symbolising their commitment to the cause, a line in a sand type game, to get the players to lift a bit extra for a momentous game
D) “other” any other motivational tactic?
E) Players should be able to motivate themselves, they do this during the week or Horse to maintain his measured self are not acceptable options, please go back to one of A-D, have you watched the last 2 games v Geelong?!?
Get excited fellow Swans supporters, our boys in Prime Time, in form versus the Cats who will be coming hard for the 4pts, like Christmas in July, it’s an early Elimination final in June!
It will definitely be the end of the Financial Year, hopefully it’s also not the end of the Swans year!!
Swans by 14, for Millsy!!
