Swans best 22 in 2018?

Remove this Banner Ad

Melbourne played some of their best footy in the stretch of games last year when Gawn and Spencer were absent. Because Goodwin was a decent enough coach to formulate a strategy where their mids could win the ball and actually work their lack of hit-outs to their own advantage. Now Horse is a better coach than Goodwin, and our mids are better than their mids. Why the hell do we keep bothering with these dead-weight ruckmen that gives us nothing? They just take the spot of a bloke who may give us more run (Towers) or better forward 50 delivery (Florent) or intercepting ability (Aliir) all because it's apparently essential that you win hit-outs.

The ruck is just a total myth in 2018 unless you have a Jacobs or a Ryder or a Sandilands who will deliver quality ball to the mids. I really wish our coaching staff would give up and just use a bit of creativity. Our winning streak in 2014 was on the back of Tom ******* Derickx being our main ruck, so what does that tell everyone about our mids? They're elite, let's back them in to win the footy through some hard yakka and then piss both Sinclair and Naismith off back to the NEAFL which is the level they both belong at based on what they've shown. Sick of spots being gifted to players just because there's a vacancy in the one spot they can play.
 

brad cooper

Premiership Player
Jul 5, 2014
3,199
5,984
AFL Club
Sydney
Melbourne played some of their best footy in the stretch of games last year when Gawn and Spencer were absent. Because Goodwin was a decent enough coach to formulate a strategy where their mids could win the ball and actually work their lack of hit-outs to their own advantage. Now Horse is a better coach than Goodwin, and our mids are better than their mids. Why the hell do we keep bothering with these dead-weight ruckmen that gives us nothing? They just take the spot of a bloke who may give us more run (Towers) or better forward 50 delivery (Florent) or intercepting ability (Aliir) all because it's apparently essential that you win hit-outs.

The ruck is just a total myth in 2018 unless you have a Jacobs or a Ryder or a Sandilands who will deliver quality ball to the mids. I really wish our coaching staff would give up and just use a bit of creativity. Our winning streak in 2014 was on the back of Tom ******* Derickx being our main ruck, so what does that tell everyone about our mids? They're elite, let's back them in to win the footy through some hard yakka and then piss both Sinclair and Naismith off back to the NEAFL which is the level they both belong at based on what they've shown. Sick of spots being gifted to players just because there's a vacancy in the one spot they can play.
Melb may have played their best footy without a ruckman but they still didn't make finals.

Naismith was very good in 2016 if he can replicate that form it will be a plus. I have no time for Sinclair and the rest of our rucks are unproven.

For me its one ruckman playing which is Naismith.

If he and Aliir replicate their 2016 seasons we will be well on our way to a top4 finish.
 
Melb may have played their best footy without a ruckman but they still didn't make finals.

Naismith was very good in 2016 if he can replicate that form it will be a plus. I have no time for Sinclair and the rest of our rucks are unproven.

For me its one ruckman playing which is Naismith.

If he and Aliir replicate their 2016 seasons we will be well on our way to a top4 finish.

I agree Naismith has the potential I've rooted for him for a long time but if he's not going to produce it he shouldn't be getting selected just because we need a ruckman.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Deccas

Club Legend
Jun 9, 2016
1,803
3,547
AFL Club
Sydney
We got beaten in clearances to a thinned out Brisbane midfield almost entirely from stef being dominant once Naismith went down and like half the comments are people being like "what even is the role of a ruck, we'd be better off with an extra midfielder". It's amazing.
Even though Naismith is weak around the ground, which is overstated, he shepherds and tackles hard at the coal face, our clearance rates went up when he came in because he is a good tap ruckmen. If fit he is number 1 ruck no questions asked.

On [device_name] using BigFooty.com mobile app
 

bungee

Inside Mid
Aug 16, 2006
7,113
9,223
Sussex
AFL Club
Sydney
Other Teams
Sydney Swans
I'm just watching youtube of Hawks v. Swans Round 7 2013 with Rampe in his 5th game (wearing number 43) against Hawthorn. Hawks are punishing us for the 2012 GF and Rampe's really struggling (Armstrong's there as well). The Hawks have identified Dane as the weak link to try and isolate him one out. He's getting creamed by pretty much everyone and the commentators are trying to be kind to him. At this stage he touched a footy for the first time 5-6 years ago.

Fast forward another 3 years and he was to become all-Australian in 2016. What a great example of The Swans plucking an obscure kid from the rookie draft and turning him into one of the elite defenders in the comp. This is the reality of Swans recruiting. We don't just find the diamonds in the rough. We take a lump of carbon and fashion it into a diamond by placing it under the most extreme pressure. That's The Bloods way.
 
Oct 2, 2016
10,819
22,360
AFL Club
Sydney
I'm just watching youtube of Hawks v. Swans Round 7 2013 with Rampe in his 5th game (wearing number 43) against Hawthorn. Hawks are punishing us for the 2012 GF and Rampe's really struggling (Armstrong's there as well). The Hawks have identified Dane as the weak link to try and isolate him one out. He's getting creamed by pretty much everyone and the commentators are trying to be kind to him. At this stage he touched a footy for the first time 5-6 years ago.

Fast forward another 3 years and he was to become all-Australian in 2016. What a great example of The Swans plucking an obscure kid from the rookie draft and turning him into one of the elite defenders in the comp. This is the reality of Swans recruiting. We don't just find the diamonds in the rough. We take a lump of carbon and fashion it into a diamond by placing it under the most extreme pressure. That's The Bloods way.
It's staggering how good Rampe has become. Huge improvement from a kid who gave up on an career in AFL
 

momentbymoment

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 9, 2014
5,862
9,278
Noosa
AFL Club
Sydney
Other Teams
Liverpool
At this point it is worth congratulating the team for not training houses down in the off season. Everyone seems more switched on this year ...
 

bungee

Inside Mid
Aug 16, 2006
7,113
9,223
Sussex
AFL Club
Sydney
Other Teams
Sydney Swans
It's staggering how good Rampe has become. Huge improvement from a kid who gave up on an career in AFL
While watching that game I really grew to appreciate what a complete bunch of flogs Hawthorn supporters are. This was only 2013 yet every time Goodes went near the ball he was booed en masse by Hawks campaigners. Why didn't the AFL do something back then instead of letting these racist morons ruin a great man's career ? What a disgusting club culture. I hope they get busted for drugs, lose their cups and end their days merged with the Moonee Ponds U14s.

Well back on topic. Now it's 2018, Hawks have lost another of their greats in Hodge on their long slide into obscurity. Fortunately we still have Rampe and he looks in very sharp form.
 
It's staggering how good Rampe has become. Huge improvement from a kid who gave up on an career in AFL

I actually thought he was bloody impressive from the get-go. In fact he was better at purely 1v1 defence back then than he is now (but he's a more complete player now by far). There was actually a point around 2013/early 2014 when commentators actually started comparing his spoiling capacity to Josh Gibson, who was best in the comp at the time. Then at some point he got his Knighthood and was like "nah imma make the key defender role my bitch and show you all what else i can do" and he activated God mode. Man-crush rant over.
 
We got beaten in clearances to a thinned out Brisbane midfield almost entirely from stef being dominant once Naismith went down and like half the comments are people being like "what even is the role of a ruck, we'd be better off with an extra midfielder". It's amazing.
Even though Naismith is weak around the ground, which is overstated, he shepherds and tackles hard at the coal face, our clearance rates went up when he came in because he is a good tap ruckmen. If fit he is number 1 ruck no questions asked.

On [device_name] using BigFooty.com mobile app

Except I wasn't basing my opinion off one JLT game. I was basing it off multiple years of our rucks just generally not making much of an impact and, simultaneously, having other spots around the ground that needed amending. I think there are genuine cases where we could have done without an average ruck and added a quality player in a different role. You can go back over the last year or so of threads and see that I've never been overly fussed with the ruck role. In any case I'm not writing Naismith off as he is still inexperienced and I think he has what it takes, I just don't think he - or any of the other rucks on our list - have shown enough so far in their careers to be automatic locks just because there's a vacant ruck spot that needs filling.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

I'd be seriously tempted to give Towers much more time in the ruck and see what happens. We're going to get flogged in the ruck regardless, may as well put an extra midfielder in there. Towers hopefully won't get smashed by the opposition ruckman.
 
I'd be seriously tempted to give Towers much more time in the ruck and see what happens. We're going to get flogged in the ruck regardless, may as well put an extra midfielder in there. Towers hopefully won't get smashed by the opposition ruckman.

The centre bounces he will make up for losing the tap with his speed.

The throw-ins is where he will get smashed and won't be able to make up for his lack of size.
 

DeadlyAkkuret

Brownlow Medallist
10k Posts
Mar 10, 2007
29,393
17,528
Ensconced in velvet
AFL Club
Sydney
Other Teams
Lakers, West Ham
It’s amazing how much a players rep grows once he leaves for another club. Suddenly is Nankervis is a premier ruckman and the answer to all of our problems.

Truth is Naismith or Nankervis isn’t the reason a team wins the flag.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Feb 28, 2007
51,171
66,528
Sydney
AFL Club
Sydney
Cameron didn't look physically capable of playing first ruck as it stands. He went to ground a lot and got pushed out of the contest a lot. I'd want him playing multiple full games in the NEAFL as first ruck before he goes anywhere near the senior side.

To be fair neither does Sinclair.

You two from a few days ago have no idea what you are talking about. Both Cameron and Sinclair are amazing players :)
 
Aug 15, 2011
23,780
8,380
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Port Adelaide
No doubt a few options will be trialled throughout the year.

Swans played pretty tall last year with 2 of Tippett/Sinclair or Naismith playing most weeks with Reid and Buddy forward.

I think you guys could well start off with Sinclair and Cameron alongside Buddy and Reid. What that means for Towers im unsure.

Then if it appears to be affecting run to much id suspect Sinclair as the number 1 with backup from Towers and Allir at times.

Be interesting as the eagles in round 1 will also have a quandry regards to ruck setup without Vardy. Can they afford to go with both NN and Lycett. Almoat definitly if no JJK
 
Last edited:

Remove this Banner Ad

Back