Sydney Swans

[Redgum]

I was just thinking how I always notice the Sydney Swans being in the finals, always around the top 8. So I did a bit of research and I was astonished how successful they have been since we started in the competition in 1995. I did a comparison and we aren’t even in the ball park. I would say the Swans are the most successful team of being consistently at the top, nearly always in the eight (20 times), only missing out 3 times (1995, 2002, and 2009). Never been wooden spoon. We, on the other hand have been out of the eight on 15 occasions out of 23 and only 8 times in the eight. I know they had all those advantages , but still if you are a Sydney supporter ,you would never know what failure & misery was , like us poor Dockers have to endure. Been a very well coached team ,damn!

 

[nurries]

All clubs can achieve this feat if they have enough COLA

 

[go_the_dockers]

I was just thinking how I always notice the Sydney Swans being in the finals, always around the top 8. So I did a bit of research and I was astonished how successful they have been since we started in the competition in 1995. I did a comparison and we aren’t even in the ball park. I would say the Swans are the most successful team of being consistently at the top, nearly always in the eight (20 times), only missing out 3 times (1995, 2002, and 2009). Never been wooden spoon. We, on the other hand have been out of the eight on 15 occasions out of 23 and only 8 times in the eight. I know they had all those advantages , but still if you are a Sydney supporter ,you would never know what failure & misery was , like us poor Dockers have to endure. Been a very well coached team ,damn!

They are a well run club.

Players want to play in Sydney, and they recruited players like Kennedy very well.
They can target players from any state as they don't have travel factor.

They did have an extra million in the salary cap, and now they were lucky enough to get Mills and .. the other top 5 for two later picks.

I think it shows that the Sydney teams do not need the same advantage as the Queensland teams.

 

[basashi]

I think the COLA is fair.

The standard of living in Sydney is very low - on any given salary its much lower than elsewhere in Australia. There should be some recognition of this.

 

[wild side]

yeah your right, Buddy has a very low standard of living, according to instagram

 

[clivenator26]

I'm surprised too, imagine combining a well run club with an extra 9.8% salary cap benefit plus being able to pick up Academy kids for a few draft picks in the 30's.

 

[wayToGo_]

Yeah as if the AFL have given them any advantages!? It's not like the success of a club based in Sydney with it's 4 million people would be in the best interests of the AFL coffers

 

[freo1997]

Sydney, Adelaide and hate to say Eagles have always been consistently competitive since 95.

Speaking of Eagles..Ive never seen them in a shitter situation. I know they were down 08, 09 and 10 but had Kennedy and Natnui and the likes coming through. They are falling apart at the scenes and it feels great. List manager or coach need to walk.

 

[TheMcManusNose]

I think the COLA is fair.

The standard of living in Sydney is very low - on any given salary its much lower than elsewhere in Australia. There should be some recognition of this.

Yeah I actually agree. But I think the new arrangement is a very good one - I think currently the AFL tacks on an extra 15k(?) to every salary on their list below average player wage.

Sydney are just currently a well-run club. Yeah the advantages previously were unfair and they still reap the rewards somewhat. The new COLA and bidding system is fine though I think.

 

[go_the_dockers]

. The new COLA and bidding system is fine though I thin

The bidding system is an improvement but it massively over values late picks

 

[Scham]

They're very well run. Achieved the seamless transition from Roos to Longmire perfectly. Good recruitment. Good development. Good S & C. Good assistants and footy dept.

 

[BStaff17]

The swans are the best sporting run club in sydney.

Before buddy arrived they were a team of battlers who played a hard and tough brand of football especially under paul roos which everyone enjoyed.

Barry hall was the exception he was a lunatic in his last couple of years at the swans.

Before the Melbourne mafia and eddie went berserk over cola 4-5 years and buddy arrived i am sure they were nearly every one's 2nd favourite team.

 

[Freeeoo]

The other thing to consider is the fact that the Sydney market won't tolerate failure, supporters would leave in droves (see Brisbane). To their credit they fully understand this and have continually rejuvenated their list without bottoming out.
Very well run club!

 

[Belnakor]

I'm surprised too, imagine combining a well run club with an extra 9.8% salary cap benefit plus being able to pick up Academy kids for a few draft picks in the 30's.

one additional thing that is under stated is the Swans financials. The swans make good money, they spent almost $2m more than us on their football department last year. So they have more money both in the club and to pay the players.

The other thing to consider is the fact that the Sydney market won't tolerate failure, supporters would leave in droves (see Brisbane). To their credit they fully understand this and have continually rejuvenated their list without bottoming out.
Very well run club!

I think this is really overdone, the Swans did have a tough time in the early 90s when they were run by a lunatic but in reality they are very very healthy financially. They have higher sponsorship than us, identical revenue. They are a big club who pretend they aren't.

 

[Admiral Byng]

I'm old enough to recall the Swans winning a few wooden spoons in a row in the early 90s and being completely useless. It wasn't till after the AFL stepped in and bankrolled the club to stop them folding and they recruited Plugger that things began to slowly turn around for them. At one time they were lucky to get 10,000 to a game and were running at a loss.

 

[gungho]

I was in Sydney when Locket was recruited. He was just as big, if not bigger than buddy at the time. Who ever decided to recruit him was a genius because it suddenly brought the rugby loving public to an afl game and they have never looked back.

 

[freo84]

The swans are the best sporting run club in sydney.

Before buddy arrived they were a team of battlers who played a hard and tough brand of football especially under paul roos which everyone enjoyed.

Barry hall was the exception he was a lunatic in his last couple of years at the swans.

Before the Melbourne mafia and eddie went berserk over cola 4-5 years and buddy arrived i am sure they were nearly every one's 2nd favourite team.

I reckon the Perth Wildcats would give them a run for their money. I don't follow basketball in the slightest but I'm pretty sure they have made the playoffs for 30 years straight which is an epic run of form.

Edit: I saw best club in Sydney and thought it said Australia haha my bad.


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[PapaJ]

I was in Sydney when Locket was recruited. He was just as big, if not bigger than buddy at the time. Who ever decided to recruit him was a genius because it suddenly brought the rugby loving public to an afl game and they have never looked back.

Yeah, bit of that. But it's really about winning. They started winning more and more and that has locked in success off field as well. It's obviously a combination of things, it's not just about COLA etc., but as the AFL has increasingly corporatised over recent decades, there is no doubt in my mind that the AFL dollars and eye on the Sydney market has helped them avoid having to do it as tough as some.

But yeah, I also remember a time when the AFL cared a whole lot less about such things and the Swans struggled in all sorts of ways, so good on them in some ways. Glad they've sorted some of the big bonuses they've had for years though. The way they have it now is closer right I think.

 

[yoong]

Sydney, Adelaide and hate to say Eagles have always been consistently competitive since 95.

Adelaide is really impressive among the lot.
Lost Tippett for virtually nothing, and lost 2 first round picks. Then Dangerfield. Then tragically lost their coach mid season last year.

Still managed to put together a premiership contending team.

We need to throw some big money at their recruiters.

 

[wayToGo_]

Power to the Swans for being a professional entity but geez I think some have short term memories about their advantages.

They finished top of the ladder in 2014 and managed to take Isaac Heeney in the draft as an academy player (using pick #18). Bid @ pick #2 by Melbourne.

They finished fourth on the ladder in 2015 and managed to take Callum Mills (the Rising Star winner from last year) in the draft using #33, #36, #37, #43. Bid @ pick #3 by Melbourne.

These aren't kids from disadvantaged backgrounds - they are gun footballers that they grabbed for a fraction of what they should have cost. Imagine if we had two more elite players (top #3 draft picks) on our list from the drafts where we finished top 4? Credit to them for taking full advantage just like GWS have but it isn't a level playing field to compare.

 

[freo84]

Adelaide is really impressive among the lot.
Lost Tippett for virtually nothing, and lost 2 first round picks. Then Dangerfield. Then tragically lost their coach mid season last year.

Still managed to put together a premiership contending team.

We need to throw some big money at their recruiters.

The crows have been amazing with their drafting and recruiting. Not just that but the development of their youth as well.

Hard to hate them to be honest.



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[Big Animal]

The swans are the best sporting run club in sydney.

Before buddy arrived they were a team of battlers who played a hard and tough brand of football especially under paul roos which everyone enjoyed.

Barry hall was the exception he was a lunatic in his last couple of years at the swans.

Before the Melbourne mafia and eddie went berserk over cola 4-5 years and buddy arrived i am sure they were nearly every one's 2nd favourite team.

I used to go to bed thinking peaceful thoughts about Leo Barry and his mark. My wife even went to the game and after party with the swans fans.

 

[TheMcManusNose]

The bidding system is an improvement but it massively over values late picks

Agreed (and I think it undervalues top 5 picks in the bargain) but it is still ultimately meant to be an advantage - I think this is a reasonable balance.

Both Mills and Heeney would be playing union and league respectively if that guaranteed pathway wasn't there (note: not the academy system per se, but a large and effectively run swans presence focused on luring these guys).

I used to go to bed thinking peaceful thoughts about Leo Barry and his mark. My wife even went to the game and after party with the swans fans.

If you're ever in Sydney with a West Coast supporter take them to the Courthouse in Newtown. Have a nice mural of it on the side of the pub, great for triggering your mates.

 

[Mockcockpit]

I'm old enough to recall the Swans winning a few wooden spoons in a row in the early 90s and being completely useless. It wasn't till after the AFL stepped in and bankrolled the club to stop them folding and they recruited Plugger that things began to slowly turn around for them. At one time they were lucky to get 10,000 to a game and were running at a loss.

They lost 26 games in a row at one stage. Any success they have now, the fans that stuck with them through that deserve.

 

[Dan87]

Thanks Freo

Ross the boss got that DNA so I suspect he's building his masterpiece out Freo way.

He's going to want to stick it to Horse this weekend