Analysis Sydney's 2024 dominance is underrated

[Eshay187]

If we lose a 4th grand final on the trot I am deleting my big footy account.

 

[BF Tiger]

BUT....what if every other club is just truly shithouse this year, and Sydney is only a half decent team.

Oh, this will happen. Members of a certain supporter base have already got their “weak era” posts typed up, but don’t want to post unless they get lucky, and then suddenly it’s “strongest era since 2010”.

 

[The King!]

neither of those two are in your best side anymore

Parker is handy coverage, Reid won't play again.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Interesting thread. For me:

• It is a constant surprise how large the gap is between first and second
• It is premature to discuss Premierships. We haven’t even qualified for top 4.
• I think for neutrals we are a decent and probably entertaining club to watch. And this has added interest to the Comp.
• Mills, Parker and Adams aside we have been fortunate with injury where other teams have been less fortunate, eg Pies, Dees, Giants, Lions
• None of our few A graders are traditional types and this makes them hard to neutralise. Reckon we have just 3 A Graders - Heeney, Gulden and Blakey.
• We have plenty of B+ players, inc Grundy, Warner, McInerney Papley, Rowbottom who have unusual attributes.Rowy may end up the greatest tackler the game has produced.
• We have a strong team orientation and are every fit.

The Bloods are great fun for fans. We were barely rated earlier in the season. (Buckley and Whately famously delivered a preview of the Pies v Bloods game where they did not mention the Swans or a Swans player at all.) Now the Media are foaming - they are not all that happy about it.

Warner is close to the best player in the comp over the last 5 weeks. No way is he a B+ player.

 

[The King!]

Collingwood hasd a % of 180 in 2011 when they had a 13 and 1 record.

Lot of things can go wrong towards the end of season. Collingwood 2011, St K 2009 and Geelong 2008 are good examples of this and this is not just in relation to losing the GF; this applies to form tapering off at the end of season, injuries and suspensions.

Collingwood defied the odds with their poor final month going into the finals but more often than not, if your form tapers off going into the finals, it’s unlikely you’ll win the flag no matter how far ahead you are on top of the ladder

True. Our 2012 side had an ordinary finish too, but it's rare. Think it depends where clubs are at with training loads. Plus the Pies (still do) knew they could win drom
anywhere so could handle a few losses .

 

[Worm4]

Your injury list, beyond Walsh did not include B+ or A Graders. The Pies have been hammered.

Weitering is a B+ at a minimum.

 

[The King!]

Weitering is a B+ at a minimum.

He is an A grader, great defender.

 

[The King!]

Your injury list, beyond Walsh did not include B+ or A Graders. The Pies have been hammered.

This isn't the bay mate

 

[Worm4]

Excuse me? We were missing several of our best 22 at one point: McGovern, Saad and Docherty is our first choice HB line, were all out. Fogarty, Motlop, Cerra, Martin all handy players. You can argue they're not "A graders" all you want (even though Doc and Saad are), but we are significantly better with them playing. Case in point, Saad and McGovern settling our defence and rebound game after coming back. Cerra is no slouch either and will improve our midfield, and either Motlop or Martin is better than Fantasia and Durdin.

I see Collingwood mentioned already, but only DeGoey and Pendles would be A grade and our injury list was just as long as theirs only a month ago, where coincidentally we've had the toughest part of our draw. I'll see if I can find it, but there was a graphic showing how much best 22 have missed games, and Richmod was clear 1st then Carlton, so your statement is objectively wrong.

I wouldn't take anything Uncle Troll says seriously.

 

[The King!]

Excuse me? We were missing several of our best 22 at one point: McGovern, Saad and Docherty is our first choice HB line, were all out. Fogarty, Motlop, Cerra, Martin all handy players. You can argue they're not "A graders" all you want (even though Doc and Saad are), but we are significantly better with them playing. Case in point, Saad and McGovern settling our defence and rebound game after coming back. Cerra is no slouch either and will improve our midfield, and either Motlop or Martin is better than Fantasia and Durdin.

I see Collingwood mentioned already, but only DeGoey and Pendles would be A grade and our injury list was just as long as theirs only a month ago, where coincidentally we've had the toughest part of our draw. I'll see if I can find it, but there was a graphic showing how much best 22 have missed games, and Richmod was clear 1st then Carlton, so your statement is objectively wrong.

Blues lost a few mid game too, very good side imo.

 

[Thrawn]

Blues lost a few mid game too, very good side imo.

We were already under siege during the 2nd quarter but losing Weitering at half time pretty much collapsed the wall. Looking at the 8 so far, only Collingwood and Carlton have had extended injury lists for a block of games. Essendon to a lesser extent.

 

[Thrawn]

I wouldn't take anything Uncle Troll says seriously.

It was a Brisbane supporter who made that statement though. I'm not surprised, seems like anyone with an anime avatar here has the same football knowledge as their avatar.

 

[The King!]

We were already under siege during the 2nd quarter but losing Weitering at half time pretty much collapsed the wall. Looking at the 8 so far, only Collingwood and Carlton have had extended injury lists for a block of games. Essendon to a lesser extent.

I think Carlton have have arguably the best top end talent of the best sides and maybe they have a bit of a shuffle /uncertainty around the bottom 6 compared to say the Pies? maybe unfair. The contested work in the middle is great, TDK in current forms changes that midfield and I mean if you have two gun key forwards then you are always a shot against anyone.

 

[BACCS]

West Coast were your bogey team around that period, though. You lost to them 3 times that year.

Yep and we always seemed to beat your mob, while vs the Eagles your games were always close.

 

[The King!]

Yep and we always seemed to beat your mob, while vs the Eagles your games were always close.

Almost pinched the 2006 prelim back late, Eagles kicked a lot of points from memory and I think Bock slotted a goal late to get it close? was playing forward? Or was that 05

 

[Thrawn]

I think Carlton have have arguably the best top end talent of the best sides and maybe they have a bit of a shuffle /uncertainty around the bottom 6 compared to say the Pies? maybe unfair. The contested work in the middle is great, TDK in current forms changes that midfield and I mean if you have two gun key forwards then you are always a shot against anyone.

I think the most underrated part is continuity. Changing players in defence every week is going to hurt synergy, no coincidence we've improved after that was settled.

TDK showed glimpses during last year's finals, now he is a beast and an extra mid pretty much. They've been calls to play Pittonet with him but he's playing like a top 3 ruckman and arguably one of our most important players now. His improvement is off the charts... a month ago people would just shrug their shoulders at him.

 

[The King!]

I think the most underrated part is continuity. Changing players in defence every week is going to hurt synergy, no coincidence we've improved after that was settled.

TDK showed glimpses during last year's finals, now he is a beast and an extra mid pretty much. They've been calls to play Pittonet with him but he's playing like a top 3 ruckman and arguably one of our most important players now. His improvement is off the charts... a month ago people would just shrug their shoulders at him.

Can't put a price on continuity for sure, farked us last year

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Blues lost a few mid game too, very good side imo.

No doubt they are a good and well coached team.

I’m sorry if I am a tough marker. I reckon my mob has 3 A Graders, plus Mills if he returns from injury.

Carlton fans are kinder markers,esp of their own. Players like Saad, McGlove and Doc are imo decent B Graders on their good days.

 

[The King!]

No doubt they are a good and well coached team.

I’m sorry if I am a tough marker. I reckon my mob has 3 A Graders, plus Mills if he returns from injury.

Carlton fans are kinder markers,esp of their own. Players like Saad, McGlove and Doc are imo decent B Graders on their good days.

Depends what you call an A grader , as I think we have more than 3 and they do too.

 

[Maddo11]

If we lose a 4th grand final on the trot I am deleting my big footy account.

Honestly, I'd rather lose a hard fought gand final than do something dumb like go out in straight sets or lose a home prelim.

22 wasn't even that hard fought and I rarely think of it

 

[BACCS]

Almost pinched the 2006 prelim back late, Eagles kicked a lot of points from memory and I think Bock slotted a goal late to get it close? was playing forward? Or was that 05

You’re correct, that was 06. Free kick paid against us late at a centre clearance when we were about to head forward uncontested, down by 4 points. Lost to Eagles in Perth in 05 after we finished top of the ladder and choked against the Saints at home week one.

 

[The King!]

You’re correct, that was 06. Free kick paid against us late at a centre clearance when we were about to head forward uncontested, down by 4 points. Lost to Eagles in Perth in 05 after we finished top of the ladder and choked against the Saints at home week one.

That is right that high one was bs in 06, but yeah as you said Adelaide always beat Sydney so I was relieved . Not that it helped a week later.

 

[RUNVS]

The entire Hawthorn Football Club

Please. Hawthorn secretly love us.

 

[SBYM]

We all understand how Richmond is the only team to beat Sydney in 14 matches. That's fairly obvious. But what some people may not realise is that Richmond is also the only team to lead against Sydney at 3-quarter-time this year. Every team that lost to them was already trailing by 3-quarter time.

I just checked data from the last 20 years regarding this, and the only teams that match (or better) 2024 Sydney's W/L and 3QT record after 14 matches are 2009 St Kilda (14-0 W/L, 13/14 leading at 3QT) and 2011 Collingwood (13-1 W/L, 13/14 leading at 3QT). Even the West Coast of 2005 (13-1 W/L) and the Geelong of 2008 (13-1 W/L) trailed in at least 2 games.

Given that no team led at 3QT for all of their first 14 matches in the last 20 years, Sydney is currently matching it with the best.

What makes Sydney's current season stand out from the others is that they also have no one close to them. Both 2009 St Kilda and 2010 Collingwood had a 13-1 Geelong for company. Meanwhile, the closest team to Sydney right now is Carlton with a 10-4 W/L record. Even then, Carlton has led at 3QT 9/14 times this year.

Not saying that Sydney will end up winning the Premiership, but I feel like people are underappreciating just how dominant Longmire's current side is. The stats (e.g., percentage gap, the W/L record, the 3QT stat etc.) after 14 matches don't align like this very often. It'd be interesting to see how it all goes for the rest of the year.

Not underrated by me.

They're a bloody juggernaut this year and it shits me to tears.

 

[RUNVS]

Not underrated by me.

They're a bloody juggernaut this year and it shits me to tears.

You need some more fibre in your diet.