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  • anniswan
    Footy Mother Big Time
    • Jan 2003
    • 2031

    From Crikey.com.au

    Posted in today's sealed section

    20. ALMOST A GOOD NEWS WEEK FOR AFL

    By Patrick Fitzgerald

    The AFL can take great comfort in the excellent prognosis for the health of the national competition providing you aren't Victorian.

    Football socialism of a sort is alive and well and more than likely to deliver a premiership for the third year in a row to a frisky interloper from north of Wodonga or west of Bordertown. Not only is former powerhouse West Coast back in business as a premiership aspirant, and Fremantle also looking a real finals chance, the two Adelaide teams are finals bound, and Brisbane just keeps being Brisbane. But the real non-Victorian joker in the pack has turned the competition on its ear.

    The Sydney Swans faced with an uncertain couple of seasons rebuilding with still no guarantee of success, had the AFL pre-season resigned to their most critical northern franchise doing it tough. But instead of a long season of angst the Swans are already trashing any notion of a normal period of transition.

    A young team of willing tyros has emerged in the blink of an eye and at the same time fired up some of their previously under-performing experienced (if hardly veteran) stars, and now collectively they have got the bit between their teeth.

    People power got Paul Roos the coaching job originally ear-marked for another. Sydney fans should all give themselves a collective pat on the back for their foresight, which now makes Paul Roos and his Swans success all the sweeter. Sydney may yet falter over the longer run to the finals, but they have already shown enough to suggest better times are ahead and Roos is going to be a fine coach.

    A win in Canberra against the Kangaroos at the weekend, would be ironic against a rival that once fancied staking their own claim to a slice of the Sydney market.
  • Mike_B
    Peyow Peyow
    • Jan 2003
    • 6267

    #2
    While it would be nice to believe that people power got Roosy the job, IMHO, that's a total load of crap. And I'm sick and tired of these reports/commentators constantly writing that Roosy only got the job because of the public vote. He's shown in his 18 games in charge that he is a damn good coach, and that even if it was public opinion that got him the job, in terms of coaching ability, it was the right decision anyway.

    I'm on the Chandwagon!!!

    If you cannot compete for the premiership, it's better to be young and exciting than middle-aged and dowdy.

    Comment

    • pillowtalk
      On the Rookie List
      • May 2003
      • 252

      #3
      Doesn't it make you feel proud

      I wish in a way though there wasn't such hype about how well the swans are doing when they're not supposed to.

      Oh my we beat Collingwood. Even better we beat Brisbane. Since we're on a roll Geelong had no chance.

      All it will take is something like 2 losses in a row (hopefully not!)for people to be saying 'told you so' , 'must have just been lucky' etc etc which will take the gloss of their deserved wins.

      They are playing great at the moment and it's not just about luck.

      I think the swans deserve to be taken seriously.
      He who laughs last thinks slowest

      Comment

      • RogueSwan
        McVeigh for Brownlow
        • Apr 2003
        • 4602

        #4
        I think the swans deserve to be taken seriously.
        Heaven help the team that doesn't !
        "Fortunately, this is the internet, so knowing nothing is no obstacle to having an opinion!." Beerman 18-07-2017

        Comment

        • Plugger46
          Senior Player
          • Apr 2003
          • 3674

          #5
          Couldn't agree more Pillowtalk.
          Bloods

          "Lockett is the best of all time" - Robert Harvey, Darrel Baldock, Nathan Burke, Kevin Bartlett, Bob Skilton

          Comment

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