Swans: No Magic!

[Charlie]

Cressa was ruled out on the Monday as well.

It's bad news, and probably true. But let's just wait and see. If he doesn't play, well that's that. We beat Port without him, we can sure as hell beat Brisbane as well.

[Rod_]

It was something that we all wanted and probally won't get. If he misses this week does that give hime the chance to make it the following...... We are pinning our frustrations on a hope and chance. Go with our strengths - being fit and run them off their feet. They have had to do it hard if we can hold them out and keep the croud in the game we will win. Play mainly fit players.

We were so under strength in our last game that getting 3 out of 4 back is really great. I feel for Micky and would love him to be in the side. But one more week should get him 95 - 100% ready to jump out of his skin and kick 8 goals the following week. Better to miss one more week and be 95+% ready the following......

I would prefer to have someone 100% right that 50 - 50 (even if it's Micky O)

If we are carrying a spare ruck(Doyle) and Saddo get a go (both at best just about fit) We can't carry another nearly fit player in..... That would be silly. O'keeffe and either Sunny and Ablett to come in / stay in..... would be my choice.

Go fit and keep our secret weapon back another week.

Rod_

Keep the faith

[Go Swannies]

You said it Charlie. Micky on song is a genius but the Swans of 2003 is much more than the sum of its parts. The team can win this weekend then Micky can help them win the GF.

Though Brisbane arriving in Sydney to find out they'll be facing Mr O'L would be a great blow to them.

[stellation]

who the hell was it who kicked it into the pocket instead of to his lead anyway?

[Go Swannies]

ABC 5pm news said Roos says he's not playing games re Micky. Said that Mick was very unlikely to be fit to play this weekend.

[Bart]

Originally posted by Go Swannies
ABC 5pm news said Roos says he's not playing games re Micky. Said that Mick was very unlikely to be fit to play this weekend.

VERY UNLIKELY does not equal DEFINITELY NOT

[JudesaGun]

Is he playing or not?

[SXP]

Originally posted by JudesaGun
Is he playing or not?

We'll have to wait till Friday morning when the list is suppose to be finalized.

[swans_premiers]

Yeh well roos isnt going to admit he's playing games is he?

[Bart]

Seems official now




O'Loughlin ruled out for preliminary final
September 15, 2003 - 6:06PM

AAP

Sydney coach Paul Roos is hopeful forward Michael O'Loughlin will be right for the AFL grand final after being ruled out of Saturday night's preliminary final against Brisbane at Telstra Stadium.

Roos said today that O'Loughlin should have recovered from his torn hamstring by Saturday week and could play if the Swans beat the Lions to make the grand final.

"Obviously that's a huge if at this stage but if he's not fit for this week we are saying lets put the cue in the rack and go through the normal rehab process rather than try to force the issue," Roos said.

"The normal rehab is the fourth week.

"Given the grand final is the fourth week then if you did it round one you would be back for round five."

Sydney's medical department judged the team's second highest goal scorer this season had not recovered from the injury suffered late in the final quarter of the round 22 victory over Melbourne on August 30.

Roos made the announcement today to stop speculation raging all week about whether O'Loughlin would play.


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"Everybody was going to be talking about Mick this and Mick that ... we decided to knock it on the head now so we can prepare for the game accordingly," he said.

"The last thing Mick wants to be doing is talking about it all week and pretending he's going to play.

"It was just going to drive him mad."

Sydney has won four of seven games played this season without O'Loughlin.

Asked if today's decision was taken so early in the week because there was too much talk about Sydney's chances of victory hinging on the 26-year-old playing, Roos said: "Not really".

"I think that was knocked on the head after he went down against Melbourne and people said our finals campaign was shot to pieces, but we did reasonably well in Adelaide against Port."

Sydney won the qualifying final against minor premier Port Adelaide by 12 points eight days ago to progress to Saturday's match.

Roos also ruled out any trickery with the O'Loughlin decision after Brisbane coach Leigh Matthews last week said captain Michael Voss had succumbed to injury but ended up playing against Adelaide.

"I'd like to think so but we are ruling him out pretty much on medical grounds," Roos said.

"To play Saturday night he'd need to sprinting today so he could join in training on Wednesday and then train Friday.

"He's a long way off doing that so rather than a Mick O'Loughlin watch all week, to be fair to Mick we just rule him out and get on with it."

O'Loughlin's absence made way for key defender Jason Saddington to make his comeback.

Saddington tore the medial ligament in his left knee during the Swans' 14-point victory over reigning premiers Brisbane at the Gabba in round 20, four weeks ago.

"Jason is at the other end of the spectrum (compared to O'Loughlin)," Roo said.

"He trained this morning, did some marking, did some contested work, did some twisting and turning, did some competitive stuff.

"In terms of the actual knee injury he'll be fine to play.

"Really the decision will be, 'He's been out for four weeks, are we prepared to take a punt (on his fitness)?

"But certainly it opens the door quite considerably for Saddo."

[desredandwhite]

Well, we are not a one-man team. If we can beat Port without Mick, we can beat Brisbane too. Hall, Davis, Schneider, O'Keefe.. That's not a bad start. Put in the rotating ruckmen (Doyle, Goodes) and the goalkicking midfielders (Cressa, Williams, Maxfield, Bolton)... It's certainly not predictable - and some may say that's not a bad thing.

Keep running, and running hard - that's how we'll win.

[liz]

Think it sounds like a pretty sensible decision - and announcement. As Roos has said, Magic would have to be pretty much right by now in order to train for this week's game. If he's not, they clearly know the answer. And it means O'Loughlin can concentrate on getting himself right for the following week.

O'Keefe is more than capable of coming in an acting as an alternative marking option up forward, so we've already got more quality options there than we did last time around.

[Charlie]

Whilst I now very much doubt that Mick will play, I'm going to wait until Friday morning, and see what happens.

Quite simply, nothing will surprise me. Heck, I've seen the Swans come fourth on the ladder, beat Port at home, and have a home prelim. I've seen Heath James playing footy again. I've seen Warwick Capper chuck a hissyfit over being placed behind Lockett and Pratt in the TOTC. I saw the Swans wearing the V. Nothing is going to surprise me anymore. Nothing.

[sWAns63]

I'm waiting for footy reporters to ask that usual question to Lee Matthews "do you think Mickey O will play.

[Plugger46]

Originally posted by stellation
who the hell was it who kicked it into the pocket instead of to his lead anyway?

I think you'll find it was Bazza.