Minimum expectaions - 2004

[Damien]

Just wondering what is the minimum the swans can do next year to please the hardcore among us?

For me it has to be Top 6, close to top 4.

Thoughts?

[desredandwhite]

We should be aiming for top four, it's what the players are capable of, with continued improvement.

5-6 would be "alright", ie: we have a bit of bad luck with injuries & results etc.

7-8 would be cause for concern, either we're not learning the lessons from mistakes made this year, or we really were overachievers in 2003.

9+ would be a bad season.

[liz]

Go into every game focussed.

Continue to get even performances across the board.

Continue to play risk-taking, attacking football.

Continue to give opportunities to younger players, so long as they are physically ready for it.

If they do all of those, the results will take care of themselves, but more importantly the current development will continue. Next year is mostly about continued development IMO, rather than ladder position. Will start to have more specific ladder expectations in 2005

[j s]

Top one!

[Plugger46]

We have to improve on the season just gone, so 1st, 2nd or 3rd, anything less than that should probably be deemed as a failure, depending on the circumstances of course.

[motorace_182]

Any improvement is awesome, but ideally top 8, any lower will be dissappointing

[Charlie]

A premiership.

We're good enough. We need to go into the season with ONE goal. A flag. Not in two years or three years... now.

[DST]

I would also say top 8 is breakeven point next year. Although there are legitimate claims from a number of sides outside this year for next year.

The possible problems next year are:

a) we will now become the hunted as distinct from being the hunter this year

b) Roo's game plan is now well established and the other teams have further time to work on ways around it.

b) we still at this stage do not have enough expeirenced cover down back if either Schauble or Bolton go down next year. Bolton is the real worry as an injury free year next year is very unlikely if we continue to play him on bigger stonger opponents one out.

The possible gains next year are:

a) a totaly fit O'Loughlin in the square will add greatly to our scoring power

b) if we get a full year out of Ball & Doyle that will release Goodes to become much more of a danger used in bursts in the ruck. Think his best times to be on the ball is the last 10 minutes of the quarter to take advantage of the second ruckman or tiring first ruck

c) we have a group of very promising players who I expect to push through and play some games such as McVeigh Jnr, Dempster, Thewlis, Malckeski (spelling ?) and Hunt

DST

[Plugger46]

Originally posted by Charlie
A premiership.

We're good enough. We need to go into the season with ONE goal. A flag. Not in two years or three years... now.

Spot on. I do not want to accept honourable years without the ultimate any longer. No longer can we accept mediocrity. We have to win a flag.

[Bexl]

Last year when Roos got the job we were asked about what our expectations were. I said that I expected Sydney to make the finals and win at least 1 finals game. I backed this prediction with the $100 I put on the Swans to make the finals before the season began even though the swans were the furthest team out in the betting. I expected us to win a finals game due to Roos's atacking style of footy compared to Eade's negative style although I expected the final to be an elimination final so that expectation was exceded. For next season I expect Sydney to win the AFL premierrship.
Go swans.

[dimelb]

Expectations: in general, for the development of youth policy to be continued as thoughtfully as it was this year, so that we get the most out of some of the old stagers (Maxi, Willo etc) as well as continuing to blood the youngsters.
Specifically, you could go through the team and spell out something for everyone. I'd be happy if they maintained the standard they reached this year, especially the big movers like Kirk, Barry, Kennelly, Schneider, Fosdike (yes, despite some others' opinions), both Boltons (would Brisbane be regretting their trade now?), Mathews and Crouch.
I'd like the youngsters to consolidate their gains and perhaps go up another cog from time to time - such as O'Keefe, LRT, Schneider, Ablett, Powell, Stevens.
I'd like to see the in-betweeners continue to expand their repertoire and develop their strengths - thinking here of Davis mostly.
Most importantly I'd like to see the leadership group remain as injury-free as possible, but in a game like AFL I'm not sure how you'd do that. Thinking especially of Hall (what a wonderful season he's had), Ball, O'Loughlin, Maxfield, Williams, Schauble and Goodes.
Beyond that I agree with Lizz - play as we can and the results will follow. If I could put it in one word - consistency, a smaller gap between our best (QF against Port) and our worst (perhaps the first Hawthorn game - and they will be a threat in 2004).

[Go Swannies]

It's scary that I'm just about to quote Alan Jones from the ABC special on the 1984 Rugby tour of the UK that was on TV tonight. He said that the Wallabies weren't taken seriously before that tour (when they won all matches). But after that series people had an expectation that they could win every time they took to the field.

Even now we keep hearing that the Swannies will lose the next game they play. By the end of next season as we go into the Grand Final I expect we will have played so well (and so consistently) as a team for more than two full seasons (all the time under Roos) that the masses have an expectation that we will win.

Then we do win. Playing the GF would be brilliant; winning would be the team's crowning moment.

[anne]

If we can learn to win the big pressure games at home and to beat Hawthorn as well as continuing on what they did this year we will have a great year. I wrote to the club thanking them for a great year and got a great reply saying they are really glad they can give their supporters so much pleasure.

[swan_song]

Expectations...it's a worry, but it's also exciting. With so many teams about even this year, next year will be hard again, some may drop off (perhaps sndon, adelaide maybe, port??) others may get better (freo, perhaps; geelong; bullies, kangas) -- thats why seizing the opportunity that was placed infront of the guys this year was so very important. Just one quarter more effort against Brizzie, and WE TOO may have taken the wobbles to the cleaners the next week.
I'd like to think that anything below 4th place next year would be thought of by the players as unsatisfactory...we do have the ability to go further, but I think we need a couple more gun players to achieve the ultimate prize next year...but lets hope. As with all things Swans though, only time will tell (71 years now)

[Bleed Red Blood]

Top three for me.

If Ball and Doyle can go the year uninjured we have a great ruck team.

But if Bolton - Craig or Schuable go down itll look like bringing Dempster/Malkeski or LRT into the back line to take on the likes of Lloyd and Rocca