Squad of 26 named

[Charlie]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
Yeah, he looks more like 78! Maybe he has bulked up in the off season? I don't know as I haven't seen him yet.

Robbie and I noticed at the Kangas game that he looks a lot bigger than the last time we saw him. He's still lanky, but he's definitely bigger.

[CureTheSane]

Well, I'm confident that you're not referring to me as a 'genius', but from my point of view, I do have disdain for any player specific critical posts at this stage of the season. There's definitely a place for those threads, and if halfway through the season, Saddo is still not playing well... then there'll be something to post about. In the meantime... patience.

Charlie?
Genius?



haha
Charlie probably knows more about the Swans than I do.
Most people here do.
I know what I know, and I don't have the desire or time to go into intricate player details and game plans etc.

That's WHY I'm here, to hear others' opinions and insights.

I'd say that this break from footy has been one of the better ones.
Sometimes people take the posts too seriously I think.

I'f it's not fun, why bother?

As for Ablett, who was metioned higher up in this thread, I still say that he will be our new star this year.
If he had a terrible season, I will..... um..... think of something really stupid to do at the meet up before the last Melb Swans game

[penga]

Originally posted by Newbie
It is true that we have no one to replace Schauble but it does not mean his position in the team is safe. He is injury-prone, lacks the talent to be of the top half in the business, I question the concept of building a premiership-winning defensive unit around him. He is simply not that good. If the selection committe believes the same thing, then it might be the good time start planning the life after Schauble. Mathew Scarlett was not unearthed overnight.

Barry and C. Bolton while performed magnificently last year, their performances were within the current setup. Whether their playing styles could fit in a new setup, is a totally different ball game. Adding an extra KPP to the backline would mean a new setup and I dont have the confident that both will fit in with two true defensive KPPs in our team, at least in our back six.

I believe, both Barry and C. Bolton sneaked under the radar of the opposition last year somewhat. This year, it will be much more difficult for both of them. The opposition now knows their weakness and will try to exploit those to their full advantage. Perhaps by isolating one of them back to the last line of defense with their much taller matchup. A long kick strategy over the head might work in that case. How this is going to shape up? we will find out in the next few months.

as impersonal as it sounds i was hoping schauble would get injured at some time during the season... not for schauble's sake but for the attempt to unearth a rookie who could be classified as our no 1 defender. im not a massive fan of schauble and i bagged him quite a bit during beginning half of last season, however, he made me eat humble pie in the latter part of the season. i think he is simply too slow, thats my major worry, and his hammys arent getting any younger (ding)

i agree with your concept that the back six, as it is, will not remain in tact when a bigger body is introduced back there, however i think you have to look to kennelly as being the one pushed out of there... surely, he is destined for the wing! you also have to look to mathews and crouch being pushed up the ground in a more ball winning capacity as they are in their prime and younger players being introduced to the side might have an entrance through the back pocket, such as fixter (or buchanon, thewlis etc)... therefore, i think that while you have highlighted the need for players to be pushed up, IMO, you have highlighted the wrong ones... the versatility of bolton and barry enable them both to play tall or small, bolton - richardson, johnson, barry - lucas, ricciuto...

i believe that the barry and bolton are essential to our gameplan and need to remain back there... i also believe the template for our back six should be:

BP FB Saddington
Barry CHB Bolton

saddington would remain down there to play on the third tall, whether it be a ruckman etc

these three players create a lot of drive and IMO are key to our gameplan and success...

[/rant]

[penga]

Originally posted by Charlie
Robbie and I noticed at the Kangas game that he looks a lot bigger than the last time we saw him. He's still lanky, but he's definitely bigger.

12kg bigger?

[dendol]

Originally posted by penga
12kg bigger?

If Lloyd can put on the beef at his age, then I believe 12kg for our once-skinny Powell is possible. This weight gain is surely over the full year, not just preseason.

[BAM_BAM]

I remember doing a weight comparision myself last year with Craig Bolton and someone (can't remember) and his weight was around the same then and it is recorded now.

Newbie, are you sure you're not Saddo trying to deflect the heat

[chammond]

Originally posted by floppinab
It's interesting the way C. Bolton plays on the taller forwards. He has that knack of timing his runs in a marking contest where he knows there is zero chance of getting his hands to the ball but he puts enough body on his opponent to upset their balance and move them out of the flight of the footy making it virtually impossible to mark, while not going overboard with it to give away a free.

It's a great tactic to use (he's not the only one that does it) but I'm waiting for the day the umps might just start to awarding frees against it because of the lack of intent at playing the footy.

Sounds similar to what the fullback of the century got away with for more than decade!

[Nico]

Originally posted by Reggi
Seems like a pretty normal thread to me

Yeh. No fool would take anyone for an idiot on this site.

[Nico]

Originally posted by lizz
This is turning into one of the more mind boggling of recent threads (and it has some competition).

Personally I'm hanging out for Daniel Hunt or Sean Dempster -or even Matthew Davis - proving to be a top line FF/CHF this year because if Barry Hall doesn't repeat his performance of last year he will surely slip down the pecking order and we'll need to find someone else.

OK, so that was a tad facetitious, but players like Leo Barry, Craig Bolton and Nic Fosdike are so clearly in our best 22 players - and would so clearly be in the best 22 of pretty much every other club in the league (with Brisbane posing the only real question mark) - and are in the "prime years" agewise of their careers, yet still with scope for improvement (particularly B2 and Fossie). Why are we looking for reasons to throw them on the scrap heap?

BBB to move on if he has a season less than last year. Gee Lizz do you belong to some toecutter gang. That is ruthless talk. Sounds like funny cigarettes talking, and is way out of character for your posts.

[Nico]

Ryan O'Keefe.

Those who put Ryan O'Keefe down the pecking order (load of crap those listings for mine) and indeed would have him shipped off he doesn't rise to superstar status this year, really don't have an appreciation of "depth".

Any good team likes to think they have at least 15-18 players who represent the core of the team. To have a reasonable depth of talent they need players who have enough ability to be able to step into the senior team at any time and perform at a high level.

If you have a look at the ground time that O'Keefe has had then you would say he has played second fiddle to forward players such as Davis and Schneider. But when called upon he has played particularly well, hence being one of those who enhances the depth of the club.

From memory his second half last year was pretty good, and didn't have too much time in the 2's.

This bloke has had a pretty tough initiation into the big time having lost a brother and done a knee when he was just starting to blossom. Last year he looked to me as a player who was ready to unleash.

O'Keefe at 23, might just surprise many this season and add that bit of extra star quality that we need. He is close to the best finisher around goals at the club.

[Charlie]

Originally posted by Nico
BBB to move on if he has a season less than last year. Gee Lizz do you belong to some toecutter gang. That is ruthless talk. Sounds like funny cigarettes talking, and is way out of character for your posts.

While we're all being sarcastic and facetious...

"Before posting, please warm typing fingers. Ensure that HTML code is enabled. Make sure that your desk chair meets required standards for back and neck support. Importantly, switch all sarcasm sensors to the ON position."

"Nico, you are now cleared for posting!"

[Nico]

Charlie, Charlie, Charlie.

That post wasn't meant to be sarcastic or facetious. Just a bit of humour to add a bit of levity to a reply to a post rather, than many of the straight and bland offerings of many a post. Thank you for replying with such outstanding wit.

Talking about wit and those lovely one liner repies, what has happened to the great SCURRILOUS?

[Reggi]

Originally posted by lizz
My take on the "demise" of Matthew Nicks was that it started when he developed a chronic back condition that meant his ability to train was severely restricted and thus he lost some of his fitness base.

And IMHO, the shift up the ground most certainly worked. He has been a very clever and productive half/smallish forward for the Swans over several seasons, generally being in our top 3 or 4 goal kickers. I don't dispute that he probably faces a challenge now to remain as a regular within the senior team, but that shouldn't take away from his past achievements.

No Nicks started to go bad in 1999, statistically he had his best year in 1998.

Mark Mercuri, especially in the final exposed him as having fatal flaw - he is a very slow turner. He doesn't really run with the footy - when he did he used to always baulk because he really can't change direction quickly at all

His other two faults were - poor concentration - was taken off kicking in duties cause he would sometimes do clangers from not thinking - he used to frequently get caught out napping.

His other thing (and he has admitted it to me) is that he just is not fit enough - he has never really had the conditioning to be a top level personality.

But everyone likes him - so he gets by