Hypothetical

[Charlie]

If the Swans season goes down the gurgler, what is the more desirable outcome?

[desredandwhite]

This is a tricky one really. If you ask me BEFORE the event, the more wins the better. If you ask me AFTER the season is over, perhaps it would be easier to take the draft picks. Fact is, if you end up in 16th place, your other players just aren't good enough, therefore you NEED the early picks anyway. If that makes sense.

[Xie Shan]

This is a tricky one really. If you ask me BEFORE the event, the more wins the better. If you ask me AFTER the season is over, perhaps it would be easier to take the draft picks. Fact is, if you end up in 16th place, your other players just aren't good enough, therefore you NEED the early picks anyway. If that makes sense.

Makes sense to me - that's the only reason I went for picks #1 and #2 in the poll. Of course I'd rather have more wins, but hypothetically if the season went down the gurgler like last year, finishing 16th wouldn't seem as bad somehow. I'm not trying to be negative or anything - I was thinking that if I'd been asked the question, say, in Rd 17 with any finals chances long gone (hypothetically), I'd rather have a shot at picks 1/2 in the draft.

[liz]

Depends on why it "goes down the gurgler".

Finishing 10th with 10 wins won't necessarily be down the gurgler based on what we should reasonably expect this year. But if it's achieved on the back of another stellar season from Williams, what we've come to expect from Cressa and Maxfield, a ton from BBBBH and not much else, it will be close to disaster.

Guess what I'm saying is that position matters far less than how Saddo, Goodes, Kennelly, Fozzie, Doyle, Fixter, Bolton, O'Keefe and Stevens stand at the end of the season - and whether Ablett, Schneider, maybe even LRT or Hunt, have made any impact whatsoever.

[Charlie]

Okay... let's clarify. Let's say we have only won 4 matches to round 16. On that basis, what would be better, winning the last 6 or losing them?

[barry]

A wooden spoon stays with you forever. A No. 1 draft pick might stay with you 10 years if everything goes well.

Avoid last at all costs.

[NMWBloods]

A wooden spoon stays with you forever.

Who cares! We have so many now it doesn't matter and who really remembers them.

[robbieando]

I'm not in favour of "tanking" a season before it starts but if as Charlie pointed out we had 4 wins upto Round 16 I would think tanking to get the first 2 picks would be worth it after all if we don't make the finals no matter where we finish its a wasted years so I guess last would be the better option with the picks involved

[LondonSwan]

Even as a born again pessimist - I think the panic is setting in too early. Wait for the 4th round before starting this type of conjecture.

Round 2 will be the interesting one as it will see a lot of the pieces fall into place.

Maybe I am generalising (I wasnt there) but nothing can be deduced from yesterday - not even I could see anything that would suggest a last place finish this year.

Carlton had nothing to lose and Sydneywas playing at half strength. Pagan needed a win to bolster his players confidence.

[robbieando]

The problem was Carlton were at half strenth too, thats a worry

[floppinab]

Depends a lot on how the season progresses methinks.

If we are well gone by season 2/3, I see no problem with the footy dept. throwing things around with some experimentation and players, even if that increases the risk of more and heavier losses. We may well have to go down further before coming up again. If so better for that to happen sooner rather than later. And yes we get the picks as well.
Not to say I don't expect to see the players going flat out once they cross the white line. I would never want to see a half arsed effort by the 22 on the day.

I'd rather see that this than to scrape toghether a few consilatory wins on the back of the same old heads, that pull us out of the mire toward the end of the season.

[Rizzo]

I think the future is in the players we have now so I'd prefer to see a steady improvement regardless of the win/loss ratio.

[Grant]

Originally posted by robbieando
I'm not in favour of "tanking" a season before it starts but if as Charlie pointed out we had 4 wins upto Round 16 I would think tanking to get the first 2 picks would be worth it after all if we don't make the finals no matter where we finish its a wasted years so I guess last would be the better option with the picks involved

As long as we beat collingwood,i don't care

[Rod_]

Have a go is my request 110% effort and take what comes at the end of the year!

Rod_

[Louellyn]

What the?

Hey! The season hasn't started yet, and some of us a talking up the negatives already. Out here in country NSW we are lucky to get a tiny article in the Tele, let alone see a game to make our own judgements on, so I remain optimistic, and am looking forward to seeing my team for the only time this year, in Canberra this weekend.

Go Swannies