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Swans' belief is strong: Fosdike
5:15:26 PM Mon 19 April, 2004
Karen Collins
Sportal
This time last year the Sydney Swans season was at a cross-road.
Just one win from four matches and the skeptics looked to be spot on when they tipped them to compete for the wooden spoon.
Twelve months later and the preliminary finalists have won three matches, while their only loss was to the premiers, the Brisbane Lions, by just two points at the Gabba.
Last Sunday, midway through the opening term, the situation looked grim for the red-and-whites as the Kangaroos booted five goals in eight minutes to lead by 25 points.
But the Sydney Swans never questioned their ability and midfielder Nic Fosdike believes it was last year?s success that gave the players the self-belief in any situation.
?It was a little bit of a shaky start, they started off very strongly and we were under the pump pretty early,? Fosdike told Sportal.
?But we all knuckled down and worked pretty hard in the first quarter to be more accountable and fight back.
?At the start of the game we weren?t as accountable as what we should have been, but then we really tightened up and made it into a tight contest and in the end we broke them and the rest of the game pretty much went our way.
?It helps that the players are very positive and believe in themselves and it is down to last year when I think we discovered ourselves as a team and realised what we can do.?
While Fosdike - who finished with 30 possessions - enjoyed the victory, he also took enormous pleasure watching the individual brilliance of Adam Goodes as he nailed his first goal.
Goodes smothered a Michael Firrito kick then gathered it up before running and kicking to Barry Hall.
Hall then handballed it back to Goodes, who went on a gallop before chipping the ball to Adam Schneider inside 50.
The number 36 couldn?t take it cleanly but managed to pass it to Goodes from the ground - after he had run near the length of the field down the boundary line to support his teammates in a terrific exhibition of flowing football.
Goodes continued to beat more mesmerised defenders before slotting the ball through for a six-pointer as Sydney gained the ascendancy in the second period.
?That is why he won the Brownlow Medal last year because he is able to do freakish things other players can?t, but it is always good to watch Goodesy in full flight,? Fosdike said.
?When he takes players on and kicks goals like that you love watching him play even when you are out there with him.
?It gives the players a huge boost when you see someone do a great effort like that, it spurs everyone on.?
5:15:26 PM Mon 19 April, 2004
Karen Collins
Sportal
This time last year the Sydney Swans season was at a cross-road.
Just one win from four matches and the skeptics looked to be spot on when they tipped them to compete for the wooden spoon.
Twelve months later and the preliminary finalists have won three matches, while their only loss was to the premiers, the Brisbane Lions, by just two points at the Gabba.
Last Sunday, midway through the opening term, the situation looked grim for the red-and-whites as the Kangaroos booted five goals in eight minutes to lead by 25 points.
But the Sydney Swans never questioned their ability and midfielder Nic Fosdike believes it was last year?s success that gave the players the self-belief in any situation.
?It was a little bit of a shaky start, they started off very strongly and we were under the pump pretty early,? Fosdike told Sportal.
?But we all knuckled down and worked pretty hard in the first quarter to be more accountable and fight back.
?At the start of the game we weren?t as accountable as what we should have been, but then we really tightened up and made it into a tight contest and in the end we broke them and the rest of the game pretty much went our way.
?It helps that the players are very positive and believe in themselves and it is down to last year when I think we discovered ourselves as a team and realised what we can do.?
While Fosdike - who finished with 30 possessions - enjoyed the victory, he also took enormous pleasure watching the individual brilliance of Adam Goodes as he nailed his first goal.
Goodes smothered a Michael Firrito kick then gathered it up before running and kicking to Barry Hall.
Hall then handballed it back to Goodes, who went on a gallop before chipping the ball to Adam Schneider inside 50.
The number 36 couldn?t take it cleanly but managed to pass it to Goodes from the ground - after he had run near the length of the field down the boundary line to support his teammates in a terrific exhibition of flowing football.
Goodes continued to beat more mesmerised defenders before slotting the ball through for a six-pointer as Sydney gained the ascendancy in the second period.
?That is why he won the Brownlow Medal last year because he is able to do freakish things other players can?t, but it is always good to watch Goodesy in full flight,? Fosdike said.
?When he takes players on and kicks goals like that you love watching him play even when you are out there with him.
?It gives the players a huge boost when you see someone do a great effort like that, it spurs everyone on.?
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