Swans better than last year: Sheedy

[SWANSBEST]

I hope that Sheedy is correct or is he just playing mind games??






Swans better than last year: Sheedy
18:26 AEST Wed Apr 28 2004


Sydney is a better side now than the one which exceeded all expectations to reach last year's preliminary final, according to Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy.

The two sides clash on Saturday, with Sheedy acknowledging his side was helped by having played its last two matches at the MCG.

But he said Sydney's form was impressive with three wins and narrow losses to in-form outfits Brisbane and Melbourne.

"I actually think that they're probably better (this year) - they're playing more confidently," Sheedy said.




"Form wise I think they are playing right up there with the best three clubs in the AFL at the moment.

"So we've got to make sure we're switched on and trying to play to the best of our ability."

"Clearly they've had their team together, they haven't had a lot of changes and we've had changes each week," he added.

"I think that we've got a bit of work to do yet.

"We're getting better but we're playing someone who's been in super form."

Saturday's match will be Sydney's first in Melbourne in 2004 and one of only two at the MCG for the entire home and away season.

"This is their first game at the MCG and their last one until round 22 so they'll be wanting to play well in Melbourne at the MCG," he said.

"The last couple of weeks have been good for us to play here - we've had a couple of weeks here which has been very good, out in the open with all different weather patterns, so that's been pretty handy."

Sheedy said the match deserved star billing with both sides playing well.

"We haven't played them here for quite some time - it will be a great game because we've (both) been in the top six sides in the AFL last year and I think both sides are really playing pretty smart footy," he said.

"I wouldn't be surprised if we had nearly an Anzac Day crowd here."

He was coy about who he thought the Swans would pick to play on Bomber champion James Hird - and Swans coach Paul Roos said he was perplexed by the Hird factor.

"We are not really sure (who will play on Hird)," Roos said.

"It's one of the biggest things, do you play someone on him that can go back and forward or do you go someone back and someone (different) in the midfield ... that is the biggest decision we have got to make.

If we go with the two-pronged attack (Brett) Kirk will get him in the middle and someone else will get him down back.

My ideal model that I would rather go with is someone who goes with him all the way, but it really depends on their structure."

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=3978

[dimelb]

Part reality and part Sheedy mind games!

[NMWBloods]

I think it's all Sheedy's mind games - he's trying to make them out to be the underdog, as he always does.

As much as we'd like to believe otherwise, we've shown nothing this year that suggests we are better than last year. In fact, I think we've been playing worse.

[stellation]

now you just go and print that and we'll get a crowd.

[liz]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
I think it's all Sheedy's mind games - he's trying to make them out to be the underdog, as he always does.

As much as we'd like to believe otherwise, we've shown nothing this year that suggests we are better than last year. In fact, I think we've been playing worse.

I think you can argue that our form in the first 5 rounds this year has been better than our form in the first 5 rounds last year. Of course that means little given that we started last year very slowly. Certainly we haven't recaptured our best form of last year yet and who knows whether we will?

[Old Royboy]

Originally posted by NMWBloods

As much as we'd like to believe otherwise, we've shown nothing this year that suggests we are better than last year. In fact, I think we've been playing worse.

B1 said the same on WLF tonight. Good in bursts, but yet to string a game together. Sheedy is saying the same old Sheedy crap, trying to make out Essendon as the underdogs.

[Bear]

I think he's right on the money.

We are better than last year, although we threw away last week's game with some poor lapses in concentration. If not for that we would likely be 4 an 1 - having played mostly top teams.

The most important diffrence to last year is we have our 3 key talls in the side giving the opposition much more to think about. Sheeds has it right for once.

[TheHood]

Originally posted by lizz
I think you can argue that our form in the first 5 rounds this year has been better than our form in the first 5 rounds last year. Of course that means little given that we started last year very slowly. Certainly we haven't recaptured our best form of last year yet and who knows whether we will?

I think Kevin has actually got it spot on.

We are improved and for mine, it will not take too much to capture consistent form and then really good form.

There were some glimpses against Freo and some very good form against the Roos.

For those of you that were in Newcastle for the Dons trial game (I know it was only a practice game), it shows that we haven't forgotten how to play in 2004.

If we come away from Saturday with the 4 points, these threads will be standing on their heads.

We are a targeted team now. Opposition coaches know the match-ups, probably aways did but its the individual things that others now do to us that we did to them last year. When playing Sydney, opposition teams now run harder, tackle harder, chase more, head over the ball first etc.

Tryers (or young teams) quite often succeed:

Saints
Dons
Dees

The Lions have all the skills and beaut game plan but they also work really hard and make you earn every contest. We were trying very hard in 2003 and hence the 2 H & A victories.

We have to remember to keep trying and the success of 2003 can be bettered in 2004.

Amen

[jixygirl]

I think what Sheeds is saying is half fact, half mind games. We have been playing better than what we did at the start of last year, but it is nowhere near our best from last year. One thing's for sure, Sheedy does know how to promote a game of football!

[hammo]

That is Kevin Sheedy up to his old tricks again.

Let's not kid ourseleves - based on our last three games, Sydney cannot be regarded as one of the form 3 teams in the league.

What about St Kilda, Brisbane, Fremantle, Essendon and Melbourne??

I think potentially we are a better team than last year, but so far in 2004 we have lacked consistency.

Still, I'd love to see an Anzac Day crowd there. I hope he's right on that one.

[EMJ]

I agree - sheedy trying to get them as the underdogs. Painful and boring he is.

Bolton said on WLF last night that they had played "patchy" football with bursts of good playing. So if they can get rid of the patches they have a chance to beat Essendon.

[Go Swannies]

We have a better team than last year. But I don't think we're in form. In fact, I think we're playing exactly as we were at this time last year. Our wins so far aren't on "form" but skill. I think we miss it as we now expect our players to play as well as we now know they can.

There are two big challenges ahead. The first is that we have to improve over the season - as most teams do - and do it fast enough that we maintain a good win/loss ratio to get in a good position for the finals. The second is that we are now a marked team to beat. That means others will lift against us. And their coaches will devise match-ups and game plans to beat us - Paul Roos has to now be reactive as well as proactive. If we lose a few (as we may) then we have to see if the team spirit remains as rock solid when they feel they are letting themselves down.

The Dons will be an interesting game on several fronts. Sheedy is a master tactician as well as a great mood manipulator. (Dis you note his reference to the challenge of kicking in the newly-exposed 'G? Great to give our players the yips as they run in to kick.)

The Bombers are at home and will want to lift to beat us. I still think we have a better team (remember for a while they struggled last weekend to beat the Pies without Buckley or Tarrant - the Tigers beat the Pies this season). There's no shame in losing to the Lions or in a tight one to an in-form Dees. But I think the Swans will find it inexcusable to loose to the Bombers - even if MCG history suggests otherwise.