Sydney has a sense of deja vu

[Go Swannies]

Sydney has a sense of deja vu
BY NIKKI TUGWELL
09jun04

IS anyone else getting that sense of deja vu? Slim ruck pickings. No Jason Ball. No Jason Saddington. A limping Leo Barry. Pressure mounting on less experienced ruckmen, this time Stephen Doyle and perhaps James Meiklejohn. Port Adelaide and AAMI Stadium awaiting.

All the Swans need is Paul Roos on crutches and the time machine to stop at Wednesday, September 3 last year. This time, however, the goal posts have moved. This time, nobody is writing off the Swans.

Not after beating St Kilda last week and consistently upsetting or pushing top-four sides. And not after the qualifying final last year.

In 2002 it was Collingwood and last year Sydney which stripped the Power of the finals advantage it earned as the minor premier by beating it at home in the first versus fourth final.

It was recorded in the Swans' history books as one of their all-time greatest wins. But for Port Adelaide, it was their most spectacular September failure. One that reinforced the Power's tormented psyche. Roos, however, does not believe retribution is topping Port's agenda. "Teams move on pretty quick," Roos said.

"Port Adelaide would want to beat us because it is round 12, 2004.

"Not because of what happened last year. Last year is certainly irrelevant to us and irrelevant to them. It is really a matter of wanting to beat your opposition. Whenever you play, where ever you play."

Port has covered injuries admirably and while fifth with a respectable 7-4 record, is yet to exude the authority of the past two home-and-away seasons.

The against-all-odds underdogs tag continues to sit snugly with the Swans under Roos. It brought out the best in them again last week.

But how many upsets before a team begins to outgrow that mindset and transforms from giantslayers to giants?

Sydney is sixth with a 6-5 split ahead of Geelong and Fremantle on percentage. Three weeks ago a one-point win against Hawthorn ended a four-game losing run and probably has turned the Swans' season.

http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/footy03/story_page/0,8747,9788262%255E25397,00.html

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Re: Sydney has a sense of deja vu

Originally posted by Go Swannies
This time, nobody is writing off the Swans.

Can't have seen "Talking Footy" last night, last week Watson was just about getting wet as he gushed about the Saints, this week almost nothing. He actually managed to say that their winning run had ended without mentioning the Swans.

I think some Victorians still have a blind spot for us.

[TheHood]

Re: Re: Sydney has a sense of deja vu

Originally posted by Ruckman
Can't have seen "Talking Footy" last night, last week Watson was just about getting wet as he gushed about the Saints, this week almost nothing. He actually managed to say that their winning run had ended without mentioning the Swans.

I think some Victorians still have a blind spot for us.

"Timmy Watson make another come back, come on please Timmy please!"

Tim is so Melbourne that other than several unsuccessful ventures here as a player and coach, he would not not know Sydney existed otherwise!

Tim is a VFL purist in my opinion and probably resents the expansion of the game.

In fact we can say anything we like about him on here because he would be living the dream that we don't have the passion to contribute in an online forum like this!

[Speshall]

Blind to Swannies

Before the St-Kilda game, the Swans had no TV or radio coverage for 3 rounds, yes no broadcast at all. I had to go down to the pub to watch the game. Then against St-Kilda we had our first TV coverage, yet the game was only 1 radio station 777 ABC. Unbelievably The Dogs v Cats was considered to be the 'Game of the Round' (as if). I had been in enough pain for almost a month now. It did however get worse when during Sunday's coverage on Channel Nine Michael Roberts at 1/4 time discussed Grant Thomas, address, then again at half time and even worse at 3/4 time...no mention of what Roosy had said or what was happening in the Swans camp...all this despite the Swans giving the Siants a shellacking. When wil the powers to be in Melb give even a little coverage to the Swans or even worse actually recognise they are in the AFL competition. I have to turn to SMH Online for my fix!.

Below is the reply i was sent from the Sports Editor of 'The Age' Charles Happell expressing my concerns at the (lack of) coverage of the Swans in that paper. Note how smug, insulting and derisive it was of my concerns.

I wrote:

Once again your SS coverage is crap. Are you aware the Swans are playing St-Kilda this week, yes the team whom everytime you listen to the radio, read the paper or turn on the TV are being talked about, yet not even a mention of the issues that may surround that clash this weekend (it is Wed already if you didn't know). This is my 3rd email. Thankyou for treating Melb based Swans fans as second class readers and for ignoring my concerns...AGAIN, you are a really great bunch of people!

Happell wrote:

(my name),


thanks for your note. when the swans win 10 games in a row, we'll write about them as much as we do st kilda. and when the saints start losing games, as sydney have done fairly regularly, we'll write about them less.
you might have noticed that west coast, freo and the adelaide teams don't get as much coverage in the age as melbourne teams. that's because we're a melbourne newspaper. yes, we're covering a national competition but no, we don't have as much space as we'd like to give all our interstate friends the coverage they deserve.


regards,
charlie happell.
sports editor, and one of the really great people on the age sports desk.

[Bart]

Re: Blind to Swannies

Originally posted by Speshall
I wrote:

Once again your SS coverage is crap. Are you aware the Swans are playing St-Kilda this week, yes the team whom everytime you listen to the radio, read the paper or turn on the TV are being talked about, yet not even a mention of the issues that may surround that clash this weekend (it is Wed already if you didn't know). This is my 3rd email. Thankyou for treating Melb based Swans fans as second class readers and for ignoring my concerns...AGAIN, you are a really great bunch of people!

I see frustration in your note as it was your third attempt, however, I'm not surprised by his response given your tone.

Although he is fairly cutting. I had to laugh when he said "when the saints start losing games, as sydney have done fairly regularly" Ouch !

He has a point though. Melbourne paper is read in Melbourne by Melbournites. Stories about Melbourne clubs are what is going to sell papers there.

That said, I still reckon you get as much Swans press coverage as we do in Sydney Sunday papers normally have two pages of AFL. We get a decent run on Monday, but Tues-Thurs, nothing. Both today's papers have nothing about the Swans, just the brawl.

[ScottH]

Trouble is it is either about clubs struggling OR more often than not Colliwobbles or SnDon!!!

His reply is pretty arrogant tho' for an editor. He could have been politer. He could already tell that you were peeved, so all he has done is added fuel to the fire.


Another Sport reporting Wanker!!!


I think they all get tarnished with the same brush at Journo School. They think their opinions are so much more important than the average joe, because it is their job to write crap!!.

[Gunn]

I am frequently phoned by telemarketers trying to get me to get "The Age" home delivered at almost give away prices. When I refuse they seem astounded and always ask me why I don't take up their 'generous" offer. They seem stunned when I tell them it is because I don't like their newspaper one bit. It was once a "great" newspaper but for many years now it is written and editorialised with one view only. "Will it sell newpapers?". Fairness, balance, objectivity and truth are not in the equation.

That newpaper will have to change dramatically if they are to ever get another cent from me. They won't change of course as they are on the slippery and inevitable path to oblivion. The day when that newpapers ceases to exist is fast approaching. As their circulation decreases their attempts to "make the news" will become even more desperate. They will go the way of the "Argus" which was a Melbourne daily newspaper that is now as dead as a Dodo.

[NMWBloods]

Yep - except for the odd article, The Age is crap.

[Charlie]

We need it, though. I don't read it regularly, but I do like to read The Age when I get a chance. It's nice to get something other than Murdoch Media for a change.

When you think about it, it's scary how few people really control what we see, read and hear in Australia.

[CureTheSane]

The worst thing about the Age is the size of the damn thing.

Why in the hell would you make a newspaper that is 10ft x 8ft and you need a table for 4 just to be able to lay the thing out?

[NMWBloods]

Tradition!!

[penga]

Originally posted by Charlie
When you think about it, it's scary how few people really control what we see, read and hear in Australia.

dont you mean "see, read and hear in the world"?

[Dpw]

Re: Re: Re: Sydney has a sense of deja vu

Originally posted by TheHood
[B

Tim is a VFL purist in my opinion and probably resents the expansion of the game.

[/B]

Tim was drafted by the Westcoast before being delisted and redrafted by the bombers to lead the baby bombers, so could'nt resent the expansion to much, maybe he just hates Sydney

[Dave]

Originally posted by Charlie
When you think about it, it's scary how few people really control what we see, read and hear in Australia.

And how governments like to pander to these people.

[Dave]

Re: Re: Sydney has a sense of deja vu

Originally posted by Ruckman
He actually managed to say that their winning run had ended without mentioning the Swans.

It wasn't only him. The Herald Sun site had the Saints emblem and a picture of the losers walking off the SCG to accompany their article.
Talk about no recognition!