Our Clubs History Is Embarrassing

[Country Member]

I will personally contribute to the West Sydney Battlers if footyhead (why is his name only half right?) becomes the chief cheer-leader and quits the Swans.

This post is not just defending the Club from anything negative: it is voicing my disgust at simpletons like you who have nothing practical or workable to add except pie-in-the-sky motherhood statements - does the "ladder of opportunity" appeal to you as well?

The reason this Club has not been successful is not because of Colless or any one person or factor: it is divisive fools like you that are the problem.

Country Member, your concerns have been addressed (see previous post) - swansrock4eva

[NMWBloods]

FFS there are some dickheads on here. Some people may not agree with Beaussie's comments, but there is no reason to tell him/her to piss off. People are allowed to have a view and hope for more. That's not being negative, it's being disappointed.

For my part, I'd like to win the Wizzy Cup but I'm not too fussed by it and more importantly I want to ensure that we don't get any injuries from it.

September action is far more important.

Of course, as ROK says, life is even more important...

[robbieando]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
For my part, I'd like to win the Wizzy Cup but I'm not too fussed by it and more importantly I want to ensure that we don't get any injuries from it.

September action is far more important.

Agreed.

I'm not fussed either way if we win the Wizard Cup or not. Yes a win would be great and would give the club much needed media focus in March which could lead to more members (in both Melbourne and Sydney), more sponsors and at least a good crowd for our opening home match of the season.

But at the end of the day all I want is a win on the last Saturday in September, not the 2nd Saturday in March. So that means we don't risk players who are injuried or coming back from injuries just to win a Wizard Cup match, plus giving our rookies a chance to gain some expirence against quaility opposition will only help later on down the track because it gives these players a chance to understand what is needed to by senior AFL football.

On yesterday's match, well as Liz pointed out even if we wanted too we couldn't bring in all 14 senior players who were missing. Kennelly, Williams, Maxfield and Ball could of played if we wanted to take the game seriously and Hall, Barry and Goodes if we wanted to cut their comeback from injuries one week short. Still at least we didn't lose by 100points like last season and we saw some good form from LRT, Dempster, Moore, McVeigh and Vogels.

[Damien]

Can't say I overly enjoyed seeing a thread entitled "Our clubs history is embarrassing" - it is certainly a trying history, but something I will never be embarrassed by. I am pretty proud of the club, it has survived more than any other club will ever have to.

As for the Wizard Cup - whopdedoo, I would prefer the comp to be 4 weeks longer in all honesty. I don't care who has won Wizard, Ansett, Ascot etc cups over the years, but I do care who has won premierships.

I know Geelong and the Saints (and other clubs over the years) proved that success in the Wizard Cup doesn't mean you won?t have success in the Premiership season, but if the coaching panel believes playing certain players will hurt our premiership season, I am very happy to say goodbye to the Wizard Cup and move on to preparing for the real stuff!

[ugg]

I've always wondered whether there was an ulterior motive to Roos playing the kids in the likelihood we would not go far in the Wizard Cup. Not having to play on TV would make it harder for opponents is the first few rounds to scout our team and style of play. Having said that, we've bombed out in the last 2 years in the Wizard but done well in the regular season. I'd rather have that happened than the reverse.

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by ugg
I've always wondered whether there was an ulterior motive to Roos playing the kids in the likelihood we would not go far in the Wizard Cup. Not having to play on TV would make it harder for opponents is the first few rounds to scout our team and style of play.

I was wondering something similar just watching some games this weekend (not as the main motive, but possibly some sort of influence).

[liz]

Originally posted by ugg
I've always wondered whether there was an ulterior motive to Roos playing the kids in the likelihood we would not go far in the Wizard Cup. Not having to play on TV would make it harder for opponents is the first few rounds to scout our team and style of play. Having said that, we've bombed out in the last 2 years in the Wizard but done well in the regular season. I'd rather have that happened than the reverse.

Not to mention reverting to proper H&A rules for the remainder of the pre-season, rather than phaffing around with the modified Wiz rules.

[LittleSchneider]

I, for one, will never give up on my team. If you think the history is embarrassing and that we will never win a flag or a pre-season comp because, after all, winning pre season comps make us a far better club, then go and support some other team.

The fact is, I believe, that other the past 10-odd years the club has been run into the ground by poor management and coaching and I think Roosy is the one to pull us back out again.
It happened in Australian Rugby - in 1996 and 1997 we were hammered from piller to post BUT in 1998, with Rod MacQueen becoming head coach and we won the Bledisloe for the first time in 5 years and then went on to win the RWC, Tri-Nations and hold onto the Bled. till 2003 (till @@@@ing eddie jones ran us into the ground again). We have won everything before us under him. SOOOOO....

Have some faith! It takes more than 2 years to implement change and I know Roosy is doing just that! If you dont have patience or faith or heart than move aside.

As for 'Not Understanding' - well listen up - most if not all of us do not take the attitude "Making the finals in Sept. is fantastic and acceptable" but it is the FIRST STEP towards winning the flag. So, FIRST, we have to get there and strive for the top 2/4 and THEN once we are there we can concentrate on a finals campaign! KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE BALL and not to far ahead at this point in time. Otherwise, you will find, that we could very well end up not even coming close to the top 8. It literally is, sorry to use such a worn cliche, one step at a time, one game at a time...

AND....if your still not satisfied than bugger off and go and support the wilting Waratahs or the dumbwitted Rabbitohs (even though they won last night) or something else.

You Are The Weakest Link - GOODBYE.

[ROK Lobster]

Originally posted by LittleSchneider

The fact is, I believe, that other the past 10-odd years the club has been run into the ground by poor management and coaching and I think Roosy is the one to pull us back out again.

Could you site some examples please. I am struggling to see how anything done in the past 10 years or so had anything to do with not winning the 1934 flag, or any others up until 10 years or so. I am also puzzled by your impression that the Swans have been 'run into the ground' by bad management and poor coaching. I was hoping that you might care to expand on this statement. Thanks.

[footyhead]

Originally posted by Country Member


The reason this Club has not been successful is not because of Colless or any one person or factor: it is divisive fools like you that are the problem.

Yeah right it's my fault the club hasn't won any silver ware since 1933.

<font size=1><I>Edited by:</I> Mike_B<BR>
<I>Reason for edit:</I>No need for personal insults - you can deal with someone having a different opinion to yours without mud-slinging.</font>

[LittleSchneider]

Originally posted by ROK Lobster
Could you site some examples please. I am struggling to see how anything done in the past 10 years or so had anything to do with not winning the 1934 flag, or any others up until 10 years or so. I am also puzzled by your impression that the Swans have been 'run into the ground' by bad management and poor coaching. I was hoping that you might care to expand on this statement. Thanks.

Not talking about the 1934 flag. Talking about why we havent won one in the last 10 years (see - Im only 18 and can only remember that far back in terms of AFL)

(This is my opinion, others probably will disagree) I dont think that Rodney Eade was a particularly good coach. I must admit that I have only started watching AFL closely for the past 3 years but from afar, watching the odd game, he's style of play, I thought (must stipulate because I have a feeling Im about to be massacred by ROK for having this opinion) was not effective enough and his choice of players in key positions was poor. I also think he failed to bring through the youth aswell as Roosy is now... (and the sharks are circling)

[Beaussie]

Originally posted by LittleSchneider
I, for one, will never give up on my team. If you think the history is embarrassing and that we will never win a flag or a pre-season comp because, after all, winning pre season comps make us a far better club, then go and support some other team.

Who the **** do some of you Swans fans think you are? My opinion is my opinion. If you don't like it fine, but don't sit there all high and mighty and go on about how I should have to go and support another team just because I'm critical of our history. I want my team to be successful and unlike some of you here, that does not mean just making the 8 and then bombing out with the "oh well next year attitude".

I wont give up on my team, however that doesn't mean that our last flag in 1933 doesn't embarrass me.

[liz]

It's a bit hard to really assess whether Eade was a good or ordinary coach, especially relative to Roos. He took the team to a GF in his first season (and a top finish at the end of the H&A) and lifted a team that had been perennial cellar dwellers to regular finals material. But for a little better luck in 1998 (ie Kelly's knee, Cressa's injury early in the semi against the Crows) maybe he'd have gone a bit further.

Many of the team that he left in 2002 he'd either recruited and nurtured into senior players or he'd inherited as raw (Crouch, Barry, Nicks, O'Loughlin etc) and turned into senior players. Cressa and Dunks moved from being decent players pre-Eade into really really good players in his reign.

Sure, the team recruited a few recycled players in his reign but Roos has done the same too. It's hard to draw a clear difference.

It seems to be accepted wisdom that towards the end he'd lost the belief of a few players. But we may be saying the same about Roos in a few years time. Very few coaches have managed to last more than a handful of years at a club, especially in this modern, professional era. Sheedy is an exception, not the rule.

We need to wait another four or five years before we can sensibly judge Roos against Eade, or any other coach that went before them both.

[Wazza]

[
You make some very valid points Liz I thought Eade was great for the Swans, under Eade we consistently made the finals including the 96 GF with a pretty ordinary team.

Roos will be judged against Eade on this (fairly or not) - making and winning a GF.

The great thing about Footy and the very thing I struggled with since coming here from Adelaide in 81 was always the lack of passion from the fans. Its good to finally see some of it coming out in this forum which at times is a sterile pat on the back for them....thats not PASSION.

Be pissed off we havent won a flag since 33, get really annoyed we have a crap recruiting regime...talk about the time you went to the footy and saw the Swans get into a GF or Locket broke Conventrys record.

But dont bag someone because they have a differing opinion to you, they might just be that little more passionate.

It would be great to win a flag but for me footy is about great moments/memories - matches to remember and others to forget.

[robbieando]

Originally posted by Beaussie
I want my team to be successful and unlike some of you here, that does not mean just making the 8 and then bombing out with the "oh well next year attitude".

But how does winning a Wizard Cup change that?

Since we last won a premiership in 1933 we have won 4 Night Premierships and not once did any of the four led to any sort of success that season. Heck the last time we took the Wizard Cup seriously and made the semi finals, didn't result in a successful season. In 1996 we went out in the first round and yet made a Grand Final for the first time 51 years.

Bryce I can understand your problem with the lack of succes from the club, but don't think I don't want to win a flag anytime soon. By going all out to win a Wizard Cup isn't going to make that wait any shorter.