Ok we are all excited by the opportunities ahead of this team...

[ScottH]

Originally posted by wyatt
Good article on him in the recent Swans members magazine. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a more consistent player this year.

The one where his brother interviewed him??

[ScottH]

Originally posted by dimelb
Not generally seen as a glamour player, but a VERY good player. Bet Brisbane have a few regrets...

Extremely courageous under pressure.

[BayesysLeftBoot]

I think the biggest advantage we have over WC and Adelaide is our experience in big finals from the past few seasons. Most premiership teams are involved in the finals for at least a couple of years before winning the flag.

It seems like the pressure has allready gotten to WC in recent weeks and they will be crushed by the weight of expectation come finals time. St. Kilda on the other hand have a lot of finals experience under their belts, however injuries will have an impact on their chances.

The biggest worry for us is the crows. They are in great form and despite the fact he looks like a freak, Neil Craig is an expert at motivating his men to perform in the big games. If we can get over the crows in Adelaide the flag is ours.

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by BayseysLeftBoot
It seems like the pressure has allready gotten to WC in recent weeks and they will be crushed by the weight of expectation come finals time.

I've seen this comment a few times recently and I'm not sure what it is totally based on.

Sure, they had a shocker at Skilled last weekend, but this can happen down there.

Before that they had won 2 and lost 2 games (after their 7 game winning streak).

The wins were a thumping of Freo and a relaxed win over Hawthorn, while their other losses were both away - 21 pts against us and 43 pts against the Bulldogs.

Not sure how much of this could be put down to pressure and how much simply tough games on the road.

[BayesysLeftBoot]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
I've seen this comment a few times recently and I'm not sure what it is totally based on.

Sure, they had a shocker at Skilled last weekend, but this can happen down there.

Before that they had won 2 and lost 2 games (after their 7 game winning streak).

The wins were a thumping of Freo and a relaxed win over Hawthorn, while their other losses were both away - 21 pts against us and 43 pts against the Bulldogs.

Not sure how much of this could be put down to pressure and how much simply tough games on the road.

True premiership contenders don't lose by 43 pts at this end of the season. The other basis for the comment is that the eagles lack recent finals and pressure game experience. The fans in the west are fanatical and have been talking the eagles up all year which would put the club under more pressure than any of the other contenders.

[Vivien]

Originally posted by BayseysLeftBoot
If we can get over the crows in Adelaide the flag is ours.

Big call! But I agree, to some extent. I really rate Adelaide's chances for the flag. They have been seriously underrated this season and aside from us, they're the form team at the moment. Plus they have a few experienced players still around from their last premiership win.

[Refried Noodle]

Very exciting prospects, but you know what gives me the @@@@s..

Field trips and exam period in september!

[connolly]

Originally posted by BayseysLeftBoot
True premiership contenders don't lose by 43 pts at this end of the season. The other basis for the comment is that the eagles lack recent finals and pressure game experience. The fans in the west are fanatical and have been talking the eagles up all year which would put the club under more pressure than any of the other contenders.

Agreed. Against the Dogs they were done in by that very dangerous opponent called Hubris. The also have an ordinary forward line and if their midfield is matched with pace and pressure [big if admittedly]will struggle to boot a winning score

[Schneiderman]

West Coast have struggled with only two things this year that I can see:

1. Close-in agressive checking midfields
2. Hard running off the half-back flank

When either of these two tactics are properly employed by a team (point 1 for Collingwood and Sydney, point 2 for WB, and probably both by Geelong), they have looked shaky.

If the size of the score is any indication, employing the second tactic is probably more important, but naturally both is critical.

Considering the focus the Swans have placed in recent weeks on creating run of HB, I think Roos has seen the same chink. Over the past two weeks we have seen ALL of our backline go on deliberate and emphatic runs from the D50 arc. Almost like its being practised. Even LRT did it in both games at one point.

Look for it this weekend against Hawthorn

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by BayseysLeftBoot
True premiership contenders don't lose by 43 pts at this end of the season.

It happens. Brisbane lost to us by 32 pts (and then lost at home to WC the following week), and Port lost to Essendon by 40 pts last year. Collingwood lost to the 'Dogs by 41 pts and Essendon by 55 pts in 2002.

The other basis for the comment is that the eagles lack recent finals and pressure game experience. The fans in the west are fanatical and have been talking the eagles up all year which would put the club under more pressure than any of the other contenders.

Not sure about more pressure, but it probably is pretty intense. Your first points are quite valid too.

The big thing for WC remains their forward line. As I've said before, it's quite vulnerable relative to others. However, if you put match-fit players such Gardiner, Hansen, Matera, Sampi and Embley into it, as well as Lynch, then they still look pretty dangerous.

Tiredness of younger players after a long season could very well be a major factor for them too.

[Go Swannies]

Originally posted by NMWBloods

Tiredness of younger players after a long season could very well be a major factor for them too.

Did you notice an article somewhere pointed out that the Swans may be finishing well because Roos regards the Wiz Cup as just part of the pre-season and not something to be won. And for resting Magic for the first month of the season so he was still running well at the end?

And, if Roos wasn't lying, he was testing the team's ability to just hold the Roos for the second half of the game. Scary if he's that prescient.

I'm with everyone who thinks our best flag chance is to win week 1. So we have to come out and blitz them as we did this past game. (Also, as the Lions said re 2003 PF - it silences the crowd.) I don't think we can afford to go back in our shells as we did v the Roos - but we did hold the hardest finishing team of the past month or more.

Was it Cometti who said that the Swans bore teams to death then flatten them when they back off? Fair assessment.

My faith in the team is growing by the week (and I wonder if LRT heard the roar from the crowd when he took a mark - not the hardest - last game) and my faith in the smarts of Roos remains strong.

The wheels could fall off and there are some tough games to play but I'm sure that everything is being done aiming for a joyful last weekend in September.

[Whitefox]

Originally posted by NMWBloods


The big thing for WC remains their forward line. However, if you put match-fit players such Gardiner, Hansen, Matera, Sampi and Embley into it, as well as Lynch, then they still look pretty dangerous.

[/B]

Agreed. Add to that the fact that they had about 12 individual goal kickers 2 weeks ago - i wouldn't be treating them with contempt just yet.

[BayesysLeftBoot]

Originally posted by Whitefox
Agreed. Add to that the fact that they had about 12 individual goal kickers 2 weeks ago - i wouldn't be treating them with contempt just yet.

Yeah, it's not a weakness for them if they get excellent delivery from their midfield, which they usually do. They key to beating them is putting the midfield under pressure as the forwards struggle in this situation (as was the case against us and the WB and will be the case against adelaide).

[Piobaireachd]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
Collingwood lost to the 'Dogs by 41 pts and Essendon by 55 pts in 2002.

He said "TRUE" premiership contenders

[Tuesday]

Originally posted by dimelb
Bet Brisbane have a few regrets...

Leigh Matthews did mention him the other week, if I remember correctly. He said Craig has come a long way since leaving Brissie and it would have been nice to have been the coach to develop him into the player he is today. That must have been great to hear, especially coming from a former coach.

Nonetheless, it was a choice decision he made to move clubs a few years ago in order to further his game and receive greater on-field opportunities. Plus, I'm also glad Roosy and the coaching staff saw a champion in the Canberra lad.

Yet another one of Roosy's 'Blue Collar' success stories.