2025 Preseason.

[MattW]

I'm still affected but will still buy a membership. I'm gradually coming around. Change of coach and how he wants to get back to hard, more defensive footy, is helping. Mills gave a good speech last night. He's a big in this year I reckon.

I have bought a membership, with premiership club. Agree re Mills, but he's due to deliver.

[Roadrunner]

Is anyone else really struggling to get behind the club for this year? I’m finding I’m still really embarrassed and humiliated to be associated with them. Not a nice feeling but I can’t seem to shake it.

just curious if that’s a common experience here more than anything.

I think we’re all affected but it’s time to move on- we can’t live in the past and it certainly looks like the club and the players have acknowledged that embarrassing display. We as supporters can’t be humiliated as we’ve done nothing other than support our beloved club. Let’s hope the boys can learn from what must be an awful experience for them and do their utmost to bring us the flag this year. They proved during last season they are good enough- let’s give them all our support now send them positives vibes.

Bring on 2025!

[imuninformedtwo]

Is anyone else really struggling to get behind the club for this year? I’m finding I’m still really embarrassed and humiliated to be associated with them. Not a nice feeling but I can’t seem to shake it.

just curious if that’s a common experience here more than anything.

It's more a sense of trepidation about what the season will bring and the hard thing is knowing that we could be flying along and having the best season imaginable, but until the siren blows on grand final day, we'll have no idea if it's all means dot.

[liz]

It's more a sense of trepidation about what the season will bring and the hard thing is knowing that we could be flying along and having the best season imaginable, but until the siren blows on grand final day, we'll have no idea if it's all means dot.

This sums things up for me. I almost dread us getting to another GF, and yet know we can't kill the bogeyman unless (until) we do.

[Roadrunner]

This sums things up for me. I almost dread us getting to another GF, and yet know we can't kill the bogeyman unless (until) we do.

We can enjoy games where we play well and win during the season. Of course the flag is the aim of it all but only 1 team out of 18 can win it, and for me it doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily the best team. By winning the minor premiership by a clear margin and a healthy percentage we showed we were a very good team in 2024. For reasons unknown we fell away on GF day- but are we that much worse than Brisbane? I don’t think so. We nearly beat them on their home ground just a few weeks before. So as much as the GF haunts us and some pain remains, let’s be positive and hope our team can continue to improve. Injuries to key players is the main issue for me as we don’t have a lot of depth.

Let’s hope the Chad signs on and some of our youngsters step up. I’ll be happy with that, as our footy is great to watch and should lead to a lot of wins.

[longmile]

Is anyone else really struggling to get behind the club for this year? I’m finding I’m still really embarrassed and humiliated to be associated with them. Not a nice feeling but I can’t seem to shake it.

just curious if that’s a common experience here more than anything.

No I agree, this is exactly how I feel. Not at all keen for the season to begin and in fact in some ways I kind of dread it. Last years grand final was embarrassing - to be beaten a similar way 2 years ago in a much more understandable manner and to turn up 2 years later and do the same thing again with even less effort and body on the line was shattering. And I think the club has done a pretty average job at fessing up to it given all the grief and $$$ it caused the fans.

Anyway, I remain somewhat optimistic that I'll warm into the season and find some joy in it, but it's hard to get too carried away given all the scars and opportunities lost.

[rickmat]

Where is Patrick Snell, my smokey for CHB this season? Loads of skill and potential but not named in either squad for tomorrow's games. Is he injured? Not named by Swans as injured.

[MattW]

Where is Patrick Snell, my smokey for CHB this season? Loads of skill and potential but not named in either squad for tomorrow's games. Is he injured? Not named by Swans as injured.

Must be injures. Not spotted in Intraclub club footage from last Friday: https://youtu.be/HKwnQXCsRSo?si=s4q6nPAlBOcug7Gb.

Young Hanily looks good in that package - you can see why he's been picked to play in the firsts tomorrow. Riak looks good too.

[bodgie]

No I agree, this is exactly how I feel. Not at all keen for the season to begin and in fact in some ways I kind of dread it. Last years grand final was embarrassing - to be beaten a similar way 2 years ago in a much more understandable manner and to turn up 2 years later and do the same thing again with even less effort and body on the line was shattering. And I think the club has done a pretty average job at fessing up to it given all the grief and $$$ it caused the fans.

Anyway, I remain somewhat optimistic that I'll warm into the season and find some joy in it, but it's hard to get too carried away given all the scars and opportunities lost.

The club and the players, and fans, don't have to suffer through day to day media analysis like Melbourne or Adelaide. There has been no preseason hype or interest. They can cruise on 'as normal' but the s hit must hit the fan at some point

[crackedactor 01]

It's more a sense of trepidation about what the season will bring and the hard thing is knowing that we could be flying along and having the best season imaginable, but until the siren blows on grand final day, we'll have no idea if it's all means dot.

Even had a couple of mates tell me ' After your last 2 GF efforts I hope you guys don't make the GF for a least the next 5 years or so."

[UUaswan]

Reality is, we haven't had high end talent like we have now on our list EVER.

Sure we have had good players but not as many at this level. If that doesn't get you up and about nothing will.

Alot of things need to go right to get where it matters. Hoping Cox brings more accountability to those that need it, more attack at the ball and opponent.

Mostly, lose the excuse mindset. As of now we know we have to play at the MCG if we are lucky enough to get back for a Flag, we know other teams benefit from that more than us, we know about 5,6 and 7 day breaks, so dont mention any of that sh8t during the year. Brissys run into finals and all of last year was arguable the hardest ever and they did it.

On the contrary to not being excited about a Season, I'm in Perth and I've never seen a team (Freo) talk so much about a premiership before a ball is bounced.

[imuninformedtwo]

Gee Campbell's been impressive. Four goals straight nearing halftime. You'd love him to nail a spot and be part of our forward mix, as his kicking is just elite.

Two talls, Wilbur as marking mid-sized forward, Paps and Campbell, resting mid, and a defensive small forward seems the ideal rotation.

[imuninformedtwo]

On the contrary to not being excited about a Season, I'm in Perth and I've never seen a team (Freo) talk so much about a premiership before a ball is bounced.

Freo should be hyped. They have a great list. They choked last year in not making the finals, even allowing for the late injuries. I do wonder about whether their coach will let them take full advantage of their talents.

[UUaswan]

Freo should be hyped. They have a great list. They choked last year in not making the finals, even allowing for the late injuries. I do wonder about whether their coach will let them take full advantage of their talents.

That's the funny part
We were games clear, more all aus players than anyone and got to the GF and people aren't hyped.
Mills the All Aus player to be in the Midfield and a new coach

They didn't even make finals and are pumped

[mcs]

Freo should be hyped. They have a great list. They choked last year in not making the finals, even allowing for the late injuries. I do wonder about whether their coach will let them take full advantage of their talents.

If flags were given out for pre-season hype talk, Flagmantle would have a very full trophy cabinet already. They are a club, like Gold Coast (but Gold Coast at the stage of just making finals) who don't know how to get the job done.

Like we are a club that it seems don't know how to get the job done, but only at the very pointy end.

Some good signs today from the practice match sim - Campbell looked at home as a forward, Amartey looks fit, some good moments more broadly, nice mark from Heeney at one point. Hamily had some nice mooments.

Far from sold about Tommy Mac up forward however - but early days. Wicks not hopeless as a small defender. Hopefully no injuries and unscathed is all we really need to worry about. Sheldrick got plenty of it but a bit too much 'dispose it and hope' in the use of the ball - taking over from Parker perhaps.

All in all, a decent start!