Are the Swans passed it?

[Gary]

My comment on the question "Are the Swans passed (past?) it" is yes... unless several big names start carrying the bottom strata (very ordinary) & inspiring the middle strata (brave, can get the ball, but can't kick) to play above themselves again.

[Damien]

If we finish in the Bottom 4 of the Top 8, I would suggest our biggest hope would be if a few Vic clubs fall on our side of the draw - and that we finish 5th or 6th so we get a first week home final.

Home final followed by two MCG finals would be our biggest chance of going through from that position (providing we find the right form of course)

[Robbo]

We aren't passed it. The reason we're struggling comes down to complacency.

[Jewels]

We aren't passed it. The reason we're struggling comes down to complacency.

I'm with you Robbo, when we need to, we do it for a few weeks then we start thinking we're champs - and we play like chumps!

[TheMase]

It is our top tier of players that are letting us down.

Hall - He was injured yes. Now what is the problem? He has failed to deliver anything even resembling 05 and 06 form. If we are to become a formidable threat, he needs to turn things around.

Goodes - Does not really need explaining. One decent game against the Bulldogs, and a good defending game against the Power. That is it, that is his season to date. Goodes along with Hall are essential to us being a threat.

The amount of ball we are getting is not the problem. The game plan IS WORKING, it is the execution that is abysmal. If we can get the execution right and Goodes and Hall fire, we will be more than amongst it once again.

[goswannie14]

We aren't passed it. The reason we're struggling comes down to complacency.

I agree, combined with an apparent lack of passion.

[originalswan]

My comment on the question "Are the Swans passed (past?) it" is yes... unless several big names start carrying the bottom strata (very ordinary) & inspiring the middle strata (brave, can get the ball, but can't kick) to play above themselves again.

Point taken with "passed it" OK should have been "past it", thank you for correction.

Just wondering though how do they "play above themselves"? I would have thought the majority of players are simply not playing to their potential. Perhaps they are following team rules but simply displaying poor skill levels. My concern is that our endeavour and skill levels had not been problems in the recent "past". Therefore, by continuously pointing out previous slow starts may be misleading to what may occur this year.

[Zlatorog]

I see "rebuilding" phase coming up very fast if the senior players don't pick up their form.

[goswannie14]

I see "rebuilding" phase coming up very fast if the senior players don't pick up their form.

But for that to happen some players would have to be dropped. Can you really see that happening?

[Zlatorog]

But for that to happen some players would have to be dropped. Can you really see that happening?

Since Sydney Swans can't afford to be cellar dwellers, we know what happened to them financialy in the early nineties, Roos will have to re-fresh his side and hence giving a chance to younger players. In the end he will have to wield his axe by either delisting or trading some players. I don't like this over simplified approach, but I don't see any other way of telling some players that they need to lift their form or being dropped into the NSW/ACT wilderness.

[NMWBloods]

This is why I have been saying that we should try to 'blood' some more youngsters this year.

The premiership window is still very very slight ajar, but I think the better bet is to bring in just a few youngsters rather than hang onto every senior player who is struggling. That doesn't mean you tank or necessarily have to slip back - that infusion of youth could perhaps re-energise the side.

[hammo]

The premiership window is still very very slight ajar, but I think the better bet is to bring in just a few youngsters rather than hang onto every senior player who is struggling. That doesn't mean you tank or necessarily have to slip back - that infusion of youth could perhaps re-energise the side.

Roos and the leadershup group laid down the law after the St Kilda game, everyone took notice and then followed 2 decent performances.

Is that enough to give everyone else one more chance yet again, knowing this side plays best under adversity, or will Roos finally just bite the bullet this time, make some tough decisions and look ahead.

Is it time to break out of this predictable cycle?

[giant]

In '05 we were 2-4, then won 6-2 but never looked fantastic, then hit our straps with a 7-1 finish.

After losing to the hapless Tigers by 1 point.

[Nico]

Since Sydney Swans can't afford to be cellar dwellers, we know what happened to them financialy in the early nineties, Roos will have to re-fresh his side and hence giving a chance to younger players. In the end he will have to wield his axe by either delisting or trading some players. I don't like this over simplified approach, but I don't see any other way of telling some players that they need to lift their form or being dropped into the NSW/ACT wilderness.

A number of us on this site have been saying this all season.

Last week our midfield failed once again both to get the ball and in delivery. Our better delivery comes from the backline running players (not Mathews) with the likes of J Bolton, McVeigh, Mathews, Buchanan and Ablett displaying woeful disposal skills from the midfield. Watch these players closely and you will see they kick around corners a large percentage of the time, so in most cases are kicking blindly and that combined with their very ordinary skill level results in very scrubby, short and inaccurate delivery.

The fact is we are playing with very much the same team since 2004 and simply some of those players have lost pace while the speed of the game has increased markedly. A stat I heard today was that 3 years ago it took 15 seconds on average for a throw in to occur, now it is 8 seconds. So players have to work harder and faster to get a contest. J Bolton really has struggled to get a contest this year where he has had to run any distance. Sure he gets to the on the ground stuff because he doesn't need to move far from a stoppage but anything else he really struggles at.

At centre bounces we are getting killed because other clubs now have very quick reflexed players in there yet we have kept the same snails.

Our backline is good because we still keep teams to low scores, our forward line is starved of quality delivery and midfielders running to the fall of the ball 20-30 metres out (again poor leg speed).

Until we introduce some youthful enthusiasm into the midfield we will generally get flogged in the arena. We just dont have the quality right now.

Brisbane stayed up for 3 years but I doubt we are as good as they were, so it will be very hard work for us just to stay in the running for the 8 if something isn't done urgently. Hope I am wrong, and I am usually the optimist, but I am feeling rather unsure now.

[Nico]

Roos and the leadershup group laid down the law after the St Kilda game, everyone took notice and then followed 2 decent performances.

Is that enough to give everyone else one more chance yet again, knowing this side plays best under adversity, or will Roos finally just bite the bullet this time, make some tough decisions and look ahead.

Is it time to break out of this predictable cycle?

Predictable is the operative word Hammo.

The others have worked us out and did someone say carlton was an easy team!

No side is easy and most sides now are trying to play us at our own game. Saturday will be interesting because we have fairly flogged Hawthorn the last few seasons. If they beat us it will be because they have improved a long way and we have dropped off by a fair %. There can be no excuses this week. Poor field kicking and kicking for goal is poor football and we cant keep trotting out that line for us losing. If we get done, no one in the inner sanction will have anywhere to hide.