The 06 Grand Final and our 07 first half disasters

[Matt79]

I have been stewing over this for a while now.

How much of our disasterous first half of the 06 grand final and the numerous 1st half shockers in season 07 relate?

The games where we have had ordinary first halves are:

V West Coast
V Brisbane (not to the same extent)
V Kangaroos
V Essendon
V Collingwood
V Geelong

Also interesting to note that in this season both Jude Bolton and Barry Hall who had shockers in the GF particularly in front of the big sticks have both struggled for form in the first half of the season.

Is there a connection or is it coincidence?
Your thoughts?

[Industrial Fan]

Easy.

We're missing the stability BLT gives us in defence when he's fit.

[hammo]

We're missing the stability BLT gives us in defence when he's fit.

[TheHood]

I have been stewing over this for a while now.

How much of our disasterous first half of the 06 grand final and the numerous 1st half shockers in season 07 relate?

The games where we have had ordinary first halves are:

V West Coast
V Brisbane (not to the same extent)
V Kangaroos
V Essendon
V Collingwood
V Geelong

Also interesting to note that in this season both Jude Bolton and Barry Hall who had shockers in the GF particularly in front of the big sticks have both struggled for form in the first half of the season.

Is there a connection or is it coincidence?
Your thoughts?

I am starting to think your analysis has some cred. A non-Swans person said to me only 48 hours ago that Barry Hall has not recovered from the 2006 GF.

Barry has had a handful of good games since then but there are many games that he looks like he's still re-living the nightmare. He's spooked by Glass' effort on him.

Jude, the same. Jude has only just found the confidence to be himself once again. He has gone to the depths of his capabilitities, he has seen how average he can perform and now the team is bleeding, he is willing himself back to the place he belongs.

The sub-plot to this season is now more fascinating than the main event. The individual stories and the twists and turns that some men must take to find their true commitment. Sydney won't be the Cinderella story of 2007 but they might be a little bit of a Bob Altman film, lots of individual characters crossing paths with others creating their own history.

[Xie Shan]

I've been stewing over this for most of the season! You lose a grand final by a point- it has to be the most shattering feeling possible in footy. The work put in to get to that position- it's awful to even think about.

As for the psychological impact, every player and team will respond differently to it, maybe the Swans are more vulnerable since we have always been a confidence team, and, with a playing style and ethos built around having faith in each other, well, their confidence in themselves and in the group must have been shot after that game. Maybe this year will be good for us- I think we'll see some sort of revival over the next 7 rounds as they start to rediscover that confidence, though we're probably not going to win the flag now. But who knows, maybe next year we just might be more successful than most would have predicted.

[TheHood]

Sorry PC prob

[BRISWAN]

I've been stewing over this for most of the season! You lose a grand final by a point- it has to be the most shattering feeling possible in footy. The work put in to get to that position- it's awful to even think about.

As for the psychological impact, every player and team will respond differently to it, maybe the Swans are more vulnerable since we have always been a confidence team, and, with a playing style and ethos built around having faith in each other, well, their confidence in themselves and in the group must have been shot after that game. Maybe this year will be good for us- I think we'll see some sort of revival over the next 7 rounds as they start to rediscover that confidence, though we're probably not going to win the flag now. But who knows, maybe next year we just might be more successful than most would have predicted.

YOU MAKE SOME REASONABLE POINTS,BUT REMEMBER THAT WET TOAST RECOVERED FROM A SMALL MARGIN G/F LOSS.....WHY CAN'T WE?

[BeeEmmAre]

YOU MAKE SOME REASONABLE POINTS,BUT REMEMBER THAT WET TOAST RECOVERED FROM A SMALL MARGIN G/F LOSS.....WHY CAN'T WE?

They were doped up to the eyeballs though.

[TheHood]

YOU MAKE SOME REASONABLE POINTS,BUT REMEMBER THAT WET TOAST RECOVERED FROM A SMALL MARGIN G/F LOSS.....WHY CAN'T WE?

We lost the 06 Gran, WCE got beaten in the 05 Gran. Plus Swans are so into the mental thing that there were bound to be some cerebral casualties who had poor games that day!

[liz]

I was talking about this very subject at half-time on Sunday with various people who sit near me at the SCG. We all agreed that they need to damn well get it out of their system and sit down as a team and watch the game - something I doubt any of them have done.

Not from the point of view of analysing individual performances or cringing over those half-dozen first half clangers but from the point of view of realising that they collectively played their worst first half of the season against a team that most say have the most talented-laden list AND STILL ONLY LOST BY A POINT.

I don't think even they realise how potent - as a team - they are when they all want to be.

[Matt79]

YOU MAKE SOME REASONABLE POINTS,BUT REMEMBER THAT WET TOAST RECOVERED FROM A SMALL MARGIN G/F LOSS.....WHY CAN'T WE?

I remember James Hird saying that after Essendon won the grand final in 2000 and then lost it in 2001 they found it exceedingly hard to back up after a loss (after they previously won it...work that out!). He said mentally after feeling the euphoria of a win first and then a loss it made it all that much harder.

For WC to lose first in 05 gave them added incentive to strive harder the following year.

[Bas]

I'd let them think about it in the ressies. Canberra's lovely in the winter.

We had a premiership hangover in 06 but no evidence for that from wet toast this year. It is now the AFL and not suburban footy. Time for excuses to stop.
The hard fact of it is that the Swans aren't as good as they think they are and other teams have either caught up or passed them in performance.

Excellent weather for stew too.

[Wardy]

I was talking about this very subject at half-time on Sunday with various people who sit near me at the SCG. We all agreed that they need to damn well get it out of their system and sit down as a team and watch the game - something I doubt any of them have done.

Bang on there Liz - Ryan O'Keefe told our table at a dinner in Feb last year that he hadnt watched the grandfinal replay of 2005 - and he was in it and they won! So I reckon the chances of any of them having watched a replay of a losing GF is zero. His theory was that 2006 was a new year - time to move on and get to the GF again.

But I also agree with what BrisSwan said - WC were beaten by a very small margin in 2005 and they came back in 2006 bigger and harder than ever, ok perhaps with a bit of help for a few players by the odd banned substance, but they seemed to get over the loss, move on an do the business. (that was very hard for me to write considering my contempt for all things WC;-))

To me its time that they got back to basics. Get fit, man up when they are supposed to, be more decisive, kick with confidence, and with that brings accuracy. They have been playing the game for a long time at the elite level, they know what is required. But then maybe they are being stiffled by the P Roos one and only game plan that the opposition are now a wake up to.

[hammo]

But I also agree with what BrisSwan said - WC were beaten by a very small margin in 2005 and they came back in 2006 bigger and harder than ever, ok perhaps with a bit of help for a few players by the odd banned substance, but they seemed to get over the loss, move on an do the business. (that was very hard for me to write considering my contempt for all things WC;-))

Firstly, West Coast weren't doped up to the eyeballs so we should get over that once and for all.

Secondly, when West Coast lost a close grand final it motivated them to go one better the following year. In Sydney's case, they had won in 2005 so despite the disappointment when they went away on their end of season break they still had their 05 medal to look at.

The psychology of the club was laid bare with Roos' now infamous (for some of us here on RWO anyway) ying and yang post-match comments to the media when he said the team had a lot to be proud of, that he'd be more disappointed if they hadn't won in 2005, and that 1-1 was a fair result for both teams.

No wonder Sydney has responded differently - the hurt of losing in '06 is nulified by the euphoria of having won a year earlier.

[Wardy]

Firstly, West Coast weren't doped up to the eyeballs so we should get over that once and for all.

I didn't say all - I said a few - either way no one will ever really know - so speculation will always be there!!!!

Secondly, when West Coast lost a close grand final it motivated them to go one better the following year. In Sydney's case, they had won in 2005 so despite the disappointment when they went away on their end of season break they still had their 05 medal to look at.

um isn't that what I said that they came back bigger and better from that loss - that they moved on?