Expectations

[goswannie14]

Looking at the way people are reacting to us making the finals this year has led me to ask the following question.

Are our expectations unrealistic since winning the premiership 2 years ago?

Before we won the flag we would all be happy to make the finals, now according to many on here, making the finals is not good enough.

Given the fact we have not had a great deal of change to the playing roster and the ageing of our list over the last few years it is inevitable that the premiership window would close fairly quickly after 2005.

I have some other thoughts on this, but I haven't yet cemented them in words so wondered what others thought. Are our expectations too high now because of 2005?

[dendol]

Our expectations are reasonable given we have just played in 2 GF's in a row. It doesn't help that the team we faced in those GF's is still in contention for 2nd spot - their premiership window is wide open, yet ours has just about closed.

Major overhaul needed in players and gameplan next year and beyond.

[Nico]

Dont know that we need to change the gameplan that much, all we need are some quick players to execute it. We need a lot more pace in the midfield combined with players who have some nous as to what to do with the footy.

It would help if there was a lot more running to space and players moving it on a lot quicker. We have too many slow garden gnomes at the mo.

[dendol]

It's easier to change a broken gameplan than to instantly recruit a few skillful pacy midfielders.

[swansrule100]

time to trade some players who other teams would still take. I like jude bolton but he seems to always be put in our best in the papers etc and rated high enough that we could trade him for something half decent?

Its a wierd stage for this side, i have a feeling they will try to keep the same list and go for finals again

[Nico]

It's easier to change a broken gameplan than to instantly recruit a few skillful pacy midfielders.

Granted, but no matter what we change our gameplan to we lack an enormous amount of pace to keep up with trend.

[ScottH]

Last night we lacked,

A quick midfield.
Marking Forwards.
Strong tacklers.
And our small inexperienced backline was found wanting.

[Robbo]

I'm confident we can win a final and do some damage. Our finals experience is a huge plus, espescially if we come up against a young side like Hawthorn.

[hammo]

Given the fact we have not had a great deal of change to the playing roster and the ageing of our list over the last few years it is inevitable that the premiership window would close fairly quickly after 2005.

Not necessarily. The counter balance to Hall, Kirk and Barry getting a few years older is that Goodes should be in career best form now, and our younger players from 05 should be established as elite players of the competition. A fit Kennelly probably would fit into that category, Malceski and C.Bolton also, but the likes of Buchanan, Schneider, Dempster haven't kicked on as we'd hope. I;m tempted to throw O'Keefe in that category as well.

[dendol]

In true Sydney style, we'll do whatever it takes to keep us competitive and making the top8 as we can't afford to bottom out

[NMWBloods]

I'm confident we can win a final and do some damage. Our finals experience is a huge plus, espescially if we come up against a young side like Hawthorn.

It only counts for so much. Eventually youth (and skill) wins out. This has been the experience for years and years.

[barry]

The only players smart clubs trade now days are ones with some un-publicised mental/physical problem that will almost guarantee you a win in the deal.

Do we have anyone in that boat ?

[mcs]

I think our premiership window is going to slam shut when our final siren for the year goes. Leo Barry is a shadow of the player he was as is Barry Hall, Everitt isnt getting younger, Kirk is still playing very well but isnt quite what he was. Time to cut our losses I feel and look to rebuild around a solid nucleus of Goodes, O'Keefe, C. Bolton & Malceski. To make it a quick turn around we desperately need to get some new blood in and the only way to do it I feel is to trade.

Hammo you are harsh throwing O'Keefe in with all those other players that havent developed. He has had a very good year- granted he hasnt been so good the last 6 weeks but if you cant compare his performance solely on goal returns either as he has been playing much more a midfield role this year. If O'Keefe got to actually play where he should on the half forward line week in week out he would show himself to be an elite player of the competition. I really would like unless we manage to trade someone big into the club like Fev to see ROK become our next CHF. I think he could absolutely kill it playing there and kick a bag of goals... not that Roos will ever do that!

[dimelb]

No to the original question - our expectations are not too high, and I mean by that genuine contenders, not guaranteed premiers. If we had the best team on the park and fit we would be much further up the ladder and the others would be worried about us. To state the bleeding obvious we are missing half of our best back six (Tadhg, Leo and LRT), and we have gained in the ruck division with Spida and in the resting ruckman when either he or Jolly go forward as they have been recently.
The heart of our problems atm is, imho, the midfield. Jude consistently gets numbered among our best because the dills who decide these things count disposals without assessing how effective they are. The missing link we haven't been able to replace is Paul Wiliams, and that's what we need to trade for.

[Triple B]

but the likes of Buchanan, Schneider, Dempster haven't kicked on as we'd hope. I;m tempted to throw O'Keefe in that category as well.

What stopped the temptation to throw O'Keefe into the 'haven't kicked on since '05' category?

All Australian in '06 perhaps?

Good stuff you're smoking.