Easy draw according to Sheahan

[Captain]

When Sheahan is talking about who teams play twice, he is talking about the remainder of the season not the full season (hence why he says the Swans play Geelong once). It helps to read the article properly before complaining about it.

I thought that as well

[Bexl]

I was looking at the draw last night and thought we had a hard run home. Last 9 weeks we play teams in the top 8, 7 times including collingwood twice.
collingwood
hawthorn
carlton
adelaide
dogs
freo
geelong
collingwood
brisbane

good finals build up I suppose.

[chalbilto]

There will always be anomalies when you have a draw where all teams pay each other twice. Obviously, this year, due to the draw, teams have played each other twice before playing all the teams at least once.

Notwithstanding this, due to injuries, suspensions, loss of form, retirements, new change coaching staff, all of which are unpredictable, some teams are perceived to have a dream run with opponants. This just the "luck" of the draw as it transpires.

At the end of the day it doesn't matter who you play, if you are good enough you will win those encounters. I suppose what is a bonus, is having a home ground advantage. I think it's more critical that we play opposition, when they are not traveling that well, on their home ground and conversely when they have been playing well play them at our home ground.

One thing that is always overlooked by the "Melbourne media gurus" is how disadvantaged interstate sides are as they have to travel 11 times interstate. Unfortunately, the Magpies, due to their spectator drawing power and matches against them requested, are the team which travels interstate the least. That to me is a greater anomaly.

[TheHood]

Mike was spot on about the draw but wrong about the Swans run home.

There are teams at the half way mark now that are due to play certain teams twice! This seems unbalanced especially if they are a bottom 8 team and especially if we're not in on the spoils

Anyhoo, Mike's a good journo. His responsibility is to write interesting stuff, that is as factual as possible and to sell as many rags as possible, I reckon he does a good job.

[Bexl]

This was in the herald sun today page 112.
Blues draw.
In an articale headed luck of the draw yesterday, it was incorrectly stated Sydney will play hawthorn, geelong and the dogs only once this year. the club should have been carlton, not Sydney. the mistake was made buy the reporter.

[Thunder Shaker]

They won't shorten the season unless they are able to replace the missing rounds with some other sort of revinue raising activity.

16 teams: 22 rounds x 8 matches per round = 176
20 teams: 19 rounds x 10 matches per round = 190

With 20 teams, the two extra matches each round more than make up for the loss of 3 rounds.

[JUDO]

At the end of the day Port and west coast have played in the last 5 grand finals. when the draw was done they would have been penciled in as competitive games. I cant remember the last time Hawthorn came to Sydney it would be nice to get Geelong at the SCG.
On the other hand Collingwood play, Melbourne, Essendon, Carlton, Richmond and Melbourne at the MCG twice a season every season.
I do agree that this year our draw is a little easier thats only because of the slide of Port and west coast and the failure of Freo and St Kilda(who beat us)

[liz]

I cant remember the last time Hawthorn came to Sydney it would be nice to get Geelong at the SCG.

Surely you've not forgotten round 22 2007 already?!

[JUDO]

Surely you've not forgotten round 22 2007 already?!

Ive written 2007 of

[liz]

How about round 1 2005? I remember that game like it was yesterday. Start of the season, warm late summer afternoon at the SCG. Swans looked in control from the start. About 10 minutes into the game, O'Keefe- who'd been quiet up to that point - runs about a third of the length of the ground and pulls down a Dawk in a perfectly executed tackle from behind. BALL!! Yep, footy's back.

I have a feeling we played them in Sydney in 2006 as well, though I stand to be corrected on that one.

[Jewels]

I have a feeling we played them in Sydney in 2006 as well, though I stand to be corrected on that one.

Only once in 06 at the MCG. Smacked their butts if I remember correctly.

[NMWBloods]

R22 Hawthorn         5.6 14.8 18.8 22.9    [B] 141 [/B]1.2 3.3 9.5 10.9       [B]69 [/B]W S.C.G.          27498  02-Sep-2007
R11 Hawthorn         1.3 5.3 9.6 11.9      [B] 75 [/B]4.3 5.5 7.9 9.12       [B]66 [/B]W M.C.G.          48398  09-Jun-2007
R9  Hawthorn         5.2 7.3 14.3 19.5     [B]119 [/B]0.3 3.6 6.11 7.12      [B] 54 [/B]W M.C.G.          28766  27-May-2006
R22 Hawthorn         5.5 12.5 15.7 20.9    [B] 129 [/B]1.2 4.4 6.9 11.9       [B]75 [/B]W M.C.G.          31891  27-Aug-2005
R1  Hawthorn         4.1 9.4 12.8 18.10    [B] 118 [/B]2.1 3.4 4.6 8.7        [B] 55 [/B]W S.C.G.          27274  27-Mar-2005
R9  Hawthorn         4.4 5.8 10.13 11.14   [B]80 [/B]0.1 5.3 8.4 12.7       [B]79 [/B]W S.C.G.          25127  23-May-2004
R19 Hawthorn         2.3 4.6 9.7 14.9      [B] 93 [/B]4.4 10.5 13.7 17.8     [B]110 [/B]L S.C.G.          33473  09-Aug-2003
R4  Hawthorn         4.2 7.6 8.7 10.8      [B] 68 [/B]4.1 8.2 11.4 17.8      [B] 110 [/B]L M.C.G.          26359  19-Apr-2003

R5  Geelong          1.2 6.7 7.9 10.12     [B]72 [/B]6.2 7.8 8.13 16.18     [B]114 [/B]L Kardinia Park   24368  19-Apr-2008
R13 Geelong          2.1 2.5 5.8 10.9      [B] 69 [/B]5.1 9.4 11.8 13.9      [B] 87 [/B]L Kardinia Park   23040  30-Jun-2007
R20 Geelong          3.1 6.2 7.4 9.9       [B]63 [/B]5.3 7.4 11.5 14.6      [B] 90 [/B]L Kardinia Park   21775  19-Aug-2006
R5  Geelong          3.3 7.11 11.16 15.17  [B] 107 [/B]4.3 5.3 9.4 13.7       [B]85 [/B]W Stad. Aust.     37032  29-Apr-2006
SF  Geelong          2.2 2.6 3.12 7.14     [B]56 [/B]2.6 5.8 6.11 7.11      [B] 53 [/B]W S.C.G.          39079  09-Sep-2005
R15 Geelong          1.1 10.3 13.6 16.9    [B] 105 [/B]1.4 3.5 6.7 7.9        [B] 51 [/B]W S.C.G.          28185  09-Jul-2005
R16 Geelong          1.6 3.7 6.8 9.8       [B]62 [/B]3.1 3.8 7.9 11.11      [B] 77 [/B]L Kardinia Park   20515  18-Jul-2004
R3  Geelong          3.2 7.3 7.5 10.13     [B]73 [/B]2.2 7.5 9.7 10.7       [B]67 [/B]W S.C.G.          25451  10-Apr-2004
R8  Geelong          5.2 10.8 12.9 17.10   [B]112 [/B]1.0 4.1 8.6 11.7       [B]73 [/B]W S.C.G.          22483  18-May-2003

[top40]

I sense that the Swans have a roller coaster draw.

Rounds 1-4 were OK and reflected by only one narrow loss.

Then we had Rounds 5-7, very tough with games against the strong Geelong and the Bulldogs, and an away games against competent North Melbourne. Just two competition points earned out of a possible 12.

Rounds 8-13 are the harvest rounds. Six games, all against bottom 8 sides: Essendon, Port Adelaide, Richmond, West Coast, St Kilda, and Melbourne. Fingers cross that the Swans win all six.

Finally, Rounds 14-22 are tough. Collingwood (twice) and Adelaide (once) have the wood on the Swans right now. In the past 7 occasions since 2003 Sydney have only enjoyed two narrow wins against the Pies, and those two narrow wins were both at home in 2004/2005, when Collingwood were really struggling. Adelaide have beaten Sydney 8 of the past 9 occasions since 2001. The Swans also have Geelong, Hawthorn (away), Bulldogs (away), and an in form Brisbane. Only Carlton and Fremantle (and perhaps the Lions) could be described as being clearly winnable games. I would be personally satisfied if Sydney won only 5 or maybe 6 of those last 9 games.

[JUDO]

R22 Hawthorn         5.6 14.8 18.8 22.9    [B] 141 [/B]1.2 3.3 9.5 10.9       [B]69 [/B]W S.C.G.          27498  02-Sep-2007
R11 Hawthorn         1.3 5.3 9.6 11.9      [B] 75 [/B]4.3 5.5 7.9 9.12       [B]66 [/B]W M.C.G.          48398  09-Jun-2007
R9  Hawthorn         5.2 7.3 14.3 19.5     [B]119 [/B]0.3 3.6 6.11 7.12      [B] 54 [/B]W M.C.G.          28766  27-May-2006
R22 Hawthorn         5.5 12.5 15.7 20.9    [B] 129 [/B]1.2 4.4 6.9 11.9       [B]75 [/B]W M.C.G.          31891  27-Aug-2005
R1  Hawthorn         4.1 9.4 12.8 18.10    [B] 118 [/B]2.1 3.4 4.6 8.7        [B] 55 [/B]W S.C.G.          27274  27-Mar-2005
R9  Hawthorn         4.4 5.8 10.13 11.14   [B]80 [/B]0.1 5.3 8.4 12.7       [B]79 [/B]W S.C.G.          25127  23-May-2004
R19 Hawthorn         2.3 4.6 9.7 14.9      [B] 93 [/B]4.4 10.5 13.7 17.8     [B]110 [/B]L S.C.G.          33473  09-Aug-2003
R4  Hawthorn         4.2 7.6 8.7 10.8      [B] 68 [/B]4.1 8.2 11.4 17.8      [B] 110 [/B]L M.C.G.          26359  19-Apr-2003

R5  Geelong          1.2 6.7 7.9 10.12     [B]72 [/B]6.2 7.8 8.13 16.18     [B]114 [/B]L Kardinia Park   24368  19-Apr-2008
R13 Geelong          2.1 2.5 5.8 10.9      [B] 69 [/B]5.1 9.4 11.8 13.9      [B] 87 [/B]L Kardinia Park   23040  30-Jun-2007
R20 Geelong          3.1 6.2 7.4 9.9       [B]63 [/B]5.3 7.4 11.5 14.6      [B] 90 [/B]L Kardinia Park   21775  19-Aug-2006
R5  Geelong          3.3 7.11 11.16 15.17  [B] 107 [/B]4.3 5.3 9.4 13.7       [B]85 [/B]W Stad. Aust.     37032  29-Apr-2006
SF  Geelong          2.2 2.6 3.12 7.14     [B]56 [/B]2.6 5.8 6.11 7.11      [B] 53 [/B]W S.C.G.          39079  09-Sep-2005
R15 Geelong          1.1 10.3 13.6 16.9    [B] 105 [/B]1.4 3.5 6.7 7.9        [B] 51 [/B]W S.C.G.          28185  09-Jul-2005
R16 Geelong          1.6 3.7 6.8 9.8       [B]62 [/B]3.1 3.8 7.9 11.11      [B] 77 [/B]L Kardinia Park   20515  18-Jul-2004
R3  Geelong          3.2 7.3 7.5 10.13     [B]73 [/B]2.2 7.5 9.7 10.7       [B]67 [/B]W S.C.G.          25451  10-Apr-2004
R8  Geelong          5.2 10.8 12.9 17.10   [B]112 [/B]1.0 4.1 8.6 11.7       [B]73 [/B]W S.C.G.          22483  18-May-2003

Hawks 4 times scince 2002

[ScottH]

How about round 1 2005? I remember that game like it was yesterday. Start of the season, warm late summer afternoon at the SCG. Swans looked in control from the start. About 10 minutes into the game, O'Keefe- who'd been quiet up to that point - runs about a third of the length of the ground and pulls down a Dawk in a perfectly executed tackle from behind. BALL!! Yep, footy's back.

I have a feeling we played them in Sydney in 2006 as well, though I stand to be corrected on that one.

Best chasing/tackling game I've ever seen from Nicky D.