What would you prefer?

[573v30]

I hope the Swans don't stoop to Carlton's level and tank a couple of seasons just to get draft picks.

[Darren Thomson]

I hope the Swans don't stoop to Carlton's level and tank a couple of seasons just to get draft picks.

I'd like to think our blokes have a bit more integrity than that. We keep rolling along and the team that one the flag was developed, not drafted or bought. Sure we made some good trades along the way and picked up some reasonable players, we also picked up some duds. Always remember A Goodes pick 39, 2 brownlows. Talent is where you find it, and where you can teach

[laughingnome]

Its a fallacy that Hawthorn bottomed out and spent years stock piling top 10 draft picks. They were only in the bottom four for two years.(2004/5)

They only have 5 Top 10 draft selections play in the Preliminary final last Saturday.

The first of the Top 10 selections is Hodge when Hawthorn Croad to Freo for Pick no 1in 2001. That year they made the prelim final so werent perched at the foot of the table.

2004 they had a bad year but had a killing in the draft with Franklin, Roughead & Lewis.

The other top 10 pick is Ellis who is a chance to miss out this week as Tom Murphy will come back in to pick up S Johnson or Chapman.

The real bonus for Hawthorn was smart trading in off loading Thompson, Hay and Lonie who were all useless for good picks, finding very good players like Mitchell & Sewell in the rookie list and being lucky that when they were down the bottom in 2004 Richmond picked the wrong blokes.

Hawthorn were ruthless. They basically sat down and ticked off all the guys that they didn't think would make it to a charge up the ladder. It would be akin of Sydney now trading Barry Hall, Leo Barry, etc, for delicious picks or youngsters. I prefer the Roos' school of working with what you have and making it work. It's done well for us thus far.

Akkuret: If Carlton don't make the top 6 next year I'll eat my hat.

[bodgie]

Melbournehammer posted this team in another thread referring to our current list:

"a better way of looking at our team is where are we in three years. as i see it our team would be

full forward: vespremi, blank, moore
half forward: o'keefe, blank, mcveigh
centre: jack, bird, malceski
half back: mattner, bolton, barlow?
backs: blank, lrt, bevan
followers: jolly, goodes, bird

inter:????"

What is the best way to develop a top team out of this? I tend to think the mix and patch method worked uniquely for the times, and the list suited the skills of our coach and hard working captains (Maxfield and Kirk). Under Eade and Roos it relied on topping up with people like Lockett Hall Wiliams etc. Can we still do this? If not, then we will bottom out anyway. I'm not sure if 22 rounds in the dour hope of a final or two is any more enjoyable than watching a new team develop while losing a lot.

[Lucky Knickers]

I cannot believe we are complaining about being successful.
I'll watch the swans whether we bottom out or not but I do vastly prefer the winning feeling.

[redshaz]

I cannot believe we are complaining about being successful.
I'll watch the swans whether we bottom out or not but I do vastly prefer the winning feeling.

I whole heartily agree

[UglyDuckling]

If the choice is:

(a) Make the finals 11 of the next 13 seasons, play in 3 GF's and win 1 premiership......or

(b) Bottom out, finish in the bottom 4 for 2-3 seasons, climb up the ladder, make a finals series, win the next 2 flags then slip back down to the bottom and start again.

I'll take option (a) thanks. It's the option that's given me great pleasure over the past 13 years.

Thats exactly right!!!!!!!!!!!
Everyone cant wait to trade out Barry Hall and Ryan O and go to the bottom of the ladder, the way the swans have done it over the recent period has bought us all a lot of pleasure and 3 grand final appearances far better than bottoming out.
'If you keep doing what you did you'll keep getting what you got' i do believe Kevin Sheedy said that so lets hope the next 13 years were as good as the last i would hate to watch the swans loose every week!

[caj23]

[QUOTE=UglyDuckling;415286]Thats exactly right!!!!!!!!!!!
Everyone cant wait to trade out Barry Hall and Ryan O and go to the bottom of the ladder, QUOTE]

I don't think there are many that are keen to trade ROK, and none who are keen to go to the bottom of the ladder

There are plenty though who are sick of the baggage that BH has bought with him over the last 2 seasons and wouldn't be unhappy to see him traded if we receive appropriate value for him (a 2nd round pick is not sufficient)

[swantastic]

I cannot believe we are complaining about being successful.
I'll watch the swans whether we bottom out or not but I do vastly prefer the winning feeling.

Spot on LK.

I'm bored of the Cats domination and I'd love to see them toppled. But I'll be barracking for them long and loud this Saturday for exactly this reason.

I agree Liz but if the Cats continue to dominate i would at least like the Swans to have the better of them through the H+A season like we did over the Lions.It would make me feel a little better.

[2005]

Some on here dont know how bad we were in the 60s,70s,80s early 90s.

How on earth would you want to give up what we have had in the last 13 years staggers me to the point I want to spew !!!

Ive been watching the Bloods now for 30 odd years and seen some very ordinary football sides and some all mighty ass kickings.
Watched our club fold and move over the border and struggle the same as it did here. Lose our best players year after year and still love them.

Why would you want to bottom out for ???
It technically can be done everywhere else but SYDNEY.
We all saw what happened this year 3 years after premiership Glory.
Attendances,Memberships and our Final were all very dissapointing.

You honestly think Sydney can afford to do what Melbourne did this year ?
Ask Richard Colless and he can tell you if we can, I know the answer.
AFL Football is about success , we know what it takes now and must strive to attain that at all costs otherwise we are back in the ruck again and I never want what we had in those bad old days.