I am pumped for the Saints game!

[johnno]

Typical Mardi Gras-attending Swans supporter.

I don't expect us to win and a complete caning wouldn't surprise. But I reckon the players will be thinking of this as their big game of the year and hopefully go all out. They are likely to fail. But I can taste the possibility of that wonderful sense of joy I had in the last Q of the 2005 Saints final - and the 2003 Port final. The stakes were big in the Saints game so that made it special. But for the Port game I expected the result to be go the way most think Saturday night will go - the best team in the comp to give us a hiding. So I didn't fly over as I had thought of doing. Rather I went to a friends place with wine and chips. The Swans (esp Goodes) made the minor Premiers look very second rate (remember Goodes rushing a behind and the commentator declaring "the Swans are kicking goals at both ends"?). A lot of players stood tall that day - Hall's rucking in the final quarter was magnificent - and I loved the team even more.

There's only a slight chance I'll leave the SCG feeling like that on Saturday night. But the pure joy of the Cats semi victory, beating the unbeaten Saints there and winning against all-conquering Brisbane there makes every trip to the SCG a pilgrimage. I hope to see you at the party after the unlikeliest win of the year.

And, if we win, I bet everyone here will be watching The Winners and On the Couch on Monday to see the experts backpedal. But I bet they don't and instead say "that was the loss the Saints had to have - now there are perfectly set up for the flag. I can't see the Swans winning again anytime soon, if ever."

Excellent post GS. Look, my brain tells me we'll lose too but I will never ever go into any swans game wanting them to lose or cheering for a loss to get better draft picks. As I have said before, the day I do that will be the day I stop following the swans and AFL in general. I just can't do it. I go to these unwinable games for the upset, for the thrill of winning when no one else expect it, and if we do pull of an upset here, who knows what it can do for the rest of the season. I know we probably wont play finals this year, but until we officially cant make it(I'm not going to use the term 'methematically impossible' again), I never ever give up hope. If you dont like it, thats your problem.

[Plugger46]

So glad I went to that Port QF in '03. Without doubt, the most enjoyable day I've ever had at the footy.

[Wardy]

Excellent post GS. Look, my brain tells me we'll lose too but I will never ever go into any swans game wanting them to lose or cheering for a loss to get better draft picks. As I have said before, the day I do that will be the day I stop following the swans and AFL in general. I just can't do it. I go to these unwinable games for the upset, for the thrill of winning when no one else expect it, and if we do pull of an upset here, who knows what it can do for the rest of the season. I know we probably wont play finals this year, but until we officially cant make it(I'm not going to use the term 'methematically impossible' again), I never ever give up hope. If you dont like it, thats your problem.

I think I'm pretty safe in saying here that no one wants them to deliberatly lose - and I'm' pretty sure that the idea wouldnt even be entertained by the team - however in this instance, many on here, whilst we all hope that they can pull off a win, we just cant see it simply because the Saints, like it or not, are playing superior footy - and we simply aren't.

[Go Swannies]

So glad I went to that Port QF in '03. Without doubt, the most enjoyable day I've ever had at the footy.

Late September 2005 - and into October - wasn't bad either.

[snajik]

[QUOTE=Go Swannies;451054]Typical Mardi Gras-attending Swans supporter.

Not quite sure what that is meant to mean. If you are suggesting I'm fair-weather nothing could be further from the truth. I'm just being realistic. I just don't think we have the cattle at present to beat the Saints. I'd love to see a Bloods victory as well, but I don't think our chances are as strong as those of the 2003 Bloods against Port.

Things haven't gone our way this year. That's life, but I'll still be there. Sitting in the Ladies Stand for the first time in my 26 year history as a Swans fan. I'll be checking out the attire at half time for ideas, just on the off-chance of a Bloods victory.

[goswannie14]

Yes we probably will not make finals, yes our form was ordinary against Melbourne but for some strange reason I feel genuinely excited about this Saturday night's game against the Saints.

I just have a sneaky feeling that the Swans will inflict the first loss of the year on the Sainters.

Hopefully we will get a 30,000k crowd or there abouts.

Anyone else looking forward to Saturday's game?

Matt, what have you been drinking? I'm looking forward to this game as much as a visit to the dentist!

[Go Swannies]

[QUOTE=snajik;451073]

Typical Mardi Gras-attending Swans supporter.

Not quite sure what that is meant to mean. If you are suggesting I'm fair-weather nothing could be further from the truth. I'm just being realistic. I just don't think we have the cattle at present to beat the Saints. I'd love to see a Bloods victory as well, but I don't think our chances are as strong as those of the 2003 Bloods against Port.

Things haven't gone our way this year. That's life, but I'll still be there. Sitting in the Ladies Stand for the first time in my 26 year history as a Swans fan. I'll be checking out the attire at half time for ideas, just on the off-chance of a Bloods victory.

Sorry, I certainly wasn't suggesting you were fair weather but rather a snipe at your rush to get into a dress. Heading for the Ladies Stand isn't helping the Melbourne preconception of the average Swannies supporter, either. But as long as it's for frock research - and you need it come Monday, who cares?

[Primmy]

So glad I went to that Port QF in '03. Without doubt, the most enjoyable day I've ever had at the footy.

Absolutely my favourite game (other than 2005) ever. And that is why I am going to have to think that PERhaps we can do it again. And if I EVER see the team tanking I would never forgive them. Never.

[Primmy]

[QUOTE=snajik;451073]

Things haven't gone our way this year. That's life, but I'll still be there. Sitting in the Ladies Stand for the first time in my 26 year history as a Swans fan. I'll be checking out the attire at half time for ideas, just on the off-chance of a Bloods victory.

Red and white jumpers, beanies and scarves. the same as the blokes, you piker.

[snajik]

[QUOTE=Primmy;451078]

[/B]

Red and white jumpers, beanies and scarves. the same as the blokes, you piker.

Hmmm. That's a tad disappointing. I was hoping to find myself amongst a sea of latex ensconced bubblebutts in a variety of hues. A secondary motivation for saying yes to Ladies Stand tickets. Next you'll be telling me that I won't be the only bloke capable of gaining access to this gender specific observation deck.

[Midfield]

So glad I went to that Port QF in '03. Without doubt, the most enjoyable day I've ever had at the footy.

I wasn?t at the 2003 port final, but recon the 2005 final against the cats would beat it. Either way we?ve had some bloody great times with this team and hope there is one more left in them. If we pull this one off it will be bigger than all the upsets previously mentioned ? it wont feel as good as the stakes are not as high, but it would be the mother of all upsets.

[top40]

So glad I went to that Port QF in '03. Without doubt, the most enjoyable day I've ever had at the footy.

I was there too. Swans were $7 and I mate of mine won $350.

[Triple B]

I wasn?t at the 2003 port final, but recon the 2005 final against the cats would beat it....

Completely different types of games.

Port game we went in as massive underdogs, jumped them and in reality were never in danger from midway thru the second quarter (even though I was also at the game and was nervous as a kitten at 3/4 time after a few late goals that Port were going to come home over the top of us).

Geelong game we were warm favourites, but played terrible for 3 and a bit quarters until Davo did his thing. I clearly remember sitting back in my seat after Johnson kicked the first goal of the last quarter and thinking how unfair it was that we were robbed in the west the previous week by a disgraceful umpiring decision (against Leo) and here we were going out in straight sets.

The Port game was a high because we overcame huge odds to win, the Geelong game was a high because we fair dinkum performed a miracle to get out of gaol.

I know the feeling for me after the Port game was elation. After the Geelong game it was relief.

[ernie koala]

Hang on I am confused.

There is absolutely no way Scheinder was worth an early second round pick on his own. Hence why Dempster was also included in the trade.

Therefore it reasonable to suggest that we have both Mattner and Merideth on our list in place of both Scheinder and Dempster for the one trade as it allowed us to add to the list in Mattner and draft Merideth.

Would you have preferred we keep Scheinder, trade for Mattner with our second pick, not draft Merideth and then play Scheinder ahead of both Moore and Vespremi over the last 18 months?

As for whether Merideth is better than Otten or not, that has nothing to do with the trade but a further conversation on our picks with the the selections we had.

Based on list requirements, salary cap pressure and opening up spots in the 22 for younger players, the trade was succesful from our perspective.

DST

Twist away if you must..but the raw facts are we traded both Dempster and Schneider for one pick.. not two. So if we hadn't traded them we still would of had pick 28 for either Mattner or Meredith. So to do a real comparison..
Is Meredith and Mattner better value than Dempster, Schneider and Meredith or Mattner.
The Otten reference was just an aside about what transpired at our second round pick...He was touted as a Swans sellection prior to the draft.

[DST]

Twist away if you must..but the raw facts are we traded both Dempster and Schneider for one pick.. not two. So if we hadn't traded them we still would of had pick 28 for either Mattner or Meredith. So to do a real comparison..
Is Meredith and Mattner better value than Dempster, Schneider and Meredith or Mattner.
The Otten reference was just an aside about what transpired at our second round pick...He was touted as a Swans sellection prior to the draft.

Okay so let's say we retained the status quo and ended up with the following with (in a perfect world) all playing this weekend in the 22:

Scheinder, Dempster and Merideth.

or

Mattner, Merideth and one more spot that is now open by dropping one in the trade for Vespremi.

Now looking at that sceniro. I am extremely comfortable that for team balance and promoting youth into the team that deal was good and got us closer to winning our next premiership.

DST