Best Swans Team 1980-2010

[laughingnome]

Mark Bayes was and still is my favourite swans player of all time.

Not my favourite, but his ability in marking contests and his raking left foot made him the consummate backman. He's certainly in my 22.

[snajik]

Unfortunately no finals were played in Sydney in the mid 8o's. If we had the right to play home finals back then I think we could have won 2 premierships under Tom Hafey.

Not necessarily. In 86 we were on par or slightly worse than a couple of sides, particularly Hawthorn and Carlton, maybe even Fitzroy. We were better in 87 and probably were the best side for two thirds of the season. Then everything came unstuck. By the time they limped into the finals they didn't deserve their spot. The margins in the the two finals that they played in were disgraceful and playing on the SCG would have made very little difference. They were a rabble.

[Matty10]

It's always hard trying to come up with lists like this - do you rate players over their whole careers, just their time with the swans, or their best season? A lot of players would be contenders if it was the latter (but it would make for interesting arguments).

Looking at the list provided, it perhaps seems a little slow (but maybe that says more about the lists the swans have had in the past 30 years lacking in pace?).

I would probably try and find a spot for Bernard Toohey (not that he adds great speed, I just rated him highly as a player).

[Velour&Ruffles]

Barry Round was a glorious trier

And a Brownlow Medal winner.
And starting ruckman in the Swans team of the Century.
Took 18 marks one week when a mark meant a contested pack mark. None of this stats-bloating loose link man bullsh.
He's a walk up start in the '80 - '10 team.
A few more "glorious triers" of his quality right now would be handy.

Bayes was better on a back flank, making Craig Bolton's selection a bit extreme. Roos to CHB. This from a Bombers supporter.

Stephen Kernahan - a popular choice for best centre half forward ever - rated Mark Bayes his toughest opponent. Sticks has said a few dumb things in his time ("just pleased to get the 4 points" after a finals win being high among them) but it still suggests to me Bayes was a pretty reasonable centre half back.

[elroy67]

For those that never got to see Mark Bayes play, unfortunatley you guys have missed out on seeing one of the premier backman of the competition. I can honestly say I never saw him EVER get beaten, when he was playing either CHB or FB.

I remember 1 game we played against the saints out at Waverly, in the 1st half Bayes was on Loewe and Nettlebeck(what a star he was....not) was on Lockett, by half time Lockett had 7 goals, Loewe 0 goals. The coach made the move at half time, Bayes onto Lockett, Nettlebeck onto Loewe. At full time, Loewe had 7 goals, Lockett was still on 7 goals.

Now the media made a fuss about how fantastic the 2 saints forwards had performed, 7 goals a piece. What they failed to mention was that 14 goals were kicked on Nettlebeck and 0 goals on Bayes.

Mark Bayes was and still is my favourite swans player of all time.

Hear, hear!!

[big bear]

Bayes and Roos must be in team. Who to omit the question?