Having time to reflect (moving forward)

[gloveski]

Firstly I am shattered after losing that one, more for the boys they played there hearts out and as a spectacle it was a great game of footy to watch. The way the boys gathered around Goodsey after he missed the goal was a show of how a tight this group really is. The key element moving forward for this team to be successful in coming years. You know the swans give it there all week in week out, I can live with the fact that we wont get the chocolates every week as long as the boys have given 100%
The problem areas, our continual delivery of short kicks to a leading target who has someone on their hammer. One of the team rules back in my playing day was no shorts to a 50/50 contest. Break that rule and off to the bench you went. As much as I love the guy AJ is one of the culprits here

Once our strenth but now a weakness is that our half backs used to controll the game. When Kennely and Melcho were up and running our forward thrusts always started through these two guys. Sadly Kennelly doesn't provide this run anymore and is beginning to be a reliability, and Melcho just doesn't look fit at the moment. We need to mold someone in this role and it may be AJ as long as he gets the short kicks to 50/50 contests out of his game. Rohan is another likely type for this role, and I reckon Melcho will still be able to provide this next year. He was setting personal bests in the pre season so I haven't written him off yet.

Our forward line is at times a shambles we have Reid and when Goodes plays there and not much else at the moment Benny Mglynn can be added when up and about but he looks to be carrying injuries to me atm. ASAP we need to find another key forward so Goodes can play majority of the game on the ball and then rest forward.

Midfield we have the in and under guys now we need polish with speed. Jetta should fit the bill but maybe a few years away from providing this.

Moving forward we have a exciting list of youngsters to push us to another shot at the big one about 3 years down the track in my opinion. I love what horse has done in getting games into the young brigade.

The keys for the future for me are the following guys to mold a team around.

Reid..............they just simply have to keep this guy, give him the Sydney Harbour bridge if thats what it take to keep him in the red and white all his career.

Hanners..............simply outstanding who thrives in the swans environment. His gutsy play last night much to my horror ( I was yelling out no hanners as he threw himself back with the flight off the ball). Will be a key playmaker in coming years.

Jack.................future captain in my opinion and continues to improve.Provides the grunt work

AJ............ the upside for this guy could be huge or he might become a reliable defender. Just think that he may become a tall running midfielder in the future with a big tank that would be hard to match up on or be the half back that controls our thrusts forward

Mitchell.............well the raps on this guy are huge and hopefully they prove to be correct. I remember Sheedy saying he has the best kick of any underage player he has seen ( is this the polish our midfield so desperately needs). Don't like to add a guy I haven't seen but we have already heavily invested in him so the club obvioulsy sees something and so did Sheedy thats enough for me to add him here

Now I could add other players here but realistically each side only has a handull of out and out superstars. We currently only have one and that is goodes, hopefully some of the above will join him in our next push at winning the big one

[Cpt. Kirk]

here is a vid of mitchell

The future looks great.

[browneeg]

Great summary! Those short kicks kill me every game, always to someone that is "hot"! Kennelly hopefully will bow out at the end of this season, has been great but really has lost all his speed and skill! I can wait 3 years for another flag but not 73, come Swans start playing and developing our kids! We need a few more Adam Goodes!

[Donners]

It has certainly not been a write-off this year, though we will be making up the numbers in September, if we make the finals at all.

We were a bit unlucky to lose our two bookends for the whole season, though that is somewhat countered by a lack of serious injuries to other key players (only a handful of games for Mal, Mummy and Jack).

We are still a bit too reliant on players who only have a couple of years left - Bolton, Goodes, O'Keefe - and I hope the young kids can take that step up to make us a top side before those three are gone.

[toothy76]

Right. My turn...
Shattering loss but only have ourselves to blame. Let's move on.
Interesting point you make about AJ. I found he was on the receiving end of many kicks that fell short, causing him to lose his feet trying to gather the ball. I really like his confidence and run from half back. We've unearthed something there.
Adam Goodes is a phenomenon. I know I'm stating the obvious, but I can't help reflecting after each match and feeling blessed that I have watched his great career unfold. There is nothing in football (for me) that compares to him bursting clear with the ball. I just wish he wouldn't spray so many running shots at goal, especially when he has time and space to run in further. He doesn't seem to be slowing down and I hope we have another two or three seasons of him.
Our defence has held up so well considering that we probably lack a few key ingredients down there. Kennelly's finished, unfortunately. Grundy tries hard but makes many turnovers which are too costly at that end of the ground. Richards has played above himself this year but needs the support of a stronger key defender. Even Mattner seems to be on the downward slide. Smith has been outstanding this year, Rohan should fit in there when fit.
I hear whispers that a certain Brian Lake has visited the facilities in Sydney and indicated a desire to play there next year. Maybe he could be that missing link. I'm undecided on whether I like that or not.
Reid was brilliant early last night, and was kicking straight ("Happy learned how to putt") but faded late. We have to do everything on our power to hold onto him.
Hannebery's courage is unquestionable. However it was his composure and decision making late in the game when it mattered most that stood out for me. He's moving to the next level.
Jetta had a moment when he won a one-on-one contest by tackling and winning the ball, then ended up kicking a 60m goal. That passage indicated a possible turning of the corner for him. I hope it continues.
McVeigh would have made a big difference. More than his replacement did.
I spoke to Tony Morwood the other day and brought up Tom Mitchell. You should have seen his eyes light up when he spoke about him. We're getting a bloke that would go at pick 5 AT THE LATEST for whatever selection our first pick ends up being.

[dimelb]

Mitchell does look impressive.

[Nico]

On the short kicks; Other clubs such as Carlton plays this well because they hit their players smack on the chest at chest height, not at the feet or where they have to dive for the mark. Hell our goal kicking is ordinary but our field kicking is the area we need to improve on big time. Kicks that drop short or go too high immediately put us under pressure and cause quick turnovers that in turn put our back under enormous immediate pressure.

[DLBIA14]

Isn't' our future triple brownlow medalist just brilliant? Swans fans have been panting after young Tom since he was 15/16 and its great that we can finally bring him home to the family at the end of the year.

It really is our youngsters who give me an infinite amount of hope for the future. Reid, Hannebery and AJ being at the top of the list. Hanners especially was wonderful last night. He's a special little player with a great big heart. All I wanted to do was give him a cuddle after his 2 big hits. That sort of sheer courage and the determination he showed in the last quarter is indicative of his temperament and proves to me why he has got leader written all over him. A true 'backs-to-the-wall' player.

Other than that watching Adam Goodes rip the Dons a new one has me so excited. He was at his game-breaking, Brownlow winning best and apart from a few stray shots and one terrible mind explosion, I couldn't have wanted anything more. He's a once in a lifetime sort of player and god only knows what this team would do without him!

Apart from everything else, I just wanted to say I hope Macca's little bub gets well. It must be heartbreaking for new parents to see their little baby sick.

[toothy76]

We almost won two premierships with short field kicking. Maybe part of our failure to execute it as well at the moment is the inexperience of Parker, Johnson, Jetta, Reid, Hannebery (although he's very good at it), combined with the pressure put on Kennelly (age), Shaw (age?), Mattner (age), Grundy (underskilled?) that currently holds us back. I guess what I'm saying is that it'll only get better.

[swansrule100]

Im excited by what gary rohan could become too and parker has been impressive, theres no doubt we are building a good list just annoying we could be safe in the 8 but for silly patches in games v melbourne adelaide freo and now essendon

I think we need to get johnston in to develop in partnership with reid, unless we have just decided we are getting walker or hawkins or someone like that.

I cant stand brian lake so hope we dont get him

[ShockOfHair]

Trying to be philosophical about it, we've scraped through in close ones in the two previous games against the Dons. Still, pathetic to lose after all the chances we had. And Essendon at half-strength.

It all turns on the St Kilda game. About time we beat them.

[Nico]

We almost won two premierships with short field kicking. Maybe part of our failure to execute it as well at the moment is the inexperience of Parker, Johnson, Jetta, Reid, Hannebery (although he's very good at it), combined with the pressure put on Kennelly (age), Shaw (age?), Mattner (age), Grundy (underskilled?) that currently holds us back. I guess what I'm saying is that it'll only get better.

As I see it the serial culprits are: ROK, Shaw, Grundy, McVeigh, Goodes at times, Bolton, Jack, McGlynn, Malceski and Kennedy. No inexperience there. It happens so often you would almost theorise that it is a team tactic.

[Red]

That's great footage of Mitchell, thx for that Cpt. Kirk. Very excited about a midfield with him, Hanners and Kennedy in it.

It was an awesome game last night. The atmosphere was suitably electric for such a high-stakes, hard-fought encounter.

Yeah I'm bummed about the result, but felt it may happen when our goal yips returned in the last qtr. A lead of 10 point was never enough in a game like this one where either side could (and did) score a clutch of goals in a couple of minutes.

And then there's the dark hoodoo of playing the Bombers in Melbourne. To me, the Swans winning that fixture is a sign of a flag year. Of course a 1-point loss suggests this curse is entirely breakable, but we'll have to get our goal-kicking skills right or recruit a reliable forward.

[Red]

Trying to be philosophical about it, we've scraped through in close ones in the two previous games against the Dons. Still, pathetic to lose after all the chances we had. And Essendon at half-strength.

I wouldn't say they were half-strength. Unfortunately for us they had some of their better players return last night. I'd say they're missing two or three from their best line up -- Winderlich, Pears, maybe Hooker.

[Bleed Red Blood]

I wouldn't say they were half-strength. Unfortunately for us they had some of their better players return last night. I'd say they're missing two or three from their best line up -- Winderlich, Pears, maybe Hooker.

they only had 26 players to choose from. whether those players would be in the "best 22" is subjective, but they we're far from top of their game. Hell, I reckon Shotgun Williams would get a game if his body was okay. Hurleys on one foot too.