Are we contenders in 2012?

[Cheer_Cheer]

It would be helpful to our cause if we could win in Melbourne...

[GongSwan]

It would be helpful to our cause if we could win in Melbourne...

It's odd that last year, with the same list, we had many good away wins and tended to lose at home. Perhaps the game plan has been tweaked to suit the SCG, a little shorter than most Melb grounds, but a lot wider than Etihad. I don't really know, but it seems like if we're getting done on the spread, it would happen more on the wider grounds

[msb]

It would be helpful to our cause if we could win in Melbourne...

And then some, geez im sick to death of going to games in melbourne and just seeing these mediocracy performances! If we cant win down here then what is the point?? This is where the GF is played.

[Wardy]

Ah it's part of the demented, fun rollercoaster ride that we Swannies faithful strap ourselves in for every year isn't it !!!

indeed, they are like relatives - they often do your head in, but you love them nonetheless and un conditionally.:-)

[GongSwan]

indeed, they are like relatives - they often do your head in, but you love them nonetheless and un conditionally.:-)

Luckily I only see my relo's a few times a year, the Swans on the other hand.....

[jono2707]

indeed, they are like relatives - they often do your head in, but you love them nonetheless and un conditionally.:-)

A few of mine would have been delisted a long time ago... :-)

[Wardy]

Wow we just made it onto Spuds coach killers on after the bounce!!!! It's gotta be bad to get a mention there.

[caj23]

No we are not

Contenders don't drop games against middle of the road sides, we've now done it twice in three weeks

[Frog]

No we are not

Contenders don't drop games against middle of the road sides, we've now done it twice in three weeks

Carlton, 1995. Won 23 from 25 games to take minor premier. Beat Geelong in the final for the premiership.
Got beaten by Sydney and St Kilda in successive weeks (rounds 8 and 9). Sydney finished 1995 in 12th, St Kilda finished in 14th.

You can argue they were not middle of the road sides at the time. But it does happen (Essendon in 2000 - 24 from 25, lost to the Bulldogs is another, but that was only once in the season)

[Plugger46]

Regardless if we're a contender or not, premiership teams and those which go deep into September lose a few games that they're 'meant' to win. It happens just about every year, people have very short memories.

[Melbournehammer]

Regardless if we're a contender or not, premiership teams and those which go deep into September lose a few games that they're 'meant' to win. It happens just about every year, people have very short memories.

I am not so sure of that. The last few seasons have seen a series of virtually unbeatable teams. geelong, st kilda in their gf years, collingwood, hawthorn's back end of their flag season and so on. Teams which are at the top or are heading in that direction win against good teams and against middling teams. We are about where we are. A side which could finish anywhere from 5-12. We beat the sides we need to beat but lost agains tthe good sides. A revisit to this season will make people realise that the three decent wins (north, freo and hawthorn) have all been against sides which are about where we are.

Injuries have really hurt us this season in that they have been amongst our most critical players who have copped injury.

i think there should be more concern about the manner of our two melbourne losses. Both involved a fundamental inability to get the ball beyond centre wing. Both involved a defence which started to panic with the amount of ball that was coming in. And the long kick out to the 50 metre arc was picked off time and time again, as well as an inability to change direction because when players got the ball they knew they would just turn it over.

Marty m got caught twice with the ball - both times because he had nothing to kick to and decided to keep the ball in hand instead. it is either the structure or the coaching or (i think) both. Sucking the pacy types to the ball when under pressure means that the long kick out to the pack involves giving up possession simply too often, because our talls are unable to lock the ball into the pack on the wing.

[caj23]

Carlton, 1995. Won 23 from 25 games to take minor premier. Beat Geelong in the final for the premiership.
Got beaten by Sydney and St Kilda in successive weeks (rounds 8 and 9). Sydney finished 1995 in 12th, St Kilda finished in 14th.

You can argue they were not middle of the road sides at the time. But it does happen (Essendon in 2000 - 24 from 25, lost to the Bulldogs is another, but that was only once in the season)

Your comparing the 1995 Carlton premiership team that lost 2 games all season and the Bombers from 2000 who lost 1 solitary game in the last round of the season with the 2012 Swans??????

We are 6 and 3 after 9 rounds with losses to 2 teams who will probably finish between 8 - 12.

We have lost to 1 of the teams above us on the ladder and are yet to play the other 3. On present form we are likely to be 0 - 3 for those games.

The question in this thread is are we contenders in 2012?

The simple answer on the evidence to date is no

[Dosser]

The phone poll on SEN this morning was "Who is the flag favourite at this stage of the season?" The results were 1. Essendon 2 West Coast 3. SYDNEY(!?) 4. Collingwood 5. Geelong. OK, which of you guys kept hitting the speed-dial?

[ernie koala]

The phone poll on SEN this morning was "Who is the flag favourite at this stage of the season?" The results were 1. Essendon 2 West Coast 3. SYDNEY(!?) 4. Collingwood 5. Geelong. OK, which of you guys kept hitting the speed-dial?

I think people have finally twigged......Being flag favourite, particually this early in the season, is proving to be a liability.

[ShockOfHair]

True, Ernie. I've been on the Hawks bandwagon since February. Now that's ground to a halt, I'm on the Pies'.