7 missing this week ............yet we rise up AGAIN !!

[Meg]

Swans are being noticed: Swans still team to beat: Lloyd

[swanspant12]

We will win the flag this year.

[DamY]

My crystal ball says cats hawks swans dockers top 4, and I am hoping for cats and swans grand final

[top40]

If all those guys could come back in one hit, who would have to be dropped??

A bloody hard decision, but here goes......

1 Mitchell
2 Morton
3 Lamb
4 Walsh
5 Bolton(I`m crying)
6 Everitt
7 ........can`t pick another one..

What a GREAT predicament we`re in..............................

My view is that the best 2013 team ahead would be to add Tippett, Shaw, Mattner and Reid; and exclude (from the Round 10 Bombers game), Walsh, Rampe, Everitt, and Morton.

That would mean just three changes from the 2012 Premiership team: IN Tippett, Mitchell, McGlynn. OUT: Morton, AJ, LRT.

I sadly cant see either LRT or Rohan being sufficiently ready now for September Finals footy, particularly noting the Swans' current depth.

One other point: is it time to seriouly consider Jude as a sub? He would be a great contibutor coming on in the 3rd or 4th quarter, coming on with all that experience to rally the troops in game ending presure situations. The Bulldogs have recently succeeded in relying upon a 'heart and soul' veteran in Daniel Giasiracusa as a sub. You have to wonder if the Swans would have survived against Freo if Jude had come on as the sub.

[Nico]

I suspect this is Mattners last season. He has really struggled with the hip injury and hinted as such when he was in the commentary box early in the season. He and his wife are both from Adelaide and although he likes Sydney said that the Adelaide family connection for both was very strong.

[Ludwig]

Tippett is coming in just in the nick of time. Hopefully Reid will okay to play after the bye as well.We are lucky that only Carlton would be a serious challenge of the 4 games after the bye, which hopefully will allow LRT to recover from his knee surgery. We are down to 0 in the KPP depth department, although we could give Xav and Brown ago in a pinch.

I wouldn't be counting on either Mattner or Shaw coming back this year. Even if they do regain fitness, we will have established a new defensive structure that Horse will not be likely to toy with going into the pointy end of the season.

I quite like the current backline setup. Rampe is settling in well and wouldn't replace him even if Mattner is fit. Macca's doing great in a duet with Mal setting up play from the back half. This also opens a spot in the midfield for Mitchell to fill, and it seems he will fill it quite nicely.

Otherwise I think our depth is in decent shape. We still have Tony, Harry C and Jeb Lamb who can fill any holes that might crop up in the midfield, winger department. Jake Lloyd also looks ready to have a go.

We certainly don't need any more injuries, especially in the KPP department, but we should be able to pull through if we can get back more than we lose on the injury front.

[Auntie.Gerald]

Ludwig

given Shaws form last season I reckon he would be move back into the starting line up asap once fit

Mattner though may need to force his way in given Rampe's rise

Im sure Macca would prefer to push back into the midfield also

[mcs]

You must surely jest Ludwig. When Mattner and Shaw are fit, they will be in the top 22, no questions asked. If you ever need to be reminded of Mattner's value to the team, just look at a certain game in September last year. Likewise Shaw has been so good for us over the last couple of seasons as well. If you were picking our best 22 with everyone fit, I'd say 99% of people, including the coaches would have them both in there.

Rampe has plenty of talent and ability, but to me if it was a choice between a fit Mattner and a fit Rampe, at this stage, the answer is pretty straightforward to me. Young talent is one thing, but experience and know how is what is needed in the big matches, and Mattner has spades of that. That is not to say I don't like Rampe - I think he has been superb for someone thrown in at the deep end this season. But you don't just scrap a 200+ game veteran completely on the basis of the first 10 games of a rookies career (unless the rookie is absolutely sensational - and as good as Rampe is, I don't think we can class him as that yet!)

[Ludwig]

I feel that a Rampe-Mattner selection is now a tossup. And if Rampe is in the team Mattner is not so much better that he would clearly dislodge him from his spot. Shaw is different issue, as McVeigh is filling in for him and his run and carry out of defence is something special. So it's more about his injury concerns.

If everyone is playing well and the defence is working cohesively, there will be nothing automatic about either one coming back into the side. No one wants to play with a winning formula.

Lets move up to round 13 and Tippett, Reid and Shaw are all available for selection. I figure Tippett comes in for Walsh, Reid for Morton (surely some protest here), and then I really can't find an obvious candidate to be dropped. Happy to listen to suggestions.

[Nico]

The point with both Mattner and Shaw is that they both have serious injuries and are struggling with them. I still reckon Shaw might have a hernia problem. If they dont get operated on they certainly get worse and more so playing AFL. I don't think there is a chance that Shaw's career is finished but with the news that he has had a setback of 4 to 5 weeks then for him to get back to full fitness by the end of the year might be a stretch. More kudos to our player versatility that we have been able to cover these 2 more than adequately.

[mcs]

The point with both Mattner and Shaw is that they both have serious injuries and are struggling with them. I still reckon Shaw might have a hernia problem. If they dont get operated on they certainly get worse and more so playing AFL. I don't think there is a chance that Shaw's career is finished but with the news that he has had a setback of 4 to 5 weeks then for him to get back to full fitness by the end of the year might be a stretch. More kudos to our player versatility that we have been able to cover these 2 more than adequately.

I have no issue if they are not fit, as then it is patently clear that they should not be selected. But I still think, if they are both at full fitness, both Mattner and Shaw are clearly in our top 22 still, despite rampe's excellent beginning to his career.

Good problems to have at the moment for the club (apart from the injury list).

[rojo]

Two to three weeks back constantly heard that Geelong and Hawks were definite top 4 contenders. Nice to hear now that Geelong, Hawks and Swans are definite top 4 contenders! Hope we peck the Crows to pieces - metaphorically speaking, of course.

[GongSwan]

I imagine a forward line of Tippett, Reid, McGlynn and Morton, resting ruck and a mid if necessary. I hope we continue to play all the talls when Tippett comes back or we run hte4 risk of losing Mummy if he gets disgruntled. With Reid roaming far and wide to get the pill, the other 3 can be pretty much forward, although Benny does work up the ground pretty well

[Nico]

Right now it appears the 2 rucks are spending more time on the ground allowing more midfield rotations. It will be intersting to see what happens when we get both Reid and Tippett up forward as to how they handle the rucks. I can't see the coaches going with a top heavy forward structure.

[Bloodthirsty]

I imagine a forward line of Tippett, Reid, McGlynn and Morton, resting ruck and a mid if necessary. I hope we continue to play all the talls when Tippett comes back or we run hte4 risk of losing Mummy if he gets disgruntled. With Reid roaming far and wide to get the pill, the other 3 can be pretty much forward, although Benny does work up the ground pretty well

+1.

- - - Updated - - -

I imagine a forward line of Tippett, Reid, McGlynn and Morton, resting ruck and a mid if necessary. I hope we continue to play all the talls when Tippett comes back or we run hte4 risk of losing Mummy if he gets disgruntled. With Reid roaming far and wide to get the pill, the other 3 can be pretty much forward, although Benny does work up the ground pretty well

+1.