2013 v Top 8

[ScottH]

After 10 rounds (and a "soft" start) we've now played 5 teams in the top 8 in the last 7 weeks.
With a result of 2 wins, a draw and 2 losses.

Those 2 losses were against the teams that are currently the only ones above us.
We are 1/2 a game ahead of where we were this time last year (3 losses).

Not a bad start to the season for the Reigning Champs!!!

Next week we play another top 8 team away.
Win that and we'll be well set up for a huge crack at back to back.

[johnno]

I wouldn't mind playing either Geelong or Hawthorn now, in the form we've displayed against Collingwood & Essendon! I think the results would reversed.

Guess we have to wait for rounds 22 & 23.

[ScottH]

I wouldn't mind playing either Geelong or Hawthorn now, in the form we've displayed against Collingwood & Essendon! I think the results would reversed.

Guess we have to wait for rounds 22 & 23.

Could be.

Unfortunately, Adelaide are not a top 8 team so we can't lay claim to another scalp.
But we've now beaten 2 of the 3 team we played in last years finals. Emphatically I might add.

Still 1/2 game ahead of this time last year, but 1 spot lower, and a slightly less %.

[mcs]

We are right on track in my book. We didn't play well against the Cats and Hawks earlier in the season, but we also lost to two of the three teams we beat in the finals last year during the regular season.

I fully expect the 2nd half of the season to a point will reflect the first half of our season. After the Bye I expect we will go down a bit in level, still playing good footy and hopefully winning all the games up until Rd 16. Then, following that I expect we will start building up again to the big games at the end of the regular season and the finals beyond.

[swanspant12]

Still have concerns about us versing Geelong as we always seem to get opened up against them. I reckon we'll do the hawks next time we verse them. Hopefully we do them again in the granny...

[Alan]

Still have concerns about us versing Geelong as we always seem to get opened up against them. I reckon we'll do the hawks next time we verse them. Hopefully we do them again in the granny...

I agree totally Geelong have the midfielders with bigger bodies and slightly more experience to really worry us and I think the Dockers have always fancied themselves against us too.

[Kirkari]

Still have concerns about us versing Geelong as we always seem to get opened up against them. I reckon we'll do the hawks next time we verse them. Hopefully we do them again in the granny...

You mean versus, not versing and play, not verse.

versing - Verb - present participle of verse - To speak in or compose verse; versify.

versus - Preposition - Against (esp. in sports and legal use): "Penn versus Princeton". As opposed to; in contrast to.

Other than that, you make a good point.

[Bloods05]

You mean versus, not versing and play, not verse.

versing - Verb - present participle of verse - To speak in or compose verse; versify.

versus - Preposition - Against (esp. in sports and legal use): "Penn versus Princeton". As opposed to; in contrast to.

Other than that, you make a good point.

Hallelujah!

To be fair, many people have never seen the word "versus" spelt out fully, because it's usually abbreviated as "vs".

Perhaps understandably, they hear it as "verses", assume the verb "to verse" means to play or oppose or take on (as in "Tomorrow, Sydney verses Carlton") and take it from there.

Great grammar lesson though.

[dimelb]

Still have concerns about us versing Geelong as we always seem to get opened up against them. I reckon we'll do the hawks next time we verse them. Hopefully we do them again in the granny...

Geelong has been a problem. They play what I call "helter-skelter football", meaning bang it forward from almost any position, trust their exceptional skills, versatility and positioning, get an I50 and convert from it. They will overrun almost any team.
I trust our own exceptional coaching panel to work out how to deal with this and play the game more on our terms instead of competing with theirs. I think we have the talent to do it.

[wolftone57]

Geelong played the overlap and create the loose man against us the last time and we fell for the three card trick of more than one player going after the player with the ball setting them a loose man. Play them one on one and they can't get the overlap. They also had Podsiadly playing as a loose man and you can't allow that as he was very creative in bringing the ball out of their defence. All players should have a mark and pick that mark up. They are not as fast as they sometimes seem it is that they play in a wave a little like Kennedy's commandos. A group of players will bunch and then run and you don't know which is going to get the ball. If every player has a man then it will fall apart. Oh and I think they have become quite a roughhouse team since Scott took over and they rely on fear to win the contests on many occasions. fear of Reputation as a good side and fear of maybe getting the nose broken from an errant elbow, always an accident of course.

[graemed]

Geelong and Hawthorn are both class outfits with excellence all over the ground.
Geelong have a perceived weakness in the ruck but the steeple chaser has been covering for them there. The have big forwards that worry both our key defenders and a backline that has excellent talls and experienced hardened half backs.
Their midfield is all class and they have a leader who is extraordinary.
Ditto Hawthorn except swap the steeple chaser for Roughhead.
I also rate Freemantle and worry that in the west they may be too good to beat.
These are the teams we have to beat in September not June.
I do feel we had the better of Geelong before we lost LRT and Harry Taylor went crazy good on us, I also believe that with Mumford in the team the Hawks would not have been able to bully us the way they did.
I think right now this team is playing better football than I have ever seen from a Swans team but there is a daying that haunts me still: "Early ripe, early rotten" and our injury list is increasing and should include Goodes whether or not it does.

[Auntie.Gerald]

its class vs class with the Swans, Geelong and the Hawks

it will simply come down to injuries pre game, injuries during the game and then who ever wants it more on the day

there is nothing between those 3 teams in my opinion

[ScottH]

Geelong has been a problem. They play what I call "helter-skelter football", meaning bang it forward from almost any position, trust their exceptional skills, versatility and positioning, get an I50 and convert from it. They will overrun almost any team.
I trust our own exceptional coaching panel to work out how to deal with this and play the game more on our terms instead of competing with theirs. I think we have the talent to do it.

Our back 6 have only just started to gel together, again.
They weren't quite there in the firsts 8 weeks.
Be a more interesting re match now.

[Industrial Fan]

Personally I think Geelong will slow down as the year rolls on. They have a lot of youngsters that will be feeling the effects of the season. They are ahead of where we were a few years ago when we topped the table after 6- rounds before our youngsters tapered off, but I still thinking they'll be a bit too bruised to do any serious damage at finals time.

Hawthorn put us to the sword with Hodge and Roughhead playing exceptional games, and with shots sailing through for goals from everywhere. The next games we play will be different and the result will likely be a flip of the coin again.

I hadnt realised how frugal Freos defence was number wise, but they are certainly building a case for legitimacy particularly given their missing persons list. I wouldnt be confident against Freo at Freo come finals time.

[bloodbrother]

we have a rolled gold midfield with pressure on everyone each week to keep their spot..i don't fear hawks or geelong although I respect them ..I liken the way the swans play at their best is like a pack of ravenous wolves that hunt and pressure until the ball is turned over then spread from the contest like no other side in the comp..i think our depth to cover any injury right now is the thing that will win the swans another flag in 2013