Feeling the love

[ShockOfHair]

Because it's half-year break it's OK to soak up the adulation. Just for this week.

Warren Tredrea:
I AM officially in love with the Sydney Swans.

While I have been singing their praises for some time, their ruthless demolition of Adelaide has seen the AFL's most disciplined outfit raise the bar even higher.

Jon Ralph:
The complete side

Then you add in Luke Parker, who plays half forward and midfield with equal dexterity, and of course Dan Hannebury, who is second in some AFL player of the year awards.

Jarrad McVeigh - at half-back - and Jude Bolton - at half-forward - just keep on keeping on.

No wonder this team is the complete side, and has the adulation of every football purist.


Rohan Connolly:
Four Swans in mid-year AA team


Dan Hannebery, as good as he already was, has clearly gone to another level again 2013, behind only the peerless Gary Ablett in most media awards, and importantly, the coaches? own MVP. He?s accompanied in my best 22 by outstanding running half-back Nick Malceski and co-captains Jarrad McVeigh and Kieren Jack (pictured above), the latter pair on the interchange bench.

Read more: Half a season produces team full of talent

[Sandridge]

When I started supporting South Melbourne, we were the team to be pitied. And that attitude towards us lasted a long, long time.

It's just such a magnificent feeling to now be a supporter of the club that everyone wants to be!

[DK_]

Great articles! Thanks! Hard not to get excited at the moment...

Second link didn't work for me though.

[ShockOfHair]

I'm always a bit wary of praise from other clubs, even one of our ex-flag coaches, but what the heck:

AFL.com.au
Radar finally lands on Swans
A club that has spent three decades since moving to Sydney being perpetually written off and constantly underrated, is now suddenly the talk of the AFL world.
...

"The premiers are the benchmark," Fremantle coach Ross Lyon said this week.

"Regardless of where they play and the scoreboard, they're giving their best, and that's the sort of team we want to be.


- - - Updated - - -

Great articles! Thanks! Hard not to get excited at the moment...

Second link didn't work for me though.

I can't edit the OP. Here's the link:
Jon Ralph
The complete side

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/the-buzz-jon-ralph-nominates-your-clubs-big-improvers/story-fni5f08l-1226662041102

[liz]

Rohan Connolly:
Four Swans in mid-year AA team


Dan Hannebery, as good as he already was, has clearly gone to another level again 2013,

Read more: Half a season produces team full of talent

I am glad Connolly has acknowledged that Hanners was a pretty decent player before this year. I am a bit bewildered by the surprise that many media pundits are expressing at his performances this year.

He's been on a steady and upwards trajectory since he debuted as an 18year old, still at school. He is a past Rising Star winner and was stiff in many people's eyes (mine included) not to win the Norm Smith last year. I don't believe he's delivered anything this year that he hasn't displayed on many occasions in the past, other than the fact he's now joined the rest of our mids as a goal contributor. The difference is that he's doing it practically every week, rather than every other week or so for the last season or two.

[hot potato]

I am devouring every delicious
Accolade, but just don't want any of the players reading it !
HP

[ScottH]

[bodgie]

I'm in Adelaide at the moment, but I got here a day too late for the real fun. There's been more about the Swans, such as the Tredrea linked above, and some White fun, than I see in Sydney papers! I think I'll be here for the Port game. Gotta go to that one!

[ShockOfHair]

Top of the power rankings:

The Swans are just getting better each week and their comprehensive dismantling of Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on the weekend was as close to the perfect game of football as is possible to play.

[justabaraker]

[I]A club that has spent three decades since moving to Sydney being perpetually written off and constantly underrated, is now suddenly the talk of the AFL world.
...

"The premiers are the benchmark," Fremantle coach Ross Lyon said this week.

"Regardless of where they play and the scoreboard, they're giving their best, and that's the sort of team we want to be.

SO, now that we are the "talk of the AFL world", who do we put it all down to ?
I'm torn between:-
- Richard Colless
- Paul Roos
- Ron Barassi
- Tony Lockett
- Paul Kelly

I'm leaning towards Ron Barassi who took hold of the basket case and seemed to put in place the structures that brought Roos and Lockett - did Barassi bring Colless or did Colless bring Barassi ?

[111431]

When I started supporting South Melbourne, we were the team to be pitied. And that attitude towards us lasted a long, long time.

It's just such a magnificent feeling to now be a supporter of the club that everyone wants to be!

I remember the same times and I'm loving this ride - fwd to September driver !

[liz]

SO, now that we are the "talk of the AFL world", who do we put it all down to ?
I'm torn between:-
- Richard Colless
- Paul Roos
- Ron Barassi
- Tony Lockett
- Paul Kelly

I'm leaning towards Ron Barassi who took hold of the basket case and seemed to put in place the structures that brought Roos and Lockett - did Barassi bring Colless or did Colless bring Barassi ?

There a quite a few who have made big contributions, many of them unseen. But I think Andrew Ireland and Stewie Maxfield are two who've played key roles in the development of the club. And of course, Longmire deserves some part of the credit for the football we're playing at the moment.

[dimelb]

Having recently read Football Ltd by Gary Linnell, I would add Ron Joseph to the list. He supported South as a kid and had the nerve to get Bobby Skilton to let him wear the No. 14 guernsey to school after his first (I think) Brownlow. After the move to Sydney he persuaded Bobby to come to a Brownlow night in Sydney for the first time ever. I quote:

More than 600 people turned up and when Skilton was introduced to the audience, they stood and clapped for seven minutes. Skilton was visibly affected by the outpouring of emotion. The applause just seemed to last forever. Joseph sat quietly to one side and fought back tears swelling in his eyes.
"You know," Skilton told him later, "I didn't really want to come up. I like my Brownlow night. But when I got home I told my wife it was one of the greatest nights I'd ever experienced."
There was hope there, Joseph thought. Sydney could still become a football town.

Ron Joseph is not listed as a Life Member, but I think he might have earned it for that effort, let alone other things he has done for the club over the years.

[DeadlyAkkuret]

It's almost as if we didn't win the flag last year and this is all a big surprise.

[Dooloo]

When I started supporting South Melbourne, we were the team to be pitied. And that attitude towards us lasted a long, long time.

It's just such a magnificent feeling to now be a supporter of the club that everyone wants to be!

This x2