Long odds

[Go Swannies]

Imagine if, in the euphoria of September 2012, one of us had posted:

"I reckon we can finish Top 4 and have a good chance of going back to back even if Goodes, LRT, Jetta and Shaw don't play, AJ is out for the whole season and Rohan doesn't get a game until a few weeks before September. Sam Reid could be out for a long time, Marty might retire and Morton will be injured and hardly get a game. But that's alright, in their place we'll play Kieren's little brother, Jed Lamb, Dane Rampe, Tom Mitchell and Andrejs Everitt. We will have two secret weapons - Adelaide's Kurt Tippett and Jesse White - to unleash. Oh, and Goodes may play finals after being out for months."

I think you would have heard the wailing and gnashing of teeth from across the harbour. But that's what's happened and that knocked-together team have us as a lock for Top 4 two weeks before the end of the season. No matter what happens next it's been a great season for inspired coaching and team values. Now for B2B.

[GongSwan]

Yep, it's been a pretty fair effort by the boys in a somewhat cobbled together side

[Swansongster]

Imagine if, in the euphoria of September 2012, one of us had posted:

"I reckon we can finish Top 4 and have a good chance of going back to back even if Goodes, LRT, Jetta and Shaw don't play, AJ is out for the whole season and Rohan doesn't get a game until a few weeks before September. Sam Reid could be out for a long time, Marty might retire and Morton will be injured and hardly get a game. But that's alright, in their place we'll play Kieren's little brother, Jed Lamb, Dane Rampe, Tom Mitchell and Andrejs Everitt. We will have two secret weapons - Adelaide's Kurt Tippett and Jesse White - to unleash. Oh, and Goodes may play finals after being out for months."

I think you would have heard the wailing and gnashing of teeth from across the harbour. But that's what's happened and that knocked-together team have us as a lock for Top 4 two weeks before the end of the season. No matter what happens next it's been a great season for inspired coaching and team values. Now for B2B.

Agreed.

We've played some good football this year without ever really nailing it (and with some bad footy mixed in). All teams in top four are the same. If we peak in September (as we did last year), back-to-back is not out of the question.

I don't fear any QF assignment. They are the games that the Bloods spirit thrives on.

[Auntie.Gerald]

a few weeks ago we were called the "Audit"

now we are are as divisive as an "Audi" vs a "Jag"

Im digging my heels in and prepared for greatness from our 2013 younger less experienced team........equally I am totally unprepared to be disappointed !!

- - - Updated - - -

a few weeks ago we were called the "Audit"

now we are are as divisive as an "Audi" vs a "Jag"

Im digging my heels in and prepared for greatness from our 2013 younger less experienced team........equally I am totally unprepared to be disappointed !!

[mcs]

Imagine if, in the euphoria of September 2012, one of us had posted:

"I reckon we can finish Top 4 and have a good chance of going back to back even if Goodes, LRT, Jetta and Shaw don't play, AJ is out for the whole season and Rohan doesn't get a game until a few weeks before September. Sam Reid could be out for a long time, Marty might retire and Morton will be injured and hardly get a game. But that's alright, in their place we'll play Kieren's little brother, Jed Lamb, Dane Rampe, Tom Mitchell and Andrejs Everitt. We will have two secret weapons - Adelaide's Kurt Tippett and Jesse White - to unleash. Oh, and Goodes may play finals after being out for months."

I think you would have heard the wailing and gnashing of teeth from across the harbour. But that's what's happened and that knocked-together team have us as a lock for Top 4 two weeks before the end of the season. No matter what happens next it's been a great season for inspired coaching and team values. Now for B2B.

Indeed - was thinking about this earlier. If someone like Hawthorn or Geelong had been missing as many key players as us all season, they'd be lauded no end for how well they've done with an understrength team.

I have my doubts about whether we can match it with the big boys in September without at very least a couple more big names coming back in, but I do know we will give all we've got. And our best football is right up there with our best football of 2012 - and that was good enough to win a flag.

Looking forward to seeing where we end up - but whatever happens, we've done very well so far, and its far from over yet!!

CARN YOU SWANNIES!

[woo]

Last year from round five on I knew we had it in the bag. Should have put money on it.... My gut does not say the same thing. We are all completely underestimating Freo .... I hope to be proven wrong.

[Triple B]

Agreed.

We've played some good football this year without ever really nailing it (and with some bad footy mixed in). All teams in top four are the same. If we peak in September (as we did last year), back-to-back is not out of the question.

I don't fear any QF assignment. They are the games that the Bloods spirit thrives on.

I reckon we nailed the Adelaide game and to a slightly lesser extent the Pies game at the MCG. Agree with the rest tho.

We just need to nail it again in September, which is exactly what we did last September...

[Jewels]

Imagine if, in the euphoria of September 2012, one of us had posted:

"I reckon we can finish Top 4 and have a good chance of going back to back even if Goodes, LRT, Jetta and Shaw don't play, AJ is out for the whole season and Rohan doesn't get a game until a few weeks before September. Sam Reid could be out for a long time, Marty might retire and Morton will be injured and hardly get a game. But that's alright, in their place we'll play Kieren's little brother, Jed Lamb, Dane Rampe, Tom Mitchell and Andrejs Everitt. We will have two secret weapons - Adelaide's Kurt Tippett and Jesse White - to unleash. Oh, and Goodes may play finals after being out for months."

I think you would have heard the wailing and gnashing of teeth from across the harbour. But that's what's happened and that knocked-together team have us as a lock for Top 4 two weeks before the end of the season. No matter what happens next it's been a great season for inspired coaching and team values. Now for B2B.

Great post Go Swannies, agree with everything you've said. Perhaps a few posters on here should take a minute occasionally and think just what this team (players AND coaches) have achieved this year when at one point it looked like they'd be giving us guernseys as we walked through the gates the playing stocks looked so low.
Whatever happens from now on, even if we do go out in straight sets, it's been a good year and we've not disgraced ourselves in our flag defence.

- - - Updated - - -

Last year from round five on I knew we had it in the bag. Should have put money on it.... My gut does not say the same thing. We are all completely underestimating Freo .... I hope to be proven wrong.

I don't mean to be rude but if you thought at round five last year we were going to win the whole thing then you definitely should have put money on it cause I am the worlds greatest optimist as far as this team is concerned but by round 9 last year after being beaten by Adelaide, Richmond and St Kilda in the previous three from four games, I didn't think we'd make the eight let alone win the whole thing.
I think Freo are this years Adelaide, a good team but aided greatly by a very good draw.

[Ludwig]

This year we should do it OUR way:

1. Lose the next 3 games, making 4 loses out of 5.
2. Everyone totally writes us off, because we play the Pies at ANZ, who everyone knows we cannot beat.
3. Gary Rohan comes in as the sub in the GF and runs coast to coast kicking the winning goal at the buzzer.

[Beerman]

I think you would have heard the wailing and gnashing of teeth from across the harbour.

Not so much wailing and gnashing of teeth as open mockery and disdain! Let me step into my time machine to go back to 2012 to answer you.....

~~~ wavy lines ~~~ tinkly music ~~~wavy lines ~~~ tinkly music ~~~

I reckon we can finish Top 4 and have a good chance of going back to back even if Goodes, LRT, Jetta and Shaw don't play, AJ is out for the whole season and Rohan doesn't get a game until a few weeks before September. Sam Reid could be out for a long time, Marty might retire and Morton will be injured and hardly get a game. But that's alright, in their place we'll play Kieren's little brother, Jed Lamb, Dane Rampe, Tom Mitchell and Andrejs Everitt. We will have two secret weapons - Adelaide's Kurt Tippett and Jesse White - to unleash. Oh, and Goodes may play finals after being out for months."

ROFL!! First of all, you can discuss hypotheticals all you like, but to have an injury list like that would be *incredibly* unlucky. Swans medical staff are top notch and I think I can say with confidence our injury list won't be anywhere near that bad. Only exception is Rohan, who definitely won't play in 2013. As for Mattner retiring, he's surely got a year or two left in him. No more likely to retire than Mitch Morton, (for example).

Second, you are proposing replacing proven premiership players with rookies, novices and b-graders and expecting them to do as well. True, Lamb & Mitchell show some promise but neither have played a single game at the AFL level. As for White - I think we've seen the best he can give us and if we're relying on him for 1.5 goals per game we're in big trouble. Rampe, Brandon Jack and Xavier Richards aren't even on our senior list!

And as for getting Tippett? Try reducing your medication! Next thing they'll be talking about us getting Buddy Franklin!

In that scenario we would be lucky to make the top 8, let alone top 4. Heck - I'd be happy if we could beat GWS!

~~~ wavy lines ~~~ tinkly music ~~~wavy lines ~~~ tinkly music ~~~


Wow!

[Go Swannies]

Not so much wailing and gnashing of teeth as open mockery and disdain! Let me step into my time machine to go back to 2012 to answer you.....

~~~ wavy lines ~~~ tinkly music ~~~wavy lines ~~~ tinkly music ~~~



Originally Posted by Go Swannies
I reckon we can finish Top 4 and have a good chance of going back to back even if Goodes, LRT, Jetta and Shaw don't play, AJ is out for the whole season and Rohan doesn't get a game until a few weeks before September. Sam Reid could be out for a long time, Marty might retire and Morton will be injured and hardly get a game. But that's alright, in their place we'll play Kieren's little brother, Jed Lamb, Dane Rampe, Tom Mitchell and Andrejs Everitt. We will have two secret weapons - Adelaide's Kurt Tippett and Jesse White - to unleash. Oh, and Goodes may play finals after being out for months."




Originally Posted by Beerman
ROFL!! First of all, you can discuss hypotheticals all you like, but to have an injury list like that would be *incredibly* unlucky. Swans medical staff are top notch and I think I can say with confidence our injury list won't be anywhere near that bad. Only exception is Rohan, who definitely won't play in 2013. As for Mattner retiring, he's surely got a year or two left in him. No more likely to retire than Mitch Morton, (for example).

Second, you are proposing replacing proven premiership players with rookies, novices and b-graders and expecting them to do as well. True, Lamb & Mitchell show some promise but neither have played a single game at the AFL level. As for White - I think we've seen the best he can give us and if we're relying on him for 1.5 goals per game we're in big trouble. Rampe, Brandon Jack and Xavier Richards aren't even on our senior list!

And as for getting Tippett? Try reducing your medication! Next thing they'll be talking about us getting Buddy Franklin!

In that scenario we would be lucky to make the top 8, let alone top 4. Heck - I'd be happy if we could beat GWS!




~~~ wavy lines ~~~ tinkly music ~~~wavy lines ~~~ tinkly music ~~~


Wow!

Very funny BM. But now I feel that exchange really happened. Did it?

[Nich]

That's a great post. Very funny!

[CJK]

+1 to the Beerman