2014 Swans prediction

[Auntie.Gerald]

I was chatting to a mate last night who was a mad Swans fan but has been leaning more towards the Giants since his son made the Academy at the Giants etc

He believes that the Swans will struggle to make the 8 in 2014 with the likes of Mummy, White, Bolton, Mattner, Dre, Morton etc moving on and this is taking into account Buddy most likely joining the swans

he believes that is too much quality and experienced depth leaving.........and that we are putting all our eggs in the one basket and he believes that Goodes will be lucky to play in season 2014 an Buddy an the Tip will be lucky to play half the season each..........he said if that does happen we wont make the 8

imagine if Pyke is out for the season doing his ACL in round 2 ?

..............

big calls I said to him.......and who is to say we cant pick up one or two trades for depth not withstanding we have serious depth still emerging and or coming back in 2014 as we have money still due to retirements this season and the next couple !

- LRT and AJ come back

- so to Goodes, Reid, Rohan and Jetta who only played less then half a season each . these 4 are serious footballers who make a massive diff if absent !

- Rampe is now a top 22 player in my opinion and so to Lambie if he continues his progression

- Dre might stay and is on the improve

- Buddy and Tippett playing a whole season is mind blowing

- Pyke has improved every season and will be even better in 2014

- Cunningham, Biggs, Lambie and potentially X and Jake Llyod are serious depth players minimum now and have started to build a base and taste for Snrs.....

- Parker and Mitchell are 10 yr emerging players that almost look like veterans in their intensity and imagine another pre season


SO WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ??

[desredandwhite]

Well, considering the team that played most of the back half of the year (and qualified 4th!!), the ins and outs look a bit like this for next year

In: Goodes, Franklin, Reid, AJ (eventually), LRT, Shaw,Walsh

Out: Mumford, Bolton, White (?), Everitt (?)

Injured/reserves most of the year therfore irrelevant to this comparison: Mattner, Morton

Arguably that makes us look a better team in 2014. If we're unlucky with injuries etc, we might slump to 5-8, but it would have to be a hilariously disastrous chain of events that lead to us missing the 8 altogether IMO. I have confidence in our club's list management skills - they certainly have form over the last few years to suggest they know what they're doing.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

As a keen student of the history of our club: I think there are distinct historical parallels between the present and the past.

First Parallel (happy):
The 2005 and 2012 premierships mirror those of 1909 and 1918, indeed the Maxfield, Kirk et al even reclaimed the Bloods nickname from the Belcher era. Neither team were based on high profile recruits, but had a reputation for toughness.

2nd Parallel(scary):
Recent high profile/high priced recruits seem to hark back to the South Melbourne's misnamed "Golden Era" of the 1930's. At that time we won one flag then followed it with three years of falling agonizingly close to winning a second flag (injuries were blamed then too). The team of superstars then disintegrated, sending the Swans into a death spiral that lasted for over 50 years.

[Auntie.Gerald]

wow ill take the happy universe and state that the scary parallel occurred as a pimple on a pumpkin after 2005 and 2006 for a proceeding 4 to 5 seasons only

[BillyRayCypress]

I was chatting to a mate last night who was a mad Swans fan but has been leaning more towards the Giants since his son made the Academy at the Giants etc

SO WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ??

Your mate should follows the Giants and enjoy having September off for the next few years.

[Jewels]

I was chatting to a mate last night who was a mad Swans fan but has been leaning more towards the Giants since his son made the Academy at the Giants etc

He believes that the Swans will struggle to make the 8 in 2014 with the likes of Mummy, White, Bolton, Mattner, Dre, Morton etc moving on and this is taking into account Buddy most likely joining the swans

he believes that is too much quality and experienced depth leaving.........and that we are putting all our eggs in the one basket and he believes that Goodes will be lucky to play in season 2014 an Buddy an the Tip will be lucky to play half the season each..........he said if that does happen we wont make the 8

imagine if Pyke is out for the season doing his ACL in round 2 ?


SO WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ??

If you read posts from twelve months ago, everyone was querying our depth with the amount of players we cleared out to bring in Tipps, but we have come through the most testing season injury wise in my memory with flying colours.
I think your friend is trying to get a rise out of you because surely even the most pessimistic Swans hater couldn't possibly see the Swans missing the eight, four maybe but not eight.

[Go Swannies]

Tell your mate he should be more worried about trying to sober Mummy up for R1 2014.

[Big Al]

You tell me there are still people underestimating this footy club. We havd been underestimated since 1996 and with 4 GF, 2 Premierships and 15 finals appearances in 18 seasons it beggars belief it still happens.

My prediction is if we get a good run with injuries (which all premiership sides need) our results will cause Eddie Maguire to spontaneously combust. A win for the Swans and the entire competition.

[dimelb]

AG, I wonder if your friend is one of those people who set their sights low so as not to be too disappointed. He stands every chance of being overwhelmed with delight.

[Bloodthirsty]

Seriously what is with the doubt? 2014 will probably be the strongest team we've ever put on a football field, at a time where there is a large gap between the top 4 teams and the rest, and the other top 4 teams have serious flaws.

We get back experience, not lose it. We will win the 2014 flag. As long as Longmire figures out a way to make the new look side work together as he did in 2012.

Premiers, I'd say.

[barry]

Id say if we can hold onto reid wed be flag favourites.

Having a fit shaw in 2014 is critcal.

We were $7.50 begore buddy.

Our small forward stocks are quite low too.

[Auntie.Gerald]

i agree

It was just interesting listening to another perspective !

[Ludwig]

Injuries aside, 2014 will be the best team the Swans field in memory. Here's my projected best 21 plus 9 emergencies. I cannot see why we shouldn't be challenging for a flag with a top 30 like this.

FB_ Johnson T.Richards Rampe
HB_ Malceski Reid Smith
CTR Parker McVeigh Hannebery
CT2 Bird Shaw Mitchell
RCK Kennedy Pyke K.Jack
HF_ Jetta Franklin Goodes
FF_ Rohan Tippett ROK
EMG McGlynn Lamb LRT
EM2 Towers Grundy Cunningham
EM3 Membrey Biggs B.Jack

[BillyRayCypress]

Ludwig you've got more emergencies there than a Pharmacist stocking morning after pills.

It is quite staggering when you look at the depth.

[aardvark]

Injuries aside, 2014 will be the best team the Swans field in memory. Here's my projected best 21 plus 9 emergencies. I cannot see why we shouldn't be challenging for a flag with a top 30 like this.

FB_JohnsonT.RichardsRampe
HB_MalceskiReidSmith
CTRParkerMcVeighHannebery
CT2BirdShawMitchell
RCKKennedyPykeK.Jack
HF_JettaFranklinGoodes
FF_RohanTippettROK
EMGMcGlynnLambLRT
EM2TowersGrundyCunningham
EM3MembreyBiggs B.Jack

So who goes out when we pick up Heath Shaw?