What happens next

[Go Swannies]

Do the Sydney based RWO-ers think that this loss will do damage to our brand in NSW? It would be terrible to see our membership not rise again next year.

I'd be amazed if we maintained the 2014 level of membership, let alone increase it. The level of awareness of the humiliation of this loss is such that I've had sympathy calls over the weekend from friends who hate footy. If you're a bandwagon-er why would you pay to put yourself through that angst again?

[Conor_Dillon]

The 'Buddy-boom' would surely only be a one year phenomenon? Or do we think that the media saturation of him in Sydney during finals could lead to further gains?

[Plugger46]

Can't agree with that. I think pretty much every Swans fan I have conversed with has marvelled at how good the Hawks were. But we're a pretty good team too. Most of the time. We run hard and we tackle and pressure. That's how we compete with a team with the footskills of the Hawks. We've been competitive with them most times we've played them in recent years. I seem to recall we even beat them at the end of 2012.

If the team had gone down fighting, but just been beaten by a better side on the day, I think most of us would shrug and move on. But it's the fact that the Swans brought nothing of their own strengths to the contest that is galling.

Spot on. It's only natural to focus on your own team's performance but every Swan I've spoken to has commented on how good the Hawks were.

[Swanny40519]

Spot on. It's only natural to focus on your own team's performance but every Swan I've spoken to has commented on how good the Hawks were.

Honestly we helped make them look good. We did not chase, did not tackle, did not contest, we gave them the cup. I cannot recall one solid bump or tackle on a Hawks player.

Remember we played them twice this year - the first time we beat them and the second they won by 10 points after kicking 9 goals straight in the third and last quarters. When we get behind we don't have a game plan B. It is more of the same and until we bring some toughness into our game and players we will be pushed around again.

[magic.merkin]

Spot on. It's only natural to focus on your own team's performance but every Swan I've spoken to has commented on how good the Hawks were.

It was just a perfect storm of both sides output.

- - - Updated - - -

Honestly we helped make them look good. We did not chase, did not tackle, did not contest, we gave them the cup. I cannot recall one solid bump or tackle on a Hawks player.

Remember we played them twice this year - the first time we beat them and the second they won by 10 points after kicking 9 goals straight in the third and last quarters. When we get behind we don't have a game plan B. It is more of the same and until we bring some toughness into our game and players we will be pushed around again.

I can't full agree, but we surely were missing some mongrel and toughness.

[mcs]

Honestly we helped make them look good. We did not chase, did not tackle, did not contest, we gave them the cup. I cannot recall one solid bump or tackle on a Hawks player.

Remember we played them twice this year - the first time we beat them and the second they won by 10 points after kicking 9 goals straight in the third and last quarters. When we get behind we don't have a game plan B. It is more of the same and until we bring some toughness into our game and players we will be pushed around again.

The thing with the Hawks is, and they are the only team at the moment (maybe the Pies too) where we really struggle with this - is that we just don't seem to be able to put the clamps on them when they get on top. Look at the 2012 grand final. Both times when they took the game by the scruff of the neck we managed to regain control, slow the scoring and find a way back into it. In the Rd 18 game this year and of course on Saturday, once the Hawks had control, we were completely helpless. We need to flood back, limit the space, and ramp up the pressure on the ball carrier, in hope of breaking their momentum. We just let them take us on a merry dance all day long.

We desperately need some mongrel in our team though - we had no one willing to get in their faces on Saturday (bar a little bit of Buddy doing so) and play dirty on them in response to their dirty tactics. Zak Jones is one on the list that can help in this regards, and he has plenty of mongrel in him. When you are faced by teams like Hawthorn (protected by their angel in Green in Stevic) you need to be willing to get up in their faces and go toe to toe, not stand back hiding in the shadows like we did on Saturday. We don't have a captain at the moment with the ability to single-handedly turn a game either, which doesn't help either I don't think.

[cartman48]

Firstly I hope none of you take this as trolling - I read this forum mainly for the Local footy but some of the posters here have some pretty good insight into Footy particularly the swans point of view.

Lay of McVeigh - the guy is a champion and a warrior for your footy club, he had a bad day but doesn't deserve some of what he is copping on here!
Your young guys will learn and improve for that result - they simply have too but remember Lloyd, Cunningham, Rampe etc are kids.... they will improve out of sight which is scary.
(Aimed at a few not a lot) - Stop Blaming Stevic, I believe he was in control when Malceski was clearly holding the ball and when Buddy took a dive, not every decision will go your way and umpires don't miss kicks and drop marks, fall off tackles etc....

You have a wonderful footy team and will be competitors for a cup for a few years yet so stick strong, look to trade 1 or 2 not a dozen and look forward to 2015....

PS - Thanks for not playing Tom Mitchell - his omission made me smile.

[liz]

Firstly I hope none of you take this as trolling - I read this forum mainly for the Local footy but some of the posters here have some pretty good insight into Footy particularly the swans point of view.

Lay of McVeigh - the guy is a champion and a warrior for your footy club, he had a bad day but doesn't deserve some of what he is copping on here!
Your young guys will learn and improve for that result - they simply have too but remember Lloyd, Cunningham, Rampe etc are kids.... they will improve out of sight which is scary.
(Aimed at a few not a lot) - Stop Blaming Stevic, I believe he was in control when Malceski was clearly holding the ball and when Buddy took a dive, not every decision will go your way and umpires don't miss kicks and drop marks, fall off tackles etc....

You have a wonderful footy team and will be competitors for a cup for a few years yet so stick strong, look to trade 1 or 2 not a dozen and look forward to 2015....

PS - Thanks for not playing Tom Mitchell - his omission made me smile.

Presumably you're a Hawks fan? No issue with anything you've written. All pretty reasonable and gracious as well.

[mcs]

Firstly I hope none of you take this as trolling - I read this forum mainly for the Local footy but some of the posters here have some pretty good insight into Footy particularly the swans point of view.

Lay of McVeigh - the guy is a champion and a warrior for your footy club, he had a bad day but doesn't deserve some of what he is copping on here!
Your young guys will learn and improve for that result - they simply have too but remember Lloyd, Cunningham, Rampe etc are kids.... they will improve out of sight which is scary.
(Aimed at a few not a lot) - Stop Blaming Stevic, I believe he was in control when Malceski was clearly holding the ball and when Buddy took a dive, not every decision will go your way and umpires don't miss kicks and drop marks, fall off tackles etc....

You have a wonderful footy team and will be competitors for a cup for a few years yet so stick strong, look to trade 1 or 2 not a dozen and look forward to 2015....

PS - Thanks for not playing Tom Mitchell - his omission made me smile.

All good points - although I don't think anyone is seriously blaming Stevic for what happened on Saturday (I was only stirring on that part when I included it in the last comment).

Stevic is however, in my opinion most definitely a pretty ordinary umpire, mainly because he is incredibly inconsistent within a game with how he applies the same rule. There are surely better running around in the AFL that should have got the chance on Saturday instead of him.

[cartman48]

Hi Liz - Yes Hawks Fan (And GWS Member as well just so you can all hate me more) - And Yes I'm surprised Stevic is in the best three umpires in the comp as well.

[AnnieH]

I'd like to see McHack and his mate Kiz dumped as captains.

I'm disgusted, in myself... blah, blah, blah, blah.

Mate, I called your insipid performance 10 minutes into the first quarter. Couldn't you see it too??

Give someone else a shot. It couldn't possibly be worse.

[Jewels]

@@@@ that, 06 was heartbreaking to lose by a point but at least after half time we had a @@@@ing go.

The debacle on Saturday was humiliating, piss weak and plain right embarrassing.

Yep, my feelings exactly.

I'd be amazed if we maintained the 2014 level of membership, let alone increase it. The level of awareness of the humiliation of this loss is such that I've had sympathy calls over the weekend from friends who hate footy. If you're a bandwagon-er why would you pay to put yourself through that angst again?

Totally agree, why would anyone who wasn't already rusted on commit the money, time and passion to a club that can let them down so completely on the biggest day and grandest stage of all?

[ASSASSIN]

Having said that, it didn't necessarily have to be McVeigh yesterday. His role in the team and his style is a little different to Kirky's. But it needed to be someone. And was actually no-one.

No-one indeed - well, to his credit Goodes for like 10mins around half time did fight, but soon gave it up when he ran out of puff and the team just stood back like spectators watching and hardly contributing. John Longmire is always a good barometer of how well the team is going - if he looks animated in the box, you know there is a fight on - from basically the first bounce he just sat there mesmerized, was a bad sign from basically the 4min into a GF

[Scottee]

Stepwise Dewvwill have an interesting week.

In retrospect it looks obvious that our midfield was too small will the exception of JPK. From the stands at centre bounces we looked ridiculously small.

I don't think it is som much the players we have as what we didn't have. With out ROK and Mummy no one to stand up in a contest and get the ball out.

Totally agree Reggi, we need some bigger bodies in there. Thought that we could play Rampe in there when we are clearly being out-bodied but currently that would probably leave a hole in defense. Heeney is a tad bigger than Jack and McVeigh but not really big. We really miss the Mumford ROK combo (plus a fitter Goodesy when we needed him).

Jack and McVeigh are probably now in the small forward, small defender class.

[Zlatorog]

Today, I would like to be a fly on the wall when the coaching staff together with the players review the game. I'm sure that announcement of de-listings will follow.