Post Grand Final Email from the Club

[mcs]

I was going to start a thread earlier about how I love Myke Pike (even more after than interview) but I'll just add my comments here.

To me he is the ultra-professional. He knows he doesn't have to be the best player in the team but that he has a very specific role. When Mummy was at the club he realised he needed to make himself dangerous in the forward line, and worked hard to become one of the best contested marks in the competition. Then Mummy left and he was suddenly the number one ruckman. His time spent working on being a forward largely became wasted, but he set about being the best ruckman he can for the team. Yet he knows he can do more, and has identified one specific thing to work on - more around the ground. His performance against Sandilands in the QF was one of the highlights of the year for me. Rather than panic at being up against Sandi, he just worked on doing what he could to negate Sandi's influence at the ruck contests but with the acceptance he would be beaten in the stoppages over the course of the game. So he made himself dangerous in other ways, and was the top ranking ruckman (in terms of overall contribution to the game) in that round of football.

I really think we made a huge error letting Mummy go in the sense that it left Pyke to be no 1 ruckman. Not doubting his abilities as No 1 ruck, but by gee he is a far more dangerous player when he is the second ruck in the team and can use his usefulness going forward. Hopefully Naismith will develop enough to really push for us to play 2 ruckman, thus allowing Pyke to spend more time doing his work around the ground without have to puff around the ground as the lead ruckman (with a little help from Tippett and Reid of course).

Kudos to Pykey - ultimate professional and if I'm there, he will get a huge roar from me next season when he reaches his 100 afl games. Not bad for the worst player in the competition according to a load mouthed fool behind the microphone.

[barry]

I dont want an apology. I want some anger from the swans. Some steely determination to make amends.
I belief that premierships are our God given right and anything less is a failure that will not be tolerated.

[mcs]

A message from Jarrad McVeigh and Kieren Jack
Saturday was disappointing and it hurts. At the end of the day, we didn't play the sort of football we wanted to or that we?re capable of. It?s as simple as that.

As members of the Club, we know you?re feeling it too. You?ve been part of our team all year, and you share our disappointment now, in the same way you shared the many highs with us throughout the season.

This year we claimed the minor premiership with the help of the amazing atmosphere you created for us at our home matches and your dedication and passion at our away matches. Four of our boys were named in the All-Australian team, Lance Franklin won the Coleman Medal ? the Club?s first since Tony Lockett in 1998 ? and champion Adam Goodes played an unbelievable 350th game to take us into our fourth Grand Final in 10 years.

So to you, we say thank you for joining our team and for being with us every step of the way. Although the season didn?t end the way we wanted it to, we all go into the off season now with the fire burning for 2015.

We will learn from Saturday and like every year, we will be working incredibly hard to improve for 2015. We look forward to having you back on board and back in the stands, showing you're Proudly Sydney.

Cheer cheer,
Jarrad McVeigh and Kieren Jack

Its a nice gesture, but it means nothing if they don't back it up on the park next season.

As much as I think KJ and McVeigh have been great servants of the club, to me, their reputations as leaders took a bit of a hit on Saturday. I think KJ tried very hard to try and lift the team, but McVeigh, for a player of his experience and ability, was completely anonymous on Saturday. If a similar thing was to heaven forbid happen in another big game next season, one of them has to find a way, will a way to lift the boys and get us back into the contest. I guess we've been spoilt in that aspect by recent captains (geodesy, Kirky, Kelly) - but we need these guys to show they can be that sort of leader. As I've said a few times, if the roles had of been reversed, would Luke Hodge have let the disaster unfold like it did - I'd argue he wouldn't.

[goswannie14]

The club and players do not owe me an apology. I posted on FB recently that I was disappointed not devastated by the loss. Having lived through the 70's and early 80's this is a golden era in the life of my support for my team.

I love the Swans regardless of how they play on the field. Sure I will be disppointed at times, but them I am sure my parents have been disppointed at the way I have lived my life at times too.

I can understand the frustration and even anger in some peoples reactions, but I choose not to be like that. Maybe it has something to do with the fact I am moving to the beautiful Torquay in the new year. When you live that close to the best surf beach (Bells Beach) in Australia, not much looks really bad!

[jono2707]

The club and players do not owe me an apology. I posted on FB recently that I was disappointed not devastated by the loss. Having lived through the 70's and early 80's this is a golden era in the life of my support for my team.

I love the Swans regardless of how they play on the field. Sure I will be disppointed at times, but them I am sure my parents have been disppointed at the way I have lived my life at times too.

I can understand the frustration and even anger in some peoples reactions, but I choose not to be like that. Maybe it has something to do with the fact I am moving to the beautiful Torquay in the new year. When you live that close to the best surf beach (Bells Beach) in Australia, not much looks really bad!

I'm glad someone else feels pretty much the same way I do - well said.

Just had a thought - will Tom Hawkins and Mitch Clark become the Torquay Trillionaires???

[Untamed Snark]

I was going to start a thread earlier about how I love Myke Pike (even more after than interview) but I'll just add my comments here..

Maybe our new ROK is Hot option can be I like Pyke!

[lwjoyner]

What the heck. an apogee, the players are hurting enough, they know they stuffed up, should have seen them come into the GF dinner on Saturday night and I spoke to a couple of them and you could see it in their eyes. Sure we all must be disappointed but for "" sake get off the players backs.

[annew]

The club and players do not owe me an apology. I posted on FB recently that I was disappointed not devastated by the loss. Having lived through the 70's and early 80's this is a golden era in the life of my support for my team.

I love the Swans regardless of how they play on the field. Sure I will be disppointed at times, but them I am sure my parents have been disppointed at the way I have lived my life at times too.

I can understand the frustration and even anger in some peoples reactions, but I choose not to be like that. Maybe it has something to do with the fact I am moving to the beautiful Torquay in the new year. When you live that close to the best surf beach (Bells Beach) in Australia, not much looks really bad!

+1

[Plugger46]

They'd obviously be hurting but talk is cheap. Where was the support for Buddy when Lake tried to dislocate his shoulder? Where was the support for Hanners when Roughead crunched him twice? Why did Reg go back with one arm to spoil rather than get his body behind it? Why did Jetta decide not to chase?

They've taken this discipline and Mr Nice Guys crap too far. We were bullied.

Four Grand Finals in 10 years is a significant achievement and I love this club. We've been very lucky. But putting in your worst performance for 4 months at full strength on the biggest day of the year is going to take a while to get over.

[magic.merkin]

What the heck. an apogee, the players are hurting enough, they know they stuffed up, should have seen them come into the GF dinner on Saturday night and I spoke to a couple of them and you could see it in their eyes. Sure we all must be disappointed but for "" sake get off the players backs.

Yeah no words would have fixed what i feel or what happened. I appreciate the effort in the email. Sure they are hurting, more than any of us that shelled out hundreds or thousands on them this year, who cheered them on and took the brunt of hate from rival supporters. These players were embarrassed more than any of us, and I'm sure the game vision will burn, the lack of aggression, protection, the questions.

They will display with their actions all i want to hear, one way or the other.

[Jewels]

They'd obviously be hurting but talk is cheap. Where was the support for Buddy when Lake tried to dislocate his shoulder? Where was the support for Hanners when Roughead crunched him twice? Why did Reg go back with one arm to spoil rather than get his body behind it? Why did Jetta decide not to chase?

They've taken this discipline and Mr Nice Guys crap too far. We were bullied.

Four Grand Finals in 10 years is a significant achievement and I love this club. We've been very lucky. But putting in your worst performance for 4 months at full strength on the biggest day of the year is going to take a while to get over.

You have conveyed my feelings and thoughts perfectly Plugger, succinctly put.

[Faunac8]

The club and players do not owe me an apology. I posted on FB recently that I was disappointed not devastated by the loss. Having lived through the 70's and early 80's this is a golden era in the life of my support for my team.

I love the Swans regardless of how they play on the field. Sure I will be disppointed at times, but them I am sure my parents have been disppointed at the way I have lived my life at times too.

I can understand the frustration and even anger in some peoples reactions, but I choose not to be like that. Maybe it has something to do with the fact I am moving to the beautiful Torquay in the new year. When you live that close to the best surf beach (Bells Beach) in Australia, not much looks really bad!

Well said as I posted else where I was disappointed and mystified not embarrassed and ashamed . It's sport for goodness sake

[Cosmic Wizard]

Let me express my feelings!

What a waste of my money!!!!

I don't earn much and have a credit card bill of $2000 roughly more because of those clowns.

Losing is one thing, humiliation is another, and a bull@@@@ apologies from professional athletics who are paid to show up primed and ready and not play like they have being a month on the turps does not go down well!

The Swanies brand and rep have suffered big time because of last Saturday, and next season better be end in a cup!

[treespirit]

A lot has been said of the Bloods culture, but what of a culture that can play 3 GFs in a row, go back to back after losing one of the best players to play the game, always win the games they should win, never back off when they have a team on the carpet?

I love the Swans but when the chips are down, Blood sometimes turns to water. This is the aspect of being a Swans supporter that disappoints the most.

[Jewels]

A lot has been said of the Bloods culture, but what of a culture that can play 3 GFs in a row, go back to back after losing one of the best players to play the game, always win the games they should win, never back off when they have a team on the carpet?

I love the Swans but when the chips are down, Blood sometimes turns to water. This is the aspect of being a Swans supporter that disappoints the most.

Very well said and I think the last paragraph is the most disappointing part of last Saturday.