Round 1 V Essendon

[Conor_Dillon]

With the forecast you'd think Mitchell would have been perfectly suited to this game. I'd love to know what the coaches thinking behind him not playing is, there's obviously something that he's not doing well enough but it really seems like they're harsh on him.

Also, I won tickets (2) to the game via the Swans Twitter but won't be able to make it due to some last minute family stuff so if anyone would like them then send me a message or call me on 0400817899, they'll have to be collected from the ticket windows on the night

[Matt80]

See the full team below:

B: Shaw, Grundy, Smith

HB: Rampe, Richards, Rohan,

C: Cunningham, Kennedy, Bird

HF: Jack, Reid, Goodes

F: Heeney, Franklin, Tippett

R: Pyke, Hannebery, Parker

Interchange: Laidler, Jetta, Lloyd, Towers

Emergencies: Mitchell, Naismith, Robinson


go you bloods !!!!!!!

Is there are chance that Reid may be a late withdrawal for Mitchell if the conditions are greasy and wet?

[aguy]

I would have played Mitchell as well.

This confirms my theory that John Longmire only wants to play three slower inside midfield extractors. The incumbents are Kennedy, Parker and Bird. One of them will have to be out for Mitchell to get a game.

This theory becomes more clear cut when you have two other midfielders out (McVeigh and McGlynn) and Mitchell still does not get selected.

I had a chance to meet Tom Mitchell last week and he came across as a lovely young man. I hope he gets into the Swans 1st team very soon.

And I had a chance to meet bird last week too. Also very nice. It seems to be a bird vs mitchell battle. Maybe matt80 you may be correct

[jono2707]

Odd that Mitchell missed out, although I'm pretty sure he'll sneak in with the wet weather coming.....

[dejavoodoo44]

Is there are chance that Reid may be a late withdrawal for Mitchell if the conditions are greasy and wet?

Yes, Matt, it would make sense for one of the larger bodies to make way for Mitchell if the conditions are as abysmal as the forecast.
And speaking of the conditions, I don't know why people are starting to fret about the probably gloomy weather, when the game is to be umpired by 'the little Ray of sunshine', who is bound to light up our lives.

[Ludwig]

There's little change from the side that played GSW a couple of weeks ago. Robbo and Naismith out as expected, and Mitchell makes way for Tippo.

Essendon have a tall side, I don't think any of our talls will drop out regardless of the weather. Mitchell didn't have a great NAB cup, but I thought he was okay. I still expect Reid to play back, which surprised me that Laidler was preferred to Mitchell. I would imagine he would be the one to make way for Macca next week.

I'm glad to see both Towers and Heeney get a start as they both earned it with strong performances in the NAB games. It's only the first game and we will see how the season evolves. It's good to build some depth in our team as we all know we lost a lot in recent years and will depend on these youngsters to help out in the long campaign.

I am inclined to think that Lloyd will be the sub. He's done well in the preseason, but will always be just hanging on to that last spot or 2 with such a strong midfield. Macca, McGlynn and Mitchell just waiting to grab spots in the 22.

[ernie koala]

Surely if it's wet, as expected, then Mitchell must come in for a tall...I'll be gobsmacked otherwise.

From what I saw in the preseason....Those lucky to be listed are....Cunningham, Reid, Rohan, and to a lesser extent LLoyd and Goodes...

What it shows is, we have depth for inside mids but that's where it ends.

I'm also concerned about Jack playing so soon after a rib/cartilage injury that was bad enough to send him to hospital...

I hope this won't be a repeat of last year when he played, without his usual physical intensity, with injured ribs.

[Ludwig]

Surely if it's wet, as expected, then Mitchell must come in for a tall...I'll be gobsmacked otherwise.

From what I saw in the preseason....Those lucky to be listed are....Cunningham, Reid, Rohan, and to a lesser extent LLoyd and Goodes...

What it shows is, we have depth for inside mids but that's where it ends.

I'm also concerned about Jack playing so soon after a rib/cartilage injury that was bad enough to send him to hospital...

I hope this won't be a repeat of last year when he played, without his usual physical intensity, with injured ribs.

Reid was injured early in the first game. I agree that he was beaten a few times and made a couple of bad kicking errors in the last game when he was tried in defence, but we really need Reid to find a spot in our side, so have to make some accommodation to see how he adjusts.

As for the others mentioned, I thought they were all okay, without being standouts. Rohan was pretty good at times and Lloyd was solid. On the other hand, what did Mitchell do? I very much hope that Tom gets a crack at seniors sooner rather than later, but he hasn't exactly had a great NAB cup. And he certainly didn't perform to the level of either Towers or Heeney. He's a good inside player with a lightening handball and tackles well. But he hasn't developed his outside game enough at this point to push him past some of the others. So he's losing out at the moment to more versatile players like Towers, Heeney and Lloyd.

I think we all have some questions as to how we will set up in defence. Maybe we will get some answers on Saturday.

[ernie koala]

I don't think Mitchell lost his spot to Heeney or Towers or even Lloyd. He lost it to Bird, and fair enough.

My point is Mitchell is likely to more useful, than say Reid or Laidler, if it it's wet.

I agree Heeney and Towers have definitely earn't their spot.

But I think the inclusion of Reid, Laidler, Rohan, Cunningham, after mediocre preseason form, shows we lack real depth, other than at inside mid.

[S.S. Bleeder]

Insufficient evidence in court is still classified as not guilty.

The umpire has made the call. It's time to move on.

Any Swans member who calls out "Drug Cheat" to an Essendon player should have their membership torn up.

Slander is not acceptable.

Couldn't disagree more Matt. The only reason they weren't convicted was because they failed to keep any records of their injecting program. Therefore, without the evidence of Dank, et al, they were unable to prove what they were actually being injected with. We all know it was B4.

The Bombers ARE cheats. And that is a FACT. Otherwise the AFL wouldn't have been able to penalise them. I have some sympathy for the players but am surprised that none of them, especially the more senior players, actually questioned the club as to what they were being injected with.

The Bombers ARE cheats and deserve every little bit of verbal abuse they cop.

[DamY]

Couldn't disagree more Matt. The only reason they weren't convicted was because they failed to keep any records of their injecting program. Therefore, without the evidence of Dank, et al, they were unable to prove what they were actually being injected with. We all know it was B4.

The Bombers ARE cheats. And that is a FACT. Otherwise the AFL wouldn't have been able to penalise them. I have some sympathy for the players but am surprised that none of them, especially the more senior players, actually questioned the club as to what they were being injected with.

The Bombers ARE cheats and deserve every little bit of verbal abuse they cop.

To be fair, Mark McVeigh did publicly state that he was angry and disappointed that the club had been so frivolous with player safety and not documenting what they had been injected with. A few others had made murmurs but only those no longer at the club really spoke up. I guess they had been asked not to comment.

[Ludwig]

The Bombers ARE cheats. And that is a FACT. Otherwise the AFL wouldn't have been able to penalise them.

The Bombers ARE cheats and deserve every little bit of verbal abuse they cop.

Although I agree with you that the Bomber injection program was unconscionable, I don't think it logically follows that the players deserve abuse.

Let's say we are talking about the Swans trading ban. Does it follow that:

The SWANS ARE cheats. And that is a FACT. Otherwise the AFL wouldn't have been able to penalise them.

The SWANS ARE cheats and deserve every little bit of verbal abuse they cop.

[S.S. Bleeder]

If Mitchell's not good enough to make this side I have trouble seeing that he will be in the starting 22 within the foreseeable future.

It seems that he is competing mainly against Bird. Bird is still young and likely has 4-6 years left in him. Same goes for Kennedy and Hannas. I can only assume that the coaches have faith in him otherwise they would have traded him last year. But Mitchell won't be happy playing in the NEAFL waiting for one of the above to retire or be traded. I can't work this out.

[wolftone57]

Nah Red Zone is basically General Admission, hope your boy and yourself have fun at the game.

I'll be in Red Zone with a bunch of mates. Foggy Bear and I make every home game. He even goes to interstate games.

[DamY]

Who is foggy bear?