Trade ban.

[dejavoodoo44]

After the moronic drunken Hawks fans we had behind us during the 2014 GF (we left early) I feel the same. I hit the mute when any of them or their coach is on TV. And I only confessed at the game yesterday that I'm even happier when the Hawks lose than when the Swans win. That makes this an awesome weekend.

I've said I'll never attend another Hawks home game - including a Grand Final - but that resolve may be tested sooner than I'd like. I just hope they lose one more game this season then lose their sudden death final.

Sudden death . . . now there's a pleasing idea. Would Donald Trump be up to nuking the HFC as a gesture of strength?

Personally, I suspect that if Trump were to choose a team, it would be the mustard on turd.
'They're winners, I'm a winner. All the rest of youse are losers'.

[bloodsbigot]

After the moronic drunken Hawks fans we had behind us during the 2014 GF (we left early) I feel the same. I hit the mute when any of them or their coach is on TV. And I only confessed at the game yesterday that I'm even happier when the Hawks lose than when the Swans win. That makes this an awesome weekend.

I've said I'll never attend another Hawks home game - including a Grand Final - but that resolve may be tested sooner than I'd like. I just hope they lose one more game this season then lose their sudden death final.

Sudden death . . . now there's a pleasing idea. Would Donald Trump be up to nuking the HFC as a gesture of strength?

I can say without jest that if any football club went folded tomorrow, I'd feel a bit bad for them. Even for clubs like Collingwood, Essendon and Carlton. Because love em or hate em they've got rich history and I feel they have a lot of dormant fans.

Hawthorn on the other hand, I'd seriously be celebrating. Legitimately. You wouldn't be able to wipe the smile off my face. Wouldn't have pity. It would be joy.

The hollow shell club is what I like to call them.

- - - Updated - - -

bloodsbigot, do you really hear very much of this nonsense? I grew up in NSW, have lived in Melbourne since 1990 and have had plenty of opportunity to hear it but never have. The locals I see all seem to love the club and see it as the old show in a new venue, and several, like yourself, are critical of the AFL's shenanigans.

I occasionally hear and read about it. Particularly when it comes to things like playing a Grand Final in Melbourne. They get defensive about it in the name of 'tradition.' Not 'all' mind you, but it does annoy me if someone says it. It's not as prevalent as I made it out to be, but it happens.

[AnnieH]

Yes we were banned/limited with our trading??.

But, why do you think that the Swans basically accepted it without too much fuss ?????

Are you saying that we are guilty of something?
The club didn't accept it "without too much fuss".
They fought to have it overturned... although, personally, I would have grabbed one of the free QCs on offer and fought it in the courts.
Are you a swans fan, or not?

[bungwahl]

Yes we were banned/limited with our trading??.

But, why do you think that the Swans basically accepted it without too much fuss ?????

Because we were attempting to fight a dictatorship?

If the AFL was not aiming to deliberately hinder Sydney and seriously just wanted Sydney's TPP to decrease faster than the planned phase out period, then why did they remove the ability to trade? Surely trading is the primary list management tool that the Swans could have used to reduce their TPP?

[CureTheSane]

I've said since the start that there was something not right in the way that the Swans were so passive.
I was well with Annie and legal action.
Seemed like a no brainer and an easy win.
A possibility is that we did something wrong at some point, and it wasn't in the AFL's best interests for it to get out, but they threatened that if we proceeded legally.
Complete speculation of course, but we are forced to make these assumptions when the club quietly does very little to stand up for themselves.

Possibly more likely is that the Swans were concerned about the lasting effects of embarrassing the AFL and making them look petty and silly, and the spite which may follow.

[Ludwig]

I've said since the start that there was something not right in the way that the Swans were so passive.

I equate the Swans' position to that of going through airport security. The AFL demand submissiveness under the threat of unknown and inexplicable punishment. If you protest too much, you might get locked up in a room never to be seen again. It may seem as if there is right of appeal, but in reality, there isn't.

[bungwahl]

I've said since the start that there was something not right in the way that the Swans were so passive.
I was well with Annie and legal action.
Seemed like a no brainer and an easy win.
A possibility is that we did something wrong at some point, and it wasn't in the AFL's best interests for it to get out, but they threatened that if we proceeded legally.
Complete speculation of course, but we are forced to make these assumptions when the club quietly does very little to stand up for themselves.

Possibly more likely is that the Swans were concerned about the lasting effects of embarrassing the AFL and making them look petty and silly, and the spite which may follow.

In terms of the application of COLA it was literally impossible for us to do anything wrong as it was a standard loading applied to each contract, which were then signed off by the AFL.

The AFL were simply afraid of the backlash they'd incur if Sydney won another flag whilst COLA was still in play and off the back of recruiting Tippett and Franklin.

It's funny how Hawthorn are seen as having totally dominated the current era, yet their closest rival has been hampered by unjust restrictions for the majority of that time.

[AnnieH]

Yes we were banned/limited with our trading??.

But, why do you think that the Swans basically accepted it without too much fuss ?????

Why do YOU think that the swans basically accepted it without too much fuss?

[BRISWAN]

Why do YOU think that the swans basically accepted it without too much fuss?

As per Megs post which seems to give me the most comfort
Ill move on from that and now look forward
Go Bloods !!

[BRISWAN]

Are you saying that we are guilty of something?
The club didn't accept it "without too much fuss".
They fought to have it overturned... although, personally, I would have grabbed one of the free QCs on offer and fought it in the courts.
Are you a swans fan, or not?

Annie?..you read too much into things

By the way, Ive been aSwans fan for over 60 years !!!!!!!!

[CureTheSane]

In terms of the application of COLA it was literally impossible for us to do anything wrong as it was a standard loading applied to each contract, which were then signed off by the AFL.

Wasn't thinking in terms of COLA.
Possibly some other area. Players with drugs maybe?

[bungwahl]

Wasn't thinking in terms of COLA.
Possibly some other area. Players with drugs maybe?

That's one of the longer bows I've ever seen drawn. If the AFL wanted to cover up a drug story the last thing they'd do is randomly ban a club from trading and bring attention to that club.

[CureTheSane]

Settle down and look at the smilie face.

[Doctor]

The Swans did admit that they didn't fight it hard enough early on.

[56-14]

BRISWAN - I too got a better understanding from Meg's post.
I think AnnieH should read it. (And also not condemn posts with "Are you a swans fan, or not?")
Like the fact that you've been a Swans fan for over 60 years - it beats me, I became one in 1956.