How losing to GWS can be a blessing in disguise

[jono2707]

What a loser thread.

[bloodsbigot]

What a loser thread.

I actually agree with its sentiment. It might just be an easier path than if we had won today. Also it gives us some match practice rather than a bye. Byes and the swans don't go together well.

I reckon Giants will destroy Hawks when they likely meet. This in itself was worth the loss.

[Hotpotato]

Giants now get a PF at Spotless , their home ground , regardless of crowd number , is that correct ?

But Swans , as minor premiers didn't get a home ground final....
until next week....

[Industrial Fan]

Gws will get pounded by the Hawks without the mummy.

[barry]

Well dawson, you got your wish .

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I doubt GWS could sell out a prelim at spotless.

[dawson]

Well dawson, you got your wish .

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I doubt GWS could sell out a prelim at spotless.

It wasn't my wish at all. 2 days ago I would have been devastated had we lost to the Giants, now I'm ok.
In a perverse kind of way, I was fearful of the result that happened today happening in a PF.

[Swansinger]

OK , Dawson - now I'm warming to your logic !

[dawson]

So a lot of people have asked me about this since we made the Grand Final so let me answer here...

During the week of the qualifying final, I was extremely confident we would smash the Giants. Week off, their first final and all that. Not sure what happened but following the Cats-Hawks final, something in my guts changed. Was that it was being played at ANZ, was that they had nothing to lose, I'm not sure. Then I thought about the path that lay ahead of the Swans if they lost to the Giants and I was like "losing to them may actually be not that bad".

Did I want them to lose on purpose? No way. All I wanted to do was alert others here to the fact that if we did lose, not to panic and things would be ok.

So why did I say this.....


Playing winner of Adelaide - North: Every year the talk is about going out in straight sets for the 2 losers of the qualifying final. Was confident against 8th placed North who simply were shot or the Crows. While people were talking up the Crows, no-one mentioned the game they played at the SCG last year. It was the one Adam Goodes sat out. We came out of the blocks with a 6 goal to 2 first quarter - here it was 7-3. At half-time it was a 43 point lead, now it was 37 points. In short, we won but more important got our finals mongrel back.

After we lost to the Giants it was 4 finals losses in a row. A streak that began with the 2014 GF. Now we were the best team all year that year, but didn't turn up on the day. Hawthorn simply wanted to win more. For them, the loss of 2012 was personal and they were now avenging it. For a side who plays a finals-brand of footy during the H&A season, this element had been missing in our last 4 finals.

PF vs Cats - As I said, would prefer to play them at the MCG in a PF than a GF. Also it would give us good match practice at the G before the GF (see 2005).

Also, if we had won the QF, we would have played the winner of Dogs - Hawks in the PF. Who were the only away teams to win at the SCG this year? That's right the Dogs and Hawks. Didn't want a close PF like the Giants had where one of these teams had nothing to lose. At this stage, I wasn't thinking about playing 1 game in 3 weeks. And the edge we have been playing with in the last 2 weeks wouldn't have been present had we beaten the Giants.

GF vs Dogs - Thus far the only thing I haven't got right. Thought we would be playing the Giants. Have the Dogs already played their GF? I hope so. I would like to think that with Hawthorn gone, we will take their place as the GF bullies (pardon the pun). I want to smash and crush them from the first quarter (also nice payback for 1997). We are the ones with GF experience, we are the ones with the wounds of 2014 to avenge. We have to be clinical, we have to prevent them from having any sort of sniff. I would have no problem with the game being completely over at half-time.

So this is what I say it could be a blessing in disguise but obviously counts for nothing if we don't win the flag.

[bloodsbigot]

I want to smash and crush them from the first quarter (also nice payback for 1997). We are the ones with GF experience, we are the ones with the wounds of 2014 to avenge. We have to be clinical, we have to prevent them from having any sort of sniff. I would have no problem with the game being completely over at half-time.

That 1997 game still angers me. Was at that game and the bulldogs supporters were absolute pigs. Don't care that they're the little innocent, underdog darlings of the AFL. Look at what Liberatore did to Paul Kelly. And the new Liberatore seems like a little dirtbag as well.

The 2014 GRand Final still cuts deep, so I don't want the swans to leave any stones unturned. We can't underestimate our opponent this time. We have to attack absolutely ruthlessly and kick them while they're down. Hopefully the swans supporters make more noise than the bulldog supporters and extremely vocal.

And ending at half-time would be magnificent. I want it over at quarter time. I just want to thoroughly enjoy the Grand Final rather than the previous ones we won where I could only enjoy the replays. Up until the end I almost had a heart attack.

[drnicko18]

Also not a fan of a close grand final. At least in 2012 i could relax with about 5 seconds left on the clock and really soak it in when AJ got possession at the end

I'm hoping the dogs have had their grand final. Fans celebrating like they'd won a flag. Bob Murphy / Libba / players in tears.. It was as if winning last night was their end goal after so many years and prelim losses. The fact it was close only added to that. They will really need to clear their mindset and start again before Saturday.

[stellation]

I think they were just upset when the siren went because they realised the umpires didn't have a chance to pay them any more frees.

[Mel_C]

Well to be fair they haven't been in a grand final for so many years. I was also going nuts in 1996 when Plugger kicked the point!

But it's a grand final so no sentiment from me. I want us to be ruthless! I'm just glad I don't have to sit next to Hawthorn supporters for a change.

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[aguy]

Well to be fair they haven't been in a grand final for so many years. I was also going nuts in 1996 when Plugger kicked the point!

But it's a grand final so no sentiment from me. I want us to be ruthless! I'm just glad I don't have to sit next to Hawthorn supporters for a change.

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So true. I remember the ecstasy (and tears for essondon supporters) at the 1996 preliminary. In fact that was my very first game of afl attending live and it hooked me for life. Go the bloods

[barry]

God i hope the swans smash the #sobrave's in the gf.

I had the misfortune to be sitting in amongst a great swath of their unwashed last night. Ungracious, humourless morons.

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Oh, and ther cheering whenever libba snr came on the screen made me sick.

I was in disbelief that anyone would glorify that scratcher, even dogs fans. It was like cheering for george bush... jnr.
Horrid people.

[Zlatorog]

You can call me a conspiracy theorist, but I still believe that the AFL wanted the Giants to lose. The backlash they would get in Melbourne would be too big if there was an all Sydney GF. The umps were instructed to scrutinise the Giants players, their dirty tactics and punish them for it, hence the lopsided free-kicks count. If they scrutinised them like this in the QF, who knows, maybe they wouldn't have won. Honestly people, WB don't deserve to be in the GF judging on their H&A performance. They still finished 7th. I know there were injuries, but I still believe they shouldn't be there. This was cooked in the AFL kitchen and I hate them even more now. This code is now becoming like Soccer that would do anything for TV ratings.