Changes for the Grand Final.

[stevoswan]

I expected nothing less. Keep an eye out for me though, I'll be out and about in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne proudly wearing my Swans jacket. I'll be the victim of jeers and boos I'm sure, but it'll be worth it!

Just don't go over to the Western suburbs with that jacket on.........just don't!

[stevoswan]

With all the charges and other incidents being against the Giants, the lack of suspensions would have annoyed me if we were playing them in the GF.

Agree. That jumper punch from Wilson on Picken's chin (which, in slow motion, moved a fair bit sideways), was worth a week! Oh well, the Giants can cry into their beers anyway......

[rojo]

I'm hoping it is 'in' Mills - 'out' Marsh or Laidler at the very least but only if there is NO risk of him aggravating his injury. He will be a real bonus v the Doggies.

If we were facing GWS the loss of Aliir would be huge, Rampe having to take the 2nd tall on Friday night, without a break, was so taxing that he was clearing the ball mostly to the opposition in the last 5 or so minutes, and watching Ted play in the Reserves GF did not inspire confidence as to his readiness for the Big GF. It will be good if Aliir can have a miracle recovery but seems doubtful (as did Gary!).

Macca's situation is a bit like Ted's in that they both so deserve to be out there on Saturday but for different reasons they most likely won't be.

[Auntie.Gerald]

well ill be watching the GF from Sun Deck at Perisher this weekend and can't wait !!!!

go the bloods

[Odysseus]

[snip] if you are a betting person:

1. GWS 2016 and 2017 will be at their peak in a period that BUD arrived to save the day at the Bloods.........but thereafter i predict GWS fading away as the other teams raid their stores --- therefore Swans being lifted by a Bud thru this period makes it an awesome rivalry and we win this by being in a GF in 2016 already and they not being thought of all in GF week !!!!!

2. Hawks were always going to struggle 2017 and potentially 2016 which in the end just happened

3. not many other teams were really any better then us for 2016 etc

well lets see re Dogs this weekend

Fully agree.

3) Yes, the minor premiership vindicates that; as does our reaching the GF.

2) When the Hawks won their close ones and those with an eye to history were repeating the "They always find a way to win" line, I was thinking that a) they shouldn't have been repeatedly in the position that they had to snatch victory from defeat, and b) they were using any 'luck' too early.

1) Your comments about the feared period of GWS are interesting; I don't follow store-raiding with the intensity that some of our RWO-ers do, but I had wondered about that aspect. It's also got to be remembered (and it's implicit in your "we win this by being in a GF in 2016 already") that, despite our own youthfulness, we've actually made it to the GF, and while some of the senior members are nearing the end, some of the younger ones are just going to get better. We've got plenty to look forward to.

Go Bloods!!!

[Auntie.Gerald]

i.e. store raiding.......The GWS sal cap goes back to normal next year

they currently are $800k PA over

[Flying South]

but thereafter i predict GWS fading away as the other teams raid their stores

The problem is to raid the store other clubs will need to offer up 1st round draft picks, thus restocking the store with quality young players. Clubs will then continue to whinge about the number of 1st round draft picks they get. Yet it is those clubs that keep giving them the picks. The only answer is to not do business with them and let their stores run dry.

[GongSwan]

The problem is to raid the store other clubs will need to offer up 1st round draft picks, thus restocking the store with quality young players. Clubs will then continue to whinge about the number of 1st round draft picks they get. Yet it is those clubs that keep giving them the picks. The only answer is to not do business with them and let their stores run dry.

Eventually they will lose more players though, cutting the list this year means dropping depth. PLayers are already on hte move and the best will want pay rises, hard to do when your cap drops. They will be forced to play some kids before they are ready at some point. They might get away with another couple of years, but they won't be getting better players than now. Retirements are a way odff yet, bar Stevie J, and they might do well to dump Griffin or someone like that

[707]

Just watched a replay of the Geelong game.

If Jones has played a better game for us than last Friday night I don't think I've seen it. Looked very much best 22, a lock for the GF and next year.

Marsh did very little in quantity or quality, out for McVeigh or Mills who both have footy smarts. Just hoping Mills comes up, just so special with great reading of the play and will do well against the Dogs scattergun style.

Laidler would be stiff to get dropped, his intercepts are elite and he's tough at it, another well suited to the Dogs style.

I've noticed it before but Aliir does a lot of 1%ers, for such a novice he reads the play so well.

Tough decisions of the worst kind this week having to make calls on injuries but I'm buoyed by the miraculous recovery of Rohan who had a great game against the Cats.

[KTigers]

Hang on a minute folks..... what happened to the GWS five peat? Scully doesn't get a 50M penalty and the whole thing
is off! Just like that! I thought it was a done deal.

[barry]

i.e. store raiding.......The GWS sal cap goes back to normal next year

they currently are $800k PA over

GWS will fail if they lose their current benefits.
The simple facts are that to cement their place they need a decade of finals and a flag or two. Just like the swans needed.
Unfair to take cola away this early.

And the riverina zone needs to be locked in for 10 years. Fat to early to judge it now.

The giants have to many natural disadvantages to be put on a "level" playing field yet .

[AnnieH]

GWS will fail if they lose their current benefits.
The simple facts are that to cement their place they need a decade of finals and a flag or two. Just like the swans needed.
Unfair to take cola away this early.

And the riverina zone needs to be locked in for 10 years. Fat to early to judge it now.

The giants have to many natural disadvantages to be put on a "level" playing field yet .

No one turned up to their final.
A tad of 21K people. If that's not a red flag for the AFL, I don't know what is. I imagine the tv ratings in Sydney would show the same pathetic result.
No one cares.
There's really only one team in Sydney.
I can guarantee that the grand final this year will be in the top five most ever watched shows in Sydney - after Diana's wedding and funeral.

[aardvark]

GWS will fail if they lose their current benefits.
The simple facts are that to cement their place they need a decade of finals and a flag or two. Just like the swans needed.
Unfair to take cola away this early.

And the riverina zone needs to be locked in for 10 years. Fat to early to judge it now.

The giants have to many natural disadvantages to be put on a "level" playing field yet .

They will never succeed. The AFL should move them to Tassie asap.

[KTigers]

I thought the 38K crowd for our semi against Adelaide was pretty poor too. We are at the pointy end of the finals every year,
have the biggest superstar in the game playing with us, and we still can't fill the SCG. People just don't get it, and the likes of
Colless & Pridham say this every f...ing year, AFL remains in a precarious position in Sydney. All this back slapping for us having
56,000 members and GWS being up to 16,000 or whatever now when the large bulk of "memberships" cost so little.

[longmile]

I thought the 38K crowd for our semi against Adelaide was pretty poor too. We are at the pointy end of the finals every year,
have the biggest superstar in the game playing with us, and we still can't fill the SCG. People just don't get it, and the likes of
Colless & Pridham say this every f...ing year, AFL remains in a precarious position in Sydney. All this back slapping for us having
56,000 members and GWS being up to 16,000 or whatever now when the large bulk of "memberships" cost so little.

AFL is flourishing in Sydney as far as I'm concerned. I have more friends than ever watching it and following it and messaging me about it than ever before by a considerable margin. I even have some friends that call themselves GWS supporters go to GWS games (but only when they're giving out free tickets mind you). But the problem is that they're casual supporters. It will take a few years for these people to start becoming die hards or start going to games regularly.