Changes for Swans vs Bombers

[liz]

Re: AJ....well, there's only one way to have him 'catch up' to a (seniors) game that has 'gone past him'....and that is to play him. As Barry said, if we don't select him this season, he will be delisted. I say 'get him in'.....then we'll really know if the game has gone past him.

Except there's not "only one way". There's giving him an extended run at NEAFL level to regain full confidence in his body and build his match fitness. There's giving him time to build his endurance back up to where it once was, partly via mid-week training but also completing another pre-season. There's all the match simulation and skills development work that they do when they're not training.

I have no idea whether they'll keep Alex on the list next year. Without access to the physical data that the club would have, it's impossible to know exactly what shape his body is in. I don't think it's possible to guess just watching NEAFL football. I don't think it's as simplistic as saying that if he doesn't play senior footy this year he's gone.

[longmile]

Outs: Newman, Cameron, Marsh
Ins: Dawson, Grundy, Jack (towers if Jack is not available)

[MattW]

I don't understand the "there was no match-up for Grundy" comments.
It would have been nice to have him play on Wright on the weekend.
And who else do we have to defend the oppositions resting ruckman? It isn't a job for Sinclair.

Yep, Rampe struggled a bit with Wright. Would have been good to have had the option to go to Grundy. There wasn't much else; no point putting Marsh on him.

[barry]

If AJ doesn't play seniors and is reasonably successful at it, he will be delisted. The swans can free up list space and he can get on with the rest of his life knowing he tried his best and has a premiership.

[Sandrevan]

This match is a watershed match. If we lose and teams 5-8 win (and they'd all be favourites) and if Geelong beat the Lions then we would drop to 9th on the ladder. Sure, we play well at Marvel Stadium and Essendon are having an inconsistent season but the boys will know this is a 'line in the sand' game. Essendon (and their fans) will be aware of our shortcomings and I suspect they will really take the game on early.

i'll be very nervous on Friday night.

[Markwebbos]

Caroline Wilson on the Age podcast pointed out both Sydney and North “didn’t give a yelp” in their games after playing each other. As if we were both drained physically / mentally / emotionally by the experience. I’d really like to draw a line through the Suns game and move on.

Interesting to ponder how the selection committee will respond.

Dawson for Cameron might be the only change.

I think Grundy may be getting the - ROK you are not getting another contract - cold shoulder. If we don’t see him against Bombers we probably won’t see him again.

[Markwebbos]

This match is a watershed match. If we lose and teams 5-8 win (and they'd all be favourites) and if Geelong beat the Lions then we would drop to 9th on the ladder. Sure, we play well at Marvel Stadium and Essendon are having an inconsistent season but the boys will know this is a 'line in the sand' game. Essendon (and their fans) will be aware of our shortcomings and I suspect they will really take the game on early.

i'll be very nervous on Friday night.

They were discussing composition of the 8 on the Age podcast. 2 out of 3 had Swans missing the 8.

I think it’s safe to say if we lose on Friday we are done for the year. If we win, we are in with a chance.

Missing finals might be a blessing if it (1) allows injured players (Hanners, Buddy) to get over their injuries (2) forces the club into a bit of soul searching about personnel, game style, ball-movement etc.

They also said that Stuart Dew probably would have left the Swans whether he got the Suns job or not because he no longer “saw eye to eye” with Horse. I think there is a story behind the huge turnover of coaches at the end of last season

Interesting how the 2 clubs that had huge reviews in the last 2 years and kept their coaches but changed game plan etc May well be the best 2 teams this year.

[AnnieH]

This match is a watershed match. If we lose and teams 5-8 win (and they'd all be favourites) and if Geelong beat the Lions then we would drop to 9th on the ladder. Sure, we play well at Marvel Stadium and Essendon are having an inconsistent season but the boys will know this is a 'line in the sand' game. Essendon (and their fans) will be aware of our shortcomings and I suspect they will really take the game on early.

i'll be very nervous on Friday night.

I'm very nervous now, and it's only Tuesday.

[Go Swannies]

Except there's not "only one way". There's giving him an extended run at NEAFL level to regain full confidence in his body and build his match fitness. There's giving him time to build his endurance back up to where it once was, partly via mid-week training but also completing another pre-season. There's all the match simulation and skills development work that they do when they're not training.

I have no idea whether they'll keep Alex on the list next year. Without access to the physical data that the club would have, it's impossible to know exactly what shape his body is in. I don't think it's possible to guess just watching NEAFL football. I don't think it's as simplistic as saying that if he doesn't play senior footy this year he's gone.

I was at the Swans office on Saturday soon after the game concluded. AJ burst out from the back with a face that looked like thunder. It might just have been that he wanted to make sure no-one could catch him to talk to him, or he may have been fed up with the result. Or there may be another reason. I thought at the time that it looked like an over-reaction from a player who wasn't out there on the losing team.

[aardvark]

I think Grundy may be getting the - ROK you are not getting another contract - cold shoulder. If we don’t see him against Bombers we probably won’t see him again.

If so that would be one of the more stupid things this club has done recently. Reg retires on his own terms as far as I'm concerned.

[Swanny40519]

If so that would be one of the more stupid things this club has done recently. Reg retires on his own terms as far as I'm concerned.

Agree 100%. Reg has been the backbone of our defense for many years. I thought this year he was having a great year and the comments by Horse I thought were very disrespectfu to a great player.

Horse needs to take a good hard look at a mirror and ask himself if the game style he wants played will win a premiership.

[Blue Sun]

Dawson on paper could be a reverse Josh Kennedy if we aren’t careful. Big bodied midfielder struggling to force his way into a “star studded midfield”

Surely we have to play him or lose him

BTW from Key Swans defender no guarantee to return - AFL.com.au

SYDNEY key defender Heath Grundy is no guarantee to return for Friday night's crucial clash with Essendon as coach John Longmire continues to weigh up the veteran's place in his best side.

IN: Dawson
OUT: Cameron

That is staggering to me. Grundy is 100% in the best 22.

[Hotpotato]

Horse reckoned he (Reg) had a couple of quiet games.
I didn’t notice them, rather more thank goodness for Reg, otherwise we are cactus.

[AnnieH]

I was at the Swans office on Saturday soon after the game concluded. AJ burst out from the back with a face that looked like thunder. It might just have been that he wanted to make sure no-one could catch him to talk to him, or he may have been fed up with the result. Or there may be another reason. I thought at the time that it looked like an over-reaction from a player who wasn't out there on the losing team.

To be fair, we all walked out looking like that.

[Auntie.Gerald]

The post game hysteria is without doubt largely due to the Essendon game becoming two roads diverging in the woods

One road none of us supporters want to drive down

The other is keeping oxygen flowing in a fight for the 8 or top 4

Yes it was a frustrating game to watch by the Swans but the stakes are high now - really high

So I turned my mind back to the incredible effort displayed last year by the bloods.....do or die every week for 15 bloody weeks ????

This year we have so many players out that it limits our ability to weave between different game styles, makes us more predictable and certainly prey to hunting teams

We have a stack of inexperience and youth

Wow what a victory is will be this weekend !!!

As Phil Collins saids “against all odds”