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I agree we have targetted pace, but by and large, I would say that we have failed in this area. Only a few have made good footballers.
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The eternal connundrum "what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object" was finally solved when David Hasselhoff punched himself in the face.Comment
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I agree is going to be tough for spots, which is a good thing
Longterm Naismith is the Ruckman of choice but id doubt very much if he knocks Sinclair out of the team Rd 1. What Sinks did last year is miles better than what Naimsith has been able to do with consistency.
I live Reg but i think Melican and AA take priority, everyone forgets Melican was every bit as good as AA when he was playing
Smith and Reg is trouble here
Fwd line is stacked too, Reid and buddy first choice, Mccartin pressing but we are maybe too tall.
Menzel has to start and Blakey as a Top 5 draftee has to play.
Jack in trouble, i hope Dawson Ronke Paps and Hayward keep their spots
In trouble for mine are Reg Smith Jack MccartinComment
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I agree with almost all of this.
I'm not worried about the forward line being too tall with McCartin, but that he needs to add greater strength before he's a first 22-er in a team which isn't burdened by injuries.
Smith - I'd have in my 22. I haven't seem stats from the second half of the year, but earlier on competition-wide stats showed him clearly best in his role.
Agree fully re Naismith and Sinkers. I couldn't leave Sinkers out round 1; the rest of the season is up to how he plays - and injuries, of course.
Surely, yes, we've got to play Menzel - otherwise would seem pointless getting him. We've got to see what he can do in our team. And maybe Menzel and the return of Reid go a way to address what I think a few of us thought a reasonable comment by Dal Santo, that we play too predictably. I know Harley deflected that with a comment something along the lines that predictable isn't a bad thing when it involves work ethic, etc, etc, but behind the brave face that puts on things - brave, but it's conceded that his comment, too, has an element of truth - it's certain that we are too reliant on Buddy and that we've got to mix it up a bit.
So, in trouble for mine would be Reg, Jack, McCartin.Comment
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I'm not so quick to agree that we are over-reliant on Buddy. This season we were, because Reid was injured and McCartin so young. But this was not so much the case last year or the year before.
I don't agree we have to play Menzel. We have picked him up cheap because he was delisted and we will be paying him modestly. It's more that we probably gave him some kind of half-assurances before he agreed to move up here. He may work well in the front half with Buddy, Reid, Hayward and co, or we may decide that we prefer to play Dawson in that position. Menzel will well and truly have to earn his spot over the pre-season - AND stay clear of injury!All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated, and well supported in logic and argument than others. -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001)
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As is implied in your post, bloodspirit, I wouldn't like Menzel guaranteed a spot, and would want him to have to earn it. But other things being equal, I'd be inclined to pick him ahead of Dawson for round 1 on the basis of his averaging two goals a game - in games he's played - over the last couple of seasons, and on the basis of his experience. But if Dawson were to prove himself the better selection (and especially as the season unfolds), all power to him!Comment
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Completely agree.All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated, and well supported in logic and argument than others. -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001)Comment
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I don't know if the effort put in by the boys this year will net more success. It may but then again it may not. This all depends on whether we are playing a game style that is appropriate to the modern player. Not only that, essentially we are still a very young list if you take Lance, Reg, Macca, KJ, Sinkas etc out. We have 35 players 26 and under on our list as of 1st October next. But I see 2020 as the year when the hard questions are going to be asked if we don't play off for the premiership or at least play competitively in a prelim final.
In saying all that I think the possibilities for for personnel in 2019 are mind boggling. I think we have some better options than we have had already. Menzel does not fit the demographic I thought they were looking for but he is a good forward. With him, Clarke and Thurlow pushing for spots that makes us stronger. All are pretty good players who for one reason or another have not been able to cement a solid senior spot on another list. Menzel was playing seniors but was not necessarily though about until the last selections for some reason. A bloke that kicks almost 2 goals a game is valuable I would have thought.
Add to these the emergence of Dawson, COR, Stoddart, Cameron and even Rose with Ling, Reid and Naismith coming back hopefully all fit and ready to play we will be very strong. Clarke has to clean up his disposal but unfortunately he is playing for Sydney haha. Let's not forget young players like Bell and Amarty either and if Pink can stay fit and get his 2017 form back plus 25% more he could also be valuable. Fox is an interesting one. I believe about half way through last season when Smithy got injured and Fox took his place thinking around him changed. I think they see him as a serious replacement for Smithy.Comment
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I agree with you. I did say "hope we'll be shouting 'Go Bloods!' a little later in September next year", rather than "I'm sure we will be". I think your post sums up well the sense of excitement that the list holds in prospect; I like that, rather than another year of - for example - 'Do we play the Enigma for yet one more game, because even though he gets only five and a half kicks a game, sometimes the last of them is crucial, is the sealer, or even wins the game with its very last kick?' And if we have to wait for 2020 for these fresh hopes to ripen to greater fulfilment, I can cope with that...Comment
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Stuff this , Swans for the flag , I’m calling it! It reeks of 2012, young team , a discarded forward whiz recruited by the swans ( Menzel = Morton) , some young kids about to have breakout seasons ( Heeney / Mills / Florent = Hanners , Jetta, Bird ) an old dog written off to prove the doubters fools ( LRT = Reginald Grundy ) and a couple of so so recruits who become excellent role players ( Shaw / Mattner = Clarke / Thurlow). And lastly it wouldn’t be a swans flag without a breakout performance from a young (ish) backman ( LRT 2005- AJ -2012 - Allir Allir 2019 ). All we need is a new game style , our ‘slingshot footy’ of 2012 reimagined to suit this side ? Any thoughts ? ( this is tongue in cheek by the way but i think I’ve convinced myself after writing it down [emoji6][emoji120]).
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I love it, Melbourne Blood...
But to quote from John Cleese (Brian Stimpson, the headmaster in a film called 'Clockwise'): “It's not the despair, Laura. I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand.”
As I tend to get too passionate - far more passionate than knowledgeable - about footy, I try to tell myself that I should be happy with ninth even while I'm denying the reality of actually yearning for 'Swans snare upset win in Premiership 2019' (Clarko's Hawks fizzle... McLachlan and McGuire in meltdown over unexpected result... etc, etc)Comment
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In comparison to the other teams I don’t think we have improved our list into a top4 team"be tough, only when it gets tough"
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That’s pretty much the point of my post though. It was the same in 2012! We were tipped to slide , we had a 20 year old as our only key forward. We were bundled out easily in the finals the year previous ( semis I think ) We had no chance of wining a flag in 2012 compared to collingwood, Geelong , Adelaide , hawthorn , freo , yet we did. As I said it’s a bit of jest but There is no guarantee that teams who have seemingly bolstered their lists will automatically be better next year, we are the perfect example of that on recent form . The tigers prelim thrashing could hurt them like 2014 did , and then 2016 did to us. West coast could suffer a hangover , the pies could come back to reality , who knows ??
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We haven't traded in "top-end" talent like other teams have. Which didn't work that well for Port or the Bombers this year.
But we are backing in our young, home-grown talent to improve significantly next year.
I don't know what will happen. The evidence this year, when we played with a very young side, wasn't great. But they'll all be a year older, stronger etc in 2019. Plus we did trade in three experienced-ish players (OK Clarke's still pretty young). And we get back Reid, Naismith and Mills.
Hoping that our midfield performs better in 2019 than it did in 2018. Fingers crossed!Comment
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