Pre-season 2020

[bloodspirit]

The GWS website has essentially what was on the Swans website too.

It would be great to hear from any attendees not just details of the training/match (or whatever it is), but also if anyone travels there by light rail.

The key difference is that GWS provide the start time. A small but significant difference. The vagueness of when the match will be on, together with the statement "Interested spectators are advised that only limited facilities will be available at the training session with members and fans instead encouraged to attend the opening match of the Marsh Community Series just seven days later" combine to give me the impression the Swans don't want too many people there. The other difference is that GWS publicise the cost of the Marsh series match which arguably might cause more people to choose the less formal match this Saturday instead of the one the following week, hence its omission by the Swans.

[TheBloods]

The key difference is that GWS provide the start time. A small but significant difference. The vagueness of when the match will be on, together with the statement "Interested spectators are advised that only limited facilities will be available at the training session with members and fans instead encouraged to attend the opening match of the Marsh Community Series just seven days later" combine to give me the impression the Swans don't want too many people there. The other difference is that GWS publicise the cost of the Marsh series match which arguably might cause more people to choose the less formal match this Saturday instead of the one the following week, hence its omission by the Swans.

I reached the same conclusion you did.

I might go anyway, but it's a punt as it's out of my way to go on a Saturday morning when there's no guarantee of decent viewing, and the atmosphere will be non-existent due to the lack of spectators. A real shame as these matches are often the only platform for the more unknown Swans to take the lead and have more prominent roles in a match, besides the NEAFL of course. The upside is that our Marsh series doesn't sound like it will feature too many familiar faces. I'm assuming all of Mills, Lloyd, Papley, Reid, McCartin, Franklin, Heeney and Rampe will miss at least one of the Marsh matches, which gives the likes of McInerney, Foot, Stephens, Gould, Warner etc a chance to be more heavily involved than perhaps they might've been were they in a pre-season line-up stacked with senior players.

But still, disappointing about the practice match this weekend. Why promote it on social media if you're going to discourage fans attending in a roundabout way?

[SeanM]

I assume that they are lowering any expectations that it is going to resemble a match day experience. And instead be more like watching a friday training session.

Though I prefer the henson park intra club games. I am still looking forward to seeing the young players get to play against another afl team for the first time. And Saturday morning suits me because I work weekdays so not seen them train for a while.

[bloodspirit]

At Tramway/Lakeside, I mean.

[bloodspirit]

What that blank post I tried to post last night was meant to say: in fairness the facilities at Tramway oval are pretty limited. There is one small toilet block, maybe a drinking fountain somewhere, no cover from the weather apart from some trees on the SCG boundary and little elevation to watch the play. This is probably why all the NEAFL matches are being scheduled at BISP. Pity Waverley Park's surface isn't up to scratch for NEAFL level because they have a grandstand, cafe and great location walking distance from the beach. Ditto Henson.

Moving on, I came across this better than average report on Swans pre-season: Injured Buddy still mentoring AFL's Swans. What's interesting is that we've got problems with injuries in our KPF stocks. Apart from Buddy, who is busy rehabbing, both Reid and McCartin are dealing with issues (in McCartin's case, hamstrings, in Reid's case, undisclosed). Cal Sinclair might be more of a chance of being selected alongside Naismith, except that both of them are both coming back from significant injuries and surgery so who knows. On top of that leaping Isaac Heeney is still with his broken thumb and that's another useful target in the forward half. And as the article points out, our small forwards - Papley, L.Taylor, Gray and Ronke - have been training together in the same forward line for weeks.

Makes it hard to predict who's going to line up in our front half come round 1. Papley and Hayward you would think are locks. Given the lack of talls you would think at least two of L.Taylor/Gray/Ronke are a good chance also. Might mean that Blakey will go forward in Round 1 (irrespective of what he does in the Marsh series) and others will get opportunities on the wings - like Dylan Stephens or even Lloyd, in the perhaps unlikely event that the match committee decides they can spare him from the backline. May also leave room for COR to keep his spot in the backline.

[AB Swannie]

There are still 4 weeks until Rd 1. A lot can happen in that time. Experienced players will get picked for Rd 1 even if they don’t play any Marsh series.

[707]

Anyone going to this mornings trial game against GWS? Reports much appreciated

[troyjones2525]

Anyone going to this mornings trial game against GWS? Reports much appreciated

Yeah I hope we get some detailed reports on all our players by dedicated RWOers like in years past! We certainly won't be able to rely on the Swans media team to do it for us...

Sent from my SM-G977B using Tapatalk

[dejavoodoo44]

Just a sketchy 3/4 time update from the Swans twitter.

"GWS 9.8.62
SYD 6.7.43

Lloyd topping the disposals with 19, Cunningham and Kennedy with 13 each.

Goals to Blakey (3), Papley, Mills and Gray."

Interesting that Blakey has three goals. I wonder if he's playing key forward, in the absence of Franklin, Reid and McCartin? And a goal to Mills?

[dejavoodoo44]

It ended up a twenty point win to GWS: 12-8 80 to 8-12 60. Taylor and Wicks got last quarter goals. Our top disposal getters for the match were:
Lloyd 19
Kennedy 17
Cunningham / Florent 16
Gray, Taylor, Hewitt, Dawson 15.

[aguy]

No one Went in the end? I would love to hear how Naismith went in particular.

[Aaron]

No one Went in the end? I would love to hear how Naismith went in particular.

He probably only played the first half. His calf and thigh were wrapped with ice packs after half time. He was OK but I can't recall any highlights. Knoll played a little. According to Swans fine-tune for Round 1 , no one in the team was "injured" in the game. A notable absence this morning was Parker. Even those players who are in rehabs turned up in but did not see Parker. May be he is "sick"? At least the following players did not play:Clarke, Heeney, Thurlow, Ling, Reed, Mailbaum, Buddy, Rampe, Parker, McCartin, , O'connor, Mclean, Melican, Amartey, E Taylor. At this stage GWS is much stronger than us but we have improved in speed.

[Mel_C]

I see our goal kicking hasn't improved ????.

[liz]

You can add Stoddart, Foot, Reynolds and Rowles to the list of players not participating.

Wicks, Knoll and Gould were held back until after half-time. I suspect three players were swapped out for those three. Certainly Naismith only played the first half (a swap for Knoll, though Sinclair did most of the ruckwork in the second half). I don't believe I saw Mills after half-time, but I can't say for sure he sat out. I can't identify another player who also definitely sat out the second half.

[barracuda]

You can add Stoddart, Foot, Reynolds and Rowles to the list of players not participating.

Wicks, Knoll and Gould were held back until after half-time. I suspect three players were swapped out for those three. Certainly Naismith only played the first half (a swap for Knoll, though Sinclair did most of the ruckwork in the second half). I don't believe I saw Mills after half-time, but I can't say for sure he sat out. I can't identify another player who also definitely sat out the second half.

173229"]I went to the game, Blakey is a freak. Just so good at reading the ball and getting into position.
Papley was sharp in the first half, Rowbottom got involved, Hayward did a few very high intensity acts.

I was a bit disappointed in gray, Ronke, and Lewis. Gray and lewis looked heavy and slow. They got a full game, I guess so the coaches can get a good look. The biggest thing they lack is forward pressure. I don’t recall them laying any tackles and noted how easy gws were exciting our forward half.

Ronke still hasn’t captured form yet. He seemed ineffective given he played the whole game.

Warner is impressive, and looks a good find, as is Stephens. Both cracked in physically and looked at home.

McInerney did a few good things.

Gws started the game with their best side. They got a good jump, but they are in the premiership window. The swans on the other hand had new faces and were trying new things. In the first half whilst Mumford was beaten in the taps, the gws midfield of Kelly, Taranto etc killed us. They were just too quick and slick having played together so much. Our midfield had new faces and seemed a bit slow off the mark.

In the second half gws rested guys like Taranto, green, Kelly and so the game became more even. The swans also started to pile on more forward pressure largely sparked by Wicks who only played a bit more than a quarter.

Overall gws looked much more classy, which is understanderable, however the swans have ticker. Better kicking for goal would have made a closer game.

The biggest take away for me was Blakey. Once he really grabs hold of the game it is unclear how opposition sides will contain him.