Expectations for 2021 season

[MightyBloods]

Hi NB, thank you for a level headed response . I see my thoughts on Rowbottom have not been well received, have led to anger. That is not my intent. It is common on RWO to see Swans players discussed as missing out on the 22 or needing to improve majorly in parts of their game . I f i had a dime for every negative or critical thing said about Sam Reid or Jake Lloyd or Melican or Hayward or Ryan Clarke i would be able to buy a place in Rose Bay. They are commonly debated types and so you say something negative about them and it is given a blind eye . I so happen to consider Rowbottom to be at that stage as a player. When hes on he is very good I have said this too many times to count . But he has major areas that he needs to improve on to be a lock in the 22 and to keep his status as one of our premium young players. Saying these things does not mean i am saying he will be delisted by 2024. i just want to see him improve, and he shouldnt be above criticism. You dont see it that way , more power to you. I just call it as i see it and you dont have to agree with it.

Maybe that i am not completely sold on his ability means i see everything he does through a critical lense. It appears that because you are sold on his ability you see everything he does through a glowing lense. Eg. Im unsure that he is unique for doing some kind of personal training regime on the side . I think there would be dozens hundreds even in the AFL doing the same type of programs in their off-seasons. & your anecdote about him being primed for future captaincy ?? Huh? Evidence ?? I doubt Longmire told you this himself.

I will call a truce on Rowbottom because he is obviously a much loved player by the Swans fans and i am not out to denigrate the character of any Bloods player past or present . I have faith he will be a good servant for our great club like many before him and hopefully i have clarified that there is no personal vendetta against him OR his uncle but i just dont view him as highly as the majority do and so if i am mentioning him it is because i see him in that contentious group worth discussing and not YET a safe bet who we know will perform every week to justify his selection in our best side.

Ok, I've hit reply to you MyBloods. My mother passed away this morning and I've had time to reflect. I apologise as I have been tough on you. Not that I agree with your take on RB but it's in my family blood to protect my family and circle the wagons. I was introduced to the red and whites through my Dad following Sth Melbourne, the early games in the mid 60's at the Lakeside Oval with my Dad are some of the most treasured memories I keep. I can still smell those hot jam doughnuts in the van next to the members stand. I could never understand my mother not joining us in following the Bloods, she sided with Collingwood. It was decades later that my brothers and I would discover that our mother's parents didn't die in a car crash but perished in a murder suicide. Our grandfather took our grandmother's life and took his own life immediately after when our mother was aged 5. It was in Wellington St Collingwood right next door to the Sherrin football factory. Mum's older brother ended up playing for Collingwood long before my brothers and I followed the game. As a young kid, I refused to sing the Collingwood theme song but if I had my time again I would have when they were singing in our kitchen. Mum would never know that we knew the real story. She protected us all through our life to the day she died. When the Swans moved to Sydney it tore my Dad apart. He refused to follow the then VFL while I continued to follow the Swans. In fact, my dad was a key member in the 'Keep South at South' movement in which I refused to be a part of. Something that I think I regret to this day thinking that I didn't 'circle the wagons'. My love for the Swans is so profound that I moved from Melbourne to Sydney in my career and I forged some really close relationships with some past Swan players. I saw the same 18y kids turn into men. I started watching the Swans not in the same manner. I was less concerned about the Swans results and more concerned about the Swan kids and their families.....'circle the wagons'. Back to my mother, she was a talented junior tennis player coached by Frank Sedgman Snr at the Coburg tennis courts in Melbourne. His son, who my mother trained with, went on to win multilple Grand Slams. My mother? Married at 18yo to escape a very hard life and have multiple Swans kids. My life? I've remained single with multiple marriage rejections. Some close calls, one was the love of my life. Maybe it was fate as my youngest brother has a mental disability and was looked after all his life by my parents. Now I've moved in to look after my brother....'circle the wagons'. I bought his first ever suit today for our mother's funeral.....he looked so good but he does follow Richmond. He dumped the Swans when my father was so upset.....'circle the wagons'. I'm still trying to convince him back to the pack and I will take him to games in Melbourne this year to win him back. Sorry for the long winded post but I have had a few reds, my brother has gone to bed and I have some private time. So back to RB, he's young, in the Swan family so I'm .circling the wagons'.

[Meg]

Take care of yourself as well as your brother MightyBloods.

[bloodspirit]

Sorry for your loss, MightyBloods. Beautiful telling of your story and of your care for your family and club.

It's always valuable to be reminded of the human beings behind the keyboards and the online handles and avatars. Thanks for sharing.

[royboy42]

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Allir went to Port Adelaide, not the Adelaide crows.

My lack of concentration. My bad, Barry.

[dimelb]

MightyBloods, what a history, so much sorrow, and circling the wagons sounds like a good idea for the immediate future.
I second Meg's motion, and bless you come what may.

[Sandridge]

Ok, I've hit reply to you MyBloods. My mother passed away this morning and I've had time to reflect. I apologise as I have been tough on you. Not that I agree with your take on RB but it's in my family blood to protect my family and circle the wagons. I was introduced to the red and whites through my Dad following Sth Melbourne, the early games in the mid 60's at the Lakeside Oval with my Dad are some of the most treasured memories I keep. I can still smell those hot jam doughnuts in the van next to the members stand. I could never understand my mother not joining us in following the Bloods, she sided with Collingwood. It was decades later that my brothers and I would discover that our mother's parents didn't die in a car crash but perished in a murder suicide. Our grandfather took our grandmother's life and took his own life immediately after when our mother was aged 5. It was in Wellington St Collingwood right next door to the Sherrin football factory. Mum's older brother ended up playing for Collingwood long before my brothers and I followed the game. As a young kid, I refused to sing the Collingwood theme song but if I had my time again I would have when they were singing in our kitchen. Mum would never know that we knew the real story. She protected us all through our life to the day she died. When the Swans moved to Sydney it tore my Dad apart. He refused to follow the then VFL while I continued to follow the Swans. In fact, my dad was a key member in the 'Keep South at South' movement in which I refused to be a part of. Something that I think I regret to this day thinking that I didn't 'circle the wagons'. My love for the Swans is so profound that I moved from Melbourne to Sydney in my career and I forged some really close relationships with some past Swan players. I saw the same 18y kids turn into men. I started watching the Swans not in the same manner. I was less concerned about the Swans results and more concerned about the Swan kids and their families.....'circle the wagons'. Back to my mother, she was a talented junior tennis player coached by Frank Sedgman Snr at the Coburg tennis courts in Melbourne. His son, who my mother trained with, went on to win multilple Grand Slams. My mother? Married at 18yo to escape a very hard life and have multiple Swans kids. My life? I've remained single with multiple marriage rejections. Some close calls, one was the love of my life. Maybe it was fate as my youngest brother has a mental disability and was looked after all his life by my parents. Now I've moved in to look after my brother....'circle the wagons'. I bought his first ever suit today for our mother's funeral.....he looked so good but he does follow Richmond. He dumped the Swans when my father was so upset.....'circle the wagons'. I'm still trying to convince him back to the pack and I will take him to games in Melbourne this year to win him back. Sorry for the long winded post but I have had a few reds, my brother has gone to bed and I have some private time. So back to RB, he's young, in the Swan family so I'm .circling the wagons'.

Thank you so much for sharing your story, Mighty Bloods. My read and white heart goes out to you.

[rojo]

Ah, how the memories come flooding back, Mighty Bloods. I shed a tear for you!

[Thunder Shaker]

MightyBloods, sorry for your loss.

[Captain]

Lovely post Mighty Bloods and sorry for your loss.

[MattW]

Take care of yourself as well as your brother MightyBloods.

Yes, thanks for sharing. An aching post. All the best to you, MightyBloods.

[stevoswan]

Yes, thanks for sharing. An aching post. All the best to you, MightyBloods.

+1

[KTigers]

Yes, thanks for sharing. An aching post. All the best to you, MightyBloods.

+ 1. Stay strong, MB.

[Rod_]

Sharing your happy time and sad times is part of what a community does. Like all others we feel your pain, stay strong and we will cheer loudly in honor. Take care and let footy bring good memories MightBloods. (I know that I get good memories for my father. (1933 - 2011)

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PS

Swans to make the finals is my expectations. Please make this a reality Swans!

[SwanSand]

I reckon we will be agonisingly close. 10-11 is my prediction and the only reason we will not be there is because of the fact that we don’t have the cool heads to get us over the line in games that are close and to reduce the margin by which we lose against the top four.

Ball movement - We need a good ball movement plan to exploit the rule changes and if this clicks we may be closer to 95% margin which would be very very good. I know Don Pyke has helped with this but I thought our plan has changed from the last few weeks in 2020 when it looked amazing.

Goal kickers - we need to kick on average 12 goals each match - if we can somehow get ~ 30 each from Parker, Heeney and Papley and ~ 20 each from Dawson, Wicks, McDonald we may be in the games.

Kickers - somehow we need to create a plan whereby we can give the ball in the hands of Mcinereney, Dawson, Campbell, Rowbottom, Heeney when we are going in forward 50.

Who is our forward coach? Hopefully we get some good forward craft to create space and separation which has been poor and very difficult to watch for the last 2 years. Maybe this coincides with Franklin getting injured and not having A good target.

[Markwebbos]

Rohan Connolly has us making the eight.

AFL 2021: This time, it’s anyone’s flag. No, really! | Footyology

And his reason why

https://footyology.com.au/rocos-magnificent-seven-premiership-hopes/

“I really liked the way Sydney finished off last season. I think they have a few kids in the shape of Dylan Stephens, Sam Wicks, Matthew Ling and especially Justin McInerney who can really catch opponents off guard this season, and I liked the look of draftees Logan McDonald and Braeden Campbell in pre-season. That’s in addition to Nick Blakey, James Rowbottom, Ollie Florent and Will Hayward. And without even mentioning Lance Franklin.“