Changes for Round 23 v Gold Coast Suns

[Markwebbos]

We play very well at the Hobart ground - but haven't played in Launceston for a long time now (perhaps since that magical game in 2012? when goodesy and co went wild after half time and we kicked what 11 goals to 2). One of my favourite matches from, well, a sensational year!

Against the Hawks?

[mcs]

Against the Hawks?

Yep. Hawks were ~3 goals up at half time and then we went wild in the second half ine xtraordinary fashion.

One good advantage of playing in Tassie is we know we will have a decent roll up of Swans fans turn out to cheer us on - every time we've been down for games in Hobart we've been astounded by how many Swans fans are lurking all around tassie!

[Markwebbos]

Yep. Hawks were ~3 goals up at half time and then we went wild in the second half ine xtraordinary fashion.

One good advantage of playing in Tassie is we know we will have a decent roll up of Swans fans turn out to cheer us on - every time we've been down for games in Hobart we've been astounded by how many Swans fans are lurking all around tassie!

I remember that game. It was our mids coming of age game. They dominated us around the ball in the first half and we came out after half time and annihilated them.

[joeykanga]

Ludwig, you have misrepresented my words that you quote.

Anyone whose interested in the actual context of my words can go to page 13 of this thread and look at my post from 7.19am.

Ludwig, it’s really quite reprehensible that you misrepresented my words to make a joke at me and delight the legion of people who have it in for TB and I.

Go ahead everyone, have a good laugh at me.

What you have done is reminded me of one of my favourite songs
I started a Joke by the Bee Gees
which I’m off to enjoy

Just chill Bangalore …why don’t you laugh as well ..treat it as a farce

[Goal Sneak]

I remember that game. It was our mids coming of age game. They dominated us around the ball in the first half and we came out after half time and annihilated them.

Goodes was on fire in that game. He broke Mickey O's club record of 303 matches and played a blinder

[Industrial Fan]

Nick Smith came on as a sub into the midfield and ripped it up too.

Vintage game

[Goal Sneak]

Yep. Hawks were ~3 goals up at half time and then we went wild in the second half ine xtraordinary fashion.

One good advantage of playing in Tassie is we know we will have a decent roll up of Swans fans turn out to cheer us on - every time we've been down for games in Hobart we've been astounded by how many Swans fans are lurking all around tassie!

If we end up playing GWS in Tassie, I can't imagine there would be too many of their fans down there which may work out as a "home" ground advantage for us

[i'm-uninformed2]

Nick Smith came on as a sub into the midfield and ripped it up too.

Vintage game

He did too! What a memory. Apparently he used to nag the coaches for midfield time. But when you’re the one bloke on earth that could put the clamp on everyone from Cyril to Steve Milne to Eddie, bad luck

[NeonBible]

Morning all! What an intriguing game this will be!! For a game that matters little in terms of our standing on the ladder, there will be a LOT of questions answered..

Will we go into finals with the wind in our sails after a triumphant thrashing of the Suns, or will we limp in, lacking the form and urgency we will need to bring in finals, and that have been missing the past 2 weeks??

Will Melican and O'Riordan justify their places in the team?? Will Campbell be able to solidify his spot?? How will the returning players Mills, Buddy and Lloyd all go?? Does Dawson go back to defence? What about Campbell?? Can we fill the run and gun void left by Blakey's absence?? Will McLean back up his strong game last week? Will we regret not resting Hickey when we had the chance?

So close to finals yet we are still such a work in progress - but that is the story of our season in a way, isn't it? Always evolving and trying to get better! Love this club!!

CHEER CHEER

[NeonBible]

Simply because I wanted to ensure that I haven’t indiscriminately pushed back against the campaigning of TB and BS re Chad vs Rowbottom I visited Bigfooty. Not something that I usually do but quite an interesting exercise.
There are many posts discussing Fox v Melican v O’Riordan and McLean v Reid but I couldn’t find one where there was a direct comparison of Chad and James. There were a few posts earlier in the week suggesting Chad was due for selection and since the team was named a few thinking like BS that he may be either a late selection or be selected as the medical sub.
There were replies outlining similar thoughts to that posted by many on here regarding suspect match fitness different playing styles and team balance etc which seemed to be discussed but not dismissed. Posts where it was decreed that it was just common sense to agree with the poster were also absent.
This just confirmed my feeling that what we are seeing here on RWO is a concerted and illogical campaign where unless a response is in general agreement it is ignored or belittled.

Hi Faunac8,

I too am an occasional lurker on Bigfooty. Quite interesting how Rowbottom is barely spoken about on there, save for the odd comment of concern about his fitness.. yet he is comfortably the most hotly debated Swans player on here! Funny.. it's like two parallel universes heh..

[stevoswan]

But we have Rampe and McCartin to take the two big power forwards.

What team has a 3rd tall that Fox couldn’t handle??

Fox is the perfect medium defender. Perfect for a Fritsch type player. Harry takes the small and Lloyd runs off.

What does Melican bring? He is slow and unskillful. He is also doing a job that Rampe and McCartin do.

I think we all remember the Hawthorn game where their tall forwards monstered us, Fox included.....I reckon the MC decided that day that we need more height in the backline and are spooked by a repeat of the Hawks result in the finals. Fox is unlucky no doubt .....but maybe he's just being rested to give Melican another week to find better form as he has shown in the past that he needs a few games to get up to speed. If he regains some of his pre-injury form, he will be an asset in the finals. I think Melican over Fox this weekend is more of an insurance policy to create more finals depth and versatility at the selection table.

In regard to Rampe.....don't we all want him released from having to negate a big forward so he can have a more running role turning defence into attack? Rampe shouldn't be our second 'big' defender.....even if he's capable of that role.

[royboy42]

Hi Faunac8,

I too am an occasional lurker on Bigfooty. Quite interesting how Rowbottom is barely spoken about on there, save for the odd comment of concern about his fitness.. yet he is comfortably the most hotly debated Swans player on here! Funny.. it's like two parallel universes heh..

Twp parallel universes..two guys who must have met in a pub somewhere and decided to disrupt a reasonably well performing footy supporters' site, and are succeeding.

[wolftone57]

Fair enough TB- I won’t bite your head off! As I said before, Chad is a very talented young player, but the MC have decided not to include him in the 22 for this match. That’s it. Maybe it’s due to match-ups: no reflection on abilities at all. For example, Reid has been left out, though he has more ability than Pelican and could play in his role as a key defender- yet they chose to go with the latter.

Chad will get plenty of chances- don’t worry!

Maybe, just maybe it is due to him not having much match fitness?

[wolftone57]

Bangalore, it’s not Chad v Rowbottom- they are not mutually exclusive as when both fully fit, they are both in the team.

That was the point I was trying to make, in my clumsy way in my sarcastic post previously- no need for you and TB to be riding this ad nauseum!

Chad will be back and we all hope he will go from strength to strength. Rowie was very good in the first half against Norf, we all agree, and yes, he faded a bit in the second half, as a lot of his mates, but he spent most of it warming the bench.

Melican v Fox: depends on opposition personnel, as often said by Horse generally speaking.

there is no Melican v Fox. Fox is a player who has been asked to play undersized key defender role while KPP were injured. We can't continue to go into the finals with undersized defenders. The new rule interpretations just do not allow this. Fox did not plat on a tall last week. He played on the medium forwards and resting mids. Unfortunately he let through too many goals. If you are a defender and leak goals you get dropped. Simple really

- - - Updated - - -

Ok well my wife used to have a saying , "if you hear something too many times , dont ignore it, question it"

i have heard from enough people who dont see the gulf between Chad and RB that i do , to question whether it is as obvious as i think it is . Needless to say i think it is there , and if we play RB in a final over Chad i think that would be a huge mistake , one has the potential to break a game open , the other does not , and that might be the difference if it is a close tight final .But no one opinion is better than the rest , i guess we will all see , end of the day dont care who is in the 22 as long as we win but obviously think there are certain individuals more likely to help us win than others .

Why don't you change the record it must be scratched because it continues to repeat ad nauseam

[i'm-uninformed2]

Hahaha I've never been one for that sort of gossip, hence why I'd never read anything about it

Oh look, the scandal sheets aren’t usually my thing either. I was only concerned for the footballing implications of a then impressionable young man under the influence of an older, ambitious woman.

And let’s just say this: she may present as dour and demure these days, but ROK’s career improved exponentially once he had the time and energy to devote to his football - free of her demands.