Swans VFL 2022

[rickmat]

Not sold on Laidlaw as coach of our VFL team. His summary was very basic and only mentioned a few players. This was his opportunity to give more of an insight into our next level talent as well as the VFL squad boys. Wish we still had Ryce Shaw as he had a real talent of getting the next gen players up. Give us more please of an insight.

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I meant Laidler, my apologies

[rb4x]

Not sold on Laidlaw as coach of our VFL team. His summary was very basic and only mentioned a few players. This was his opportunity to give more of an insight into our next level talent as well as the VFL squad boys. Wish we still had Ryce Shaw as he had a real talent of getting the next gen players up. Give us more please of an insight.

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I meant Laidler, my apologies

Could not agree more. Laidler has failed to develop the reserves and appears to be retained as just one of the boys to have around. Probably on fairly low dollars as a coach with Horse, Pyke and Cox taking up the lions share of the cap. His insights are just platitudes that really say nothing and do not offend anybody. e.g. The comments on Corey Warner, was he just a spectator on the wing watching everyone else run up and back. Was not happy with the VFL team last year and disappointed so far this year. Would have been nice to have got a score, best players and some basic stats from the game even though it was just a practice hit out.

[Aprilbr]

Could not agree more. Laidler has failed to develop the reserves and appears to be retained as just one of the boys to have around. Probably on fairly low dollars as a coach with Horse, Pyke and Cox taking up the lions share of the cap. His insights are just platitudes that really say nothing and do not offend anybody. e.g. The comments on Corey Warner, was he just a spectator on the wing watching everyone else run up and back. Was not happy with the VFL team last year and disappointed so far this year. Would have been nice to have got a score, best players and some basic stats from the game even though it was just a practice hit out.

I have my doubts too about Laidler but we have to give him a chance to have a proper full season with the VFL team to see how he goes with player development. The past two VFL seasons have been destroyed by Covid.

[bloodspirit]

I don't think we would have persevered with Laidler this long if he weren't better than we are giving him credit for. Remember over the past two years a lot of coaches have lost their jobs and there is a lot of talent sitting on the pine craving opportunity. If we wanted to replace him there are plenty of others who we could get, even on relatively low $$ e.g. Lloyd Perris would have been an option who we chose to cut loose. Ditto Maxfield. And across the AFL there are countless others, including former senior AFL coaches (although, true, they might not be tempted by a lowly coaching role on lowly $$ - but you get the point).

[111431]

I have my doubts too about Laidler but we have to give him a chance to have a proper full season with the VFL team to see how he goes with player development. The past two VFL seasons have been destroyed by Covid.

Fully agree. I would be surprised if any VFL / NEAFL coach would be pleased with the outcomes of the last 2 years

[bloodspirit]

Another thought about Laidler: definitely Covid and the lack of games has impacted on player development. Senior players have been developed more through training, which is done with all the coaches in the main group, rather than through playing VFL. This leads me to think that Laidler's role may also have a heavy focus on the VFL players, and also on VFL match days and planning rather than player development so much, which is what we are trying to judge him on. Really player development is not Laidler's primary role: that is more for all the assistant coaches and also Kirk, who more focuses on player welfare. Of course Laidler plays a role too but I don't think we can hold him primarily responsible - that would be giving him more responsibility and importance than I think he carries.

In any event, the Swans are among the best in the business at player development and we are recognised for this. While we do pretty well with trading and drafting, it's our development of players that really helps us keep up with and surpass the teams who have higher draft picks and more money/lower cost of living etc. Whether it is trade-ins (from JPK to Hickey), with the rookie list (Rampe, Lloyd, Cunningham, Papley, McLean, Fox, Sheather etc), or with later draft picks (Parker, Hanners, AJ, Dawson, Warner, McInerney etc) we have done fantastically. I don't give all the credit for this to Laidler (not at all!) - but conversely I don't sheet all the blame home to Laidler for the players that don't develop or fulfil our hopes (Gray, Taylor, Clarke, Brand, Thurlow, Knoll etc).

[ugg]

Round 2-8 has now been released

AFL Fixtures and Results - AFL.com.au

• R2 - Sydney v Gold Coast @ Blacktown Fri Apr 1 7:05PM
• R3 - Port Melbourne v Sydney @ ETU Stadium Sat Apr 9 1:05PM
• R4 - Sydney v Northern Bullants @ Blacktown Sun Apr 17 1:05PM
• R5 - Bye
• R6 - Sydney v Brisbane @ SCG Sun May 1 1:05PM (curtain raiser)
• R7 - Werribee v Sydney @ Avalon Airport Oval Sat May 7 1:05PM
• R8 - bye

[dejavoodoo44]

IIRC, a while back Sydney was divided into Swans territory and Giants territory. Roughly, the areas east of Homebush was designated Swans and west of Homebush was Giants. So why do we persist in playing games at Blacktown?

[bloodspirit]

IIRC, a while back Sydney was divided into Swans territory and Giants territory. Roughly, the areas east of Homebush was designated Swans and west of Homebush was Giants. So why do we persist in playing games at Blacktown?

I think it's because none of the other venues are considered good enough for one reason or another, whether in relation to the surface or in relation to the camera angles available. But I could be wrong and maybe someone who actually knows can enlighten us.

[Mr Magoo]

I think it's because none of the other venues are considered good enough for one reason or another, whether in relation to the surface or in relation to the camera angles available. But I could be wrong and maybe someone who actually knows can enlighten us.

Blacktown is a very good surface and is used quite sparingly. There really isnt many grounds that are suitable in the east in my opinion - tramway doesnt really have the facilities to host a visiting team very well , henson park is quite small with archaic facilities and gore hill is an artificial pitch but is quite heavily used by both north shore and the wide community. What grounds other than the SCG would you suggest could be used ?

[bloodspirit]

Blacktown is a very good surface and is used quite sparingly. There really isnt many grounds that are suitable in the east in my opinion - tramway doesnt really have the facilities to host a visiting team very well , henson park is quite small with archaic facilities and gore hill is an artificial pitch but is quite heavily used by both north shore and the wide community. What grounds other than the SCG would you suggest could be used ?

I don't think there is another ground as good as BISP in terms of surface, facilities, seating etc. However, I personally prefer watching games at Henson and I used to like it when they scheduled them at Drummoyne - mostly because of the convenience (relative to Blacktown) and also because they have a nice suburban feel (and Drummoyne is very pretty right by the Bay). I think the plan is to upgrade Henson and use it more often, but maybe for AFLW rather than AFLM.

[Jupiter]

Could not agree more. Laidler has failed to develop the reserves and appears to be retained as just one of the boys to have around. Probably on fairly low dollars as a coach with Horse, Pyke and Cox taking up the lions share of the cap. His insights are just platitudes that really say nothing and do not offend anybody. e.g. The comments on Corey Warner, was he just a spectator on the wing watching everyone else run up and back. Was not happy with the VFL team last year and disappointed so far this year. Would have been nice to have got a score, best players and some basic stats from the game even though it was just a practice hit out.

Consistent with the usual lack of publicity I'm not sure many would of picked up that Tom Morrison, ex Sydney Uni NEAFL coach (quite successful there as a coach and I understand it well respected - Lloyd Perris, now at GWS AFLW earnt his coaching stripes under him there too) has joined as some sort of VFL assistant - I heard through player related sources - apparently making a great impact.

[bloodspirit]

Consistent with the usual lack of publicity I'm not sure many would of picked up that Tom Morrison, ex Sydney Uni NEAFL coach (quite successful there as a coach and I understand it well respected - Lloyd Perris, now at GWS AFLW earnt his coaching stripes under him there too) has joined as some sort of VFL assistant - I heard through player related sources - apparently making a great impact.

Great heads up! Thanks for that Jupiter.

[ugg]

Team for @VFL Round 1 against @FootscrayVFL #VFL

B: Fox Gould Cordell
HB: Clarke Melican O'Riordan
C: Co.Warner Ronke Bell
HF: Sheather Amartey Roberts
F: McAndrew Sinclair Rankin
Foll: Ladhams Taylor A.Gulden (c)

Int: Collis Shipley Bartholomaeus Morrison Geddes

— Swans Reserves (@swansreserves) March 24, 2022

[AB Swannie]

Reid and Sheldrick not named in this side suggests one of them will be the medi sub.