Rnd 19 - vs Adelaide Crows at the SCG on Saturday at 1:45 PM, 23 July,

[Blood Fever]

I fully agree. We lost Membrey because Goodesy stayed an extra year and we lost Nank because he couldn't get a good run at it because of Tippo and Crayfish. I think Gould deserves a go and maybe Ramps could do with a rest

No chance Rampe rests. We are hunting a top 4 finish. If the club valued Gould highly, he would have played at least one game in the seniors by now. This is his third season.

[bloodspirit]

The Wombat! I like it. I'm thinking you're referring to Gus but there are other contenders. Gus burrows but he is quicker than the average wombat. Maybe he's a Kombat Wombat?

Agree we want to hang on to Gould and see him at senior level. Hopefully we can give him enough assurance about his futures prospects that he won't be lured elsewhere. But he needs to see a path into the senior team.

As for selection, I agree with pretty much everything Cosmic Wizard had to say. I favour no change but would be ok with Logan for Buddy.

[neilfws]

the Crows often struggle when they travel here

Checking my facts after posting I see this one was not entirely accurate. Swans have played the Crows 21 times at the SCG for 9 wins, 12 losses. In the past 3 games there: 1 win, 2 losses.

Walker had 6 goals in the Swans win, 4 in one of the Swans losses and 1 in the other...make of that what you will. Obviously quite a different Crows side this year to previous but still ours to lose I feel!

[Agent 86]

No chance Rampe rests. We are hunting a top 4 finish. If the club valued Gould highly, he would have played at least one game in the seniors by now. This is his third season.

Rampe has been a driving force behind our resurgence from the mid-year slump. He got beaten a few times early vs Freo, but ended well on top and gotta love that passion.

[AB Swannie]

Clarke's next assignment is more likely to be Brodie Smith, who is the rebound defender for Adelaide. I don't think Dawson will be tagged.

It's great that Clarke has come from near oblivion to perform an important role for the team. Now Campbell, Cunningham and the Wombat have to wait for an injury. It's hard to see JPK coming into the side except as the sub. There's simply no one to drop. Ronke, Wicks and Bell look out of contention, when they were once fighting for that last forward role earlier in the year.

Gould has probably been our best consistent player over the whole VFL season, and has grown with every game. He's out of contract this year. He's the most deserving of the VFL players to get the next shot at AFL level, but it's hard to find a spot for him unless one of our taller defenders gets injured or is rested, or we shuffle the deck a bit. I wouldn't underestimate the importance of keeping him on our list. It would make the loss of Darcy Cameron look minor by comparison. We need to have some strategic thinking when developing players. We get burnt too often by not providing playing opportunities to those deserving.

I take a slightly different view to many others when we lose players looking for more opportunity. More or less, we keep producing more AFL quality players than we have AFL spots. Sure, sometimes we may have made the wrong choice by keeping Naismith over Nankervis or playing Goodes one more year than playing Membrey but I'd much rather have this problem than the alternative. If we produced fewer quality players, we wouldn't ever whinge about the possibility of losing players like Gould because he would be in the team.

[Ludwig]

we wouldn't ever whinge about the possibility of losing players like Gould because he would be in the team.

This is clearly not the case, as evidenced by Membrey and Darcy Cameron, as well as players like Will Brodie, who is playing very well at Freo. For one reason or another, some players don't get a fair go at their club, but prove they are capable players at their next club.

The general consensus of VFL watchers, as well as the game commentators, is that Gould is playing well and it shouldn't be long before he gets and AFL debut. Even Tom Harley has said this on a couple of occasions when questioned by the media. It hasn't happened because we haven't had any injuries to players who Gould could replace, the main one being Rampe.

I understand that we are in contention for a flag and the coach doesn't want to bring in a debutante as an unforced change, when getting the back 7 to work together as a unit is a priority.

Maybe Gould will be willing to sign on with us even if he doesn't get a game this year. I don't know if he will become a successful AFL player, but he looks good enough to warrant a shot. I hope it's with us, because we could use a player with his skillset to replace Rampe when the time comes.

[Ludwig]

The Wombat! I like it. I'm thinking you're referring to Gus but there are other contenders. Gus burrows but he is quicker than the average wombat. Maybe he's a Kombat Wombat?

.

I first came up with the Mole, then Deja suggested Hedgehog, and then Wombat popped into my mind as I recalled an experience when I lived in Tassie.

I wasn't an animal rescuer or carer myself, but I had several friends in the animal rescue community. One couple had a very nice house on a large property along a bend in the Mersey river in North Central Tassie. I used to get up there about once a year. You wouldn't believe the menagerie of animals coming and going in and out of the house. Jumping and running all over the place. The baby wombat was the most precocious. This furry bowling bowl never stopped running around and pestering all the other animals. Even the matriarch German Shepherd, who was usually cool with everything, had reached her wits end. The Wombat came on my lap and fell asleep and nobody would let me move for 2 hours for fear of waking the little beast. Everyone needed a break.

Sheldrick reminds me of that wombat. A little ball of shear power and tenacity. He never quits. I don't know if it will catch on, but I'll be calling him the Wombat.

[Thunder Shaker]

Adelaide seems to be a pariah side as far as the AFL fixture is concerned. This will be the 17th year in a row that Sydney has played Adelaide only once in a season (excluding finals). The last time we were fixtured to play Adelaide twice in a year was 2005 (two losses).

Adelaide is the side we have gone longest without two home and away matches against in the same season. Other sides with long stretches of single home and away matches in a season: Brisbane Lions (2011), Collingwood (2013), Port Adelaide (2015).

[AB Swannie]

This is clearly not the case, as evidenced by Membrey and Darcy Cameron, as well as players like Will Brodie, who is playing very well at Freo. For one reason or another, some players don't get a fair go at their club, but prove they are capable players at their next club.

The general consensus of VFL watchers, as well as the game commentators, is that Gould is playing well and it shouldn't be long before he gets and AFL debut. Even Tom Harley has said this on a couple of occasions when questioned by the media. It hasn't happened because we haven't had any injuries to players who Gould could replace, the main one being Rampe.

I understand that we are in contention for a flag and the coach doesn't want to bring in a debutante as an unforced change, when getting the back 7 to work together as a unit is a priority.

Maybe Gould will be willing to sign on with us even if he doesn't get a game this year. I don't know if he will become a successful AFL player, but he looks good enough to warrant a shot. I hope it's with us, because we could use a player with his skillset to replace Rampe when the time comes.

This is largely my argument - the reason Membrey and Darcy Cameron left the Swans is because they "didn't get a fair go". They didn't get a fair go largely because we had AFL-quality players already in their position. If we didn't - hey would've stayed. It means we have lots of quality AFL players (which is a good thing) but one of the implications is that 27/28 doesn't go into 22 so players will leave. If you only had 22 AFL quality players you would never lose anyone.

[Ludwig]

This is largely my argument - the reason Membrey and Darcy Cameron left the Swans is because they "didn't get a fair go". They didn't get a fair go largely because we had AFL-quality players already in their position. If we didn't - hey would've stayed. It means we have lots of quality AFL players (which is a good thing) but one of the implications is that 27/28 doesn't go into 22 so players will leave. If you only had 22 AFL quality players you would never lose anyone.

We have to find a way to play our good veterans as well as giving opportunities to young prospects. If something has to crack, then the veterans should make way for youth. Adam is a champion, but gone from footy, while Membrey is a very good forward and has been since going to the Saints.

I know we shouldn't take any game for granted, but using games against lower ranked teams to bring in a promising young player is a good idea, imo. The marginal difference potential is not worth losing a player over. If it means resting Rampe for a game so we can play Gould, I would take the opportunity in the next 3 games.

[Blood Fever]

We have to find a way to play our good veterans as well as giving opportunities to young prospects. If something has to crack, then the veterans should make way for youth. Adam is a champion, but gone from footy, while Membrey is a very good forward and has been since going to the Saints.

I know we shouldn't take any game for granted, but using games against lower ranked teams to bring in a promising young player is a good idea, imo. The marginal difference potential is not worth losing a player over. If it means resting Rampe for a game so we can play Gould, I would take the opportunity in the next 3 games.

The next three games are crucial. Adelaide lost narrowly to Collingwood. The Giants always lift against us and North just beat Richmond. Rampe is starting to find some form. Gould has been overlooked for Fox. He is very likely to be delisted or traded. Melican is next cab off the rank and he has proven he can play at the level.

[The Big Cat]

I'm a bit worried about our form in day games. We've won two for the year. Fell in against North and had to come home with a wet sail to beat the Hawks. Meanwhile lost to Port, Essendon and Suns (others?)

[AB Swannie]

I'm a bit worried about our form in day games. We've won two for the year. Fell in against North and had to come home with a wet sail to beat the Hawks. Meanwhile lost to Port, Essendon and Suns (others?)

It’s an interesting observation and one that conflicts with my perception of the conditions that should suit us. I feel that our skills and style suit a fast, dry track which should occur in day games as opposed to dewy night time. In all of the games we have lost that you listed, it was actually our skills that seemed to let us down.

[707]

Wet lead in, wet day forecast and wet track.

Crows have poor skill level but crack in hard, so they're suited by the forecast conditions - shouldn't be, but could be, a danger game, particularly if we don't kick straight. Look at what happened to the Tigers last week!

[liz]

It’s an interesting observation and one that conflicts with my perception of the conditions that should suit us. I feel that our skills and style suit a fast, dry track which should occur in day games as opposed to dewy night time. In all of the games we have lost that you listed, it was actually our skills that seemed to let us down.

I think it was energy levels, rather than skill. We've played so many night games in recent seasons that maybe the team's rhythm is more attuned to being "up" later in the day. But I suspect it's just that the team revs itself up more when it feels it has a real challenge on its hands. In some ways that's natural human behaviour, but it remains a challenge for the coaching team to get the team to properly focus regardless of the opposition. And that's not just an observation based on this season (or last). It's a pattern that has endured throughout at least the last decade or so. Maybe longer.