Match thread. THE GRAND FINAL!!! Swans v Cats.

[Roadrunner]

Said it all year no one would listen , so dont say hindsight

Ok TB- let’s see your best 22- keep in mind that Joey has been injured and JR has been among our best and played his heart out today. I’m anxiously waiting for your selections.

[Captain]

Feel free to mute me, but this made me feel better https://twitter.com/AFL/status/15736...9BzvuuEQw&s=19

Brilliant!

[MarshallG]

Watching our performance today in the stand reminded me of doing so at the Lakeside in the 70's.

But, no palm trees.

Heeney nailed it in a post match, "we didn't throw a punch".

Can't blame this player or that player, we only had maybe 3 put in a solid effort.

Next year.

[AppleCore]

Not to be a downer or belabor the point, but for those down on the Swans and Longmire, please understand it is NOT a level playing field. It just isn't. Lets look at Geelong. Hawkins and Selwood are homegrown. BUT Isaac Smith, Zach Tuohy, Rhys Stanley, Gary Rohan, Jon Ceglar, Luke Dahlhaus, Dangerfield, Gary Ablett (OK, kidding)... this is a team of mercenaries that was built up through free agency. Although I am a yank, I love footy but the AFL has a HUGE problem in that it allows players way to much movement and accommodates their requests. A 22 year old Izak Raknine demands a trade and it looks like Gold Coast is going to give in...and they wonder why they suck so bad? (and will continue to do so). GWS had a real spark of hope with 22 year old Bobby Hill and...oh wait...he wants a trade to Collingwood.

These are real cumulative disadvantages that the Swans have been able to excel in SPITE of. They remind me of the San Antonio Spurs in many ways...a commitment to excellence that isn't always appreciated, that is developed internally. That is why the Swans will never miss finals for too long a period. But this is a problem in the league that undercuts the competitive balance. Yet the AFL and its corporate masters (and believe me, this league has corporate masters) don't mind as long as the fans don't complain. I wish I had an answer (the only solution I see is if the inter-state teams threaten to fold and start their own league, which aint gonna happen).

So yes, I am bummed as everyone else but this is a remarkable franchise that has to jump over a lot of hurdles other teams do not, and still continues to show excellence!

Well said. Interesting that someone on the other side of the world sees this more clearly than many locals.

[Hotpotato]

Feel free to mute me, but this made me feel better https://twitter.com/AFL/status/15736...9BzvuuEQw&s=19

Thanks, absolute gold that .

[MattW]

Also: very proud of Chaddy Warner. At least 2x more contested possessions than any Swan but Parker. Most clearances on the ground.

[Roadrunner]

We have lost more grand finals than anyone else in the last 10 seasons. We haven’t won one in that time.

We won’t know about us making the 8, but happy for you to book mark me and tell me I’m wrong next year.

The coaches have a hell of a rebuilding job after falling away so badly.

Geelong may have been the better team for the year but we beat them last time we played and they are certainly not 81pts better than us.

They were today unfortunately-the game in round 2 is irrelevant. We played with little confidence after the 1st quarter, even though we broke even in the 2nd. We just couldn’t get our game going due to their pressure and elite teamwork.

[MattW]

Brilliant!

Yes, it's so good.

[U.S. Swan]

Stanley, Rohan?? we gave Rohan away, Dalhaus didn't even play today mate Collingwood nearly beat them in the QF.

We made their 30yr olds look like spring chickens again Isaac Smith is the oldest norm smith winner ever.

Has nothing to do with that we would of lost on another planet today.

Today is 100% on us nothing else.

Rohan asked for a trade after his family tragedy and the Swans agreed to it out of compassion…he wasn’t discarded. I am not saying the Swans played well. They deserved to lose today and fell on their faces. But it is a remarkable franchise to have the success it does even with the GF losses (should have won 2016 but Disney paid a lot of money coincidentally). Let me put it to you this way…any given year it seems someone wants a trade out…Dawson, Papley, Tom Mitchell, Zak Jones, etc…. When was the last player who requested a Sydney trade since Tippett?

[stevoswan]

Have people heard Horses’s presser?

Just watched it.....I was impressed. He fully takes ownership. We are lucky to have him.

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Have it side by side of the 2014 presser and scarily its almost identical.

Wow, how surprising! They were similar results.

You're point? I'm guessing something along the lines of 'history repeating'....like Horse getting us into finals and GF's repeatedly.

[U.S. Swan]

One key difference in 2014 is the Swans were heavy favorites. Having snagged Buddy, everyone had them beating Hawthorn soundly. This year’s team is young and came in big underdogs from the get go. But, this team has its window OPENING when the other one was starting to close.

[stevoswan]

Feel free to mute me, but this made me feel better https://twitter.com/AFL/status/15736...9BzvuuEQw&s=19

That's brilliant.

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Well said. Interesting that someone on the other side of the world sees this more clearly than many locals.

+1

[Markwebbos]

As an aside Scott / Geelong have been derided for a decade as finals chokers, h&a only etc until today.

[Velour&Ruffles]

I know Rowbottom was a bit slow getting rid of it but it looked like he kicked it.

I was down on the fence not far from where this incident happened. He kicked it. He kicked it effin 20 metres. I lost my mind at this point. Of course we would have lost anyway but the moment this happened I knew we were 100% screwed.

[AB Swannie]

Just got back to accomodation. I’m terribly disappointed for both the team and the supporters (and selfishly myself).

It’s a real shame that we saved our very worst for the GF. They deserved better.

I probably won’t read back through this thread as I suspect it will involve a lot of knee jerk emotion.

Thanks everyone for a great season on RWO. We’ve had some ups and downs ourselves on here. I’ll probs have a break for a few weeks and then get back into list management talk. Onwards to 2023.