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

[KTigers]

This is not quite correct, KTigers. English football teams concurrently compete in several competitions every season. The first, run by the EPL, is the League Title which rests on who finishes first at the end of the 38 home and away games (20 teams). The second is known as the FA Cup. This is a knock out competition where all EFL teams compete from the top four league levels. It culminates in a final at Wembley at season's end. The third competition is the League Cup (currently named after its main sponsor, Carabao) and is also knockout.

The very top EPL teams (ManCity, Liverpool, ManU etc) also tend to qualify for the main European competition run by EUFA known as the Champions League which has a round of preliminary games followed by a knock out round. There are also two lesser competitions run by UEFA, the Europa League and the Europa Conference League.

This all means that top teams play a lot of games so depth in squads is critical. In terms of prestige, this is how they rank:

1. Champions League (winner best team in Europe, current holder Real Madrid)
2. League Title (current holder, Manchester City)
3. FA Cup (current holder, Liverpool)
4. League Cup ( current holder, Liverpool)
5. Europa League (current holder, Frankfurt)
6. Europa Conference League (current holder, Roma)

Personally, I wish we had more opportunities to win a trophy each season in the AFL than just one!

I'm aware of the other comps. But there isn't actually a League final series. It's decided after the 38 games.
Probably just as well.

[barracuda]

There are so many questions and what ifs to be asked!!! We will all be busy up to the start of next season:

1. All AFL clubs will say the absolute number one thing is winning premierships. Premierships = $
2. What if hard nuts Bell and Wicks played? Gulp. These guys get hammered by everyone but they certainly hurt the opposition. I recall last years final against GWS when in the last quarter so many big names went missing and it was players like Wicks and Bell that kept going. They stuffed it up but at least they had the ticker. What do we make of the balance of hard players like wicks and bell, versus gifted players in the side? Contrary to everyone I think a player like clarke is a bit of nothing. he actually got easily beaten by stewart whose possessions were down because the ball never went into the swans forward line. Is he the right guy, or should a far harder player been in the role. When I look back at the Richmond small defensive forwards during their premiership years they were all hard buggers.
3. What if neglected players like Taylor had been used to rest midfielders during the year. Having watched every VFL game this year, in my view Taylor is a very gifted player, who despite his chunky build was actually very fit.
4. What about Sinkers, he was fit, experienced and has shown himself to be courageous. Perhaps he could have played to rest our rucks during the year
5. What were the swans tactics on the day? It seemed like Geelong had put a lot of thought into how to best position themselves and also how to beat the swans players. It seemed like the swans did not put much thought in, or played bad tactics, or were just bad. This is odd given just how good Pyke has been at the tactical stuff. Did Longmire get a rush of blood and ignore his assistant coaches?
6. What was the plan to get the side mentally ready to play to the death? What ever it was it didn't work. Did separating all the reserves from the team for the entire week remove support networks for the players? For example Guldens closest friends are the young guys in the reserves. Did Gulden miss his friends support and find himself in a weird bubble for the week?

The questions go on!

[Blood Fever]

There are so many questions and what ifs to be asked!!! We will all be busy up to the start of next season:

1. All AFL clubs will say the absolute number one thing is winning premierships. Premierships = $
2. What if hard nuts Bell and Wicks played? Gulp. These guys get hammered by everyone but they certainly hurt the opposition. I recall last years final against GWS when in the last quarter so many big names went missing and it was players like Wicks and Bell that kept going. They stuffed it up but at least they had the ticker. What do we make of the balance of hard players like wicks and bell, versus gifted players in the side? Contrary to everyone I think a player like clarke is a bit of nothing. he actually got easily beaten by stewart whose possessions were down because the ball never went into the swans forward line. Is he the right guy, or should a far harder player been in the role. When I look back at the Richmond small defensive forwards during their premiership years they were all hard buggers.
3. What if neglected players like Taylor had been used to rest midfielders during the year. Having watched every VFL game this year, in my view Taylor is a very gifted player, who despite his chunky build was actually very fit.
4. What about Sinkers, he was fit, experienced and has shown himself to be courageous. Perhaps he could have played to rest our rucks during the year
5. What were the swans tactics on the day? It seemed like Geelong had put a lot of thought into how to best position themselves and also how to beat the swans players. It seemed like the swans did not put much thought in, or played bad tactics, or were just bad. This is odd given just how good Pyke has been at the tactical stuff. Did Longmire get a rush of blood and ignore his assistant coaches?
6. What was the plan to get the side mentally ready to play to the death? What ever it was it didn't work. Did separating all the reserves from the team for the entire week remove support networks for the players? For example Guldens closest friends are the young guys in the reserves. Did Gulden miss his friends support and find himself in a weird bubble for the week?

The questions go on!

White anting and rumour mongering after the event is p*** weak.

[RogueSwan]

There are so many questions and what ifs to be asked!!! We will all be busy up to the start of next season:

1. Fair point - do they still do DVD box sets?
2. 2. May not have won 9 straight, may not have even made top 4, may have lost to the Tigers in week 1
3. see #2
4. see #2
5. I thought it was more than just tactics, there was huge mental component to the loss
6. I thought this was a smart move, you don't want to have to drop players due to health and safety protocols

[Nico]

Little mention of McInerney's injury. He didn't go where the footy was too often.

[Markwebbos]

The selections of McInerney and Reid show we lack depth in two positions.

Horse has put his hand up. Full credit to Scott for out coaching him.

The first two goals are a complete mystery to me, who’s decision was it for Hickey not to be on the defensive side etc …

[707]

It’s rare for the minor premier to win the premiership is perhaps one reason it’s undervalued.

Maybe we should make more fuss of Geelong for winning the “Double”?

With a draw that had double ups against Norf and WC? Two free wins where they could boost % and rest players. Not sure how they got that draw in 2022

[RogueSwan]

With a draw that had double ups against Norf and WC? Two free wins where they could boost % and rest players. Not sure how they got that draw in 2022

To be fair, I don't think anyone expected the Weagles to be as @@@@ as they were.

[Hotpotato]

I couldn’t really fathom the score differential (nearly 20 goals) between round 2 and the GF .

Did we just think it was pretty doable again ?

[liz]

I thought it was more than just tactics, there was huge mental component to the loss

Or maybe mostly physical. The Cats were simply bigger, stronger and fresher.

[707]

I'm still hurting after the GF but move on I say to myself.

Immerse ourselves in the trade period and drafts. Fume at how big Vic clubs attract quality players from other states on the cheap. Quietly chuckle at the significant problems current at a number of other clubs and praise be that we are such a well run club.

[barracuda]

Blood fever, I'm not white anting anyone. I would hope the swans will systematically go through all these questions. To launch into next year without any significant learnings from this year would be a complete waste. In respect to white anting I didn't notice anyone having a problem smashing the crap out of some young players on this forum during the year.

[NSBear]

Too much emphasis is placed on winning a premiership. It's a condition that's created by just about everyone in the AFL industry, and rolls over to other pro sports as well.

For the AFL, it means you end up with one success story and 17 failures, with the oddity that the 2nd best team is burdened with the most scarring from being better than 16 other teams, but not getting it together on the big stage for the final game of the year.

Geelong put a unique group of players together in a way that other clubs have rejected. It all worked out and came together this year. They were magnificent. They were far and away the best team in 2022. Their list build is so unusual, that I doubt any other club should bother trying to replicate it.

There is a lot to learn for the Swans, the players and even more so the coaches, who have the responsibility to the get group going on a positive note in 2023 and figure out how to better prepare the players from game to game separated by different training schedules. There were lots of other lessons I hope the experience Longmire can take away from this game and improve the weak aspects of his coaching.

I don't see any reason for the Swans to abandon the system that has taken us to the 2nd best team in the league in such a short time. I don't see a need for major changes in personnel, although we do need to replenish our KPP stocks. Our current group is quite capable of playing some exhilarating football together that just needs more time to practice and execute more precisely.

It would be must unfair to compare out group of players to Geelong. It was a one off mauling from a magnificent team. We just need to put the GF behind us and continue along the path we've been taking. I hope we do that and put up an even better show in 2023.

There are a lot of ways to skin a cat. Our was wasn't one of them.

Have been a reader but very small contributor over the years and have been a Swans member for most of the Sydney journey and have played AFL from juniors and to a high level in Sydney as well as coached juniors for many years and I have to say Ludwig’s post is one of the most balanced and sound view’s I have read. He is spot on about the KPP renewal in a couple of positions.

Also wanted to build on the thought if you don’t win the big prize then your season is a failure. This mentality has permeated a lot of junior clubs to the point that it is overwhelming the ability of kids to enjoy football and the love of the game and participating in what I think is the greatest team sport in the world. I see this a lot with the Swans and Giants Academy prospects and their journey as they are identified as part of a large pool of kids who are gifted runners with solid skills and many don’t cope well with being cut when the real squads are rationalised at Mid teens. Many parents also see this as a failure. It would be great if we could just focus on some of the other achievements that are made over a season both on and off the field for all levels of the sport we all love. Otherwise I think we risk losing a great aspect of our game that we embrace all shapes and sizes, abilities, backgrounds and orientations to come together on the field as one.

Let’s all get behind the boys and back them to go again in 2023.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Markwebbos]

We played 3 games in 5 weeks though. Or was it the Pies game and 7 day turnaround?

[RogueSwan]

Or maybe mostly physical. The Cats were simply bigger, stronger and fresher.

We played 3 games in 5 weeks though. Or was it the Pies game and 7 day turnaround?

Considering the breaks I wouldn't have thought physical fatigue should have been that big an issue?