2023 Preseason

[Kafka's Ghost]

Fact - the last year a team that was beaten by 40+ in a GF won any final the following season was 1997.

But we were quite young and banged up in the GF so we may be different to those clubs making up the above fact.

I feel Brisbane, Melbourne and Geelong are close to top 4 locks. After that it's a bit of a coin toss. Those with the softer draws might be favoured. Ours is rated amongst the most difficult draws.

I note that the Cows have 13 games against 2022 non finalists and 13 games at the Adelaide Oval, could be a top 8 smokey, which will piss me off as I live here and have to endure the Cows adulation saturation. Been a pleasant past five years LOL

We were also very banged up at the end of the 2015 season, with the tormenting of Adam Goodes also impacting the team. Surprisingly we only went down by 9 points to Freo at Subiaco, despite having many players out and others not at their best. There are many things that impact on a season, not just what happened in the season beforehand. Having said that, I am firmly of the opinion that the 2016 GF definitely impacted the first weeks of the 2017 season, on many levels, and not least the psychological one.


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[KSAS]

I'm encouraged by the "hunger" displayed in the Carlton practice match that the players are best mentally prepared in avoiding any GF loss scarring. Time will tell & important we get away with early wins before facing the likes of Melbourne, Richmond & Geelong between rounds 3 - 6.

Have heard "experts" predict our internal growth to continue even though we may not make top 4. This will cushion any potential drop away after the GF mauling as this normally happens to older teams who had reached their peak cycle. Plus high praise being well coached by the likes of Longmire to help the playing group bounce back.

[stevoswan]

We were also very banged up at the end of the 2015 season, with the tormenting of Adam Goodes also impacting the team. Surprisingly we only went down by 9 points to Freo at Subiaco, despite having many players out and others not at their best. There are many things that impact on a season, not just what happened in the season beforehand. Having said that, I am firmly of the opinion that the 2016 GF definitely impacted the first weeks of the 2017 season, on many levels, and not least the psychological one.

That Freo game in 2015 was a monumental effort....we so deserved to win it on heart alone.

I agree, the early 2017 season slump was totally understandable given what happened in the GF before it but the way we gathered ourselves and marched into the finals that year was epic.

It's for these reasons that we will not suffer a post GF thrashing slump this season.....hard as it was, the group will understand the reasons for it and we are steeled for major progression I believe.....but some luck on the injury front will be important.

[dejavoodoo44]

Quite a good article on the 'can the Swans rebound after the grand final thrashing' question.

Can Swans rebound from grand final humiliation to make AFL history? | AFL | The Guardian

[dimelb]

Thanks dj44 - a good read indeed.

[i'm-uninformed2]

I'm immensely looking forward to Saturday night.

Partly because it's my birthday, and as a treat, wifey and I are heading an hour up the road from where we live these days to make a weekend of it and watch the boys, which I rarely get to do these days.

And partly because I think the Suns will be a good test. Not only do they have a good record against us, but their prime young talent is maturing on a timeline not dissimilar to ours. Anderson I have raved about on here, Rowell will get back to his best, I think Hollands could be anything, Davies will be an excellent player and there are suggestions Flanders is getting it together. Add that to Miller, and one of the comp's best rucks in Witts, and it's a formidable midfield. They have some solid tall defenders, and real talent down forward with King back. Plus watch Joel Jeffrey as (and I know this is sacrilege to say on here) but he moves a bit like the great Micky O.

It's just one game and all that; but we will need to be up and about.