TOPIC:

wrote:

Pickering was pleased with the win on Saturday, particularly considering the two injured players who bravely played on and made a contribution.
He also made it clear that Swans still have a fair way to go to match it with the best teams in the competition but we are gradually building and improving from his first two years ( 2018-19) where they won very few games.
The 4 Victorian recruits have made a massive difference to the team and to some extent have filled the gap which existed between the veterans and the young players.
Better times are definitely ahead.

I reckon most SD supporters (bar Marley) recognise we still have a long way to go to match the long well established WAFL Top 4 of CL, SF, WP & SU for the last half dozen or so seasons Mike.
As I said earlier in the year the fight for 5th will be on in earnest although Peelmantle with their plethora of Dockers playing would be favourite at the minute with SD, EF, P & EP probably battling it out for 6th to 9th imho.

wrote:

Peel are up a worry...all those AFL players....then to top it off.....Blair Bell, Michael Randall, Tyrone Thorne, Will Schofield, Ben Howlett, Jarvis Pina, Jackson Merrett, Brayden Lawler, Ben Hancock and I'm guessing others pushing up. 

Will give everyone headaches I reckon.

Spot on LH.
You wonder how on earth they were able to recruit & fit in Will Schofield into their salary cap especially considering they had their 3rd Salary Cap scandal last year, but that is another matter altogether!

Mandurah needs 11 to 15 ring-ins each week to be competitive - absolute shite without that many of them

Schofield would be the marquee/employee player that sits in and out the points cap and gets the extra coin with it mate

Beasley why are you so negative all the time. Stop and smell those red headed roses laddie. West Perth aren't in our class, and when we beat them this week away from home you shall be more a believer than you are today. West Perth have no ruckman and ours is the best, and no key defenders of note and their once powerful midfield is ageing, and I believe when Fisher and Anderson break even with them this week it will be a comfortable 5 goal victory. There's 2 clear standouts in South and Claremont but both have weaknesses and I am confident we can finish 3rd. Hardly over the top and I am happy you guys are piling up the steak dinners you owe me and I don't have to eat my hat. Go you mighty fighting black and whites.

One thing Swan Districts will have be switched on about is the Cardinals' run and speed with the ball in hand - their midfield has very good hands and they also have at least two very good forwards who do punish backmen who lapse even slightly
Watching Black , Nelson & Manzone closely will be of absolute importance
 

Keitel has been rubbed out so you should be winning.

10 goals then. Manzone injured I hear also so will stretch the depth at the garlic munchers no doubt now.

wrote:

Beasley why are you so negative all the time. Stop and smell those red headed roses laddie. West Perth aren't in our class, and when we beat them this week away from home you shall be more a believer than you are today. West Perth have no ruckman and ours is the best, and no key defenders of note and their once powerful midfield is ageing, and I believe when Fisher and Anderson break even with them this week it will be a comfortable 5 goal victory. There's 2 clear standouts in South and Claremont but both have weaknesses and I am confident we can finish 3rd. Hardly over the top and I am happy you guys are piling up the steak dinners you owe me and I don't have to eat my hat. Go you mighty fighting black and whites.

You may call it negativity Bobby ol boy but I prefer to live in the reality.....and the reality is we have not or rarely beaten a WAFL Top 4 (CL, SF, WP, SU) team in the last 5 or 6 years both at home and more to the point away.
There is an opportunity this week to see where we are really at playing WP at Joondalup a ground we have not performed well at for most of its existence against a side we more often than not struggle with.
Until we beat these types of sides than I will yet to be convinced we are in that group even though we have improved on the last 5 disastrous seasons with some good recruitment, but we did come up short in our only meeting with one of those Top 4 teams so far CL in Rd1 in case you missed it!

To reinforce your point BH
Swans record in the last ten games against the teams you mentioned 
Subiaco 0-10
South Fremantle 1-9
Claremont 1 - 9
West Perth 2 - 8

Thats four wins out of 40, so they have to start improving this record before we start believing in finals.
Having said that, Swans are definitely on the right track if they can start playing consistently every quarter of every week instead of one brilliant quarter followed by an hour of slumber!