TOPIC:

Picking up on a comment that was made on another thread, I was interested to see that Greg Harding has had his contract extended by another year to the end of 2015. I was wondering about the reasoning behind this because 2014 is certainly going to put his skills to the test in a different way.

In the past 3 years he has had a very good team which has made the finals twice, which on the surface looks like a good strike rate. However there has always been a nagging feeling amongst some Swans fans that the team could have done even better and there was quite a lot of disappointment particularly last year when they bowed out in the first semi final.

There has also been a steady stream of players leaving the club over the 3 years with a suggestion that some have been because of clashes with Harding. Lammies departure last year was a case in point, although ironically this was the trigger for the emergence of Rory Lobb who has now gone on to the AFL.

2014 is going to be a development year for Swans, in which many local young players will be exposed to the rigours of league football. Unlike the last 3 years, there are few expectations amongst supporters that the black ducks are going to challenge for finals.

This is going to be a different challenge for Harding. Can he adapt to the role of an educational type coach, which Dawson did so well when he was at Swans? I know he was the colts coach for a while so he has some experience but this is a higher level with more pressure. I wonder how he will cope if Swans start losing multiple games during the season.

I think the jury is out so I think the board should have waited to see how he went this year. Maybe they felt they had no choice because whatever happens, prospective coaches ain't going to be lining up at the door at the end of the year.

In fact the Rory Lobb/Charlie Cameron success gives me some hope that the year may not be as bleak as it looks to most Swans supporters at the moment and that there may be some other hidden gems who will emerge in 2014.

Interested in others thoughts on Harding. I am aware many Swans supporters do not like him, but I think he can be a successful coach if he can manage this rebuild.

Maybe if Swans travel to Freo Oval as they did back in the late 1990's and get absolutely flogged by South again, Toddy might come back.

Who else was at this game? I stayed to the end, not many others did sadly.

What players did Dawson develop? Except play a whole lot of highly paid recruits that sent the club broke. Now we pay the price

Harding has always worried me as a senior coach as his defensive game plan has always been ordinary..we are like witches hats when we dont have the footy but we can move it alright..
last year he only had 1 move whenever we got in trouble - put Notte as a loose man...
he will be working with a bunch of kids this year so teaching them to attack will be easy but he needs to develop a defensive game plan if he wants to be a good league coach..

I think Harding has shown himself to be a good developmental coach. I question whether he got the best out of the senior players who had tasted premiership success and that is a cause for concern but, with the list we now have and financial constraints, development is the key.
He has developed players such as Cameron and Lobb in a very short time and will need to do so again this year if Swans are to be competitive. By signing him before the season starts, it appears the board is (as is everybody on here apparently) resigned to the fact that Swans are going to finish closer to the bottom than the top and it is going to be a year of development.

MikeXU1 wrote: Maybe if Swans travel to Freo Oval as they did back in the late 1990's and get absolutely flogged by South again, Toddy might come back.

Who else was at this game? I stayed to the end, not many others did sadly.

We were playing the Freo Dockers Reserves that day in 99 Mike with Garth Taylor, Michael Clark & Michael Brown (all SD boys) in the best for SF ..expect the same this year when we play the Peel Dockers & EP Eagles!

I think the Swannies are stuck between a rock and a hard place in regards having the capital to attract a quality and proven coach !

every WAFL club would be in the same boat, any coach who is any good would be snapped up by an AFL club..

I have had enough Harding has played in finals last two years with a disfunctional club who owes everybody. Money runs dry Dawson's premiership players leave. Good ridence. Bring on the loyal swans.

Beasley Hutton wrote:

MikeXU1 wrote: Maybe if Swans travel to Freo Oval as they did back in the late 1990's and get absolutely flogged by South again, Toddy might come back.

Who else was at this game? I stayed to the end, not many others did sadly.

We were playing the Freo Dockers Reserves that day in 99 Mike with Garth Taylor, Michael Clark & Michael Brown (all SD boys) in the best for SF ..expect the same this year when we play the Peel Dockers & EP Eagles!

You must have been the only other Swans supporter there at the final siren

I was sitting with a couple of SF supporters I knew from my TAFE class ... wasn't fun.