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First Swans match I’ve missed this year as I was out of Perth on the weekend. I was a little worried about this game as the boys would have been on such a high after beating the Lions last round. I needn’t have worried, Swans looked like they pretty much had control all day and outscored the Sharks in every quarter. It was the 2nd term that really busted the game open and looking at the stats it was once more an even load spread around the midfield and forwards.

Great game by Rogers with 33 disposals, Davis and Simpson with 31, but everyone contributed. Ugle's contribution appears to be a lot more significant than last year and it was interesting that Harding said that he has somewhat filled the void left by Kyle Hams. We also had 12 goal kickers which points to a lot of options. Tallen’s one would have been the icing on the cake without any doubt!

Once more Matthew Jukes was lively in the forward line and followed up his best on ground last week with another good performance. Ricky Cary seemed to have a quiet game but with Geappan and Jukes consistently scoring goals it didn’t really matter.

I am starting to believe that Swans can really give the finals a shake this year after almost being resigned to them being bottom 3 or 4 prior to the season. Remember virtually every journalist had tipped them to be wooden spooners this year. There is a determination and resolve in this team that I haven’t seen at Swans in recent years. They are not the most talented team in the league by a long shot, but they make up for this with their intensity, thirst for the contest and an obvious camaraderie between the players which is complemented by the way that Greg Harding is coaching at the moment. The young guys enthusiasm has seemed to infect the experienced players and it is a perfect blend for success.

Of course the only thing that could derail them would be a series of injuries to key players, but that is the same for every team and Swans introduced 2 new players on the weekend who didn’t set the world on fire but appeared to fit into the structure of the team pretty seamlessly. We also have guys like Manton, Burnham and Riddoch who have been playing well in ressies and would acquit themselves well if given the chance, so we have got some depth there.

The other thing I was pleased with was that for the first time this season Swans had a big win. Yes perhaps they could have gone on with it and made it a 15 goal margin by the end but I would have taken 60 points at the start of the day. They need to follow this up next week and completely bury Claremont who appear to be ripe for the picking at the moment. This is part of their development into a team that potentially can play and win finals. One things for sure, someone else will be winning the wooden spoon!

Any other thoughts from people who were there?…..

Mate it was superb to be there to watch free flowing footy at its best, something the AFL doesn't dish up, pity we cant get some of those people who watch AFL to get their heads out of their asses as they are missing out on the way footy is supposed to be played, particularly at Swans this year. About 6 mark of the year attempts on the weekend with 4 held onto, I didn't hear of 1 throughout the whole AFL round this past weekend. Our guys are playing with gay abandon, taking risks and being rewarded for it, tackle pressure, chasing , smothering, running in numbers, kicking across the lines, all the basics of footy. I watched WP v Peel on Sat and bumped into Winger and he asked "Who is that player with the funny hair tied up"? " When he gets the pill he puts the foot down, takes on the opposition with no fear and runs directly towards goal, none of this sideways crap!" He was referring to Boaky and he is on the money.
They are playing without a care in the world and if a mistake is made they get on with it. Claremont are in for a hard time this Saturday!

Greg Harding should also take credit here as he has been nothing but positive in all his comments at the breaks, in the media and when you bump into him at the game, this is infectious. Where are all the SD supporters who were bagging him gone I wonder?? There was a great moment when Amesy kicked his goal, I had the binoculars up on Harding and he was hanging out the Box with a big grin on his face, egging Amesy on like he was a fan, that typifies the spirit at SD right now from the top down, they are all enjoying themselves and having fun like they should be as Percy said this morning.
It is like they are playing footy, having fun and not really taking notice of the scoreboard, Ladder positions etc, because that stuff will take care of itself.

Anyway long way to go, finals aren't qualified for in May and we start to become the hunted now which brings a new pressure to the young blokes, but that's what its all about. I'm getting my membership moneys worth well and truly! Carn the Ducks!

Going just beautifully lads - a real credit to themselves & club

Hey 'dogs I dunno about the abandon bit mate , get rid of that one pronto dude haha

Harding looks like he is absolutely loving coaching this group, it shows in his body language and what he is saying to them in the team huddles. Opportunity is a wonderful thing. Guys like Boekhurst and Jukes were struggling to get league games last year and now look what they can do when somebody puts a bit of confidence in them.

Jukesy I have rated highly myself got good fundamentals and can kick a goal as has now been shown regularly , but others were ahead of him like Robinson & Twomey for example mate

Southerner wrote: Going just beautifully lads - a real credit to themselves & club

Hey 'dogs I dunno about the abandon bit mate , get rid of that one pronto dude haha

Haha yeh mate that is a synonym from the 1920`s I suppose = Long before G. A. Y. , ' gay' was an adjective which meant joyful, carefree, etc so people used the expression to describe people's elated behaviour at parties, carnivals, etc when they danced in a mood of ecstatic 'abandonment', in other words, not knowing or caring what they looked like

Southerner wrote: Jukesy I have rated highly myself got good fundamentals and can kick a goal as has now been shown regularly , but others were ahead of him like Robinson & Twomey for example mate

Absolutely Southerner. If you look at Swans first semi final team against East Perth only 8 months ago, only 12 players from that group are still at the club. That's 10 openings in the team for young guys

Also this is Swans best start to a WAFL season since 1997 when they were also 6 wins and 1 loss after 7 games. Even in our 2010 premiership season we only had 5 wins and 2 losses after 7 rounds.

Well whatever the 2014 Basso recipe is - there's a few of us wanting a bit of it for the rest of this year
Geez I do see some of Toddy's early 80's in this , just the confidence thing and backing yaself in regardless
Cheers gotta go - up early tomoz

Yesterday morning i was listening to 94.5 at work around 7.15am they always talk to Glen Mitchell about the weekend sports the funny thing he said that Port Adelaide were playing with heart and soul just like Swan District the local team was, it was great to hear that people are taking notice about the WAFL ps GO THE MIGHTY SWANNIES. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I was certainly one who was critical of Harding in his early years, his coaching was terrible in 2011 and he got a pass mark from me for 2012 and 2013.
This year he has been outstanding, I would say that it was a bonus a few older blokes moved on - Hilda, Roach, Hams - as their best footy was past them at the end of last year and the blokes in their place are playing better footy (Boeky, Ugle, Cass).
this has enabled Harding to get blokes to play his style of footy and we are moving the ball longer and quicker. Also think he isnt a great tactics coach but he has got them playing as a team which is more important, the spirit is brilliant..
and whilst is was disappointing blokes like Krak, Spencer, Pullman and Twomey didnt want to play for us its their loss and i'm sure Jukes, Cary, Rogers,Latch and others are happy for the opportunity..