TOPIC:

This is a crunch game for Swans pure and simple. The bottom line is that Swans cannot afford to lose on their home ground to a team that now has nothing to play for. There have been mitigating circumstances over the last 2 weeks. East Perth are playing their best footy of the season and Subiaco were just being Subiaco (i.e. beating everyone).
No excuses for Swans this week if we want to be credible finals candidates. We have plenty of motivation too after that humiliating loss at Claremont Oval in June. Looking at the team, Ellard has been named on the bench, hopefully he is able to prove his fitness because we desperately need his leadership. Also Cary is back and they have rewarded Grescos, Smirk and Wityk for their efforts in the reserves last week. Hackett, Noble, Maguire and Clutterbuck have all disappeared from the team list but haven't been named in the reserves either. Freddie did come off looking a bit proppy last week but surely they can't all be injured. Tony Notte is in despite coming off with what looked like a knee injury last week.
Hopefully whatever the team that runs out on Saturday can get the job done. If we can win this game and against EF next week, we will qualify for a home final where we would probably get another crack at the Eagles reserves, so that must be an incentive for the boys.

Just watched Jake Patmore #3 for CL colts run around loose all game and rack up 48 possessions ...how does that happen?

Not sure what to make of this game to half time. Swans are 11 points up but Claremont seem to have the ball on a string. They have wasted a lot of opportunities. Any chance of a tag on Bolton? We need a lift from the mids in the 2nd half.

Absolutely shattered. Swans are cooked. Claremont should have won by 10 goals today. Thanks to Perth we still have a chance of a home final but to be honest if I was East Freo I would fancy their chances Next Week.

mikeh: hang in there -- should be some interesting games next week.

Well done to Claremont.Won the 1st,3rd and last qtr easily.Double the scoring shots.Gave Swans a chance with 2-7 in the first with the wind.Ball movement out of Claremonts defence was precise.Swans just tried to bom the ball out of defence.And the usual poor wet weather skills.Dropping handpass,missing targets by foot.The same 6-7 players doing well.But daylight after that.

426 possessions to 272 in a game of footy, that's 150 the difference. That comes down to desire not talent. The 3rd quarter was an absolute disgrace, they might as well have not been out there. Nobody went anywhere near Bolton all day, Busher dominated the back half. Too many players in the Swans team who didn't want to compete. Claremont were under no pressure all day. I don't know where we go from here, certainly not past week one of the finals. The Tigers would be busting their gut to give West Perth a pasting next week. Then if as expected Subiaco beat East Perth, Claremont will be back at Bassendean in 2 weeks full of confidence and ready to have a crack at the teams above them.
What can Harding do now? Well he will have Riggio back next week but may lose Ellard who has been reported. Ames looks like he may be gone too. He did his best at 3 quarter time with an expletive laden rant but the damage had already been done.

A bunch of selfish fair weather footballers represented our club today. It was actually embarrassing to witness the lack of comraderie among our players. From the sidelines around the bench all you can hear is them bitching about each other. Disgusting to watch probably a more apt description.

After my comments during the week re coach for next year I will add this. You know the coach has lost his players when he resorts to a bombardment of F & C bombs trying to stimulate some effort. The young kids around the huddle in front of me were suitably impressed by Stiffy's potty mouth and I'm sure will assume this language standard is how real men talk. Funny enough I was just discussing with my work crew yesterday how futile bosses abusing and swearing at staff is in today's world just doesn't work or motivate. Today I saw that applying to footy coaches too. The lack of standards of decency at the footy club I love never cease to amaze me and the players tend to react accordingly. Time for a massive rethink on what our club deems acceptable, both on and off the field. Need to ask ourselves how we wish to represent. Disgusted by more than just the selfish footy today

Sounds like you wont be fond on Stavros huddle banter then DW....Kennedy Snr and Jeans were fantastic at motivating the troops without losing command on the English language....

mikeh wrote: 426 possessions to 272 in a game of footy, that's 150 the difference. That comes down to desire not talent. The 3rd quarter was an absolute disgrace, they might as well have not been out there. Nobody went anywhere near Bolton all day, Busher dominated the back half. Too many players in the Swans team who didn't want to compete. Claremont were under no pressure all day. I don't know where we go from here, certainly not past week one of the finals. The Tigers would be busting their gut to give West Perth a pasting next week. Then if as expected Subiaco beat East Perth, Claremont will be back at Bassendean in 2 weeks full of confidence and ready to have a crack at the teams above them.
What can Harding do now? Well he will have Riggio back next week but may lose Ellard who has been reported. Ames looks like he may be gone too. He did his best at 3 quarter time with an expletive laden rant but the damage had already been done.

I thought Cary's contribution was worthy of note; just a pity that apparently it was an impossibility for him to get a free kick from the many times when he was held without the ball today. We had 7 changes from last week and I expect there will be some more next week.

Let me give you another stat from WAFL.COM.AU Swans frees for 12 and 13 against. Remarkably, Claremont 19 frees for and 11 against. How that is possible is anyone's guess given Swans were playing Claremont.

I can't wait for BH to give his top 8 best players for Swans.