TOPIC:

This bye marks the half way mark of the season so I thought it might be a good time to review the year to date.
If you had offered me a 5 win 4 loss first half of the season I would have taken it as I suspect most Swans fans would have. However looking back on a few of the losses, there were a few missed opportunities and sub par performances, in particular last weeks loss to Claremont and the home defeat by West Perth in April.

Highlights so far

Rhys Palmer has been a great recruit, not just for his on field exploits but his obvious influence on the other midfielders and his guidance of the younger players.

The return of Nathan Blakely has given the team a new dimension and allowed Cory Gault to spend more time up forward. Hopefully the ankle injury he incurred last week is not too serious.

The team has adopted a more attacking game plan which has made them far more entertaining to watch.

The further development of the young players such as Tobe Watson, Hackett and Turner.

Disappointments

The continued absence of Jarryd Blight through injury this year. Poor guy can’t take a trick.

The fall out of favour of Adam Faulkner. Hopefully he will get another opportunity at some stage.

Taryce Stewart has been very disappointing this year, he has spent most of the season in the reserves and does not look fit enough.

Games to come
4th and 5th positions on the ladder is shaping up as a bunfight between Swans, the two alignment teams, as well as Perth and Claremont and 10 wins seems to be the mark which will be needed to ensure September action
Swans have home games against Subiaco, Perth, East Perth, South Fremantle and Claremont and away games versus Subiaco, Peel, West Perth and East Fremantle. To get 5 wins out of that lot we must make the most of our home games. I would doubt if we could beat Subiaco so not much room for errors in the other matches.

mikeh wrote: This bye marks the half way mark of the season so I thought it might be a good time to review the year to date.
If you had offered me a 5 win 4 loss first half of the season I would have taken it as I suspect most Swans fans would have. However looking back on a few of the losses, there were a few missed opportunities and sub par performances, in particular last weeks loss to Claremont and the home defeat by West Perth in April.

Highlights so far

Rhys Palmer has been a great recruit, not just for his on field exploits but his obvious influence on the other midfielders and his guidance of the younger players.

The return of Nathan Blakely has given the team a new dimension and allowed Cory Gault to spend more time up forward. Hopefully the ankle injury he incurred last week is not too serious.

The team has adopted a more attacking game plan which has made them far more entertaining to watch.

The further development of the young players such as Tobe Watson, Hackett and Turner.

Disappointments

The continued absence of Jarryd Blight through injury this year. Poor guy can’t take a trick.

The fall out of favour of Adam Faulkner. Hopefully he will get another opportunity at some stage.

Taryce Stewart has been very disappointing this year, he has spent most of the season in the reserves and does not look fit enough.

Games to come
4th and 5th positions on the ladder is shaping up as a bunfight between Swans, the two alignment teams, as well as Perth and Claremont and 10 wins seems to be the mark which will be needed to ensure September action
Swans have home games against Subiaco, Perth, East Perth, South Fremantle and Claremont and away games versus Subiaco, Peel, West Perth and East Fremantle. To get 5 wins out of that lot we must make the most of our home games. I would doubt if we could beat Subiaco so not much room for errors in the other matches.

nikeh good summation. With respect to Faulkner the ball is very much in his court. I have been told that Blight may not be back this season. Personally, I would like to see Warwick Wilson and Taryce Stewart have huge second halves where they impact on the game with 100% commitment.

What will be crucial are the two games against Subiaco; percentage wise we can't afford 15 goal defeats in those matches.

swan42 wrote:

mikeh wrote: This bye marks the half way mark of the season so I thought it might be a good time to review the year to date.
If you had offered me a 5 win 4 loss first half of the season I would have taken it as I suspect most Swans fans would have. However looking back on a few of the losses, there were a few missed opportunities and sub par performances, in particular last weeks loss to Claremont and the home defeat by West Perth in April.

Highlights so far

Rhys Palmer has been a great recruit, not just for his on field exploits but his obvious influence on the other midfielders and his guidance of the younger players.

The return of Nathan Blakely has given the team a new dimension and allowed Cory Gault to spend more time up forward. Hopefully the ankle injury he incurred last week is not too serious.

The team has adopted a more attacking game plan which has made them far more entertaining to watch.

The further development of the young players such as Tobe Watson, Hackett and Turner.

Disappointments

The continued absence of Jarryd Blight through injury this year. Poor guy can’t take a trick.

The fall out of favour of Adam Faulkner. Hopefully he will get another opportunity at some stage.

Taryce Stewart has been very disappointing this year, he has spent most of the season in the reserves and does not look fit enough.

Games to come
4th and 5th positions on the ladder is shaping up as a bunfight between Swans, the two alignment teams, as well as Perth and Claremont and 10 wins seems to be the mark which will be needed to ensure September action
Swans have home games against Subiaco, Perth, East Perth, South Fremantle and Claremont and away games versus Subiaco, Peel, West Perth and East Fremantle. To get 5 wins out of that lot we must make the most of our home games. I would doubt if we could beat Subiaco so not much room for errors in the other matches.

nikeh good summation. With respect to Faulkner the ball is very much in his court. I have been told that Blight may not be back this season. Personally, I would like to see Warwick Wilson and Taryce Stewart have huge second halves where they impact on the game with 100% commitment.

What will be crucial are the two games against Subiaco; percentage wise we can't afford 15 goal defeats in those matches.

I was overseas for the first part of the season but from what I have seen Warwick Wilson has played more consistently this year.
As for the Subiaco games it will be very tough to prevent large winning margins as we don't seem to be able to compete with them for large parts of the game.Maybe a quarter or two but eventually we get worn down.

My 2 cents worth...We are as far away from the benchmark Subi this year as we were in 2017. This suggests we haven’t improved as a side this season with where we eventually sit on the ladder irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. For mine it’s time some important decision makers within the club realise its their time to step aside for the benefit of the club and let some fresh faces have a crack in these strategic positions. I’m sick of us being mediocre in a mediocre competition.

Dirty Weekender wrote: My 2 cents worth...We are as far away from the benchmark Subi this year as we were in 2017. This suggests we haven’t improved as a side this season with where we eventually sit on the ladder irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. For mine it’s time some important decision makers within the club realise its their time to step aside for the benefit of the club and let some fresh faces have a crack in these strategic positions. I’m sick of us being mediocre in a mediocre competition.

DW would you like to name names?

swan42 wrote:

Dirty Weekender wrote: My 2 cents worth...We are as far away from the benchmark Subi this year as we were in 2017. This suggests we haven’t improved as a side this season with where we eventually sit on the ladder irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. For mine it’s time some important decision makers within the club realise its their time to step aside for the benefit of the club and let some fresh faces have a crack in these strategic positions. I’m sick of us being mediocre in a mediocre competition.

DW would you like to name names?

Pretty sure they will know who they are 42....I’ve already been advised to watch my mouth by one particular individual who was not exactly happy with my evaluation of his role at the club...social media is not the right place for this discussion, best in the big office

Dirty Weekender wrote:

swan42 wrote:

Dirty Weekender wrote: My 2 cents worth...We are as far away from the benchmark Subi this year as we were in 2017. This suggests we haven’t improved as a side this season with where we eventually sit on the ladder irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. For mine it’s time some important decision makers within the club realise its their time to step aside for the benefit of the club and let some fresh faces have a crack in these strategic positions. I’m sick of us being mediocre in a mediocre competition.

DW would you like to name names?

Pretty sure they will know who they are 42....I’ve already been advised to watch my mouth by one particular individual who was not exactly happy with my evaluation of his role at the club...social media is not the right place for this discussion, best in the big office

No problems DW. I think what is important that we have elections for board positions each year. Mind you I can't see there will not be too many more years where elections will necessary. When Subiaco go through this season undefeated and it continues in 2019 and the situation at East Perth continuing one wonders how long the WAFL will last.

Perhaps as a farewell gift we will get a Swans Perth final at Basso this year. It will be a worth swan song for the WAFL. Maybe even the WAFC and G Taylor might (AFTER PAYING TO GAIN ADMITTANCE) attend the final and see what they have destroyed.

It was unfortunate that we didn't have Blakely yesterday; Subiaco would still have won but we would have been able to use Gault as a focal point in the forward line.

Dirty Weekender wrote: My 2 cents worth...We are as far away from the benchmark Subi this year as we were in 2017. This suggests we haven’t improved as a side this season with where we eventually sit on the ladder irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. For mine it’s time some important decision makers within the club realise its their time to step aside for the benefit of the club and let some fresh faces have a crack in these strategic positions. I’m sick of us being mediocre in a mediocre competition.

DW there is a yawning chasm between Subiaco and the rest of the competition. So it is not a peculiar Swans situation. When the WAFC allows Subiaco to continue to cherry pick the cream of other WAFL clubs without absolute impunity we get what is happening this season. To put it into perspective we have Subiaco supporters like BC saying how many injuries Subiaco currently have. Nothing will change next year as players drafted from the G6 clubs to the two WA domiciled AFL clubs effectively weaken the clubs the players are drafted from and there is no financial compensation given to those clubs. Hence, Subiaco is relatively strengthened to the detriment of the G6 clubs.

Dirty Weekender wrote: My 2 cents worth...We are as far away from the benchmark Subi this year as we were in 2017. This suggests we haven’t improved as a side this season with where we eventually sit on the ladder irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. For mine it’s time some important decision makers within the club realise its their time to step aside for the benefit of the club and let some fresh faces have a crack in these strategic positions. I’m sick of us being mediocre in a mediocre competition.

DW without naming names what positions at the club should be looked at in your opinion?

Freezin wrote: Cherry pick the cream off the other WAFL clubs?.....who from that Subi team that beat SD on Sat are from another WAFL clubs creme de la creme?....are we talking reserves creme de la creme here?

freezin my only response to you if you wish to go to a river in Egypt is this link: memberdesq.sportstg.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=main&OrgID=9725