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When Sydney coach Paul Roos recently suggested his side’s great era was ending, his star player Adam Goodes said: “I don’t think so.”
But as the Swans this week head into a sixth successive finals campaign with no one expecting them to reach a third grand final this decade, co-captain Craig Bolton has admitted Roos was right.
The 2005 premiership defender does, however, give the Swans a good chance of beating North Melbourne in Saturday night’s elimination final at ANZ Stadium and says six debutants this season have given the club a new mindset.
“I think when you look at it you’ve got to be a bit realistic about the situation,” Bolton said today.
“We have got a lot of older guys and the side’s not the same as it was in 2005. It has been an exciting year.
“We’ve had some really exciting young guys come through.
“Eras do end. I don’t know when they end, if there is ever an exact date or a time and place when you can say they have ended, but I think it’s a natural progression.”
Teenager Patrick Veszpremi helped spark the Swans and the SCG faithful with four goals in the 61-point win over Brisbane last weekend.
Bolton said the first-year players such as Veszpremi and Craig Bird had brought a lot of enthusiasm to the club, but both could be dropped as Ryan O’Keefe (flu) and Goodes (groin) return.
“I think what Craig’s saying is regardless of the 22, that excitement carries over from the season,” Roos said today.
“Last year we did probably have the same team from 2005 and 2006 (runners-up) to a certain degree.
“Whereas this team … the season so far there has been some really significant changes to the club and that carries over regardless of whether Paddy Veszpremi is out there doing a lap of honour and high-fiving the crowd like he did on the weekend.”
Bolton said the Swans had entered last year’s finals series feeling “stale”, losing their elimination final to Collingwood.
“We had the same sort of team and we were trying to hang on and get through,” the 2006 All-Australian said.
“Whereas this year we really have revitalised our team. We’ve got some exciting players.
“So I think there’s a little bit of a different mindset this year, with nothing to lose.
“You’ve got these guys coming in and they haven’t played finals footy before. It’s really good and the older guys feed off that.”
Bolton has been under fire this week. North coach Dean Laidley has appealed to umpires coach Rowan Sawers to crack down on what he claims is illegal “tunnelling” by Bolton, using the ploy of taking out a player’s legs while he is in the air.
“I haven’t really paid too much attention to the comments as yet. I haven’t read them or anything,” said Bolton, 28.
“I’ve heard a little bit about them. They probably won’t affect anything about our preparation going into the game or how we attack the game.
“It’s not something we have thought about or spoken about as players or defenders, so I don’t think it will have too much of an effect.”
North’s clash with Sydney in round six at Telstra Dome produced a controversial draw. The Swans were fined $25,000 for having 19 men on the field near the end of the game.
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