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If you’re like me, when Carlton coach Mick Malthouse oozed praise about the Swans last week, you simply put it down to an opposing coach making his rivals feel good, and giving them absolutely no ammunition for the upcoming clash.
Malthouse, whose involvement in footy at the highest level dates back more than four decades, declared that, “without a doubt, they [the Swans] have the strongest and the deepest list that I’ve seen in football”.
I thought, are you serious Mick?
Sure they are a good team, and have been winning a lot of games, but (with the exception of that amazing game against Geelong) it’s not like they have dominated each of their opponents.
A big call I thought when you consider his time in the game and which teams he has not only seen, but been involved with. His own 1992 and 1994 West Coast Eagles were a team bulging with class – John Worsfold, Peter Sumich, Chris Mainwaring, Glen Jakovich, Chris Lewis, Guy McKenna, Dean Kemp and Phillip Matera – and some of his Collingwood teams were well stocked as well.
And then there’s the teams he’s coached against. What about the Hawks of the 1980s, teams bulging with superstars like Leigh Matthews, Peter Knights, Jason Dunstall, Gary Ayres, Dermot Brereton, Robert DiPierdomenico, Gary Buckenara, John Platten and their captain Michael Tuck?
Even the more recent premiership winning teams – the Cats, Hawks, and the turn-of-the-century Lions and their roster of Michael Voss, Jason Akermanis, Nigel Lappin, Johnathan Brown, Daniel Bradshaw, Shaun Hart, Simon Black, Alastair Lynch and Martin Pike.
With Mick’s words ringing in my ears, I sat and watched the Swans against Carlton, and during those first two quarters, I couldn’t see it. Then, that stunning 10-goal third term started me thinking.
Maybe there is some merit in his comments. This side has after all won 12 in a row, the equal best in the club’s long history, records set in a time before salary caps and drafts, when a club could be a dominant force.
It’s true the club has depth at present, with the likes of Tom Mitchell and Ryan O’Keefe running around in the twos, but is their best at the moment, even the best there has been at the Swans?
I think the obstacle is the 2005 team. Not too many superstars, but an abundance of quality.
A defence of Leo Barry, Craig Bolton, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Tadhg Kennelly, Jared Crouch, Paul Bevan and Sean Dempster.
Just like today’s crop of defenders, real blue collar workers who got the job done.
While the current midfield is all class, with the likes of Dan Hannebery, Jarrad McVeigh (who literally plays everywhere), Josh Kennedy, Luke Parker, Kieren Jack and Craig Bird, the 2005 version wasn’t too bad, with Brett Kirk, Jude Bolton, Paul Williams, Ben Mathews, Nic Fosdike, Amon Buchanan, Luke Ablett and a guy call Adam Goodes.
And up forward – while Buddy Franklin will eventually be known as one of the game’s greats, and he leads an attack which also boasts Kurt Tippett, Sam Reid, and Goodes, the 2005 edition wasn’t too shabby with Barry Hall, Mick O’Loughlin, Ryan O’Keefe, Adam Schneider and Nick Davis, plus that side also was home to two very good ruckmen, Jason Ball and Darren Jolly.
It’s all subjective, and unless you can somehow get a computer generated game played between the 2014 Swans and the 2005 Swans, nobody will ever be able to say categorically which was better.
But back to Mick’s statement – yes they are deep, no question. And it’s a strong list. But the strongest list ever?
It’s good, no doubt, and all you can do is win, which is what they keep doing, but I don’t even know if they are the strongest Swans outfit Mick has seen let alone the best in football.
Maybe come the last Saturday in September you can ask me again, and Mick and I may be totally in agreement.
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