Seven untold stories from Round 21

Yep. Surely blokes are allowed to be disappointed. Especially blokes like Roosy. The Melbourne boys will not have any desire to let him down too often. They are being coached for the first time ever and would treasure everything he says. Old habits die hard and they probably haven't yet learned how to maintain a standard. I have no doubt that the standard has been set, taught and expected. They just need to practise how to deliver...in a sustained way. 5 years...not 5 weeks or 5 months. Journos get real.

West Coast are mad if they don't chuck a fortune at Sydney for Rohan. Freo were tossing up between Rohan and Hill in their draft. The hot tip was Rohan at the last minute. (Glad they didn't) I think WC can find, and hide, money better than anyone. Nothing like a comeback from a broken leg. Michael Barlow has the same status at Freo.

Well, it's a problem because we probably would never pick our best 22. For instance, Zac Dawson and Lee Spurr, I don't think would be in our best 22...I don't think Crowley is either but we wouldn't play without them (especially Dawson and Crowley). They play a role (maybe Suban for Spurr). Let me have a go at the GF team with all probabilities in. Spurr Dawson Johnson Duffield McPharlin Sutcliffe Hill Mundy Mzungu Mayne Pavlich Barlow Ballantyne Morabito Walters Sandilands Fyfe Crowley Interchange Clarke Neale Ibbotson D Pearce That means Crozier, Duffy, De Boer, Taberner (who could still be a story of the finals), Silvagni and Suban...who could all hold a valued place...have to miss. I agree with a few FreoFolk that Morabito will probably miss because of match fitness issues but I want him. I'd like to see him as a sub at least. Have a go PurplePeople.

Lewis? Tagger?

I think the biggest risk in Semis is North Melbourne. If they show up on their good week then they will beat any team in the comp if they drop. Problem is, they need the other team to drop and their wins aren't always their best efforts i.e. they are unpredictable.

Rohan in every day of the week for me. He only needs game time to become a star and gets cheers every time he goes near the ball. Already a crowd favourite and loveable guy;

Fyfe's that good he lets a tagger get to his head.

Jordan Lewis himself said on AFL 360 that it hit him in the head. I'll take the players' word. They are a brotherhood who don't want to incriminate each other with such incidents but Lewis spoke the truth. Case closed.

That's true. In that case, I'd put Rohan and Laidler in in place of Johnson and Mitchell. I still don't like the idea of him being in our team. I reckon we'd get more from Membrey or Towers than Reid if we're talking tall forwards. Reid could be a full time second ruck. We've been getting smashed in hit-outs anyway so it couldn't hurt to have a smaller ruck option.

Michael, that is my best 22 as it stands right now. Don was referring to what happens this week if Shaw is back, Bird out etc. I've left Johnson out because he is sidelined for the season. Mitchell doesn't figure in our best 22 as it stands right now. He hasn't played much senior footy this year so simply doesn't cut it. Your opinion on Reid is interesting. Yes, he perhaps isn't overwhelming us with a high amount of marks per game, or accumulating good numbers numbers. Maybe in THE best 22 of the club, he might miss out. But in the current best 22, he does still present another tall marking option and a headache for opposition coaches. In the ultimate forward set up of Franklin, Tippett, Goodes and Reid, (which barring an injury is what we will take into Sep) not too many sides (except for Don's most talented Freo backline) can cover all of them. Generally Reid gets loose if both of Franklin and Tippett are manned, or he is left with a weaker opponent and this is when he stands up. If he happens to attract the 3rd best defender, then who is on Goodesy? It's a dream set up even if he isn't getting touches.

You're certainly backed by history there :P

Point 5. 4th to eighth are making up numbers, Freo will stumble out in straight sets. That defensive mess Lyons has running around the park will fall in a heap.

Interesting Peter. Our best 22 would be B: Smith, Richards, Rampe HB: Malceski, Grundy, Shaw C: Hannebery, McVeigh, Jetta R: Pyke, Kennedy, Jack HF: McGlynn, Franklin, Parker FF: Goodes, Tippett, Cunningham I/C: Mitchell, Lloyd, Johnson, Bird E: Laidler, Rohan, Reid That's going under the pretense that Laidler will replace Richards and Johnson will replace Shaw. Cunningham and Lloyd have done enough to steal a spot in the starting 22 from Rohan, but once again, that's taking into account the fact Goodes will probably be in and out of the side, so Rohan will still get plenty of game time. As for Reid, I've given up on him. Injury prone and inconsistent. It's harsh considering his bad luck, but with some good players fighting to get back in, he shouldn't be able to just cruise through as part of a winning team. He's played 16 games this year, has only kicked 15 goals and averages just over 10 touches a game. Not good enough. Needs some decent time in the reserves to build his form up.

I agree with Peter re Roosy. Cameron you're being a bit harsh on Roosy after everyone was singing his praises just a few weeks ago. Given that the Dees were a laughing stock and a psychological mess when he started with them 10 months ago, they've made respectable progress.

Well depth is great Don and makes picking teams tough. But it's a nice position to be in. I've tried below and it took a lot longer to do than I thought. Shaw would be in the best 22. B: Smith Richards Shaw HB: Malceski Grundy Rampe W: Hannebery Kennedy Parker HF: Goodes Franklin Jetta F: McGlynn Tippett Reid F: Pyke Jack McVeigh I: Cunningham Rohan Bird Llyod E: Laidler Biggs Towers O'Keefe Mitchell Season ending injuries: Johnson Derickx All teams have there injuries but it is nice to know you have a young bloke with a premiership medal who if fit could walk back into the backline in Johnson. It's also a handy situation to have a Norm Smith medalist, albeit aging and slowing, waiting in the wings. Laidler has played a fair bit this season and although I don't rate him all that highly, he has put in some nice performances in recent weeks. Towers and Biggs needs some more games under there belts but Towers is mature age and shaping up as a bit of a Marty Mattner type. Biggs used the ball well the other night. I'll cop flack from other Swans people for putting Rohan in ahead of others, but he is shaping up as a good defender and has pace to burn. That will be needed on Grand Final day against Freo. Can you put your best 22 up? I am really keen to see it.

Cameron, on Roosy. Having listened to the post match press conference, I would hardly say he has berated the players. In reference to your comments about him not speaking to the team after the game, Roos explained himself on AFL 360 and I can understand his reasons for not wanting to speak to the players post match. He said he didn't want to say things in the heat of the moment. He also clearly says post match that "there is a balance between being positive and negative....and there's nothing positive to come out of today... there's plenty of negatives, so I just chose not to speak to them at the end of the game". Unfortunately, a press conference is not something he can avoid, and aside from comments about Melbourne flying the white flag, and being not up to AFL standard, there isn't much else you can take from it. In his defence, he speaks of "us" and "we" most of the time and he is not the sort of person that would shy away from the fact that he takes full responsibility for the team, as he stated on 360. Speaking with players after the game is something that you either do or you don't. As he said on 360, they will be going through the game today.

Lol our best player missing when two of our other best players missing? Yep OK.

Does Bird miss in the finals? My question is whether or not Shaw is best 22. Swans fans seem to claim about 30 of them. Maybe Malceski misses?

Not true. There are heaps of other articles on here - e.g. about the score review system, the Giants, Bombers, Tiges, Demons and West Coast. I haven't gone near any of them. This one involved Freo (and Peel, which is Freo lite)

Will Shaw help the Swans? Don, would Ibbotson or Duffield help Fremantle? Nick Smith and Rhys Shaw would come in for Bird and Kennedy I would expect. Rohan would perhaps head back to Sub, McVeigh back into a true midfield role rather than running off Half Back. Its a strange question because the answer is obvious.