2015 AFL preview: Sydney Swans

Look a team is made up of individuals who play their role. some like Buddy & Goodsie are exceptional. But we relied on Brett Kirk just as much as we did Goodes in the time they were both playing. Jared Crouch, Stewie Maxwell, Leo Barry, fearless Fosdyke they were all important. Nobody was indispensable.Everybody did their job. That still applies. Even if we lose players like Goodsie, Tip, Buddy, Teddy someone will come in a do a job. They might not be quite as talented or experienced but they do the job. So don't fret. We have the cattle.

Yes and Hawthorn were flogged by Essendon in 1985 to the tune of 78 points but bounced back the next year to win the premiership. You see Andy it is about the strength of the list not the mass of the loss. Both the Hawks and Essendon had good lists at the time and we have a good list now and so do Hawks. But mind you I think Hawks will miss Hodge, Mitchell, Burgoine & Lewis when they retire at the end of next year. HE HE HE!

In this case history means nothing Andy. All those sides were at the end of their cycle of players. Geelong rebuilt and went on to win premierships in '07, '09 & '11. The Cats side that went down was a side that had lost all their stars who took them to Grand Finals Pies were again in the rebuilding stage and were premiers in 2010. All the players who took the Pies to the finals were old and retiring all in a bunch. Port had worn out their coach Mark Williams and the list was ageing. Their time to rebuild was there. The Saints ran out of time and the coach ran out on them. Again their list was poor other than the top 25-27. This was the case at all those clubs. Sydney is not so unfortunate as to have only 25 top players and 27 who are capable. The rest being fodder. We have at least 30 players who can come in and play a role. The difference between this Sydney Football Club and those clubs is apparent too. All those clubs were perennial losers. Collingwood had only just won a premiership after being the bridesmaid for most of the '70's, '80's & '90's. Saints still haven't won a flag. Cats had just been runners up at least 5 times without a win. Melbourne has not tasted success since 1964. They got a chance on a long shot and then they were gone. Sydney still has depth. The depth at those clubs was very shallow. It isn't a psyche thing at all it is a coming to the end of cycle thing. the difference between those clubs in their time and Swans is the recruiting and the hatred of losing built in to the Swans. We also got flogged by North in the minor round but bounced back to win the minor premiership. You are just a Sydney hater who wishes us to go down. So my last comment to you in all good feeling and no malice is; BUGGER OFF!

By more deserving, do you mean the Bulldogs, Carlton, Richmond, Saints, Melbourne, North? Of that lot only one side, Richmond, haven't relied on handouts from the AFL most years for the last 30 years. Why are they more deserving? Because they come from Melbourne? We get there because without high draft picks, unlike those teams, we still draft very well. We also trade well. those teams on the other hand have stuffed it up time and again and continue to stuff it up. Deserve it more than the Swans not on yer Nellie mate!

I don't agree that nobody can replace Mal. He was downright sloppy sometimes kicking directly to opposition players while kicking out. His play was becoming predictable and so was his waxing with Macca. Every side knew exactly what we were going to do. It needed to change but those two were either unable or unwilling to change. While I see Mal as a loss I don't think it as big a deal as people are saying. We have recruited well and there are players who can step up. Zac Jones, AJ (if fit), Newman (mature Rookie), Rohan, Rampe, Marsh. The cupboard isn't bare yet. When Goodes retires Reid will come into his own. Sammy was never going to be out primary target but in the games I saw before Goodsie and Tip returned he was really good. Even with Goodes before Tip came back he was very good. He kicked 4 & 5 in a row at one stage. He won't be played permanently back I don't think. I think the question should be; Do we have a second ruck? This is a conundrum as we were killed in the GF in the second ruck situation. The other thing is hit outs to advantage. We don't do that well. Although our set ups at stoppages were a disgrace. The article looked at lack of speed in the forwardline. I don't think that is a huge issue with Brandon Jack, Dean Towers & Jack Hiscox in the wings. By the way winston, George Hewett is a far better user of the ball, both kicking and handballing, than Mal at the same age. In fact Heeney, jones & Hewett would all be better.

Who knows what will happen with the Swans in 2015. Of course, it's going to be about how they back up after the shocking loss in the grand final. I watched the 2014 grand final again during the week, and it really is a case of everything going very well for Hawthorn, and everything going wrong for the Swans – really wrong. Of course, this comes from playing with a much higher level of confidence, but some of the Hawthorn goals were quite flukey. A deft touch here and there, everything just seemed to fall into place. Hawthorn was just absolutely brilliant on the day. I don't think the two teams are far apart skill-wise but the record does show that Hawthorn was a 10-goal better team than the Swans. Hawthorn and the Swans should be near the top again in 2015, along with Port Adelaide. Not sure who else will contend though, but it might just be between those three.

I agree with Rich-daddy. Bar Goodes early, swans had a real good run with injuries which might be due to great conditioning staff or just the rub of the green clubs sometimes have but it rarely lasts long. In the absence of Malceski - an injury to Richards, or heaven forbid, one of the two towers and lower output from Goodes and I think next year might be a tough year. What might define the season is how the players who got trounced in the Granny respond. Jetta - wow - what a shocker he had. Rohan same. The Hawks will have similar worries with a few oldies but they might figure you cant have a worse year than 2014 for injuries. Port had a dream run really last year as well - might have been a different story for them had they spent time without Shultz or Gray or Wingard or Boak. A lot of times it was those 4 for Port who were the difference. So its going to be an interesting year...North nipping at the heels, Freo trying to hang on, Collingwood blowing the usual hot air into the balloon only for it to burst before the balloon rises ... lol

What about Port Adelaide?

Another who needs a big year is Lewis Jetta. His contract expires at the end of next season and I wouldn't be surprised if the Swans offered him up as trade bait. The problem he is no longer hitting the scoreboard like he did in 2012. If you are only accumulating 10-15 possessions a match and going goalless as a midfielder/forward, that becomes a problem. In relation to Sam Reid, I reckon they try and turn him into a full-time defender like his brother at Collingwood. Ted Richards is 32 next year so he only has a couple of seasons left in him. For me, a drop down the ladder is a distinct possibility. The Swans had their most successful home and away season ever (in terms of wins and losses), stayed in Sydney up until the GF, had a dream run with injuries yet they still fell 10 goals short of a flag. If you can't win a flag with those factors going your way, when are you?

no offence taken ;) And yeah, it's clear enough from your 1st post that it was a tongue in cheek comment. To Andy, I'm just simply not that interested in preview articles for other clubs which I don't support. Maybe a little bit of interest in ones with the big off season headlines like Bulldogs getting Boyd, but otherwise I'm just not interested. So all I can say is thank you for paying attention to the Swans!

I think we will see the same two teams in the 2015 GF. Swans V Hawks. I believe the Swans will rebuild and use the loss in 2014 as a powerful motivator. These two clubs know each others strengths and weaknesses so well that now and then you'll have an unpredictable blowout! Expect a similar rivalry as Essendon and Hawthorn had in the 1980's. In the 1983 GF, Essendon was flogged by 83 points by Hawthorn. The next year Essendon got revenge and defeated Hawthorn 24 points in the 1984 GF! Sydney and Hawthorn both have the best lists at the moment and have a pretty strong management and leadership team, expect them both to be in the top 4 easily!!

One thing -It maybe a bumper crop however time will tell. The guys running the Academys would have some idea about that and they are cautiously optimistic. At this stage anymore than one each year the AFL will take it. The Swannies should really promote the fact they taking on locals.

Swans now have 15 NSWelshmen on their list!..i think GWS only have 5.

Hopefully the trend continues. Happy to be corrected by currently around 20% of AFL players are from NSW/ACT & QLD. With a few more drafts like this year and the Swans, GWS, Suns and Lions won't have an interstate player on their respective lists! Bumper draft(including rookie) for NSW/ACT is particular..5 from Sydney, 4 from Canberra, 1 each from Newcastle, Wagga & Culcairn. Where they went..Sydney 5, GWS 2, Port 2, Melb 1, Rich 1 & Haw 1.

See Winston, there's a difference...a Freo fan like me has some fun and wishes you well while a Hawthorn fan like Andyl12 wants to do a put down and start an argument. We're lovely on this side of the country. Andy has started on you now after bitterly bad mouthing Essendon, then Melbourne...Don't bite.

Relax Winston...just taking a potshot at all those who made everything about COLA...even a breakfast menu. You do realise not everything must be hand on your heart serious..?

I'm interested and I'm not a Swans fan. And the reason I'm interested is because too many people are assuming the Swans will be up there next year. The last time a side got smashed in a GF and recovered to win a flag was Carlton 1993-1995. Since then: *Geelong got walloped in 1994 and 1995 and then fell away for a number of years *Melbourne got walloped in 2000 and haven't made a prelim since, winning umpteen wooden spoons instead *Collingwood got walloped in 2003 (despite being hot favourites to win) and finished bottom 4 the next 2 years *Port got walloped big time in 2007 and went through two coach sackings before playing another final *St Kilda got walloped in 2010 and haven't won a finals match since, winning a wooden spoon instead. The evidence points to Sydney not recovering from this. No matter how much their playing list might make you think otherwise.

You do realise this article is about predictions for the Swans, so the only people who are interested are Swans fans, so why would any Swans fan mention COLA...

Hey...a whole Sydney thread without a mention of COLA....whoops...sorry. Good luck Swannies. Rohan will be your star this year...go Freo.

Sydney always seem to playing finals football. Now or next year is the time to spend a few years outside the top eight so that more deserving sides who have not won a premiership for 30 years or more can rise to the top. Let's do indeed hope they feel deflated and lose concentration.