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The Roar

Justin Mitchell

Roar Guru

Joined August 2017

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I am a passionate Sydney Swans supporter and editor at The Swans Blog. I write daily about the Sydney Swans.

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Sigh 🤢

Another COLA/Academy article, we’ve been down this road before. Just regurgitating the same old nonsense off the back of a loss.

If you’re going to write about academies, spend the absolute bare minimum to understand how NGAs work, and then complain against the Sydney academies again. Don’t forget to consider GWSs very generous preference zone. 👎

BRETT GEEVES: Are the Swans still 'cheating with that bloody academy' - or time to cut them a break?

Agree to disagree with some of the assertions. Agree that the AFL and Swans in general have missed the Swans. Disagree that him missing is a major contributing factor for the Swans sliding down the ladder. He might have helped us win more games, but 10 goals between him and Reid couldn’t drag the Swans over the line in the 2016 GF rematch against the Dogs in round 2, 2017.
You win some and you lose some.

The AFL needs Lance Franklin

“It appears that the greatest forward of his generation will finish his career in irrelevance with a floundering also-ran”
“Let the hate flow through you”
– Emperor Palpatine

Following Football Round 8 preview

Battle of the Anzac bridge. It was a poor name, didn’t really make any sense given geographically on the same side of the harbour. Sheedy’s like the guy at the circus, great at getting everyone’s attention.

Swans blitz Giants in Sydney derby

Beat bombers by 60+, lost to Geelong by about the same margin

Swans blitz Giants in Sydney derby

There were a lot of PT issues before the game too. A lot of Swans fans on social media vented about it.

Swans blitz Giants in Sydney derby

Actually, no it wasn’t. One line I used to research stats. Besides, prediction was almost spot on.

Match preview: Melbourne Demons vs Sydney Swans, Round 21, 2018

I think a few posters may have missed the point about send offs. Send offs are in the rule book, they’re just not enacted upon for AFL matches. There is a yellow and red card system, similar to that used by international and continental codes, and certainly used at lower levels.

Typically striking or attempted striking is a yellow card offence. Over the top violence is a red card offence, but even then as an umpire, you’re under a tremendous amount of scrutiny for a send off, since the rules are actually set by the league.

When I umpired at the WRFL, as umpires we were instructed that we don’t red card anyone unless they kick, spit or stomp on another player, threaten them, strangle them or engage in violent behaviour, or become physical with an umpire, or threaten an umpire. It might sound like a lot, but given all the games I umpired, including senior games (well over a hundred), I can count on 1 finger the number of times a red card was given in a match I was involved in.

If we look at some of the recent reportable offences:

Bugg – red card – striking
Cameron – yellow card – charging/engaging in rough conduct
Gaff – red card – striking
Jonas – yellow card – striking

Why are Bugg and Gaff red where Jonas is yellow? Both players engaged in violent, off the play behaviour and it was not in play. Jonas’ hit – while late, is still arguably in play. Even then, the AFL may set precedent and rule that even with a send off rule, striking is categorically ruled out.

Red cards in AFL are a must

Thanks AdelaideDocker 🙂

There were supposed to be 6 key points as well, but they’re missing… possibly duplicate content of the preamble

1: Swans average winning margin since 2012 is 43 points
2: Last time they met
3: Info about the players in the player ratings
4: Swans kick 10 second-half goals in their 60+ wins
5: Carlton struggle with possession
6: Swans should dominate forward half possession

Match preview: Sydney Swans vs Carlton Blues

Eagles (A)
P. Adelaide (H)
GWS (H)
Dogs (A)
Ade (H)
Cats (A)
North (H)
Hawks (A)
Freo (H)

The Swans had the hardest first 6 rounds in the league by a fair distance.

Match preview: Sydney Swans vs Brisbane Lions, Round 10, 2018

It is authored from a Sydney Swans perspective, so it is intended to be biased and a sledge against Fremantle.

Old and new alike, Swans belt Fremantle off the park

Swans don’t mind losing the clearances as long as their opponents don’t get clean ball. Papley, Jack and Cunningham rotated on Neale, while Hewett took Fyfe for most of the game. I liked that Rohan ran around with him for a bit as the backup ruck.

Franklin destroyed Pearce once Hamling was off.

Match preview: Sydney Swans vs Fremantle Dockers, Round 9

Oh that’s harsh. Fremantle should have kicked 4 goals to quarter time. Had they done that, the last three quarters would have been a lot closer.

Swans rocket up the ladder off the back of Dockers drubbing

Swans are way down from last year and conceding a few more points as well. Not quite as bad as the first 6 rounds last year, but they did turn up and flog the Lions, Saints and Roos the next 3 weeks.

Match preview: Sydney Swans vs Fremantle Dockers, Round 9

Bizarre season is bizarre. The Swans have lost two away games since Round 7 last season, to Hawks (Rd 19) and Cats (SF). They’ve beaten away from the SCG:
– Roos
– Saints
– Giants
– Bulldogs
– Cats (x2)
– Adelaide
– Eagles
– Tigers
– Demons

Match preview: Sydney Swans vs Hawthorn, Round 8, 2018

It was line ball, no different to the numerous non-paid 50m penalties against the Roos throughout the game. The replays showed Heeney was in his kicking motion when the umpire called the original free kick.

Replays showed clear touch, yet umpires called it a goal

Not this argument again. The academy’s produce 10 or more players every year they get drafted, become rookies or play in state leagues. There’s probably been more than 100 afl-ready players produced by the academies. Every club has access to the players in the draft.

The Swans academy’s first big product was Heeney. Until then it was Brandon Jack and a lot of state league players that ended up in the neafl, making that league stronger. Same for suns, giants and lions.

If you take away club control, you take away incentives. If you remove piority access, clubs constantly at the top would never have access to talent they develop.

Academies are needed. Stop being gullible and believing everything Gordon and McGuire spew out.

The AFL's academy answer

In fairness, they did react at half-time. Swans let themselves down in the 2nd quarter, but the Cats were well on top in the third as well. They had a few opportunities to score but you’re right, the extra in defence was stopping the Swans.

Also helps when you’re not losing the midfield and ruck battle.

The resurgence came off the back of Sinclair and Kennedy destroying the Cats midfield. They still had plenty of it in the last, but couldn’t do anything with it. Sinclair’s 3 marks all came at crucial times too.

No plan B? No worries for the Swans

About as spot on an argument as you’re going to get

No plan B? No worries for the Swans

There’s a lot that’s going over the top, and it is quite an emotional topic. I think for a lot of people, Cricket, especially Test Cricket, is synonymous with being Australian, our national identity.

Having individuals that are basically equivalent to foreign attaché’s do something so deplorable it beggars belief. This is, love or hate the sport, everyone in Australia knows about it and follows it extensively. It’s one of the true international sports, with Sri Lanka, South Africa and India having it as their first or second sport, alongside New Zealand and England.

It’s a sport steeped in more than 150 years of tradition, before and after both world wars. It’s not just a couple of footballers doing stupid things, these guys are put on a pedestal for their entire lives.

It’s almost like irrevocable level of trust and faith, and when they break it, boy do the locals go feral.

Ten indisputably true things about the ball-tampering scandal

I’m not predicting anything, considering their long injury list and off-season issues. To post a true knee-jerk reaction article and run the ruler through their season after a pretty bad first round performance is jumping the gun. You’ve basically run your 100m race while the rest are warming up.

I certainly disagree with your opening paragraph, you don’t win a premiership being a “charlatan”. That’s pretty insulting on a premiership winning coach. Love to hear what you really think about Dimma now.

Dogs' season over, Luke Beveridge to blame

1st round and calling it season over? Knee jerk much. Almost click bait.

Dogs' season over, Luke Beveridge to blame

Hudson’s commentary in Round 13, 2014: “Give him another contract!” – Yep. Give him another please. If he’s still like this come 35, I reckon he’s right for another 2-3 years 😀

Buddy's Brilliance in epic struggle sinks the Eagles on their own patch

It’s related but a bit different. Match fixing is indeed cheating, but it’s also illegal, therefore a prosecutable and jail-able offence.

Ball tampering itself usually isn’t that big of a deal but it usually leaves a bit of an asterisks against a players career (Faf). But orchestrated, organised and planned cheating, lead by the captain and vice-captain? That’s pretty bad, that’s right up there with some of the worst sportsmanship on the international stage.

A modern day disgrace

That’s been played with gusto, grace and great test cricket spirit. NZ barely won it and I doubt they gave their English counterparts the absurd send offs and slagged their missus’ off.

A modern day disgrace

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