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Joined April 2012
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Love the Swans, love my cricket. Favourite players would be Brett Kirk, Shane Warne and Mark Waugh.
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There has been a lot made of the Geelong Cats' chances, or lack thereof, of defending their flag come the last Saturday in September.…
Agreed Johno, it is a ripping TV show.
I was lucky enough to be a part of a live aduience a few years ago now and the atmosphere on set was exactly as it is on tele, lighthearted and fun.
Tom- great article as well. Although AFL is probably a national leader in advocating increased voice and appreciation for Indigenous Australians, racism at both the elite and grass roots level is still far too prevalent.
I believe that we are definitely making progress, but to ensure continual improvement, AFL, club (both AFL and grass roots) administrators and players need to enforce a zero tolerance policy towards it and punish offenders both swiftly and harshly.
Do we really deserve Dreamtime at the ‘G?
I am clearly biased but I couldn’t agree more. The demolition of Geelong on Thursday night was as unbelievable (if not moreso) than the loss we had to the Giants in Round 1.
Like all premiership sides of the past, at the moment, the Swans really don’t have a weakness anywhere across the ground. Not only this, but with Hawthorn missing Lake and Gibson, the Swans forward, centre and back lines are each the best on both paper and in reality in the competition.
3rd flag in nine years is looking very promising…
Welcome to Total Football, Swans style
Axle- he has had four grand finals in his 7 years as a senior coach (even if you don’t count the Replay he ahs three in 7 years) which is an absolutely exceptional record. The only other coaches to have done this in recent times are Clarkson and Thompson (both having three) and then of course Malthouse and Matthews if you go back to the early 2000’s.
All of these coaches are considered greast of the game (Clarkson and Thompson will be if they aren’t already). With this in mind, I can see exactly why people rave about Ross Lyon. Winning Grand Finals is clearly a collective effort by the whole coaching panel and players on the day, the blame for losing/drawing these four GF’s is not Ross Lyon’s fault. What should be focussed on is the fact that he has guided and managed a list three times to get to a total of four Grannies. This is a simply superb effort from a relatively young coach.
Also, in the two years before he took the top job at St Kilda he was the midfield coach at Sydney who in the ’05 Grand Final took down arguably one of the greatest midfields of all time (Cousins, Judd, Kerr, Cox, Braun, Embley). Considering all of the above, I think that Freo not only have the side do it but most definitely the coach to do it.
One giant reason why Freo will win the flag
Good articel Dizzy, and I can’t help but agree with you on Doolan and Marsh. If we can learn anything from Hughes and Khawaja it is to give our young(er) talent a decent crack. Marsh was lucky to have been selected anyway and if the selectors can show some faith in Doolan, surely that is the best result for Australian cricket in its medium-term future.
As for wishing it was a five test series… truer words have never been spoken.
DIZZY: South Africa show the importance of pressure
Doolan has to go for Watson… it should always be harder to make it into the team then get dropped. Watson was not dropped, he was injured. Doolan will clearly get his chance again soon and Watson’s overs are invaluable when sides begin to get on top of us. He proved this time and again in The Ashes. His ability to hold up an end when batsmen getting on top is something that Lyon is still yet to master. Lyon has bowled very, very well in recent times but this has a lot to do with how Clarke has used him. If Smith, Amla, de Villiers etc. can get on top early, Lyon’s job will be far harder and Watson’s overs will be of invaluable assistance to Lyon and the other quicks.
Who should make way for Shane Watson?
You still haven’t told us who you thought was better Glenn?
Warne and Murali - who was the greater Test bowler?
Perhaps Lehmann is trying to revert back to the selection process of yesteryear when the ‘talented’ young batsmen in Australia were blooded early in the Test arena, however, if they didn’t fully maximise their opportunity were sent back to Shield cricket to score mountains on runs over a couple of years to earn a recall to the side. Some of these batsmen were some of our very best in the Golden Era of Australian cricket. If you haven’t figured out who I’m talking about yet, names would include, Slater, Hayden, Blewett and of course Martyn.
I don’t necessarily believe this next theory I’m going to offer but it is worth mentioning. Lehmann himself was somewhat unorthodox in his batting style, as is Hughes, and perhaps Lehamnn is forcing Hughes to fight for his spot by scoring the thousands of runs that Lehamnn did also to earn his spot in the side????
Have the selectors turned their back on Phil Hughes?
Thoroughly enjoyed this Ben. A well written article on what I imagine is the hardest topic for you to write about.
Wish Trott well, but don't claim to 'understand' him
From memory, there were only 2 late omissions from the Freo Rd 23 line-up, the other 8 changes were announced on Thursday night. If punters are that silly to place their bets before the teams are released then they aren’t very good at what they do. Also, if they were smart they would have taken the $3.40 on offer for the Dockers last week and laughed all the way to the bank.
Ross Lyon’s job is to win his club a premiership and he thought it was the best course of action to achieve that. Whether they won last week or not is irrelevant. It is what he and the selction panel thought was the best course of action at the time and you can rest assured that if it didn’t work they would be held accountable from the powers that be at Fremantle. The AFL has no right to interfere here at all.
Being a Swans fan I hope we knock off the Blues and extinguish the Purple Haze in two weeks but if we don’t achieve either of these, I will be barracking for Freo on September 28.
Demetriou's opinions wither beneath a purple haze
I like your leaders as well Cameron, both have excelled both as players and captains this year in more than trying conditions. I think I’d happily sit on a selection committee with you.
AFL 2013 All-Australian team - who's in, who's out?
Great team Cameron, interested to hear who your captain would be though?
AFL 2013 All-Australian team - who's in, who's out?
Thoroughly enjoyed this Matt. I am an avid Swans fan but I really want the GWS to succeed (not necessarily ever beat us) but it is great to hear that the experience out at Skoda is a good one, and hopefully will grow so that the train announcer keeps his job.
A soccer fan's first AFL experience
As Cameron Rose commented in a different article today, selectors simply pick the best XI then you pick your vice-captain. It really is that simple. Promoting Bailey to the Test team for the single reason to replace Clarke ‘in case’ he gets injured is simply ridiculous.
Australian cricket's leadership void
Totally agree about McVeigh… he has been my favourite Swan ever since Kirky and your point about his decision making and goal sense is spot on. Add on to this that he is a captain of one of the hardest working teams in the competition and you can see that at least he isn’t underrated by those that matter (his own club). GO THE MIGHTY BLOODS!!
Sydney Swans are the Masters
Fantastic idea Kersi. As mentioned by others above, I completely disagree with the idea of shortening the pitch, and I also think the idea of playing up in Brissie is a good idea.
Apart from this, I agree with everything else you suggest in the article. Another added bonus would be the crowds. If planned correctly, CA could really amp this idea up and people (at least I would) would turn up.
Bravo Kersi on a great, fresh article on The Roar. I don’t think I can handle another “I love Uzzie” or “My Ashes Squad” article.
Clarke’s men should play Ashes practice matches at WACA
Most definitely needed. I see no negatives whatsoever in briniging it in. Great article Glenn.
Why won't the AFL fall in line and adopt a send-off rule?
Buddy is a true great of the game. The comments earlier saying he isn’t a big match player are just ludicrous. I am a Swans fan and his performance in last year’s grand final was simply incredible. His goals in the third quarter are simply things that no one else can do. I am also always impressed by his chasing and tackling and you can be rest assured that if Hawthorn do lose him at the end of the year they will be spewing!!
Hawthorn are better off without Franklin
I love the team you have selected. I haven’t seen enough of Doolan so I can’t comment on him but I think we need to send one left arm quickie and of the two Mitchell’s I would take Starc. I don’t know who I would drop though, so maybe he is unlucky and only gets flown over if one of them breaks down (which at the moment is paying about $1.10 with the bookies).
Huge changes needed before the Ashes
I love the team you have selected. I haven’t seen enough of Doolan so I can’t comment on him but I think we need to send one left arm quickie and of the two Mitchell’s I would take Starc. I don’t know who I would drop though, so maybe he is unlucky and only gets flown over if one of them breaks down (which at the moment is paying about $1.10 with the bookies).
Huge changes needed before the Ashes
Roberts-Thompson may not be an ‘excellent player’ but he has two of the best grand final performances of anyone in recent times (except of course the one and only A. McLeod in ’97 and ’98).
As for the Swans missing the 8- RIDICULOUS
As for being underdone- they will be fine come Round 3 or 4 and considering the frist two are against the Giants and the Suns… the Bloods should be sitting pretty on top of the ladder when they do hit peak fitness.
You little beauty.
Despite appearances, Swans may go back-to-back
I can’t say I agree with a few of these selections but I love the inclusion of Rogers, Bird, Sandhu and O’Keefe. My favourite part of this team though is 7 players are not in the current team and anything but what the selectors are giving us at the moment has to be better.
Ash- I’d take you over Inverarity any day.
Forget India, Australia must look to the Ashes
Worst piece I have ever read on The Roar. That is all.
Ronaldo’s misguided loyalty makes Madrid the real losers
Glenn- fantastic article, I genuinely did get a tear in the eye. There is simply nothing quite like the unrivalled, one eyed love/bias that the young footy supporters have for their idols. All the best to Anthony if he gets picked as well as your son in their joint journeys on Saturday to take down the Tiges.
My faith in sport has been restored by an eight-year-old