Well, by my reckoning, we’re already at least a 10 point better team than we were last year.

How so?

Cast your minds back to Round 12 when Melbourne last met Richmond who beat us that night by 49 points – 18.16.124 to 11.9.75.

That night our team comprised –

Nathan Jones, Clint Bizzell, Ben Holland, Brock McLean, Matthew Bate, James Frawley, Daniel Ward, Paul Johnson, Colin Sylvia, Adem Yze, Ricky Petterd, Brad Green, Daniel Bell, James McDonald, Russell Robertson, Simon Godfrey, Paul Wheatley, Cameron Bruce, Byron Pickett, Jeff White, Aaron Davey, Nathan Carroll

The squad for last night's game was –

Nathan Jones, Ben Holland, Matthew Bate, Brad Miller, Cale Morton, Paul Johnson, Colin Sylvia, Adem Yze, Ricky Petterd, Brad Green, Addam Maric, Colin Garland, Daniel Bell, Brent Moloney, James McDonald, Kyle Cheney, John Meesen, Isaac Weetra, Michael Newton, Tom McNamara, Stef Martin, Trent Zomer, Aaron Davey, Matthew Warnock, Austin Wonaeamirri, Mark Jamar, Jace Bode, Shane Valenti

A few players in the squad did not play including Jamar and Miller, probably Holland and one other.

Our team last night was probably more inexperienced than the one that set foot on Skilled Stadium six days before and the fact is that whilst you shouldn't take any notice of results in these games, we're getting some much needed experience into those young legs.

That said, I'd like to see some real action next week and the week after from something that's going to more closely resemble our Round 1 team. According to the Hun, Hawthorn have 42 out of 44 on their list available ATM.

Nice spin.

It was also the closest game we've played in so far this year .

That said, I'd like to see some real action next week and the week after from something that's going to more closely resemble our Round 1 team. According to the Hun, Hawthorn have 42 out of 44 on their list available ATM.

I tend to take a dimmer view that the side that we hope resembles our round 1 team, will be underdone.

I don't take any solace out of the fact that we're giving game time to the likes of Warnock. And I'd be more encouraged if our ruckmen started to show something. This is the one area where we definitely need to improve.

the idea is to be firing and competitive come round 22.. !!

its a long season

I tend to take a dimmer view that the side that we hope resembles our round 1 team, will be underdone.

You're right in that there is a definite concern that we might start the season underdone but it should also be appreciated that many of the players not in the side that's running out there are still in training and often you can do more work at training than in a game like Cairns last night. There are still two more practice matches to go and for those players who have not had much match practice, they can play in a game for Sandy in the week before the season starts when clubs are supposed to rest their players. The Swans have done this to reasonably good effect for the past three or four seasons and they've come out of it fine.

Id rather we took slow and steady ..

dont want to suffer from Premature Congratulations !!

the idea is to be firing and competitive come round 22.. !!

its a long season

Yep, we were fit and firing by round 22 last year, when we beat Carlton. Problem was that it was only our 6th win for the year!

I'd rather see us flying out of the blocks like the Kangaroos and Adelaide did last year, than take the Swans approach of gradual improvement. History shows that we are a confidence team. We can string wins together, but equally we can string losses together. I'd feel more confident if everyone was fit and firing now in readiness to take on a depleted Hawthorn team in round 1 (no Hodge, Lewis or Crawford).

its a Marathon...not a sprint !!

we lost to Richmond, I can't find positives in that, ever.

no premiership points lost so far so who really gives a rats?

Nothing to worry about yet.

According the this training post http://demonland.ugbox.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=8943 on this forum. Most of our key players were training hard and will probably get 2 if not 3 games in before the real stuff starts.

For those concerned about last nights result, just think about our team with Neitz, Carroll, White, Rivers and McLean in there instead of a the new/younger players.

For those that can't do the maths, that's 4/5 of our spine and our No. 1 ruckman.!!!

Should I even bother mentioning Robbo, Bruce, Wheatley, Dunn, Holland and even Frawley, will all be ready for Round 1, if required.

I guess those who look for the negatives will ALWAYS find them.

Go Dees -

its a Marathon...not a sprint !!

"The Ox is slow, but the Earth is patient".

Also VERY easy to find the negative...

This time last year we played the Toigs in the NAB cup and beat them. This year we didn't...

Should I even bother mentioning Robbo, Bruce, Wheatley, Dunn, Holland and even Frawley, will all be ready for Round 1, if required.

Please don't mention Holland

Also VERY easy to find the negative...

This time last year we played the Toigs in the NAB cup and beat them. This year we didn't...

Fat load of good it did us.

FFS, come Round 5 I bet nobody here will remember who we lost to in the NAB Cup and by how much.

To put it simply, nobody cares.

Do we want to be July champions again? Or do we actually want to pick up the momentum when it counts, with a list that hasn't been overworked?

I am willing to bet that, if we keep our injury list to a minimum, we will finish the year with more victories than Richmond.

Petterd/Carroll/Frawley

Bell/Rivers/Bartram

Green/Moloney/Buckley

Sylvia/Miller/Bruce

Robertson/Neitz/Davey

White/McLean/Jones

I/C Meesen/McDonald/Bate/Dunn

EMER Newton/Wheatley/Morton

Yze doesn't make my side, although I know he'll be in come round 1.

Whilst I'm not 'sold' on Miller, and others will have Newton, or even Garland ahead of him, I suspect he's in Bailey's short-term plans.

I'm not asking for a debate on this team, it merely represents the team as I'd like to see it. Of my 'best' side there are 10 players missing from the team that lined up against Richmond last night. I believe that all will be available by round 1. It's little wonder that I'm not nearly as depressed as some on here. In the 1980's Carlton hardly ever won a practice match, but they were right to go for the season proper.

I don't know where we'll finish this year. And we may very well be crap, but I'm certainly not concerned by the results of the last 2 weeks.

Whelan seems to be a fair way off, so he's not included.

we will make the finals this year...i dont have much to back me up atm, but my favourite way of looking at it, is that ripper final against st kilda in 06 putting us into the semi finals...last year we had injuries...our list now imo is better than it was back in the 06 elimination final against st kilda and back then we were up there witht the best on a good day...i feel that we have the potential to come back with a vengeance, it might take 5 or 6 rounds though for us to be looking like a solid outfit...

Petterd/Carroll/Frawley

Bell/Rivers/Bartram

Green/Moloney/Buckley

Sylvia/Miller/Bruce

Robertson/Neitz/Davey

White/McLean/Jones

I/C Meesen/McDonald/Bate/Dunn

EMER Newton/Wheatley/Morton

That's pretty much the same team i'll have, coach.

I don't think Bartram will up by then and he'll probably be in Sandy's colours for the first few rounds. Yze will take his spot in the back line as DB seems to want him to be our playmaker down back.

On Yze, with a new coach comes a new slate. IMO Yze's got a clean slate and if he's done the work, he deserves the opportunity.

However, I'll be watching very closely and keeping my left foot hanging off the wagon, ready to jump off.

Fat load of good it did us.

FFS, come Round 5 I bet nobody here will remember who we lost to in the NAB Cup and by how much.

To put it simply, nobody cares.

Do we want to be July champions again? Or do we actually want to pick up the momentum when it counts, with a list that hasn't been overworked?

I am willing to bet that, if we keep our injury list to a minimum, we will finish the year with more victories than Richmond.

You're spot on. If we're 0-4, nobody will remember who we lost to in the NAB Cup!!!

And are you a bookmaker Jaded? What odds are you offering on your last statement? I'm guessing $1.05.

Yep, we were fit and firing by round 22 last year, when we beat Carlton. Problem was that it was only our 6th win for the year!

I'd rather see us flying out of the blocks like the Kangaroos and Adelaide did last year, than take the Swans approach of gradual improvement. History shows that we are a confidence team. We can string wins together, but equally we can string losses together. I'd feel more confident if everyone was fit and firing now in readiness to take on a depleted Hawthorn team in round 1 (no Hodge, Lewis or Crawford).

We were a confidance team for one reason, we weren't good enough by a long shot but were playing to 100%.

& before you say, oh, good coaching. Crap. Good coaching is recognising the talent that will carry us through against the talent that just falls short everytime in big occaisions.

we've wasted the past 4 years in hindsight through poor coaching, we now have an oppportunity to progress, lets not become deluded by being OVERLY optimistic.

Patience is a virtue, & the enjoyment of developing a premiership list a thrill.

Enjoy the ride...............................

amazing how quickly some forget the season from hell and how it started !!

Yep we started off last year exactly how we intended to go on...INJURED !!

A little more prudence and a little more patience will reap rewards.

eyes on round 1 v Hawkers...everything in between is window dressing.

Macca will be starting in the guts, Davey on a wing, Newton will be close to goal not emergency. Dunn or Bate or Buckley might miss out.