Demon17

Sensible post on this issue now with reality kicking in. The West Coast angle is huge now for win/win as you say and in JT /list management I trust. I'm already excited by next year with serious line-up chnages coming to recapture whats needed to support our top end talent. We were 5th best this year so move on. But according to G Lyon last night we were No. 1 for time in front during games, and highlights the weaknesses to fix which can come - fitness, hunger, kicking accuracy. Its not talent, its mental and some personnel moves in and out . That's something to work on.

I agree Layzie. Proven foundations are in place for sustained finals now. Others years I would never have been confident e.g. the 98...2000..2002 etc run. In and out of the fianls in odd years. Ridiculous flakiness then. Not now with the team leaders and champions in place. Improve fitness, strategy, lower injuries - things we all saw during the year - and looking forward to 2023 for another tilt. From best3rd 1/4 team last year to close to worst in 12 months is a key worry, but can be fixed. Huge upside in new blood to come in.

Lots of good thoughts and facts/realism on this excellent thread but for me:............... In the past under say Northey and Daniher, I always dreaded each year no finals, never confident, a level of flakiness. Now after this season I see the talent is locked in and we will see ongoing success at varying levels on the field. People on here bitching about the finals exit I guess don't see things through my eyes and my extended age. I just see a poor year for lots of reasosn many on here note, but I see consolidation and look forward to 2023 - with huge FD expectations. If, coaching sorts out strategy, contiuned good recruiting., etc. Medicos did a great job of keeping soem players on the field but now can manage recovery more effectively. 5th is about right for us this year and the FD knows what they need to do - just watch the Pies last night with ball movememnt. They made Freo look like us with being foreced to boundary, useless high kicks in etc.

If that happens it tells me the club haven't matured one iota. The real issue is the test now on Goody to re-set the team and coaching strategies and style to take the list deep into 2023. The window can't be wasted with the talent we have at present. The next 1 to 2 years will now tell us if Goody has it or not. Move him on and we DO become a laughing stock again. Over to you Simon.

ANother underwhelming performance last night. I'm happy to drive him th the airport and rid the club of this distraction. Let's move on, which I trust in JT being on the case. He may be a very good player/athlete in future. Not a club talisman like Trac and Oliver though.

Harsh but fair summary of the key issue IMO DD36 The team has solid foundations with flag standard midfield and defence, but changes needed. The club is solid for the first time probably ever financially, well run Board and Execellent List management and recruiting, team leaders group etc. It's coaching stupid as they say. Goody and team have a lot of soul searching to do, albeit the team was banged up last night and running on the spot after 1/2 time. Your comment on Petty was exactly what we said when we saw it. I'ts taken time on in the last to wake up to this option. If I was Goody I'd be embarrassed. And get back to 2021 fitness levels if at all possible. Its all part of the 'journey'.

So they should Clint.. Cats hold no fears for me (sort of). They have Cameron/Hawkins - we have May/Lever. We have Gawn/Jackson, they have ....?????????? We have Oliver, they have........??? Game over!.

Age this morning has Dees winning by tipsters 14 to nil. Max is the back page article. Its all about us. Brenton Sanderson on Whateley yesterday said Dees win by 30 plus and a potential blowout, and Goody needs to be thinking who he rests for final quarter. David King "...can't make any case for a Lions win tomorrow..." I refuse to believe Oliver , Viney, May....... will leave anything on the field. That's what I'm going with until proven wrong.

I'm not making this up, but to make you feel better.....read on. Brenton Sanderson on Whately this morning discussing strategy believes the Dees win by 30, but likely more (he used the words Blow Out) and hypothesised that Goody will need to be thinking now about who he takes off half through last 1/4 if t is looking good, to save for PF. Trac was the one he suggested should be rested first under these circumstances. Goody did as such in 2021 PF also. Just passing this on. I'm not into betting, but the punters on TAB agree with him.

Goodwin said in todays Presser when asked about JVR said he "...would not hesitate to play JVR in a big final..." Who knows but it wasn't each way bet - he was clear on this.

We asked the same thing sitting in the stands. Gawn rucks first, Jacko interchanges off the bench. Not a forward. Tmac (unlikely) or van rooyen a must.

Dr. Laura's explanation of the bone injury gives me confidence he'll play and worth a listen. Its the cork to the calf that's clearly the issue re: pain and movement. Lever saying at a presser earlier this week that "... Trac trained well for someone with a broken leg..." isn't helpful, although as Whateley said this week it could become the stuff of legend if we win, and Trac plays at least well or better.

radar shows spitting only for a few minutes right now then clear for rest of training. have fun!

I think it was a persona view and one that I fully agree with. There's no way we fold with Viney and Oliver (plus others) in the team. Our best shot will be given and let's hope its enough. I saw them live at the gabba recently. First 10 minutes will tell us if wer'e in it or not IMO

At training??

Cats game in 2018 EF 91,767 Hawks game in 2018 QF 90,152 Only time there's ever been two 90K plus crowds first 2 weeks of finals.

Agreed, but that was last year and now Freo are looking at the here and now where LJ clearly hasn't done anything of last years level consistently and is still potential, and as someone else on here said he may not be top 15 in this years B and F. Good luck to him either way though. He should be planning for huge impact this week.

Finals are the big stage and right now LJ was very ordinary. How does FREO justify big dollars to the rest of a very well performing team after watching the QF on Friday. I'd be cooling on him too. . He'll be great but maybe now not a unicorn. Last Friday, IMO, Steven May spelled the end of Buddy's career or attaractiveness to others. Last year Bailey Fritsch wrote the end of Easton Woods career. 2 hinys now that he may be staying put.

Does anyone know if there's open training again this Thursday at Gosch's? Thanks in anticipation

The club website has an interview with Langers from This morning. They show footage of training and Trac has a bandage below his right knee, top of lower leg. Small sample size but he participated in soccer and didn't seem to limp in another section showing walking and bending drills. Just trying to be positive here. Worth a look though.

My experience this morning: Logged on 9.00 got connected 9.10 Wanting 2 seats on Level 1 - none available Went to Level 4 - got 2 in Row GG. Cancelled these Tried again Level 4 - got Row Z. Cancelled these Tried again Level 4 - got Row AA - Cancelled these . Determined Ticketek is a scam and throught try Level 1 again. Five goes and no tickets available. Not even a single. 6th try Level 1 - Got Row , M47 - . Purchased. Punched the air. What I learnt about Ticktek: 1. No Queue in place - no matter what they say. 2. Absolutely random allocation (see level 4 booking patterns) 3. Entire ground not available all at once 4. When it says "none available", as it did when I tried for 1 ticket in Level 1, logically that menas sold out. And ground are should have read " allocation exhausted". No it doesn't. Coz its not , they are justing holding back. 5. Ticketek system is marginally fit for purpose and one rung above the NBN. And we pay $7.70 for the priviledge. I'm writing a strongly worded letter to Gil and the MCC just to make me feel better.

Fully agree DubDee. I was meaning from the AFL's aspect . The AFL need a successful Swans ongoing for ratings.

The uproar around Tom Lynch's last quarter point in the Tigers/Lions match would maybe not have occurred if the AFL had rectified this issue following Max's certain goal in the 2nd quarter of the GF last year. Max and the crowd knew it was a wrong call, luckily it didn't cost us the flag but it could have halted the Dogs momentum. This error did cost the Tigers the match. The brisbane-based goal umpire that made that call was in his first year at AFL level and had a total of 15 senior games to date . This is from an unimpeachable source. No criticism of that umpire doing his very best in a high pressure job and best wishes to him - but AFL operations need to look hard at themselves. -its their fault this issue occurred. 'Details' like this are not considered important? I'd pay the airfare up to Qld. myself if I thought it was a finanacail decison by the league to save a bit of cash. Tiges should be fuming. Only Whately seems to have the courage to seriously call out this decison and its all too predictable justification by the AFL Review team in what was a season ending mistake for the Tiges. BTW - that decision went 100% against their own rule of irrefutable evidence to overturn the umpire's call. Explain that someone.

Swans need to be treated as a special case as a Sydney team. They HAVE to be competitive each year or the crowds drop off super fast. I was in Sydney for 3 days a month ago and not 1 AFL/Swans article in the SMH on any of those days. Pages of Rugby. Swans are a smoke and mirrors issue and when you look under the bonnet its not pretty AFL acceptance-wise up there. Try finding an AFL-shaped ground in western Sydney. None. Brisbane is worse. High school age kids can't play AFL for the same reasons, only Vic immigrants or those with embedded AFL knowledge are interested. NRL or surfing. The story of northern success by the AFL is based around TV income. But they love it when the swans perform well sustainably. No wonder Eddie used to get upset .