This Saturday we face Sydney, the Ugly Ducklings of the AFL.

It would appear at first that we have a lot in common with them, even though they have won more than we have.

But, to me, there is a fundamental difference between us and them. Sydney have a team which at a glance is bristling with speed, skill, and a fairly happy mix of youth and experience. Ours is young, with few truly experienced leaders, and a fairly big chasm of experience in between. Our skills are poor, and we aren't a speedy team.

However, Sydney play the truly ugliest football I have seen since the disgraceful Sydney/Saints match at The Dome where a massive 2 goals were scored collectively to half-time. It would appear that what Sydney lack is not the skill, but the belief and confidence in their teammates. That lack of belief is almost as damaging to a team as much as poor skills are.

Our guys are just starting to find their belief, and it would appear that Denis may start giving the players a free hand, and let them live or die by their own ability from now until the end of the season.

I think that this emerging belief by our players, and the lack of it by Sydney is the very reason we can win on Saturday. We may not be as skilful or as fast as the Swans, but I think our determination by the younger brigade, led by Waite, Walker, et al is what will win us the game.

It's not going to be a pretty spectacle of champagne footy, but we WILL win, and that win will give the young guys a big boost to their confidence, which is exactly what's needed.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

Recall Manton, that will boost our ugly stocks...

Don't forget, we nearly beat them last year at OO without Fev and leading by 18points into the last qrt before big bad Bazza smacked Wiggo out and destroyed us..

There are a different team with Williams exploding of the backline and providing the run. Also, Maxfield is another big loss for them.

Yes, the loss of Davis (Mr FIGJAM personified....), Williams and Maxfield will hurt them, but they still have the raw skill to beat us, but we have the team ethic (I hope)

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

Somebody just said on SEN that it could be a 0-0 all draw at games end at that a penalty shoot-out from outside 50 would determine the winner!

Gee that's soooo original

It won't be pretty, but it will be a hard fought match.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

They should make this match The Mark Athorn Cup. Should be a cracker.

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#DonTheStash

We'd win that one.

Why?

Fev.

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"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky

Surely Tim Powell deserves the naming rights more.

Athorn played for us & the Swans so it's appropriate.

By the time we play Richmond again, they'll be back to shite, so maybe that game can be in Timmy Powell's honour.

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#DonTheStash

Sydney will smash us this week - Paul Roos only plays that ugly footy when he is up against a side that he knows are better than the Swans . You will see a more open game this week and expect Barry Hall and OLoughlin to kick a bag full each. Roos knows his teams limitations and plays accordingly. Against the top sides he just tries to stay close enough to have a crack in the last 1/4 - Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. But it generally nets them about 10-13 wins a year enough to make the finals. He has got a crap list also and the one he took over 3 years ago everyone thought was wooden spoon material . He has done an exceptional job with what he had .

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If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

You don't watch them very often do you?

They play ugly week in, week out.

Their list is actually very good, if slightly "blue-collar".

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

Sydney, looks like you don't watch them enough.

Their game plan is ridiculous and poor old Barry Hall has to play CHF and FF at once.

It's frightful.

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"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky

.....And wing, and HBF, and lead as wide as possible, and long.....

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

actually think we are a chance, however we must use the ball well and get the thing moving quickly.

with the swans flooding back and blocking off space to fev and lance we need to use the footy better.

people harp on about how bad the wizard cup was in that teams did not try, however to me the fundemental difference from wizard cup now has been our attack at the footy and running in numbers, but more so our skill level has gone completely.

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SMFC 1959 : ONE LIFE, ONE LOVE, ONE CLUB

they wear red and white - we wear navy blue

thats the difference

both teams suck

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

The Swans exude tedium. If you can stay awake during a whole swans game you're doing well.

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Richard Pratt - A Carlton legend.

Watch them all the time in fact cant remember when I have not seen them. And yes they play ugly football but they have to they have not got the talent to compete . They have Hall , Oloughlin (who spends half the year out) Goodes Kirk and maybe Barry but the rest is pretty crap . Roos only plays that style of footy because he knows if he didn't they would get smashed every week and the fans would turn away in droves. The sydney crowds are actually up this year on last. How I dont know- maybe the people up here who are used to watching league and union and dont mind a good scrap. You have to remember more than half the population of Australia dont follow AFL
They will still beat us this week- before they lost to the saints they had won the last three in a row

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If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

I think we'd win a scrap to be honest, particularly a scrap at Telstra Dome - because it's more open than the SCG. Fev wouldn't have enough room to lead into at the SCG.

Sydney's game plan is ok at the SCG because one long kick down the corridor and you're at HF if you start from HB. The 50m line is only 45m out.

Corridor footy would work nicely at the SCG, just need a CHF who can take marks.

And some of you criticise Pagan's game plan...well, you can play Roos' game plan if you want.

This week, I think Denis will do what he normally does and play what Jason McCartney called the "3/4 squeeze" - and leave his best forwards one out in space - this would mean Fev and someone else. and cramp Sydney's forward line. If they want to scrap, we should scrap in our forward half, not theirs. If it gets to our back half, we scrap and break free and run the the lines and play direct on the rebound. Denis' game plan actually works well against the ultra-flood because it ends up with a few one-on-one contests in the forward line. Our forwards just have to make sure they don't crowd the space and stay out of the contest, if the Swans man leaves their man, then kick it to our unmarked player. Our forwards have to have the discipline to do the team thing and STAY OUT OF THE CONTEST and our midfield must have the confidence to be able to deliver not always to Fevola but to whoever is in best position.

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"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky

So true. The Swans are the textbook definition of 'boring'. They don't need to be - they can have some great run from the HB line withKeneally and Barry, exciting forwards in Hall and O'Loughlin, and some quality midfield runners like Bolton and Williams. But they persist in boring the pants of people. Hardly the way to go about promoting the code up here.

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Cer 'ch 'n alluog Blues

But they suck in a tactical and confidence sense (The phrase, "no Williams/Hall/Maxfield, no Swans" springs to mind).

We suck in a skills and manpower sense.

Big difference, IMO.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.