Matt Watson tweeted this today


Many of us are admiring the way the Swans (and Hawks to an extent) play their football, and their never-say-die attitudes to playing. I think we can acknowledge what we saw today was at another level altogether to what our team produces. So what can they learn from this, strategy-wise, personnel-wise, commitment-wise?

Given we're a club who clearly puts a lot of stock in what previous teams have done the year before, surely everyone from the club can learn some things from today...

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WADA medical director Dr Alan Vernec describes Essendon* FC drug case as biggest scandal in team sport the world of sport has seen. #WC2WB

#GUILTY

Matty Watson needs to get some serious "give a @#$%&!" attitude....he couldn't honestly think he plays football with anywhere near enough of the attitude the swans play with.

And to think we caned these blokes last season at Etihad..........

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"I will rejoice in their anguish, delight in their failure and revel in our success"

We are Carlton, @#$%&! the rest !!!!!!

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Cheats never prosper (except in the AFL)

We started to develop it in 2011
Lost it in 2012
They are versitile they play everywhere and dont rely on a 5 ft 2 midget to kick them a winning score
They won today without a big name KPF and their goal scorers were players you wouldnt expect Malceski Morton

But the most important thing is a settled backline the swans backline has hardly changed in 3 to 4 years

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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

Swans don't have any soft players

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Cheats never prosper (except in the AFL)

We have Betts, Curnow, Garlett, Gibbs, Hampson, Lucas, Murphy, Waite, Walker, Warnock, Yarran in our best 25 alone...

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BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

We beat the Swans twice last year.

Anything is possible if you work at it.

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I hope Essendon* folds.

Goodes plays a Jarrad Waite CHF type role. Hence why they are important and Waite was to our 2012 season.
They provide structure.

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Essendon-Only team to have ever been found guilty of salary cap breaches in a premiership year!

Harsh on Walker and Waite

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Lawrence Lawrence, The man who knows all the rackets and all the racketeers!

Arguably the first two on the list given how frequently they pick and choose when they want to go / turn up / play.

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BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

As far as choosing when they turn up to play, definitely, though 3 quarters off the list is guilty of that. I don't recall seeing either of Waite or Walker pull out of a contest this season. Doesn't mean it didn't happen.

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Lawrence Lawrence, The man who knows all the rackets and all the racketeers!

Must get a stable strong back 6! All the top teams have them. We also lack great kicks & line breakers.

We obviously concentrate on specifics at the draft table a precision passer highly skilled kick isn't one, can't recall many bar Watson of late drafted.

Kicking is a huge one.

Yarran, Murphy, Watson, Laidler, Betts, Gibbs and probably Touhy, Hendo and Scotland as well are the only blokes on our list that I consider really good disposers of the footy.

Hardness is another that we really lack.

Bell, Robbo, Judd, Touhy, Duigan, Scotland, Simpson and Armfield. All truly hard footballers, the rest of the list is well debatable.

A lot of things need to be changed in order for us to go deep in September next year.

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Lawrence Lawrence, The man who knows all the rackets and all the racketeers!

Not necessarily pulling out of contests, but both are very guilty of over-committing to contests/tackles, so they have an excuse not to chase.

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BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

Pay that. Many times this year both have gone up when they should have stayed down.

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Lawrence Lawrence, The man who knows all the rackets and all the racketeers!

Another thing they should learn is you dont have to tank
Swans every year put themselves in there with a chance
They get a couple from the draft and recycle a couple every year its a good balance that keeps them competitive and in a year like this one where there has been no standout side they have managed to sneak one

Their president is clever as well he was on radio the other night and basically said you can have the best of the best running the club but if you want to improve the bottom line you have to be winning .

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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

Sydney's leadership group were world class today, stood up when needed.

Don't think our team have a O'Keefe, McVeigh or Brad Sewell type of players.

Run both ways
Play for each other
Never say die
Desperation
Play siren to siren
Stick to the structure
No flower
More beards

Downhill skiers don't win premierships...

We need to improve our defensive deficiencies and that doesn't mean just our back six

We need to learn commitment and discipline... culture

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“I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” ― Richard Feynman

I'm really pleased someone started this thread. There are a few things that stand out for me...

First and foremost, as has been posted many times before - culture and leadership. Sydney does it better than anyone else. Listen to the interview with Mitch Morton after the game - "mid-season, the senior players didn't trust me (to do the job)". After that, he said he put his head down and gave everything for the Club, and look at the reward. Look at all the players they take in and develop into stars. There are no passengers. There are no players who don't put in 100%. There are no soft footballers. They never say die. And it started years ago, with Roos and Kirk and Barry and Stuart Maxfield. It starts at the top with the board and executive and coaching, and filters through to the players. Hawthorn has also developed a great culture since the turmoil of 2004. Compare that to what we let Fevola get away with for 10 years...

Recruiting. Again much has been said, so I wont go through it again. Except this - in 2009, Sydney traded in Kennedy, Mumford and McGlynn, and drafted Jetta, Reid, Rohan and Dennis-Lane. You can transform your list in one trade/draft period.

Drafting. Note to Shane Rodgers, speed is not king. Contested footy, hard, finals contested footy is king. Yes, one or two fast line-breakers are needed (Jetta and Shaw, Rioli and Smith), but contested footy wins finals and Premierships.

Coaching. Grundy, Mattner, Richards, Shaw, Smith, Johnson, Malceski - is there a more unheralded, almost unheard of defensive group? And they have conceded fewer points than any other team in the comp this year. Brilliantly coached (both teams)>

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Mens sana in corpore sano.

Bring back the laurel wreath logo!!!