SWANS v ROYALS

WAFL Swan Districts
1

Well, they say a week is a long time in footy and it sure has felt like it for this Swans supporter. Hoping to be inspired by some strong selection calls, even after just one round, I’m left wondering if, come 5pm Saturday will our season likely be in tatters with a trip to Freo to come.

Howard looks to have held his spot, there’s a possibility that we either go with 2 old lumbering rucks or the same set up as last week which was ineffective against a lesser ruckman than this weeks challenge and a couple of kids have been named, which, while it’s always exciting to see some youth come in you actually have to wonder where the club is at after already blooding Kane last week.

Just on the Kane debut, I may have missed it but yet to see anything on socials about his debut. Pretty poor from the club once again and I hope he wasn’t a late “tactical change” as the club listed and he actually got to soak up the lead in from Thursday selection. .

The concerning part of selection is that both Alforque and Kaporn kicked 7 between them last week. Kaporn was initially named to play league before being a late out and from memory, I could be wrong, Alforque was an emergency. Surely after solid pre seasons and strong performances in round 1 they warrant strong consideration for a call up. I get it, Kaporn is not really a league footballer but in our current plight he’d be a much better option than one of the rucks resting up forward. Alforque could add some real pace and excitement, something that was sadly missing last week. Neither have even made the emergency list this week.

In regard to how the game looks on paper, again without Clarke and Trew our midfield looks slow and one dimensional and coming up against a Jones led group it will be a real challenge to get drive out of the middle. Can our backs then hold what is likely to be an avalanche of cb clearance, unlikely without Pasini and Collins.

Up forward we will once again rely on Kohlman but can there be a set up implemented where someone else can have a day out and kick 4 or 5 - Alforque?!!!

Could be a case of the ugly duckling once again this week. Hope I’m wrong but I think East Perth too big, too fast and strong.

On another note, even though it’s not good viewing and I’m hesitant to trust the information displayed, it was good to see the jury list updated.

Bright knee indefinite
Trew ankle r3
Erceg back indefinite
Ireland Hamstring Indefinite
Hilton ankle r3 - named in 2’s
Chipper elbow r3 - named in 2’s
Pasini calf r6
Collins arm r8

In my opinion the season will be long gone by the time we are anywhere near full strength.

2

You’ve had some bad luck with injuries (and Clarke suspension)- not a big list but to key players. Just need to eke out some wins early as once up and running you could come home with a wet sail. Big game this one as EP were tipped to slide a little and also have players out

3

Once more we face the immovable object (aka Scott Jones) who has dominated Swans in clashes over the last few years.
They have named 26 players so not sure how the team is going to end up but surely they have to play Yukich in this game. He is the only big man in our squad who is capable of competing with Jones physically at stoppages and although he won’t be as productive around the ground as Jones, at least Yukich would give our mids a chance of getting some clearances from centre bouncedowns and throw ins.
If Yukich is not picked for this game my question to the club would be why the hell did we recruit him in the first place?

Update: Yukich is in the final 22 as well as debuts for Kane and Ned Reiger ( a colts player from last year). Cartwright and Luke Taylor dropped and Doc is not playing in either grade. Lets hope they give this a much better effort than they did last week and not leave all the work up to Jesse

4

Danger Kane did not play League last week it was Fitzgerald who made his League debut (and yes it was posted on social media).
Now on to the selected side for this week…
Fair dinkum are our match committee serious?
Howard should have been dropped after what could only be described as an insipid performance last week, in fact I posted at this time last year he should retire and I have not changed my opinion in fact it has only been strengthened.
Taylor is stiff to be dropped, yes he had 6 goals kicked on him (one was a Joe the goose & another from a ruck contest against Blakely). It may be match up related but I would rather he play as defender cum forward than Howard who basically offered nothing last week.
How on earth was Alforque not selected again, he would at least provide us with some zip that was noticeably lacking last week, we looked very pedestrian.
There are a couple of others who are very lucky to keep their place after poor games last week.
I cant see that selected team getting within 10 goals of EP at Leederville!

5

Pretty much as predicted.
Not much improvement on last week, so far this season I reckon we have played about 10 minutes of an acceptable standard the other 230 minutes has been utter rubbish.
If the selectors dont make some changes away from the same underperforming veteran players who havent fired a shot at all this year it will be a very long year and a wooden spoon will be coming our way!
And if the football department are not recruiting for 2026 now they are kidding themselves!

6

You can see, from a mile away, the same old damage control narrative coming from the hierarchy…. We’re undermanned, we’ve debuted 2-3 kids, we are playing kids from in our zone blah, blah, blah. While that is true there are also other factors where the hierarchy have failed the playing group, failed the members and supporters and it’s high time the club rid itself of these people who are accountable to no one.

This game was dead after 10 minutes, if not at the selection table. Having a spare behind the ball and pushing the half fwds right up to the wings and beyond only delayed the inevitable. When we did win the ball from a stoppage or across half back there was very often little to kick to and instead we continued with sideways or backwards ball movement, by hand mostly, which didn’t relieve pressure and instead created more. Surely that can’t be the system we’ve trained all summer?!!!

To create such a negative game plan from the outset is only compounded when the real pressure actually comes. This negative crap reminds me of Hardings formula when he was hanging by a thread. If we are going to play the kids then let them, and the team, at least try to play the right way and if we get beat then so be it.

Getting beat because of talent is one thing though. Being bullied because of size is another, being outworked because of poor fitness is another and being humiliated because of inept strategy is something else.

I’m loathe to single out any player because I strongly believe the Coach, the Football Manager and the Director of Football have failed them.

7

Hard to argue with any of your points Danger. That brand of football was unwatchable yesterday. It was cringeworthy to see WAFL footballers making fundamental errors whilst attempting a game plan that most of them are not skilled enough to implement. Yet when they unleashed some real footy in the 3rd and actually transferred some of the pressure back on to East Perth, they scored 5 goals. As you said I would rather see Swans get thumped having a crack at an attacking game rather than the rubbish we saw yesterday. The players looked confused and unsure about what they were doing and mistakes inevitably followed

8

At the very least there has to be selection integrity to start and playing kids who aren’t ready nor allow for a sustainable game plan is a cop out.

As stated previously, Kaporn is not really league standard but he’s an experienced player who provides a level of competitiveness and awareness that young Smith is yet to grasp. Playing Reiger and Cotellessa up fwd with Smith instead of Alforque, who has earned a crack, is that really displaying trust in the coaches selection or the direction of the team?

As stated by Mikeh, the 3rd qtr showed some positives but that’s easy to do once the game dead. But as soon as EP steadied and adjusted it was all one way traffic again which brings into question how fit are we???

The senior players rave about Pruyn but of course they do when he’s mates with most of them, the boss of others and is surrounded by like minded yes men who don’t challenge him or get challenged themselves.

9

No team can afford to lose the calibre of talent like Swans have lost. Was a strange game to see Swans kick 1 goal for the first half, then outscore east perth and kick 5 goals in the third quarter and they fell asleep without scoring in the final term. Currently is difficult to see how Swans are going to kick any winning scores. Can’t expect Kohlman to become a one man show and do it on his own. That simply puts too much pressure on one person. Is going to be a tough day at the office next week for Swans in their Away game against Souths.

10

It’s more than the caliber of player that we currently have available. It’s the lack of appropriate recruiting in a genuine ruck and a key fwd. It’s the fitness/size or lack there of and it’s the way the game was set up yesterday, not to mention how underprepared we were last week. When teams are fitter, stronger, have a better plan and show more effort you are starting from a long way back and when you lack in talent as well then this is what we get. Been a far too familiar occurrence in the last 10 years and things need to change.

11

To be honest outside of the Dawson era 2008-10 our last 35 seasons have been underwhelming or underachieving.
We will have the odd ok year and then drop back down the ladder the next, it has been a sad indictment on our club for far too long.
Much like in 2023 how do you start the season with 9 of your best 25 players missing injured?

12

Where is Lachlan Riley?

13

[quote=“Beasley Hutton post=241967 userid=847”]To be honest outside of the Dawson era 2008-10 our last 35 seasons have been underwhelming or underachieving.
We will have the odd ok year and then drop back down the ladder the next, it has been a sad indictment on our club for far too long.
Much like in 2023 how do you start the season with 9 of your best 25 players missing injured?
[/quote]

SD have been fairly strong last 2-3 seasons, had the wood over a lacklustre SF side on my more recent visits up to Basso, but yep that probably goes against the overall trend.

14

Could get a bit ugly down at Fremantle this Saturday. Aiden Clarke has finished his suspension so he will be back. Apart from that maybe Chipper , Ehlers, Caporn or Roche from the winning reserves side

15

[quote=“Frothy post=241978 userid=3164”]Where is Lachlan Riley?
[/quote]

Riley left the club at the end of 2023 along with Mitchell Bain. My understanding is that both of them played in the South West League last year. Not sure why they walked but both of them would have been useful in the current team

16

Bain is playing for South Bunbury in the sou west footy league this season I’m told. Not sure of the other fellow.

17

[quote=“westaussieguy post=242003 userid=881”]Bain is playing for South Bunbury in the sou west footy league this season I’m told. Not sure of the other fellow.
[/quote]

Apparently Lachlan Riley has moved to Victoria WAG. He has been signed by Aberfeldie Football Club in the Eastern Districts Football league

18

Aberfeldie is the same footy club, EF 2023 premiership player Jackson McDonald, has gone back home to play for in 2025. Without stirring the pot - McDonald was the player that kicked that after the siren goal, to break many a SD fans heart last year…courtesy of that defence clearing bullet like pass from SD No: 1 …think it was the last league game McDonald played for the year for EF…did win a reserves flag though for EF that year.

19

Thanks for reminding us of that Freezin. That was a massive choke by Swans, from memory 22 points up with about 10 mins to go but credit to the EF boys for not giving it in. Jehb O’Donohue was the guy who kicked that ball out of the pack.
Spoiled our 90th birthday party but it did trigger a positive reaction by the players who went to Claremont Oval the next week and scored a gutsy win over the Tigers which was their first at that ground in a decade. This was the first of a 9 game winning streak which put Swans into premiership contention. Hoping that the players might draw a similar line in the sand at Freo this Saturday. The difference is that they were playing well this time last year despite the loss to the Sharks. This year we have kicked 14 goals in 2 games which is not a good return.