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June 24, 2005
Swans Mid Season Report Card
The Swans 2005 season so far hasn’t been of the better seasons from a Swans team because of the range of attacks coming from the Melbourne media for the best part of two months because of the Swans style of play that sent most fans (including our own) to sleep most weeks. So to be sitting 7-5 at the mid season break is kind of surprising yet not at all disappointing when compared to what most Swans fans predicted we would be sitting come Round 12.
Now the Swans have yet again been unlucky with untimely injuries to key players, Stephen Doyle (season), Paul Williams (7 weeks out), Andrew Schauble (6 matches), Jason Ball (5 weeks) and Nick Davis (3 matches).
So when it is little wonder the Swans played such negative tactics for as long as it did in the face of such a media storm. Certainly makes one think about how we could of gone with a full side for the entire season.
Still despite the poor style of play and basic skill errors it hasn’t been all bad news, we have seen a 7 goal last quarter against the Lions in Brisbane which saw Barry Hall kick a goal after the final siren to give the Swans the lead for the only time in the match.
We have seen Adam Goodes start to regain his Brownlow winning form and the development of regulars such as Luke Ablett and Craig Bolton into key senior players. Also good has been the form of key recruit Darren Jolly who has held his own in the ruck and so far lived up to the value we paid to get him (save for 2 weeks off for a love tap). Even more impressive has been Nick Davis. While not noticed as often as one would like, save for his 3 matches out, he has shown a re-newed commitment to his football and has spent the majority of his gametime playing in the midfield and flying into packs better than some of the more regular midfielders at the club.
We have also seen the impressive debuts of Sean Dempster, Jarrad Moore, Luke Vogels and Nick Malceski, with Dempster settling into a regular position running off Half Back. These guys are only the beginning of a group of kids that we have coming though the ranks and most important of all most of these are midfielders, thus meaning the Swans can focus on improving other areas of the team come the trade and draft period (ie. depth in the key positions)
All in all the season has been a stop start affair with the Swans only starting to show what they are capable of in the past month. Yet to beat a team sitting above us on the ladder, the Swans know they need to step up a cog or three if they want to challenge for the premiership come September.
But at the Swans know that in sitting in 6th position after 12 Rounds and only a game and percentage off 3rd spot that they are well positioned for a run at a Top Four spot considering their fixture in the coming month and a team fully fit and firing coming into the right stage of the season.
Mid Season Best and Fairest: Jude Bolton
Mid Season Most Improved: Luke Ablett
Mid Season Rising Star: Sean Dempster
Mid Season Swans Overall Rating: B+ (But is capable of doing better and should improve in coming weeks)
Posted by robbieando at June 24, 2005 07:40 PM