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February 28, 2006
Well Here is the first injury list for the 2006 season. No real major names that aren't available selection except for Premiership team member Paul Bevan who is a few weeks away thanks to a hamstring injury. I guess the major thing is the players who would of wanted to make an impact this pre season miss it completely and lose valauable senior game time and expirence they, won't get until either next season or if they make an unexpected senior debut.
Anyway here is the list
Craig Bolton (Illness) Available
Tim Schmidt (Hip) Available
Paul Bevan (Hamstring) 1-2 weeks
Andrew Ericksen (Wrist) 3 weeks
Josh Willoughby (Groin) 3 weeks
Matthew Davis (Groin) 3 weeks
Earl Shaw (Groin) 4 weeks
Posted by robbieando at 07:25 PM | Comments (0)
February 27, 2006
At Least He Is Honest
Ah, Pre Season puff pieces, don't you just love them?
Normally they use the "I've worked really hard in the off-season" line and try to apply it to every player on the senior list that they can. Sometimes they work and make you believe that said player is in for a big year (a la Jarrad Moore's puff piece a few weeks back about him being fitter).
Therefore it stand to figure that for the players at the other end of the extreme it is hard to make it believable. So when the player in question is David Spriggs you better believe laughs are in store and this piece certainly delivered.
"I am confident that I can use my strengths to beat my opponent by using my pace to get away and my endurance to out-run anyone."
That is true and most Swans fans don't question your ability to do that David. It's what you do with the ball once in the open that has people questioning you spot on the list.
"My skills have let me down in the past but you can't worry about your weaknesses as otherwise you can get yourself in trouble, you just work on them at training."
Well at least your honest and can admit that you have a problem. That's the first step I believe, but heck you better worry about it because you need to do more than "just work on them at training".
Let's just hope this puff piece doesn't lead to regular senior football from Spriggs going on his form from Saturday.
Posted by robbieando at 06:14 PM | Comments (0)
Swans vs Bombers - This Friday
NAB Challenge Friday March 3, 4pmEssendon v Sydney (Princess Park, Carlton)
As stated below the Swans are to play Essendon this week in a Practice Match at Princess Park. Game is at 4pm for those of you living in Melbourne. Swansblog.com will provide a full match report as I'll be attending the match. Looking forward to my first Swans match since the Grand Final victory.
Other info of note, normal season rules will apply and most of our senior group will come back into the side, with those having played over the past few weeks rested.
Posted by robbieando at 11:03 AM | Comments (0)
February 26, 2006
Swans Lose, But Is Anyone Surprised
Come on fess up, the result surprised not even the most positive of Swans fans (and for a club like ours, fans like that a as rare as hens teeth). All week (and certainly most of the lead up to this match during the summer) I've written off the chances of the Swans knowing that Roos does like these games and that the make of the side would be mainly that of a TAC Cup team. Even I believed we had no shot of winning this match and decided to spend the day driving the country back roads of Central Victoria instead of making the effort to watch what was always going to be a sure fire loss to the Roos.
Still in matches like these you look for small glories and from what I've bothered to watch on Fox Footy and from what match reports I've read, some things did make it a worth-while exercise. For the match report here is the AFL.com.au match report:
Kangas too good Andrew WuA seven-goal to two first half has helped the Kangaroos record a comfortable 31-point victory over reigning premier Sydney in the first round of the NAB Cup at Manuka Oval on Saturday.
While the Kangaroos had eight of their top 10 from last year's best and fairest available - the only two missing were Glenn Archer and the retired Leigh Colbert - the Swans ran out with only six members of their premiership team. The Kangaroos set up their 1.8.11 (68) to 0.5.7 (37) win in the first half, kicking four consecutive goals either side of quarter-time as they roared to a 37-point buffer at half-time before the young Swans showed more dash in the second half.
While the Kangaroos' stranglehold on the game was never threatened, the Swans looked better in the second half and drew within 19 points late in the final term but the scoreboard did not accurately reflect the gulf in class between the two teams. Nuggety rover Daniel Harris was the Kangaroos' best under the packs with 20 possessions and was well supported by Brady Rawlings with 18 and veteran Shannon Grant, who kicked two goals to complement his 15 touches and seven marks. Of the Kangaroos youngsters, defender Josh Gibson showed promise deep in defence, gathering 16 touches and impressing with his poise under pressure.
For the Swans, David Spriggs found the ball 17 times, while premiership duo Jude Bolton and Ryan O'Keefe both gathered 16 touches. Adam Prior linked up well across the middle with 16 touches, while Matthew Laidlaw provided good run from half-back in the absence of Tadgh Kennelly.
With both sides showing signs of rust early in the Canberra heat, it was the Kangaroos who drew first blood after more than seven-and-a-half minutes with Harris goaling. Ben Mathews replied at the 13-minute mark but the Kangaroos slammed on four goals either side of quarter-time, including a nine-pointer to Ben Schwarze, opening up a 28-point break at the 11-minute mark of the second term. A clever snap by rookie Ryan Brabazon broke the Kangaroos' run but Brent Le Cras and Nathan Thompson both kicked truly after marking inside 50, helping the Shinboners to a 37-point break at half-time.
With experienced midfielders Grant, Rawlings and Adam Simpson starting the second half on the bench, the Swans made a promising start to the third term. A strong contested mark and goal to Stephen Doyle, who out-muscled Jonathan Hay, followed by a clever snap from Heath Grundy saw the Swans draw within 23 points at the 12-minute mark of the third term. But the return of the Kangaroos' veterans stopped the Swans' run with Brent Harvey booting a fine running goal, stretching the margin out to 29 points at three-quarter time, but it could have been more had he not hit the post after the siren.
Goals were again a precious commodity in the final quarter as both teams started to wilt in the heat. The Swans missed an opportunity to make things interesting when O'Keefe sprayed his set shot after marking strongly against Michael Firrito before Drew Petrie let himself down from 40 metres out directly in front. A snap by Jarred Moore reduced the margin to 20 points at the 12-minute mark but rookie Adam Prior blew a chance to reduce the margin to 14 when he missed from point-blank range after being awarded a free kick. And when Grant converted in the dying minutes, the Kangaroos were through to the second round to play either Carlton or Geelong.
KANGAROOS: 0.3.0, 1.6.5, 1.7.6, 1.8.11 (68)
SYDNEY: 0.1.0, 0.2.2, 0.4.4, 0.5.7 (37)
Swans Goals: Matthews, Brabazon, Doyle, Grundy, Moore
Swans Best: Bolton, O'Keefe, Spriggs, Buchanan, Ablett.
So while the loss is a good thing to write home about it appears that the senior level players that did play, played well in particlar Jude Bolton and Ryan O'Keefe, while Matthew Laidlaw impressed in his first game for the club and Jarrad Moore claims for a senior birth come Round One. From what I saw LRT looks to have taken a bit of confidence from his Grand Final effort and stepped up a gear and Heath Grundy can certainly make the ball. So not the end of the world by any means.
So there it is, another Pre Season loss and it off to the country circut we go (if you can call Princess Park, country) a meeting a Essendon for the second time in three weeks. Details when I get them later in the week. But at this stage it appears to be 4pm Friday at Princess Park.
Might help the Save Carlton Fund while I'm at it.....
Posted by robbieando at 05:17 PM | Comments (0)
February 23, 2006
Squad's For NAB Cup Round One Clash vs Kangaroos
Well as expected the Swans named a pretty weakened line up for their Round One NAB Cup clash with the Roos in Canberra on the weekend. From the 27 man squad that will be cut to 24 by Saturday, we will have only the 7 Premiership players promised by Roosy and 8 players who are fighting it out for selection in the senior team come Round One. Don't have an idea who the three to drop out of the squad will be, but wouldn't be surprised if Craig Bolton was one of them, but in any case its not going to be a huge issue that will cost us the game.
We aren't going into it to win it and from the look of the two squads named we certainly won't. Still I expect a solid showing from our kids simular to that put up against Essendon a week ago.
Kanga's by 15 points.
Sydney Swans squad: Luke Ablett, Ed Barlow, Craig Bolton, Ryan Brabazon, Amon Buchanan, Paul Chambers, Paul Currie, Sean Dempster, Stephen Doyle, Stefan Garrubba, Heath Grundy, Kieren Jack, Matthew Laidlaw, Nick Malceski, Ben Mathews, Jarred Moore, Ryan O'Keefe, Simon Phillips, Adam Prior, Ted Richards, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Sam Rowe, Jonathan Simpkin, David Spriggs, Kristin Thornton, Luke Vogels, Jame Wall.
Kangaroos squad: Hamish McIntosh, Jonathan Hay, Brady Rawlings, Daniel Harris, Shannon Grant, Adam Simpson, Daniel Wells, Jesse Smith, David Trotter, Kasey Green, Leigh Brown, Andrew Swallow, Drew Petrie, Corey Jones, Nathan Thompson, Michael Firrito, Ed Lower, Sav Rocca, Brent Harvey, Daniel Pratt, David Hale, Eddie Sansbury, Ben Schwarze, Shannon Watt, Joel Perry, Josh Gibson, Leigh Harding, Brent LeCras.
Adopt-a-Swan Update: McVeigh and Fosdike weren't named in this weekend's squad and thus I get off having to right out a report on them. Still its a pity I would like to have seen this squad with both playing in it.
Posted by robbieando at 09:36 PM | Comments (0)
How Sweet Revenge Is........
Swans bash makes point to footy HQ
Tonight the Swans will hold their regular monthly board meeting in Melbourne, a first for the club since it moved North to Sydney 25 seasons ago. After the board meeting the Swans will host a bash to raise some funds to help launch the "Sydney Australian Football Foundation" which will go towards helping the Swans secure their long term future and the help the local game in Sydney in general, with already $1 million in the kitty before the official start of the Foundation.
While this might not seem like a big deal other than the launch of the foundation itself (and to be truthful I wouldn't use an entire post of it alone), the location of the event provides too much of an opportunity to prove that Revenge is always sweet and best served cold. You could say file it away under "How times hve changed".
THE 2006 AFL Premiership Cup has already enjoyed something of an unusual pilgrimage but the irony of tonight's push into the heart of Toorak has not been lost on anyone at the Sydney Swans. Nor has the fact that the club's wealthiest and most influential Melbourne-based supporters — along with coach Paul Roos and his three captains, Barry Hall, Leo Barry and Brett Kirk — will convene at the former home of famous Swans hater and disgraced Carlton president John Elliott in a bid to take on the powerful Victorian clubs at their own game.
Yep thats right, not only are the Swans hosting their monthly board meeting at Big John's house with the Premiership Cup as the centrepiece (something that warms the heart of this Carlton hating Swans fan), we are doing so to ensure the long-term future of the club at the former home of a man who tried to kill us off, but ended up losing everything including his home to a Swans fan, who has handed use of it over to the Swans when they see fit.
So while we are proving our massive finanical worth off the field, in membership, sponsorship and now this foundation, we are putting the messures in place to make sure our club has a long term future. Funny then this comes at the same time as the current Carlton board is stuggling to overcome the debts left behind by Big John and is forcing to them to consider going cap in hand to the AFL for funding.
Funny how life turns out doesn't it, hey John?
Posted by robbieando at 06:41 AM | Comments (0)
February 21, 2006
Swansblog.com to Help Charity Cause
Blues meet to consider seeking AFL assistance
THE new streamlined Carlton board will convene tonight to vote upon a series of groundbreaking issues that will determine the future of the club. The Age believes there is a push from sections of the board to seek AFL financial assistance, with the Blues set to announce another significant loss at next month's annual meeting. While the football club is expected to announce a small profit, that will be more than swallowed up by a big social club loss — the size of which is still being determined by the club's auditors.
and
Carlton remains one of several Victorian clubs that does not have a ball sponsor, and is yet to strike a commercial deal for coach Denis Pagan as he embarks upon his second three-year stint with the Blues. It also faces 2006 without its long-term Optus agreement. The Blues are not confident of signing a sponsor for Princes Park, given the stadium's new position as a training venue rather than an AFL matchday ground.
Now swansblog.com is always the first to jump on a charity cause because we are just a big pack of softies. So therefore I propose that we the fans of the Sydney Swans Football Club return the kind favour of Charity, Carlton offered us in our hour of need way back in 1992. As they say forgive, but never forget. Well I haven't forgotten and well I certainly never have, nor never will forgive that pack of vultures for what they tried to do, so therefore I want to see the club make the following kind offer to Carlton:
Collo you can,
- Close down the Carlton Football Club.
- Get rid of all your players.
- Allow the Swans to then select 2 or 3 of your best players as a tokin jesture.
- Transfer all remaining sponsor accounts to us
- Then suggest that the Swans take over 11 of your games and play them in Sydney.
In return the Swans will use those tokin players and even throw in a tokin patch of Navy Blue on our shorts just to compensate all your fans left behind (can't allow broken hearted fans can we).
So Swans fans please give that Carlton may die and we can grow.
Posted by robbieando at 08:41 AM | Comments (0)
February 20, 2006
Big Footy's Adopt-a-Swan
Over on the Swans board at Bigfooty.com, CharlieG has issued a challenge to all BF's Swans fans to "Adopt-a-Swan" for the 2006 season and sadly because I'm:
a) a mod there and
b) this site is own by Big Footy
I have been unleashed upon these two poor souls.
Yep that right I've selected to report on the week by week happenings of Jarrad McVeigh and Nic Fosdike. Now of course as Swans fans I'm going to assume (huge gamble I know) that you know who they are and where they sit within the team as we enter the 2006 season. But from this weekend NAB Cup match against the Kangaroos, if they play I'll report back on them in a section at the end of my weekly match report. If they play senior matches, I'll do a short report on how they went and rate their game out of 10. Then I post it on Big Footy for you all to rip apart.
So enjoy my 2006 "Adopt-a-Swan" campaign, I know I will!
Posted by robbieando at 11:22 PM | Comments (0)
February 18, 2006
Fantasic Article
Was just surfing the news site on the internet for some updated news on the Swans (very little save for match reports from last night) and came across this very well written article by Peter Lalor in today's "Weekend Australian".
Swans' Premiership Cup runneth over with rancour
Basically it explains the Swans anger towards the AFL after having requests not to play last nights match at North Sydney Oval off the back of the clubs trip to LA to play North and the community camp held in Wollongong. This follows on from AFL chief executive officer Andrew Demetriou's comments in the middle of last season about our style of play and the fact Demetriou might of gained some sort of revenge on the Swans for throwing egg in his face by then going on and winning the premiership with those tactics, by introducing - no forcing upon the League new rules that some say are designed to hurt the Swans rather than improve the game.
I suggest you give it a read.
Posted by robbieando at 07:16 PM | Comments (0)
Swans Lose Battle But Gain More From Match
Well it certainly wasn't the one-sidered slaughter that Paul Roos predicted, but it was a loss all the same. However in going down by 19 points to the Bombers in the Swans first competitive hit out on Australian soil since their premiership success against West Coast just over 4 months ago, they showed that even with 4 of the Premiership team lineing up that they will still be competitive this coming season and having solid relief in the junior ranks to boot.
The Swans pulled no punches in their line up save for the trial use of Luke Vogels at Full Back on Matthew Lloyd and Vogels did well body on body to suggest he could hold down this position in the future if ever required. Up forward for the Swans, Ted Richards was the stand-out against his former club, showing the way with 21 touches, three goals and solid marking that went someway to show that he might just become a valuable part of the Swans already well-stocked forward line.
Lewis Roberts-Thomson with 18 touches picked up from where he left off in the Grand Final playing strongly on Scott Lucas to suggest that he is now ready to match it with the big gun Centre Half Forwards of the competition.
In the midfield Jude Bolton played well as always and David Spriggs showed some form to suggest that he just might make more of an impact on the senior side this season (God help us). For me the news Nick Malceski performed strongly in the midfield, suggests I might be right in my thoughts that he is in for a big year and might be the brake out rookie/young kid of 2006.
Luke Ablett put the home side in front with the first goal before Lloyd snagged a major for the Bombers. Heath Grundy then showed why he was promoted from Sydney's rookie list with a solid mark and goal from 40 metres to give supporters hope of a competitive game. However the Bombers piled on the last three goals to take an 11-point lead into the first change.
Spriggs reduced the gap soon after the restart before the Bombers once again quashed any hopes of a close contest with four unanswered goals. It was then time for Ted Richards to make his impact on the game when he posted his first goal to get the crowd excited and although Lucas nailed his second, the Swans posted the final two goals to trail by three goals at the main break.
An uninspiring third term saw the Swans out-score the Bombers two goals to one, with Richards adding his third, to peg back the deficit to 13 points at the last change. Jobe Watson booted his second soon after the centre bounce before Sydney draftee Ryan Brabazon ensured the game would be a close finish. However Chris Heffernan and Ricky Dyson sealed the victory for the Bombers with a goal each. To make the result look even more repectable Swans rookie Paul Currie slotted through a beautiful curler from the boundary line to leave the final result being a Swans 19 point loss.
"The score was obviously a really pleasant surprise for us, and we are all really excited the way the kids played," Roos said."We played some great footy and the kids attacked the football and even the improvement from LA (last month) to now is just dramatic."
SYDNEY: 2.5, 6.5, 8.8, 10.11 (71)
ESSENDON: 4.4, 9.5, 10.9, 13.11 (89)
GOALS: Sydney: Richards 3, Currie 2, Ablett, Grundy, Spriggs, Thornton, Brabazon. Essendon: Lucas 2, Lloyd 2, Watson 2, Monfries, Dempsey, Welsh, Lovett-Murray, Ryder, Watson, Heffernan
BEST: Sydney: Richards, Roberts-Thomson, Spriggs, Bolton, Malceski, Vogels. Essendon: Bradley, Winderlich, Lucas, Welsh, Monfries
INJURIES: Sydney: nil Essendon: nil
REPORTS: nil
UMPIRES: Troy Pennell, Matthew Head, Mathew James
CROWD: 8461 at North Sydney Oval, Sydney
Posted by robbieando at 06:07 PM | Comments (0)
February 16, 2006
Swans vs Bombers - North Sydney Oval Practice Match Preview
Well the time has finally come for the Swans to open up their season on Australian soil when they face the Bombers tomorrow night at North Sydney Oval. What normally is a minor 15 a side hitout with few of each clubs stars playing has turned into a major issue, when the Bombers 24 man squad basically being full strength while the Swans side is made up of rookies and 4 players from the premiership team.
According to this report Roosy is expecting a trashing. If he was making these comments during the season one would question his sanity.
"I don't see any sense in having a game if you've got one team with 17 of their best 22 and another team that's got four of their best 22 - it makes no sense to have a game of that nature," Roos said.
and
"You can't not play but you know certainly it is probably, after seeing the team that Sheed's [Kevin Sheedy] has sent up, it is going to be obviously not much of a contest," he said."If you want to come and watch a slaughter come and watch on Friday night ... I might stay home to be honest."
Pretty harsh stuff. Still I'm of the view that any gametime against senior players will benefit our kids in the long term, but you can see where Roosy is coming from.
Still never expect favours from Sheedy in a team he names, sometimes he even adds a joke selection or two a la "A Japanese Bomber flies in to take on the Swans"
"You want to watch this kid play," Beard said. "Don't be surprised if he picks up 15 possessions for the game."
Certainly interesting and good for the game if this works out.
Expect a match report on the slaughter sometime tomorrow night.
Posted by robbieando at 04:06 PM | Comments (0)
February 15, 2006
How to Blow Money the Easy Way Vol 1.0
File this one away under "people with too much money, not enough sense"
Sports Acumen, the first betting outlet to post a market on the pre-season competition, has the Swans on the fifth line of betting at $10.
Seems to me that Sports Acumen are going make a fair amount of cash if people are dump enough to bet upon the Swans winning the NAB Cup ON THE FIFTH LINE OF BETTING. Hello, that means the Swans would have to win Round One with a team of kids lucky enough to share a pube amoungst them.
I'll never know why some "professional gamblers" don't ever read into history and the way a club intends to treats the pre-season. Pretty dumb to bet on us to win the NAB Cup if you ask me.
Posted by robbieando at 08:04 PM | Comments (0)
February 11, 2006
Success Brings the Rewards
For many years people said a Swans Premiership would make us millions in memberships and sponsorships and the acticle above clearly proves that point, concidering the club have already surpassed last year's membership figure of around 25,000 and are on track to surpass the all-time record of around 31,000 set in 1998 and reach the club target of 35,000 members this with 40,000 in the following few years.
Good quotes also from the article in regards to our finances include
Swans chief executive Myles Baron-Hay is confident the club will also sell out its corporate suites and boxes for the entire season "for the first time in a very long time", and increase sponsorship revenue by 20 per cent.
and
Sydney's guernsey is already worth close to $3 million and the famous red and white jumper the most valued in the AFL before Collingwood's strip.
So despite not making a huge profit for last season we are on track to create enough revenue to post a million dollar plus profit this coming season if things keep going the way they are and the teams form keeps the club in the top 4.
Also from the article we have a pointer as to whom might not be lining up this Friday Night against Essendon and North in the NAB Cup a week later.
Barry Hall, Leo Barry, Michael O'Loughlin, Nick Davis, Paul Williams, Tadhg Kennelly, Adam Goodes and other frontliners are unlikely to play against the Kangaroos in the first round of the NAB Cup in Canberra on February 25, regardless of availability.
and
Gerard Healy endorsed the Swans' policy. "It is common sense if Roosy is playing his young guys early to give them as much exposure as possible," Healy said.
Posted by robbieando at 05:50 PM | Comments (0)
Oops......
Just an Irishman doing what all Irishmen like to do and that is an ill-timed prank. Why so surprised then? Yes poorly timed but not worthy of the fuss it has created. Still at least the club took the correct course of action, Tadhg admits he did the wrong thing at the wrong place at the wrong time and things should be left at that.
Still very funny though.
Posted by robbieando at 05:41 PM | Comments (0)
February 06, 2006
Swans Community Camp in Wollongong
For the second year in a row the Swans are heading off to Wollongong to hold their AFL Community Camp. For those in the area interested in getting involved here is the calender of events and link to more info off the Swans site.
Tuesday Feb 7
4.30pm – 5.30pm - NAB AFL Auskick clinic & Community BBQ @ Stuart Park, North Wollongong
7.30pm – 9pm - Community Forums @ Illawarra Master Builders Club
Wednesday Feb 8
9am – 11am - Training @ Wollongong University No. 3 Oval
Thursday Feb 9
7.30pm – 9.30pm - Fundraising Dinner @ Illawarra Master Builders Club
Friday Feb 9
10am – 12pm - Training @ Wollongong University No. 3 Oval
For the record the Swans won't be the only club holding their community camp in NSW, with Carlton off to Newcastle to promote the code in Rugby League's heartland (brave move on their behalf), the Kangaroos normal stop in their second home base of Canberra and Collingwood as per usual going to "Western" Sydney to make sure their players don't have to "rough" if for a few days away from a 5 star hotels they can't do without.
I would like Collingwood's effort in Western Sydney more if they did more than promote just themselves rather than promote the code which should be the aim of these clinics. They would be better served in regional Victoria or even Alice Springs where they have supporters who would forfill their goals for the week.
Its Little wonder so few kids turn up to their clinics (Memo Ed, its because your nobodies in Sydney).
Posted by robbieando at 06:02 PM | Comments (0)
News Roundup - 6/2
Not much in the news over the weekend and the Monday papers save a few minor article's that border on puff pieces, still they do have some useful tidbits in them relating to the Swans.
First off we have "O'Loughlin training in summer most irregular"
Basically stating what we already know about the pre-seasons notable lack of injuries and players trying overcome injuries. Still I love the borderline joking coming from the club regarding Magic taking part in training, something we haven't seen in 4 years.
"The coaches are all panicking. Every time we see Mick running we say 'what are you doing? Go and put the blanket on, hit the rocking chair, put the telly on and drink some chicken soup'.
I say all he needs to complete the image is a phone to make crank calls to Channel 9 when he hears "noughty" words on one of their shows.
Still the next quote is to the point
"It's something of an unknown - it just doesn't seem right."
Lets hope its not going to be a case of Karma with our injury free run snapped during the season and we see injury upon injury. Then again I doubt that will happen after all we have the best backroom staff in the comp and I'm cross fingers, toes and touching wood.
Next quote from the same article
Apart from a minor quadriceps strain to Craig Bolton, the rest of the Swans squad is on the training track.
As said already not something we don't already know, but with C-Bolt I guess that rules him out of the first few matches of the pre-season at least.
On to AFL honors Paul Williams and Andrew Ireland have been honored with AFL Life Membership for their service to the game.
* The AFL announced it was admitting 10 new life members at its next annual general meeting.Seven qualified automatically during the 2005 AFL season by reaching 300 games of service: Melbourne coach and former Essendon captain Neale Daniher, Western Bulldogs pair Rohan Smith and Scott West, Adelaide's Mark Ricciuto, the Kangaroos' Glenn Archer, Geelong's Peter Riccardi and Sydney's Paul Williams.
Former players and administrators Ross Smith and Andrew Ireland were also admitted along with West Coast coaching staff member Robert Wiley.
Well earnt in both cases without a doubt.
Onto news out of the club and we have the news that both Jason Ball and Stuart Maxfield will both join the football department on a part-time basis. Stu will join the recuiting department, while Ball will help out the young ruckmen develop.
"Stuey is going to work in our recruiting area," Roos told sydneyswans.com.au."It is an area we are keen to improve, and it is obviously an area that becomes more and more important with the draft and the salary cap and all those sorts of things.
and
Ball - who works full-time in Sydney as a stockbroker - has been asked to work with some up-and-comers at training and in individual video sessions.
No doubt good news to have these two still involved around the club to impart their expirence to the younger kids.
Posted by robbieando at 05:26 PM | Comments (0)
February 03, 2006
Proof That There Are Morons in This World
Punters eye Sydney....for the wooden spoon
veteran bookmaker Gerard Daffy says he has never before seen the likes of — a surge of money for a reigning premier to win … the wooden spoon. "It's unprecedented, unheard of, in any code," Daffy told us yesterday as he tried to come to terms with the sudden punting about-turn on 2005's top AFL team, Sydney, so dramatic that it has seen more money invested on Paul Roos' boys to finish last in 2006 than them making it back-to-back flags.
Oh now come on, how stupid can some people be to think that the Swans are going to win the wooden spoon. Yes, I know there are always people who place the odd "crazy unlikely to happen but wow I'm a millionare if I pull it off" bet, but to have so many that its classed as a betting surge odds going from from $81, initially down to $67 and now to the current price of $51.
To top that all off you have even the rebuilding clubs getting more money bet on them winning the flag than us:
"We have had more bets on Carlton and Hawthorn winning the flag than we've had on Sydney," said Daffy.
The mind just bloggles at the pure madness of some people, oops hang on a sec I think I've more....
Has Anyone Bought Grand Final Flights Yet???
Just wondering if anyone has noticed that direct flights from Perth to Melbourne on Qantas and Virgin have just about sold out? Only came to my attention because my parents were purchasing tickets last night.
....and you would of thought they would of learnt their lession last year about being too cocky about winning the flag well in advance. Pure proof of morons if ever I've seen it.
Posted by robbieando at 07:23 PM | Comments (2)
Swans Fully Fit, Firing and Readt to Go
"This year we've had less players getting operations, so there's probably at least half a dozen senior players that are a fair way ahead of where they were last year," Roos said. "Leo Barry is probably a month ahead, Benny Matthews a month ahead, Mick O'Loughlin is probably three months ahead. We are definitely ahead of where we have been the previous year."
and
Even Michael O'Loughlin, who has rarely played pre-season games in past years due to ongoing fitness issues, is poised to play a couple of practice matches.
and
Roos will stick to his policy of recent years and keep several of his senior players out of the first couple of pre-season games, against Essendon at North Sydney Oval on February 17 and the Swans' initial NAB Cup fixture against the Kangaroos at Manuka Oval eight days later.
This is good news to read on three fronts.
1) We are going to be heading to the premiership defense with a fitter squad than last seasons premiership winning squad and thats with 3 weeks less time to prepare to boot.
2) We are going to stick to our guns regarding the NAB Cup and Practice Matches and slowly bring the senior players back into action, rather than go all out and win matches when they don't count for much.
3) Magic is going to be fit to play BEFORE Round One for the first time under Paul Roos (Cross fingers, touch wood and all that). He always has been the spark to get us going early in a season when he returns from his interupted pre seasons, so imagine what he and the team will be like with him fully fit and firing in Round One.
All in all pretty positive news to be reading at this stage of the pre season.
Posted by robbieando at 05:53 PM | Comments (0)