Sports & Fitness AFL - 2016 season

While most of the talk with the AFL recently is around Essendon , good news for swans supporters today with one of their best Players , Luke Parker signing up for another 5 years .

His contract finished at the end of this season , and there was already talk about him being one of the big free agency moves at the end of the season .

Interesting how Sydney has changed from somewhere that players didn't want to go to many years ago , to the complete opposite .

Go Swannies !

Cliff

 

Luke Parker is an absolute jet and hard as nails. Played against him quite a few times in under 18s. Great signing for the swans. He will be one of my first picked for SuperCoach this season. Will have a massive year I think

 

So excited, I hate the off season.

My beloved Eagles welcome the return of 2 defenders that sat out injured in 2015. They've also added to the midfield group, effectively killing any weaknesses causing them to only be runners up last year.

Top 4 predicted (in no particular order):
Eagles
Hawks
Swans
Geelong

Bottom 4 (no particular order):
Essendon
Melbourne
Brisbane
Carlton

Everyone else somewhere in between. I see gold coast top 8 with the return of ablett. Fremantle and port not in the 8 with their elderly and missing players respectively.

 

DT , so you don't think that Essendon will pick up the wooden spoon .....
I have a friend who is a Carlton supporter and he will be devastated if the blues can't beat the bombers this year .

Take out Dyson and Jobe and you've got a big hole and that's just two out of 12.

Craig Bird is capable of stepping straight in and Ryan Crowley has a bit to prove

New team for the top four ? Hadn't heard about feeling getting in .... Or is that damn spell check playing up again

Cliff

 

Corrected both parts

Essendon paying $51 for top 8 lol

 

I just hope that Jetta puts in more effort for you guys then he did with us, bar a few games where he showed is real talent!

Thankfully we have about 10 midfielders in the seniors and reserves that have got some decent speed to cover for that 2 game a year loss

 

Jetta's highlight was the 2012 GF . Patchy most of the time , though eye catching at his best .

Swans needed another ruckman more than Jetta , though he will always be remembered with great affection . Watching him burn off Rioli down the wing , Hanner's mark and Morton's tackle were the high lights of the 2012 GF for me.

Cliff

 

He was brillant that game and others. Just wished he showed it more regularly!

We've got a few possible ruck options coming up to help Kurt out but it'll be a year or two before we have a great experienced one. Losing/getting rid of Mumford hurt us bad there.

 

So this is where all my fellow Swans fans hang out

Parker is a jet, great to see him re-signed long term, would be a shock if he isn't captain in the next few years.

 

Joint captains , Dan H and Luke P , that's what I see . The dynamic duo .

Cliff

 

I'm a 1 eyed Port supporter so I always think Port will win every year, but particularly lately. Ryder is a big loss though.

 

One eyed supporter , goes with some of their one eyed players .....

Cliff

 

Port has 50% of its eyes,
But 50% of its teeth are the Pies

 

@See Change asked about this, thought it'd be interesting to put up at the beginning of the year to verify how good the bookies are when the end of the year comes.

 

Dual Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes (372 games), Rhyce Shaw (237) and Mike Pyke (110) all retired, while Craig Bird (137) and Lewis Jetta (127) found new homes at Essendon and West Coast respectively via the draft.

Good bye Swans

HAWTHORN will be without star forward Jarryd Roughead for the first half of the season after the club decided he needs a PCL reconstruction. [Snip] He has played in four flags with the Hawks, kicking at least 50 goals in each of their premiership years, and is considered one of the game's most valuable players.

Good bye Hawks

The Power are allowed to upgrade two rookies to cover suspended pair Angus Monfries and Patrick Ryder but are, at this stage, unable to replace the two rookies. In terms of sheer numbers, the scenario would leave the club short of most of their rivals, including Essendon, come round one.

Good bye Port

Energy levels and enthusiasm were high at West Coast training this morning as the playing group hit Domain Stadium for their final hit-out before a well-earned four-day break. [Snip] Eric Mackenzie also impressed – running through rivals to win hard balls and dictating play from the back of the field – while Lewis Jetta left opponents in his wake before thumping penetrating kicks on his teammates’ chests.

Hello Premiers

 

@D.T. when hawthorn won the flag in 2014 we were missing half the team. I'm sure we can cover roughead. He missed a fair few games last year but still managed without him.

 

DT

Craig Bird didn't play a game last year .

Adam Goodes had a reasonable year but was well below his best , that's apart for the constant distraction of the booing saga .

Rhys Shaw and Mike Pyke were inconsistent and in and out with injury last year and I thought Rhys Shaw was bloody lucky not to be dropped to the reserves and suffer the same fate as Ryan o'keefe . I would have preferred Zac jones in and gaining experience . He's a tiger in his attack on the ball ( and on occasions on opposition players twice his size . No fear , another hannerbery ....)

Jetta ..... I think the swans have done well trading him for an up and coming ruck man in Sinclair . Swans have pace , but need another ruck man .

Jetta . Highlight of his career was the 2012 GF and he's been inconsistent since . Hopefully he'll be more settled close to his family in the west . He's held in great affection by the swans supporters , but he can be so inconsistent in his effort and that's not something you can have if you want to win a premiership .... Do the Eagles want one ??

The swans do . No swans supporter I've talked to is shattered he's leaving . If it was hanners , Parker and another 12 I can think of off the top of my head , there would be more frustration . Good move for him and the swans . See how the Eagles feel about him at the end of the season

For me , I see no loss for the swans . Lots of youngsters coming through with some games under their belt .

Zac jones , dean towers , Heeney are standouts for me . Through in Talia and Sinclair and I see no downside .

The swans have been at the top for so long because they have handled the transition from one key group to the next generation so well. again , we'll see at the end of the season .

Cliff

 

The Swans have little depth. Hope the Doggies have a great year

 

Top 4 in no particular order.

Hawthorn west coast Sydney and Fremantle

Fremantle and west coast have a massive home ground advantage and can nearly pencil them in 11 or 12 wins at home then from there only need to win another 4 or 5 for the year to finish top 4 with a chance of a home final.

West Coast are coached extremely well and with their two key backs (Mckenzie and Brown) back next year that will free up McGovern even more. Their midfield bats as deep as anyone and with inclusions of redden and Jetta that only lifts their chances. Kennedy a beast up forward and Nic Nat fully fit they are gonna be a very hard team to beat. For me, they are the team to beat.

Fremsntke have an aging list with issues with their key backs and struggle to kick enough goals to win a flag. Bennell fully fit will certainly help that as I have heard him and Fyfe will rotate with each other forward and midfield. IMO Fyfe and Pavlich will have to have another massive year and everything go right for freo to make the grand final.

Hawthorn... Well the Hawks will be the Hawks and win enough games to make top 4 and get the double chance. Roughead out will certainly hurt but if they can get him back by round 16 and Mitchell and hodge can have another big year they will certainly be there abouts again. Lake out will be s huge loss as Frawley can be vulnerable one out and that may mean Gibson has to take the 2nd best forward instead of playing that 3rd up he does so well.

Sydney are the hard one to read. With players like buddy, hannebery, Parker and Kennedy they are going to be battling Geelong and maybe port for that final spot in the 4. Another pre season under heeneys belt abd more midfield time for him and Mitchell could help them get to that last day in September. By all reports their first round pick abd academy player Callum mills is a ready made afl player and can have similar impact as heeney did last year. Lock him in for the rising star. For me, it's buddy or bust.


I just hope my Lions can have a better year.

I'm just glad footy is nearly back

 

When is the tipping contest being set up?? I need every opportunity to brag that I beat you all last year

Swans are my team, but have been coerced into going for West Coast this year. Will be going to syd Anzac Day weekend for swans/ west coast game.