Part Two of my early look at the Swans schedule for the 2012 AFL Premiership Season, and some quick thoughts on each game, from a long way out!
Round Thirteen vs. Geelong: Another Friday night game. Last year it was Carlton in the rain on the night of the royal wedding, a combination that kept the crowd disappointingly low. It was one of the worst nights I’ve sat through, with pouring rain whipped up by the wind. Hopefully there’ll be a good crowd and a nice night for the visit to Sydney of the reigning premiers. On the field, this will be a tough test.
Round Fourteen vs. Greater Western Sydney: The rematch at ANZ Stadium and, and another chance for the AFL to hype it’s newest rivalry. By this stage we should know what fancy name the league will have coined for the Swans vs. Giants – think Derby, Showdown, Q Clash – battle for Sydney hearts and minds, and it could also be the middle of a long and largely winless season for the Kevin Sheedy-led Giants.
Round Fifteen vs. Brisbane: The rivalry that the league tried to hoist on these two teams isn’t really much, but there’ve been some great clashes recently. Last year, the Swans had a giant lead at the half up in Brisbane and coasted home to an easy win. This time around, the Lions figure to have Jonathan Brown back. A healthy Jono Brown is a serious nightmare for fullbacks everywhere.
Round Sixteen vs. West Coast: The Eagles were the surprise packet of the 2011 season, after finishing 2010 in dismal fashion. This was one of the great rivalries of the latter half of the noughties, featuring two very similar teams who just didn’t know how to give up. The trip to Perth is a tough challenge in of itself, quite aside from the team we face over there. The Eagles should be just as good this year, if not better.
Round Seventeen vs. St Kilda: The Swans get Nick Riewoldt and St Kilda twice – this time on a Sunday afternoon in the early timeslot – in Season 2012 and the return clash at the SCG comes in the midst of what can only be described as a horror run to the end of the season. It only gets tougher from here. You’d think by now that the Swans will have a pretty good idea of whether they’ll be playing September football or whether this scribe will be able to focus on American football.
Round Eighteen vs. Gold Coast: The Swans visit the brightly-coloured Metricon Stadium for a second time. The Suns will be much better in 2012 than they were last year, but given the stretch that they’ll be in, recording a good win here will be a must. In two or three more seasons, the Suns will be dangerous.
Round Nineteen vs. Carlton: And so begins the run to September. Chris Judd and the lethal Carlton midfield come to town. The Blues ran the Swans off their feet last year on that wet Friday night game, but, then again, Sydney weren’t the only team to suffer that fate against one of the premiere midfields in the competition. The question for the Blues is can they step up and consistently beat the Geelong’s and Collingwood’s and Hawthorn's of the world.
Round Twenty vs. Collingwood: The now-traditional ANZ Stadium game and the one that most Swans fans want to win more than any other. Last year was an epic and inspirational effort that resulted in a narrow loss, but Sydney definitely made the Pies work hard and long to extend their impressive run of victories at ANZ Stadium. The Olympic Stadium has been a graveyard for the Swans against the Pies. A win against Collingwood on this Saturday night, hopefully in front of a giant crowd, would just about make my season.
Round Twenty-One vs. Western Bulldogs: Another stern test against a team that should be somewhat improved on last year. As always, playing in Melbourne seems to be a problem, but it shouldn’t be. The Swans can’t really call themselves contenders if they’re not able to win down south. And they’ll likely need a win in this one, given the stretch of games that they’re in the midst of – perhaps the toughest finish to the season that there is in the league this year.
Round Twenty-Two vs. Hawthorn: The Hawks come to Sydney for a twilight contest at the SCG in what will be the final home game for the season in the penultimate round of the regular season. As has been said by all and sundry, any team that features the likes of Lance Franklin, Jarryd Roughead, Cyril Rioli and Chance Bateman, amongst others, is always going to be dangerous, and always in contention for a flag. This should be – another – stern test for the Swans.
Round Twenty-Three vs. Geelong: What a horrible way to end the season. The Swans save the worst for last, making the toughest road trip in football, south of Melbourne, down to Geelong, to what has been a graveyard for every team in the AFL over the last two years. Alone in the last twenty-four months in scoring a win at Simonds Stadium last season, an incredible and inspirational effort after the death of Jarrad McVeigh’s daughter. It was a perfect team effort that day, and they’ll need something similar to triumph again, you would think. Of course, the Cats will remember their loss, and will likely be smarting.
Round Thirteen vs. Geelong: Another Friday night game. Last year it was Carlton in the rain on the night of the royal wedding, a combination that kept the crowd disappointingly low. It was one of the worst nights I’ve sat through, with pouring rain whipped up by the wind. Hopefully there’ll be a good crowd and a nice night for the visit to Sydney of the reigning premiers. On the field, this will be a tough test.
Round Fourteen vs. Greater Western Sydney: The rematch at ANZ Stadium and, and another chance for the AFL to hype it’s newest rivalry. By this stage we should know what fancy name the league will have coined for the Swans vs. Giants – think Derby, Showdown, Q Clash – battle for Sydney hearts and minds, and it could also be the middle of a long and largely winless season for the Kevin Sheedy-led Giants.
Round Fifteen vs. Brisbane: The rivalry that the league tried to hoist on these two teams isn’t really much, but there’ve been some great clashes recently. Last year, the Swans had a giant lead at the half up in Brisbane and coasted home to an easy win. This time around, the Lions figure to have Jonathan Brown back. A healthy Jono Brown is a serious nightmare for fullbacks everywhere.
Round Sixteen vs. West Coast: The Eagles were the surprise packet of the 2011 season, after finishing 2010 in dismal fashion. This was one of the great rivalries of the latter half of the noughties, featuring two very similar teams who just didn’t know how to give up. The trip to Perth is a tough challenge in of itself, quite aside from the team we face over there. The Eagles should be just as good this year, if not better.
Round Seventeen vs. St Kilda: The Swans get Nick Riewoldt and St Kilda twice – this time on a Sunday afternoon in the early timeslot – in Season 2012 and the return clash at the SCG comes in the midst of what can only be described as a horror run to the end of the season. It only gets tougher from here. You’d think by now that the Swans will have a pretty good idea of whether they’ll be playing September football or whether this scribe will be able to focus on American football.
Round Eighteen vs. Gold Coast: The Swans visit the brightly-coloured Metricon Stadium for a second time. The Suns will be much better in 2012 than they were last year, but given the stretch that they’ll be in, recording a good win here will be a must. In two or three more seasons, the Suns will be dangerous.
Round Nineteen vs. Carlton: And so begins the run to September. Chris Judd and the lethal Carlton midfield come to town. The Blues ran the Swans off their feet last year on that wet Friday night game, but, then again, Sydney weren’t the only team to suffer that fate against one of the premiere midfields in the competition. The question for the Blues is can they step up and consistently beat the Geelong’s and Collingwood’s and Hawthorn's of the world.
Round Twenty vs. Collingwood: The now-traditional ANZ Stadium game and the one that most Swans fans want to win more than any other. Last year was an epic and inspirational effort that resulted in a narrow loss, but Sydney definitely made the Pies work hard and long to extend their impressive run of victories at ANZ Stadium. The Olympic Stadium has been a graveyard for the Swans against the Pies. A win against Collingwood on this Saturday night, hopefully in front of a giant crowd, would just about make my season.
Round Twenty-One vs. Western Bulldogs: Another stern test against a team that should be somewhat improved on last year. As always, playing in Melbourne seems to be a problem, but it shouldn’t be. The Swans can’t really call themselves contenders if they’re not able to win down south. And they’ll likely need a win in this one, given the stretch of games that they’re in the midst of – perhaps the toughest finish to the season that there is in the league this year.
Round Twenty-Two vs. Hawthorn: The Hawks come to Sydney for a twilight contest at the SCG in what will be the final home game for the season in the penultimate round of the regular season. As has been said by all and sundry, any team that features the likes of Lance Franklin, Jarryd Roughead, Cyril Rioli and Chance Bateman, amongst others, is always going to be dangerous, and always in contention for a flag. This should be – another – stern test for the Swans.
Round Twenty-Three vs. Geelong: What a horrible way to end the season. The Swans save the worst for last, making the toughest road trip in football, south of Melbourne, down to Geelong, to what has been a graveyard for every team in the AFL over the last two years. Alone in the last twenty-four months in scoring a win at Simonds Stadium last season, an incredible and inspirational effort after the death of Jarrad McVeigh’s daughter. It was a perfect team effort that day, and they’ll need something similar to triumph again, you would think. Of course, the Cats will remember their loss, and will likely be smarting.
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