Swan hasn't missed a game in what 4 years? Clearly they prefer him on the field even if he's underdone.
Swan has become a risk. If he had done a Sandi and gone out without a gradual price drop, he would be out of most teams by now. Without expert medical opinion, it seems pointless to (a) speculate on why he is playing this week and not next, (b) will return and will/will not play Sydney, (c) will return and gradually re-find his form as the injury improves and (d) will come back and rip it up like he always has. So Swannie has become a gamble. I'm sticking my bets on (d).
Swan is a gamble no doubt about it. He will play this week, he will rest against Melbourne and the bye and he will more than likely come back for the Sydney game. It is after all 21 days after the Saints game, plenty of time for 2 weeks of US training and jet lag. Why play the Saints and miss Melbourne? Why not! In the end players from St Kilda and Melbourne are both annoyed and using it to fire their players up. Whatever, if the players themselves don't have the motivation regardless of circumstance, they won't have it turned on occasionally. And by the way a half-fit Swan is still knocking out 80-100s, better than precisely 3/4 of the comp, so yeah keeping him in the Collingwood team is common sense (if it can be proved his quads aren't going to get any worse). Rest assured just like the angst over Arizona (which now North the penny pinchers do), if it is shown to work, everyone will do it. And be an expert in a day.
<blockquote>Quote from Hendy on June 2, 2011, 13:44 Love it how a Saint fan making an observation, has the hackles up on the woods fans (bar Lucas). If you step back from the situation, what he is saying makes sense. If he is injured enough to miss next week, why play him this week! As if the St Kilda game is that important that he is needed... its 2nd playing 11th.</blockquote> Yep i no way intended this to become a Saints vs Pies kinda thread and dont want to TooSerious to become that. Its funny how its always Pies supporters that think its them against us anytime something is questioned... To clear things up if it was Joel Selwood, Pavlich or even Brendon Goddard or Nick Riewoldt, my stance would be exactly the same. As a football fan (thats all 17 clubs, not just StKilda) i want to see the best players out there each and every week. I didnt like what the Saints & Cats did in 09 or Freo last year and i said at the time the AFL should make a stand about it as its not a good look at all, not to mention its unfair on all those teams that are fighting against the clubs they basically let have a win (bar the Hawks cos our 2nds were far to superior ) If his injury is that serious that he needs to fly to Arizona to get it fixed then why is he playing last week or this week and not seeking immediate medical treatment.
<blockquote>Quote from melbandy on June 2, 2011, 14:54 Lucas, you still haven't told me what to do with him.</blockquote> OK ill keep him on my watchlist for in about 5 weeks time
Wouldn't it be better to trade him to say a Priddis or Thompson, have similar average, get more points for 3 weeks and have a POD? Not to mention his price is falling faster than a lead fart.
What I don't understand, and maybe someone on TS who has a better understanding of altitude training can explain it, is why, when Lexus Centre has an altitude 'pod' that is used by players throughout the season, Swan is not just staying in Melbourne and missing the game without going to the US. Surely he won't be training if he has an injury as a thigh injury probably needs rest as opposed to work. I can understand the other guys going to build their fitness base for an assault on the 2nd half of the season but the Swan decision doesn't make sense to me.
I'm in it for the league, so there is no way I'll be trading him out. Expecting his run home to the finals (during our SC finals) to be smashing out big scores. I hope his body rewards him for the 2 weeks off.
Why does it matter? The coach is the one that plans the team and the future in a way he sees fit that will give them a better chance to have a fit and running side at the business end of the year. It should be nobodies business how a club manages there team. If it backfires, they are the one that pay the price. That's what coaches are for, it's their responsibility to run the side, they don't need anybody else trying to pick a side for them and telling them who they should and shouldn't play. I don't even like how clubs get pressured into using the reason 'general soreness'. They should be able to just say 'rest' with no backlash what so ever. I actually find it really strange that there is even an issue with some people when coaches decide to rest players. [/rant]
Fair call HPCD. The issue the AFL was talking about was resting their whole team at once. Even though I think that might indeed be a decent option for the Pies in Round 24 (provided top3 is locked in) I can't see it happening. But the Saints and Dockers the last few years have said stuff it, and put in uncompetitive teams. The funny thing is, with Luke Ball captain, the Saints ended up winning with their 2nd stringers in 2009. Luke Ball, the last premiership winning captain of the Saints. OK, sorry StkThunda, it's not a Pies-Saints bashing thread. That's reserved for AFTER Saturday night I guess LOL
hmmmm just out of curiosity do we know when swan is flying out to the US. Im no expert on Alt training but a mate of mine who works in personal training said something about needing 2 to 3 weeks of training for it to have any real and lasting effect. The pies have a high alt training room they use for training mid season. It could be that we see swan fly off monday morning after the saints clash and return tuesday night/ wednesday morn in preperation of the saturday night clash with the swans.
Maybe they are training in the high altitude environment on the A380 as well! That would make it 2 weeks of training hahaha
Does anyone actually know what Swan's injury is? I follow the footy media pretty closely and its very odd that noone even talks about what might be wrong with him. Does Eddie really have that much power? Surely a gun player clearly carrying an injury is a major talking point. Very fishy to me. As someone suggested, could it be OP? I s that why the pies are so quiet? What else allows you to play and run at full speed but be restricted somehow? If it is, a couple of weeks in Arizona isnt gonna help.