#bloods

I hate to harp on a topic but… The Sydney Swans missing mongrel factor for finals remains a major concern. There I was chatting with a Brisbane Lion’s supporter whilst playing golf and this person was complimenting the Swans on a good season so far. I had to qualify the praise with a reality check because the Swans have struggled to beat top 4 teams this season. The Lions had monstered Sydney very recently in a contest at the Gabba. Things are getting real now, as the AFL finals are mere weeks away. Winning contest and applying physical pressure for 4 quarters are crucial elements if you want to win football finals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua80LbHfQkA

What Do I Mean By Mongrel Factor For Sydney?

When you see young George Wardlaw sprint flat out and full body tackle an opponent over the boundary line you will know what I mean. Mongrel factor is 240 plus on the pressure ratio in an AFL match. It is blood, sweat and tears following giving absolutely everything you’ve got out there on the field. It is contest after contest and never giving in. A mongrel in not worried about pedigree. A mongrel makes it happen no matter what. Don’t think, just do! In the words of the late great Coach Kennedy at the Hawkes, back in the day.

Sydney Swans AFL Club History

A little bit of Sydney Swan’s history. Paul Roos instigated a ‘no dickheads’ policy at the club, back in the 2000s. This has carried on under John Longmire and now Dean Cox. The Swans have a great culture at the footy club. But is it too squeaky clean? Football clubs are a collection of different types or they used to be, anyway. In my opinion, if there is too much homogeneity, sides can lack important elements in their make-up. Mongrel factor can reside inside dickheads. It takes all sorts to make a champion team. Something to ponder on. Think about some of the great mongrels: Malcolm Brown at Richmond and his son Campbell Brown at Hawthorn; Peter Bosustow at Carlton; Leigh Matthews at Hawthorn; Tim Watson at Essendon, John Worsfold at West Coast, Tony Liberatore at the Western Bulldogs; Gary Ablott at Geelong; Carl Ditterich at St Kilda; and Barry Hall at St Kilda and the Swans. Luke Parker now at North. There are many more, of course.

Mongrel Factor Matters In Finals

White line fever is an expression used to describe what happens to a few players when they cross that line to run out on the AFL oval. A red haze descends over these Viking beserkirs and they never shirk a contest. The Sydney Swans missing mongrel factor for finals must be addressed. What I observed in the 2022 and 2024 GFs were Swans losing contests and being second to the ball all bloody day. If you are not willing to give everything to every contest you should not be there. Talent and blonde hair is not enough. Saying the right things is not enough. Only your actions count on the day. Only your sacrifices matter. Selfless acts for team mates matter. Running your guts out all day matters. Running through brick walls matter. Never giving up matters. Playing on the edge matters.

“The Sydney doubts are a longer bow, however, primarily about the Swans' previous grand final failures, the club having lost four in a row on the big day under previous coach John Longmire since their last flag in 2012, and indeed completely thrashed in three of those four grand final defeats.”

- (https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9277996/rohan-connolly-can-fremantle-and-the-swans-bust-afls-finals-myth/) Mongrels Tackle Like Angry Bastards

Mongrels tackle. There are plenty of players in the Swans line-up who average 2 or less tackles per match. Some of these guys play in defence. WTF? They tell us that AFL is a contact sport. But is it? Most players stand off any nominal opponent in the hope and expectation of being used as an offensive option. AFL is a fast and furious sport but the defensive aspect of it has been seriously reduced by rule changes. Still, when it comes to finals, tackling comes back into its own. Can these Swans players remember how to do it effectively? The jury is still out on that.

Mongrel factor means applying lots of effective tackles to the opposition.

What Swans Have Mongrel Factor?

Chad Warner has come on this season with his mongrel factor and currently leads the way. Isaac Heeney, despite his Colgate smile, has mongrel factor in spades. James Rowbottom is the tackling heart and soul of the Swans. Sam Wicks has mongrel factor. Brodie Grundy plays with mongrel factor. Tom Papley has mongrel factor charisma but tackles ineffectively too often. Angus Sheldrick has mongrel factor potential. Callum Mills is getting better and playing more like a Captain after some time in the wilderness after long outs with injuries. Braeden Campbell has made a mongrel factor furious return to the game after being out all season. Errol Gulden is a mongrel factor star returning to top form after missing two half-seasons of AFL football.

In truth all of these Sydney footballers are going to have to lift even more to get the job done in September.

Conclusions?

The Sydney Swans missing mongrel factor for finals and that has to shift fast. Adelaide were too tough defensively for the Swans in the rain at the SCG. Geelong outplayed and out toughed them. The Dockers broke them in the second half over there in Perth. Hawthorn outlasted them too, earlier in the season. Do the Swans players have it in them to find that mongrel factor to get it done in September? We will soon see.

Will Rope-A-Dope Get The Job Done?

“The Sydney Swans have taken on the old Muhammad Ali rope-a-dope strategy, it seems. Absorb the opposition’s punishment for most of the match and then come out all guns blazing at the death knock. In this edition, Bloods sacrifice to beat Saints. Unfortunately for Will Edwards and James Rowbottom it was their blood and bone sacrifices on the altar of victory. A terrible injury for the rookie defender Will Edwards has finished his brilliant season prematurely. Rowbottom will likely be back for the finals. The Swans needed this win to hold onto second spot on the AFL ladder and it did not come cheaply.?”

Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of The Stoic Golfer; The AI Heresy; What Price Life?; America Matters: Pre-apocalyptic Posts & Essays in the Shadow of Trump; and other titles. NOW AVAILABLE AT APPLE BOOKS & GOOGLE PLAY BOOKS. Google Play Books AUDIOBOOK

©WordsForWeb

The Sydney Swans have taken on the old Muhammad Ali rope-a-dope strategy, it seems. Absorb the opposition’s punishment for most of the match and then come out all guns blazing at the death knock. In this edition, Bloods sacrifice to beat Saints. Unfortunately for Will Edwards and James Rowbottom it was their blood and bone sacrifices on the altar of victory. A terrible injury for the rookie defender Will Edwards has finished his brilliant season prematurely. Rowbottom will likely be back for the finals. The Swans needed this win to hold onto second spot on the AFL ladder and it did not come cheaply.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79uG2kJ-YD8

Key Swans Suffer Serious Injuries Against St Kilda Saints

Indeed, for most of the game it looked like the St Kilda Saints would win this contest. For much of the first 3 quarters the Saints had more winners all over the ground. Watching the match, as a Sydney supporter was none too pleasurable up until the final 10 minutes of the game. It was like the red and white side needed to see a serious game stopping injury to one of their own to wakeup to what was actually required. Bloods sacrifice to beat Saints. Apparently, it was Dean Cox’s birthday and it did not appear to be any sort of gift he would want coming from the playing group for much of the contest. St Kilda were good and their play cleaner and harder than the Swans. I do not want to make light of the terrible injury to Will Edwards, but somehow it galvanised the playing group and motivated them to lift all over the ground. I hope that he heals quickly and can return to play in 2027. We need him for the successful future of this club.

Saints Huge But Lose In The End To Sydney At Marvel

The 2 million dollar man was weaving his magic for the Saints, especially in the first half. Nas was too quick for JJ and too skilful for our good. A beautiful exponent of AFL to watch if you were not barracking for the opposing team. Hall and Wilson were other talented Saints damaging our chances constantly. However, Chad Warner was lighting up Marvel himself and doing super stuff for the visitors. Errol Gulden, whilst not quite back to his very best, is running into form. Big Brodie Grundy is a tireless force for the Swans. Jai Serong played a great game and this new addition to the red and white is a ripper. Logan McDonald kicked 4 goals and played his most impressive full 4 quarter game for Sydney. Isaac Heeney was held for large parts of the contest but still provided Rolls Royce moments and non-stop grunt.

Sydney Lose Key Players Going Forward

Jack Silvani held Charlie Curnow for most of the match but dislocated his shoulder in the final quarter. Charlie kicked 3 goals. It was a fierce contest and the fight, seemed to go out of St Kilda in the last 10 minutes. The Swans piled on 7 goals to 1 in that last term. The rope-a-dope strategy cost 2 key Swans players. James Rowbottom is the tackling king at Sydney and the side will miss him. Be great if he could teach some teammates how to effectively tackle. The placid McLean needs a rocket up him. Riley Bice requires intensive contest and tackling lessons. Too many Swans sprint at oppo players and are easily evaded or pushed away. Please focus on this aspect of the game if you want to win finals.

Playing rope-a-dope with Geelong or Hawthorn will not end well for Sydney in the finals.

The Sydney Swans Defence Must Improve

The Sydney Swans can score quickly when allowed to surge down the field toward their goals. Games of AFL are won and lost out of the centre. The Swans midfield are brilliant, when they are on, but they have periods when they are not. The Swan’s defence is patchy and leaks. Will Edwards was doing a sterling job as a big key defender in his rookie year. Tom McCartin is our top defender in the air and patrolling the D50. Nick Blakey is the tearaway attacking halfback par excellence. Bice is the wannabe Blakey. Callum Mills is the Captain and a solid defensive soldier. Dane Rampey is the veteran with great one on one experience. Lewis Melican will come back in to replace Edwards. Together they are okay without being stellar. Mark McViegh is the defensive coach for the Sydney Swans. This unit will have to lift if the Swans are to be successful in the 2026 finals.

In comparison, Adelaide and Hawthorn are far better defensive units. We lost to these sides in part because of that superiority.

No More Passengers In The Swans Team Please

I have bad memories of the 2022 and 2024 GFs. Of my team being outplayed all over the field. Of Swans losing contest after contest and being largely uncompetitive. It takes a team to defeat a team. A few star players cannot do it, especially in finals. I do not want to see passengers pulling on the red and white guernsey. Players who can’t or won’t tackle or apply pressure to the opposition. Players who are content to always be second to the contest. I saw that on GF day in 2022 and 2024. I have seen that too regularly this season. Root them out now and replace them with blokes prepared to gut run and win contests all day. Bloods sacrifice to beat Saints. That is what is required for those 120 minutes every game. Take the heart and application of a Rowbottom and inject it into every player. The power and spirit of a Heeney. The fierce talent of the Chad. The fleet footed endurance and skill of Errol. Sydney is loaded with brilliance like Blakey and Campbell. All of these guys need to believe in themselves and play for each other. Bloods unite and shake down the thunder from the sky. Play hard and never give up.

Faux AFL Not Really National Competition

“Watching Fox Footy you cannot escape the fact that it is Melbourne-centric in its coverage. Virtually all its footy experts are based in Melbourne and they pander to the big local clubs like Collingwood, Carlton and Richmond. The AFL is really an expanded VFL and, indeed, that is how it came about. If you barrack for an interstate team, you will feel the neglect when you watch your side on Fox Footy. Channel 7 probably does a better job of having some tokenistic input via local boundary riders when covering home games for the interstate teams.”

- (https://wordsforweb.com.au/the-afl-is-really-an-expanded-vfl/)

Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of The Stoic Golfer; The AI Heresy; What Price Life?; America Matters: Pre-apocalyptic Posts & Essays in the Shadow of Trump; and other titles. NOW AVAILABLE AT APPLE BOOKS & GOOGLE PLAY BOOKS. Google Play Books AUDIOBOOK

©WordsForWeb

“Be careful”

توفي المخرج التلفزيوني المخضرم والكاتب والمنتج رالف دبليو هيميكر، المعروف بعمله في البرامج بما في ذلك “The X-Files” و”Blue Bloods” و”Once Upon a Time” و”The Flash”. كان عمره 65 عامًا. وفقًا لإشعار النعي، توفي هيميكر في 10 يوليو في منزله في غليندال، كاليفورنيا. تشمل اعتمادات هيميكر على مر السنين أيضًا “Millennium”، و”Ghost Whisperer”، و”Numb3rs”، و”The Vampire Diaries”، و”Nikita”، و”V”، وغيرها…

Concerning video footage has confirmed what I suspected. Sydney Swans players are hugging and embracing each other prior to running out on the field. Now, I am all for public displays of affection at the appropriate times. Getting all lovey dovey just before  an AFL match is not that time. It sends the wrong message to the players themselves. This is not some love fest, this is a battle of wills and a physical contest of the top order. This is not the time for soft stuff. This is the wrong time for such touchy feely stuff. Hey Sydney, stop hugging and start contesting like you mean it.

No More Hugs Before A Game Swannies

Recent results are evidence of this. The Swans are not hard enough for long enough. They lack the mongrel spirit to get the job done against the most contested sides in the AFL. It is time to piss off this misguided cuddling and find some inner toughness. Embraces are for after the battle and not before. Simon Goodwin take your love boat ideas and put them away for another time. These blokes are bonded anyway, without such ancient Greek displays between warriors. Look each other in the eye and swear allegiance to the cause, but don’t get all soft before the game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1khA40_7DA These Sydney Swans Don’t Play Like Bloods

Hey Sydney, I don’t want to see another pre-match embrace prior to running down the race. Find your own inner strength and play like a banshee running wild on the plains. Hunt in packs and tackle like you fucking mean it. If I see another half arsed, armsy tackle going high and being broken by an opponent I will cry. I can’t call you the Bloods because you don’t deserve that name. You don’t play like the Bloods. Hey Sydney, stop hugging and start contesting like you mean it.

Misapplied Love Therapy At The Wrong Time

Group therapy can be transforming for individuals and teams. But there is a time and place for group therapy and physical displays of affection. Hugging can be a healing experience. Doing such stuff right before the fight of your life is not a great idea. It is sending the wrong kind of message to the players. Embracing and hugging is about slowing things down. AFL is the opposite. AFL is fast and furious. Cuddling is not. This is a misapplication of therapy. This is dumb. I come from a group therapy background. I did a lot of transformational groups over the journey. My advice is embrace each other post-game. Express your love and admiration after the contest. Timing is everything in life and football. Young footballers are impressionable and the wrong kind of therapy can be harmful, even if meant for all the best of reasons. Ditch the love stuff before the contest! Do it before its damage cruels this season.

The Swan’s Defence A Leaking Love Boat

“The Sydney Swan’s defence is a leaky boat. These defenders just don’t defend enough when it matters. Tom McCartin standing off when his player is free, resulting in goals to Adelaide. Too many Sydney defenders guarding space when they need to be on a man. AFL has forgotten what a defence is really about, as there are too many attacking players who just cannot defend. Riley Bice has zero defensive skills and he is not alone in this regard back there. The only man on man defender in the Swans backline is Will Edwards and he is a rookie. Will Edwards struggles to take a mark when it really matters. You are not going to win a premiership with this leaky boat and winning finals look beyond this team right now.”

- (https://www.golfdom.com.au/sydney-swans-defence-is-a-leaky-boat/)

Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of The Stoic Golfer; The AI Heresy; What Price Life?; America Matters: Pre-apocalyptic Posts & Essays in the Shadow of Trump; and other titles. NOW AVAILABLE AT APPLE BOOKS & GOOGLE PLAY BOOKS. Google Play Books AUDIOBOOK

©GolfDom

Like burger king against kfc?

Do the crips and bloods have council meetings sometimes to discuss neighborhood matters like regional colleagues?

Imagine they have an office and an in office printer. Because i mean theyve existed for so long, there must be some type of office structure instead of all office-less organized street crime? I feel like crips also clock into work and get pay stubs. I mean why wouldnt a gang have a legit office front, even if it only was to launder money?

Here is my take on the Sydney Swans in 2026. Sydney Swans coach Dean Cox seems like a ripping bloke. A very likable chap who once was the greatest ruckman of his era. Now, in his second year as head coach of the AFL harbour side team he has begun the season 2 and 1. The Swans have a number of seriously talented footballers who are still on the more youthful stretch of their career curves. Errol Gulden, Chad Warner and Nick Blakey are game breaking talents. Isaac Heeney is the older superstar at the Bloods but he is still just on the right side of 30 at 29. That is the good news, the bad news is that Errol Gulden is out again with an injury for up to 4 months.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1khA40_7DA

The Swans Take A Hit With Another Long Term Gulden Injury in 2026

Gulden is a play maker and distributor of the football. He was out for half the season last year and the Swans struggled to win games in his absence. AFL football is a team game, however, with 18 players per team on the field. The media likes to make it all about the stars of the game but that is as much a narrative position as an absolute reality. They want to tell a story and having a heroic individual at its heart sells newspapers and gets eyeballs on screens. Coaches talk about systems and that players perform roles within those systems in a bid to win games. In defiance of that some superstars seem to be able to lift themselves above the pack to do things, which appear to turn matches. Sydney will have to do it without Errol for up to 4 months in season 2026.

Handball Forward For Metres Gained In 2026 For The Swans

AFL is an extremely skilful game, which happens at breakneck speed. The more skilled players facilitate scoring goals by beating the opposition via hitting targets by hand and foot. The 2026 version of AFL is about moving the ball more quickly by running and handpassing to overcome defensive zones. Pressure on and around the contest remains the key, especially when the going gets tough. Highly skilled teams can be undone through applying maximum pressure around the contest. We saw Hawthorn defeat the Swans via this very methodology. Teams that apply pressure in multiples of players, hunting in packs, like the Hawkes did can overcome their opposition. The Swans seemed to be lacking teamwork in losing these contests. There was no shortage of effort from the Bloods but I did not see players backing up their mates in the contest enough. This was unlike Hawthorn who hunted in packs and won contests on this basis.

Coach Dean Cox Too Open With Game Plan

Watching the pre-game TNF show on Fox Footy we saw Dean Cox sharing lots of game plan information with David King and the panel prior to the match. Sam Mitchell, the Hawkes coach was far more cagey in his interaction with the footy pundits. I thought to myself at the time, here is one bloke not trying to be everyone’s best friend and instead hellbent on winning this game. In the end, the chocolates went to Sam and Dean got to eat his dust. Coach Cox did not look a happy bloke after losing this one at the MCG before the bye. The Sydney Swans in 2026 are 2 and 1.

Swans Tried Hard But Couldn’t Get The Job Done

The Swans played their hearts out but were outgunned and outpressured over 4 quarters. The Sydney talls at either end were poor and outplayed by their Hawthorn opponents. Tom McCartin was well beaten by Chol and Gunston, especially in the first half. Lewis Melican lacks defensive skills in aerial contests and loses them too many times. Logan McDonald plays like a half forward flanker rather than a key forward. It is time to build him up and get some aerial presence out of him. Charlie Curnow has been disappointing but it is early days yet. Overall the Sydney team lacked intention and were beaten by Hawkes at key contests. Nick Blakey has been great and continues to give wonderful run and metres gained from the half back line.

Sydney’s Lack Of Aerial Presence A Concern

Of course, Sydney really missed Isaac Heeney, both around the ball and forward. Too often Sydney players fail to take marks around the ground. Joel Amartey was poor in this manner against the Hawkes but had been potent the previous 2 weeks in front of goals. Brody Grundy never stopped trying and gives everything most weeks, he could take more marks, however, around the ground. I do remember a number of games last season when the Swans were outpressured and beaten in contests. Not being strong aerially compounds problems when Sydney are under the pump. Whether the team needs a plan B to cope with these games or it is purely a matter of meeting and beating that level of pressure around the ball, I do not know.

Pressure Ratings Down In 2026

Overall pressure ratings have been down in these first 3 matches of 2026. Having said that, this is true of most AFL sides this season. The rule changes have sped the game up and reduced contests it seems. The powers-that-be have been manipulating the game via rule changes to produce a fast and high scoring contest. The stand rule enforcements favour those with the ball to a remarkable degree. Defending has never been more challenging in the AFL.

https://rsn.net.au/news/2026/03/25/afl-2026-sen-com-aus-game-ratings-for-round-3

The Blood’s Midfield

Angus Sheldrick is coming on and improving as a budding midfielder for the Sydney Swans in 2026. James Rowbottom remains the rock in the middle via his hard tackling and contest pressure. Chad Warner has had a slow start to the season and needs to do more to regain his mantle as a real star of the game, in my opinion. Isaac Heeney, now Vice Captain, is the Swan’s champion in the middle and continues to be a world beater. Tom Papley had an injury interrupted preseason and his pinch hitting in the midfield is a work in progress. James Jordan is another defensive midfielder, at times, and is a worthy contributor most games on this basis. The absence of Errol Gulden will be felt once again. Caiden Cleary was disappointing against Hawthorn, but that was one game and he is just getting started in AFL. Justin McInerney has been a standout in 2026, with his run through the middle and kicking goals against Carlton, Brisbane and Hawthorn.

“Heeney was almost knocked out by a careless Florent knee to the temple, whilst he lay prostrate on the ground. It says something about the character of Oliver Florent, in my view. Good riddance to a bitter lesser light. Isaac Heeney recovered and went on to play some fine football in that second half. “

- (https://www.golfdom.com.au/sydney-swans-season-2026-opening-round-game/)

Where will the Sydney Swans in 2026 end up, ladder-wise? Does Dean Cox have the nouse to take this team to the top? Perhaps, the inclusion of Simon Goodwin on the coaching panel will enhance the prospects of the Swans this season? I think, Charlie Curnow will need to fire up forward and start taking some contested marks and kicking goals for the Bloods to win enough games to be real world beaters. The team will have to toughen up and start winning the hard games, like the one they dropped to the Hawkes at the MCG if they are to progress to the upper echelon. It all starts again with the West Coast at Optus this week and the Eagles have won back to back for the first time in years. Go Bloods!

https://www.sydneyswans.com.au/afl

Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of The AI Heresy; What Price Life?; America Matters: Pre-apocalyptic Posts & Essays in the Shadow of Trump; and other titles. NOW AVAILABLE AT APPLE BOOKS & GOOGLE PLAY BOOKS. Google Play Books AUDIOBOOK

©GolfDom