The Swans are completely flying in 2024, sitting six premiership factors clear on high of the ladder with a win-loss document of 10-1.
They’re in sync, with connection throughout all three strains at an all-time excessive.
And breaking down the “taboo” of opening up is one thing the facet has been focussing on for a while, says Melbourne champion Garry Lyon.
Watch each recreation of each spherical this Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE with no ad-breaks throughout play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Begin your free trial as we speak >
“It’s simply one thing we’ve labored on massively, staying linked and speaking about how we’re feeling on the market,” Swans midfielder Errol Gulden advised SEN final week.
“Clearly in video games, everybody can undergo phases all through the sport the place you’re not feeling as linked with the group otherwise you’re struggling to get the ball or affect the sport.
“We’ve been actually massive on speaking to one another and never being afraid to say ‘look, I’m struggling right here’ or ‘are you able to get me concerned within the recreation’.
“We’ve sort of taken away what is usually a taboo subject with adverse connotations of being egocentric and stuff like that, however we simply wish to make sure that we’re all staying collectively as a gaggle and speaking about how we’re feeling.
“If somebody’s in a little bit of a hunch through the recreation, get one another out of it.”
Watch the weak Mic’d up second within the video above
Imaginative and prescient proven on Fox Footy’s On the Sofa on Monday evening, highlighted how John Longmire’s facet is embracing one another and breaking down the stigma round struggles on the soccer discipline.
“Simply bear in mind the extra drained you get, the extra exhausted you get, it turns into much more necessary that you just talk,” Longmire stated in an audio clip from pre-season.
“You retain speaking, it’s not simply utilizing your voice both, you’re trying round the entire time and also you’re pondering, pondering below fatigue is absolutely necessary.”
The On the Sofa staff used an instance of Gulden getting round new ruck Brodie Grundy to focus on their connectedness in season 2024.
“How are ya? You alright? Nice contest, good boy. We’ve received two minutes, keep linked,” Gulden requested Grundy throughout a recreation.
Melbourne champion Garry Lyon stated he “liked” how the Swans had been difficult what has beforehand been a “taboo subject” amongst footballers.
“I simply liked it, he talked about the way it’s a taboo subject, we’ve all completed it, we’ve all had video games the place we simply can’t get close to it and I guess you none of us walked as much as a teammate and stated ‘hear, I’m struggling right here, I really feel like I’m not linked, I really feel I can’t get into the sport, are you able to get me a kick?” Lyon stated.
Brisbane Lions champion Jonathan Brown spoke about how the sport has come a great distance in that regard, saying “it wouldn’t have occurred in our day”.
“It’s a current development, isn’t it,” Brown stated.
“Totally different suggestions from (ex-captain Michael Voss) ‘Vossy’ and the boys, completely different tone.”
Collingwood legend Nathan Buckley stated the best way the Swans had been dealing with connection as a membership was a “trendy evolution”.
“It truly builds belief with one another, a deeper connection and understanding of one another and take care of each other,” he stated.
“We speak about it within the locker room and in a membership surroundings, it’s taken it to a different degree, it’s received to make issues higher.”
Brown added: “When Leigh (Matthews) got here on at Brisbane, we had a psychologist, Phil Jauncey, who labored carefully with the staff. We used to have issues referred to as flags that all of us knew about one another when a bloke was struggling. Luke Energy may take a look at his toes when he was struggling and also you’d say ‘Lukey, head up mate’. It was most likely delivered a little bit bit stronger than what Errol Gulden does, however that’s the evolution of it.”
Lyon stated the “vulnerability and confidence” displayed by the Swans gamers this 12 months was distinctive, however so too the change in perspective on the soccer membership.
“One of many nice qualities of management is the power to watch, which is underrated throughout the board,” he stated.
“Whenever you open your eyes and take a look round, you spend money on another person and really feel higher being part of it.”
In distinction, Buckley highlighted imaginative and prescient of younger Fremantle ahead Jye Amiss scuffling with goalkicking in his facet’s spherical 11 conflict with Collingwood.
Amiss missed two set photographs within the first time period and didn’t get a kick for the remainder of the sport.
“Jye Amiss appeared like he went inside himself to me,” Buckley stated.
“I truly felt like his work price dropped considerably, it felt like he didn’t truly transfer in direction of the ball or put himself able to win the ball as typically.
“I’ve seen him actually demand the ball and really need it, he’s a younger participant, it’ll be an actual good teaching alternative, however he defeated himself on Friday evening.
“You possibly can see the glazed look, he wasn’t there.
“You’ve received to have the ability to join in the beginning after which strive to attract the participant out of himself after which deal with one thing that’s achievable within the subsequent brief interval.”
The Swans are in red-hot type, and it seems as if their elevated significance and deal with staff connection is taking part in a giant half in that.
Initially revealed as ‘I’m struggling right here’: Mic’d up second captures ‘taboo subject’ the Swans are breaching
