Autopsy 2 point loss to Giants. - Rd 5, 2021

[BloodySwan]

Yes, 10 intercepts i meant

Melican had 10 on the weekend and people are calling him to be dropped.....

 

[CheapCharlie]

Melican had 10 on the weekend and people are calling him to be dropped.....

Melican had a solid enough game

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

He is selected to give you something to do all week until you ride a champion of the game until he finally retires.

it’s a shame you feel the need to do this in every post you make about an absolute champion Swan.

Blind Freddy can see he is in the twilight of his career but..... really what’s the point your mind is made up about where he is at as you won’t stop letting everyone know.

Still a clearance and hard ball get beast. Ranked at 43rd in AFL data for mids. I am not a data wonk but I also noted only half his kicks are counted as effective, which is below average for a mid.

I suspect his decline in tog shows better management of his time and potential impact which seems more about being a CC specialist. His numbers at clearances around the ground are rated as average. I am not sure why this is the case. Maybe he attends fewer of these nowadays?

 

[Tedeski]

Mate this is absurd.

The bloke kicked 5.0 and is our leading goalkicker having played 3 games.

I can appreciate your thinking. Yes he kicked 5 goals & 3 the week prior.
Buddy won't be part of our next p'ship team so he shouldn't be the main part of why we win or lose, as nice as it feels when he puts on a show.
My whole argument on the Buddy thing has been about this. His role needs to be that of one like Riewoldt of the Tigers who is part of the forward line & not the main focal point. Now can Buddy be that forward or is he too strong a personality that he demands the ball 9 time out of 10, even through no fault of his own. It's not actually his or anyone's fault here. That's how it is with Buddy. He kicked 5 & we lost. He kicked 3 the week before & we just got over the line.
Against the Crows he kicked 3 & the Crows outscored us in the last, much like the GWS game, but we were accurate & they weren't.

Now if Buddy can be the spare parts player, then we will be a more dangerous team.

I can't actually fault Buddy thus far this year, he has done nothing wrong, but is up to the coaches to insist he isn't the focal point he used to be, as he mor than likely won't be there when it counts.

 

[Punts]

Only 3 goal scorers

I can agree some what but he plays when ever he wants we just have to be far better using the ball
You can see a pattern and old habits on the weekend I agree

 

[Tedeski]

Please Ted give it a rest!
We all know your anti Buddy stance and you are completely entitled to feel that way, doesn't seem to be many on here that agree with you, but it certainly is your right

BUT

ffs please stop going on and on and on and on and on about it!

I love most of your posts Ted and agree with most of what you say, even when you are disagreeing with other posters you are always respectful of their opinions and your posts are an enjoyable read, but I'm so over reading you bang on about how Buddy is to blame for everything from trouble in the middle east to global warming!

Between you and the tiresome old git that bangs on about JPK's worthlessness, you're doing my head in.

Sorry!
But I get mentioned in other people's posts about him so I'm entitled to a right of reply don't you think, or is that not the world we live in any more.
You want me to not respond?

 

[bungee]

Logan is clearly not ready and needs to be eased into the key forward role. Buddy allows that to happen. I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[Joycerama]

Some general observations from last night:

- The whole side looked just a few notches below optimal energy from the first bounce. We looked like the more skillful team to me in that we scored a little more easily than GWS did but they were putting in more consistent effort across the night but just weren't capitalising on it.

- Clubs know what we want to do now and they aren't giving us the corridor or easy uncontested marks up and down the field. Playing long down the line is just what they want from us as a young, light team. I suspect more switching and changing to the other side of the ground is what we'll see, try to use our running power. That will be an interesting dynamic to watch over the next few weeks.

- Franklin is remarkable. You can see he has nowhere near the ability to put on big efforts time after time in attack and defence anymore (or at least right now) but he's still capable of being heads and shoulders above the rest. Defensively, he is a bit of a concern because he's absolutely picking and choosing when to put in an effort to chase and tackle which I completely understand given his age/injuries, but it puts a hole of pressure around him which others have to pick up for and last night when the entire side was down by a couple of percentage points in energy. He gave away 4 frees too, often from not being able to recover from being out of position with ball that was delivered not quite to his advantage. Something to watch because Gulden, Wicks, Papley, Hayward are gonna have to keep that energy up to make up for it.

- Reid having a cracking start to the year. I saw him say in a recent interview that the new fitness staff have been really good for him and he feels fitter than in a long time, and it shows. He didn't do a lot in the first half but his 2nd half was great as a ruck/forward. Won 7 frees last night due to good body positioning and his prodigious leap. When he had to go into the ruck, we really lost a lot of structure around Bud, Taylor/Haynes/Keefe circled him and we didn't adjust. Not having another senior man up forward bit us. In that same vein, I've said it for a fortnight now, but Logan needs a rest. He looked out on his feet again, despite impressively trying his heart out again. I'd absolutely be getting McLean back in to give some more physical presence up forward.

- The kids hit a wall, unsurprisingly without two of our best and fittest players (Heeney and Rampe). Gotta be careful here with this because if we leave too much to these kids to do, they're naturally not going to come up every week. Errol and Chad were OK and Campbell made some great defensive pieces of play but the latter also turned the ball over pretty badly a few times. Logan looked just about dead on his feet.

- Losing Hickey is a big blow - would have been leading the Skilton to this point. Sinclair is ready to play which is good but it's plain as day that he's a step or two below Hickey in effectiveness.

- Thought Hewett did about as well as could be hoped on Greene. He looked imposing a few times but most of his behinds were rushed and low percentage shots. Greene is a superstar without doubt, he's a step above every other player on the ground in skill (besides Bud) and Hewett aimed up physically and did as well as I could have hoped.

- I'm enjoying Mills in the midfield a lot - his hands in close are outstanding and his kicking is improving steadily around the ground. He's gotta stay there imo. But that said, we need to play more with the make-up of the midfield. Having Mills, Parker, and Kennedy in the guts together just leaves us too slow in there. Florent, Rowbottom need more time in there and, over the next few years, Stephens as well.

- Hayward's game is the kind of play he can produce when he's confident and has a real role. He did it last year after playing in defence and he was playing a CHF-kind of role. I hope that remains without throwing the other smalls out of whack.

- Wicks looked either tired or a little too intent on stopping his opponent (Ash). Ash didn't have a huge impact, but Wicks is capable of more offensive influence than he showed last night, just couldn't seem to get near the ball.

- Nice game by Melican after a disastrous turnover inside defensive 50. Looked fit, composed and didn't try too much with the ball after that first mistake.

Post of the week

 

[Tedeski]

I was surprised not to see Logan McDonald tried in the normal Sam Reid role late in the game (outlet kick/loose in defence).

Watching on TV he appeared to be on the bench for much of the last qtr and only 62% game time.
Now he might have been knackered, but I thought he'd at least make an appearance down back when Dawson had to go into the ruck (and certainly reference has been made previously that he has spent some time in defence prior to his drafting).

He had a quiet game, but somehow I don't think he would have been daunted by the extra responsibility of filling in for Sam as the 'floater'.

The kid is knackered. We've asked a lot of our 18 year olds. He shouldn't play this week & neither should Campbell. They need to go back & absolutely smash the twos for a week or two & they'll come back huge for us. I think Ling has shown he can absorb pressure & has earned his time. McLean has done absolutely nothing wrong either & will offer more than McDonald will this week. Time to introduce COR. He is tough as nails & can defend, unlike Lloyd, Harry & Hewitt. I think Hewitt is in strife. He has no role in our fast moving game plan of the first 3 rounds.

 

[bungee]

Loving the Reid love.

Almost got us over the line off his own boot

 

[bungee]

The kid is knackered. We've asked a lot of our 18 year olds. He shouldn't play this week & neither should Campbell. They need to go back & absolutely smash the twos for a week or two & they'll come back huge for us. I think Ling has shown he can absorb pressure & has earned his time. McLean has done absolutely nothing wrong either & will offer more than McDonald will this week. Time to introduce COR. He is tough as nails & can defend, unlike Lloyd, Harry & Hewitt. I think Hewitt is in strife. He has no role in our fast moving game plan of the first 3 rounds.

Agree, some of the young guys were struggling but the SCG cramps our game style too. Plenty of others can give the kids a spell. Bell dominated the ressies. Rowbum to come in. McLean for McDonald, Ling for Campbell, Maybe Bell for Gulden. The kids need rotating to stay fresh

 

[Punts]

Gulden won’t be dropped

 

[Bloods86]

Remember some of us getting labelled negative, pessimistic, silly etc for saying we needed to respect GWS and be on our game for 4 qtrs.

Because GWS are not a basket case, and we weren't guaranteed to keep rolling through teams - this isn't the end of the world. 4-1 with the absolute joke in GC to come, % booster coming up.

Seriously though, not sure we can drop all the kids at once for a rest. 9 and then 7 day break, hopefully giving the younger ones a lighter week. McLean for Hickey, Rowbottom for the most spent youngster. If we have to ring the changes for Buddy, McDonald etc surely Stephens gets a full go, and if fully fit, COR or even Ling (might need Dawson up forward).

 

[Tedeski]

Gulden won’t be dropped

I agree. He offers the most of those three & copes well with pressure.

 

[Punts]

I agree. He offers the most of those three & copes well with pressure.

Also a great runner

 

[SM]

I can appreciate your thinking. Yes he kicked 5 goals & 3 the week prior.
Buddy won't be part of our next p'ship team so he shouldn't be the main part of why we win or lose, as nice as it feels when he puts on a show.
My whole argument on the Buddy thing has been about this. His role needs to be that of one like Riewoldt of the Tigers who is part of the forward line & not the main focal point. Now can Buddy be that forward or is he too strong a personality that he demands the ball 9 time out of 10, even through no fault of his own. It's not actually his or anyone's fault here. That's how it is with Buddy. He kicked 5 & we lost. He kicked 3 the week before & we just got over the line.
Against the Crows he kicked 3 & the Crows outscored us in the last, much like the GWS game, but we were accurate & they weren't.

Now if Buddy can be the spare parts player, then we will be a more dangerous team.

I can't actually fault Buddy thus far this year, he has done nothing wrong, but is up to the coaches to insist he isn't the focal point he used to be, as he mor than likely won't be there when it counts.

If we win the flag this year or next year he will be.

 

[Olian]

Talk about Aliir Aliir having an All Australian type of season. 10 intercept marks on the weekend to help Power win.

Still love to know why we traded this guy away so easily

We needed a ruck (Hickey) plus points to match bids for Campbell and Gulden. Allir was contracted but willing to move and had some trade value. Our list last year wasn’t loaded with a lot of players to trade. Hewett was the only name floated in the media.

We could have kept Aliir, gone with Sinclair in the ruck and ended with a negative points from matching bids.

Doubt we would be 4-1 and a two point loss would have been seen as a great result.

 

[BloodySwan]

Haven't said it before but I was wrong about Hayward. Thought he would be a waste of a spot, he proved me wrong. Looking forward to this being his new norm

 

[swansfan51]

Mods can we correct the error in the thread title? Ruining my cornflakes each morning.

Fixed

 

[Tedeski]

If

You know how happy I would be?

 

[MickyG]

Wow!!!This is all a little of the top, don't you think? Admittedly it was disappointing, but the season is not over yet!

What's our average age? 19? 22? whatever it is, it's very inexperienced... we are going to have our ups and downs!

GO BLOODS!

Following is from:

AFL Statistics by FootyWire : Australian Rules Football League Stats

AFL Statistics Australian Rules Football League stats

www.footywire.com

Sydney	Attribute	GWS
187.6cm	Height	188.7cm
84.0kg	Weight	86.6kg
24yr 4mth	Age	24yr 9mth
88.6	Games	69.8
Sydney	Games	GWS
10	Less than 50	10
4	50 to 99	8
4	100 to 149	1
5	150 or more	4

There is a lot of young players. We have some very experienced ones too though which is why we were favourites to win (also our vs their form).

I think they have recruited well and will move up the ladder quickly.

I'm looking forward to lots of good football over the next few years and think when the young guns hit 50 games we will be really flying.

 

[Wolfgang West]

Loving the Reid love.

Deserves it.

 

[BruceFromBalnarring]

Loving the Reid love.

I loved him before it was cool. #justsayin

Now I'm kind of wondering if he's sold out to commercialism and it might be time to hitch my wagon to another whipping boy.

Maybe Blakey.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Fixed

Phew, thanks.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Sorry!
But I get mentioned in other people's posts about him so I'm entitled to a right of reply don't you think, or is that not the world we live in any more.
You want me to not respond?

Do not agree at all with some of your lines, but they are usually well reasoned (funny) and try to use available evidence to support your case.

I think the greater problem is game style. The reversion to bomb it in ill suits Wicks, Reid and others as much as Bud who is not a great pack mark.