- Nov 23, 2015
- 13,404
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- AFL Club
- GWS
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- #1
At the start of this season, no media pundit had GWS close to making finals. After last year, and a coach change, that seemed entirely reasonable. Even after the first 10 rounds of this season when we were 3-7 it seemed an impossible reach. But after last night, GWS is on the cusp of the top 8, is the only team sitting on a 5-win streak, and our destiny is in our own hands with the run to September. The game against Adelaide was typical of the team this year - up against the odds (with some missing personnel, away), not getting everything right, but scrapping hard and never losing faith in the system and each other.
For the last two weeks, the midfield lowered their colours to the opposition, and missing Tom Green and Finn Callaghan was going to make the contested battle even harder to win. Last night was a see-saw battle, as first Giants, then Crows got on top, before the Giants' mids wrestled supremacy back in the final quarter. We lost the centre clearances 6-11, which remains a worry, but won clearances elsewhere 37-27 to ensure an even flow of ball. Kelly fought off this week's tag to be dominant (28 disposals), while Cogs was prominent in the first and last quarters, when we played our best. Briggs was good again, despite losing the hitouts 30-44, he grabbed 7 clearances (against 2 for his opposing ruck) and made 4 tackles.
The defence is really where we made a statement, though. It looked shaky in the first few minutes when Walker passed off to Laird for the first goal, then marked in front of Sam Taylor (and arrogantly shoved him) and goaled. But after a second goal early in the second quarter, Walker was held goalless, indeed touchless for the second half, as Slammer got on top. Sam played 100% of the game, took 16 intercepts, including 5 intercept marks, 2 contested marks, and 8 one-percenters. All of the defenders were superb, with Buckley 11 one-percenters/4 intercepts, Idun 8 one-percenters/6 intercepts, Whitfield 12 intercepts, Cumming 8 intercepts/5 one-percenters all blotting out Crows' attacks and starting the rebound.
Next up is another 8-point game, against fellow finals aspirant Gold Coast in Manuka. Like us, the Suns had a slow start, and similarly started getting better mid-way through the season. The edged ahead of us on the ladder, until the last three weeks where losses to the top 2 teams saw them axe their coach. They got a "dead-coach bounce" this round, beating St Kilda - who have had their own issues - and are hopeful of making finals for the first time. This is where our destiny is in our own hands - this team is around our level: on home soil, we need to be beating them to both improve our ladder position and keep them at bay.
Suns do have a solid team across the park. A good midfield led by an excellent ruckman: Witts, Miller, Anderson, Rowell with Powell and Flanders surging. Bailey Humphries in his first year is showing something special, both in midfield and up forward. They have a good tall forward line in King, Lukosius and Casboult, and their tall defence in Collins and Ballard is also going well. They will not be an easy nut to crack, and we certainly cannot take them lightly. GWS must at least halve the midfield battle - and without Tom Green again I hope that Finn Callaghan is available (and fully fit) to help out. Our defence is likely where we'll have the edge: if Taylor and co can replicate what they've done as a team for these past five weeks, we'll be able to blunt any attack and rebound forward. We've shown in recent games that we have multiple avenues to goal - even if Hogan and Green are held.
Possible changes for this game. Haynes will be back from suspension - but is there a spot in defence for him? Or on the wing? Hopefully Callaghan is available, and he'd be a certainty to come in. Hogan the only question mark from the game; he hurt his back, took some pills to return, but might they give him a spell? If they do, what team change do we make? We were prepared to go into the Adelaide game with 2 KPFs, but the late out of Callaghan saw Cadman come in for him. I'm still a fan of giving Derksen a go, or Gruzewski, but AK isn't of the same mind. Interestingly, it was Callum Brown who did the second rucking last night, and he held his own (mainly through athleticism and enthusiasm). Do we need more inside grunt, does Harry Rowston come into the picture? I suspect not, based on experience to date. I would expect very few changes to a winning team. Callaghan in for Cadman perhaps (or Hogan if the back injury needs time off); otherwise you'd think it would be Wehr or Angwin to make way.
What are your thoughts?
For the last two weeks, the midfield lowered their colours to the opposition, and missing Tom Green and Finn Callaghan was going to make the contested battle even harder to win. Last night was a see-saw battle, as first Giants, then Crows got on top, before the Giants' mids wrestled supremacy back in the final quarter. We lost the centre clearances 6-11, which remains a worry, but won clearances elsewhere 37-27 to ensure an even flow of ball. Kelly fought off this week's tag to be dominant (28 disposals), while Cogs was prominent in the first and last quarters, when we played our best. Briggs was good again, despite losing the hitouts 30-44, he grabbed 7 clearances (against 2 for his opposing ruck) and made 4 tackles.
The defence is really where we made a statement, though. It looked shaky in the first few minutes when Walker passed off to Laird for the first goal, then marked in front of Sam Taylor (and arrogantly shoved him) and goaled. But after a second goal early in the second quarter, Walker was held goalless, indeed touchless for the second half, as Slammer got on top. Sam played 100% of the game, took 16 intercepts, including 5 intercept marks, 2 contested marks, and 8 one-percenters. All of the defenders were superb, with Buckley 11 one-percenters/4 intercepts, Idun 8 one-percenters/6 intercepts, Whitfield 12 intercepts, Cumming 8 intercepts/5 one-percenters all blotting out Crows' attacks and starting the rebound.
Next up is another 8-point game, against fellow finals aspirant Gold Coast in Manuka. Like us, the Suns had a slow start, and similarly started getting better mid-way through the season. The edged ahead of us on the ladder, until the last three weeks where losses to the top 2 teams saw them axe their coach. They got a "dead-coach bounce" this round, beating St Kilda - who have had their own issues - and are hopeful of making finals for the first time. This is where our destiny is in our own hands - this team is around our level: on home soil, we need to be beating them to both improve our ladder position and keep them at bay.
Suns do have a solid team across the park. A good midfield led by an excellent ruckman: Witts, Miller, Anderson, Rowell with Powell and Flanders surging. Bailey Humphries in his first year is showing something special, both in midfield and up forward. They have a good tall forward line in King, Lukosius and Casboult, and their tall defence in Collins and Ballard is also going well. They will not be an easy nut to crack, and we certainly cannot take them lightly. GWS must at least halve the midfield battle - and without Tom Green again I hope that Finn Callaghan is available (and fully fit) to help out. Our defence is likely where we'll have the edge: if Taylor and co can replicate what they've done as a team for these past five weeks, we'll be able to blunt any attack and rebound forward. We've shown in recent games that we have multiple avenues to goal - even if Hogan and Green are held.
Possible changes for this game. Haynes will be back from suspension - but is there a spot in defence for him? Or on the wing? Hopefully Callaghan is available, and he'd be a certainty to come in. Hogan the only question mark from the game; he hurt his back, took some pills to return, but might they give him a spell? If they do, what team change do we make? We were prepared to go into the Adelaide game with 2 KPFs, but the late out of Callaghan saw Cadman come in for him. I'm still a fan of giving Derksen a go, or Gruzewski, but AK isn't of the same mind. Interestingly, it was Callum Brown who did the second rucking last night, and he held his own (mainly through athleticism and enthusiasm). Do we need more inside grunt, does Harry Rowston come into the picture? I suspect not, based on experience to date. I would expect very few changes to a winning team. Callaghan in for Cadman perhaps (or Hogan if the back injury needs time off); otherwise you'd think it would be Wehr or Angwin to make way.
What are your thoughts?
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