Review AFL Round 13 - Sydney defeat Geelong by 6 points.

[Skerret]

I can only hope we storm home in the second half of the year 1993 style, smash everyone and claim a top four spot, because if we play like we did in that second half, we bloody well can. Christensen, big tick. How maddening is it that we don't have Varcoe handy? With T. Hunt, Wojcinksi, Motlop and Varcoe running lines, we'd be devastating on the rebound (especially if T Hunt learns how to kick). As it was we crushed the Swans in the second half but skill errors and goal kicking mashed that dominance into a piddling tet a tet. We were better in every stat and monstered the ball forward. Swans got a few loose balls out the back and managed to capitalize but overall how we didn't win by 3 or 4 is beyond me. We're doing everything you're supposed to do to close out games, we just miss that little 5% we've had since 07. Not sure exactly where it's gone or how to get it back, but it's the difference between us being 7-5 and 10-2.

 

[GFC123]

This. You don't give teams a 6 goal head start and wonder why you can't quite get there in the last.

The good:
Bartel. Nothing more needs to be said.
If not for Harry, the margin would have been ten goals before quarter time.
Motlop's lively and seems intelligent.
Simpson didn't look out of place.

The bad:
The first quarter.
Corey. VFL time.
Umps. Again. Sydney's best three players tonight. And who was the douchebag who spent the first half constantly yakking to Pods in a patronizing way? You reckon a bloke might be a bit cranky if he's had his arms chopped all night right in front of you, and then you start talking down to him about a bit of jostling off the ball?
All the bloody fumbling. Geez it shits me.
Something's wrong with our setups around the stoppages. How often do we see the opposition run forward three abreast unopposed?

Exactly like the freo game, were down 30-0 early on, went down by 4 points. Same against the Pies aswell, just can't afford it.

 

[Skerret]

As a side note, C7s coverage goes from bad to worse. Bruce is a joke, a living joke, a silly old man playing at professional commentating. Dennis is a self parody. Gawd!

 

[Baudolino]

I realise this is an extremely obnoxious and entitled thing to say, but tonight's result was bad for the competitiveness of the finals. If we finish fourth our A game is proven in September and therefore a massive wildcard if we were to come across, say, Collingwood at the MCG week one. I'm not saying we'd start favourites, but the Geelong-at-their-best factor is a variable that would spice up the traditional first week 1st versus fourth showdown, which is usually the biggest top four mismatch. Whereas Sydney at the MCG vs Collingwood is a walkover and gives the Pies the inside lane on their way to a Premiership in Buckley's first year in charge. I really don't like the idea of Swan and co having that head start...them winning a second flag in three years is a galling thought.

 

[thegerman]

Yep. Some have covered some good pointa, the main thing for me was the senior players lacking in the first half. More so the first qtr.

I've been anti-Mackie all year. Some warranted, some not. Today he showed why he was dropped under Thompson. Lacked courage in first 3qtrs. For a senior player to lack effort, just isn't good enough. Some of his turnovers were laughable.

Loved enrights game. bartel sublime. selwood just kept on giving. Christenson has to start, simple as that.

 

[kimodgers]

# Can't win from the stoppages, particularly centre bounces
# We seem to have lost our one grab skills
# Why do we sit back on our heels at the start and rely on counter punching?
# We can't continue to rely on scoring from back half rebounds
# Too many of our vets have lost a yard and reaction reflex

Love the boys but think i might love them more 2013/14.

 

[Skerret]

I pop 7 back on after narrowly missing the screen with the remote post game in the hope there'd be a bit from Geelong, possibly Scott. What do we get instead? Nathan Brown from Collingwood! How fascinating. I can see the link guys, well done. Sorry, not really the thread for it but they are utterly shite.

 

[AlterRob]

Sydney 12.8 to Cats 11.8 doesn't tell the story of how pathetic our goal kicking was. Sydney come out in the first quarter and kick 7 straight, and when we have a chance to pull the margin in we miss absolute sitters. Hawkins takes one of his chances (gimmes practically) and the momentum can change so easily and this could have been a great victory. Not just Hawkins' fault but so many easy shots that we needed to kick.

Looking at the GWS and Richmond game last week, Richmond have 31 scoring shots to GWS' 14, yet Tigers win by only 2 goals...All these stats that are constantly idolised in the media mean shit all if you just take every chance you get.

 

[blue_bear1]

Way to top off an already shitty day

 

[rocker_oz33]

I couldnt see much forward pressure swans got the ball out of D50 far to easy.

 

[thegerman]

I don't care how much fitness work Tommy does on the track from here on out for the rest of the year I want all his training time spent on goal kicking.

We can't continually have our Full Forward missing set shots from 20-45m out on less than 30 degree angles

I don't care how much fitness work Tommy does on the track from here on out for the rest of the year I want all his training time spent on goal kicking.

We can't continually have our Full Forward missing set shots from 20-45m out on less than 30 degree angles

So what about our mids learning to kick to a target rather than spray it? Goes both ways

 

[Boxhead_31]

If we were to send Smithy and Stokes to the VFL who do we bring in for them?

Wouldn't mind seeing what Kersten could do over the next two weeks but he doesn't really take the place of either of those two

 

[GFC123]

I realise this is an extremely obnoxious and entitled thing to say, but tonight's result was bad for the competitiveness of the finals. If we finish fourth our A game is proven in September and therefore a massive wildcard if we were to come across, say, Collingwood at the MCG week one. I'm not saying we'd start favourites, but the Geelong-at-their-best factor is a variable that would spice up the traditional first week 1st versus fourth showdown, which is usually the biggest top four mismatch. Whereas Sydney at the MCG vs Collingwood is a walkover and gives the Pies the inside lane on their way to a Premiership in Buckley's first year in charge. I really don't like the idea of Swan and co having that head start...them winning a second flag in three years is a galling thought.

If Sydney get there then they deserve it, we haven't been good enough, simple as that. I know the Pies will wipe the Swans if they play off in the 1st round.

Can we finish in the top 4? there's a 5% chance, we'll have to go undefeated for the rest of the year. Finish 17-5, that'll get us in there.

 

[doodl]

Thinking we should have subbed stokes and thrown either simpson or west in forward line. Big men do not get any smaller in the last quarter of a game. We may as well face it, when the going was rough we could throw either westy or otto in the fwd line last year and they could contribute. If we can't do that this year we are not giving ourselves a chance.

That said I think they botched some matchups in the first half and it just made it an insurmountable task. To their credit the geelong boys nearly pinched it.

 

[jimmy.h]

I couldnt see much forward pressure swans got the ball out of D50 far to easy.

I know the tackle stat doesn't really measure forward pressure but Stokes, Motlop, Hawkins and Pods all had just a single tackle. We didn't do enough to stop them from moving the ball out of our forward line on the terms they wanted to.

 

[roger citizen]

Tom Hawkins probably cost us the game. Three set shots at crucial stages of the game, which were not paricularly difficult, all resulting in points that killed momentum and invalidated the work done to get the ball to him. Great final series last year, however, he has reverted to being a player who promises a lot but fails deliver.

 

[i_need_a_pencil]

I couldnt see much forward pressure swans got the ball out of D50 far to easy.

Mmmm... agree 100%.

They just waltzed it out with space and spread - which is so hard to defend.

 

[cynical]

I think were pretty much one pace and it's more the other sides come back to us as the game goes on.

Our old guys are too old and slow now so don't get on top until the game slows a bit.

We should be flooding the back half for half the game and then go from there, not pretty but that's our only chance.

I thought big Dawson was good, he needs a lot more time but the potential is there.

Hawkin's kicking ugh

Think we should look at mass retirements at the end of the year. Corey, Chapman, J Hunt, Scarlett, Wojo.

 

[you pick one]

I'm not blaming this bloke for the loss tonight,but T Hunt never takes the first option and then usualy takes the poor one, and I'm getting sick of people telling me how quick he is.

 

[Boxhead_31]

So what about our mids learning to kick to a target rather than spray it? Goes both ways

If the siren has sounded at the end of a game an Tom needs to kick the goal to win do you have confidence in him being able to make the kick?

He got enough chances tonight so how the ball got into the forward line doesn't really matter at the end of the day he is being paid to kick goals and it is something he is struggling to do from even the easiest distances and angles

 

[Pure_Ownage]

If we were to send Smithy and Stokes to the VFL who do we bring in for them?

Wouldn't mind seeing what Kersten could do over the next two weeks but he doesn't really take the place of either of those two

Enright was fine tonight, I'd be more worried about Corey.

Stokes also.

Kersten is probably not like for like but Horlin Smith could be, I'd like to see him played.

 

[allrighty]

The reason we go well in the second half is because other teams can't keep it up for 4 quarters and come back to our pace. Therefore we have to close them down more in the first half, and press for the win in the second. And Tom though we love you, you are a liability if you can clunk but can't kick.

 

[Boxhead_31]

Enright was fine tonight, I'd be more worried about Corey.

Stokes also.

Sorry meant to say Smithy not Boris

 

[r32godzilla]

Fkit Harry T needs to go back in the forward line. We are not kicking enough goals and he is such a great target down forward.Christensen is a certain starter now too. What a waste it was having him on the bench so long. Can't afford to lose many more games now.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Tom Hawkins probably cost us the game. Three set shots at crucial stages of the game, which were not paricularly difficult, all resulting in points that killed momentum and invalidated the work done to get the ball to him. Great final series last year, however, he has reverted to being a player who promises a lot but fails deliver.

Being 6 goals down at quarter time and constantly wasting entries inside 50, whilst letting them clear it from their back half from ease is what cost us the game.