Preview AFL Round 6 Sydney Swans V Brisbane Lions Official Thread

[weevil]

AFL Premiership Round 6
Sydney Swans V Brisbane Lions

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Saturday May 1
SCG 7:10 PM (Local Time)
Sydney Forecast Sydney Radar


TV

All States (Live).

Qld, NSW (30 Min Delay)

RADIO
Vic: SEN.
Qld: MMM, BIMA, ABC.
SA: NIL.
WA: NIRS.
NSW: MMM, ABC.
ACT: NIL.
Tas: NIL.
NT: NIRS.

Ladder:

Season Win/Loss

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The Sydney Swans Perspective:

Originally Posted by [NAME]AUSSIE GUN[/NAME]

Season so far:
Sydney 4-1
St Kilda (L), Adelaide (W), Richmond (W), North Melbourne (W), West Coast (W)
Sydney have started the season in great form but haven’t won against a decent side yet. Even though we have played against ordinary sides we have been winning by big margins so that should give the boys confidence going into the next tough run of games starting with Brisbane. O’Keefe, Malceski, Grundy, Goodes, McVeigh, J.Bolton and Bradshaw the standouts for us. Roos has done well again at the trade table with Seaby, Mumford, McGlynn, Kennedy and Bradshaw proving to be valuable buys. Special thanks for Bradshaw, he was one of my favourite non Swans players.
Brisbane 4-1
West Coast (W), Carlton (W), Port Adelaide (W), Western Bulldogs (W), Melbourne (L)
Brisbane have hit the ground running and all the talk of Brown and Fev struggling together proved to be rubbish. They were poor against Melbourne but in the first 4 rounds they did what was needed and have looked good along the way. Brown, Rischitelli, Drummond, Brennan, Power, Fev and Johnstone the standouts so far. Voss has also hit the second hand store with Fev, Staker, Raines and Maguire looking to be good buys as well. I like what Voss has done because he has a clear plan and that’s all you can ask from a coach. He took a risk at the trading table and so far so good.

Defence:
The defence is the strength of both teams but if Merrett misses he will be a big loss for Brisbane, likewise Bolton for Sydney. Maguire is in great form and along with Patfull they will probably take White and Bradshaw. I’d assume Richards would come in for Bolton, allowing him to play the loose role in front of Fev and LRT to actually man up on Fev. We’d have to use Richards loose because Fev would smash LRT for speed off the mark. That would leave Grundy to take Brown and run off him, similar to what Frawley did on the weekend. They could alternate but LRT should play on the forward closest to goal.
The run off HB is crucial for both teams with Malceski and Drummond having outstanding seasons so far, with support casts of Kennelly, Mattner, Shaw, Raines and McGrath. With a lack of true small/medium sized forwards on both teams I’d say some of them will play more of a midfield rotation role or be used in a defensive role up forward. This is where the game will be won or lost imo, whoever gets more drive out of defence on the smaller SCG will probably end up winning. I’d probably put Mattner in a defensive role on Drummond and McGrath likewise on Malceski.

Midfield:
Rischitelli, Brennan and Power have been in very good form this season, while O’Keefe, Bolton and McVeigh the standouts for Sydney. Sherman was the match winner last time we met and should be fine to play after missing the match against Melbourne through injury. Clearances are always important on smaller grounds so whoever gets on top in the middle will have a big advantage throughout the night. Sydney should have an advantage in ruck based on current form but Clark is the most talented individual from the two duos and he is due a big performance.
Matchups are pretty hard for this game because there are so many in form and versatile players on both sides. Goodes is a freak. Brennan is a freak. O’Keefe and Rischitelli are in career best form. Black and Jack were the best for each side in round 5. McVeigh and Sherman are dangerous going forward. Rich is dangerous in space, while Kirk is from outer space. Who the hell would want to coach?

Forward:
Brown is struggling with a groin problem but it might not be a big loss on the SCG because CHF’s can sometimes get lost on the wings. Fev and Bradshaw are going to be the main targets at either end and both are in great form. White will give Bradshaw help all night while Goodes will drift through the forward line whenever is needed but I’d say he will spend more time in the middle. A massive plus for Sydney so far this year has been the spread of goal kickers and that is what could be a problem for Brisbane with the reliance on the twin towers. Neither team has a recognised small forward, so goals from the midfield are going to be vital. Sherman and Power are true goal kicking mids but Fev is going to need help from guys like Staker and Banfield on the scoreboard. Kieran Jack is coming off a BOG against West Coast and O’Keefe will work hard around the ground so expect to see them in and around the F50. Of course defensive pressure in the forward 50 is going to be crucial considering the weapons each team has on the HB flank.

Prediction: I’m looking forward to the game because it will be a good test for us and I’m expecting a close game because both teams have a good mix of experience, youth and in form players. Sydney at home and the injury problems for Brisbane should see Sydney home by 14 points.

The Brisbane Lions Perspective:

Originally Posted by [NAME]chopperduck[/NAME]

Coming off a bad loss to Melbourne and the Swans now winning 4 in a row, this game is looking like being an absolute cracker. Both teams are in some pretty good form so far this year and it will be a good test for both teams. Both have new big forwards, with Fevola for the Lions who has been fantastic so far, and Bradshaw the former Lion set to take on his old team.

Unattractive footy !?
Sydney have had no trouble putting up scores this year scoring over 100 points in all but their first game against the St Kilda. However, their last 4 opponents have been Adelaide, Richmond, North Melbourne and West Coast, so one could argue that they haven’t been well tested for some weeks. What is impressive about Sydney this year is the manner in how they are playing. No longer are they a snooze fest to watch, they have pulled along side the rest of the competition with trying to move the ball fast and they seem to have adapted very quickly to this style of play. We will need to keep the pressure on and tackle well to hold them up and hurt them going the other way. Sydney are ranked 12th in the AFL for tackles, with their opponents so far and how much ball they are getting, read into that what you will.

Sydney are averaging a huge 392 disposals a game, averaging 86 more a game than their opponents. This is allowing Sydney to outscore their opponents by an average of 5 goals a game, with many scoring raids being launched from the back, with the likes of Malceski and Kennelly in the top 5 at the club for kicks. This is paying off up forward for the Swans with Bradshaw starting to hit some form kicking 14 of his 17 goals in the last 3 games. With Goodes and White also up forward, they are able to stretch the defence, meaning teams have more to worry about than just Bradshaw. McGlynn has chipped in with 9 goals and the ever improving O’Keefe also kicking 6, Sydney are getting a nice contribution from the midfield complimenting their forwards.

Can we bounce back?
After a very solid start to the season, and knocking off Port in Adelaide and the Dogs at the Gabba, who have both caused us problems as of late, we were very lacking against a very impressive Melbourne. Yet again we were exposed for a lack of speed, but I think our work rate was well down, and that was our biggest problem. Hopefully that loss is a wake up call to our young team that we need 100% effort from 100% of the team to win. Anything less isn’t good enough.

A few injuries coming out of the Melbourne game could cause us some problems. Merrett could be a huge loss, especially up against an in form Bradshaw, so Goose looks set to take the former Lion here. This would leave Patful to do his usual job on Goodes, and he can stay with him, either up forward or in the middle. This leaves White, whilst he is a big boy, he is still a bit raw, so I would be tempted to go with someone like Drummond to run off him and try keep White accountable defensively, dragging him up field. Drummond’s work defensively is solid, so I think he could hold White when needed as well. The match ups for Fev and Brown are a bit hard to pick at this stage, especially with the possibility of Brown sitting one out as he looks like he needs a rest. Sydney would also be waiting on the fitness of Bolton after he seemed to hurt an ankle vs the Eagles. Even though we need a top effort from our midfield, we will still need our big forwards to kick some goals.

In the midfield we should have both Power and Sherman back in which is a huge boost to our running power and defensive sides of our midfield, and sees our midfield to just about full strength. Sydney however have McGlynn missing, who has been in great form and could be a big loss with our top line midfield of Black, Power, Brennan, Rich, Riska all playing. The last few weeks we have been much improved over previous years with our clearance, and we will need this to continue to get a win over the Swans. However, we need to be more constructive with them than we were against Melbourne. Clearances are golden when you have power forwards to kick to, but they mean nothing if you waste the ball as shown vs Melbourne.

Outcome
Round 5 last year we went to Skilled Stadium and faced the Cats on a windy wet day. We were beaten in every aspect of the game. That was a bit of a turning point for the team, and I think the Melbourne game will have a similar ‘kick up the bum’ effect. The Swans will be keen to test themselves against a quality opposition, and we will be keen to make amends for last weeks loss. We are a good team, but we aren’t one of the great teams of the AFL at the moment, and good teams still have bad days, and we had ours last week. With getting married on Sunday following the game to my lovely fiancé, I’m tipping the Lions to give us an early wedding present and a good start to our special day with a tough win by 13 points.

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AFL Round 6 Sydney Swans V Brisbane Lions

 

[weevil]

Thanks to AUSSIE GUN and chopperduck for the previews and lionbear for the media info.

Ladder and win/loss graphics will be up after round is complete.

 

[Full Wingspan]

good work guys!

 

[Lionfan17]

Hopefully the boys learnt from last week and pull their heads out their asses. I dont see Brown or Merret playing which is a massive downer. Dont see us winning this one unfortunately.

 

[chopperduck]

We seem to play better when we don't have the likes of Black to rely on. Drop him to the 2nds i say !

 

[Grimreepah]

We seem to play better when we don't have the likes of Black to rely on. Drop him to the 2nds i say !

I do wonder if there is something in this. This year it seems the better Black plays the worse the team plays.

I don't think the players are lazy because Black is there, but perhaps they are mindful of getting in his way?

 

[KungFooSing]

Excellent preview AUSSIEGUN.

Some big decisions on some key Lions this week has me merely hopeful of a win this week.

 

[Chasing the Dream]

Great previews guys. One says Sydney by 14, the other Brisbane by 13 Average that out and it promises to be a close one.

I would like to formally take this chance to thank the AFL for scheduling this game on another long weekend for me (the last two years has been on the Gold Coast Show Weekend!!) so the CtD Rav4 will make the truip down the big highway again for what should be a good game.

 

[mINORITY]

Thanks for the previews Chopperduck and Aussiegun - I always enjoy reading both of your contributions.

After last week, I would just love us to be competitive in this one. Hope we can get Luke and Tank back.

 

[Mr Ripper]

I don't think the players are lazy because Black is there, but perhaps they are mindful of getting in his way?

Reckon there might be something to this.

 

[lionshine]

Awsome previews AussieGun and Chopperduck I really enjoyed the read!
My prediction is that Power and Sherman will come back and dominate and the Lions will get over the line by 2 points in an absolute thriller!

 

[roy63]

Sydney have been looking good so far, and if Brown and Merret dont get up we could be in trouble.
Can still see us winning (will probably need a decent haul from Fev) but not as confident as I would have been.

 

[Last of the Roys]

If we come switched on we are a strong chance. Sydney haven't set the world on fire despite being on top of the ladder, and the smaller SCG should mean a tough in-close battle.

Out: Brown, Merrett, and Rockliff???
IN: Power, Sherman, and Hanley

 

[Dylan12]

In all honesty, I expect a thumping this week against a side that is quick, has more seasoned midfielders and provides a lot more run off half back than ours. Couple this with a very dangerous forward line comprising Bradshaw, White and Goodes regularly floating down there and Merrett being out, we will be stretched.

With that being said, and I know I will be admonished for it, but I would like to see Tom Collier thrown in to the mix. Whilst he was pretty average against Morninside last week, I would nontheless put him into the ones and see if he can redeem himself and hopefully gain some confidence. I am expecting a thumping anyway and seeing that we require a tall defender, I don't think we have anything to lose.

In line with the TAB, Swans by 39.5+

 

[Hollow Knight]

Great previews guys.

All the best for Sunday chopperduck.

 

[PertRoosOsborne]

The season is over for us if we dont pump sids knee into next week, truism! mark my words

 

[themightfaulks]

Pumped to get to the SCG on saturday..

I hope J Brown is out there for you guys as i love watching him play..

Swans by a kick after the siren from Bradshaw

 

[GingerGreatness]

Great preview guys - and chopper, congrats and good luck on your and Mrs Chopperduck's big day

Hoping that this game will be a belter.

While I love our 2010 list, and wouldn't take back any of our trades at this point - seeing Braddy line up in the red and white against us is going to be very, very uncomfortable for me at least.

So uncomfortable, I felt compelled to put something together for Guns. A tribute of sorts that means, whatever you want it to mean...

*language warning*

[youtube]C5qjMKDXvQg[/youtube]

PS. Hope Mumford plays.

 

[PertRoosOsborne]

I hope we knock out bradshaw in the first 5 minutes...followed by goody2shoes goodes 4 minutes later..............this is our "line in the sand" game.


bradshaw shat down our throat his whole career, no prisoners on the way to a premiership!

 

[chopperduck]

Top work as always GG.

The way we played against Melbourne is the exception to how we have played so far this year. I expect us to be back to our best. I think this game could be won and lost with the match ups this week. Goose has been great, this will be a big test for him. If our midfield gets put to the sword, it will be a long night for Goose and a big night for Braddles.

And cheers for the well wishes. My fiance (bry_gram) is a poster here, although she doesn't post too much anymore. She thinks i do enough for both of us. With both of us being strong Lions supporters, it would make the day so much better if we had a win.

 

[KungFooSing]

I hope we knock out bradshaw in the first 5 minutes...followed by goody2shoes goodes 4 minutes later..............this is our "line in the sand" game.


bradshaw shat down our throat his whole career, no prisoners on the way to a premiership!

Whats this all about?

 

[nigelicious]

The video will certainly mean different things to different people.

Just reminds me that he could've been playing in the most dominant forward line in history but decided to get precious and head to another club.

If you aren't on board with the game plan, you aren't welcome at the club. He's not ours anymore and until he retires won't be in my eyes. Hope he has a shocker

(Good production value though GG )

 

[PertRoosOsborne]

Whats this all about?

$$$$

 

[guzroo]

Massive loss for Sydney with Bolten out injured and the Lions could possibly have Power, Sherman, Adcock and Buchanan back this week. Cant see us loosing 2 in a row.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Massive loss for Sydney with Bolten out injured and the Lions could possibly have Power, Sherman, Adcock and Buchanan back this week. Cant see us loosing 2 in a row.

We may have no Brown or Merrett though.