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AFLW 2024 - Round 9 - Indigenous Round - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
I’m hoping the Sydney Swans finally find a solution to their slow first quarters in the first quarter of the 2024 AFL grand final but my cardiologist begs to differ.If we turn out enough of our best footy, we will win the flag. The big question is the 'if' part - and we can't afford for our worst (which looks bottom 4 in quality) to occur in a big final and leave us with too much work to do.
I fear we may pack it in badly like we did against Port if a team takes advantages of our slow starts and puts a gap on us. But equally, if we can control the damage early, I'm confident we can overcome any team we are within reasonable striking distance of at half time. We are definitely vulnerable - make no doubts about it, and the doubts will flood in if someone makes us pay for a slow start in a big final. But equally, we can flick a switch in a way I don't think other teams can - I think teams will know that if they don't get us early in the big matches, we are going to be very hard to beat.
Hopefully we are saving all our good first quarters for the finals and we won't have to worry about slow starts.
So much of this finals series for us will be played between the ears I suspect. We should take confidence from how good our best is, and know that, while there are good teams out there that will challenge us, if we can reach a level near our best, we can go all the way.
But at least we got to those 3 grand finals, unlike others.Very good, but let’s not forget
Here is a list of things that have happened since Sydney last won a grand final:
- Sydney lost a grand final
- Sydney lost a grand final
- Sydney lost a grand final
Yes, I’m great fun at parties.
I know you’re an Adams fan - but Parker replacing him in the centre had a massive impact.
I saw Parker as the most influential player on the ground. Setting aside Q1, where our entire forward line didn’t get near it - he was immense.
Kane Cornes nailed it when he said 2024 Parker is pure brutality and strength. With a terrific set shot.
I just don't think GWS bottom 10 will hold up in finals. They are very reliant on their top 4 players. Nullify just 2 of them and we should get it done easilyThats interesting, I think we can beat them all, but in terms of who I want to avoid the most, it is probably GWS. They don't travel to play us, and have some decent big game experience and their best is just quite fearsome, if Hogan is on fire we dont match up well, Greene too.
These things can bite us in the arse, but give us the Dogs thanks, they played their grand final against us, they aren't much.
Brisbane respect but don't fear them, think we almost had them crippled and probably should have.
Port have the wood on us so them and GWS , though surely due to beat Port.
Just rest the whole team and bring in the VFL side!Someone should start a thread with all the players we should be resting.
Judging off horses comments in presser we will only rest if we have to, but at a minimum we should rest; Grundy, Hayward, Warner.
This is my biggest concern heading into finals. Both his tapwork and his followup ground level work have completely dried up from what we saw in the first half of the year.A few observations having not read through the reactions yet
I dunno what is going on with Grundy but he was uncompetitive last night. Whether he’s carrying some injury or not, he got pushed around by a young bloke and by Sam Draper who I happen to think could be the most overrated player in the league. Rest him if you have to next week because he’s been underwhelming for a while and last night was probably as bad as he’s been lately.
This is my biggest concern heading into finals. Both his tapwork and his followup ground level work have completely dried up from what we saw in the first half of the year.
It was such an instrumental part of our dominance that I really worry about our chances if he can't turn it around.
You hear Longmire comment when asked about resting Grundy that they basically leave it up to him because he knows his body so well. I’m sure it’s not solely up to him but you’d have to think that given we’ll have likely secured a top two spot by the end of the weekend, the coaches can say to him enough is enough and you need a rest before finals.
I guess there’s a chance that whatever he’s carrying won’t be helped much by resting and instead moving around is best for him? But feels like a rest would do him good considering just how frail he looked last night. Give McAndrew a proper test with a full game against Riley O’Brien next week for experience.
Hayward might be a worrier but he is a warrior too! ha ha!I
Hayward is just a worrier, he is a very important part of our side. He scores the goals when we need them most.
Having Melican back made a huge difference too.
Heeney also said after the game that he’s been a bit crook all week, the lurgy may have gone through the team too.
Yes, I'll be pretty happy if I see him listed as managed or out with general soreness this week.I guess there’s a chance that whatever he’s carrying won’t be helped much by resting and instead moving around is best for him? But feels like a rest would do him good considering just how frail he looked last night. Give McAndrew a proper test with a full game against Riley O’Brien next week for experience.
Do feel sorry for kids brought up to be Bombers, Saints and Crows fans.Haven't read whole thread.
But.
Lel.
We need to lose by 100+ and Port win two weeks in a row by 100+. It's basically locked upWe can’t rest everyone. Top spot isn’t totally wrapped up if we lose by a huge margin to the Crows next week. Though I’m hoping Port and the Crows bash each other up in the Showdown so we get a relatively bruise free encounter next week. I think the team is already collectively carrying enough bruises.
Re Grundy, I know it can seem convenient to attribute a drop in form of a player to injury, but I suspect it's almost always the case with experienced, quality players. There are lots of things he was doing in the first half of the season that he's not doing now. It could be a back issue. It could be a groin issue. He doesn't seem to have any power in his core, which is allowing him to be pushed out of contests. And he's not getting down to scrap at ground level the way he was.
It's not an ideal game to rest anyone, but for clearly struggling guys like Grundy and Hayward, I think it's better than running them into the ground continually.We can’t rest everyone. Top spot isn’t totally wrapped up if we lose by a huge margin to the Crows next week. Though I’m hoping Port and the Crows bash each other up in the Showdown so we get a relatively bruise free encounter next week. I think the team is already collectively carrying enough bruises.