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I'm on the pulverize each other train.I'm on the Brisbane train....
The best type!I'm on the pulverize each other train.
There's no game thereI'm on the Brisbane train....
Really? I can't believe I'm writing this down (especially considering my avatar), but... I would like us to go in unchanged!I would just reverse this weeks change if everyone is fit.
Campbell back to sub even
Really? I can't believe I'm writing this down (especially considering my avatar), but... I would like us to go in unchanged!
The only person Mills should come in for is Roberts imo. I think they play similar roles... and playing both of them detracts from the team balance. Parker's shown since he came back in, that although he is slow, he has the smarts to play an important role; and Mills just hasn't had the continuity required...
Having said that, I trust Horse and Co implicitly to make the right call based on greater knowledge... regardless of how it turns out later.
I just think that this team, with perhaps the exception of Fox, looks completely in sync! And Fox is a really good sub in my view.
That's why it's so quietThere's no game there
If its a choice between Mills & Roberts then I'm going with Roberts. One player is fit, the other is lacking match fitness & has a dodgy hammy.Really? I can't believe I'm writing this down (especially considering my avatar), but... I would like us to go in unchanged!
The only person Mills should come in for is Roberts imo. I think they play similar roles... and playing both of them detracts from the team balance. Parker's shown since he came back in, that although he is slow, he has the smarts to play an important role; and Mills just hasn't had the continuity required...
Having said that, I trust Horse and Co implicitly to make the right call based on greater knowledge... regardless of how it turns out later.
I just think that this team, with perhaps the exception of Fox, looks completely in sync! And Fox is a really good sub in my view.
Though I think we match-up better with Geelong, the more I think about it, Brisbane in a tight, gruelling affair after their monster comeback last week is probably the better result for us. Would give us the opportunity to run them off their feet in the second half like the Dees did to the Dogs in 2021.I'm on the pulverize each other train.
Yep. That doesn't mean there was no risk, or won't be any risk with Mills.People who don't want Mills in wanted Jmac dropped
Yep. That doesn't mean there was no risk, or won't be any risk with Mills.
It was clear what Parker was doing yet Aliir and Hinkley did nothing to counter it. Surely when the ball was heading into our F50, Aliir could've just peeled off to be third man up. Instead he just stood there guarding Parker who clearly the ball was not going to.I think the Parker move was just smart coaching, knowing how Allir can impact F50 entries. By Parker doing that selfless role freed up our big men to run and lead at the football without that defender floating in across and filling the hole or cutting off kicks.
It is nearly an irrelevant data point though I feel for next week. Different plans required.
It was clear what Parker was doing yet Aliir and Hinkley did nothing to counter it. Surely when the ball was heading into our F50, Aliir could've just peeled off to be third man up. Instead he just stood there guarding Parker who clearly the ball was not going to.
Genuinely can't remember a more even team performance than that, so much so that I thought some of our lesser performers on the night - Grundy, Parker, Warner, Campbell - all still managed to have really solid contributions when it was their turn.
There were just soooo many good players. Heeney had an almost vintage performance with his marking. Not that he wasn't marking well in the first final (clearly took his two best marks for the whole year LOL), but last night it was clearly the defining aspect of his game. Just such incredible hands and core strength to mark overhead and keep himself upright with a defender on his back.
A few weeks ago, Jake Lloyd woke up, flipped the page in his calendar to 'SEPTEMBER' and then told himself in the mirror: "You are going to be the Swans best wingman this month." Having not been that all year - absolutely no shame being behind Gulden & McInerney - he's only gone and bloody done it. What a stellar first two finals he's had. He is just EVERYWHERE. Seriously there was one point where he had the ball deep in defence and then was literally in the frame deep inside our forward 50 about 5 seconds later. WTF?
Our defence has been absolutely immense, and are, unequivocally, the reason we've won both games. McCartin, Melican & Blakey have been great in the air, but it's Rampe & Cunningham who have been most impressive. Just absolute class at shoring us up defensively - in terms of restricting the damage GWS could've done to us so our comeback was achievable - and setting us up offensively - in terms of getting our rebounds going and slicing Port up with our ball movement.
I said this after the last game, but Rowbottom is just built for finals. His attack on the ball and the player is second to none. He hits everything at absolute full pace, the speed at which he moves is just chaos for the opposition to deal with. So many times last night Port were just about to work the ball out of congestion by hands and then Rowbottom would literally just appear out of nowhere, cut it off and end up with the ball himself. Everything he does ends up pressuring the other team somehow, not just his tackling, which is obviously peerless.
I was worried about maybe having one too many flanker types in the team, between Roberts and Jordon and Florent and McInerney and Campbell. But they keep making themselves undroppable by just doing what is needed, and maybe even more. (ie. Florent intercept marking (had 6 intercepts, most of any ground level player), Campbell sticking some big tackles (had 6 tackles, 2nd most), Jordon showing some class with the ball)... These aren't essentials for the roles they play, but they're doing them anyway. It's making us more of a rounded team, to the point where not one Swans player needed to have a major stand-out performance for us to still win a prelim handily.
Go Swans.
Smaller is becoming the norm as we go on chaos and ground footyGenuinely can't remember a more even team performance than that, so much so that I thought some of our lesser performers on the night - Grundy, Parker, Warner, Campbell - all still managed to have really solid contributions when it was their turn.
There were just soooo many good players. Heeney had an almost vintage performance with his marking. Not that he wasn't marking well in the first final (clearly took his two best marks for the whole year LOL), but last night it was clearly the defining aspect of his game. Just such incredible hands and core strength to mark overhead and keep himself upright with a defender on his back.
A few weeks ago, Jake Lloyd woke up, flipped the page in his calendar to 'SEPTEMBER' and then told himself in the mirror: "You are going to be the Swans best wingman this month." Having not been that all year - absolutely no shame being behind Gulden & McInerney - he's only gone and bloody done it. What a stellar first two finals he's had. He is just EVERYWHERE. Seriously there was one point where he had the ball deep in defence and then was literally in the frame deep inside our forward 50 about 5 seconds later. WTF?
Our defence has been absolutely immense, and are, unequivocally, the reason we've won both games. McCartin, Melican & Blakey have been great in the air, but it's Rampe & Cunningham who have been most impressive. Just absolute class at shoring us up defensively - in terms of restricting the damage GWS could've done to us so our comeback was achievable - and setting us up offensively - in terms of getting our rebounds going and slicing Port up with our ball movement.
I said this after the last game, but Rowbottom is just built for finals. His attack on the ball and the player is second to none. He hits everything at absolute full pace, the speed at which he moves is just chaos for the opposition to deal with. So many times last night Port were just about to work the ball out of congestion by hands and then Rowbottom would literally just appear out of nowhere, cut it off and end up with the ball himself. Everything he does ends up pressuring the other team somehow, not just his tackling, which is obviously peerless.
I was worried about maybe having one too many flanker types in the team, between Roberts and Jordon and Florent and McInerney and Campbell. But they keep making themselves undroppable by just doing what is needed, and maybe even more. (ie. Florent intercept marking (had 6 intercepts, most of any ground level player), Campbell sticking some big tackles (had 6 tackles, 2nd most), Jordon showing some class with the ball)... These aren't essentials for the roles they play, but they're doing them anyway. It's making us more of a rounded team, to the point where not one Swans player needed to have a major stand-out performance for us to still win a prelim handily.
Go Swans.
So a hamstring strain is just a niggle, ok.If you want players without niggles then i'd suggest we have about 10 guys playing next week.
me too. If for nothing else but to hear the Vic media bleat about Acadamies etcI'm on the Brisbane train....
I thought the same to be honest , he's destroyed a few opponents this yearEarly on in his career I thought Cunningham was an average role playing depth player. Good but not a lock in the side. Since his transition from wing/half forward to small defender I think he is best 22 and a gun small defender.
Our forward line clicked last night. It was clearly evident sitting 1 row from the back in the Victor Trumper stand how well the forwards worked in terms of waiting until the right time to then create a nice large hole for one of them to lead in to. Meant our F50 entries were way better with no bobbing, and the delivery by foot inside was first class. And Parker did the role in making Aliir accountable, where the first 10 mins I was losing my shit that we were going to kick it to him all night! So good coaching move there nice and early.
Atmosphere was great, with the standing ovation in the last few mins with whole crowd on their feet!
Now the nervous wait to see if my old man and I get tickets, only P3 in the ballot.
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Have you been on the turps lol , late posting todayDuring the game I was frustrated at the ease with which we were allowing Port to transition to their forward 50, often with only three or four uncontested possessions on the overlap. But watching the replay I feel like it might've been a deliberate tactic, because man their forward 50 was constantly cluttered and their forwards outnumbered with no space to lead into. It's almost like we were keeping our defenders deep rather than pushing up to try and cause a turnover on the wing or pressure the entry kick, then backing those defenders to win those contests when it came in. It's the deepest any of our defenders have played, at least to my eye.
I wonder if Horse saw Port's talls and thought they could be vulnerable if they are stuck in 1v1s or contests all night, so was more focused on giving them no time or space inside 50 rather than on stopping them getting there. Kinda like baiting them in a way.
And I think if it was a deliberate thing, and not just our half backs being uncharacteristically disinterested in pushing up to help out the mids, then it bloody well worked. Because so many of Port's goals have only come from long-range desperate pings and putrid umpiring gifts, not many marks inside 50 really until late in the game when it was all done and dusted.