Autopsy Game is long over, Swans were putrid

[Olian]

So now some are upset the team weren't frogmarched onto the ****ing redeye?

It’s a 16 hour bus ride. The red eye is being kind

 

[RedBloodBlackSwan]

The importance of Melican to our team has been highlighted the last 2 weeks. He's become our most reliable key defender. I trust him more than McCartin who is prone to fumbles and poor kicks at times. Melican has been rock solid and we need him back ASAP.

It also shows how desperately we need to trade in another quality KPD.

 

[Superstar swan]

It also shows how desperately we need to trade in another quality KPD.

Mckay would have been handy at this point

 

[RedBloodBlackSwan]

It is clearly a mental problem.
A thought - all that care they talked about earlier.
Being vulnerable. "Hey mate I'm struggling to get a kick. I need help" etc. That seems to have broken down.
Maybe return to it.
Of course they are all struggling to get a kick, but if, say, Heeney has to take responsibility for getting Warner into the game, and Warner is responsible for Gulden, who is responsible for Jordon, who is responsible for Hayward who is responsible for etc, etc.
So rather than think, "I need to put in more effort", instead "I need to put in effort to get player x into the game".
The idea is therefore not 18 individual effort lifts, but the effort is team centred. Everyone is backed and has someone's back. Maybe something will switch on.
Further, the responsibility is not just to give them a handball or whatever, but to talk. We made very many dumb decisions. Jordon passing 5m to Chad - but who was in Jordon's ear saying "take your shot mate".
Logan kicking across the ground (intercepted) rather than down the left where there were two Swans free. Who was talking to Logan? Who was his eyes saying "go left"?
Ladhams needs more talk than anyone because he doesn't have a brain. Blakey I think kicked out, Ladhams was unmarked and he punched it. Ladhams under pressure one metre from goal and handballs to a Port player who goals. Who was telling him what to do?
Rather than supporting, Gulden is giving his teammates a spray for not passing to him.
My abiding memory of the Dogs game was constantly seeing 4 Swans chase 1 Dog. Of course that means 3 free Dogs but who was saying "X you chase Dog A , Y pick up dog B and I'll take C". The Bont was unmarked at a ball up 20 m out from goal. Needless to say that was his first goal. How does that happen. Who was directing?
A gazillion poor disposals because of Port pressure. Pick up the ball and you have a nano second to dispose of it. Watching the ball to pick it up means the player has no vision and no time to assess options. Therefore his teammates have to do this for him.
The more I think about it the more I think it starts with the talk.

If Mills is a general he must play back in the absence of Rampe.
When Rampe is back Mills should play forward and organise them. I'm no expert in forward craft but maybe he could say perhaps "make a fn lead!", and "move!"
Rowbottom and Gulden can take care of the mids, but it is incumbent on everyone to talk.

Great post. If I was a coach, I would want microphones in each player and get AI to monitor the rate of talk and how positive / supporting it is. I think you are right that it has dropped off as every player loses confidences and starts looking in instead of out.

 

[Wheresbuddy]

Mckay would have been handy at this point

A few hundred K on a Darragh Joyce or Buku Khamis type would suffice. Instead we pick up spuds like Francis and Brand.

 

[MR0808]

A few hundred K on a Darragh Joyce or Buku Khamis type would suffice. Instead we pick up spuds like Francis and Brand.

This is what I pointed out last year (before we got Grundy). Geelong loses to Richmond in a GF and goes and gets Cameron immediately. We lose to Geelong in a GF and get Francis

 

[Olian]

This is what I pointed out last year (before we got Grundy). Geelong loses to Richmond in a GF and goes and gets Cameron immediately. We lose to Geelong in a GF and get Francis

To be fair we have chased after every key defender available. Barrass, McKay etc. Unfortunately we didn’t land a key defender.

 

[swanssince2002]

KPD is an area that we actually tried for about 5 years dating back to Darcy Moore

30

Darcy Moore

Age

28

Ht

203cm

Wt

100kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.1

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

4.1

3star

M

4.8

5star

T

1.6

4star

MG

169.1

3star

D

13.9

3star

K

7.3

3star

HB

6.6

4star

M

4.9

5star

T

0.7

1star

MG

182.0

3star

D

6.8

2star

K

4.2

2star

HB

2.6

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

1.8

4star

MG

87.4

2star

.

Unfortunately hard to trade for just a decent one.

 

[GoTheSwannies]

I'll start off by saying that Port were playing sublime footy and any team would have been troubled by the amount of pressure they applied and how clean their ball movement, disposal and marking was.

That said, 71-0 says we were absolutely abysmal!

I think our gameplan is ultimately flawed. When we're winning the midfield battle. We're able to control the footy and our high risk / high reward style of play unfolds and we eventually wear teams down over the course of a match.

You have a few players out of form, other best 22 players injured, and the midfield fail to compete and that high risk attack absolutely crumbles.

That to me is a structural issue. It's a coaching issue.

Horse can talk about pressure until he's blue in the face, but if the players are presented with a game plan that puts them out of position when the opposition wins the ball then there's a problem with our structure when needing to turn to defence.

Ultimately, the issues started with the arrogance of some players. A few got ahead of themselves, were focused almost exclusively on playing attack rather than defending. Leaving the "tough stuff" to players like Rowbottom (as someone pointed out).

Everyone should be committed to the "tough stuff". Attack when you win the ball. But you have to win the damn thing first. If you're losing the midfield battle then everyone's job is to do the "tough stuff" until you win the ball.

I place a large portion of the blame on Horse. He failed to address the arrogance, he failed to address players who weren't willing to do the "tough stuff", and the lead his team of arrogant downhill skiers built up has evaporated in the blink of an eye.

There's a fair chance we win our last 3 and go into finals with a different perspective. And the counter point is we've run into possibly the 3 most in form teams atm. But what we've dished up. Particularly in the last 2 weeks, is pathetic.

This team has a soft underbelly.

 

[Bloods86]

This is what I pointed out last year (before we got Grundy). Geelong loses to Richmond in a GF and goes and gets Cameron immediately. We lose to Geelong in a GF and get Francis

Yeah, but which NSW raised KPD wanted to come home around the time we got Francis?

Cameron is from western Vic, and Vic clubs have other advantages to sell to players too.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Mckay would have been handy at this point

Weitering/Stuart combo with Sam Taylor filling in may of reduced the margin to a respectable 50-60 points

 

[liz]

I think it's a bit of a presumption to attribute the decline to "arrogance". When we looked a million dollars two months ago - and even for parts of games leading up to two weeks ago, everyone was putting in. There was a lot of focus on the ICEmen externally but everything coming out of the club indicated they were a cohesive unit and the contributions of everyone were valued.

That said, teams play best when their best players are playing well. Heeney's season has followed a familiar trajectory and I'm convinced he's very sore. Even in his less dominant seasons, he's always been clean over head and off the ground. He seemed to be covering a lot of ground yesterday but his skills were way down. I'm not as confident that the decline in the form of Warner and Gulden is injury related, but that doesn't mean its not.

 

[kickthething]

Plenty of egos in the team. I do wonder whether a couple may have gotten wind of some of the offers going around and it’s driven a wedge between a few?

For example, say we offered Chad $1.2m to extend and Heeney is on $900k. Or McDonald got a big contract but others see him as overpaid as not delivering. Some may have taken less and found others didn’t have to?

Might be nothing… just musing.

These are not Swans unique issues, they exist in every team. I am not sure this is anything more than the bubble bursting, the slow starts being front and centre in their pysche and every game the snowball gets bigger creating a bunch of doubt where there used be (unreasonable?) levels of confidence and belief. I reckon the St Kilda game smashed their auro of invincibility and it wasn’t addressed. Only wins will get it back and it looks unlikely we will see any right now.

 

[lazy77]

I reckon the St Kilda game smashed their auro of invincibility and it wasn’t addressed. Only wins will get it back and it looks unlikely we will see any right now.

We will win on Friday. I can see it in the stars.

 

[kickthething]

I'll start off by saying that Port were playing sublime footy and any team would have been troubled by the amount of pressure they applied and how clean their ball movement, disposal and marking was.

That said, 71-0 says we were absolutely abysmal!

I think our gameplan is ultimately flawed. When we're winning the midfield battle. We're able to control the footy and our high risk / high reward style of play unfolds and we eventually wear teams down over the course of a match.

You have a few players out of form, other best 22 players injured, and the midfield fail to compete and that high risk attack absolutely crumbles.

That to me is a structural issue. It's a coaching issue.

Horse can talk about pressure until he's blue in the face, but if the players are presented with a game plan that puts them out of position when the opposition wins the ball then there's a problem with our structure when needing to turn to defence.

Ultimately, the issues started with the arrogance of some players. A few got ahead of themselves, were focused almost exclusively on playing attack rather than defending. Leaving the "tough stuff" to players like Rowbottom (as someone pointed out).

Everyone should be committed to the "tough stuff". Attack when you win the ball. But you have to win the damn thing first. If you're losing the midfield battle then everyone's job is to do the "tough stuff" until you win the ball.

I place a large portion of the blame on Horse. He failed to address the arrogance, he failed to address players who weren't willing to do the "tough stuff", and the lead his team of arrogant downhill skiers built up has evaporated in the blink of an eye.

There's a fair chance we win our last 3 and go into finals with a different perspective. And the counter point is we've run into possibly the 3 most in form teams atm. But what we've dished up. Particularly in the last 2 weeks, is pathetic.

This team has a soft underbelly.

Defensive structure is a big problem as it does not stand up, looking from Freo game how simply teams transition against us, particularly from kick ins and stoppage. We are intent on guarding space and chasing tail. The frailtybw this structure then compounds the pressure on offenseive play where we look too scared to pull any trigger. Our flow has gone and the doubt in our game has replaced the confidence. The inability to apply pressure then is also a victim which to me indicates the weakness we have mentally.

A player has to stand and say enough is enough.

 

[kickthething]

We will win on Friday. I can see it in the stars.

In all seriousness, it’s the most likely scenario given all the unpredictability this season.

 

[Day_night_honourer]

In all seriousness, it’s the most likely scenario given all the unpredictability this season.

Let's pray the Pies bring poor-average pressure and we might stand a chance.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Let's pray the Pies bring poor-average pressure and we might stand a chance.

Pies flag defence is still alive they will be going hammer and tong

 

[legend166]

Last night was diabolical but I've never been one for trying to read into the psyche of players or coaches based on on-field performances.

Fabricating rifts between players due to contract negotiations or suggesting some sort of protest against Mills's inclusion is basically astrology for footy tragics.

Likewise continual accusations of "arrogance" don't ring true. We went into last night against a hot Port team, having lost 4 of our last 5. Nothing will convince me the players just assumed they could turn up and piss it in.

There are 101 factors that make up a professional footy team's performance. Trying to reduce it down to a silver bullet is fruitless.

Sure, but we're reaching because this was a historically bad performance. Five weeks ago we were one of the most dominant teams in years and years. Now we've just been thrashed back to back, once by 112 (!) points. This was the worst loss of the season. We were losing 71-0! That's happened like twice in history?

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

Pies are still partying after pendles 400. Get them for 2 hangovers in a season. They stopped in the 4th.

Swans easily Friday night

 

[ShireSwan]

I would argue this week. Or Cleary, depending on how they train (really sucky week for the VFL to have a bye.) It doesn't appear like Parker or Adams are the answer in this regard.

Have said for a long time now that Warner in the midfield is a wasted spot. He's an elite player in pretty much every facet EXCEPT the contest, which is a constant vulnerability of ours.

I would play him and maybe even Heeney forward. Rewire the whole midfield, even if only for a week, just to force something, create a spark, give Heeney a rest, anything.

Play an ACTUAL MIDFIELDER - someone with actual inside craft, know-how when it comes to working in traffic, competing for contested balls, how ruckmen work, etc. - in Warner's place.

It won't take away from Warner's game and if anything will give him more opportunities to show his brilliance and less opportunities to make us fans want to tear our hair out, all the while giving someone else an opportunity to see how they can fit into our midfield mix.

100%
I think it will happen this week. 100 point losses while on top of the ladder MUST force change.
And really if it didn't work, then putting Warner back in the mids & having Gus play forward wouldn't be the end of the world.

Honestly wouldn't hurt Warner to come off HB either, running out of defense and hitting up HH forwards on a lead. Putting him in the Roberts role maybe...Setting up others rather than going for glory might be what his game (and mentality) needs.

 

[caesar88]

100%
I think it will happen this week. 100 point losses while on top of the ladder MUST force change.
And really if it didn't work, then putting Warner back in the mids & having Gus play forward wouldn't be the end of the world.

Honestly wouldn't hurt Warner to come off HB either, running out of defense and hitting up HH forwards on a lead. Putting him in the Roberts role maybe...Setting up others rather than going for glory might be what his game (and mentality) needs.

I personally would play Mills in defence in Roberts' role.

Roberts in Florent's role.

Drop Florent.

 

[Dubai Quacker]

The King! copped a day off?

Yet more innocent collateral damage.

Is there no end to this carnage?!

 

[Kbroome]

Need to drop players based off of this tbh as it seems to be the same players each week. Get JJ back into a tagging role because he has been shocking in the last 4-5 weeks as shown in the screenshot which shows the last 5 games for the Swans and the worst performing players sorted by player ratings.

EDIT: Also Wicks produced a -1.3 player rating i don't know if i have seen a rating worse than that, but apparently as per some he is crucial to the set up of scores. B*****T

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

The King! copped a day off?

Yet more innocent collateral damage.

Is there no end to this carnage?!

Will be refreshed for Friday