Autopsy Groundhog day averted! Swans defeat Cats by 30 infront of a packed SCG

[wolftone57]

The second half was some of the best footy I have ever seen. So effing wonderful. If we had put the ball better to Joel I think we would have won by more. He was collapsing packs. Destroying tall defenders. Between him & Hayden they had the tall defence totally effed.

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[Heeney2Franklin]

That game will be a great test actually. Not because Adelaide are much chop, but we are going to absolute get it from their fans after last year's AFL fiasco. Not that we should (wasn't our fault) but we will. A hostile atmosphere, and blocking that out and getting the job done (Even if it is an ugly win) will be another big milestone we should hope to tick off.

It will probably be Adelaide best performance for the season as well so we will hardly get a easy game.

 

[clivus]

Brilliant games from Melican, Grundy, papley, McInierny, gulden. What a win!

 

[clivus]

I think Campbell, Roberts, even Cunningham to an extent could all be upgraded. Campbell pretty disappointing when coming on as the sub.

Mills, Parker and even Sheldrick I think would be upgrades (not that they're like for like).

I’m not a fan of Florent. Guy makes too many mistakes.

 

[RubbaDuck]

I’m not a fan of Florent. Guy makes too many mistakes.

I am a fan of Florent. I see him as a key part of our defence, contesting the ground ball and rebounding with run out of defence. His role is inherently risky, as are the roles of other defenders. We risk for gain when we surge quickly out of defence. The safety net is to be able to get numbers back in place quickly as a way of limiting the fallout if things don't come off.

I can see you're a debutant, so I apologise if it seems I'm grilling you. You've laid out your stall and put forward your reasons. That's more than some do.

To play with flair is to play with risk. Inevitably Florent's going to make some mistakes. How many mistakes do you consider too many? Could you give some examples of what you consider a mistake?

I'm curious because what can look like a mistake might just be a risky play, one that he's licensed to take on that doesn't always come off. A similar example would be if Logan opted to take a set shot from 52m and it just clipped the post. Is that a mistake on his part or does it just come with the role? He's licensed to take the long set shot from outside 50 but he can't expect 100% conversion at that range.

In everything in life, risk and reward move in tandem. More risk more reward. Less risk less reward. No risk, no reward. We play fast attacking footy for maximum reward, relying on superb skills and gut running to handle the high level of risk.

 

[RubbaDuck]

I made some comments in the preview that Scott would be pleased enough at where the Cats are positioned for the second half of the season, with a view to resting players and having them primed for the finals. I suggested he would learn from this game even if the Cats were likely to lose. Listening to his press comments afterwards suggests this is exactly where his thoughts are at.

We can expect a more formidable Geelong come finals. Scott has found some great young talent and he's fast-tracking them to rebuild quickly. Add Guthrie and Dangerfield to bring the experience to that midfield. They have the potential to be a huge threat come finals.

I consider Horse and Scottie (not the Essendon fake) to be the smartest coaches in the AFL. Their track records support this view. At pressers they both tend to skip the BS and give an honest and intelligent assessment to the footy press. One gets the idea that these are two chess masters. For an early gambit, Horse has captured a bishop, but the game is far from played out.

Great game

 

[RubbaDuck]

That game will be a great test actually. Not because Adelaide are much chop, but we are going to absolute get it from their fans after last year's AFL fiasco. Not that we should (wasn't our fault) but we will. A hostile atmosphere, and blocking that out and getting the job done (Even if it is an ugly win) will be another big milestone we should hope to tick off.

The uglier the better. Let's inflict fresh wounds.

 

[RubbaDuck]

The umpiring interpretation for holding the ball seemed like an over correction last week and this weekend has settled into not much difference other than them calling ball ups quicker to avoid the dumping of the player. Lizard was spun a few times and didn’t get pinged and similarly one of the Geelong players was the same (can’t recall who it was) but would have been a free last week.

However number 22 ump is a worry so you don’t know what call he’s going to make. The 50 against Hawkins was iffy but 22 owed us a few so you take it.

Florent still makes me very nervous with his decision making but he also keeps proving me to be too harsh in him throughout the match.

I declared to Dad I can’t watch this anymore into the second quarter when we kept kicking directly to Geelong and he responded yet I still am watching. So I called him a smart A and left the room for a minute and we kicked our first. My contribution right there.

Number 22 was a bastard to us in the Dogs game, handing out frees to whichever Doggie asked for them. I wondered at first if he was a die-hard Dogs fan (like in the 2016 GF) but reading his background led me to believe he's a die-hard Eagles fan dating back to 2005/2006. This game confirms what I suspected. He has it in for us. Keep an eye on him.

 

[RubbaDuck]

Sorry you are correct. I meant 2nd rounder

Don't you have a win to celebrate?

W-I-N, it's when your team has the highest score when the siren goes....no? It's when you don't lose. You might know it as Opposite World.

 

[momentbymoment]

Our slow starts.

We seem to have two styles -
1. A high risk, high reward play on at all costs style that leads to quick, dynamic goals.
2. A slower, calculated game of short accurate kicks picking teams apart.

I wonder if style 1 works less effectively in the first quarter because the opposing team is at their strongest (bringing the most pressure). As the opposition tires, this style of football becomes harder to stop.

Maybe we need to develop a style of football for the first quarter, which then evolves throughout the game.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

I really hate it when you can't hear the questions. This has been going on foryears. I start to listen to a post match interview and then I just give up. Poor.

Yes the AFL, or Fox, or C7 - one of those billion dollar organisations - would have to fork out for someone to be standing there with a boom mic. No way they could afford that prohibitive cost.

 

[Dangas]

I’ll see yours and raise you with this …. (yes it was a beautiful sight )

How good was it! The sunset was certainly one of the highlights of the afternoon along with the triple midfield powerhouse of Isaac, Chad, Errol (ICE).

Hopefully the next time I return to the SCG isn't 5 years between visits.Now back home to Adelaide and I will see the lads again at the Oval!

 

[RubbaDuck]

Our slow starts.

We seem to have two styles -
1. A high risk, high reward play on at all costs style that leads to quick, dynamic goals.
2. A slower, calculated game of short accurate kicks picking teams apart.

I wonder if style 1 works less effectively in the first quarter because the opposing team is at their strongest (bringing the most pressure). As the opposition tires, this style of football becomes harder to stop.

Maybe we need to develop a style of football for the first quarter, which then evolves throughout the game.

It'd be nice to lead from the start in every game but I don't mind being behind at quarter time in half our games if we're ahead at full time. Besides, it seems almost churlish not to give our opposition a head start.

 

[RubbaDuck]

Yes the AFL, or Fox, or C7 - one of those billion dollar organisations - would have to fork out for someone to be standing there with a boom mic. No way they could afford that prohibitive cost.

Pisses me off too. Is this AFL footy, the bush league or a couple of kids doing a podcast with an iPhone?

Surely our media guys could pass a mike around, or anything else to just keep the sound level constant.

 

[MF]

It wasn't even things we got pinged for, it was the lack of pinging the Cats for the same thing. In the first there were a number of occasions where Cats players just threw it away or got caught cold with the ball 'coming loose' where it was just waved play on.

The one on Florent I can totally accept being there, but only a minute or two before that up our end I think Chad (?) tackled a Cat for no reward.

Was incredibly frustrating. So many clear HTB and incorrect disposal under any set of interpretations not paid against them and then they pull out that bullshit HTB against Warner where he had no prior and the ball was stripped in the tackle.

And when that occurs it's not just the penalties and non penalties themselves that hurt you, it's that suddenly one team is under far more perceived pressure in general play

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

McInerney and Amartey above Rowbottom? Gee whiz I love those guys but they're not at Rowbottom's level. At least not yet IMO.

He's absolutely elite. Clearly the best player in the comp at what he does. And what he does is probably the most important part of our game.

He was great again today and it barely registered because it's just become so expected of him. Just part of the furniture now.

He's 1 of 1 for mine.

He was less than elite yesterday, esp with ball in hand. Must work on his disposal.

 

[melbournehammer]

Our slow starts.

We seem to have two styles -
1. A high risk, high reward play on at all costs style that leads to quick, dynamic goals.
2. A slower, calculated game of short accurate kicks picking teams apart.

I wonder if style 1 works less effectively in the first quarter because the opposing team is at their strongest (bringing the most pressure). As the opposition tires, this style of football becomes harder to stop.

Maybe we need to develop a style of football for the first quarter, which then evolves throughout the game.

I think our slow starts are often a product of Grundy starting slowly and giving away frees. The longer the game goes the more he improves and the less we get beaten around the ball. But often he concedes 2-3 ruck frees in the first quarter and often teams score two quick goals against us because of it.

 

[melbournehammer]

Spot on.

Throw in everything he does with the ball - behind only Heeney as our best clearance player IMO - the clever moments, the gutsy moments, the occasional crafty goal. It's an incredible weapon to have.

Re him & Warner, I actually think the two of them combined are as much a weapon as any component of our team. One's the best in the comp at making tackles, the other the best in the comp at breaking tackles. What having two players like that does is give confidence to teammates to hold their position and have complete faith that Rowbottom will stick that tackle and force the turnover, or Warner will break that tackle and dish it off to them. They don't need to get sucked in to the contest to "help out" Rowbottom and Warner because they're the best at what they do. I think that's a huge part of the reason we often have such good representation around and ahead of the ball this year, and numbers to surge forward in attack with.

It’s actually fascinating how we set up at centre square. Grundy runs past the ball taps it backwards. Rowbottom or Adam’s usually on the defensive side get first hands with the object of releasing heeney or Warner forward.

I don’t actually like it at the start of games because Grundy gives away frees by missing the ball and/or the other team seem to get the ball going forward but when it works it gives rowie first use and he either blasts it or creates from it

 

[the hypnotoad]

Rowbottom is along with Chad on of our biggest points off difference and arguably more so.

We don't have another explosive type like Chad but other sides have versions.

Is there another Rowbottom in the league? he basically plays with Batman's utility belt on , runs around like sonic the hedgehog and tackles like a bear trying to murder you.

i'll say it again ... rowbottom has turned tackling into an attacking weapon

 

[The King!]

ground size excuse, I got bingo

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

don't agree with your last line
geelong will struggle to make the eight, and essendon will struggle to stay top four ... and maybe even the eight
i thought carlton would beat essendon, i think they're clearly better than the cats and bombers, and i think they're a top four team

Big question is, who are the genuine contenders this year?

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

Big question is, who are the genuine contenders this year?

The Umpires followed by our big match nerves

 

[Kirkswan]

It's accidentally achieved what many, including myself, have been crying out for with Lloyd for years.

In a career quite literally littered with brilliant coaching moves, Horse taking one of our best runners and ball users and turning him into a chip-kicking guard hemmed into the back pocket was not one of them.

I disagree... This team has blossomed this year, but it was on the back on ongoing development over the past 5 years. Painting previous years teams with this years polish is just wishful thinking.

Playing Heeney forward and Lloyd back kept us winning games and playing finals... it's the Swans way to put the team first and not the player. Sure, Heeney and Lloyd shine much brighter in their current roles, and probably would have done so all along, but would the team have prospered quite as well? I don't think so...

We've been building for this crack for the last 5 years, and we're right on the cusp of a good long run (4-5 years); judging Horse retrospectively is just indulgence...

Of course, just my view...

 

[The King!]

It's accidentally achieved what many, including myself, have been crying out for with Lloyd for years.

In a career quite literally littered with brilliant coaching moves, Horse taking one of our best runners and ball users and turning him into a chip-kicking guard hemmed into the back pocket was not one of them.

He also has been forced to throw the midfield leadership around which I am not sure he would have done yet otherwise

 

[Tesla Tenet]

If Grundy doesn't get 3 votes at the brownlow then throw the medal in the yarra

Scott said he didn't have any influence in the game.

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