Autopsy Im still shaking are you? One of the great Final comebacks! 6 point winners over GWS.

[SwansProudly]

 

[mcs095]

Apart from missing a couple of easy shots in front of goal, they did everything right.

This.

And it gives me real confidence - we need to find another level in whatever footy we have left this season, but I thought the Giants were very, very good for most of today. Yet we found a way to win - despite being well below our best for a decent part of the first half.

We have a lot of improvement in us if it 'clicks' on Prelim Final night, and hopefully Grand Final night. We need it - like we need more from our three big forwards, like we need more across the whole game from players like Warner and Gulden. Like we need to drop the braindead defensive moments.

But I have confidence that even small improvements across those three areas, and it will mean our opposition has to play out of their skins to beat us.

No team will want us within 3 kicks going into the last quarter. I'd love to think we could even remember you are allowed to lead against good teams at that point too - but if one thing this season has shown is we will run games out, we can come over the top of good teams, and we have the self-belief needed to achieve that.

We may fall short yet - sure. But if a win like that today, against an opponent that played very, very well isn't what is needed to build the confidence to take the next step, then I don't know what will.

 

[Kiama Chris]

Some friendly and not so friendly observations from the SCG.

1. What about the noise ! The place went nuts and the Nick Davis comparison is spot on. The crowd was something else, reckon you could have heard the SCG from a 5km radius. Easily the best and most vocal crowd this year by +50db.

2. The umpiring is bordering on corruption. Had a perfect view of that cheating Number 11 Curtis Deboy and his mates paying frees in front of goal, also, Grundy mark, Parker mark, Cunningham taken high. Play on.

Rowie hit high, play on, right in front of him.

I mean what was it, felt like at least 5 goals / shots on goals from frees and dodgy decisions. Yes, Giants were better until half time but it should have been nearly even.

3. The crowd giving it to the umpires as they left the ground at half time. This was important. Seeing members frothing at the mouth in an almost Lordsesque manner was fantastic. The frees in front of goals stopped ein the second half as a result. The umps copped it just as bad as they left the ground at full time.

AFL HQ directed umpiring remains my number 1 concern.

4. We couldn’t buy a clearance. I expected better. Need to practice tap positioning, do something to fix this.

5. Too much hesitation, why no run and gun. Logan took a mark in the first then held it up when we had Heeney free in a mismatch.

6. Contested marking was poor from the 3 talls providing no relief down the line.

7. Mills on Darcy Jones is just bad coaching. Jones is one of the fastest guys in the AFL, and Mills, well, is not.

8. Heeney was god like. I know I’m biased but he kept the fight going early when it mattered most then brought it home like the true hero we need and deserve.

9. Cunningham fantastic, Campbell fantastic, Lloyd going hard at it - excellent. And Papley. 6 weeks off and plays a ridiculous match. The number 1 energy giver in the afl. Amazing.

10. What can you say that hasn’t already been said about that last quarter. Half the crowd would have lost their voices. This quarter rivalled Nick Davis and overall was one of the best matches I’ve ever been blessed to witness live.

And yes, my heart rate did climb above 60 as my Garmin watch alerted me to ‘high stress levels’

But I will tell you this, I never stopped believing.

Go Swans !

JHWF - raw and uncut as we approach the grannie.

Good summary JHWF. A couple of additional points:
There were a few times GWS got mismatches with a tall forward on Roberts. He had no chance. This was poor organisation.
Also too often we had no-one out the back of packs. This is a regular flaw.
Umps allowed arm chopping all game. Same in the other 3 finals too. Seems like an instruction.
Amartey had a mare but when he had the chance he nailed it. I salute him.
The truth is we played our best footy for 15 minutes and it won us the game. GWS played their best for 110 minutes and lost.

 

[Jack2Jack]

Under Kingsley they had a 23 - 0 record when leading at 3/4 time. Can't be too bad a poor finishing team.
I believe though that we can outrun any side in the last quarter as long as we are close enough.

Only Brisbane has a worse 4th quarter record of all the finalists, they're the only 2 top 8 sides with a losing record in 4th qtrs. GWS now 11-13 with a percentage of 94. It's their weakest quarter on paper anyway.

Fair point that they're getting the wins, so maybe doesn't matter, guess it depends on the context of what happened in those games, the numbers suggest they don't run games out as strongly as the other contenders though.

By comparison we're now 17-7 in final qtrs with a percentage of 127. So we do run out games strong. On the flipside no surprise we're the only finalist with a losing first quarter record.

 

[mcs095]

Campbell and Jordon won us that. After Jordon clumsily missed that tackle that led to their last goal, he didn’t put a foot wrong. It was Jordon, Campbell, Heeney, Warner that pulled us over the line against all odds. I think we might win it all now.

Gulden was terrible. Roberts terrible, Blakey terrible, McCartin terrible. Melican almost good, but ultimately pretty terrible. McInerney beyond terrible. Parker almost terrible, but ultimately fine. Amartey, McDonald, McLean utterly terrible. Rampe great!

How the f did we win that? I still can’t believe it.

Funny how we all watch the game very differently.

Blakey didn't have his best game - but teams are getting good at keeping him accountable and making him defend first and foremost, which is damaging his ability to provide rebound run and carry. However - he did okay tonight. And had 2 absolutely huge plays in that last quarter that were defensive efforts - that very early spoil to stop a certain mark, and another later on in the quarter where he 2 to 1 outnumbered but did terrifically well. He was fine.

Roberts was good early, but struggled in the second half. The pace of the game I think got to him, but he will learn from it.

 

[sataris]

Good win.

I also want to congratulate Horse on once again selecting an injured player to start in a final.

Let's see it again next week.

 

[mcs095]

Tbf for a key position player especially defenders if you conceed 3 on your matchup(s) you pretty much have a bad day automatically so yes i think he was just a stinker for him considering the matchup of Cadman who he should be beating.

Disagree strongly. The modern game (especially the past few years since the 6-6-6 came in) makes it exceptionally difficult for KPDs if your midfield gets a beating, which ours did early. In most cases you probably say the best said defender has done in that case is 'broken even', but I'd argue in some cases, a defender keeping their direct opponent to only 3 could actually be a good performance that is the difference between winning and losing a game.

That is because context matters. Some ad hoc, random 'insert number here' number of goals being kicked by your opponent means absolutely zilch - its an arbitrary measure that takes exactly zero into account around what else happens in the game. Its exactly why statistical models, things like Champion Data and the Squiggle get it wrong sometimes. Raw data without consideration of context is, by and large, pointless.

It wasn't his best game - sure. But it was absolutely not a stinker in any sense of the word, and he had some very important moments.

 

[lazy77]

Honestly though, we’re nothing without Rampe. When everyone else was getting in each other’s way and spoiling each other, he was a low key colossus, calming everything down and not letting it get out of hand. Imagine if it was Francis instead. We’d have been down by 80 by the time Campbell came on.

Port would’ve been completely different with Rampe in. We might still have lost, but certainly not by 112 points.

 

[WhippingCupcakes]

mcdonald's handball to gulden

How about his intercept mark and goal from 50

 

[Ticky009]

Honestly though, we’re nothing without Rampe. When everyone else was getting in each other’s way and spoiling each other, he was a low key colossus, calming everything down and not letting it get out of hand. Imagine if it was Francis instead. We’d have been down by 80 by the time Campbell came on.

Port would’ve been completely different with Rampe in. We might still have lost, but certainly not by 112 points.

Nothing scares me more than Rampe getting closer to retirement.

He was great against Toby tonight and wore him like a glove, his leadership skills and influence on the backline is criminally underrated I feel.

 

[McRobie]

Just rewatching, those giving McCartin a hard time need to go back and rewatch.
He was very very good.
Unrealistic to keep the best forward in the comp quiet all day. Hogan is a star.
He could have kicked 7/8 on most defenders the way the ball was coming in.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Got back from the second half of my safari of course I had to endure the first half only lol

Just thank me again I won’t watch the prelim and we’ll win lol

 

[lazy77]

I actually felt like he was pretty good for large chunks of the game - beyond the comical moment with McCartin, and a couple of tough 50/50 moments. Had some really important 1 on 1 wins, and a couple of critical moments of real composure under serious pressure.

He was fumbly all game. He’d almost take a mark or almost pick up the ball cleanly, only to unravel at the last moment. With McCartin not having a great game, we needed Melican to step up and he didn’t quite get there. Can’t fault the effort though. Certainly wasn’t our worst.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Just rewatching, those giving McCartin a hard time need to go back and rewatch.
He was very very good.
Unrealistic to keep the best forward in the comp quiet all day. Hogan is a star.
He could have kicked 7/8 on most defenders the way the ball was coming in.

Hogan has averaged 4 goals a game the last 10 weeks basically. He only kicked 3 and 2 were early can’t have been that bad didn’t see the last half

 

[caesar88]

I thought Heeney was epic, as has been well-covered. Kind of amazing how he's just believing his own story now and it's actually making him a better player. The hype, slow starts, the pressure... it just hasn't fazed him or stopped him from being brilliant at all. He wants to be the hero that saves us now and is relishing that opportunity.

Lloyd... what a day to play just about the best game of his career. Had a horror 90 seconds in the third, but everything either side of it was just awesome. Hard-running, smooth-moving, damaging footy. A brilliant wingman performance in a game where we really needed it with McInerney sub-par (no comment!)

When I think of 'Swans' and 'finals', I think of JPK. Not that there will ever be another JPK, but I think when all is said and done, when I think of 'Swans' and 'finals', I will think of 'JPK and Rowbottom.' He is an unbelievable player who is probably the one Swan, along with Heeney, who is just made for finals football.

Melican being our best rebounding weapon all game was not on my bingo card, but I will take it! The absolute confidence to just push off his opponent and take off on a run to clear it out. That's huge in killing opposition entries.

The roles that Sir Dane and Cunningham played were immense. Whilst GWS were on top for almost all of the game, Greene & Daniels not being able to flex their muscles much was SO crucial in the Giants not just slamming goal on top of goal like the Harlem Globetrotters.

I concur with others that Campbell looked great when he came on as sub, just hard to assess his game as anything more than a great sub performance because we didn't get much of a look at him unfortunately.

And finally, just the small moments some players had. The big marks McLean took early that helped in just slowing the play down and giving us a chance to catch our breaths when GWS were red hot. Papley winning some absolutely clutch contests late to set up a few of our comeback goals. Warner showing some genuine hardness to assert himself with second and third efforts late in the game. McDonald being a real workhorse to get up and down the ground; his game was hardly Wayne Carey 2.0, but every time I looked at the screen he was in frame. Jordon's vision and execution of that kick to Campbell. Etc.

Go Swans.

 

[Kbroome]

Disagree strongly. The modern game (especially the past few years since the 6-6-6 came in) makes it exceptionally difficult for KPDs if your midfield gets a beating, which ours did early. In most cases you probably say the best said defender has done in that case is 'broken even', but I'd argue in some cases, a defender keeping their direct opponent to only 3 could actually be a good performance that is the difference between winning and losing a game.

That is because context matters. Some ad hoc, random 'insert number here' number of goals being kicked by your opponent means absolutely zilch - its an arbitrary measure that takes exactly zero into account around what else happens in the game. Its exactly why statistical models, things like Champion Data and the Squiggle get it wrong sometimes. Raw data without consideration of context is, by and large, pointless.

It wasn't his best game - sure. But it was absolutely not a stinker in any sense of the word, and he had some very important moments.

I think this whole bolded statement is ignorant to the modern game especially to the fact that players don't kick as many goals as they did 20 years ago as key forwards. Only 1 player in the whole league averaged 3 goals a game in the whole league and that was the coleman medalists and he won it by 0.3 goals per game. Saying a KPD has a good game by holding any KPF to Coleman winning pace is just blindly foolish.

 

[McRobie]

Hogan has averaged 4 goals a game the last 10 weeks basically. He only kicked 3 and 2 were early can’t have been that bad didn’t see the last half

Yeah that’s my point….He was good

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Yeah that’s my point….He was good

If you told me on Wednesday Hogan would only kick 3…I’d say thanks where can I sign? What I didn’t want was spuds like Keefe kicking them too

 

[Cadsky]

Should Freo not play a tall 3 of Amiss, Tracey and Jackson?

All 3 are actually impacting unlike ours.

 

[Cadsky]

Freo's 3 talls kick 4.8 goals per game
Sydney's 3 talls kick 4.3 goals per game

Not tonight they didn't, and amarty's 9 skew that data too.

 

[momentbymoment]

Turned off half way through the third and banished myself to the garden.

Sometime later I heard a wild ecstatic scream from a Swans fan a few doors down. Ran inside to see the replays of Heeneys goal … and stayed to the end.

What a finish !!!!!!

 

[Kirkswan]

What a day!

Left home at 10 am, got home at 10.45 pm... for an old duck, that was an epic performance!

The Giants, what a game they played... hard, clean, and just refused to roll over... an excellent performance! Reckon there's a good chance of all Sydney GF!

The Sydney crowd!!! Passionate, involved, and LOUD!!! Willing the boys home in the last! You were EPIC!!!!

And my beloved Swannies!!! OMG! What a game! The whole team put in for 4 quarters, some with better outcomes than others... but they never, ever gave up and rolled over! Some special mentions...

Harry Cunningham... OUTSTANDING JOB! Really stood up for us! Daniels had 11 possessions, and no score...

Braeden Campbell... Brilliant quarter mate!

Tom Papley

11

Tom Papley

Age

28

Ht

177cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.1

4star

K

9.1

4star

HB

5.0

4star

M

3.7

4star

T

3.2

5star

G

1.5

5star

D

12.3

3star

K

8.9

4star

HB

3.4

2star

M

4.5

4star

T

1.5

2star

G

2.4

5star

D

13.4

4star

K

8.0

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

3.4

4star

T

3.4

5star

G

1.6

5star

... great game mate! First up after a long lay up, you're a GUN!!!

JAKE LLOYD

44

Jake Lloyd

Age

30

Ht

182cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

D/M

Career

Season

Last 5

D

23.4

5star

K

14.4

5star

HB

9.0

5star

M

4.3

4star

T

1.9

4star

MG

403.9

5star

D

23.4

5star

K

14.4

5star

HB

9.0

4star

M

4.3

4star

T

1.9

3star

MG

403.9

5star

D

23.2

5star

K

13.4

5star

HB

9.8

5star

M

4.2

4star

T

2.2

4star

MG

357.4

5star

! OUTSTANDING GAME!!! Without you mate, we lose!

ISAAC HEENEY

5

Isaac Heeney

Age

28

Ht

185cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.2

5star

K

10.4

4star

HB

7.7

5star

M

4.9

5star

T

4.1

5star

CL

2.2

4star

D

14.3

3star

K

8.8

4star

HB

5.5

3star

M

4.8

4star

T

2.5

3star

CL

0.8

3star

D

10.4

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.4

4star

CL

0.8

3star

! LEGEND! ABSOLUTELY AWESOME! UNBELIEVABLY BRILLIANT!!! What a game!

 

[Swannie0307]

Currently waiting for QF2 to take off from Heathrow on the 13-hr red eye to Singapore.

After 3.5 weeks holidaying around Europe, I’m gratefully heading home. As I finally have a few spare minutes from my wife(!), I can reflect on and share my epic Swans/Giants final experience with you all. After a late flight from Corfu to London the previous night (and feeling totally knackered), my first hiccup was I didn’t wake up until late in the 3rd quarter. Stuff up number 2 was I couldn’t get the Foxtel Go app working on my phone! (I also flicked thru around 100 channels on the hotel TV and as expected, couldn’t find the match being televised).

So I had to settle for listening to the 2 Gerards (Whately & Healy) on SEN radio on my phone. My first reaction was of total horror as I realised we were about 5 goals down, and after quickly browsing thru our forum’s posts, I came to the conclusion that we were playing shite, and the umps had been giving us a terrible run (no surprise!). Feeling very glum (and still half asleep), I was dozing in and out listening to the 2 Gerards for the next 10 mins or so.
BUT, as we started getting back into the game, I not only felt a glimmer of hope, but the nerves started kicking in and I found myself making a quick dash to the loo. So there I was, literally shitting myself for those epic final moments .. and I remember punching the wall (and punching out some other stuff that I shall not spell out here) when Superman Heeney kicked the equaliser and then The Party kicked true to put us a goal in front with not long to go. Then those final seconds felt like an eternity as I was sweating it out on the loo .

It was sheer joy and relief when the siren went off… what a game, what an experience!!!

Can’t wait for the prelim, which I will be there for “with bells on”!! ️

 

[Kirkswan]

Amazing comeback but also baffling the way we let it get to that point really , frustrating

Not really mate... the Giants were on song, hard, clean, coordinated... the job they did on Gulden was outstanding. They played an excellent game and threw it away with several missed opportunities in front of goal. Buckley and Taylor were outstanding... Green too... they played really well and had the rub of the green for a fair bit of that match.

But in the end, we were harder for longer... and that won us the match!

 

[BloodySwan]

Then don't play him. It's shocking we don't learn our lessons.

Players are constantly playing with something going on. We'd have barely any stability if we dropped players for something like gastro

 

[BloodySwan]

The umpiring want biased but just plain awful. We had some soft calls earlier in the game as well