Preview Match Preview: Sydney Swans v Hawthorn Hawks - Qualifying Final 1 - Friday September 6 @ 19:50, MCG

[SBD Gonzalez]

Pretty simple really, you need a lot to go right to win a flag and the Swans have not had a lot go right this year.

It seemed, more so than any other time this year, that our injuries have caught up with us. Hannebery laboured, Jetta looked underdone and Rohan and Mitchell looked tired.

No denying injuries have cruelled our run massively this year, but the question needs to be asked - why have we had so many injuries? Up until now we've had one of the best records in this respect. Have half our medical staff been poached by other clubs?

 

[Bloods_33]

Thats odd then, sorry thought he just got caught in transition down there

I think horse was trying to stem the bleeding, you saw him in the ruck thou right?

 

[Sanecow]

Tippett lose man in defense? If I am playing Sydney and I see that, I would know we had it in the bag. Nothing would boost your confidence more than seeing panic like that.

 

[The King!]

I think the gold afl logo is unlucky and they seem determined to get rid of it

 

[The King!]

I think horse was trying to stem the bleeding, you saw him in the ruck thou right?

Yeah through the tears in my eyes

Trying to get him involved

I thought he looked ok in the ruck

 

[Bloods_33]

Tippett lose man in defense? If I am playing Sydney and I see that, I would know we had it in the bag. Nothing would boost your confidence more than seeing panic like that.

Exactly what I said when it happened

 

[stevierayswan]

Rather lamb, Biggs any player who can run for four quarters, I was at the ground he spent at least ten minutes next to ted as a loose man in defence. I understand about delivery into the forward line but in finals that's often not possible, which means bring the ball to ground and hold the ball in the forward half, with pacy fit players who can chase

if that's the case, then I fear that Horse has no effective solution as yet for this problem.

 

[stevierayswan]

Tippet forward, ruck, loose man in defense... I feel sorry for the guy .. that is just knee jerk reactionary coaching

 

[Bloods_33]

Yeah through the tears in my eyes

Trying to get him involved

I thought he looked ok in the ruck

C'mon he looked ok, he ends up on his arse half the time , can't use his body but I've already made my feelings known about Tippett, he tries its not his fault but he doesn't fit in . Sadly I think we will loose Jesse next year when he's playing his best footy and to me he could play the same role Kurt is playing for half the dough

 

[The King!]

Its just funny that the tall forward lined looked dangerous early when they were up and about

The mids get tired and the delivery just dies off

We allowed a lot of cheap short kicks near the hawks 50

We even let an entry to the 50 without a contest quite often

 

[Jack2Jack]

The forward line has been a problem since Tippett came in. But that is partly because our midfield has been destroyed repeatedly. Prior to Tippett we actually looked for targets, and the run and carry enabled us to kick to more players. Now we are so pressured that we only have the get out of jail option. But the talls we have on the forward line just lead to uncontested footy from the hawks. We can't man up and we can't keep the ball in.

Tippett coming in, pretty much coincided with losing Goodes (37 goals last year), (Reid 31 goals), Jetta (45 goals). That's a lot of firepower, to replace and Tippett has pretty much had to try and cover the goals of all 3. Only Pyke and White have significantly improved there goal tallies from last year, everyone else only has a 1 or 2 more or a lot less.

I agree with most of what you've said, early in the year we did it reasonably well, but not against great opposition, with the exception of the Collingwood/Essendon games, when most of last year suspects (including those still playing but whos goal tallies have been modest) got involved on the scoreboard. Tippett has changed things but it's not quite that simple, the scoring problems lie with the other players, those missing and those playing.
It seems to be mainly a mindset problem, for some reason they feel they have to go long and Tippett and Pyke are the only one's who seem to be able to take a contested forward 50 mark. The fact they even allow 1 on 3's in the forward line to happen, only to be swept out, says a lot. They're not executing the game-plan regardless of Tippett, even last week despite kicking 16 goals, they wasted too many chances bombing long to an outnumbered contest. The spread was ok, but not anywhere near the level it should. Then again Jetta was the biggest architect in our run and carry game-plan (more than he probably got credit for).

We have problems in the immediate future (as in this season) with this forward line, but I think we have the pillars to build a really good forward line but they need to work really hard on this area in the pre-season. The link between midfield and forward line needs to get much better regardless of personnel.

 

[Bloods_33]

if that's the case, then I fear that Horse has no effective solution as yet for this problem.

I agree now that we are in this path it's near impossible to change , but as I said its a problem brought onto the team by the coach

 

[The King!]

C'mon he looked ok, he ends up on his arse half the time , can't use his body but I've already made my feelings known about Tippett, he tries its not his fault but he doesn't fit in . Sadly I think we will loose Jesse next year when he's playing his best footy and to me he could play the same role Kurt is playing for half the dough

Will have to disagree, i think tippett has shown plenty considering woeful delivery and a lack of adjustment to him in the side.

Managed to be the leading goal kicker in half a year

 

[The King!]

Lets not forget pre tippett we still got smashed by hawthorn and geelong tore us about too, struggled against the two expansion clubs even

Tippett was there for our best form

 

[l337_Azza]

So I'm sitting here in a Irish pup, having my 3rd double neat...
Where did we go wrong ? Bah ! Injuries have depleted our season !!
It is so hard going b2b, with the limited pre season a premiership team is granted ..
Friends, lets chin up and look forward to next week, win or lose these guys will always do us proud ..
Bloods for life !!!

 

[Bloods_33]

Will have to disagree, i think tippett has shown plenty considering woeful delivery and a lack of adjustment to him in the side.

Managed to be the leading goal kicker in half a year

Agree , he's done well but the side has not played anywhere near its best. I keep going back to the Adelaide game when we truly had the right balance. With Tippett kicking so many goals wouldn't you think our results should look better. Keep in mind if you target someone 80% of the time they'd wanna be kicking goals

 

[The King!]

Agree , he's done well but the side has not played anywhere near its best. I keep going back to the Adelaide game when we truly had the right balance. With Tippett kicking so many goals wouldn't you think our results should look better. Keep in mind if you target someone 80% of the time they'd wanna be kicking goals

What are our inside 50s the last month or so, they have dropped off big time. I think tippett has done a bloody good job to kick the goals he has.

I agree the balance was right for adelaide, but id take tippett over white anyday.

I imagine tippett and reid if both fire is a much more flexible set up, watching the grand final the other day reids work around the ground is missing big time for this side.

Tippett white pyke mumford is almost four ruckman i guess, it probably could work real well, but we dont have the precision against good teams to pull it off perhaps

Maybe Punts is right

 

[Bloods_33]

What are our inside 50s the last month or so, they have dropped off big time. I think tippett has done a bloody good job to kick the goals he has.

I agree the balance was right for adelaide, but id take tippett over white anyday.

I imagine tippett and reid if both fire is a much more flexible set up, watching the grand final the other day reids work around the ground is missing big time for this side.

Tippett white pyke mumford is almost four ruckman i guess, it probably could work real well, but we dont have the precision against good teams to pull it off perhaps

Maybe Punts is right

Reid is a star and he is that because on top of taking marks he truly puts on pressure and chases, can't see how Reid goodes Tippett white mummy and Pyle fit but still proud of the boys the still try but I just don't think we have the right game plan, all teams are going smaller and more mobile and we have gone the opposite way

 

[The King!]

Reid is a star and he is that because on top of taking marks he truly puts on pressure and chases, can't see how Reid goodes Tippett white mummy and Pyle fit but still proud of the boys the still try but I just don't think we have the right game plan, all teams are going smaller and more mobile and we have gone the opposite way

Watching tonight im not sure what the gameplan is, surely it isnt arch back and bomb over your sholdour as high as you can in the air

I would love to see a piece of paper that has the actual game plan on it, whats the objective with the current forward set up

I presume we are no where near executing the plan rather than having the wrong one

 

[Jack2Jack]

There's also the fact teams studied the crap out of our game plan (like they also do for the reigning premiers). Most of them would've identified where it can be broken down, we've tried to change the system a little bit but right now it doesn't work.
Our game plan needs to evolve a little more and hopefully we can get back up to Hawthorn's level. We still have the chance of a prelim next week though, that's not to be sniffed at. I can understand why they took the gamble they did this week on certain players, they probably had to try and hope it came off to have a chance, but now it's time to make the crunch/hard calls this week. Who can we gamble to go again with, and which one's need to go out.

Jetta with 4 possesions and 4 tackles, while wasn't great, was probably better than 3 or 4 others, which says why we got flogged like we did. Maybe a couple of Lamb, Morton or Cunningham needs to come in for someone who didn't do the job this week. Gambling on LRT and Goodes really doesn't look like a good idea now.

 

[stevierayswan]

I'm not blaming injuries, because you play with whom ever is best and available, BUT a fully fit and 'in form' Goodes, Jetta, Reid, LRT, Shaw for a full season MUST surely make a massive diff, and I am certain we wouldn't be having half of these conversations if not for this contributing factor.

 

[Bloods_33]

Watching tonight im not sure what the gameplan is, surely it isnt arch back and bomb over your sholdour as high as you can in the air

I would love to see a piece of paper that has the actual game plan on it, whats the objective with the current forward set up

I presume we are no where near executing the plan rather than having the wrong one

Whatever it is it hasn't worked, but we live to fight another day , hopefully horse can work it out this week, I need to get some rest I'm working tomorrow , good talking to ya

 

[The King!]

I know which dvd im ignoring in this years premiership box set

 

[The King!]

I'm not blaming injuries, because you play with whom ever is best and available, BUT a fully fit and 'in form' Goodes, Jetta, Reid, LRT, Shaw for a full season MUST surely make a massive diff, and I am certain we wouldn't be having half of these conversations if not for this contributing factor.

Flip side franklin rioli suckling

 

[SouthSwans]

We got smashed. Should've lost by 15 goals. Got smashed in the first half and should've been down by a lot more at the main break.

Mitchell & Hannebery were clueless with ball in hand, very selfish.

Smith, Everitt, Rohan & McGlynn all were a bit off/slow/sloppy. Rucks were beaten convincingly by Hale & Bailey and Lake was awesome on Kurt. Macca & Mal were easily thwarted also.

But despite all that it was the unwillingness to run & the inability to get more numbers to each contest that lost us that game; Kizza, Joey, Birdy & Parks were the only ones that kept running for 120 mins.

Lots of work to do, tonight certainly made things a lot harder.