Game Day Preliminary Final: Sydney v Collingwood

[grimlock]

Rain forecasted for the whole week, expect a flurry of (misleading) articles about how that will help the 'Swans style' of contested footy.

 

[Sydney Bloods]

Oh **** not Rain against the pies

 

[Swanee]

Need to show more composure and polish this time round. We had a lot more ball last time, but kept butchering it....most noticeable thing to me was the mis-tackles and overuse of handballs to team mates under pressure when we should have kicked it - whereas collingwood when they had it was able to dish it out to men in space who then had the quick kick into their forward line.

Have to agree. In that game, our players often hand balled to a team mate under pressure. If you're going to handball to a contest, may as well kick to a contest, at least you have gained another 40 meters or so up the ground. I think because of the past also (our poor record against them), when we have the ball against the Pies, we tend to panic when moving into the forward line and don't show the patience that we usually do when playing other sides.

Both teams were buggered at the completion of last night. Dawes may well still play, but he and others including Jolly were run off their feet. With just a 6 day break they are primed to be beaten and how sweet that will be.

 

[nicky]

That is strange...

Why, it's our home pre-lim.

**** curses, we're ending our drought against them this week. The hoodoo is over.

 

[captainMyCaptain]

Expecting the swans to have a vitas gerulaitis moment on friday

After losing to Jimmy Connors in 16 consecutive matches and then doing the unthinkable by winning, Vitas Gerulaitis commented: “And let that be a lesson to you all. Nobody beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row!”

 

[The King!]

I hope we dont kick to self play on and go wide on just about every kick in, they seem to come straight back v the pies

 

[db swannie]

Oh well, the Pies and WEagles did what I'd hope they'd do: belt each other around a fair bit. A few more ACLs would've been nice (only joking)...Seriously though, it was a hard contest last night. Both sides looked pretty knackered. I would've preferred WC, simply because their mids just don't look as classy as the Pies...such is life...

Can we beat the Pies? Of course we can. Will we beat them? Pure speculation...Dawes out is a minor benefit, means Jolly will have to work that much harder. Thomas kicked himself back into form, that's worrying but inevitable. Beams looks very dangerous.

I woke up this morning and looked out at the sunny day and thought, Gee I'm glad my side's in a prelim. It's going to be a good week! Bring on Friday night (hope and pray it doesn't rain!!!)

 

[Yidaki]

Oh well, the Pies and WEagles did what I'd hope they'd do: belt each other around a fair bit. A few more ACLs would've been nice (only joking)...Seriously though, it was a hard contest last night. Both sides looked pretty knackered. I would've preferred WC, simply because their mids just don't look as classy as the Pies...such is life...

Can we beat the Pies? Of course we can. Will we beat them? Pure speculation...Dawes out is a minor benefit, means Jolly will have to work that much harder. Thomas kicked himself back into form, that's worrying but inevitable. Beams looks very dangerous.

I woke up this morning and looked out at the sunny day and thought, Gee I'm glad my side's in a prelim. It's going to be a good week! Bring on Friday night (hope and pray it doesn't rain!!!)

I think rain would suit you guys more than it would suit us.

 

[CAS79]

I think rain would suit you guys more than it would suit us.

big AFL myth that Sydney win in the wet....

 

[Yidaki]

big AFL myth that Sydney win in the wet....

I think it would suit your boys better considering we have come off two hard slogs.

 

[db swannie]

I think it would suit your boys better considering we have come off two hard slogs.

In that sense, yep I think you're right. Apart from that, we're pretty shit in the rain. Have been for years. For some reason over the years commentators keep conflating our game style with a suitability for wet conditions???

 

[Riders of Rohan]

Could be wrong but I can only remember us getting up in 3 games that were played in the wet in the last few years and that was against North, Port and Richmond last year.

 

[Yidaki]

In that sense, yep I think you're right. Apart from that, we're pretty shit in the rain. Have been for years. For some reason over the years commentators keep conflating our game style with a suitability for wet conditions???

Yeah I don't know why they do that. Perhaps it's the contested style of play that the Swannies adopt as you said.

 

[stevoswan]

In regard to the 'hoodoo', we smashed our Adelaide hoodoo away last week, the boys seem focussed in an '05 sort of way, and we will smash the Collingwood hoodoo at home(albeit ANZ) next week. We're fresh, in form and ready to change history. Go Bloods!

 

[SM]

big AFL myth that Sydney win in the wet....

See: North Melbourne game at the start of the year. Rain is an irrelevant factor in whether we win or lose, I don't think it helps or hinders us.

 

[Eshay187]

I'm pretty concerned about the Benny McGlynn sized hole.

It seems innocuous, but bird is really the only other person who can play as a small defensive scrapping forward, and he will no doubt have a tagging role.

Will they just say "f*ck it" and leave Morton in and put LRT forward with Grundy's arrival? or will they put a smaller forward (TDL...eek) and drop Morton?

Or play someone like Bolton further forward (possible) as the hard man up front?

 

[SM]

Reckon they may push Bolton forward, leave Morton in, and have Grundy, LRT and Richards in the backline to contend with Dawes and Cloke. Really think we'll basically have to double team Cloke with perhaps LRT taking him and Richards third man up.

 

[Taleoftwotitans]

I'm in a weird place. I honestly don't think collingwood can beat hawthorn no matter what. Sydney however can. I don't want collingwood to lose another gf. So if you do win Friday I'll be barracking for the swannies in the gf like a most collingwood supporters would. Just seems fitting to break the drought against us in a prelim doesn't it? Should be a cracker game. Heart says collingwood will do the same thing they did last year and throw everything they got in the prelim and be running on empty in the grand final. Head says like most years, the team with the bye will win.

All the best for Friday night guys

 

[MrPresident]

Start will be crucial. If we get on top early I think it will be very tough for them to chase us down given their 6 day break compared to our 14 day break.

If we are up by 3 or 4 goals at halftime I would be very surprised if we lost from there.

 

[CAS79]

See: North Melbourne game at the start of the year. Rain is an irrelevant factor in whether we win or lose, I don't think it helps or hinders us.

We've improved I agree, but th north game was more slippery than a real wet.

My point though all the talk about us as a better chance just because it rais would be wrong.

However Collingwood slogging it out in the wet may be a battle for them due to the fatigue factor.

 

[RUNVS]

It won't happen but i really want LRT to play on Cloke as LRT is taller than Richards and more able to handle the power forwards and LRT also doesn't make a lot of the stupid errors that Grundy makes.

 

[QS]

On the swans wagon now. Have a good win on Friday night then go on to glory at the G!

 

[RUNVS]

On the swans wagon now. Have a good win on Friday night then go on to glory at the G!

Thanks for your support. I just hope we can pull off a miracle and actually manage to beat Collingwood. I really hope the fact we have had a 13 day break and they have had a 6 day break will be a factor in the match.

 

[QS]

Thanks for your support. I just hope we can pull off a miracle and actually manage to beat Collingwood. I really hope the fact we have had a 13 day break and they have had a 6 day break will be a factor in the match.

They weren't great last night. We were very poor and got within however many points it was (closed my eyes by that stage). At home, with the break you should come out on top. They've had two pretty taxing games.

 

[db swannie]

I'm pretty concerned about the Benny McGlynn sized hole.

It seems innocuous, but bird is really the only other person who can play as a small defensive scrapping forward, and he will no doubt have a tagging role.

Will they just say "f*ck it" and leave Morton in and put LRT forward with Grundy's arrival? or will they put a smaller forward (TDL...eek) and drop Morton?

Or play someone like Bolton further forward (possible) as the hard man up front?

I really hope they keep MM in. Regardless of match ups elsewhere he's earned the right to play in the prelim by virtue of the Adelaide game, plus we really need another REAL forward up there as a target.

I'm a big Grundy fan, but I think LRT is more important down back to us ATM. It's a problem, but a good problem.