Preview Round 21 Swans vs Port Adelaide

[caesar88]

Heeney’s form is tracking the same as previous seasons - starts superbly then fades. The dodgy ankle seems the most likely culprit.

But I still think Heeney, Chad, Errol, Rowy, Grundy, mcI is our best combo & if available, has to be persisted with.

I know you didn’t ask, but since you asked - who is droppable?

I’d say Adams, Jordon, Parker, Wicks, Corey, Campbell, McLean, Armatey. The latter 2 mainly because Ladhams played so well on Saturday.

On form, Mills too - but it’d be a tough call, particularly with no VFL game this week.

My feeling is that only Corey cops the axe, despite being ok-ish today.

Not sure why you're giving McDonald a free pass and not McLean & Amartey?

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Logan to be the new swingman!

 

[The King!]

Id **** Campbell off out ofthe team before Adams.

Adams can just hanball more, but at least he can find the footy.

Campbell is playing hide and seek out there

 

[Nuggetz]

Bring in the eshay ladhams, grundy looks cooked & needs a rest.

 

[mcs095]

Id **** Campbell off out ofthe team before Adams.

Adams can just hanball more, but at least he can find the footy.

Campbell is playing hide and seek out there

So frustrated by Campbell this year. Really thought he'd kick on after a decent end to last year, and start to show what a player he should become.

Still think he will be a very good player in time, but we can't keep waiting for it to happen this year. I also think our structures are a bit all screwed up by carrying too many of the same sorts of players in different spaces - he and Roberts being a good example. One or the other from here on in for mine (assuming we don't get additional injuries forcing out hand). And despite Roberts not using the ball well at time, he at least gets the frigging thing occasionally.

 

[McRobie]

Longmire starting to feel like Ken Hinkley.

 

[Dubai Quacker]

Not sure why you're giving McDonald a free pass and not McLean & Amartey?

Only because the Ladhams option doesn’t really seem to work structurally if it’s for Logan. Maybe I’m wrong?

I feel like if Sam Reid hadn’t retired, he might find himself jogging through the banner next week in place of Logan.

All 3 have been frustratingly poor over the last month.

Ugh - I feel way too bitter and twisted this evening. Damn you Swans.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Bring in the eshay ladhams, grundy looks cooked & needs a rest.

He needed a rest weeks ago

 

[McRobie]

People who are calling for players to be rested need to give that a rest. We are out of the top 4 if we lose and then prob out of the top 8 if we lose the next week.

Every single team play the same amount of games at same intensity, this rest bullshit is just code for not in form or simply playing like shit.
Do you reckon you see the Hawks board calling for players to be rested?

It’s just loser talk.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

People who are calling for players to be rested need to give that a rest. We are out of the top 4 if we lose and then prob out of the top 8 if we lose the next week.

Every single team play the same amount of games at same intensity, this rest bullshit is just code for not in form or simply playing like shit.
Do you reckon you see the Hawks board calling for players to be rested?
It’s just loser talk.

What do you mean? we will still be first next week win or lose but thats not the point.

 

[Dubai Quacker]

People who are calling for players to be rested need to give that a rest. We are out of the top 4 if we lose and then prob out of the top 8 if we lose the next week.

Every single team play the same amount of games at same intensity, this rest bullshit is just code for not in form or simply playing like shit.
Do you reckon you see the Hawks board calling for players to be rested?

It’s just loser talk.

Hayward should have been rested today.

Playing clearly injured players always backfires & now it seems possible he’ll miss next week.

We never learn.

 

[caesar88]

Only because the Ladhams option doesn’t really seem to work structurally if it’s for Logan. Maybe I’m wrong?

I feel like if Sam Reid hadn’t retired, he might find himself jogging through the banner next week in place of Logan.

All 3 have been frustratingly poor over the last month.

Ugh - I feel way too bitter and twisted this evening. Damn you Swans.

I'm not opposed to dropping one of the talls - even my patience is wearing thin; still a believer in the HYDRA - but only Amartey or McDonald.

McLean has been genuinely solid in that forward/second ruck role and doesn't deserve to be dropped at all.

I do agree that Ladhams in only works if it's for McLean. So no Ladhams for me, as good as he was on the weekend.

 

[The King!]

Maybe its time for Blakey on a wing, been ratshit for weeks anyway by his standards

Someone needs to get some run

**** try something different surely

 

[mcs095]

People who are calling for players to be rested need to give that a rest. We are out of the top 4 if we lose and then prob out of the top 8 if we lose the next week.

Every single team play the same amount of games at same intensity, this rest bullshit is just code for not in form or simply playing like shit.
Do you reckon you see the Hawks board calling for players to be rested?

It’s just loser talk.

It would take an extraordinary set of results for us to miss the 8, and we certainly aren't dropping out of it in 2 weeks time, even if we lose both games. Not even in 3 weeks time - for us to be out of the eight, Hawthorn and the Dogs would have to win their next 3, and every other team in the eight currently 2 games and make up a massive amount of % too. Probably impossible when you take into account the match ups (for example, Hawthorn play both the Giants and Carlton in that period, Brisbane play Giants, Freo play Geelong, GWS play Freo) that mean both teams can't pick up 4 points.

We would have to lose all 4, and have a raft of results go 'just right' across the rest of the teams for us to miss the finals, and that's before the massive percentage swing needed.

Without doing all the permutations, it is already likely there are too many clashes between teams in the top 10-11 to come for that to be a likely outcome at all. I'm sure its just a possible option, but its probability would be absolutely tiny at this point.

A home week 1 qualifying final on exposed form looks in serious jeopardy however, and we could easily miss the 4 - but even that would be avoided with 2 wins from our last 4 (unless one of the teams on 48 won all 4 and made up 20% on us, which is unlikely). On today's showing that could be a big ask to win 2 - but a return to something approaching reasonable form should see us do that. For every bit our form is turgid, so is that of Adelaide and the Bombers, and the Pies are hardly setting the world on fire either.

It is a spot we shouldn't be in had we not lost games earlier in the season we should have won - but its not total disaster stations either.

 

[Dubai Quacker]

Id **** Campbell off out ofthe team before Adams.

Adams can just hanball more, but at least he can find the footy.

Campbell is playing hide and seek out there

I think that’s a bit unfair.

Campbell had more pill and made more tackles than Mills, Jordon, Warner (plus Wicks and Hayward).

If Jordon isn’t tagging, I’m starting to wonder what value he really offers. Mills can only get better - but needs to. Fast.
Warner had an absolute Barry Crocker. Possibly the worst of his career.

Campbell wasn’t great, but not our worst.

I’d be disappointed if he was dropped.

 

[The King!]

I think that’s a bit unfair.

Campbell had more pill and made more tackles than Mills, Jordon, Warner (plus Wicks and Hayward).

If Jordon isn’t tagging, I’m starting to wonder what value he really offers. Mills can only get better - but needs to. Fast.
Warner had an absolute Barry Crocker. Possibly the worst of his career.

Campbell wasn’t great, but not our worst.

Good point re Jordon actually

 

[MR0808]

Coming in late to this thread, but I just feel all of a sudden we are on a edge, and need to somehow find a way to push us back. That Saints game is going to come back and bite us. Need to win this week to give a little breathing room. Don't feel confident, but I didn't today either

 

[mcs095]

I think that’s a bit unfair.

Campbell had more pill and made more tackles than Mills, Jordon, Warner (plus Wicks and Hayward).

If Jordon isn’t tagging, I’m starting to wonder what value he really offers. Mills can only get better - but needs to. Fast.
Warner had an absolute Barry Crocker. Possibly the worst of his career.

Campbell wasn’t great, but not our worst.

I’d be disappointed if he was dropped.

As I've said elsewhere, at the moment I don't know what he brings that is different to Roberts, and Roberts is clearly playing the better of the two of them at the moment (a few weeks back I wasn't so sure).

He certainly isn't playing anywhere near well enough to be thrown into the midfield mix either.

I think it should be him or Roberts from here going forward for this year at least, unless further injuries etc force our hand. I think we are unbalanced with both of them being selected - be better to bring in another midfield rotation and push Mills back further on the ground until he finds any resemblance of form.

 

[RampeRobe]

People who are calling for players to be rested need to give that a rest. We are out of the top 4 if we lose and then prob out of the top 8 if we lose the next week.

Every single team play the same amount of games at same intensity, this rest bullshit is just code for not in form or simply playing like shit.
Do you reckon you see the Hawks board calling for players to be rested?

It’s just loser talk.

We will still be first if we lose next week…

 

[caesar88]

Chad Warner

1

Chad Warner

Age

23

Ht

185cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

7.0

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

2.5

2star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.5

3star

CL

0.0

1star

D

7.0

1star

K

4.5

2star

HB

2.5

2star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.5

2star

CL

0.0

1star

D

7.0

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

2.5

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.5

4star

CL

0.0

1star

Will Hayward

9

Will Hayward

Age

25

Ht

186cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.6

3star

K

6.6

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

3.4

3star

T

2.8

4star

G

1.1

4star

D

9.0

2star

K

4.3

2star

HB

4.7

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.7

4star

G

0.7

4star

D

9.4

3star

K

6.2

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

3.4

5star

G

1.4

5star

Ollie Florent
Braeden Campbell
James Jordon
Errol Gulden
Nick Blakey

22

Nick Blakey

Age

24

Ht

196cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.9

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

2.9

3star

M

2.3

2star

T

2.4

4star

MG

189.1

3star

D

8.1

2star

K

6.3

3star

HB

1.9

1star

M

2.1

2star

T

2.6

4star

MG

189.1

3star

D

7.2

2star

K

5.2

2star

HB

2.0

2star

M

1.2

2star

T

1.2

3star

Matty Roberts
Corey Warner
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

That's nearly half the team, just light, outside flanker types better at running and distributing (lol in some cases) than cracking in and being physical.

That bleeds into the rest of the team. Falls on too few shoulders to do the hard stuff, so the few doing it start faltering as well. Just a big mess of a knock-on effect.

I feel like we need to maybe make a point that we want to correct this this week by starting all of our hard nuts on the field. If that means starting a Warner on the bench in favour of an Adams or a Parker at the first centre bounce, then do it. Even if we lose the first centre break because of it, I don't care if it sends the message to our opponent - and to our own players - that contest comes first and we are going to prioritise it over anything else.

 

[swanssince2002]

We were calling for mass changes especially after the Essington game in 2022, then all of a sudden they decided to turn up until the GF happened. Didn't change the team much but then as a collective everyone woke up. Ironically it was after a great performance against the Dogs at the SCG that year. Now the shoe is on the other foot.

It just... clicked. Funny game footy.

Maybe the coaches are just hoping the playing group responds after this... the loss we needed to have and then suddenly find ourselves again. If we look listless again tho... alarm bells.

 

[Jack2Jack]

Ladhams is hot garbage. I seriously hope he isn't an in, if we think the current 3 are frustrating and can't take a mark, my lord.
If Ladhams is coming in, it can only be for McLean (or Grundy), if he were to come in for a McDonald or Amartey we'd be fielding 3 ruck types, which will be a ****ing disaster, make no mistake. McLean is one of the few 2nd rucks does have some ability as a forward, no way I'd be dropping him for Ladhams who has no forward craft at all.

Could try Hamling, but I doubt he would do much as a forward at AFL level but maybe he could come in for Melican with the option of moving forward/back if one position doesn't work. I'd be more for trying him than Ladhams, but while he does kick some goals at VFL, personally I don't see amazing forward craft from him so I'm sceptical how that would hold up at AFL level.

Without genuine KF back up options, Reid or Buller, there's no silver bullet but there's other issues we can address to get better output from them, decent ball movement being one thing that would help.
Yeah, the current 3 are hot and cold and they didn't bring the ball to ground today but prime Bud would've struggled for a kick with that delivery today, absolutely shocking. Even most the bombs on their heads were to the advantage of the defender, not surprised they were out-marked.

 

[McRobie]

It would take an extraordinary set of results for us to miss the 8, and we certainly aren't dropping out of it in 2 weeks time, even if we lose both games. Not even in 3 weeks time - for us to be out of the eight, Hawthorn and the Dogs would have to win their next 3, and every other team in the eight currently 2 games and make up a massive amount of % too. Probably impossible when you take into account the match ups (for example, Hawthorn play both the Giants and Carlton in that period, Brisbane play Giants, Freo play Geelong, GWS play Freo) that mean both teams can't pick up 4 points.

We would have to lose all 4, and have a raft of results go 'just right' across the rest of the teams for us to miss the finals, and that's before the massive percentage swing needed.

Without doing all the permutations, it is already likely there are too many clashes between teams in the top 10-11 to come for that to be a likely outcome at all. I'm sure its just a possible option, but its probability would be absolutely tiny at this point.

A home week 1 qualifying final on exposed form looks in serious jeopardy however, and we could easily miss the 4 - but even that would be avoided with 2 wins from our last 4 (unless one of the teams on 48 won all 4 and made up 20% on us, which is unlikely). On today's showing that could be a big ask to win 2 - but a return to something approaching reasonable form should see us do that. For every bit our form is turgid, so is that of Adelaide and the Bombers, and the Pies are hardly setting the world on fire either.

It is a spot we shouldn't be in had we not lost games earlier in the season we should have won - but its not total disaster stations either.

Who are we beating in this form? The answer is no one.
Not saying we can’t turn it around but you are aware we are our only win in 5 weeks in north?

 

[McRobie]

What do you mean? we will still be first next week win or lose but thats not the point.

I miss calculated, I was half asleep being in US. The point still stands. You can’t rest your best players at this point and put in untried 2s guys thinking that’s the silver bullet.

 

[SSwans2011]

I think that’s a bit unfair.

Campbell had more pill and made more tackles than Mills, Jordon, Warner (plus Wicks and Hayward).

If Jordon isn’t tagging, I’m starting to wonder what value he really offers. Mills can only get better - but needs to. Fast.
Warner had an absolute Barry Crocker. Possibly the worst of his career.

Campbell wasn’t great, but not our worst.

I’d be disappointed if he was dropped.

Campbell was far from our worst yesterday, but my main gripe is I rarely notice him out there. He's played 17 games this year and I'm struggling to remember even one where his performance stood out.

That wouldn't be a big deal if he was playing an accountable lockdown role, but he's not.