Autopsy Smashed in the middle no worries brutal 14pt win against the Bulldogs

[Ticky009]

 

[The King!]

If the AFL is ever to be a national competition, the Melbourne media AFL Melbourne teams f..k-fest has got to stop. We could go undefeated for the year, winning every final by 5 goals+ yet post the GF all the talk will still be about how Essendon won their first final in 10,000 years, how lucky we were as the Pies came back from a bad start, how Geelong keep on playing finals and never bottoming out and how Carlton once again missed the wooden spoon. The clubs will get together and decide that since the Swans won the GF, beating every team AND since the only team to beat the Swans was the Tigers, then by the sort of bent AFL logic that saw us punished for following the rules when we recruited Buddy and saw Parker given a life sentence for a block, the premiership will be awarded to the Tigers. Yze will be bemused, Softwick will be incensed, Horse will be flummoxed and throw his hands in the air in frustration. Dusty will be celebrated as the only player to win a Norm Smith without playing in the GF.

Every week I've summarised the Footy (Melbourne) media, in an exposé of these southern charlatans. I might as well start with the synopsis from Round 11

Rd11. Headline: Melbourne media and Bwave-Dogs left in shock as 50:50 umpiring decision goes to Swans. “I don’t comment on umpiring decisions” states Beveridge - subtext - I don’t have to, they always go to the Dogs - “But I just have this to say….” He then proceeds to bang on about one umpiring decision for the next few minutes. Read the room Bevo, everyone knows you had more than your share of free kicks in the 2016GF - What’s that? Apparently the bigwigs of the AFL beg to differ. The Bwave Dogs are so bwave. Bevo used the word bwave 27 times in one paragraph.

So much for AFL impartiality.

In the AFL website’s Match report, writer Gemma Bastiani hands any credit for the win to a masterclass from West Australian superstar Chad Warner. “Every time the Dogs threatened to take control of the game and open up a winning margin, it was star Swan Chad Warner who turned the tide”

No mention that at pick 39, every other club passed on him at least twice. If he was an academy player the AFL would give fast Eddie and the Melbourne clubs a free rein to pillage the northern academies.

The Dogs were so much braver than the Swans, according to Bastiani. She can be heard drooling as she writes : The Dogs were brave to the end despite losing key forward Aaron Naughton (knee) and in-form midfielder Ed Richards (concussion), who had been arguably best on ground to that point, early in the game….but a controversial 50m penalty paid to Hayden McLean put an end to the comeback, just as the Bulldogs threatened to snatch it.

Aww, poor Bravedogs. Bastiani really needs to write her own copy rather than leaving it up to a couple of Bontempelli stalking volunteers in the Dogs marketing department to run something up for her. My guess is she was too busy hanging out in the Dogs’ change room, her scent mingling with the rank sourness of stale sweat from these bwave, bwave players as her eyes slide lazily down their hairy backs.

<YUK Filter activated>

Why do we expect the media to fawn over us when our own fans post game board is about how shit we were, the dogs were brave and even our title says we were smashed.

The swans fan is as negative as the media about the team

 

[LukeParkerno1]

No Injures reported for Swans. My only concern might be delayed concussion on O Flo & Harry given those head clashes.

We have the bye those two will be sweet even if it does happen. We wouldn’t have left both out there otherwise anyway

 

[Donza]

Song lacked gusto...


Barometer

 

[DASwan]

Good to get the win - need McLean and Armaty to take those contested marks when we kick it from defence under pressure - last quarter don’t think they took one mark and dogs just kept coming - glad we hung on , we had a lot of tired players after chasing the dogs all night

 

[RUNVS]

Also I was watching them, and as amazing as Warner and Gulden were in the last 8 or 9 minutes of the game I think they had around 2 disposals between them.

We need more from players like them when things are not going our way.

 

[Membling]

In a happier view of the game,

We are now 10 points clear of second place as it stands.

The same points gap exists between 2nd and 11th

 

[smeggaz]

Visually and based on player ratings, only a handful of stand outs (3-4).

Most played at or under their season average, and whilst fantasy points and disposals aren't the best measure of success, 9 of the bottom 10 players were Sydney (not counting Naughton or Scott).

And we still won. Against a side that had won two in a row and was fighting to stay in the mix, at their home ground. Without Tommy, without Fox and we have Mills still to come who I hear is reasonable at football.

Sent from my Pixel 8 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[BloodySwan]

Francis isn't a key defender. Shown to not be strong enough against the big guys

 

[Glenn_]

Taking the positives from the game for the most part when the Swans were challenged they found a way to respond, which is always the sign of a team in good form.
Rowbottom again tackling any opposition player in the vicinity , and the lock down defense for the most part were standouts for me.
Probably didn't finish off the game as we would've liked/hoped for, but again found the way to hold on.
If anyone said the Swans would be 10-1 heading into the bye week, I doubt anyone on here would've believed it but here they are.

 

[Dubai Quacker]

Not enough love for Grundy IMO.

46 HO, 7 clearances (2nd most on the ground) and 7 tackles (= 2nd most for the game) and a significant physical presence around the ground throughout.
He makes a difference.

Admittedly not quite as much difference as when Warner goes full Chad.

And a call out to Will Hayward as well.
Last qtr an important mark on the wing, an important tackle on the wing, earlier in the game smother, chase down tackle leading to goals and kicked a couple of his own.
His workrate is superb.

Thought it was interesting that in the second half McDonald moved further up the ground and he just looks more comfortable and effective in that 'link' role.

The height of the Dog fwds troubled us, but when they have Darcy (208cm), JUH (197cm), Naughton (196cm) and can swing English (208cm) and Bontempelli (194) forward they are going to stretch every team to a degree.
Blakey was terrific spoiling the ball, but of all the players in the reserves it may even be Will Edwards (197cm and with good athleticism) who is the one we really need to develop into best 22.

I've said it before but can we please stop using Blakey for kick-ins.
He's much better as first receiver, where there is more potential for reward for the risks.

Subdued atmosphere, subdued game and as everyone has said take the 4 points, rest up and go again in a couple of weeks.
10-1, % of over 150%, I'm prepared to say we're travelling OK.

Two problems with Grundy’s
game:

* we got destroyed (again) at centre bounce. not all Grundy’s fault - but it is frustrating the amount of scores we give up from centre bounce.

* that idiotic 50 that gifted them an early goal. Ladhams-esque in its
stupidity.

He‘s been very good, no doubt - but his school report would read “talented student, although discipline can be a challenge. Needs to work better with others”.

 

[Ed_Gein]

By the way, lucky Cunningham didn't break Scott's jaw in that headclash otherwise he'd be looking at a 6 week suspension

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

By the way, lucky Cunningham didn't break Scott's jaw in that headclash otherwise he'd be looking at a 6 week suspension

Breed em tough in Wagga

 

[bedford]

Any lip-readers out there...?

A caller on SEN this morning said Horse is promoting violence the way he carries on in the box ! god help us

 

[bedford]

By the way, lucky Cunningham didn't break Scott's jaw in that headclash otherwise he'd be looking at a 6 week suspension

rubbish , both arrived at the same time

 

[Dubai Quacker]

Normally I’d be declaring we got crucified by corrupt umpiring.

But both teams copped absurd, mind-boggling decisions all night.

I therefore decided last night was just incompetence, not 2016-style robbery.

 

[bedford]

We tried to lose that , we stopped playing our game , just kept bombing it out of defence or when attacking the same bombed it in Campbell says hello. and the only reason McLean got it was we moved it our way.
Brent. Sanderson said yesterday morning that if your 3 up at 3/4 time try and win it by 7 goals and we didn't .

 

[bedford]

Normally I’d be declaring we got crucified by corrupt umpiring.

But both teams copped absurd, mind-boggling decisions all night.

I therefore decided last night was just incompetence, not 2016-style robbery.

Williamson cheated

 

[dosser]

Is Campbell the new SBFWB? (Swans Big Footy Whipping Boy)

Sure, he’s not Gulden or Blakey, but is he really that bad? I don’t see him doing much wrong, he’s fast, puts in big effort, and when he gets hold of the ball, he’s a superb kick.

I've been a supporter of his since we drafted him, but after 50+ games I am starting to realise he is a soldier, not a star. It's not his fault he was drafted so high, but his performances would suggest a player usually picked in the 20-40 bracket.
I like Campbell, but reality eventually asserts itself.

 

[Leeda]

Tackli legend

 

[mattpolo8]

Quite liked last night.

For the first time this season we got tested in the last quarter. A team came at us hard. No team has done that yet. So it was pleasing to see how we handled it and think that's only going to be of benefit moving forward. Alot is talking about how Collingwood can win the close ones. We've just not had to do it for some time so first crack at it, and job done.

I liked Wicks' game. Ground ball, pressure. Hayward's tackling has been so good the last month. Loved Juzzy's game and thought our backline was pretty good. It was more their smalls that worried us (Garcia, West, Vandermeer). Harry clearly wasn't 100% after he came off with his ankle.

Reckon that was the perfect game to lead into the bye. Time to reset now. We're in a perfect position to launch into the second half of the season. We can realistically lose 6 games and still make top 2.

We're mature this year. And there's a real sense of something special happening.

 

[bungwahl]

Seeing Dogs fans complaining about umpiring just warms my soul.

 

[RUNVS]

I've been a supporter of his since we drafted him, but after 50+ games I am starting to realise he is a soldier, not a star. It's not his fault he was drafted so high, but his performances would suggest a player usually picked in the 20-40 bracket.
I like Campbell, but reality eventually asserts itself.

To be honest he reminds me of a slower and not as good at marking Gary Rohan.

Both very good by foot, but both really struggle to find the ball. If Gary Rohan managed to average 20 disposals a game he would have been one of the best players in the competition, but the problem is he was really only capable of half of that, and no matter how much time he spent in the system he just never developed the football brain necessary to average 20 disposals in a game.

 

[bedford]

Tackli legend

Whats this Hawk on about !

 

[zyzzbruh]

Francis isn't a key defender. Shown to not be strong enough against the big guys

Francis is being undone by the same fate as Aliir. He is actually exceptional at floating in defence and reading the game to take intercepts. But we're slim in kpds that he's having to play 1 v 1 against the oppos best forward.

It's just unfortunate for him that our defensive mix isn't working to his strengths. Ideally he would be a tactical inclusion against strong clearance teams with a fully fit defence. I feel bad for him because he can be very useful under the right circumstances. A bit like Frampton for Collingwood, overall average player and probably worse than Francis but they actually needed him to get over the line. Im still very happy we have him as an option.

 

[Superstar swan]

Pretty down performance from the team last night...but to still beat a very good side is an excellent problem.

Premiership teams win when they play poorly, that's where we are at right now