Autopsy Sydney Legacy in Grand Finals continues 10 goal loss to the Lions

[Jewelsbon]

Rightly or wrongly I always equate tackling to pressure, no tackles no pressure.

 

[caesar88]

Rightly or wrongly I always equate tackling to pressure, no tackles no pressure.

Rightly, IMO.

It's one of the most important parts of footy. It's the difference between a mid's clearing kick getting shanked & only going 20m sideways vs a mid getting a clear run to carry the ball 5-10m and then launching a kick 50m deep into his forward line. It's the difference between a handball chain coming unstuck before the third and final handball vs the third and final handball succeeding in getting it from the inside to the outside of the contest. It's the difference between a defender inside 50 having the opportunity to time and think through his exit kick from defence vs a defender having to throw it on the boot hurriedly and turning it over for a repeat entry for us.

All soooo crucial. Do these effectively and you can bully a team into submission. Do these effectively and you actually don't have to tackle as much because YOU will have the ball more and control possession. Wish our team would realise this if they are so keen to have a bruise-free day at the office.

 

[bedford]

Rightly, IMO.

It's one of the most important parts of footy. It's the difference between a mid's clearing kick getting shanked & only going 20m sideways vs a mid getting a clear run to carry the ball 5-10m and then launching a kick 50m deep into his forward line. It's the difference between a handball chain coming unstuck before the third and final handball vs the third and final handball succeeding in getting it from the inside to the outside of the contest. It's the difference between a defender inside 50 having the opportunity to time and think through his exit kick from defence vs a defender having to throw it on the boot hurriedly and turning it over for a repeat entry for us.

All soooo crucial. Do these effectively and you can bully a team into submission. Do these effectively and you actually don't have to tackle as much because YOU will have the ball more and control possession. Wish our team would realise this if they are so keen to have a bruise-free day at the office.

There are other things like smoothers that mean a lot , chasing the ball carrier so they know you won't give up etc

 

[caesar88]

There are other things like smoothers that mean a lot , chasing the ball carrier so they know you won't give up etc

Of course. I think tackling is obviously most important because it can most directly lead to turnovers, but everything under the pressure umbrella matters and counts towards making the opposition feel the heat.

I love a good smother but it is unfortunately rare to see in this current group as it requires putting your head over it.

 

[Crust]

That is not the Swans way. Degrading your team from the sideline. If you want to do that then give up your membership and announce you won't support the team anymore.

That way you are free to express your opinion knowing you are not a true supporter.

I’m a member and a supporter and I’ll express my opinion any way I damn well please.

 

[Dubai Quacker]

Of course. I think tackling is obviously most important because it can most directly lead to turnovers, but everything under the pressure umbrella matters and counts towards making the opposition feel the heat.

I love a good smother but it is unfortunately rare to see in this current group as it requires putting your head over it.

Your post had me humming along to Rhianna's "Umbrella", but suddenly I had to switch it over to Power Station's "Some Like It Hot".

Funnily enough, the final sentence the had me pondering Bananarama .... "Cruel Smother".

Either way - caesar88 is the first artist to successfully merge Bigfooty posting with DJing.

 

[The King!]

Katy Perry's dancers ran harder than the Swans players

 

[RilesMacca]

I still can't understand how we made the GF.

We were 12th for total clearances for the season (Brisbane were 1st).

Our fwd line is awful. Our backline awful.

I think we will fall out of the 8 next year.

This group is all about bruise free footy and corporate culture.

Granny wasn't a "one off bad game".

More so it was a fluke we made it.

- Set ourselves up with a blistering first half of the season campaign to lock in first. Were able to crawl over the line against the GWS who were arguably better on the day. Then knocked off a fatigued Port with no Houston.

- We were actually a top 6 side in clearances, were top 4 in the first 12 weeks or so.

- There's pros and cons to our forward line no doubt. We can manufacture big scores and we always get a high amount of individual goal scorers. Also being one of the best pressure sides in the forward 50. Shame that didn't arrive on GF day. There's alot more limelight shined on the deficiencies of our three tall setup no given the result. Bottom 4 for contested and intercept marks is a concern. When we couldn't win aerial contests especially forward of the ball we struggled. I thought our defence was pretty sound all year. One of the best sides of restricting goals per inside 50 conceded. Melican was fantastic this season. Cunningham played a role, we generated alot of score and drive off our rebound too. The defence was shocking against the Lions no doubt, they picked apart our zone defence in their build up and were left stranded. So many marks inside 50 too, couldn't bring the ball down to ground to save our lives.

- Thats a fair point regarding we could miss finals. Comp was so even this year and maybe we have a bit of a lull. But when looking at the list and players we have its highly talented. I'm sure we will be around the mark to at least contend for the 8. The big thing for next year is we need to fix these slow starts.

- Bruise free footy was one of the weaknesses this year especially in the back half of the year. When the going got tough we struggled. But when sides were coughing up easy ball and didn't want to defend etc. we'd surge to victory off our ball movement and turnover game. It's a shame to be saying that though because our first half of the year was outstanding in terms of mental toughness and contested footy. Always kept our heads in the game and the self belief drove us to wins. It seemed to fade away as the year went on.

 

[caesar88]

Your post had me humming along to Rhianna's "Umbrella", but suddenly I had to switch it over to Power Station's "Some Like It Hot".

Funnily enough, the final sentence the had me pondering Bananarama .... "Cruel Smother".

Either way - caesar88 is the first artist to successfully merge Bigfooty posting with DJing.

Hey, if nothing else, Umbrella is a great song. It's one of Rihanna's best songs. It's usually my answer when she and I are cuddled up on the couch and she asks me what my favourite song of hers is. That is, when I don't lean over and gently whisper in her ear, "Can we talk about this later darl, Jake Lloyd just kicked a running goal."

 

[Kiama Chris]

- Set ourselves up with a blistering first half of the season campaign to lock in first. Were able to crawl over the line against the GWS who were arguably better on the day. Then knocked off a fatigued Port with no Houston.

- We were actually a top 6 side in clearances, were top 4 in the first 12 weeks or so.

- There's pros and cons to our forward line no doubt. We can manufacture big scores and we always get a high amount of individual goal scorers. Also being one of the best pressure sides in the forward 50. Shame that didn't arrive on GF day. There's alot more limelight shined on the deficiencies of our three tall setup no given the result. Bottom 4 for contested and intercept marks is a concern. When we couldn't win aerial contests especially forward of the ball we struggled. I thought our defence was pretty sound all year. One of the best sides of restricting goals per inside 50 conceded. Melican was fantastic this season. Cunningham played a role, we generated alot of score and drive off our rebound too. The defence was shocking against the Lions no doubt, they picked apart our zone defence in their build up and were left stranded. So many marks inside 50 too, couldn't bring the ball down to ground to save our lives.

- Thats a fair point regarding we could miss finals. Comp was so even this year and maybe we have a bit of a lull. But when looking at the list and players we have its highly talented. I'm sure we will be around the mark to at least contend for the 8. The big thing for next year is we need to fix these slow starts.

- Bruise free footy was one of the weaknesses this year especially in the back half of the year. When the going got tough we struggled. But when sides were coughing up easy ball and didn't want to defend etc. we'd surge to victory off our ball movement and turnover game. It's a shame to be saying that though because our first half of the year was outstanding in terms of mental toughness and contested footy. Always kept our heads in the game and the self belief drove us to wins. It seemed to fade away as the year went on.

My observation was that at half time in the GWS game (Rd8?) our intensity fell away and we never fully got it back. Came and went a bit but never regained control of it. Did enough to win the next 6 games but IMO were not as convincing as we had been. Then started to lose.
2023 and 2024 both we were carried across our last few games by a few players rather than the majority. Arguably 2022 as well.
This is definitely not a new phenomenon. Until it's sorted we will struggle at the business end. It's got to be mental/emotional.

 

[Swan_Lifer]

Everyone's thoughts seems convergent.
We know what's needed, now we just need the club to get on with it.

I said 12 months ago, I thought GWS were closer to a flag than us.

Prove me wrong in 2025 Swannies.

 

[melbournehammer]

Pleased to see that a number of posters have the same feelings that I continue to have - just straight up disappointment in everything, effort, structures, coaching positioning.

I can’t move forward because I just regarded that as so beyond redemption that - as with 20022 I simply look on this season without enthusiasm, pride or enjoyment, I just hate how the sheer embarrassment and the writing being on the wall after fifteen minutes, FIFTEEN, has meant that the previous 20 odd weeks fill me with an absolute bitterness.

Absolutely awful and that truly is an understatement

 

[Tomorrow]

And the defiant talk by rampe at GF parade followed by 23 player's putting up wet cardboard resistance - 6 days later longmires club champion speech seemed liked someone trying to put a bandaid on freshly amputated limb. Man was in denial to the carnage - for the 2nd time.

They start poorly next year and the knives will be out. Man u just sacked their coach after winning the FA cup last year...so look out horse.
"The club’s hierarchy felt there were no excuses for the performances on the pitch and made the decision to part ways with Ten Hag,"

 

[Jewelsbon]

And the defiant talk by rampe at GF parade followed by 23 player's putting up wet cardboard resistance - 6 days later longmires club champion speech seemed liked someone trying to put a bandaid on freshly amputated limb. Man was in denial to the carnage - for the 2nd time.

They start poorly next year and the knives will be out. Man u just sacked their coach after winning the FA cup last year...so look out horse.
"The club’s hierarchy felt there were no excuses for the performances on the pitch and made the decision to part ways with Ten Hag,"

I think this is at the crux of my frustration.
Rustycrate previously very correctly used Geelong and Richmond of examples of clubs that stuck with their coaches and things turned around, but that turn around only came for both clubs, after an extensive external audit, in other words, it was identified that changes needed to be made! Our club, on the other hand, after four dreadful grand final defeats- three of which we absolutely choked in, appear to be sitting on their hands saying things like "one game does not define us".
It's so frustrating from a supporters point of view.

 

[GoTheSwannies]

Round 1 2025 can't come soon enough (or round 0). We'll just be sitting around rehashing the GF debacle until then.

 

[Bloods86]

Round 1 2025 can't come soon enough (or round 0). We'll just be sitting around rehashing the GF debacle until then.

We'll be re-hashing our GF failures until we win one, and that's on the club.

They've given us no reason to be excited, because we could steamroll everyone in an unprecedented season and then get pumped on the final day by Freo missing Jackson, Darcy and Young, with injury concerns over Serong and Treacy.

 

[caesar88]

The messaging the coaches and players go into next season with will be interesting.

From what I can gather, fans want them to be hurting and distraught about what happened and their sole focus to be on winning the grand final as that's the only thing they haven't proven they can do yet. (In fairness, the "one game does not define us" quote was incredibly dumb, when referring to the one game that literally defines teams.)

But the coaches and players have no choice but to focus on each game as it comes, otherwise they lose those games and there won't even be a grand final to win. So I think our approach to the season needs to be the same as we had this season, as frustrating and cliched and empty as it may seem to hear every week. One week at a time, not looking too far ahead, yidda yadda.

But I think what the coaches can do is make changes and adjustments to give this team the right mentality required to win a grand final should we get there again.

Drop players repeatedly starting games slowly - these are players who obviously need time to adjust to the pace and intensity of a game, a luxury they won't have in a grand final.

Hold players who are repeatedly sloppy or selfish defensively accountable - this can either be dropping them, or, if they are too good/important to drop, don't actively reward them with favouritism & accolades.

Select a team that will be strong in the contest and have elite pressure - these win grand finals over outside run and ball-use, so we need to prioritise them, even at the expense of an outside runner or distributor.

I think these sorts of things we can do and they can actually have an impact on the mindset and attitude of this team and the way we play without us having to go all 'FLAG OR BUST' scorched earth and risk becoming like the Crows post-2017 or GWS post-2019.

 

[Kiama Chris]

The messaging the coaches and players go into next season with will be interesting.

From what I can gather, fans want them to be hurting and distraught about what happened and their sole focus to be on winning the grand final as that's the only thing they haven't proven they can do yet. (In fairness, the "one game does not define us" quote was incredibly dumb, when referring to the one game that literally defines teams.)

But the coaches and players have no choice but to focus on each game as it comes, otherwise they lose those games and there won't even be a grand final to win. So I think our approach to the season needs to be the same as we had this season, as frustrating and cliched and empty as it may seem to hear every week. One week at a time, not looking too far ahead, yidda yadda.

But I think what the coaches can do is make changes and adjustments to give this team the right mentality required to win a grand final should we get there again.

Drop players repeatedly starting games slowly - these are players who obviously need time to adjust to the pace and intensity of a game, a luxury they won't have in a grand final.

Hold players who are repeatedly sloppy or selfish defensively accountable - this can either be dropping them, or, if they are too good/important to drop, don't actively reward them with favouritism & accolades.

Select a team that will be strong in the contest and have elite pressure - these win grand finals over outside run and ball-use, so we need to prioritise them, even at the expense of an outside runner or distributor.

I think these sorts of things we can do and they can actually have an impact on the mindset and attitude of this team and the way we play without us having to go all 'FLAG OR BUST' scorched earth and risk becoming like the Crows post-2017 or GWS post-2019.

I think this is getting closer to the mark.
1) These are things that the coaches can and should do but first they have to address their own mindset in terms of tactics, drills, what they encourage at training and how they deal with their line from day one. It's too late by game time.
2) The players have to own these things at least as much, if not more than, the coaches. That is the essence of the Bloods Culture. Personal accountability. I believe everyone selected for the GF was capable of this but many just didn't.
It might be time to bring back Effective Teams or whatever they were called.
3) I've said it before. Change the markers for individual and team performance to better value what was missing on GF day so that the people who exhibit them all year win B&F. Review the chosen markers (not all of them - just the key ones) after every game to award the game ball. Embed this stuff.
4) WHEN we make finals (I have faith) BUILD INTENSITY with each match. Not over excitement but hard determination. Concentrate on what each of us will bring and what we will do to support each other and bring credit to our club and each other.
This is where leadership really comes into play.

 

[GoTheSwannies]

We'll be re-hashing our GF failures until we win one, and that's on the club.

They've given us no reason to be excited, because we could steamroll everyone in an unprecedented season and then get pumped on the final day by Freo missing Jackson, Darcy and Young, with injury concerns over Serong and Treacy.

That's the unfortunate reality we find ourselves in. There's only one solution to that seed of doubt and it's a long road back to the summit.

But at least we'll have games to take our attention into the now. We have nothing but the GF right now. And the manner in which we lost means that game doesn't bring any sort of hope to supporters.

 

[rustycrate]

The messaging the coaches and players go into next season with will be interesting.

From what I can gather, fans want them to be hurting and distraught about what happened and their sole focus to be on winning the grand final as that's the only thing they haven't proven they can do yet. (In fairness, the "one game does not define us" quote was incredibly dumb, when referring to the one game that literally defines teams.)

But the coaches and players have no choice but to focus on each game as it comes, otherwise they lose those games and there won't even be a grand final to win. So I think our approach to the season needs to be the same as we had this season, as frustrating and cliched and empty as it may seem to hear every week. One week at a time, not looking too far ahead, yidda yadda.

But I think what the coaches can do is make changes and adjustments to give this team the right mentality required to win a grand final should we get there again.

Drop players repeatedly starting games slowly - these are players who obviously need time to adjust to the pace and intensity of a game, a luxury they won't have in a grand final.

Hold players who are repeatedly sloppy or selfish defensively accountable - this can either be dropping them, or, if they are too good/important to drop, don't actively reward them with favouritism & accolades.

Select a team that will be strong in the contest and have elite pressure - these win grand finals over outside run and ball-use, so we need to prioritise them, even at the expense of an outside runner or distributor.

I think these sorts of things we can do and they can actually have an impact on the mindset and attitude of this team and the way we play without us having to go all 'FLAG OR BUST' scorched earth and risk becoming like the Crows post-2017 or GWS post-2019.

Bolded.

 

[caesar88]

I think this is getting closer to the mark.
1) These are things that the coaches can and should do but first they have to address their own mindset in terms of tactics, drills, what they encourage at training and how they deal with their line from day one. It's too late by game time.
2) The players have to own these things at least as much, if not more than, the coaches. That is the essence of the Bloods Culture. Personal accountability. I believe everyone selected for the GF was capable of this but many just didn't.
It might be time to bring back Effective Teams or whatever they were called.
3) I've said it before. Change the markers for individual and team performance to better value what was missing on GF day so that the people who exhibit them all year win B&F. Review the chosen markers (not all of them - just the key ones) after every game to award the game ball. Embed this stuff.
4) WHEN we make finals (I have faith) BUILD INTENSITY with each match. Not over excitement but hard determination. Concentrate on what each of us will bring and what we will do to support each other and bring credit to our club and each other.
This is where leadership really comes into play.

Couldn't agree more with all of these KC, but the bolded point number three rings true to me the most. The AFLCA votes and B&F results were just a gut-punch to me. It told me all I needed to know about what our coaching staff value, and it's a lot of the wrong things. Actually a gut-punch is putting it mildly. It ****ing infuriated me.

 

[Swan_Lifer]

I think this is at the crux of my frustration.
Rustycrate previously very correctly used Geelong and Richmond of examples of clubs that stuck with their coaches and things turned around, but that turn around only came for both clubs, after an extensive external audit, in other words, it was identified that changes needed to be made! Our club, on the other hand, after four dreadful grand final defeats- three of which we absolutely choked in, appear to be sitting on their hands saying things like "one game does not define us".
It's so frustrating from a supporters point of view.

Quite right Jewelsbon.
An 'extensive external audit' -as if we can expect that from the Royal Hall of Industries..
The only pictures I want to see of our list in 2024-25, is either in the gym, or on the track. No more excuses.

 

[Superstar swan]

Very hard to get excited or optimistic about the the upcoming season.

This flag was on a platter for us . You could not ask for a better opportunity to win a flag and got absolutely humiliated .

Little to no injuries all year, top of the ladder all year,2 home finals, a grand final vs a non vic team who had struggled most of the year, oppo had lost their number 1 ruck.

2022 we could move on from because they guys were young and we overachieved to get there. This one just keeps getting worse and worse the more time goes by

 

[Superstar swan]

How can we be confident next year , it’s unlikely we are top all year, it’s unlikely we get the same injury run, it’s unlikely 2 non vic teams make the gf next year

 

[Superstar swan]

Quite right Jewelsbon.
An 'extensive external audit' -as if we can expect that from the Royal Hall of Industries..
The only pictures I want to see of our list in 2024-25, is either in the gym, or on the track. No more excuses.

Stay off instagram then, the boys are in Europe having a whale of a time. Not a problem in the world