Preview The Swans Redemption Arc Goes On - Sydney vs Port Adelaide - Preliminary Final

[Donza]

Honestly. At this point of the season I'm looking for fit players and experience.

Adams fits the bill.
This is what he was recruited for.

 

[Big Blood]

We win big games through pressure. When we turn it on we can suffocate any side.

All this talk about recent history. When was the last time we lost a prelim?

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

Still worried about our clearance game and getting smashed out of the middle. If we lose that we're fracked. There's no way we're going to be able to claw back a huge lead against Port if they mirror the pressure they used against the Hawks.

It’s all good. I’m looking forward to a chill night out at the SCG. Seriously don’t have a care in the world over this game.

When you look at it, weren’t at our best v GWS but Port were amazing.

But they invested so much physically and emotionally and we saw what happens with tired legs the next night with GWS.

This will be an easy win. We have so much improvement left in us.

We’ve got this Ticky, we’ve got this.

#chillingnotstressing

 

[Jeffers]

Initially I thought Fox was the right one to bring back in however I reckon we take Adams in. We brought him in for his tenacity at the contest and experience and I reckon he will thrive in a cutthroat final like Friday.

Florent as much as I hate him there will have to cover for Mills and just be much better defensively.

Adams to sub.

 

[Donza]

I might be wrong. But is it two years today since the prelim win vs the pies?

 

[Jewelsbon]

Fox was one of the few that was a good GF performer in 2022 & in last year's final. He has proven to be a Big Game Player

On CPH2471 using BigFooty.com mobile app

Yes he was one of very few good performers in those games and I'm a big fan of Foxy, but if you're talking about big game performers, Adams record shows he absolutely shines.

 

[Jeffers]

I might be wrong. But is it two years today since the prelim win vs the pies?

Yes it is cause I have story memories coming up on my Facebook of me absolutely losing my shit at the SCG.

 

[caesar88]

Yes he was one of very few good performers in those games and I'm a big fan of Foxy, but if you're talking about big game performers, Adams record shows he absolutely shines.

I'm reliably informed that Horse & co are on the look out for big game performers, but unfortunately luring one JPK out of retirement was hard enough, let alone 22 JPKs.

 

[Jewelsbon]

I'm reliably informed that Horse & co are on the look out for big game performers, but unfortunately luring one JPK out of retirement was hard enough, let alone 22 JPKs.

No one EVER comes near my beloved JPK.

 

[RampeRobe]

Honestly. At this point of the season I'm looking for fit players and experience.

Adams fits the bill.
This is what he was recruited for.

Yep.. really hoping I see him as an in on the team sheet tomorrow night.. and starting!

Tough call I know but Braeden seems like he would be much more of a game changing sub.

 

[caesar88]

I feel like Horse will go with Adams to replace Mills, because he is experienced in finals.

Adams has the 4th-highest average ratings in finals games of all current Swans players according to Champion Data (Grundy has the highest, so no pressure big fella)

 

[The King!]

Picking Adams has some logic to it anyway as we got him here for a reason.

I don't think they can get it wrong, I disagree with the Jmac dropping.

It will just be Adams or Fox and I am happy with either.

If they randomly pick Francis or Ladhams I will cry.

 

[The King!]

Nerves will be high friday , just keep thinking how flat I will be if we lose as the other 3 options for Premier seem kind of lousy . Well maybe a bit strong, but Geelong winning it all , they were often so bloody abysmal. Ditto Brisbane. Port has been good to be fair

 

[Nuggetz]

Under 160 total points: PA 11-2, Swans 3-3
Over 160 total points: PA 5-6, Swans 15-3

Lets put on the scoreboard pressure. Make this into a shootout.

 

[liz]

I didn't realise either. Just goes to show how relevant they are to swans supporters.

I don't think their 'streak' holds that much weight. Especially considering we played them at the SCG once since 2018. And only once annually since 2015.

I've not read every post in this thread, so apologies if I'm repeating what's already been said.

I reckon only the last three meetings are relevant (partly because they're the only three for which I still have a clear recollection). The couple of seasons before that we were a young, developing side that didn't win many games against anyone, so it's hardly surprising we lost to Port. And the teams are too different to go back even further to when we were a so-so team in 2017-2018.

Two years ago I recall we started on fire, and Port barely gave a yelp in the first quarter. Port responded after quarter time and our boys played like they thought they'd already won the game at quarter time and didn't need to keep trying. That was Ladhams's first game against his old team and they knew how to get under his skin. He gave away a handful of really dumb free kicks, which didn't help what was already a sinking cause.

Last year, the only one of the last three at the SCG, we lost by a centimetre or two (and a lack of concentration on the goal line by Mills who celebrated the straightness of Florent's kick before checking on the length) in a game where we lost one McCartin with ten minutes and the other before half-time. In many ways it was remarkable that we lost by so little and nearly won.

The game a few weeks ago at the Adelaide Oval is the one I half-think is the most relevant and half-think is the least. Something was seriously up that evening. I have no idea what, but it seems so atypical of our season that surely it can be discarded? And we were missing some important players who are now back in the team. On the other hand, its recency does concern me. Will sight of the black and teal reawaken PSTD in our players? And while we were without Papley and Melican (the two most significant outs, IMO), it was at centre bounce where everything went wrong. Yes, we had Francis doing a good impression of a statue in defence, but even Melican couldn't have held up the wall on his own. And Papley wouldn't have been relevant because we couldn't get the ball to our end of the ground.

Port will be well aware of our penchant for slow starts this year, and our struggle to cope with intense pressure early in games (which is a large part of the reason for our slow starts). With that - and the 112 hammering - in mind, they're bound to come out firing early. We just need our boys to be mentally prepared for high pressure at the start, and to focus almost solely on applying pressure back the other way (and letting the rest take care of itself) so that we don't let their confidence get sky high. I reckon if we're even with them, or even close to even with them, at quarter time we'll probably win. But we are capable of having the game taken away from us by quarter time if we don't apply as much pressure to them early as they are bound to apply to us.

 

[liz]

Under 160 total points: PA 11-2, Swans 3-3
Over 160 total points: PA 5-6, Swans 15-3

Lets put on the scoreboard pressure. Make this into a shootout.

I imagine the Swans would love to make it a shoot out, but Port will be doing everything they can to stop it becoming one. It's probably easier to stop a shoot out than to create one where the opposition is intent on preventing it.

 

[Kiama Chris]

I imagine the Swans would love to make it a shoot out, but Port will be doing everything they can to stop it becoming one. It's probably easier to stop a shoot out than to create one where the opposition is intent on preventing it.

There was also some quite good stuff on how Port modified their game plan from the QF to the SF with their two gun HBFs out. Something we should be able to take advantage of. Also I doubt Burgoyne will be allowed the freedom by JJ that the Hawks gave him.
We need to make sure the ball hits the deck in our F50 if we don't mark it.

 

[bedford]

We win big games through pressure. When we turn it on we can suffocate any side.

All this talk about recent history. When was the last time we lost a prelim?

1 in the last 7

 

[liz]

There was also some quite good stuff on how Port modified their game plan from the QF to the SF with their two gun HBFs out. Something we should be able to take advantage of. Also I doubt Burgoyne will be allowed the freedom by JJ that the Hawks gave him.
We need to make sure the ball hits the deck in our F50 if we don't mark it.

It will be interesting to see how Jordon is used. One of the FoxFooty (or maybe SEN) people suggested he'd go to Butters but that's not the role he's typically been used in. Though he did do a good shut down role on Merrett in our last encounter with Essendon so it's not beyond the realms of possibility.

Before last week's games, Burgoyne probably wasn't on the radar as someone worth tagging but he was very good against Hawthorn. If Jordon is given the job of shutting him out, he needs to try and be dangerous the other way because Burgoyne probably doesn't yet have the experience to focus on being both attacking and defensive at the same time.

I suspect we'll start with Rowbottom playing head-to-head with Butters but, good as Butters is, Horne-Francis is the one who is capable of taking the game by the scruff of the neck, at least for a quarter here and a quarter there. I have no sense of who will get the job on him.

 

[bedford]

Robbie and JMac both in the "blue" group

And Adams

 

[kneecapper]

I've not read every post in this thread, so apologies if I'm repeating what's already been said.

I reckon only the last three meetings are relevant (partly because they're the only three for which I still have a clear recollection). The couple of seasons before that we were a young, developing side that didn't win many games against anyone, so it's hardly surprising we lost to Port. And the teams are too different to go back even further to when we were a so-so team in 2017-2018.

Two years ago I recall we started on fire, and Port barely gave a yelp in the first quarter. Port responded after quarter time and our boys played like they thought they'd already won the game at quarter time and didn't need to keep trying. That was Ladhams's first game against his old team and they knew how to get under his skin. He gave away a handful of really dumb free kicks, which didn't help what was already a sinking cause.

Last year, the only one of the last three at the SCG, we lost by a centimetre or two (and a lack of concentration on the goal line by Mills who celebrated the straightness of Florent's kick before checking on the length) in a game where we lost one McCartin with ten minutes and the other before half-time. In many ways it was remarkable that we lost by so little and nearly won.

The game a few weeks ago at the Adelaide Oval is the one I half-think is the most relevant and half-think is the least. Something was seriously up that evening. I have no idea what, but it seems so atypical of our season that surely it can be discarded? And we were missing some important players who are now back in the team. On the other hand, its recency does concern me. Will sight of the black and teal reawaken PSTD in our players? And while we were without Papley and Melican (the two most significant outs, IMO), it was at centre bounce where everything went wrong. Yes, we had Francis doing a good impression of a statue in defence, but even Melican couldn't have held up the wall on his own. And Papley wouldn't have been relevant because we couldn't get the ball to our end of the ground.

Port will be well aware of our penchant for slow starts this year, and our struggle to cope with intense pressure early in games (which is a large part of the reason for our slow starts). With that - and the 112 hammering - in mind, they're bound to come out firing early. We just need our boys to be mentally prepared for high pressure at the start, and to focus almost solely on applying pressure back the other way (and letting the rest take care of itself) so that we don't let their confidence get sky high. I reckon if we're even with them, or even close to even with them, at quarter time we'll probably win. But we are capable of having the game taken away from us by quarter time if we don't apply as much pressure to them early as they are bound to apply to us.

This feels like one of those games where the first few goals will really set the narrative but I also think our previous game against Port was the result of mental fatigue from 3 close loses and a pantsing by the Dogs. It sometimes happens when you don't see reward for effort.

Rampe is another big in from that game and I suspect he may be assigned to Rioli, who was extremely damaging in that game, as he was against Toby Greene. The thing that saved us against GWS was staying in touch on the scoreboard despite their dominance. We didn't carry that mindset into the previous Port game and lowered our colours as a result.

No Francis, no Ladhams, no half-baked Mills, on a winning streak rather than a losing streak, well-rested, home ground advantage, our midfield in much better touch (though I hope Gulden finds more of the ball this week), I think enough has changed in the intervening weeks to give us a good shot but I don't think it will be the cakewalk many of the pundits are suggesting.

 

[BloodySwan]

Longmire better use the famous words of Winston Churchill before a battle.

"Do or do not. There is no try"

Isn't that Yoda?

 

[Wheresbuddy]

Their midfield absolutely belted us in R21.

If we can change that, we win. Simple.......

.

 

[bedford]

Their midfield absolutely belted us in R21.

If we can change that, we win. Simple.......

.

We win , not worrying about the start , as long as we are close , a new trend is teams getting run down.

 

[RUNVS]

I thought it was game day, and then I realised a few minutes ago it is Thursday.