Review The Week in Between - now we wait. Selection talk and other guff.

[Dan87]

I'm not necessarily saying the answer is to drop a tall and play with one less (though as I mentioned earlier, that is one option.) I'm saying that if we go with the three talls to keep our structure and not let opposition defences have their way with us (which they still did to a degree yesterday), then we might have to make an adjustment elsewhere to fit another small in. Swap out a flanker type for a pressure forward, swap out a slower medium forward for a smaller type. Etc.

There are ways we can increase our presence at ground level inside 50 without having to lose a tall. It's just a matter of how desperate, if at all, Horse & co are to make it happen.

You go short up forward you need to push those guys up the ground, they ain't winning long bombs reliably, so you have an extra one or two up the ground, and you're biased towards winning the ball at the contest, and breaking like you see with the Hawks. So, the midfield battle becomes everything because you can really get locked down in your defence so you probably need a heavier mid group, so you probably lose the outside kicking game.

I mean I might be talking shit but that's my hot take

 

[Punts]

I don't think Mills has found form after his injury - the lack of a proper pre-season is telling in his case.

Mills was shocking yesterday to be honest

If that was fox he would be dropped

 

[Kiama Chris]

I'm not necessarily saying the answer is to drop a tall and play with one less (though as I mentioned earlier, that is one option.) I'm saying that if we go with the three talls to keep our structure and not let opposition defences have their way with us (which they still did to a degree yesterday), then we might have to make an adjustment elsewhere to fit another small in. Swap out a flanker type for a pressure forward, swap out a slower medium forward for a smaller type. Etc.

There are ways we can increase our presence at ground level inside 50 without having to lose a tall. It's just a matter of how desperate, if at all, Horse & co are to make it happen.

I agree with you about having a Papley 2.0 addition to the forward line. I also prefer having the three talls and have pointed out more than once that for the vast majority of the game only two are in the line at any one time.
Horse likes to have someone tagging the opposition key outlet player and I don't disagree with that either.
So what does our 7 look like?
Talls 3
Smalls 2
Tagger 1
Someone else 1
At the moment we have Hayward effectively as our second small and Parker as our someone else.
I believe 2025 will see Parker elsewhere (like it or not the signs are there) and the someone else could be a sharper resting rotating mid like say Warner or maybe Cleary or......
Or we could have a dedicated second small and Hayward could be someone else. But losing a spot to rotate resting mids through to my mind is not a great idea, they just need to be effective.
That's how I see it playing out.

 

[caesar88]

You go short up forward you need to push those guys up the ground, they ain't winning long bombs reliably, so you have an extra one or two up the ground, and you're biased towards winning the ball at the contest, and breaking like you see with the Hawks. So, the midfield battle becomes everything because you can really get locked down in your defence so you probably need a heavier mid group, so you probably lose the outside kicking game.

I mean I might be talking shit but that's my hot take

If you're talking shit, then I definitely am!

I really don't even have a solution to my concern really. As you say feels like there's gonna be some robbing Peter to pay Paul no matter who we take out and bring in.

It's really tricky, like we have 22 spots available and yet somehow still don't have enough spots for all the types of players we need. And yet... we're winning!

 

[SwansLifer]

Grundy will be perhaps the biggest benefactor of another week off. He looks sore at the moment and I'm not confident in him running out a GF on the MCG.
I'm hoping it's just bumps and bruises from a long season.

 

[Dubai Quacker]

I don't disagree that we need some stronger marking options ahead of the ball/down the line to avoid us being hemmed in to our back half for ages.

But I feel like we need to go smaller not instead of having good marking options but because we don't have those good marking options.

Horse won’t change the structure.

But for 3 quarters, GWS did exit defensive 50 quite rapidly via chains of handballs. That’s the beauty of the extra small (Cleary) - he buzzes around & pesters very effectively.

But again, Horse won’t change now.

 

[Punts]

Will they put jmac on ice for the year?

 

[SwansLifer]

I agree with you about having a Papley 2.0 addition to the forward line. I also prefer having the three talls and have pointed out more than once that for the vast majority of the game only two are in the line at any one time.
Horse likes to have someone tagging the opposition key outlet player and I don't disagree with that either.
So what does our 7 look like?
Talls 3
Smalls 2
Tagger 1
Someone else 1
At the moment we have Hayward effectively as our second small and Parker as our someone else.
I believe 2025 will see Parker elsewhere (like it or not the signs are there) and the someone else could be a sharper resting rotating mid like say Warner or maybe Cleary or......
Or we could have a dedicated second small and Hayward could be someone else. But losing a spot to rotate resting mids through to my mind is not a great idea, they just need to be effective.
That's how I see it playing out.

Agreed, particularly with the 3 talls.
Talls 3
Amartey - 76%
McLean - 65%
McDonald - 80%

Smalls 2
Papley - 77%
Hayward - 87%

Tagger 1
Jordon - 86%

Somone Else 1
Parker - 71%

I feel Papley would have been slightly higher if he wasn't coming back from injury.
Also you have McLean at backup ruck for 20% of this so he was in the forward line for only 45% of the game.

 

[caesar88]

Horse won’t change the structure.

But for 3 quarters, GWS did exit defensive 50 quite rapidly via chains of handballs. That’s the beauty of the extra small (Cleary) - he buzzes around & pesters very effectively.

But again, Horse won’t change now.

Yeah it felt really apparent to me too. We weren't getting those constant, repeat opportunities to try and score inside 50, because it just wasn't staying in there for very long at all. It was all too easy for the Giants to rebound.

 

[Punts]

Much rather port

Hawks are playing unbelievable footy and there pressure will be a concern imo

 

[SwansLifer]

Will they put jmac on ice for the year?

Unless he is still injured or reinjured I think they go with him again. I'm not saying it's the right thing, just what I think Horse will do.

JMac's kicking can be disastrous at the best of times, but he kicked the ball like someone that had injections in his leg pre game.

 

[Adnico26Parker]

Horse said last night they're going to do "a hard little (training) block" this week...

 

[sataris]

If any of the players on the periphery want to guarantee selection for next week they need to get a 1-2 week injury basically today.

 

[Dan87]

Horse said last night they're going to do "a hard little (training) block" this week...

View attachment 2105091

Easy to say but our handballing game breaks down too easy

 

[The King!]

We are 8-2 in SCG finals (GWS 2019, Adelaide 1998)

Some bloody tight wins, average winning margin is 15.

Includes the 6 and 1 point wins in 96, 2 point win in 98, 3 point win in 05, 1 in 22 and now 6 yesterday .

Wouldn't mind just rolling through a side in the prelim , but boy we have had some epic close finals wins at home.

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

Much rather port

Hawks are playing unbelievable footy and there pressure will be a concern imo

Umpiring will be the major concern v Hawks. Did you see how they were favoured against the dogs of all teams. Be less of an issue with Port.

 

[Kiama Chris]

Agreed, particularly with the 3 talls.
Talls 3
Amartey - 76%
McLean - 65%
McDonald - 80%

Smalls 2
Papley - 77%
Hayward - 87%

Tagger 1
Jordon - 86%

Somone Else 1
Parker - 71%

I feel Papley would have been slightly higher if he wasn't coming back from injury.
Also you have McLean at backup ruck for 20% of this so he was in the forward line for only 45% of the game.

Yep. And Parker spent some time in the middle as well. Hayward has been more effective this year having lost the responsibility of being the negating forward and Jordon adds more than just the tagging. I think we'll stick with the structure next year and the big question will be who is "someone else"?

 

[Tesla Tenet]

We had about 4 players that should of not played

Hayward since injuring his knee has been managed horribly lol

Was Adams healthy? Sick or injured players still better then Adams?

Sent from my SM-G990E using Tapatalk

 

[Jewelsbon]

We are 8-2 in SCG finals (GWS 2019, Adelaide 1998)

Some bloody tight wins, average winning margin is 15.

Includes the 6 and 1 point wins in 96, 2 point win in 98, 3 point win in 05, 1 in 22 and now 6 yesterday .

Wouldn't mind just rolling through a side in the prelim , but boy we have had some epic close finals wins at home.

As long as they're wins, it's all good - well maybe not so good for the heart.
How enjoyable is the feeling of euphoria after a win like yesterday's?

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

As long as they're wins, it's all good - well maybe not so good for the heart.
How enjoyable is the feeling of euphoria after a win like yesterday's?

I’m actually physically shattered - it’s like I played the match lol. Too much exertion in the celebrations !

 

[Jewelsbon]

I’m actually physically shattered - it’s like I played the match lol. Too much exertion in the celebrations !

My husband thought I was having a heart attack I mean seriously he thought I was having a full on heart attack in the last 5 minutes. I was sweating profusely (which is not a normal thing for me), I couldn't talk, my breathing was erratic...

But no, it was just Swans finals footy!

 

[Dan87]

I did my best to keep it together during but after the W it's been all consuming

Absolute classic

Fierce game

 

[Kirkswan]

Jmac the sub but otherwise I'd make no changes.

3 talls have been key for our structure all year. We get dominated in the air enough as is, how do people think we'd go with 1 less tall? It would be an absolute bath

JMac can't be the sub... the only reason to play him is to bring him into form... and you want your sub to be an impact player.

If we're playing JMac in the prelim, then if there are no other injuries, we sub him off during the third... unless we hold a commanding lead and are on song, in which case we play him as long as possible making sure he gets involved in the play.

If he's not starting he doesn't play in the prelim, in my view; and if we're not happy with the way he's come on, he doesn't play at all in the GF.

 

[Kirkswan]

Will they put jmac on ice for the year?

In my view, unless they come up with a better idea, they'll see how he pulls up today and tomorrow, and then make an assessment based on what the medicos say, what the fitness guys say and what they saw yesterday.

I don't think they'll change the overall structure, so they'll be looking for a like for like replacement.

If they decide to put him on ice, I can only see two options...

1. Bring Campbell in to play JMacs role, play Parker, make Adams the sub.

2. Bring Campbell in to play JMacs role, play Adams, make Parker the sub.

Cleary is the only one I see making the step up from reserves unless we having significant defence injuries, and I can only imagine that Horse would consider it if we were playing the baby Hawks, otherwise the matchups will have significant size on him.

Just my opinion, and I lost track of how often I'm wrong years and years ago...

 

[BloodySwan]

Frost ruled out for the Hawks.