Philosophical / the positives

[liz]

OK, so we played bad. Very bad. But for some reason I'm feeling quite philosophical about it all. I was so wound up for this game I thought I'd be devasted if we lost. Maybe that will kick in tomorrow.

But we were beaten by a better team on the night, fair and square. If we'd lost but played at a similar level it would have been harder to take.

Also, I'm now very confident about next week. Since round 5 we haven't played two bad games in a row and this will jolt them into really making sure of the four points against a team coming off the Subi trip and possibly keen for a priority pick. At least that way we go into the finals in winning form. Had we won today, perversely I'd have feared a big let down next week after two huge victories. A win next week should give us 5th or 6th and probably a home final (especially with the Pies now likely to finish 2nd).

As far as the game is concerned, I think it showed our lack of big game experience. We were like deer in headlights for the first 20 minutes and even after that I think a lot of the poor skills were down to panicking and fretting. No excuse, I know, but this year was always about the learning experience. Hopefully there are quick learners because there should be another huge one in two weeks time. I have faith in them.

Now for the positives for the game. OK, I'm struggling, but I reckon we saw a contender for goal of the year from the Schneiderman tonight. That was an outrageous goal, particularly in the conditions, and it even went right through the centre of the sticks.

[desredandwhite]

I didn't take this one too well. Thankfully I didn't break anything this time. It's funny how different people get affected differently by events. I know plenty of folk here were gutted after Essendon beat us by 2 points at Colonial Stadium a couple of year back. For some reason, I was ok. I was getting quite philosophical before I'd even gotten out of the place.

Anyways, I doubt I'll be able to be rational about this until the rage subsides - maybe around lunchtime tomorrow.

[gossipcom]

Definitely agree about Schneiderman's goal.

Also since Sam Mitchell had a sluggish performance in his Friday night match maybe the Schneiderman goal will help him get some more recognition for RS award.

Even though Davis had a pretty quiet night his goal as well as a contender for goal of the year, was totally off balance when he kicked it and just snuck in.

I have to admit the highlight of the night for me was Willo getting his 50m penalty right in front of the Magpies Cheersquad <g> that's justice for getting smashed high and in the back late

[Bron]

I was quite down, but we went to the Chairman's after match after the game. I was feeling pretty depressed. I spent a bit of time talking to Jude and his father. He was pretty critical of skills ... (obviously) ... and was very disappointed, but I cheered up a bit talking to him. Also, my girlfriend had a long chat with Leo. Willo was really unhappy about the game. Some of the players were apparently so disappointed that they didn't come up to the function.

This seems to be like the after match in Melbourne, where the players just came up whenever. Most of them stayed until the end when security was sending us all out.

There were a lot of people at the function ... the guy who is lead on the Fat and the bag man, Neil Cordy, Barassi, a couple of actors (not that I'd recognise them but people around me were saying who they were).

[Charlie]

I honestly can't see a lot of positives... the game followed a formula that is becoming way too familiar: give up a huge start, then spend the rest of the game falling short of reeling the opposition in.

If I was in a generous mood, I might say Schneider... he was reasonable. O'Keefe looked dangerous, but didn't convert enough of his opportunities.

[treespirit]

Originally posted by Charlie
I honestly can't see a lot of positives... the game followed a formula that is becoming way too familiar: give up a huge start, then spend the rest of the game falling short of reeling the opposition in.

If I was in a generous mood, I might say Schneider... he was reasonable. O'Keefe looked dangerous, but didn't convert enough of his opportunities.

You got it Charlie. I am really sick of these slow starts. Get psyched up for the game then, oh, here we go again.

[plumber dan]

philosophical

Well Lizz,
I totally agree with you, as I see it we've had two good games and two pretty average over the last month. This loss would have hurt the players and I'm hoping it will show next week and beyond. The game was treated almost like a final and its better for the players to realise how disappointing a loss can be and remember that, when they line up in their first finals game, hopefully up here.

[Scottee]

I don't take the result of this game too seriously because of the following factors.

1. It was wet (suits Collingwood)

2. We had just come back from the big win in Brisbane.

3. This is the big one and it has concerned me for some time before the game. They had 8 days since their last game and we only had 6!!! It wasn't a level playing field. This usually manifests with a slow start to the game with the better rested side being fresher and sharper. Exactly how it appeared.

I felt a while back that we would be doing well to beat either of Brisbane or Collingwood this time around.

We still go into the last round with a shot at the top four.

You can't be disappointed with that given the predictions at the beginning of the season (some by Roosy himself).

The upside is that if Doyle had been playing last night we would have been a chance. That is hopefully the case in a week or two.

It wasn't so bad.

[DandE]

Also wanted to point out that the character is still there - the way er played last night Collingwood should have absolutley demolished us - but they didn't - they ended with the same margin they had in the first quarter.

To me this speaks volumes - another Sydney team would have given up the ghost and would have lost by 6 or more goals.

So either the team are a bunch of fighters - or Collingwood aren't that great !!! Either way I think thats a positive.

[swan_song]

I'm pretty philosophical about the result too. Collingwood beat us fair and square on the night. They came to play, we didn't. We played dumb dry weather football in the pouring eain. It is the same old...same old...we drop the important games. What, in the season, could have been more important than this game, given that probably we could beat Melbourne next week (Subie curse and all and them being crap) and that north had beaten adelaide earlier in the day. Consolidating second spot, a home final, the double chance, and the ability to ender the team with new supporters of aussie rules...
I feel disappointed for the 45,000 or so "extras" who came along also to give us a go...and I'd imagine that the majority would have gone away shaking their heads saying, "dunno what the fuss is about...that was pretty awful."
If a team can't perform in crucial h&a games, there is little hope for the finals. Last night, I'm afraid, we showed that vulnerability once again...a real reality check. I thought we could snag either brizie or the pies, my estimate was we'd snag the pies and go down to brizzie... Actually, that would have been my favoured option if we had to lose one of them...
As I posted weeks ago on here, in my calculations it still looks like a fifth (???) place finish and a home final against either the dockers which may be good, or essendon and a possible early exit!!!

[Nico]

I see things a bit differently. We were poor early but fought our way back into a chance to snatch the game.

Some our disposal was poor all game with poor disposal selection.
Dry weather footy in wet conditions, however, even though a defeat is a defeat, we went down by only 3 goals, were probably the better team.

For mine these 2 teams are very even, and on any given day the result will be reversed. If Collingwood is touted as a real contender then we must be right in there. Listening to Saturday footy chat on radio everyone agrees there is very little between 6 teams and it has come down to "inches" in a match which will decide results.

Look at the stats - 322 posessions to 282 in our favour. Now that is a contradiction of our whole season so far. So we had more of the footy but stuffed around. If we had copied Collingwood and kicked it long for players to run onto the skidding ball there is every chance the result would have been in our favour.

On these rainy tracks the ball skids another kick so it makes sense to kick it long. We kicked to a leading player expecting them to mark in front of them with their hands or over head. Dumb footy. Even chest marking on the lead is hard because the wet ball gets jolted out by the body contact of the opposing player, whereas on a dry day it is easier to hold. I'm sure Roos would have had told them all this.

So with all our mistakes we were still at the same level as Collingwood.

So cheer up Lizz and Charlie life is still good as a Swans supporter.

Amazing isn't it. For years we have merely accepted defeat as part of the Swans psyche, but now we hate losing with a passion.

[Mike_B]

Well for me, like Nico said, the fact we hung in there said a lot. BUT, the score could have been much worse - IIRC Coll hit the post 3 or 4 times. The start killed us, and the fact we didn't adapt to the conditions was very worrying.

What I'm hoping is the positive to come out of thise is that we will know for next time in very wet conditions that direct football, minimising the use of handballs is the way to go, and that they won't make the same mistakes they made last night. Here's hoping....

[liz]

Originally posted by Mike_B
Well for me, like Nico said, the fact we hung in there said a lot. BUT, the score could have been much worse - IIRC Coll hit the post 3 or 4 times.

I thought the posters were 2-2. But they did miss a few shots they should have got, while our kicking for goal with the few opportunities we got was pretty good in the conditions. In fact, considering just how much it was raining, we saw 5 pretty good goals last night (or four pretty good goals and one stunning one). Rocca's off the ground was very very good, Didak's long lick, the Davis and O'Loughlin kicks, plus of course the Schneiderman's.

I think the scoreboard flattered us somewhat but if we were to meet Collingwood again this year, I wouldn't fear them. Not to say we'd be favourites, but I have no doubt we can beat that team. Conversely, the team I'd probably least like to see us play in the finals would be Brisbane. I reckon they'd be so fired up after losing to us twice that they'd belt us. And on both occasions their "arrogance" has contributed to our victories, especially last week.

What is looking likely - and I'd love to see- is that Collingwood and Brisbane play each other in the first round of the finals. Even if it's at the MCG my money would be on the Lions.

[Mike_B]

The other team I wouldn't want to play is Essendon - even though we beat them convincingly earlier this year, they are a very different side now and we all know all the heartbreak we have had to endure against them in recent times - I don't think I could handle it.

[hardluck_harry]

I think one of the commentators summed it up saying Collingwood is a seasoned team now. The wet probably aided their stronger bodied players.

They kept their feet in contests and beat us in clearances at ballups and throw ins and we looked dangerous rebounding and trying to move the ball quickly from backline even while dropping chest marks and taking wrong options.

That being said the finals are usually played in dry weather, and the teams that move the ball quickly seem to do okay. Moving the ball quickly is what the Swans have done well all year, so all is not lost.

And above all else, the Swans have done exceptionally well this year and we should all be pleased with their efforts.