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Swans wiser after loss: Kennelly
11:18:04 AM Thu 28 August, 2003
Karen Collins
afl.com.au
Despite last Saturday?s slip-up against Collingwood, Sydney?s Tadhg Kennelly believes the Swans learned some significant lessons that will be useful in September.
?Maybe the players started to listen to the media last week, thinking that it is a big game and we could finish second if we win. Maybe we did get ahead of ourselves,? Kennelly said.
?People are saying we are a young team and we cracked under a finals-like pressure, but I think the experience of it will stand us in good stead.?
?It?s good to have the experience before the finals. We wouldn?t want to play and lose a finals game and then having to wait another year, so it?s good experience a couple weeks before we play finals football.?
Although the Swans have tasted victory just once in the past month, the 22-year-old doesn?t feel they have lost momentum going into the finals.
?The Adelaide game (where they lost by four points) could have gone either way.?
?Maybe things have stagnated a bit, but not a whole lot. We improved again in the second half and I think we want to take the momentum into the first quarter this week against Melbourne and hopefully then have a crack and get a bit of momentum into the finals.?
Saturday will mark the Irishman?s 50th senior match after starting at the Swans in 2000. He was promoted from the rookie list the following year.
He feels the transition from Gaelic Football was made easier because the coaches and players gave him self-belief.
?It?s only been a short career obviously playing the game for four years, and there have been some fun times. There has been some tough times as well, but more fun, I must say.?
?I?m beginning (to feel like I have more influence on the game) and I like that.?
?I am feeling more and more confident that I want to get the ball as much as possible. I want to kick goals and I want to set up and be involved in every single part of the game if I can.?
11:18:04 AM Thu 28 August, 2003
Karen Collins
afl.com.au
Despite last Saturday?s slip-up against Collingwood, Sydney?s Tadhg Kennelly believes the Swans learned some significant lessons that will be useful in September.
?Maybe the players started to listen to the media last week, thinking that it is a big game and we could finish second if we win. Maybe we did get ahead of ourselves,? Kennelly said.
?People are saying we are a young team and we cracked under a finals-like pressure, but I think the experience of it will stand us in good stead.?
?It?s good to have the experience before the finals. We wouldn?t want to play and lose a finals game and then having to wait another year, so it?s good experience a couple weeks before we play finals football.?
Although the Swans have tasted victory just once in the past month, the 22-year-old doesn?t feel they have lost momentum going into the finals.
?The Adelaide game (where they lost by four points) could have gone either way.?
?Maybe things have stagnated a bit, but not a whole lot. We improved again in the second half and I think we want to take the momentum into the first quarter this week against Melbourne and hopefully then have a crack and get a bit of momentum into the finals.?
Saturday will mark the Irishman?s 50th senior match after starting at the Swans in 2000. He was promoted from the rookie list the following year.
He feels the transition from Gaelic Football was made easier because the coaches and players gave him self-belief.
?It?s only been a short career obviously playing the game for four years, and there have been some fun times. There has been some tough times as well, but more fun, I must say.?
?I?m beginning (to feel like I have more influence on the game) and I like that.?
?I am feeling more and more confident that I want to get the ball as much as possible. I want to kick goals and I want to set up and be involved in every single part of the game if I can.?
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