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Bustling...Barry Hall in action for the Swans yesterday.
AFL
Swans smashed
By TIM MORRISSEY
February 23, 2004
BIG bad bustling Barry Hall wasn't pulling any punches when he summed up the Swans' woeful 102-point drubbing at the hands of a new-look Carlton yesterday.
"You never want to lose but just the way we lost was pathetic to be honest," said Hall.
Carlton won 1.22.9 (150) to 2.4.6 (48).
Sydney's menacing centre half-forward was hurting after the under-manned Swans' no-show performance in their opening game of the Wizard Cup pre-season tournament against a team which finished second last in 2003.
But it wasn't from having his nose left bloody and broken and spread across his face after trying to tackle Carlton's Digby Morrell in the third quarter.
With cotton wool spilling out of his nostrils Hall looked like he had just been punched on the snoz by the current world heavyweight champion.
"I think you're gone mate," was Morrell's immediate reaction at the time as the blood from Hall's broken nose started flowing.
However, the only thing the 27-year-old Swans goal-kicking star was concerned about was his team's inexplicable lack of spark and commitment from the first bounce.
"It's just disappointing. We've came a long way last year and to dish up that, as I said, is pathetic," said Hall.
"It's unacceptable and there's a lot of blokes who have some soul-searching to do.
"We knew Carlton had a pretty good side in and we were playing a lot kids and that's all fine.
"They're three weeks in front of us but at the same time our effort was unacceptable and won't be accepted.
"They'll [under-performing players] will get weeded out of the system if they don't pull their fingers out.
"There was no spark today we weren't hard at it. They were harder than us.
"They were just all over us in every facet of the game and we've got a lot of work to do.
"We spoke about that and we've got a lot of work to do before the season starts ? it starts tomorrow."
Carlton, with 11 new faces after a busy time during the trading period over the off-season, had the game virtually shown up in the first 15 minutes when they kicked four unanswered goals against little resistance.
For the rest of the game the Blues, led by a stunning eight-goals-five haul by forward Brendan Fevola and some smart service from prize new recruit Nick Stevens, put on a football clinic which at least should give their long- suffering fans some hope going into 2004.
The Swans fielded an inexperienced side with 11 senior players missing, replaced by eight youngsters yet to make their AFL debuts, and it was expected they would look a little rusty.
But no one anticipated Carlton, even with a full-strength side, would smash the Swans by 23 goals to six.
Swans coach Paul Roos wasn't expecting miracles with the likes Michael O'Loughlin (knee), Jason Ball (shoulder), Nick Davis (hamstring), Jared Crouch (shoulder), Tadhg Kennelly (groin) and Leo Barry (shoulder) all still recovering from injuries.
At least five or six of those big names, including Jude Bolton, Paul Williams and Davis, will be returning on Saturday when Sydney get a chance to redeem themselves against Collingwood at McHale Stadium in the Wizard Cup regional challenge ? for all the first-round losers.
But Roos believes there was still no excuse yesterday.
"There were obviously players today who showed they're not capable yet of playing at this level," said Roos.
"The first 10-15 minutes when fitness or rotations or things like that don't really mean too much, you at least think at that stage you would be competitive.
"You'd have to go over the tape but one would suggest Carlton's effort was a lot higher than ours, that was probably the most disappointing thing."
Expectations for the Swans in 2004 have been raised after they made a mockery of the majority of the Melbourne media who predicted Sydney would take out the wooden spoon last year.
AFL
Swans smashed
By TIM MORRISSEY
February 23, 2004
BIG bad bustling Barry Hall wasn't pulling any punches when he summed up the Swans' woeful 102-point drubbing at the hands of a new-look Carlton yesterday.
"You never want to lose but just the way we lost was pathetic to be honest," said Hall.
Carlton won 1.22.9 (150) to 2.4.6 (48).
Sydney's menacing centre half-forward was hurting after the under-manned Swans' no-show performance in their opening game of the Wizard Cup pre-season tournament against a team which finished second last in 2003.
But it wasn't from having his nose left bloody and broken and spread across his face after trying to tackle Carlton's Digby Morrell in the third quarter.
With cotton wool spilling out of his nostrils Hall looked like he had just been punched on the snoz by the current world heavyweight champion.
"I think you're gone mate," was Morrell's immediate reaction at the time as the blood from Hall's broken nose started flowing.
However, the only thing the 27-year-old Swans goal-kicking star was concerned about was his team's inexplicable lack of spark and commitment from the first bounce.
"It's just disappointing. We've came a long way last year and to dish up that, as I said, is pathetic," said Hall.
"It's unacceptable and there's a lot of blokes who have some soul-searching to do.
"We knew Carlton had a pretty good side in and we were playing a lot kids and that's all fine.
"They're three weeks in front of us but at the same time our effort was unacceptable and won't be accepted.
"They'll [under-performing players] will get weeded out of the system if they don't pull their fingers out.
"There was no spark today we weren't hard at it. They were harder than us.
"They were just all over us in every facet of the game and we've got a lot of work to do.
"We spoke about that and we've got a lot of work to do before the season starts ? it starts tomorrow."
Carlton, with 11 new faces after a busy time during the trading period over the off-season, had the game virtually shown up in the first 15 minutes when they kicked four unanswered goals against little resistance.
For the rest of the game the Blues, led by a stunning eight-goals-five haul by forward Brendan Fevola and some smart service from prize new recruit Nick Stevens, put on a football clinic which at least should give their long- suffering fans some hope going into 2004.
The Swans fielded an inexperienced side with 11 senior players missing, replaced by eight youngsters yet to make their AFL debuts, and it was expected they would look a little rusty.
But no one anticipated Carlton, even with a full-strength side, would smash the Swans by 23 goals to six.
Swans coach Paul Roos wasn't expecting miracles with the likes Michael O'Loughlin (knee), Jason Ball (shoulder), Nick Davis (hamstring), Jared Crouch (shoulder), Tadhg Kennelly (groin) and Leo Barry (shoulder) all still recovering from injuries.
At least five or six of those big names, including Jude Bolton, Paul Williams and Davis, will be returning on Saturday when Sydney get a chance to redeem themselves against Collingwood at McHale Stadium in the Wizard Cup regional challenge ? for all the first-round losers.
But Roos believes there was still no excuse yesterday.
"There were obviously players today who showed they're not capable yet of playing at this level," said Roos.
"The first 10-15 minutes when fitness or rotations or things like that don't really mean too much, you at least think at that stage you would be competitive.
"You'd have to go over the tape but one would suggest Carlton's effort was a lot higher than ours, that was probably the most disappointing thing."
Expectations for the Swans in 2004 have been raised after they made a mockery of the majority of the Melbourne media who predicted Sydney would take out the wooden spoon last year.
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