score update for swans v kangas

[DST]

Originally posted by Reggi
Sundqvist is struggling as is Bevan/ McGlone.

Don't remember Bevan at all, except he got out marked a couple of times deep in the back line, but I thought McGlone actually looked quite handy.

Seems to position himself well and knows how to find the footy, if only we could transplant his brain into Ablett and we may have found ourselves a handy midfielder.

DST

[Reggi]

Strong mark for his size though Ablett - need to experiment, not suited to the centre could be a handy wingman with his marking.

He just needs to attack the footy a lot lot harder.

On that how good was J Bolton's attack on the footy for a practice game

[dendol]

Man, you guys have me worried.. I know we are behind 3 or 4 weeks in preparation compared to the 'roos, but all these players who were supposed to have stepped up this year - fosdike, ablett, sunqvuist - seem to be at the same level they were last year. Today they had 29 scoring shots to our 16 which means that our midfield didnt win enough of the ball and allowed them to enter their forward 50 many more times.

next week we'll play the saints or bombers. How the hell do we match up on their forward lines without Schaubs there to take the "gorilla" in Lloyd or Gehrig/Hamill??

[Reggi]

Yeah if they had kicked straight in the third it would have been a 50 point loss.

They carved us in the midfield Grant, Simpson, Stevens * 2 and Harris had days out.

Other than Bolton, Williams and Crouch the rest of ours were very very ordinary.

I was thinking during the game we recruited too many mid sized talls a la Sundqvist and not enough 180cm fat arsed ground level players - usually they are the easist to find.

ATM our cupboard looks bare, but early days - we will need every one that we have up and running though

[dendol]

I was thinking during the game we recruited too many mid sized talls a la Sundqvist and not enough 180cm fat arsed ground level players - usually they are the easist to find.

we took care of that when we drafted Schmidt! And Willoughby is pint-sized as well. Unfortunately it wont be a year or two til they play.

Did Malceski play today? Im hoping he can fill some of the void in our midfield. Come to think of it, did any of our 2002 draftees play today?

[anne]

Most played and no-one looks any good. Heath James was the only one who looks to have some potential. I think we are in for a long year.

[Charlie]

Originally posted by anne
Most played and no-one looks any good. Heath James was the only one who looks to have some potential. I think we are in for a long year.

This is silly. Nothing of any significance has occurred.

Last year, we were getting towelled everywhere we went during the pre-season.

DON'T PANIC!

[robbieando]

Originally posted by anne
Most played and no-one looks any good. Heath James was the only one who looks to have some potential. I think we are in for a long year.

Rightttttttt

Hall dominated when he got near the ball and Powell put in a big game. James also did some nice things up forward. Saddo had his best outing of the pre season as well. Don't read much into the result, things look OK.

[hardluck_harry]

Did anyone see the enormous speccy Leaping Leo took in the first quarter, only to have the umpire reward a free against the Swans.

Thought Powell had a great game specially the 2nd half, I was surprised how tall he is. I think Roosy asked him for a big effort in the last quarter and he put in a good one. Same with James, he looked better at up the ground leading to the ball in the 2nd half, also good to see he's stuck up for his teammate, he had a bit of a push and shove with Archer in the 2 quarter. (Archer did something to Bolton.)

J Bolton, Maxfield, Kennelly, Williams, Kirk and Crouch seem to get plenty of it. Though Nth's midfield did very well too, I think there wasn't much emphasis on tagging except for ball-ups and throw-ins. So not much could be read into it.

Ball probably only played 40 minutes. Meiklejohn probably broke even in the ruck with Hale, but Leigh Brown overpowered him and beat him around the ground.

Roosy seems to be giving Rogers and Bevan a good hit out, they both tried hard and put their bodies on the line, they're disposal and decisions sometimes got them in trouble, but the signs are good.

Bit of a worry is the skill errors, the team seem to try to pinpoint passes, some of them were really short and they got them in strife, especially going towards half forward. Of course, that should all change when O'Loughlin, Goodes, Doyle or Ball are up forward.

Anyway it was good to see some of the younger guys playing, they all showed some glimpses, just a matter of getting more confidence.

Anyway there's plenty of room to improve but I think Roosy wouldn't be too worried. That's just my thoughts.

[Bleed Red Blood]

The first half of the match I was really wondering why weve held on to James, but in the second half he was alot better, worth a HBF role but not a KP.

Saddo wasnt great shouldnt have been in the Best players list IMO, was better than last week though.

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by dendol
Today they had 29 scoring shots to our 16 which means that our midfield didnt win enough of the ball and allowed them to enter their forward 50 many more times.

next week we'll play the saints or bombers. How the hell do we match up on their forward lines without Schaubs there to take the "gorilla" in Lloyd or Gehrig/Hamill??

Yep - these two things have me a bit worried. Who didn't play from the midfield - Goodes and Maxfield only? If so, then our midfield really needs to improve dramatically, particularly as it seems Williams and Bolton both played well.

Schaub's injured hammy is also a concern - wasn't it in 2002 when he missed of the season because of his hamstring.

[Reggi]

Originally posted by dendol
we took care of that when we drafted Schmidt! And Willoughby is pint-sized as well. Unfortunately it wont be a year or two til they play.

Did Malceski play today? Im hoping he can fill some of the void in our midfield. Come to think of it, did any of our 2002 draftees play today?

I also do not think it is time for panic stations - many good sides of the past have been ordinary in practice matches, lacking intensity.

Panic when we start losing in the season proper.

Malceski played, does show some good balance, but you can understand why he was such a low pick. He's very lean, may debute but not ready to be a regular.

Schauble only played about 14 or 15 games in 2001/ 02 he is very susceptible to soft tissue injuries. But being self inflicted possibly this one is a one off - although I noted Roos said it was serious, there is still 3 weeks until the beginning of the season.

The pre-season injury toll is probably more of a concern than the form. LRT, Schneider, Fixter, Schmidt, Schauble all suffering injuries.

Still a fair bit to go yet

[chammond]

Schauble only played about 14 or 15 games in 2001/ 02 he is very susceptible to soft tissue injuries. But being self inflicted possibly this one is a one off - although I noted Roos said it was serious, there is still 3 weeks until the beginning of the season.

I've got a vague recollection that he did almost the same thing near the start of last season - i.e. over-extended and tweaked his dodgy hamstring. I'm almost sure I remember him sitting despondently on the sidelines and the TV commentator speculating that he could miss several weeks.

next week we'll play the saints or bombers. How the hell do we match up on their forward lines without Schaubs there to take the "gorilla" in Lloyd or Gehrig/Hamill??

Not sure about next week, but Ball is a more than useful defensive tall when he's fit.

Maybe it's time for LRT and Meiklejohn to be introduced to the joys of defensive play? Or for Rogers to be thrown in the deep end?

[swans_premiers]

I reckon O'loughlan will make a HUGE difference when he comes back..james could them push back and goodes could go into the midfield or back in defence...mathews also hasnt played yet so he will help out.

There's no reason why we can't do aswell as we did last year we just need to find a replacement for Cresswell, hopefully a Mcveigh or Fixter can do that.

[Bleed Red Blood]

read in the age today that Schuable is in doubt for round 1.