Why Are we Underestimating Melbourne?

[stellation]

Originally posted by Go Swannies
Last night I watched the R22 game again. Now I'm a lot more relaxed. Our guys are now playing a lot better than then (surprised to see how much better) and, even so, found holes in the Dees game everywhere.

For those with memory loss: Nick D and Magic blasted the game open after half time - then Magic's hamstring went with four minutes to go - end of his season and tears all round.

so as the most recent one to watch the game, remind us about how far out Nick Davis was when he kicked that goal from the half forward flank... I just like to think about it... it was a drop punt too wasn't it, it certainly was from torp distance...

[Go Swannies]

It was more than 70 metres out. The rest of us were looking to see who was going to mark but Bazza just shepherded as it went through.

Hang on, the ball was touchable as it crossed the line so it wasn't so special! Jeez Nick, why didn't you kick it harder?

[CHF]

Originally posted by Go Swannies
Last night I watched the R22 game again. Now I'm a lot more relaxed. Our guys are now playing a lot better than then (surprised to see how much better) and, even so, found holes in the Dees game everywhere.

For those with memory loss: Nick D and Magic blasted the game open after half time - then Magic's hamstring went with four minutes to go - end of his season and tears all round.

Hey Swannies,

I don't think that there will be much similarity between the Melbourne team that takes the ground this weekend and the one that was on the ground for Round 22 last season. IMO there will around nine changes from the 22 in the last round last season.

How much difference will there be in the swans as a matter of interest?

[liz]

Originally posted by CHF


How much difference will there be in the swans as a matter of interest?

Can't remember exactly who played in r22 last year but O'Loughlin and Schaubs are two that did that will be missing this week. Ball, Doyle, James, McVeigh and Bevan (the last two youngsters and James a pseudo youngster) will be five almost certain to play who didn't in r22 last year. The other changes must be fringe players like Powell, Sunny and Meiklejohn who might have played last time.

[CHF]

Originally posted by lizz
Can't remember exactly who played in r22 last year but O'Loughlin and Schaubs are two that did that will be missing this week. Ball, Doyle, James, McVeigh and Bevan (the last two youngsters and James a pseudo youngster) will be five almost certain to play who didn't in r22 last year. The other changes must be fringe players like Powell, Sunny and Meiklejohn who might have played last time.

Leo Barry Craig Bolton Jude Bolton Daryn Cresswell
Jared Crouch Nick Davis Stephen Doyle Nic Fosdike
Adam Goodes Barry Hall Tadhg Kennelly Brett Kirk
Ben Mathews Stuart Maxfield Ryan O'Keefe Michael O'Loughlin Lewis Roberts-Thomson Andrew Schauble Adam Schneider
Brad Seymour Jarrad Sundqvist Paul Williams

Here is the Sydney team from R22 2003.

Maybe 5 difference this time around?

[liz]

Originally posted by CHF

Maybe 5 difference this time around?

How embarassing that I had forgotten about Cressa so soon!

Yup - probably 5 changes to the line-up

Out : Cresswell, O'Loughlin, Sundqvist, Seymour, Schauble

In: Ball, McVeigh, Bevan, James, Saddington

Doyle is arguably another "in" because the version that rocked up for r22 last year wasn't fit and shouldn't have been there. He's still on the way back from injury but should be far more of an important player this time around.

Am assuming that Ablett will be the one who makes way for Davis.

[Yze_Magic]

This game will be won in the midfield (like about 98% of all games these days)



After Brad Greens dominant game last week, I think he is going to experience a tag for the first time in his career, probably Captain Kirk. Certainly a big test for Greeny. This will leave Yze, Bruce, Johnstone, Thompson, McDonald etc. to battle with Williams, Crouch, Bolton, Maxfield etc...

[sharpie]

haha, if Brad Green is the best midfielder you guys can throw at us after he plays one good game there, then we dont have too much to worry about. Kirk will take the BEST midfielder, whoever that may be.

[TheHood]

I would have thought Kirky would have gone on Cameron "The" Bruce.

[Triple B]

'Captain on Green', 'Kirky on Bruce'.

Obviously I missed the news that Yze isn't playing!!

[CHF]

Originally posted by BBB
'Captain on Green', 'Kirky on Bruce'.

Obviously I missed the news that Yze isn't playing!!

Midfield matchups will be impossible to pick before hand.

Melbourne, I believe will start with Green, Thompson, Johnstone in the middle and McDonald and Yze on the ball. Bruce will start at HFF and there will be the likes of Godfrey and Read on the bench.

how the swans will line up and what matchups the coaches will try to force I have no idea.

[liz]

Originally posted by CHF
Bruce will start at HFF

While Bruce is at HFF I'd tip Leapin' to pick him up. I think it unlikely that Daniher would try to move Bruce to the goalsquare in an attempt to take Leo out of the game because that would be too great a sacrifice for the Dees. Should then be a head-to-head "in position" for two very talented players.

However, if/when Bruce moves into the midfield I'd be surprised if Leo followed him. Craig Bolton probably could follow Bruce to the midfield but his availability will depend on how the Swans defence are coping with Neitz and Holland.

[sharpie]

Does anyone else here believe that the best way to shut down the swans run would be to tag either Kennelly or Barry?

[liz]

Originally posted by sharpie
Does anyone else here believe that the best way to shut down the swans run would be to tag either Kennelly or Barry?

Maybe not a "tag" per se, but definitely trying to move them out of their comfort zone or area of effectiveness is a tactic we are already seeing.

Thompson did it very successfully on Barry two weeks ago and it was one of the reasons why the Swans were so static. Of course it didn't help that Kennelly was clearly in pain for much of that game and was wandering in and out of the play. I think Laidley tried it a bit on Sunday as well - Motlopp seemed to spend a lot of the game playing out of the square.

Barry is more likely to be a target of this than Kennelly at the moment because he is usually given an important defensive role as well as licence to attack. Tiger seems to usually be assigned the least dangerous opposition forward and he is almost purely an offensive weapon, despite the fact he is positioned in the backline. I suspect it is less likely to work against Kennelly, therefore, because Roos will just change the match-ups so that he has Kennelly where he wants.

[Yze_Magic]

Originally posted by sharpie
Does anyone else here believe that the best way to shut down the swans run would be to tag either Kennelly or Barry?

No


if you talk about run from the backline, the Demons do it better than anyone

Bizzell, brown, Whelan, Rivers , Wheatley and Yze have been destroying teams all season running from the back half

For proof, see last weeks game vs Port where Bizzell and Brown were tagged at the start of the game

thats how scared Choco was about our run from the backline