Well...

[hardluck_harry]

Our clearances from the centre bounce are a big concern. I think our rucks need to thump the ball forward rather than try and palm it to player at their feet.

At least it gives midfielders a chance to run onto it and into the forward line, rather than try and dink a little handballs around from the base of the pack.

All up pretty disappointing effort, seeing we were below our best and still could have put Melbourne away a few times.

Oh well, disappointed now but it's not the end of the world.

[Newbie]

Originally posted by taurus

I am starting to think that we may be a CHB short of premiership... (please tell me I am wrong!)

Nah, we are one or two decent midfielders short. Give us one or two extra decent midfielders, we are a decent chance.

If any one Bolton, Williams or Kirk drip or sidelined, we would be in trouble. The worry is we have no backup for this in the list right now. Albett does not seem to like getting under and dirty which is disappointing.

[The Boot]

Originally posted by Ugg
Worried about Lloyd now.

No-one will rate us a chance against the Bombers after this .. or will they? I put it down to the gruelling trip back from Canberra

[dendol]

Originally posted by The Boot
No-one will rate us a chance against the Bombers after this .. or will they? I put it down to the gruelling trip back from Canberra

LOL. Must have been the shocking bus trip that took it out of them. If Bombers win against Pies, its a given that they will be favourites in the next round on their home ground.

[Triple B]

Well I hope you're correct, because if we are any black odds against Essendon, i'm on.

We are absolute morals.

[penga]

IMO we are not one CHB short or two midfielders short of a premiership but we are short an effective ruckman... last night really showed that a decent ruckman in the middle has a huge influence on winning the centre clearances and centre breaks... it was just a pity he was playing for the other team!

ball rarely ever wins a CB hitout - more or less just creates a contest

doyle is too early to tell - even if he does step up, a good ruck duo really does set the pace

goodes should only be in there in emergencies as a ruck - when will we see him as a ruck rover? i dont understand why roosy insists on playing goodes at FF when he has a shocking set shot and general kicking for goal really does let him down

our ruck stocks at the moment could be said to be the most effective around the ground but least in the centre square

LRT is right up there on my love-child ranks however i do agree that he should make way for schauble - ie when schauble is fit

essentially we lost coz we got smashed out of the middle - to which white had a huge influence

our forward line - when we got the ball - really shined... ROK had a good crack like usual and is pivotal in our HF movements, davo is amazing! schneider pressured and kicked two with limited ball, hall was just too good for nicholson, goodes - see above, we really need him around the ground!!! around the centre/wing area and IMO thats where he plays his best football. saddo had to be pushed back due to the lack of ball coming in

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

I was filthy at the end of the match. I know there are more obvious reasons for our loss last night (ie a 2nd quarter where Melbourne totally took over in the midfield), but those two close-misses by one A Goodes have my blood boiling.

I do recall that on 3 seperate occasions Goodes tried to be too cute and just poke at the footy, with all 3 kicks dribbling along the ground miserably. I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt and say that it may well be a skill deficiency which needs to be worked on. Or maybe even an injury to one of his feet? Or even unfamiliar boots or something? But more likely it was making one of the cardinal sins in footy-NOT following through the footy when kicking it.

From memory he was in space and on the run from 20-30 on both occasions. We lost by 2 goals.

Hopefully Roosey gives him a full-on rocket. As last night his game reaked of flagrent lairising. Everyone loves a Brownlow medalist. But nobody loves it when they stuff their game up with inexcusable errors.

JF *getting off his soapbox*

[NMWBloods]

Well... I'm really disappointed with this result. I have followed our foot team for 30 years this year and every year it seems like we will have a reallt top-rate team that will win games they should, we mess it up. I experienced that in 87-88 and 97-98, and hopefully it is not the case this year.

However, it seems a bit like it so far this year. Our form has really been quite mixed so far this year and this was a game we should have won.

I wonder whether the guys begin to believe their own press as a potential premiership contender or whether they just lack concentration or maybe something else.

Two things I wrote during the week are key I think:

If the Swans seriously plan to be a genuine top 4 contender this year, then we should be able to comfortably account for the mid-level and lower-level teams. We will need to play at the top of our game, however if we do then we should beat Melbourne by 4-5 goals.

and

4. If Paul roos rung you and asked you for one bit of advice with regards to the Swans on field, what woul dit be?

Simply make them remember that they are a champion team and not a team of champions, and if they play together strongly as a team and fight it out, they will win. If they relax too much, they will lose."

Not panicking, but very disappointed!

[Charlie]

As good as Adam was against the 'Roos... I have to wonder why we're wasting his once-in-a-generation type talent at full-forward?

He'll get more goals setting them up in the centre than kicking a couple (or missing them, just as likely) up forward.

His best role is rotating from the wing to ruck roving. At 194cm, with plenty of speed, he is an elite midfielder. Don't put him at the centre bounces though... he's not big enough to smack into Sandilands, Everitt, Keating etc game after game. Playing him in those bounces is one sure way to end his career at 30-31 instead of 33-34.

Hard to believe that after 117 games, a Rising Star award, All-Australian, best&fairest, Troy Luff Medal and a Brownlow, they're still trying to work out where to play him.

[stellation]

Originally posted by Charlie
As good as Adam was against the 'Roos... I have to wonder why we're wasting his once-in-a-generation type talent at full-forward?

He'll get more goals setting them up in the centre than kicking a couple (or missing them, just as likely) up forward.

His best role is rotating from the wing to ruck roving. At 194cm, with plenty of speed, he is an elite midfielder. Don't put him at the centre bounces though... he's not big enough to smack into Sandilands, Everitt, Keating etc game after game. Playing him in those bounces is one sure way to end his career at 30-31 instead of 33-34.

Hard to believe that after 117 games, a Rising Star award, All-Australian, best&fairest, Troy Luff Medal and a Brownlow, they're still trying to work out where to play him.

Yep. Goodes has to be in the middle of the ground. I swear he gets bored in the forward line and that leads to mistakes.With Micky O back would Goodes play in the forward line? Wonderful as it is to say for such a talent, I don't think we could find a spot for him there at full strength.

[The Boot]

Originally posted by dendol
LOL. Must have been the shocking bus trip that took it out of them.

Of course the truth has to be told. I found myself on the Rex cheapie back from Canberra after the Roos match, and caught up with his royal highness Myles Baron-Hay in the shuttle bus. Asked how the boys DO actually travel, and he said the ones would be back on the 8:30pm (Qantas?) that night, and the twos were on the bus.

[Bleed Red Blood]

Charlie, you beat me to it... I was going to make this exact thread entilted "well..." seriously.

Anyway my thoughts -

Davis -

Can't wait to see him fully fit. Didn't do a thing wrong except for when he tried to outmark(yze?) who ran off him and Davo just put his head down.

Hall was great.

Fosdike was better than some are making out, but can't be expected to carry the midfield.

BoltonJ put in a great effort, without starring.

Bevan wasn't as good as previously, neither was McVeigh.

I didnt see much of LRT, should make way for Schuable when fit.

If Stewie can't play next week, who do we bring in, Nicks?

Doyle seems to be getting better and was quite good below his knees I thought.

Schneids is not suffering from second year blues and when he lifts his endurance will be great in the midfield.

We really missed Schuable, James couldnt hold Neitz, though to be fair on Heath, Neitz was getting great delivery.

Goodes was needed in the midfield rather than forward as he cant kick.

[Bart]

Originally posted by Charlie
Hard to believe that after 117 games, a Rising Star award, All-Australian, best&fairest, Troy Luff Medal and a Brownlow, they're still trying to work out where to play him.

Can't believe you would lower the prestige of the TLM by associating with those other pieces of tupperware

[Charlie]

Originally posted by Bart
Can't believe you would lower the prestige of the TLM by associating with those other pieces of tupperware

They're in ascending order according to presige... I agonised about where to put the TLM, but decided that the Brownlow was a pretty big deal in it's own right, and besides, he won me a lot of money...

By the way, don't forget to vote!

[Reggi]

Originally posted by BBB
Well I hope you're correct, because if we are any black odds against Essendon, i'm on.

We are absolute morals.

You're kidding aren't you.

Hird & Lloyd