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Goodes wraps up compelling defence
By Jenny McAsey
May 24, 2004
Sydney 11.14 (80) ? Hawthorn 12.7 (79)
ADAM GOODES' knee injury yesterday turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the Sydney Swans.
Goodes, marked never to ruck again by his coach Paul Roos after he tore his posterior cruciate ligament last weekend, took to the field in the unfamiliar position of centre half-back against Hawthorn and for most of the day played like a man born in the backline.
While he looked unsure trying to turn on the heavily bandaged right knee early in the first term, Goodes said that was the result of a weird loose feeling in the ligament, and not pain.
It did not hold him back. His eight possessions in the first quarter helped propel the Swans to a flying start and though they wasted opportunities thereafter, the result was an end to their four-match losing streak and another day of despair for the luckless Hawks.
"A win like that can definitely turn the season around. It just sparks the club back up again," Goodes said.
The Brownlow medallist who swept all before him playing as a running ruckman or forward last year may now find himself plugging the hole in Sydney's under-sized backline on a more permanent basis.
"It is a great spot to get your confidence back. Working off (Danny) Jacobs and (John) Barker today definitely gave me more of a role. In the forward line you have to go out and get the footy, whereas today I just had to stop my man getting the footy and in the first quarter none of the guys I played on touched the footy once," Goodes said.
Sydney's football director Andrew Ireland has been pushing for Goodes to play in defence for some time. Roos said the injury had forced the issue.
"It is something that has been up our sleeve but we haven't been game enough to bring it out until now," said Roos.
It surprised Hawthorn coach Peter Schwab, who was deeply disappointed his side had not been able to hang on for a win after their game last-quarter fightback.
Following last week's circuit-breaking win over Fremantle, victory yesterday could have kept Hawthorn's finals hopes flickering. "We just regret the way we let the game slip in two periods," Schwab said.
The first and third terms were dominated by the Swans, with Leo Barry back to his fearless best in defence and Jason Ball keeping the lid on Hawthorn ruckman Peter Everitt.
But Sydney let themselves down with poor kicking for goal.
The Hawks were sparked in the second quarter and again in the last by the clever work of Sam Mitchell at the stoppages, and the talented Richard Vandenburg, who scored two inspiring goals from the boundary line.
Trent Croad, quiet for most of the afternoon, took two marks in two minutes in front of a tiring Goodes and kicked truly.
Barry was shifted on to Croad and Goodes defied his coach's directive and put himself into the ruck for a throw-in as Sydney fought desperately in the final minutes.
In the end, the line between despair and elation ? between saving a season and kissing it goodbye ? was agonisingly thin. For Sydney, joy came in the form of a goal on the run from Jude Bolton in his 100th game which won back the lead with a few minutes to go.
For the Hawks, despair could be measured in the length of Everitt's fingertips as he fell over the line and failed to mark in front of goal in the last minute.
By Jenny McAsey
May 24, 2004
Sydney 11.14 (80) ? Hawthorn 12.7 (79)
ADAM GOODES' knee injury yesterday turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the Sydney Swans.
Goodes, marked never to ruck again by his coach Paul Roos after he tore his posterior cruciate ligament last weekend, took to the field in the unfamiliar position of centre half-back against Hawthorn and for most of the day played like a man born in the backline.
While he looked unsure trying to turn on the heavily bandaged right knee early in the first term, Goodes said that was the result of a weird loose feeling in the ligament, and not pain.
It did not hold him back. His eight possessions in the first quarter helped propel the Swans to a flying start and though they wasted opportunities thereafter, the result was an end to their four-match losing streak and another day of despair for the luckless Hawks.
"A win like that can definitely turn the season around. It just sparks the club back up again," Goodes said.
The Brownlow medallist who swept all before him playing as a running ruckman or forward last year may now find himself plugging the hole in Sydney's under-sized backline on a more permanent basis.
"It is a great spot to get your confidence back. Working off (Danny) Jacobs and (John) Barker today definitely gave me more of a role. In the forward line you have to go out and get the footy, whereas today I just had to stop my man getting the footy and in the first quarter none of the guys I played on touched the footy once," Goodes said.
Sydney's football director Andrew Ireland has been pushing for Goodes to play in defence for some time. Roos said the injury had forced the issue.
"It is something that has been up our sleeve but we haven't been game enough to bring it out until now," said Roos.
It surprised Hawthorn coach Peter Schwab, who was deeply disappointed his side had not been able to hang on for a win after their game last-quarter fightback.
Following last week's circuit-breaking win over Fremantle, victory yesterday could have kept Hawthorn's finals hopes flickering. "We just regret the way we let the game slip in two periods," Schwab said.
The first and third terms were dominated by the Swans, with Leo Barry back to his fearless best in defence and Jason Ball keeping the lid on Hawthorn ruckman Peter Everitt.
But Sydney let themselves down with poor kicking for goal.
The Hawks were sparked in the second quarter and again in the last by the clever work of Sam Mitchell at the stoppages, and the talented Richard Vandenburg, who scored two inspiring goals from the boundary line.
Trent Croad, quiet for most of the afternoon, took two marks in two minutes in front of a tiring Goodes and kicked truly.
Barry was shifted on to Croad and Goodes defied his coach's directive and put himself into the ruck for a throw-in as Sydney fought desperately in the final minutes.
In the end, the line between despair and elation ? between saving a season and kissing it goodbye ? was agonisingly thin. For Sydney, joy came in the form of a goal on the run from Jude Bolton in his 100th game which won back the lead with a few minutes to go.
For the Hawks, despair could be measured in the length of Everitt's fingertips as he fell over the line and failed to mark in front of goal in the last minute.
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