What type of game??

[motorace_182]

As everyone seems to be already focussing on the saints, do we play all out attack for this weekend, or do we play similar to the Lions game and play keepings off? By all out attack I mean placing Tiger and Leo on the flanks and on easier opponents and let them rebound to our forward line? Or shoud we put Leo on Gehrig and try and make him accountable at times? Of course it will definitely depend if we can have Bazz and Nicky D playing. But whats the best method to overcome the Saints?

Personally Id play Leo on Gherig and try to drag him up the ground when possible. Possibly Tiger playing free man in defence to get across and help man up and have a free run when he gets it. Jude etc have to make a massive step up and show their capapbilities. For me, this game will show us if we are genuine Premiership contenders over the next 2 years, or if we will just be making up the numbers....

[liz]

The kind when we win.

The Saints are playing so confidently at the moment that I don't think the Swannies stand a chance unless they are prepared to back themselves and take some risks. We have no-one on the team capable of outplaying Gehrig, for example, if he is getting good supply.

By all means use the defensive strength of our midfield to try to shut down a couple of their major ball-winners, but it will be up to the whole team to tackle hard and put real pressure on the Saints, and to use the ball intelligently going forward.

Having just watched a replay of yesterday's game, I've realised how ordinary much of the delivery forward was yesterday. It was not just a case of kicking poorly for goal - the team really didn't create enough scoring opportunities for the dominance they had in the midfield.

We will need a third marking forward - whether it's Nicks, Pebbles, Davis if he's fit, or someone else - to work hard in the forward line and make sure the team has options other than just Hall and Magic.

[barry]

Originally posted by lizz


Having just watched a replay of yesterday's game, I've realised how ordinary much of the delivery forward was yesterday. It was not just a case of kicking poorly for goal - the team really didn't create enough scoring opportunities for the dominance they had in the midfield.

Are you serious? We had almost as many extra shots on goal as St Kilda had over Carlton, and Adeliade had over Hawthorn - both thrashings in anyones book.

[liz]

Originally posted by barry
Are you serious? We had almost as many extra shots on goal as St Kilda had over Carlton, and Adeliade had over Hawthorn - both thrashings in anyones book.

So what? We could have - and should have - had more based on the midfield's dominance. How many times did they just kick towards Bazza, despite the fact he had two, sometimes three, defenders hanging off him? How many times did they kick to someone leading to the pocket, with a tough shot to follow even if they marked?

Not having a "go" at the team - I'm delighted that they worked so hard and have remembered how to win. But there is still plenty of room for improvement, and they will need to learn to use the ball better if they are to match it with the Saints, Lions and Power because they will be given fewer opportunities than that fairly pathetic midfield performance from the Dogs allowed them.

[ScottH]

A bit of controlled agro, would help sort out a few of the Saints. If Gehrig loses it, he may do a Richo, and lose the plot totally(But I think not!). But then again he might turn into a plugger when he kicked a bag in a fit of rage against us!!

[TheHood]

Originally posted by hemsleys
A bit of controlled agro, would help sort out a few of the Saints. If Gehrig loses it, he may do a Richo, and lose the plot totally(But I think not!). But then again he might turn into a plugger when he kicked a bag in a fit of rage against us!!

The Dons weren't so successful with this ploy, so I don't see it working for us because it's not our natural game.

Personally, I wouldn't change much from Saturday night's backline, so that means Goodesy on Fraser. Goodesy basically scarred the Dogs midfield from using Jade because he had a Brownlow medalist standing in his shadow who can out mark, out run and out fox him.

I think B2 will have to work hard and go on Reiwolt, keeping him up the ground as much as possible.

Milne is back to his deadly best and he needs an harrasser who will stay with him until he is well and truly frustrated!

Saints are a 15 goal better team than the Dogs, so by my calcs, we will need to kick 12 straighter than last week! ha

BTW, Liz is right about the delivery. If you had a stat on the number of successful rebounds off half back (the SCG is tiny) that ended in a wild kick toward 50, so forays into 50, compared to our shots on goal, the discrepency is significant.

[sharpie]

Goodesy on Gehrig is a hige call. Will his knee stand up to that sort of physical pressure? He still looked a bit proppy against Rawlings, and so far he has just played on tall leading forwards, Gehrig will want to play more man on man for strength. Without Schauble, I think Leo is the best for us. last year it would have been B2, but I dont think he has the confidence up this year.

[TheHood]

Originally posted by sharpie
Goodesy on Gehrig is a hige call. Will his knee stand up to that sort of physical pressure? He still looked a bit proppy against Rawlings, and so far he has just played on tall leading forwards, Gehrig will want to play more man on man for strength. Without Schauble, I think Leo is the best for us. last year it would have been B2, but I dont think he has the confidence up this year.

Don't you think Leo is too important to get crunched by Fraser. The guy is called the Human Office Tower!

I think Leo could jump all around him and get some spoils but Leo's dash and run would be destroyed so would our attack from half back.

If Goodesy goes on Fraser and can just get the ball to the ground then I would back Leo and Tiger against Milne and co.

[dendol]

Nah, I dont like the idea of Goodes on Gehrig. Riewoldt is the "natural" matchup for Goodes.

With the SCG being smaller, I think we can afford to have Leo do the job on Gehrig. His run from FB will be more effective on our small ground, compared to when he was marking Lloyd at the MCG.

Bolton on Hamill, and Bevan on Milne. If Milne proves too good, then Crouch to go back, and Bevan into the middle.

[ScottH]

I think crouch on Milne would be a better match, I don't think Bevan is quick enough and nimble enough to go with him.

[swan_song]

Maybe the way to beat the boozers is to bottle it up -- flood the backline like max hudghton's tears -- just like they did to us a couple of years ago under Rodney in that absolutely dreadful game...

[liz]

Originally posted by hemsleys
I think crouch on Milne would be a better match, I don't think Bevan is quick enough and nimble enough to go with him.

Bevan did a pretty decent job on Davey, who is probably quicker and more nimble than Milne, and has a better work rate. Milne is a "smarter" player than Davey at their relative stages of their careers but also more likely to let his head drop if things aren't going his way.

More to the point, Bevan has been a constant in the defence this year and it is finally starting to look settled. Crouch has been a pretty important member of the midfield, able to add attack to his defensive skills.

So based on the idea of Sydney trying to play their own game rather than mixing things up to stop the Saints winners (who, let's face it, are all over the ground this year), I reckon they should start Bevan on Milne.

[Go Swannies]

At the aftermatch there was talk about Tiger not being accountable to his opposite player. True enough but a virtually free-running Leo and Tiger was what gave us the drive through the midfield.

We can either put Leo on the virtually immobile Gehrig and much reduce both their influences or put James or B2 on him and just hold him in check. The Swans dominated the Doggies so much out of defence and through the midfield that even woeful kicking couldn't get us to lose. That was from a running game.

For the Aints: defence-up as much as possible but play to our strengths too. We can either grind out a loss or have a positive shot at winning. I know which I'd prefer to watch. Playing aggressive footy against the Aints is dumb too. They are probably the most aggressive team around this year - just ask the tribunal. Let's try to outplay them at fast smart footy - the way we beat Port last year.

The Swans played good football on Saturday night. Like last year, their usual stuff-ups occured but they played on and neither dropped off the pace or dropped their heads. But our forwards have to take more responsibility as some of those kicks and plays were inexcusable. They seemed to be playing as if our midfield would give them unlimited use of the ball - and fortunately they were right. That won't happen against the Aints.

[Alec]

Well...I just watched the Saints game and there was one glaring thing I learned.

The boundary line will not be our friend!

It was painful watching Carlton struggling to break clear on their half back line and tumbling pressured kicks to contested marks near the fence. This is something we do a lot. And the way the Saints cleaned up around the stoppages looked ominous.

I agree with those above who reckon we have to stick to our guns. If we try to go too negative, it'll only make our own forays that much more vulnerable to their rebounding game - which is in devastating form.

One positive from Sat's game for us was the way our forwards played with a bit more defensive intensity. Micky and Amon worked really hard, and this filtered through to added pressure from the midfield.

We have to stop the ball from leaving our forward 50 only seconds after a failed foray. We do enough of that, and we could really be in it.

[liz]

Originally posted by Go Swannies
But our forwards have to take more responsibility as some of those kicks and plays were inexcusable. They seemed to be playing as if our midfield would give them unlimited use of the ball - and fortunately they were right. That won't happen against the Aints.

In some ways, that goal-kicking performance might be a blessing in disguise, ie a wake-up call that they need to concentrate more. It's one thing having a sensible set shot at goal and missing but at least four of the team's misses on Saturday (and I'm being kind there) were just lazy kicks. Bazza also missed one against the Hawks that was a really lazy kick.

When a team or player is in "the zone" with their goal kicking, as the Swans were for most of last year, playing on and kicking round corners might be OK. At the moment they need to settle down and just go back and concentrate on having a proper drop-punt shot at goal.