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Round 10
OPTUS Game Review Round 10 vs Western Bulldogs
"Calling Michael Diamond... It's the Swans do you have a copy?"
"I repeat... Calling Michael Diamond do you have a copy... Come in."
I know he's been busy with all of those court proceedings to do with the target shooting trials for the Athens' Olympics, but the Swans have some 'targeting' problems of our own!
Twenty-One behinds on Saturday night. Admittingly not all of them were from inaccurate goal kicking, allowing for some defensive rushed behinds, possibly 17 should have resulted in six points rather than the mere single, I will take the blame for two of those. Maybe by the end of this piece I will have thought of someone else out there who can help us with our target practice...hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... I'll get back to you.
The Bulldogs this week was always going to be a good test. They are a quality side with some super talented individuals and I am bewildered why they have not won more games of footy over the last two years. The feeling heading in to a Western Bulldogs game is that there is a tense rivalry between the two clubs. I do not think it is a traditionalist thing and it might be just me but ever since I have been with the Swans the approach to this game always has had an added twist.
I think this train of thought dates back to when 'Libba' (Tony Libberatore) and our hero Paul Kelly used to wage their own personal war out on the paddock. In the end this became a highly publicized 'stoush' between two fierce and determined warriors. It takes me back to the movie Mad Max 3 Beyond Thunderdome when two men would climb into a cage about the size of a hot air balloon and fight to the death with people chanting from the outside "two men enter one man leaves". Whilst the contest on the field was not this barbaric I am sure it has left some scars and the stories and memories will live on in both individuals and their respective clubs.
To add more fuel to the fire during the week the 'Doggies' coach Peter Rhode said publicly that playing a home game in Sydney holds no fear for them and it was not the hardest contract going around. Well you do not have to be Einstein to know that this type of comment was highlighted meaning the fire had been well and truly stoked and the Swannies were 'ready to rumble'.
Now rather than going through a play by play description of the game and explain how each sides kicked their goals which I think is a pretty boring way of reporting on a game I want to tell you why we won the game why we should of won by a lot more and some disappointing updates on our injury front.
Consistency, I have been preaching about it for weeks finally across the board we had 22 players out their pushing in the same direction not relying on any one individual to produce extraordinary feats to lift us to victory. There were a number of guys that dug themselves out of mini form slumps that had been creeping in which I am sure was fantastic to see for our loyal supporters. In the midfield we focused on winning the ball on the inside to starve the oppositions skilled outside players we did this effectively. Those player's assigned roles to play on the Bulldogs guns were able to curb their influence. Our backmen gave their opponents nowhere to move and provided us with our trademark running from the back half. The forward line created many scoring opportunities with the chasing, tackling and harassment, this type of pressure needs to be a must every week. We did go to sleep a little in the last quarter, which was unfortunate because we were looking like putting that elusive four quarter effort together.
All in all it was an impressive win, we probably should of won by ten goals but we didn't and to answer the question I raised above I don't think we need any one special to teach us how to kick straight. Some good old fashioned practice to get the confidence back is all we need as I have said before the mind is such a powerful tool.
I'm not sure what is in the water this year, after not sustaining a season ending knee injury for three years at the Swans we have had three players rupture their anterior cruciate ligaments in two months. First it was Nick Malceski then Jarrod Sunquist and now Jason Saddington has succumbed to this damn injury. 'Saddo' was playing some superb footy in the forward line, he is going to be a enormous loss, the only positive you can take out of it is that someone else will now get an opportunity maybe we might unearth the next Paul Kelly who knows?
All I want to say about this week against the Saints is that this game is huge for us this season. I've got a feeling that there is going to be 35000 plus at the SCG this Sunday so if you have not already got something planned come down and help us knock St Kilda off their perch. Please do not ever under estimate the value you have when you come to a game to help cheer us on.
Tickets are still available so call Ticketek on (02) 9266 4800 or visit www.ticketek.com.au and reserve your seat now.
"It is understanding that gives us an ability to have peace. When we understand the other fellow's point of view and he understands ours, then we can sit down and work out the difference" - Harry Truman
Cheers Kirky #31
Re-posted from Optusnet newsletter
OPTUS Game Review Round 10 vs Western Bulldogs
"Calling Michael Diamond... It's the Swans do you have a copy?"
"I repeat... Calling Michael Diamond do you have a copy... Come in."
I know he's been busy with all of those court proceedings to do with the target shooting trials for the Athens' Olympics, but the Swans have some 'targeting' problems of our own!
Twenty-One behinds on Saturday night. Admittingly not all of them were from inaccurate goal kicking, allowing for some defensive rushed behinds, possibly 17 should have resulted in six points rather than the mere single, I will take the blame for two of those. Maybe by the end of this piece I will have thought of someone else out there who can help us with our target practice...hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... I'll get back to you.
The Bulldogs this week was always going to be a good test. They are a quality side with some super talented individuals and I am bewildered why they have not won more games of footy over the last two years. The feeling heading in to a Western Bulldogs game is that there is a tense rivalry between the two clubs. I do not think it is a traditionalist thing and it might be just me but ever since I have been with the Swans the approach to this game always has had an added twist.
I think this train of thought dates back to when 'Libba' (Tony Libberatore) and our hero Paul Kelly used to wage their own personal war out on the paddock. In the end this became a highly publicized 'stoush' between two fierce and determined warriors. It takes me back to the movie Mad Max 3 Beyond Thunderdome when two men would climb into a cage about the size of a hot air balloon and fight to the death with people chanting from the outside "two men enter one man leaves". Whilst the contest on the field was not this barbaric I am sure it has left some scars and the stories and memories will live on in both individuals and their respective clubs.
To add more fuel to the fire during the week the 'Doggies' coach Peter Rhode said publicly that playing a home game in Sydney holds no fear for them and it was not the hardest contract going around. Well you do not have to be Einstein to know that this type of comment was highlighted meaning the fire had been well and truly stoked and the Swannies were 'ready to rumble'.
Now rather than going through a play by play description of the game and explain how each sides kicked their goals which I think is a pretty boring way of reporting on a game I want to tell you why we won the game why we should of won by a lot more and some disappointing updates on our injury front.
Consistency, I have been preaching about it for weeks finally across the board we had 22 players out their pushing in the same direction not relying on any one individual to produce extraordinary feats to lift us to victory. There were a number of guys that dug themselves out of mini form slumps that had been creeping in which I am sure was fantastic to see for our loyal supporters. In the midfield we focused on winning the ball on the inside to starve the oppositions skilled outside players we did this effectively. Those player's assigned roles to play on the Bulldogs guns were able to curb their influence. Our backmen gave their opponents nowhere to move and provided us with our trademark running from the back half. The forward line created many scoring opportunities with the chasing, tackling and harassment, this type of pressure needs to be a must every week. We did go to sleep a little in the last quarter, which was unfortunate because we were looking like putting that elusive four quarter effort together.
All in all it was an impressive win, we probably should of won by ten goals but we didn't and to answer the question I raised above I don't think we need any one special to teach us how to kick straight. Some good old fashioned practice to get the confidence back is all we need as I have said before the mind is such a powerful tool.
I'm not sure what is in the water this year, after not sustaining a season ending knee injury for three years at the Swans we have had three players rupture their anterior cruciate ligaments in two months. First it was Nick Malceski then Jarrod Sunquist and now Jason Saddington has succumbed to this damn injury. 'Saddo' was playing some superb footy in the forward line, he is going to be a enormous loss, the only positive you can take out of it is that someone else will now get an opportunity maybe we might unearth the next Paul Kelly who knows?
All I want to say about this week against the Saints is that this game is huge for us this season. I've got a feeling that there is going to be 35000 plus at the SCG this Sunday so if you have not already got something planned come down and help us knock St Kilda off their perch. Please do not ever under estimate the value you have when you come to a game to help cheer us on.
Tickets are still available so call Ticketek on (02) 9266 4800 or visit www.ticketek.com.au and reserve your seat now.
"It is understanding that gives us an ability to have peace. When we understand the other fellow's point of view and he understands ours, then we can sit down and work out the difference" - Harry Truman
Cheers Kirky #31
Re-posted from Optusnet newsletter
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