Woeful and pathetic

[NMWBloods]

Sure we have a new coach and a few new players, but it is just the same old Swans!! How pathetic and useless they are - no real difference to last year. Judging by the weak performance in the past two games, there is no upside for this team. Our only victory this year was as meaningless as it was last year.

[Diego]

It annoys me no end that other teams have silky smooth disposals yet the swans just are ****.

[midaro]

Is this year's draft pool strong? Coz we're getting some high picks.

[WASwansFanatic]

74-29........74-29......what the hell are they doing. They havent switched this game to Subiaco have they. Cos by the sounds of it the Swans are still playing like the complete and utter **** they displayed last week.
SOS Kelly.........we need you......

[WASwansFanatic]

Have they decided to wake from their slumber.... Have they finally realised after half time a footy game is being played...
Bloody Hell Sydney

HOPE YOU CAN COMEBACK!

CARN THE SWANNIES

[sWAns63]

I agree that Sydney seems to be only playing one or two good quaters in a match these days. I was at the match last weekend against the Dockers & they only seemed like they tried during the 1st quarter & a 10 minute period in the last term, but I do like the emergence of Schneider & Craig Bolton as positives for Sydney.

[Donners]

The first half was laughable (literally, with Rowan Warfe handballing straight to McLeod), but at least they got back on track in the second and put up a bit of a fight.

Saddington had his worst game for the club and Williams and Davis were well down, but Kennelly looked great in the final quarter and Maxfield played well.

[Mike_B]

They didn't look like they wanted to be out there (with a few exceptions) in the first half. Apparently Roosy basically called them embarrassing at halftime, and they did at least put in 100% in the 2nd half but the damage was done.

My question is why is the coach having to call them embarrassing before they put in the necessary effort. Who is doing the motivating???? I can handle the boys putting in 100% and playing badly, or getting beaten by a better team, what I refuse to accept is a lack of effort.

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Originally posted by Mike_B
My question is why is the coach having to call them embarrassing before they put in the necessary effort. Who is doing the motivating???? I can handle the boys putting in 100% and playing badly, or getting beaten by a better team, what I refuse to accept is a lack of effort.

I seriously think it is very much a confidence thing. At ground level especially during the second quarter, it was highly noticeable that the players were very much in two minds about what they were doing. Even kicking out from a behind the kickers would stand for ages, lacking confidence. Meanwhile nobody would be seriously making a lead for him to kick to.

The first quarter was so so. But I thought with the 4-5 goal breeze that we'd come back. Naturally in the second the breeze died down a great deal. But the Crows flooding tactics stifled the free-flowing footy that we like to play. Suddenly with nobody to kick to, and no flow in their footy, the confidence almost instantly sagged. And the mistake almost instantly came.

The Swans are an emotion team. When they get a couple of goals, the whole team just lifts. And the crowd lifts, which gets them going even more.

Don't fool yourselves. Adelaide were totally gone in the last quarter.Even McLeod was bumbling and fumbling around. Their players all had their hands on hips. But with their sublime skills, they did enough to break our surge. And that was enough. If we used the ball better in the last quarter, and started backing ourselves in the manor of Tadgh Kennelly, we'd have done the Crows today.

It might sound funny to everyone on this forum, but I was bloody proud of the effort of the Swans today. They were well down, and had lost all confidence. But they came back, from nothing. And had the Crows totally ****ting themselves.

Sure, it wasn't to be. But a team that can come back like they did today showed that they have something. Beware a team who meets us when things do all just click into clear.

In the meantime we will continue to endure Jekyl and Hyde efforts by our side.

Still I saw something today. Something I liked, despite everything.

JF

[skilts stilts]

The first half was the most unintelligent football played in windy conditions one could ever expect to witness from an AFL side.And please,not one word in defence of that remarkably stupid footballer Leo Barry,because that simply shows football ignorance.

[swan_song]

This is truly disappointing...the same thing year in year out...putting in a half of football, usually after we've been well and truly stitched up; then occasionally playing great attacking football. What happened after the carlton game to change that...we'd been looking pretty good at the end of last year, and the beginning of this -- save that is for the 3 games where we scored no or only 1 goal in a half of football!!!
It is sooo depressing...every year holds out the prospect of a better year (maybe not a greta year, but a better one)...yet every year we are let down...
I didn't expect us to beat Adelaide but I did expect us to sho something in the first half....why do we habitually sleep for one or two quarters a match?
Boy is it going to be a long season...but I still live in hope they'll get their act together.

[NMWBloods]

This is truly disappointing...the same thing year in year out...putting in a half of football, usually after we've been well and truly stitched up; then occasionally playing great attacking football. What happened after the carlton game to change that...we'd been looking pretty good at the end of last year, and the beginning of this -- save that is for the 3 games where we scored no or only 1 goal in a half of football!!!

The early goalless quarters really were a worrying sign at the time and they continue to point towards problems.

People might say that it's nothing to worry about yet as "it's a building season", however the past two weeks show that we need to call in the building inspectors!!

Looking at last season, we had good efforts against the 'Roos and the Dees, and not bad against Port, however the rest of the second half of the season wasn't particularly spectacular, with ordinary performances against reasonable sides and defeating some weak sides. We were lucky to have a good draw for Roos coaching debut. I think some people overstated how well we had gone.

We have a few excellent players in Williams, Goodes and Hall, however the first two cannot shoulder the burden on their own, while the last two often go missing. A number of our middle-level players are reasonable, but not top quality. Our young players look okay, but generally not overwhelming, and appear like they will take some time to be significant contributors.

To me, I'm not confident that our present team has what it takes to be a serious finals contender in the next few years, without some major changes in personnel, skills and attitude.

[swan_song]

I'm with you, and am sure that in skills and attitude, based on current form, we are a long way from finals footy, let alone being a serious contender.
I think someone else mentioned in another thread about the fact that by Roosie raising the thought that the kids will be inconsistent and not to expect too much from them yet, has become a self-fulfilling phrophesy. It's raised an excuse which can be rolled out whenever necessary.

[Go Swannies]

and this

[NMWBloods]

Well, I think many of those thoughts remain applicable. In fact, except for last year, 1996 and 1987, those thoughts are pretty much applicable for nearly every one of the 30 years I have followed the Swans for. Rather than me simply having faith in them, perhaps the players should produce some regular, year in-year out performances that justify the faith supporters are meant to produce.

There is no reason why Sydney cannot become one of those teams, like Essendon, that is nearly always a finals contender and a premiership threat. Let's see if we can do it!