Poetic Justice

[Red]

Anyone who thinks BBB's last-gasp free kick was contentious or soft should look at the pic in this article.

Justice indeed, thank you Lethal. Also some interesting words from Bazza -- ""It was the forwards' fault because we were not leading to the longer kicks. We are not used to it that much.""

[Barry Schneider]

Barry was surprised to get the free as he cops that treatment in most marking contests and nothing is given.The Lions supporters are blowing up because they believe Barry pushed Michael in the back before Scott put him in a headlockI can't remeber seeing it but we won and I don't care.

[cruiser]

The infringement was blatant, which this pic and another picture also published from the game clearly show. I think I might have destroyed my TV if it hadnt been paid. Never did the sound of an umpires whistle sound so good. It also saved me the cost of replacing my TV.

[TheHood]

I thought the fact that Baz said they're not used to leading to long kicks was alarming.

It went hand in hand with Blighty's opinion that we have talented running players and can use the ball so well but we rarely do so.

Tim Lane was also begging for Leo to take a thrilling run and multiple bounce attack from full back.

A bigger philisophical question has to be asked of the Sydney Swans sooner rather than later and that is; At what point do we accept our talent level as being solid enough to start playing a long direct game and backing our talent?

If we're still in a phase of uncovering the midfield star, then we can never win a flag because it will be an ongoing crutch we use as the excuse for not achieving.

[Go Swannies]

Originally posted by TheHood
I thought the fact that Baz said they're not used to leading to long kicks was alarming.

It went hand in hand with Blighty's opinion that we have talented running players and can use the ball so well but we rarely do so.

Tim Lane was also begging for Leo to take a thrilling run and multiple bounce attack from full back.

A bigger philisophical question has to be asked of the Sydney Swans sooner rather than later and that is; At what point do we accept our talent level as being solid enough to start playing a long direct game and backing our talent?

If we're still in a phase of uncovering the midfield star, then we can never win a flag because it will be an ongoing crutch we use as the excuse for not achieving.

Now this is one of the most valuable assessments I've seen here. Paul Roos says that the short game is not on his direct instruction but that his players have been down on confidence and find it the least risky. Maybe that will change after the Lions game.

The surprise 2003 season showed us two things about the "new" Swans game. They had excellent speed of rebound out of defence. And they had incredible ability to move the ball around with short hand passes to find a free player. Have a look at the Port final again and see how that worked. But last year, teams found that if they manned up closely, the Swans would keep looking for the free man (who didn't exist within range) and would stuff up and turn over. However, this was an in-close style and the Swans became very good at tackling and hoping that the ball would be won and they could get it to a free man, ad infinitum. But, as Roos said last year, the close hard tackling did make us multi dimensional - we could run or we could tackle.

The Kangaroos game put a spotlight on our weakness. Make it a tight game and we'll tackle and pass and often turn over possession. It's okay if we kick as well as we have for the past few years as we'll have the lead and can grind out a win.

The Lions game last quarter was a bloody revelation. We had matched it, tackle for tackle with the toughest team in the competition (including the new Lions - I think they are cloning Leigh up in the sunshine state). Then we switched to vaudeville and outclassed them with a running game.

Yes our players will make mistakes. And our midfield will make more than most because they see more of the ball. If we could find a mistake-free midfielder we should have him stuffed and mounted outside the SCG as an example to the others on the team.

But our team can perform, and can make mistakes, and can win. Let's hope that for the rest of the season we have a two dimensional team that can tough it out or can overrun the best of them. On Saturday night they may just have discovered they have that ability.

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by Go Swannies
The Lions game last quarter was a bloody revelation. We had matched it, tackle for tackle with the toughest team in the competition

I'm still not sure how people can say we matched it with the Lions for the first three quarters. They were 5 goals up and if not for their shocking misses and some very dodgy umpiring that generally favoured us, they would have been even further up and there would have been no last qtr heroics.

[Go Swannies]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
I'm still not sure how people can say we matched it with the Lions for the first three quarters. They were 5 goals up and if not for their shocking misses and some very dodgy umpiring that generally favoured us, they would have been even further up and there would have been no last qtr heroics.

The week before:
"Port Adelaide absorbed an early battering from the Brisbane Lions then flexed its own muscles - and skill - for a hard-earned two-point win - 11.9 (75) to 11.7 (73) - in a desperate finish at AAMI Stadium on Saturday night."

Sound familiar? At the end of the first quarter they were 1:5, we were 1:3. It was a slog.

Also, the over umpiring went both ways. If fact, the frees given inside 50 favoured the Lions 6:4. If Voss could kick a goal from 30 metres out and almost right in front, Baz' goal would have given us a one point victory.

Do you dispute that was a genuine free to Baz on the siren? (If so, you have most of Brisbane on your side, but the photo evidence says otherwise. If it'd been Lloyd, he probably would have been paid a 50m and a limo ride back to the showers. As it was, the umpires had a security escort off the ground though I didn't see any sign that they needed it.)

According to my excellent sauce at the Pineapple, the umpire for the night hasn't officiated at a Swans game since the Bombers game in R6 last year. After the umpires decided to ignore Aker tripping Crouch I thought he may have been back to give it to the home team again.

[NMWBloods]

Why would I dispute the Hall freekick?

I thought we had the best of the umpiring.

We were lucky not to be further behind at 3QT or even half time. For us to have managed 6 scoring shots in a half of football and just 2 goals is pretty ordinary.

I think it is wrong to assume our game plan was 'rope-a-dope'.

Also, the Port game was different as they established the lead at 3QT rather than made the comeback. Additionally it was pouring through much of the first half of that game.

[Wil]

Originally posted by TheHood
A bigger philisophical question has to be asked of the Sydney Swans sooner rather than later and that is; At what point do we accept our talent level as being solid enough to start playing a long direct game and backing our talent?

If we're still in a phase of uncovering the midfield star, then we can never win a flag because it will be an ongoing crutch we use as the excuse for not achieving.

Interesting. We need a midfield star to back ourselves and we need to back ourselves to find a midfield star. I like it!

[Wil]

Originally posted by Go Swannies
The Kangaroos game put a spotlight on our weakness. Make it a tight game and we'll tackle and pass and often turn over possession. It's okay if we kick as well as we have for the past few years as we'll have the lead and can grind out a win.

The thing is we need to go to a long kicking game to keep the defenders of the other team honest. This is not what we are doing. If they mark hard then kick long. If they then soften off then use the short game. The players (the the coaching staff) need to know when to use what type of attacking and when.

[DST]

While I like to see us kick longer and be direct it's not the be all and end all.

What most people seem to overlook is that for the last half against Brisbane we actually won the clearances thanks to Ball & Jolly.

The key is getting first use of the ball and using it well, whether that is by a long or short kick or by hand is irrelevant.

DST

[Barry Schneider]

I think we have to go with the Port Adelaide model of winning the premiership.They had a hard working midfield and a key forward.
I think our "A" game of hard running with the ball in numbers and kicking to Hall on the lead can produce results.

When we play badly it seems we do alot of running into space to receive the ball then stop and look for an option.The Leo Barry,Kennelly style of putting the ball under their arm and trying to beat their man is risky but ultimately it is more effective and exciting than taking a posession, stopping then waiting for a free man.Of course teams are awake to this style and mark our runners heavily but with some shepherding and risk taking I think it is the best way to play.
With Dempster in the side we have another ball runner and as people have pointed out when Schauble returns Leo or Bolton will be freed up to also have a run.

[timthefish]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
I think it is wrong to assume our game plan was 'rope-a-dope'.

it amuses me to refer to the game as such and i'll continue to do so in cheek, anyone who actually thinks the lions and especially matthews is a dope is in for a rude shock.

[Wil]

Originally posted by DST
The key is getting first use of the ball and using it well, whether that is by a long or short kick or by hand is irrelevant.

Well, thats really every ball sport in a nut shell, isn't it?

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by DST
While I like to see us kick longer and be direct it's not the be all and end all.

What most people seem to overlook is that for the last half against Brisbane we actually won the clearances thanks to Ball & Jolly.

The key is getting first use of the ball and using it well, whether that is by a long or short kick or by hand is irrelevant.

DST

The clearance stats for the game are interesting (total/centre):

Williams 8/3
Ball 8/2
Davis 4/-
Jolly 3/-
J Bolton 3/-