Robert Walls

[christina]

I realise that Swans are not playing brilliant footy and that the current game against st kilda is scrappy at the best of times but if i hear robert walls commentate another swans game i think i am going to rip my hair out! i am all for contructive criticsm but his remarks are just plain insulting which is angering and frustrating to no end. To state that the "swans smaller players cant kick goals" and that "they can't win a premiership playing this brand of footy, but maybe they dont want to win a premiership and their only interest is to squeeze into the top 8" (among other things) is ridiculous! No footy team will tell you that they dony have interest in winning the flag, that is just crap! I know that i am frustrated with the boys performance at the moment and hence fired up, am i over reacting or is he driving anyone else insane?

[punter257]

walls is an idiot, just dont listen to his crap and you'll be better for it

although he is right about our gameplan and not being able to win a premiership with it

[Mike_B]

I think some of his criticism is pretty fair - suc as our small forwards needing to be able to kick goals from crumbs and the like.

I also think he is asking a question that a lot of people in Melbourne must wonder - are the Swans scared that a season or two out of the finals will mean huge drops in support in Sydney so that they are playing a way that will mean they scrounge out a win or two they mightn't get playing a more open and attacking brand of football.

He is right that we will not win a flag playing this way. When you average less than 80 points per game and are likely to come up against teams like Geelong and Melbourne who are averaging in the 110 point range, quite simply you are placing too much reliance on shutting down the opposition to win, and reducing a team's output by 6 goals on average is hugely difficult.

[midaro]

What Walls was saying is well known.
It's not that we don't want to win a premiership.
It's that we can't afford to go through any rebuilding phase where we finish bottom 4 for a couple of years, because we'll end up playing in front of 10,000 and be in the same financial position as in 1993.

Healy alluded to the same thing in the Hun this morning, with regard to Hall being the most important player in the competition.

We're doomed to 5-10 (mostly) forever.

[Mike_B]

Originally posted by midaro
It's that we can't afford to go through any rebuilding phase where we finish bottom 4 for a couple of years, because we'll end up playing in front of 10,000 and be in the same financial position as in 1993.

IMHO we have a much bigger core supporter group now than we ever have. We may struggle to hit 20,000 some weeks, but it's not going to end up the way it was 10-15 years ago.

The fact is, if we keep playing this way, we will slowly but surely bleed our way to the same position, but we won't have made any progress in terms of building a team that can challenge for a flag and brings the crowds back to those seen in 96-99.

[i'm-uninformed2]

Re: Robert Walls

Originally posted by christina
I realise that Swans are not playing brilliant footy and that the current game against st kilda is scrappy at the best of times but if i hear robert walls commentate another swans game i think i am going to rip my hair out! i am all for contructive criticsm but his remarks are just plain insulting which is angering and frustrating to no end. To state that the "swans smaller players cant kick goals" and that "they can't win a premiership playing this brand of footy, but maybe they dont want to win a premiership and their only interest is to squeeze into the top 8" (among other things) is ridiculous! No footy team will tell you that they dony have interest in winning the flag, that is just crap! I know that i am frustrated with the boys performance at the moment and hence fired up, am i over reacting or is he driving anyone else insane?

What is it he says that is wrong?

That we play scrappy football? That's right

Our smaller players don't kick goals? That's right. Name one.

That we can't win a flag playing this way? That's right.

We are pressured by our market? Colless and all below him agree.

So, what is your criticism of his analysis?

[barry]

The whole commentary team was baracking for St Kilda all game. Even Tim Lane and he's usually impartial.

Channel 10 really talk down the game. No wonder they get such crap ratings. Ironically the 1pm games on 9 have commentators who understand footy, and talk neutrally. And I hate 9.

[Jeffers1984]

Yep. As annoying as Walls was tonight, He is 100% correct.

[ROK Lobster]

Originally posted by Jeffers1984
Yep. As annoying as Walls was tonight, He is 100% correct.

What made it annoying was that he said it about 28 times. It was right the first time, he did not need to keep going on.

[Mike_B]

What we need is for some of the articles written in the Melbourne media that are critical of the Swans to be published in their sister newspapers up here - all we see if the happy family pieces but nothing of the criticism.

Generally speaking, what difference is their in our list this year and in 2003 when we were 1 quarter away from a grand final - if I'm not mistaken it's really only Cressa. So someone please explain how we can go from playing such attacking free-flowing football to such boring stuff most weeks, with virtually the same list?

[Newbie]

Originally posted by ROK Lobster
What made it annoying was that he said it about 28 times. It was right the first time, he did not need to keep going on.

What else can he talk about during the ball-ups?

[ROK Lobster]

Originally posted by Newbie
What else can he talk about during the ball-ups?

LOL

[stellation]

My favourite bit of commentary for the night was when a graphic was brought up (I think after half time) comparing stats for the offensive 50 work of each side. Try as he might, Quartermain could not get Walls to talk about it... there was just awkward silence until they god the graphic off and Walls could start back in with "another thing about Sydney's game that annoys me is...".

[Schneiderman]

Re: Re: Robert Walls

Originally posted by i'm-uninformed2
So, what is your criticism of his analysis?

The bit where he says that Roos has gone more defensive than before. That somehow he was brilliant in 2003 and crap now... er its the same team you all wrote off in 2003 FOR THE WHOLE YEAR, including that famous 2003 QF. Its the same gameplan. Malthouse, Eade and Laidley have said as much publicly. Oh they were great back then but crap now. Well hindsight is always 20/20.

The bit where he says its "great to see Terry Wallace letting his players play attacking footy". News flash: they lost not only their game last night but arguably their best player. So for all that "attacking flair" we'll see if they win the GF this year or not. And lets not forget that Tezza is the same coach who took the Bulldogs to within a kick of the 97 GF and then no better for the next five years. So its not like his record is any better than Roos at this point, even if the commentators have a ball watching the games they play.

The bit where he forgets that game plans have to be followed before coaches can be held accountable. Its not like Roos said: "Bucky, when you are running at goal and you have an easy left foot kick, make sure you miss it left. We will apply more pressure that way." Or: "Craig, at the kick out, ensure you kick it to Milne. Having a set shot for goal will put more pressure on them."

The truth is that he has a set agenda. Sydney dont play the way a St Kilda play (even though we are equal on the ladder, Robert, you idiot), because our "gameplan sucks". We also dont have a plethora of first round draft picks, or three NSW umpires at our games. Get off the bandwagon Bobbie... you're starting to sound like Eddie.

[Foreign Legion]

Jeez Wallsy was good once he left Carlton - he says whatever is popular.

You'd think the Saints were world beaters if you listen to this Dickhead.