Adelaide

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by swans_premiers
Geez all this talk about finals..we've only got 11 wins lets just focus on this week. Seriously.

It all does seem a bit premature doesn't it in terms of who is the best after week 1 and who we could play in the PF and GF.

Reminds me of people booking their tickets to Adelaide last year as if the StKilda final was a mere formality...

Oops... is being circumspect too negative...

[cruiser]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
Oops... is being circumspect too negative...

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by cruiser

Are you stalking me?

[cruiser]

LOL Nah, it was lunch break. Back to work now.

[dimelb]

Originally posted by Snowy
The Saints if at full strength will probably end up favourites for the flag. They have more talent than any other team.

Except in the coaching department.

[hammo]

I don't see why we shouldn't beat Adelaide this week.

The Crows have been limping over the line in recent weeks (vs Freo / Hawks / Kangas) probably due to their heavy training schedule.

The key will be to stay with them early. The Swans are putting in really good 4 quarter efforts at the moment and are finishing off games well.

I don't know much about the Crows' defence but it goes without saying that if we break even in the midfield and get plenty off football to Baz, Magic et al then watch out.

Plus the bigger ground will make Goodsey even more damaging.

[timthefish]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
It all does seem a bit premature doesn't it in terms of who is the best after week 1 and who we could play in the PF and GF.

it's all a bunch of navel-gazing horses..t. heaven help us if there's anything like that being discussed at driver avenue.

how about this....

1. assume we can and try to win as many games in the remainder of the H&A as we can to be as high on the ladder as possible come finals time. if we do this properly we will finish top 4.
2. win first final against whoever wherever.
3. win second final against whoever, wherever.
4. win granny against whoever at mcg

with a general overriding theme of "take it as it comes" with a generous helping of "one week at a time"

if we're good enough to take the granny, we're good enough to spank west-coast at subiaco, adelaide at football park or the devil in the pits of hell below. it just takes a little belief (and perhaps some supernatural intervention for the last one).

[Maureenjenkin]

Re: Re: Adelaide

I think the games the Swans could lose and I consider dangerous coming towards the end of the season is either Essendon or Hawthorn due to a let down by not being "up" for the game and taking the opposition too lightly in there minds.....


I cannot remember the last time the swans beat the bombers in Melbourne. I think that the Essendon game will be a real danger game for us.

Cheers

Maureen

[LittleSchneider]

Every team in the top 8 scares me - on their given day they could beat us, just like we could be anybody on our day. Finals is exciting merely because anything can happen - and more likely to happen i.e 2003 when we beat Port away!

You cant predict how a finals series will end up IMO as you just never know - the chances of an upset are high!

Our bogey team is definately St Kilda though!

[Schneiderman]

Originally posted by hammo
I don't know much about the Crows' defence but it goes without saying that if we break even in the midfield and get plenty off football to Baz, Magic et al then watch out.

I actually think its their midfield thats dangerous. Their forward line is good without being dominant, and their backline is solid without being impenetrable. And the last three weeks have shown it too.

Their strength is having guys like Edwards, McLeod, Riccuito and Goodwin running through the corridor. They are tough, experienced and very skilled. More than a couple of premiership players gives them a real hardness and level-headedness. Remember that whilst they seriously faded in all three weeks, they won all three as well.

Pay them enough respect, win at least your share of the ball in the midfield, and use it effectively into your forward 50 and its a very winnable game.

Personally, I think if there is one team we should have a "shoot-out" with, its Adelaide at AAMI Stadium. A dour struggle with our forward structure actually works into their hands IMO.

[Vivien]

Although excellent, I don't think our wins over the last three weeks have come as a huge shock. Geelong were undermanned, Melbourne were on the downward spiral and to be fair, it has to be said that West Coast at the SCG is a different kettle of fish to West Coast at Subi. Of all our tough games in the run home, I think this week's is the toughest. A win this week would really stamp our authority on the 8. I definitely think we can win, although it was concerning to read about how spent the players were after yesterday's game.

I don't think we should get too far ahead of ourselves. We could easily trip up and lose to some lesser opponents through lack of discipline. Don't forget that with the competition as tight as it is, the face of the top eight could be completely changed come the first week of the finals. We are by no means assured of our place in the 8, let alone the top 4.

[Newbie]

Originally posted by Schneiderman
I actually think its their midfield thats dangerous. Their forward line is good without being dominant, and their backline is solid without being impenetrable. And the last three weeks have shown it too.

Yes the danger point is their midfield. Their forwards are average, certainly the taller ones. It is not out of the blue that they traded for both Stevens and Fitzegarld from us in couple of years back.
McGregor is much suited to the back line. His marking ability is very average. Scott Welsh (unless he has improved significantly) is a much more opportunist than a go-to man. They have no small forward specialist.

So as long as we could break even in the midfield, we should be in a huge chance. This represents a problem however. Their midfield is outstanding and has beaten us in numerous occasions. Their midfielders are taller, stronger and more skilful than ours. The impact is usually coming from their second tier midfielders (mattner and thompson were killing last time) as certainly we dont have the depth in the midfield to match up against all of them. I guess for us to win we will need a big game from Goodes. He is the wildcard in our midfield as far as I am concerned.

[Go Swannies]

Originally posted by Newbie
Yes the danger point is their midfield.

Their midfield is outstanding and has beaten us in numerous occasions. Their midfielders are taller, stronger and more skilful than ours.

But they are not faster or fitter than ours. West Coasts midfield skills and speed are scary but we did alright there (and not just because it was the SCG). Last time we played them we had trouble getting the ball out and that seems to be resolved pretty well. Yesterday they weren't manning up well on the Roos - especially at the end.

All else being equal, I think we just need to keep near them - preferably in front to quieten the home crowd - then run over them in the last quarter. They really slow down it their last quarters - and that's even moreso at present as they are in some intensive Finals training program. They don't just slow down a bit - they just stop altogether (like the Bombers).

Yesterday's game may have been just what we need. After the Eagles, the Crows will seem like a Bruce Lee slow motion sequence. If we can cause the Eagle Ferrari to spin out, we should be able to run the Crows hot Commodore off the track. Again, the most important player is likely to be Paul Roos.

Like Wirrapunda, I always fret about McLeod. He just breaks out of the pack and causes damage. Put Williams on him and see who gets the better of the battle?

[chammond]

Originally posted by Go Swannies
All else being equal, I think we just need to keep near them - preferably in front to quieten the home crowd - then run over them in the last quarter. They really slow down it their last quarters - and that's even moreso at present as they are in some intensive Finals training program. They don't just slow down a bit - they just stop altogether (like the Bombers).

Er . . . reading your report of the first match, it looks like we did keep near them, and then got mowed down at the end. We led until halfway through the third quarter, and were only a couple of goals down with 10 minutes to go in the final quarter . . . and then we ended up losing by 41 points.

But, obviously we will have learned from our mistakes . . .

[Go Swannies]

Fair point. But I'm dividing the season into BSK and ASK (before and after St Kilda). Until that point, even when we won we were playing mediocre footy. Since then, whether it's confidence or whatever, the boys are showing much more skill. I reckon if the Swans that played StK played against last Sunday's Swans team, they would have lost by 100 points. So yep, I think the team has improved. Hope they maintain it - it's a high intensity game plan. and hopefully still eight games to go.