Excellent article from Gerard Healy

[Charlie]

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,%255E20124,00.html

Spot on with all of his points.

[satchmopugdog]

Blood oath Narelle.

[NMWBloods]

Some good observations:

"[2003] was an opportunity lost but, given the success of the year, it seemed to be accepted without a full examination of why it happened."

"The Swans, for whatever reason, were playing slow, unattractive, stop-start footy that delivered just two wins from the first six rounds."

"Debating the Swans' game plan became a national pastime until mid-season but has since died a death after some subtle changes,

An overview of the season shows that when the Swans kick 13 goals or more, they win every time. Between 10-13 goals they've lost two games and won one (against Collingwood), and if they kick 10 or fewer they have lost five games and won just one, against Port Adelaide in Round 8.

For the Swans, as much as they are famous for the relentless defensive tactics of their midfield, it's when they are more free-flowing than negative that they are most dangerous.

As the season has progressed, Roos looks to have altered, ever so slightly, the balance from defence to attack, giving his team a much greater winning chance."

"Like 2003, he has the Swans in a position to win the flag. But if they bow out in similar circumstances ? particularly if they kick fewer than 13 goals ? will questions be asked this time? Bloody oath."

[dimelb]

A good read, and right about our 'blue collar midfield' - with Goodes playing there it has a touch of class others can envy.

[ScottH]

I read that this morn. Gives me/us more hope for the year!!!!

[barry]

Healy is the biggest swan supporter in the media so you need to take it with a grain of salt, but he is right that our self belief seems better this time around, and with the Roos losing today, top 4 is pretty close to locked in if we beat the lions.

[cruiser]

I've wondered whether Healy's strongest club allegiance lies with Sydney or the Dees. Regardless, it was good to read. I'm trying not to let myself get too carried away about our chances ... yet.

[OldE]

Originally posted by barry
Healy is the biggest swan supporter in the media.

Jim Main????

[SimonH]

He's about 50% right, which is the most one could hope for given some appalling rubbish he wrote in the first half of the year.

(Does anyone hear the sound of people getting crushed clamouring to get off the 'Sydney is boring' bandwagon?)

No doubt the issue's been debated here before, but I doubt whether there is a pre-existing plan to have Hall play closer to goals. In my view, he simply roams out further when he is needed, i.e. when we need someone to take a mark around the half-forward area. When we're streaming through half-forward with ease and/or the likes of O'Keefe are taking enough marks in the 60-90 metres from goal arc, he has the luxury of playing within 30 metres of goal.

"Roos looks to have altered, ever so slightly, the balance from defence to attack" is in my view wrong tactically.

It's only right in the sense that when you have Paul Williams in the team, elementary disposal and ball-handling errors are being made far less regularly, and the forwards are more motivated to lead by a growing confidence that their leads will be honoured with an accurate pass, you look like a more attacking and less defensive team.

Or to put it all more simply, 'When you win you look good. When you lose, no-one wants to know you.'

Of course changes in personnel, and the overdue decision to give Goodes the role of 'roving erratic genius', will change the way the team looks slightly. But I don't think that Roos' gameplan (like it or hate it) has changed meaningfully from the start of the year, or for that matter, since 2003.

And it was 6.6 Brisbane kicked, not 4.6. Lest we forget. Or maybe we should.

[liz]

Originally posted by SimonH

Or to put it all more simply, 'When you win you look good. When you lose, no-one wants to know you.'

LOL

I don't read Healy's articles very often but I do watch On the Couch every week. To be fair to him, early in the year while Sheahan and Walls were ripping into the Swans about their game plan, he was the lone voice trying to point out it was likely to be about execution of plan rather than plan itself, and that the explanation of poor performances was ordinary form and lack of confidence rather than Roos being a career coach, coaching for survival rather than glory (as Walls would have us believe).

[Charlie]

Originally posted by liz
rather than Roos being a career coach, coaching for survival rather than glory (as Walls would have us believe).

This was always an extremely stupid explanation, given that Roos:
- has often stated that he doesn't see himself coaching long term ( ).
- has not missed the finals as coach.
- is signed for three years.

But hey - we've never expected Wallsy to be too bright.

[TheHood]

I am struggling with this theory that Baz now plays close to goal as opposed to the beginning of the year.

I think we just weren't playing intense professional footy in our forward line, now we are. Baz doesn't stand at FF like a scarecrow, never has.

He's too impetuous for that kind of redundant behaviour. The man loves to go get the bloody pill if he hasn't seen it for 6 minutes.

I saw it today. Ran hard up the wing, took the short option further up the wing, then ran hard again to make position 30 out.

Leigh called him today in the press conference, just about the best forward going, then he said ROK was getting up there too, admitting that he knew little about him, not even his age, but priased him to bits.

ROK was outstanding, as was Noggy, Kirky and Baz.

[NMWBloods]

In terms of Hall 'playing closer to goal' I think it is mainly a reference to how much of the ball he gets inside and outside 50. Today I would guess he had 75% of his possessions inside or just on th edge of the 50. This means he either can have a shot at goal or his next pass is to someone who is in a scoring position. On the worst days het gets 75% of his possessions well past the 50m arc.