Sydney Swans Vs Essendon Bombers Game Thread

[stellation]

Originally posted by elroy67
I agree. Although I think he got free 5 times in the 2nd half. 3 times he was the only open opportuinty, and yet the ball was held up looking for another target.

I think his frustration was that he was getting free and didn't seem to be being ignored so much as it seemed like the vision of the midfielders was poor and they just flat out didn't spot him or assess the situation correctly (or they had little faith in their skills to actually get the ball to him with decent delivery).

[NMWBloods]

The team does seem to miss or ignore Davis when he is open. However, he could also do himself some favours by taking more marks in the F50. Granted tonight they were all very tough and delivery wasn't good, but he needs to hang onto a couple more just to get himself more noticed as a marking option.

[ROK Lobster]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
The team does seem to miss or ignore Davis when he is open. However, he could also do himself some favours by taking more marks in the F50. Granted tonight they were all very tough and delivery wasn't good, but he needs to hang onto a couple more just to get himself more noticed as a marking option.

Maybe he could do an article for the Tele, and organise subscriptions for the midfield?

[stellation]

F50 target or not, you kick it to the open man instead of the contest if there is not much ground gained between them... even if it is LRT.

[swannieserin]

Watching Davis, he seems to always want to do the speccy and not the practical ... he wants to wait for someone to drop it so he can pick up the pieces.

That said, he was missed a few times when he was open, but he didn't seem to be playing up the field much. He wasn't running to the ball, he was waiting for it to come to him.

Still, he has a season to show us his brownlow winning form so I am happy to wait a few games to judge him properly.

[stellation]

Watching Davis, he seems to always want to do the speccy and not the practical ... he wants to wait for someone to drop it so he can pick up the pieces.

Outside midfielder/crumbing forward. Nothing wrong with it, 1 up/1 down.

at said, he was missed a few times when he was open, but he didn't seem to be playing up the field much. He wasn't running to the ball, he was waiting for it to come to him.

I thought he was spending more time around the ground than normal, particuarly for this early in the season. He seemed to be spending longer stretches in the midfield than he did reguarly last year, which is a good thing.

Still, he has a season to show us his brownlow winning form so I am happy to wait a few games to judge him properly.

19 touches ain't that bad a start to the year.

[Matt79]

Its only round one. We are notoriously slow starters and was not displeased with the 29 point loss. We'll be back! The swans are near certainties to win next Sunday...unfurling of the flag, big crowd..watch out Port!

[msb]

Originally posted by TheMase
I will post on what I have seen thus far, even though I know the result (against the delayed coverage).

My ratings of the players today ...

Luke Ablett - Had patches of very good football. I think as the season goes on we will see exactly what Ablett is capable of.

Leo Barry - Got absolutely towelled up by Lloyd early on before being moved. Was great to see some of his traditional running on half back and down the wings after that. Pretty average performance overall.

Craig Bolton - I though he played quite well, moved up the ground and didn't seem to have too much of a lack of fitness. Mr consistant is in good knick. Not sure who he was on though.

Jude Bolton - Just did not do enough at the centre clearances. We seemed to be winning the taps when Jolly was in the centre, but just not reading it well at all. His disposal wasn't anything to write home about either. Very average.

Amon Buchanan - Did well around the ground and presented. Probably slightly underdone but I think we will see more of the same from Buchanan this year.

Paul Chambers - Hopeless. Average ruckman, no good skills regardless of whether he is marking, handballing, kicking or even trying to collect the ball off the deck. Jolly did a lot more whilst on ground (although was quiter than I would have hoped). Surely Doyle is a better option.

Crouch - was quiet overall but his running was first class. That tackle near the boundary line was magic. Has been injured and thus would have been slightly underdone.

Davis - Did not appear to present enough, or at least didn't have the ball kicked to him. Needs to work harder if he wants to become the star he believes he has the potential to be.

Dempster - Quiet but didn't seem to spend much time on the ground. Has been injured and thus underdone. Didn't do anything wrong per se.

Fosdike - Had patches of good work, and when he had the ball did quite well, but just did not present well enough.

Goodes - Brilliant. Other than Hall probably our best. Was all over the place and his direct oponent had little effect on the match. Looks fit and strong.

Hall - What can you say? Should have kicked the first one? Can't complain too much from a guy that kicked 7 goals. Class

Jolly - Chambers seemed to get a better run than Jolly. Was great around the ground early on and effective in the ruckwork, but players don't seem to be reading the taps.

Kirk - Did not get anywhere near as much as usual but didn't see anything to be concerned after he gets fitness under his belt.

Matthews - Did okay. Don't know who his direct oponent was though. VERY soft though. He had the opportunity to get an intercept in the 3rd term, but was caught flat footed as one of the Essendon players cut between him and another Swans player. Not good enough. He should have been on his feet and attacking the ball instead of waiting for it to come to him.


McVeigh - Didn't seem to get a whole lot of game time, but did okay when he had the ball. I have never been this blokes greatest fan, but just don't think he is built well enough for this level.

O'Keefe - Had a reasonable amount of the ball. Needs to have goal kicking practice though.

O'Loughlin - Kicked a couple of goals, but after quarter time just did not present often enough. Not much leading. However, we should be greatful he is playing in round one@

Richards - Did very well after going onto Lloyd. However, I am not sure whether this is due to his good work, OR the increased pressure in the midfield. I feel it was more the latter. Very strong mark.

LRT - Didn't get a lot of the ball. Needs to work on his kicking. Kept Lucas fairly quiet for the first few quarters so did his job without starring.

Adam Schneider - Did well when had the ball, but needs to get around it more often (not sure how much time he spent on the ground). Roos seems to have installed in him the kicking out duties as did it a few times, and did it very well might I add.

Williams - Looked alright, but like a few of the midfielders just didn't get in there and present often enough.


All in all not a bad performance as we are generally slow starters. We did miss Kennelly tonight.

We need to become more effective in the contests. When kicking inside 50, at times (particuarly in the first half) we seemed to bomb it to a contest. Whether this was because our players weren't leading effectively or not I am not sure, possibly a combination of that a congestion from the Essendon defence.

Chambers is useless.

At the end of the day we are playing a lot better at this stage of the year THIS YEAR than we were last. Hopefully that means we can lift even further come the end of the season.

We are very much underdone.

Spot on! We are a month behind essendon in preparation. Umpiring was disgraceful in that first qtr though! I went to the game expecting to lose anyway and you dont take notice of round 1 really (look at last year). We should win our next 3 games.

[AussieAnge]

Originally posted by Jeffers1984
PS. I'm glad we have Barry Hall instead of Lloyd, at least he earns his goals unlike that squib Lloyd who would be better suited to diving at Kings Cross than on a footy pitch.

I agree with this. Lloyd is a great player but I really can't stand the diving. You'd have thought that he would be able to stand his ground better this season given all his bulking up.

You should see the drivel being served up by the Bombers fans on the wonderful BigFooty, they all reckon we are jealous and wish we had Lloydy on our side. No sireee, they can keep him.

[cruiser]

Originally posted by liz
Almost all the frees were there, albeit a couple were very soft. The Ablett HTB was harsh, I thought, while one of Lloyd's was barely there.

But you can't blame the umpires for the Swans getting absolutely smashed out of the middle for the first quarter.

I felt a bit for Leo at quarter time, because it probably wouldn't have mattered who was on Lloyd with the way the ball was coming down to him. Was glad that Leo was a decent contributor in another role for the rest of the game.

The push in the back paid to Lucas, which resulted in him kicking a goal from 55 out, wasnt a push in the back. The two 50 metres they were paid in thye 1st quarter that brought them right up to goal were very soft. And two of Lloyd's frees in the first quarter were rubbish and the rest were soft.

The level of protection given to Lloyd by umpires is a disgrace - no other player in the AFL receives frees for the same things he gets them for.

[ScottH]

Regardless of the frees, they beat us hands down through the middle of the ground and centre clearances. The first term had 9-2 centre clearances, and goals were 9-2. ---> Get it out quick.

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by Matt79
The swans are near certainties to win next Sunday

Please don't say things like that!!

[Matt79]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
Please don't say things like that!!

LOL! Mate, we are the reigning premiers! I am usually a pessamist but I am determined to be optomistic this season!!

[cruiser]

Originally posted by ScottH
Regardless of the frees, they beat us hands down through the middle of the ground and centre clearances. The first term had 9-2 centre clearances, and goals were 9-2. ---> Get it out quick.

I agree that it wasnt just the frees that costs us. Getting killed out of centre in the first quarter and not kicking enough goals despite all our possession in the second half were major contributing factors to our loss.

[Nico]

My observations after going last night.

First quarter our centre bounce work was awful. Looked asleep.
Regardless of the free count we let the ball into their forward zone too easily and qiuckly.

On the frees for HTB. It is not only the inconsistency but in almost all cases Essendon players either jumped straight into the back flattening the Swans player or came in front on head high. Funny how any little tap to a players shoulder in a marking contest gets a free yet a full blooded knees and all to the head on the ground is legitimate.

Hall, Goodes, C Bolton = very good
Buchanan and Schneider I thought worked hard around the ground, but made some dumb disposal mistakes.
O'Keefe was good but fumbled at vital stages. Got a bit tired but had OK stats and worked hard.
Davis and Ablett = OK. Both worked hard.
Kirk slowly worked into the game. Needs tough hard match fitness.
J Bolton - Played one of off the boil games he is often criticised for. Kicking into the man, falling over, getting pinged, not chasing, poor centre bounce work. Lamentable display but should improve with ground time.
Leo Barry = shocking. poor on LLoyd and for whatever reason was clear on his left with players clear ahead but ran back 10 metres into trouble when moved up the ground. Handballed constantly to players under pressure. Has the hero tag gone to his head or is he just a last line defender. Also was very unaccountable for his man.
LRT = OK but must learn not to turn his back on the game. Cost a goal at a vital point.
Willo = Am I the first to say he has gone one year too long. Very slow and fumbled uncharacteristically.
Crouch - the only reason he played was to keep his consecutive number of games intact. One good tackle doesnt make a game. Poor disposal and found wanting for pace.
Mathews - I dont want to be done for liable. Was at times was 50+ metres from his man whoever that was because I dont think he knew either. Got to have a good hard look at his value to the team.
Fosdike - thought he had a hand in getting us going in 2nd Q. Dropped off the pace though.
McVeigh - not up to it, too slow, poor disposal. Sack him nad give Moore a go at least he has clean disposal.
MOL - Puzzled is all I can come up with. Barry did play deep into the forward line but Fletcher towelled him up at most contests.
Jolly = OK.
Richards - not as convinced as others that he did well. The ball stopped coming in quickly to LLoyd when he moved on to him. Wait and see.
Dempster - clearly short of a gallop.
Chambers - no, but.... How many times did he make position and players see him but chose not to kick to him?

My summary: some players short of a run, some didn't work hard enough, others did. Overall our disposal and decision making was ordinary. At vital points we chose to hold play when we had players loose.
Suggestions: When a player has a mark or free at about 60 metres kick to the top of the square instead of to MOL over 15m on the boundary. BBH take note because you are the biggest culprit. At least if short to some one in a decent position.

Move it on when taking a mark if clear. Someone mentioned Davis making space and not having it kicked to him. How true. Essendon did this all game and caught us flat footed numerous times. We better get used to it because thats how all teams will play us to break down our game style.

Dont fall for the Brisbane scenario. Identify players to move on and replace to add variety and identify future regulars, NOW.
For starters McVeigh and Mathews.

Will Willo call it quits about mid year - next few weeks will tell. Not writing him off but maybe on last night the speed of the game has gone one notch too many for him at his age.