Relax and Take a Deep Breath

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by msb
I never saw the game yesterday but judging by peoples comments and the media you would think it was a 126 point loss instead of 26. I cant believe people writing us off already especially since being 2-4 after 6 games last year. IT IS ONLY ROUND 2!!!!!!!!!

Perhaps you should watch the game.

[MrRed]

Originally posted by timthefish
rubbish.

Hows so? Have you been watching the last 2 games?

[floppinab]

Originally posted by MrRed

Also some of the desire to win for each other has somehow been deserted. There seems to be more egos this year. I haven?t seen the boys bicker and not communicate like they were yesterday since the final days of the rocket years. That understanding of each others game they had last year has disappeared.

I seem to remember a lot more inter-team agro last year, particularly during the R5 loss to the Dees. Didn't think yesterday was all that bad in comparison.

[msb]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
Perhaps you should watch the game.

Yeah ok i get the picture.....obviously was a bad effort. But its 1 game in round 2! I would start writing them off if it got to 0-5 or whatever. The media are just unbelievable with the crap they say and after such a top year last year with no bad efforts then all of a sudden we do put in a bad one people are all over us! Give them a break!!!!

[Sanecow]

There might be something in the "four weeks behind everyone else" line since this is how the Wizard Cup normally pans out.

[MrRed]

Originally posted by Sanecow
There might be something in the "four weeks behind everyone else" line since this is how the Wizard Cup normally pans out.

West Coast and Adelaide seem to be doing alright.

[wheels27]

I don't think they had too many functions celebrating second or third place, probably only a desire to work a bit harder off-season to go the 'extra step'

If the line is 4-5 weeks behind, I'm willing to give it that before pannicking.

[cowcar]

Yesterdays game was a disgraceful effort by the swans! Beaten out of the centre almost everytime? missing targets? handballing to a player 5 cm from you?. No talking? but on top of that, and probably the worst part for the swans, our defence seems to have forgotten how to spoil! We have gone from having the second best defence in the league, to a disgrace that cant punch a ball away. Almost everytime there was a contested mark in Ports forward 50, they would come out with the grab.
It was a pathetic display, and Roos is right, they were playing individual football..

Ok, having bagged them out, there are a couple of players who were serviceable : Davis was alright, Buchannon was alright, Goodes alright, but the rest need to have a good look at themselves.

[NMWBloods]

On the positive side, the last premiers to lose their first two games next season were the Kangaroos in 2000. They won their next five in a row and finished fourth, eventually being knocked out in the prelim.

Kangaroos were also 1-3 after 4 rds in '97 and although they only finished 7th again they still made the prelim.

The only time since 1960 a premier has lost its first three was North Melb in 1976, and were 1-4 and 2-5 before ultimately finishing 3rd and losing the GF.

So North Melb/Kangaroos have done it a few times.

Also, Adelaide were 1-3 after 4 rds and 3-5 after 8 rds in '98 and went on to win the flag.

On the negative side, Adelaide were 1-2 after 3 rds in 1999 and finished 13th.

Essendon were 1-3 after 4 rds in 1994 and finished 10th.

The last time before 2000 that a premier lost their first two games was in 1979 when Hawthorn ended up finishing 7th, and Hawthorn also lost their first two in 1977 but finished 2nd and went out in the prelim.

Before that Richmond lost their first two in 1970 and were 1-4 and ultimately finished 6th.

No premier in the past 45 years has won back to back flags after losing their first two games.

[RogueSwan]

I am not panicking yet. After last year I don't seem to care to much about the last two weeks.
This time last year if we had lost two in a row in the manner of yesterday I would be pushing children and Nannas out of the way to get on the Doggies bandwagon.
We have all seen how good the team can be and hopefully the last two weeks are just an aberration.
If we go down to the Blues in such an insipid way then I will be getting pissed off!

[Mel]

I'm not panicking either. I don't know whether it's because I have faith in Roosy and the boys pulling it all back together or because after living through the 'dark years' games like yesterday's are nothing new. I'm strangely calm though.

[anne]

At the aftermatch yesterday in the Noble stand Jude Bolton seemed very distressed and admitted they have problems and are worried. If they are worried, we certainly have every reason to be.

[hammo]

Originally posted by anne
At the aftermatch yesterday in the Noble stand Jude Bolton seemed very distressed and admitted they have problems and are worried. If they are worried, we certainly have every reason to be.

Gee that hardly fills me with confidence!