Match thread - Round 13 v Tigers

[stevoswan]

Six things we learned: Dropping Ginnivan was smart coaching

So after we beat Carlton a couple of weeks ago, we were too reliant on our stars. I suspect our stars that week were just Heeney and Warner. It may have been a fair observation for that game.

But apparently yesterday's (flawed) win indicates we are still too reliant on our stars, though that group has now been expanded to include Mills, Blakey and Rowbottom, with Papley and Errol acknowledged to be in the wings. Strange, given Grundy was one of the best couple on the ground, while Melican, Cunningham, McCartin, Wicks, McInerney and Jordon all had pretty solid (or more than solid games), while a few others were decent enough.

Is there any team in the competition that doesn't rely on its best dozen or so players to play well?

There are far more insightful things (including criticisms) that might have been said about yesterday's performance than "they rely on their stars".

Yeah, I read that article and shouted 'yeah, when you've got so many good players out you tend to rely a bit more on your star players'....but overall, it was an inaccurate assessment of the teams performance.

It just smacked of lazy Victorian footy 'journalism'.

[liz]

Yeah, I read that article and shouted 'yeah, when you've got so many good players out you tend to rely a bit more on your star players'....but overall, it was an inaccurate assessment of the teams performance.

It just smacked of lazy Victorian footy 'journalism'.

After I posted above, I realised that the by-line on the Sydney section is Gemma Bastini. She is a Vic journalist but she is also a big Swans fan and normally a quality contributor. I think maybe she just phoned this one in. (She was busy commentating the U18 women's exhibition game this morning, so maybe she didn't have much time to give it any thought.)

[imuninformedtwo]

After I posted above, I realised that the by-line on the Sydney section is Gemma Bastini. She is a Vic journalist but she is also a big Swans fan and normally a quality contributor. I think maybe she just phoned this one in. (She was busy commentating the U18 women's exhibition game this morning, so maybe she didn't have much time to give it any thought.)

That column is weirdly, reflexively, ignorant or anti-Swans (appreciating what you say about Gemma). There’s the great run from last year during our hot run when we learned something seven weeks in a row about our opponents, but nothing about us.

Speaking of reflex reactions, our old mate The Bloods has joined Twitter. I stumbled across him after a Lachie McKirdy reference to a prolific anti-Rowbottom account. Wasn’t hard to find. The same syntax, shoutiness, relentlessness. Unreal. Someone will post that they cured cancer. Our old mate: “yeah, but rowie can’t get 20 possies and should retire and is hopeless and a disgrace to the legacy of Peter Bedford and and and and cancer is Rowie’s fault.”

[Roadrunner]

Loved The Bloods on here. He just couldn’t help himself, could he? A true one eyed supporter but totally delusional when it came to Rowy. We all know that Rowy isn’t flashy but no one in the team gives his all week in week out like he does. God bless you Rowy!

On our game against the Tigers: well done lads- everyone did his bit. The question is: can we play like this or better against Port? They are our bogey side- remember the shellacking last year? I really hope we play well and beat them, but we’ll have to silence the crowd first.

Amartey should be back but keep Francis- I thought he was quite good.

[BRS328]

Yeah, I read that article and shouted 'yeah, when you've got so many good players out you tend to rely a bit more on your star players'....but overall, it was an inaccurate assessment of the teams performance.

It just smacked of lazy Victorian footy 'journalism'.

One player who did play well for us against Carlton was Armartey who gave us structure up forward. He will be back for next game and hopefully Papley, Gulden and possibly Florent.
There is no doubt that the addition of experienced players (Mills, Cunningham, Wicks and Francis) made a huge difference on Saturday.

[Auntie.Gerald]

On Bice- we have seen what he is capable of when he’s allowed to do his thing. His kicking earlier this year was laser-like, damaging, and he can run. To me his current issues look as if he’s trying to conform to a highly structured game plan rather than just play his natural game. Let the guy do his thing. Where are the jaw-dropping long kicks from Marvel a few months back? He can be MUCH more damaging than dinky 15m kicks in the backline. He hasn’t lost the ABILITY. Why do we recruit someone for their run and long kicking and then once we see that for a few weeks ask them to do something different? By the same thought process, we should use Gulden as a defensive halfback when he comes back- makes about as much sense.

for me kicking off the HBF with space is much easier than wing which Bice played on the wknd

The Paps and Errol come into their own when using the wings and setting up the next plays......which shows why they are a step above

It aint easy kicking into the forward line unless you are 2025 Tyson Stengle !

Not that I see Stengle at 160 goals and 2.5yrs younger than Paps catching Paps 295 goals by the same age

And not that i see Stengle nor Paps ever beating the 640 goals achieved by Eddie Betts..........thru to 34yrs ish of age !!!!! Best ever small forward by a country mile ?

Just saying !

[dejavoodoo44]

Speaking of reflex reactions, our old mate The Bloods has joined Twitter. I stumbled across him after a Lachie McKirdy reference to a prolific anti-Rowbottom account. Wasn’t hard to find. The same syntax, shoutiness, relentlessness. Unreal. Someone will post that they cured cancer. Our old mate: “yeah, but rowie can’t get 20 possies and should retire and is hopeless and a disgrace to the legacy of Peter Bedford and and and and cancer is Rowie’s fault.”

It's strange how some people spend their days. I mean, an apparently genuine Swans fan, obsessively choosing to piss off other Swans fans.

[stevoswan]

Speaking of reflex reactions, our old mate The Bloods has joined Twitter. I stumbled across him after a Lachie McKirdy reference to a prolific anti-Rowbottom account. Wasn’t hard to find. The same syntax, shoutiness, relentlessness. Unreal. Someone will post that they cured cancer. Our old mate: “yeah, but rowie can’t get 20 possies and should retire and is hopeless and a disgrace to the legacy of Peter Bedford and and and and cancer is Rowie’s fault.”

As Rowbottom's stocks rise and he has become one of our first picked players for his sheer tenacity at the contest, I often think about The Bloods and wonder if he has relented on his anti Rowie stance.

Interesting to hear that he has not. He's a stubborn one isn't he......it's rather sad actually.

[imuninformedtwo]

As Rowbottom's stocks rise and he has become one of our first picked players for his sheer tenacity at the contest, I often think about The Bloods and wonder if he has relented on his anti Rowie stance.

Interesting to hear that he has not. He's a stubborn one isn't he......it's rather sad actually.

The weird thing to me - beyond the whole obsessiveness - about it all was that TheBloods really knew his footy. Other than his Rowie posts, I used to like his insights. He just had this one blind spot.

[stevoswan]

The weird thing to me - beyond the whole obsessiveness - about it all was that TheBloods really knew his footy. Other than his Rowie posts, I used to like his insights. He just had this one blind spot.

Absolutely, his early Chad predictions were spot on and besides his insistence that he was the only one who 'truly loved Chad' when we all did, that astute prediction was before any of us had realised the Chad's true potential.

He made generally good footy observations but yes, that one negative obsession was certainly an Achilles heel.

[imuninformedtwo]

Coaches votes

Nothing really surprising - Blakey 10, Grundy 8, Jordon 5, McCartin 4 and Heeney 3.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/1340565/coaches-votes-r13-north-melbourne-ruck-tristan-xerri-closes-the-gap-geelong-cats-star-bailey-smith-remains-on-top

[Roadrunner]

Coaches votes

Nothing really surprising - Blakey 10, Grundy 8, Jordon 5, McCartin 4 and Heeney 3.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/1340565/coaches-votes-r13-north-melbourne-ruck-tristan-xerri-closes-the-gap-geelong-cats-star-bailey-smith-remains-on-top

Shame they couldn’t squeeze Rowy in for a vote- puts body on the line every game. Maybe even The Bloods would change his attitude!