Match thread: Swans v Giants.

[Thunder Shaker]

Season's done. We really needed to win every game to have a chance. While it is still mathematically possible, mathematics has a concept of events that are possible but have a probability of zero. (Example: choosing a real number at random and that number being rational.)

The Essendon game is an opportunity to play some players who are showing promise in the VFL team. Up to three forced changes are needed after this game. Some players may need a rest. Give Datolli, Snell and Green their first game and recall Ladhams. Three rucks are not strictly needed but Ladhams and Green will make a decent forward line.

[Dow]

or maybe Braeden gets to play as a ball chasing mid instead of playing in 5 minds like he is asked to atm

To be honest he hasn’t shown anything that suggest he has that in him.

[UUaswan]

To be honest he hasn’t shown anything that suggest he has that in him.

Best kick in the team, line breaking speed, Top Rated Mid of his draft..... 0 Games as a mid, give him the licence Warner had when he got caught holding the ball 5x a game as a young Mid, seemed to workout OK, wasn't even highly rated

We don't play enough tall fwds for our smalls to be anything fwd if centre, no point bringing Datoli or Hannily in if they have to take contested marks

They are crumbers and we don't play enough Fwd Targets

[UUaswan]

Yeah, we definitely need to sack Cox. FFS, he's in his first year as a senior coach. I don't think we need to go down this negative path.....might be wise to cool the jets and give him a chance to learn and get better, which I'm confident he will.

Cox isn't on the block but big crosses this year we're-
Tom Mc fwd

Trying to explain how tall Blakey is and using him as a tall defender, killing his run

Mclean as a 2nd Ruck

Francis and Hamling, should have only be played as break glass

Playing Defensive full fwds, don't think it will catch on

Not playing enough talls fwd, therefore no bail outdown the line, making us look for targets that arent there in the middle of the ground

Too focused on shutting down the opposition instead of backing in your team to go head to head

Playing kids from the 2s and not letting them play, Horse style, may as well leave them there.

Was obviously hampered with injuries but we could have won alot more of those early games with smarter match committee moves and selection.

Grade is a B-, like Horse, Heeney saved his ass on more than 1 occasion

[dejavoodoo44]

Cleary seemed to lose confidence in the firsts. He looks to be building it up week on week in the reserves.

IIRC, he largely ran around as a small forward in the AFL, in a team that wasn't all that great at getting the ball into the forward line, at the time. While in the VFL, he gets to largely play the role that he played coming up through the academy. That is, an in and under mid scrapping for possessions, and someone who runs between the arcs, trying to get involved in possession chains. So hopefully he gets more of a chance to play his natural game, next time he earns a promotion.

[Dow]

Best kick in the team, line breaking speed, Top Rated Mid of his draft..... 0 Games as a mid, give him the licence Warner had when he got caught holding the ball 5x a game as a young Mid, seemed to workout OK, wasn't even highly rated

We don't play enough tall fwds for our smalls to be anything fwd if centre, no point bringing Datoli or Hannily in if they have to take contested marks

They are crumbers and we don't play enough Fwd Targets

Having a look at the draft profiles online he was seen as a highly rated foward/midfielder - greet speed and kick - One of the profiles even mentioned he was fumbly in close and needs to work on accumulation which probably seems about right and tells us why he isn’t in the middle as much as we would like - hopefully he can work on it but I have lost a lot of confidence in him

[UUaswan]

Having a look at the draft profiles online he was seen as a highly rated foward/midfielder - greet speed and kick - One of the profiles even mentioned he was fumbly in close and needs to work on accumulation which probably seems about right and tells us why he isn’t in the middle as much as we would like - hopefully he can work on it but I have lost a lot of confidence in him

He is cleaner than most if our team, won't get accumulation playing where he is.
Even Rowy can't get numbers. Probably says more about how defensive our midfield is.

Paps has kicked 3 goals in 6 games, our fwd line is no man's land for a small guy, while we don't play talls.

[Hotpotato]

It will be a little boring now the Swans are no longer
going to play finals as per usual.

Have to watch Wallabies play someone, find it repetitive
and boring but I hope they win.

[Dow]

He is cleaner than most if our team, won't get accumulation playing where he is.
Even Rowy can't get numbers. Probably says more about how defensive our midfield is.

Paps has kicked 3 goals in 6 games, our fwd line is no man's land for a small guy, while we don't play talls.

I must say I do with you on that point and I do believe our midfield is way to defensive

[UUaswan]

I must say I do with you on that point and I do believe our midfield is way to defensive

I have no doubt Rowy has it in him but its the role he is being asked to play.

[neilfws]

I thought the structure would unravel when the key tall forward/relief ruck was lost early, but they held it together remarkably well for a half.

In the end though, I think there were just a few too many holes in key places, and players - Buller especially - finding themselves overstretched. That, and the fact that few teams could hold back a third quarter like that one from GWS. Seemed like they were pinging goals from everywhere. It would have been fun to watch as a non-Swans fan.

Not a whole lot of atmosphere at Engie is there, aside from one vocal bay of Giants members.

I'm just hoping that we get to see something of what might be next year now, and that the season doesn't just sputter and fizzle out. It might though.

[Nico]

What people seem to forget is that we were 2 down by half time and Papley was off for longer periods in the 3rd quarter. Then we had Gulden get injured. What this did was to drastically reduce our ability to rotate players off the bench. This is why both Sheldrick and Warner spent time on the HFF, because there was no one to replace them. You could see our players could hardly lift their legs. Of course this threw our whole structure and run out. I thought Hamling was doing a good job on Hogan until he got injured. One positive is that to a point we were able to stop the bleeding in the last quarter. I'm happy to dismiss this game.

A couple of players mentioned by others: Rowy. I'm just wondering if they are trying to make him something he isn't. I don't think it is a fitness issue. Are they trying to use him as a tagger?
Lloyd: I feel some people are harsh on Lloyd. Since he had that game in the reserves he has been good. He is one of the few that gets into space and he has been kicking goals.
Rampe: hardly has a bad game and is apparently playing on next year. He well and truly took care of the Grub last night.

The one I find hard to justify being in the team is Roberts. He was moved out of the backline to the wing. Why because he was rubbish at half back. He refuses to move the ball. Instead of moving quickly around a player on the mark he stops, looks up field, looks left, looks right then a lot of the time he takes the option of the shortest and safest kick. Before he kicks the pill the whole 18 opposition players are in our forward line. On the wing he plays between the arcs because it is an easy option. When I looked at the side on Thursday night he was the odd player out. I can't believe he gets a game before Ollie Florent. Yes, Ollie might try to do too much and gets caught, but he has plenty of run and goes forward and attempts to kick a goal, and he is prepared to drop into the back line. Even though he is of smaller stature you can't question his courage. I just wonder if there is something going on in the back ground.

[Nico]

The AFL is so soft on players like The Grub. He is now the most sanctioned player in the history of the AFL, out stripping Ryhs Jones. Yet he only gets a week for a dog act on Heeney who was defenseless on the ground. Does he not realise he could do serious long term damage to a player. Does he not know about the king hit on John Greening where he acquired permanent brain damage. Does he not know that a group of past players are suing the AFL for what amounts to brain damage from high hits in their careers. I can't wait for a player to sue another for what is a clearly a deliberate act that has caused serious, physical injury. I would rather see this action taken rather than suing the AFL that provides their occupation and income. Also the umpire was a few metres from the incident. Why didn't he report him?

[UUaswan]

What people seem to forget is that we were 2 down by half time and Papley was off for longer periods in the 3rd quarter. Then we had Gulden get injured. What this did was to drastically reduce our ability to rotate players off the bench. This is why both Sheldrick and Warner spent time on the HFF, because there was no one to replace them. You could see our players could hardly lift their legs. Of course this threw our whole structure and run out. I thought Hamling was doing a good job on Hogan until he got injured. One positive is that to a point we were able to stop the bleeding in the last quarter. I'm happy to dismiss this game.

A couple of players mentioned by others: Rowy. I'm just wondering if they are trying to make him something he isn't. I don't think it is a fitness issue. Are they trying to use him as a tagger?
Lloyd: I feel some people are harsh on Lloyd. Since he had that game in the reserves he has been good. He is one of the few that gets into space and he has been kicking goals.
Rampe: hardly has a bad game and is apparently playing on next year. He well and truly took care of the Grub last night.

The one I find hard to justify being in the team is Roberts. He was moved out of the backline to the wing. Why because he was rubbish at half back. He refuses to move the ball. Instead of moving quickly around a player on the mark he stops, looks up field, looks left, looks right then a lot of the time he takes the option of the shortest and safest kick. Before he kicks the pill the whole 18 opposition players are in our forward line. On the wing he plays between the arcs because it is an easy option. When I looked at the side on Thursday night he was the odd player out. I can't believe he gets a game before Ollie Florent. Yes, Ollie might try to do too much and gets caught, but he has plenty of run and goes forward and attempts to kick a goal, and he is prepared to drop into the back line. Even though he is of smaller stature you can't question his courage. I just wonder if there is something going on in the back ground.

My issue with Ramps and Lloyd are going fwd, not now.

Ramps, Fox, Lloyd and Harry stops development, Ramps has always been asked to do too much, i dont think he will play enough games next year.

Fox hasn't played a game, love the guy but thats the age

As well as Lloyd is playing, is Cleary or Corey or Ollie given the same licence when they are selected ? Im not so sure, I've seen Corey basically run on train tracks and not even present for a lead multiple times like he isnt allowed too.

Agree with Roberts but he is young, maybe rotate that role, again he is given more freedom than most that come from the 2s, let someone else have a crack

[UUaswan]

The only kid from memory that was given full license to stuff up and take on the game was Warner. Turned out OK

Gulden etc given the license but no one consistently made a meal of it but was encouraged to take the game on like Warner

Agree with RowithI think he is capable, let him chase it, because if he genuinely isn't good enough to get it over 20x as a mid after 130 games, may as well move him on