Swans v Saints Match Thread

[NMWBloods]

Another point, which I can't recall if I made, I thought our tackling was crap tonight.

Too many times St Kilda players just broke though or ran past tackles, and on a lot of occasions the St Kilda players were able to stand up in our tackles and get the ball out.

[anne]

Roos won't drop Chambers and Richards as he won't admit he made a mistake.

[Nico]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
Another point, which I can't recall if I made, I thought our tackling was crap tonight.

Too many times St Kilda players just broke though or ran past tackles, and on a lot of occasions the St Kilda players were able to stand up in our tackles and get the ball out.

A very good call. Dempster a couple of times was very half hearted. Very disappointed with him tonight. Drop him and put up Schmidt.

Crouch must have shoulder. He didn't want that tackling much at all.

We just looked slow and second to the ball. Didnt read the sliding ball at all.

[swannieserin]

Just got home from the SCG ... what a shocker.

Sitting in the O'Reilly stand - couldn't even see what was happening on the Members side in the last half. I ended up leaving when Ball was on the ground. The rain started coming in sideways and it was all too much! Listened on MMM and watched the bit I missed when I got home (some bonus for delayed telelcast I guess).

I want to see the replay before I make too many comments ... but needless to say our performance in the wet was terrible! Kirk was the only one who stood out as adapting to the conditions.

And I don't know what was going on with the match-ups ... it was like a science experient gone wrong (although some of them have tried, and failed many times already e.g., barry on gehrig).

I know its stupid to blame umpires, and I wouldn't blame them - we didn't deserve to win. But the umpiring was awe inspiring in its ineptness. I don't know if thats even a word but I don't care.

The game was lost in the first quarter. Even though they fought back it was too late.

[Nico]

Originally posted by anne
Roos won't drop Chambers and Richards as he won't admit he made a mistake.

Oh yes he will if we start to lose a few on the trot.

[ROK Lobster]

I have been patient with Ted but tonight I thought he was poo. He does lack a bit of ticker. Chambers keeps going ok. I think he got a kick tonight.

[anne]

Umpires paid way too many frees in appalling conditions. Agree that we lost it in the first quarter - although St Kilda was clearly the better team tonight.

[midaro]

Originally posted by anne
Roos won't drop Chambers and Richards as he won't admit he made a mistake.

I don't think it's that. I think it's that he wants to create a strong sense of camaraderie. He invests in the team and a "one for all, all for one spirit".
I think he thinks that dropping player's for poor performance is contrary to that. Hence, duds like Mathews and Chambers get a free ride.
Same difference anyway.

[Foreign Legion]

Originally posted by gazza
too many negative responses.
a gutsy effort by both teams in attrocious conditions.
half way thru the season is now time to admit that richards and chambers were poor choices.both lack talent and the bloods spirit.

Don't agree with the sentiment about Richards. I think he can play a bit just needs a lot more games - he has played less games than Schneider, Buchanan etc so he needs a go. But, Chambers is only there becuase we won 6 in a row, streak over.

[Nico]

Originally posted by anne
Umpires paid way too many frees in appalling conditions. Agree that we lost it in the first quarter - although St Kilda was clearly the better team tonight.

I thought the umps did an admirable job.

[NMWBloods]

I thought the umpiring was ordinary to poor. Very inconsistent at times. Bad for us early and bad for StKilda later.

[Nico]

Originally posted by Foreign Legion
Don't agree with the sentiment about Richards. I think he can play a bit just needs a lot more games - he has played less games than Schneider, Buchanan etc so he needs a go. But, Chambers is only there becuase we won 6 in a row, streak over.

Doesn't matter how many games you have played, (Richards) if you are weak at the contest you dont belong, particularly for a man his size.

[anniswan]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
I thought the umpiring was ordinary to poor. Very inconsistent at times. Bad for us early and bad for StKilda later.

The 2 deliberate OOB that went our way were a joke. I'll take the frees but didn't agree with them.

[Nico]

Originally posted by anniswan
The 2 deliberate OOB that went our way were a joke. I'll take the frees but didn't agree with them.

I thought they were pretty much right. There was not a Saints player within cooee of those kicks.

[Mike_B]

We just played dumb footy. As has been mentioned, tried to play fancy stuff in the wet when it just doesn't work. Had no answer to St Kilda pushing alot of men back because we couldn't pinpoint passes to break the flood like we do when its dry. Constantly 2nd to the contest/ball, got killed at spillages from contests and early on, St Kilda rebounded way way better than we did.

IMHO St Kilda were by far the better team tonight and to only go down by 2 points was more an indicator of the levelling the conditions allowed rather than the closeness of the performance of the two teams.