So, what did we learn?

[Go Swannies]

Oh, and Swans BOG were definitely Kirk. Then probably Schneider, Magic and Goodes.

@@@ - Hall and Nicky D (who tolld me as we left the ground about 11.30 that it will all come right for the Pies game).

[SimonH]

Originally posted by Jeffers1984
...
- Thomas outcoached Roos.

Absolutely. Always controversial to give Thomas credit for anything, but in the first 3 quarters it was obvious that St Kilda:
a) was more prepared than us to play a wet-weather game
b) had a far better plan for using its forward KPPs (Riewoldt and Gehrig) to maximum effect, than Sydney did, and
c) was far tighter at the back than it usually is, and in particular had coordinated double-teaming Hall without allowing Sydney a free forward target.

The coach has to take the credit/blame for these things.

He almost undid all of his good work in the final quarter, though. When Sydney started to get close, he mindlessly stacked the backline, adopting a defensive attitude of avoiding losing the game, rather than trying to win it. The result of these kinds of strategies is usually that the team stops believing it can score goals, stops running forward when teammates have possession, and virtually cedes that the entire game will be played in the opponent's half, where it only takes a single contested mark, clean piece of crumbing or free kick to decide the game. This was exactly what happened, and Riewoldt's heroics saved him from losing a game his team had always controlled.

Apart from that, the main message was one I already well and truly knew: Sydney suck in the wet, at least when they stick with their 'precision short footpassing and bursting out of packs with chains of handballs' dry-weather style of play. However, they belatedly started playing proper wet-weather footy in the 2nd half, with encouraging results.

Other lessons:
1. ROK has a huge engine and almost invariably seems to get better as the game goes longer.
2. Adam Goodes was absolutely outstanding, and in particular he made good position and kept his goddamn feet in the contests. There's a lesson in that for most of the other 21. If he keeps playing like this, I'm going to have to concede that he is a chance for the Brownlow.
3. It's true. Despite our historically pretty good record there, the SCG does not suit Sydney's style of play much at all.
4. LRT really has come a long, long way. He played on the BOG, but in terms of holding him accountable and creating a contest, he can hold his head high.
5. Richards was dreadful, and is seemingly even less of a wet-weather player than the rest of the team.
6. What the hell was going on with our rucks most of the night? Jolly belatedly kicked into gear in the last quarter, but as a whole that's the kind of effort against a very unfancied opposing ruck division, that would have me rushing Doyle back into the side (!).

[anne]

I thought LRT was pretty good and handled the conditions much better than many of the others.

[ROK Lobster]

Originally posted by anne
I thought LRT was pretty good and handled the conditions much better than many of the others.

Riewoldt had 23 possessions and took 7 marks. By comparison, Hall had 5 possessions and took 2 marks. All LRT has to do is run on and RWO says he had a great game.

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by Go Swannies
That the Swans are learning how to play in the wet.

They shouldn't be 'learning' - they should already know!

That the Swans need to lose matches to remember not to believe their own PR.

I was thinking that for much of the game particularly the last quarter. Part of me was wanting to get that winning goal and part of me was thinking that will not snap them out of this mindset that they think they can run over the top of the opposition and always win. The comment about us being like the Kangaroos of the 90s was probably taken a little too much to heart.

That the Saints will be lucky to be able to field a team of 18 by finals time.

I was told luck had nothing to do with injuries...

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by SimonH
2. Adam Goodes was absolutely outstanding, and in particular he made good position and kept his goddamn feet in the contests. There's a lesson in that for most of the other 21.

Many of our players approach a loose ball by sliding into it, rather than stay on their feet. A bit frustrating.

[Mike_B]

Originally posted by Go Swannies
That the Swans need to lose matches to remember not to believe their own PR.

We need to get back to that WWWL run of last year - never too long a streak to start getting ahead of ourselves!

[Damien]

Originally posted by anne
I thought LRT was pretty good and handled the conditions much better than many of the others.

Yeah he was, it was really interesting to watch the battle between him and Reiwoldt right across the ground last night.

LRT did very well.

[humphrey bear]

I learnt that the majority of footballers despite being full time are basically dumb and incapable of adapting to different conditions.

We regularly had forwards leading to the boundary line to receive 20m chips 50 to 70 out from goal.

And the only thing dumber than the forwards who led their were the midfielders who kept kicking it to them and either turning it over or the forward having no hope of kicking a goal and then turning it over with the next kick.

Just about very goal that either teams scored came from contested play 25 or 35 metres out with a free or scrubby kick.

But the Swans wouldnt kick it regularly to that spot and wanted to pretend it was a dry day.

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by humphrey bear
We regularly had forwards leading to the boundary line to receive 20m chips 50 to 70 out from goal.

And the only thing dumber than the forwards who led their were the midfielders who kept kicking it to them and either turning it over or the forward having no hope of kicking a goal and then turning it over with the next kick.

J Bolton's pass to Hall on the boundary (after a dodgy free) summed that up perfectly.

[hammo]

Originally posted by Damien
Yeah he was, it was really interesting to watch the battle between him and Reiwoldt right across the ground last night.

LRT did very well.

Reiwoldt was best on ground

[Damien]

Originally posted by hammo
Reiwoldt was best on ground

I don't agree, I don't think he was that effective at all last night and certainly not the reason they won. He was good, but generally when isn't he? I think LRT nullified his impact.

[Go Swannies]

Originally posted by Damien
I don't agree, I don't think he was that effective at all last night and certainly not the reason they won. He was good, but generally when isn't he? I think LRT nullified his impact.

If you think Leo get's a lot of credit for That Mark in the GF then you have to say Saint Nick was outstanding last night. I think he's a good footballer - about 50% of his perceived hype - but the mark he took in our forward 50 in the dying minutes saved the game.

Easy to cling to preconceptions but Nick was excellent last night - and you can't say that about many Swans players.

BTW, a Sydney team that plays well in the wet is like a world-dominating Australian ice hockey team - it ain't going to happen.

[Damien]

Originally posted by Go Swannies
If you think Leo get's a lot of credit for That Mark in the GF then you have to say Saint Nick was outstanding last night. I think he's a good footballer - about 50% of his perceived hype - but the mark he took in our forward 50 in the dying minutes saved the game.

Easy to cling to preconceptions but Nick was excellent last night - and you can't say that about many Swans players.

Huh? I think Nick is amazing, and I have no preconceptions about his abilities.

I just think LRT did a great job on him last night and he was not effective as he could of been.

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by Go Swannies
If you think Leo get's a lot of credit for That Mark in the GF then you have to say Saint Nick was outstanding last night. I think he's a good footballer - about 50% of his perceived hype - but the mark he took in our forward 50 in the dying minutes saved the game.

Easy to cling to preconceptions but Nick was excellent last night - and you can't say that about many Swans players.

Yep. I thought he was outstanding.

Clever coaching too - he spent much of the game up the ground and in defence, leaving Gehrig with more space up forward.

BTW, a Sydney team that plays well in the wet is like a world-dominating Australian ice hockey team - it ain't going to happen.

Could be a problem if we have a wet September...