The difference?

[DeadlyAkkuret]

I don't want this to turn into a thread about 'maybes' and 'what ifs', but aside from the obvious first half sloppyness, what were the key areas where the GF was lost?

There was the ruck, which we've already addressed with the inclusion of Spida, and i think Davo should definitely be given more midfield time if we're to push for another GF appearance in '07. What are your thoughts on what Sydney must do to stay up with the leading pack?

[NMWBloods]

Be more positive with the ball.

Don't cruise - always work hard with and without the ball.

I think these are two areas that we struggle with during our down times.

[SimonH]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
Be more positive with the ball.

Don't cruise - always work hard with and without the ball.

I think these are two areas that we struggle with during our down times.

Certainly agree with the first point-- Goodes has put his 2nd-half turnaround in the GF to thinking at half time, 'We've got nothing to lose now; I'll not be so worried about my man and back myself.' In a broader sense, Suddenly Super Ted put his 2nd-half of the year turnaround to much the same thing.

Don't agree with the 2nd. Of course, no-one's perfect and it's always possible to work harder. But as a whole, Sydney from 2005 were/are possibly the hardest-working team I've ever seen, especially when the game is turning against them. As indicated by the miniscule number of games in which they get really flogged. There was no lack of individual effort by the players in the first-half of the GF; it just completely failed to gel into a team performance. And the Swans play a style where, if you ain't got the whole team working together, you won't win.

Basic skill errors and the very simple fact that we didn't get the pill at stoppages, also didn't help.

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by SimonH
Don't agree with the 2nd. Of course, no-one's perfect and it's always possible to work harder. But as a whole, Sydney from 2005 were/are possibly the hardest-working team I've ever seen, especially when the game is turning against them. As indicated by the miniscule number of games in which they get really flogged. There was no lack of individual effort by the players in the first-half of the GF; it just completely failed to gel into a team performance. And the Swans play a style where, if you ain't got the whole team working together, you won't win.

I agree that we are one of the hardest working teams and to some extent we need to be. However, I've found that many of the games we've lost have been the result of the team taking too much of a break and letting the opposition get away from them.

[AnnieH]

IMO, there's not enough "accountablity" (I don't know if that's the right word).
For example, if we're not playing so well (and they know when we're not playing so well), we need a few more players to stand up and try and turn things around. They're like sheep. Once a few of them start, the rest rally around and try to turn the game. More often than not, it's a case of too much, too late. This has happened on many an occasion - with different players taking the lead.
Maybe it's a mental thing. Who knows.

[DeadlyAkkuret]

This question could have so easily created a huge, idiotic, ignorant discussion, but instead all the feedback has been thought out and quite informative. Makes me proud *tear*

I'm still not sure where i sit with this, i don't have a problem with our work ethic as such, if the Swans worked any harder i think they'd be dead on their feet. The one thing that would help when we're under the pump (and it has already been mentioned) is having more 'game breaker' moments, not unlike that of Nick Davis against the Cats. When the heads are down, like the first half of the GF, and things just aren't going right, we really need someone to take us by the scruff of the neck and lead the way with one or two moments of brilliance.

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

The answer as to what the Swans can do to improve & stay with the leaders is to
-win more matches between may & July. We are always crap around this time every season before suddenly the players' mentality snapped back into line & we start blitzing it in late July & August.

-Getting not only peak fitness but the right intensity into our footy early in the season. I'm fed up with Melbourne leading us a merry dance at the SCG each year. I want some early season wins.

The ting that we have seen over & over again is that the Swans have a mental toughness like few other teams. In the Geelong semi in 2005 as well as in the GF in 2006 we showed that even if our skills are still not perfect (which they most definitely were not,especially in the 3rd quarters of both matches) we can still turn around matches where we are under the pump during the first half.

What we have to do know is to play 4 decent quarters of footy & not have those let-downs in the 1st half of matches like we are prone to do.

JF (getting miffed now that I missed the footy & went to the Kings semi final instead tonight )

[DeadlyAkkuret]

Originally posted by JF_Bay22_SCG
(getting miffed now that I missed the footy & went to the Kings semi final instead tonight )

I heard that the Kings put on a real clinic last night! I wish i was there to see it.

[general mac]

There is no doubt in my mind that the first half of the granny, the player simply were not focused and determined enough.

Surely this responsibility resides with the head coach.

The players proved they are a better team, by being so bad in the first half and yet only going down by a point.

The players at the begining of the game showed a classic lack of hunger and a "been here done that" kind of attitude.

In the press in the lead up to the granny, several of the players even said as much. IE they were comparing that year to the last. A truely hungery team lives for the next win.

What struck me about the Brisbane Lions three peat, is that they never took winning one of the Grand fianls for granted.

With the Swans in last years Grand Final, the problem was the coaching dept.

They let their players fall into the bigest and most obvious hole that a premiership team comming into their second grand final, could have fallen into.

I hope the Coaches have learnt something, cos this team has the potential to go round again.

[Nico]

Finishing.

J Bolton and B Hall misses in the first quarter was clearly the difference.

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by Annie Haddad
IMO, there's not enough "accountablity" (I don't know if that's the right word).
For example, if we're not playing so well (and they know when we're not playing so well), we need a few more players to stand up and try and turn things around. They're like sheep. Once a few of them start, the rest rally around and try to turn the game. More often than not, it's a case of too much, too late. This has happened on many an occasion - with different players taking the lead.
Maybe it's a mental thing. Who knows.

I agree with that - but I wouldn't call it 'accountability'. We do need a player or two to be able to grab the game by the scruff of the neck when things aren't going well. To some extent we had that in the grand final when Davis, Kirk and Goodes had impacts and dragged the rest of the team back into it.

When we are losing generally it's because we are playing bad football. I think this is typically because we are cruising. Yes, on average we are the hardest working side in the competition, but we still have lapses where we let our men run around too loose or we lairise.

To some extent the first point above can help with the second point - if a few of the players can really lift a bit earlier when we are down, it can bring the whole side back into it. I think that generally happens, and is why we rarely get thumped, but if it happens sooner then we will finish with more wins.

Finishing is a good point too. We do go through too many periods where we waste opportunities, particularly in front of goal.

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Originally posted by NMWBloods

When we are losing generally it's because we are playing bad football. I think this is typically because we are cruising. Yes, on average we are the hardest working side in the competition, but we still have lapses where we let our men run around too loose or we lairise.

When we are playing poorly you just see the handballs and kicks not hitting targets. You see the defenders trying to run it out of defence & get caught. Or they fire off hospital handballs that often result in the opponents A) crunching them and/or B) them scoring a goal as a result.

NMW calls it lairising. I call it more a lack of application. when teams really press us across our half back line, attacking players like Kennelly & Dempster who have pace & love to run the ball quickly out of defence, purely & simply we start to panic.

I know it is hard tp avoid having teams clog up the SCG to stop our running game. But we need a plan B when things simply aren't working. More often than not we do not play direct footy and overuse the ball. In defence as we saw with Buchanan's goal square stuff up in the GF last year, this can often be very costly.

JF

[opng]

i was moving to perth wa got stuck checking into my accom.(yep eagle supporter that wouldnt answer the bell,phone door you name it) well walked into my room only to see the last 30 secs. i couldnt beleive we lost and i missed probably the best grand final id ever see, i just cant bring myself to watch the game, so to me we cant turn back time, whats gone is gone and whatever problems we need fixing from that game youll find if we make it this year they'll be other problems. Its more the problems we had for most of the year, extra ruckman, extra defender etc. Just look forward to this year because you may never see a sydney side that is this good in our lifetime again. Yeh and the attendant got an earfull the next day.