Mathews

[Bleed Red Blood]

Crouch in Mathews out to start with.

[bandwagon]

Crouch in Mathews out to start with.

Can't argue with that.

[TheHood]

I am usually Ben's biggest critic, but I actually think he has improved...laughable I know.

He isn't trying anything beyong his ability and when he gets the nut he's getting rid of it fast and efficiently (his biggest weakness usually).

He also kicks goals when he needs to as well unlike the Jud?s of the team.

[giant]

he is keeping a younger and far more efficient player out of the seniors side. Its time to go Matthews.

Who are you thinking of?

[RogueSwan]

Who are you thinking of?

Barlow ,Brennan, Matthew Davis, Kieren Jack, Matthew O'Dwyer, Sam Rowe, Earl Shaw?

We will never know will we?

[DST]

At present Matthews makes our best 22 as the designated mid sized shut down run with player.

With Crouch coming back and the hopefull improvement of Schmidt, Laidlaw and Moore over the year he will be struggling to hold his place in the 22.

I don't get to see the reserves play often, but from comments from posters who take the time to actually watch the form of our reserves none of them seem to be pushing for selection at present other than Schmidt who can co exist in the current side with Matthews.

How Crouch changes the dynamic when he returns will be interesting.

DST

[Nico]

Gee Crouch hasn't had much of a pre season and only a half a game. Cant expect too much first or even for a few rounds.

[DST]

Gee Crouch hasn't had much of a pre season and only a half a game. Cant expect too much first or even for a few rounds.

Exactly why we won't see Matthews being dropped in the next 6 to 8 weeks, unless someone like Laidlaw goes on a rampage in the reserves in the next 4 weeks, demanding inclusion into the side.

DST

[satchmopugdog]

I have been thinking all day about this post.


So, I am not posting it lightly.


I saw yesterday, in the flesh, why Matthews is valued by the coaching staff. Admittedly my coaching is at a level light years away from coaching the Swans, but I could see yesterday that he was doing his job well. He has good powers of concentration and was sticking with his player and creating space and an option across half back. There is nothing better as a coach than having a player do the job you ask of them.

He did let himself down with his usual indecisiveness on 2/3 occasions but even Judd mucks some things up. He has a presence among the players in the back half and an understanding between people like Leo with whom he has played a lot of footy.

I never thought I would see the day when I would post this but maybe I was specifically watching for him or the game was defensive in nature but I kept saying to myself,"Ah...that's why they keep him"

[liz]

I saw yesterday, in the flesh, why Matthews is valued by the coaching staff. Admittedly my coaching is at a level light years away from coaching the Swans, but I could see yesterday that he was doing his job well. He has good powers of concentration and was sticking with his player and creating space and an option across half back. There is nothing better as a coach than having a player do the job you ask of them.

I think you're spot on.

Having watched a replay of the game, I'm even more of the view that he played a pretty good game. He played within his limitations, mostly fed off immediately with a measured handball to a player running past him, and was almost always in the right place at the right time.

He doesn't have the weapons of a Kennelly or Malceski but that doesn't meant there's not a role for him.

And a couple of his disposals were actually very very good. For example, it was he who hit a perfectly weighted kick early in the game to enable Goodes to mark over an opponent and then kick to Hall for the first goal of the game.

I agreed with Nico's analysis of his game last week. I thought it was woeful, adding nothing himself and allowing too much easy uncontested possession to Braun, especially early. But I reckon he deserves a lot of credit for yesterday's game.

Would it be nice if there was someone else who could play his role and be more damaging in the process? Of course. Is there someone else currently running around in the twos who can even come close? Not on what I've seen. Not yet, anyway.

[swansrock4eva]

Wish I could agree with you and Liz, Satchmo, but I just can't. On more than one occasion Mathews was caught flat-footed, several metres away from his direct opponent and at least one of those occasions a goal came directly from his lack of movement (and that was with Tadhg screaming and pointing to the open man 20m from their goal - Mathews' direct opponent at that time). And did he manage a forward movement of the ball at all? Everyone says "but he had so many possessions" but how many of that quantity was quality?

I'd LOVE to see a youngster get the call up, even if he's not 100% ready for senior footy, because right now he's bound to give us more drive than Mathews does, and if he doesn't, I'd still rather see a young 'un learning the trade at the top level instead.

[DST]

I'd LOVE to see a youngster get the call up, even if he's not 100% ready for senior footy, because right now he's bound to give us more drive than Mathews does, and if he doesn't, I'd still rather see a young 'un learning the trade at the top level instead.

But are you prepared to see us lose games to do this?

I am not saying that Matthews is the difference, but clearly the team is not functioning in fifth gear at present so it's all hands on deck with the senior players until we are up and running and can afford to carry a younger player who may not be up to standard at present.

If you play youngsters for the sake of palying youngsters you end up like Hawthorn & Carlton, in the wilderness for years pinning your hope on young talent.

DST

[goswannie14]

My biggest beef with him in this game was the time it took him to make a decision. On one occassion he was 20 metres in the clear, marked the ball, propped, ran around in a circle and then stopped. This allowed all forwards to be covered by their respective opponents. My Dad, looked at me and said, "Why did he stop, there was no-one near him?"

[originalswan]

My biggest beef with him in this game was the time it took him to make a decision. On one occassion he was 20 metres in the clear, marked the ball, propped, ran around in a circle and then stopped. This allowed all forwards to be covered by their respective opponents. My Dad, looked at me and said, "Why did he stop, there was no-one near him?"

I remember that moment in the game and agree 100%. Although, overall I thought he created alot on the half back - full back line with his running and creating of the loose man for a link up.

He was also listed in the best players in the Melbourne Herald Sun - Couldn't agree more (on this occasion anyway).

[Blood Fever]

Give Him Credit

Mathews absolutely 'bathed' Krakouer who is supposed to be a young gun. Keep him in!