If thats our best

[CRV05]

Well i was very keen to get home to watch the boys today..... However was VERY angry at the very poor showing from a few (real fans will know who were not up to sratch)

Why are we so unwilling to win by than 4 goals. Richmond were luck to be within 10 gaols at half time 2nd round that % is gold but because of sumgness we were forced to pay it out till the 4th quarrter.

Hall injured (seriousness?????) who knows but my point is if the easy goals were taken that Hall sits on the bench dumb and happy. As it was he come back on and more than likely is out for 6 weeks instead of 0.

My thoughts people agree or not.

[liz]

I don't think you'll find any Swans fan claiming that was the best the team has to offer. But it is April, not September, and the Swans are notoriously slow starters to a season. They played better than at the equivalent time last year against a team that equipped itself pretty well. Personally I didn't detect any smugness - just a bit of rustiness and skill errors contributed to by excellent pressure from the opposition.

If we thought that was the best they could be, we might be concerned. But we know it ain't and I'm just satisfied they got the points.

[Ed_Gein]

It's 4 points in the bag and i'll take it. Yes, not our best showing, but i'll agree with liz, yes we were rusty, but the premiership is won in September not in April. Teams like Melbourne and Adelaide peak early in the season only to fade come finals time. Of course i'd prefer us not to get off to a slow start but as long as our best football comes in September i don't think any Swans fan has the right to complain as to how we are playing now.

[Go Swannies]

I was sitting with eight tigers friends and said at half time that I was thankful that the Swans could play so badly and still be in front. As Liz says, it's a balance - we want to peak in September but we have to have enough points to be there. Last year, we were only in the 4 through percentage (thanks Tigers). But we lost some very winnable early games (Dees). This year we may have the balance right.

[BeeEmmAre]

It's 4 points in the bag and i'll take it. Yes, not our best showing, but i'll agree with liz, yes we were rusty, but the premiership is won in September not in April. Teams like Melbourne and Adelaide peak early in the season only to fade come finals time. Of course i'd prefer us not to get off to a slow start but as long as our best football comes in September i don't think any Swans fan has the right to complain as to how we are playing now.

Meatloaf.

[NMWBloods]

I find it interesting that people have now become totally convinced that if we do badly in April we will do well in September, or if we do well in April we can't do well in September. We don't actually need to start slowly. It doesn't help us do better in September. The only benefit is to nurse through a couple of players (perhaps Everitt and MOL), but that shouldn't excuse poor play. It's not like we were coasting out there yesterday, resting up for later in the season. They were simply playing poorly - that doesn't help a team be fresher in September.

The only positive from that game was 4 points against a weak and understrength Richmond side.

[Nico]

I find it interesting that people have now become totally convinced that if we do badly in April we will do well in September, or if we do well in April we can't do well in September. We don't actually need to start slowly. It doesn't help us do better in September. The only benefit is to nurse through a couple of players (perhaps Everitt and MOL), but that shouldn't excuse poor play. It's not like we were coasting out there yesterday, resting up for later in the season. They were simply playing poorly - that doesn't help a team be fresher in September.

The only positive from that game was 4 points against a weak and understrength Richmond side.

Ditto.

[liz]

I find it interesting that people have now become totally convinced that if we do badly in April we will do well in September, or if we do well in April we can't do well in September. We don't actually need to start slowly. It doesn't help us do better in September. The only benefit is to nurse through a couple of players (perhaps Everitt and MOL), but that shouldn't excuse poor play. It's not like we were coasting out there yesterday, resting up for later in the season. They were simply playing poorly - that doesn't help a team be fresher in September.

Sorry, but I think most of that is rubbish.

No-one has stated that it is a requirement for September success to play poorly in April. But recent history - not just of the Swans - indicates that early season form is a pretty ordinary indicator of finals success. There are numerous instances of teams looking the bees knees for the first two months of the year, only to fall apart once other clubs get into their stride. There are exceptions but they are just that - exceptions that prove the rule.

If playing well in April requires a fitness regime that gets players close to their peak fitness early in the season at the expense of peaking when it really counts, then yes, it is daft to do it. The players who are able to sustain their optimum intensity and fitness for a whole six months are few and far between.

And it's no coincidence that the teams that are looked slick through the NAB cup and took that into round 1 were largely those who packed up their kit bag at the end of August last year. That extra month of training means they've had more time to focus on game play and structures, whereas the finalists have probably been more intent on getting the fitness base there.

And they didn't play poorly yesterday. They played a modestly decent game against a team that has its deficiencies but that is coached well and showed last year that - at times - it is able to play disciplined and competitive football. They played well, the Swans played OK. The Swans got the four points that they did deserve and now we move onto next week.

[KirksSocks]

I don't know why people are saying we played poorly against Richmond when clearly the tigers played hard at the ball and gave it a real dip.

Credit to Richmond.

[Nico]

NMW and Liz we could debate this one adnausium and I agree with a lot of what both of you said, however, apart from the first quarter and a bit we had brain exposion after brain explosion. But his type of play has been fairly typical of us when we look at our poorest. We looked really sharp for most of the first quarter and thought we would blow them of the park.

I thought we kept Richmond in the game by too much switching of play when we had players well clear on the side of the ground we were first heading. Maybe it is a confidence thing and because some players were rusty they didn't want to take any risks. Our kicking also lacked penetration. Where I think we can improve is to move it on a bit quicker within the game plan to a player on the move.

NMW is right when he says we played poorly a lot of the time, our disposal skills were quite flabergastingly inept at times.

[NMWBloods]

We don't need to be the front runner, standout side in the first month, but neither do we need to struggle.

I thought we played pretty poorly yesterday. Richmond applied a lot of pressure early, but we were able to overcome it and skip away to a four goal lead. At that point we were in complete control against a side beginning to struggle with confidence, well down in the ruck, and missing their best player. From there we made silly mistakes and poor disposal to let Richmond back into the game and nearly pinch it. Even without hitting peak form we really should have won that comfortably by 5 goals.

[Bloody Hell]

We don't need to be the front runner, standout side in the first month, but neither do we need to struggle.

Yes...winning is good.
Losing is bad.

[DST]

There is absolutely no correlation that if we don't play well in April that we will play better in September.

However, I would prefer to see us playing our best football come August/September rather than now.

The formula has worked in the last couple of years, so I see no need to change it at present.

DST

[Nico]

There is absolutely no correlation that if we don't play well in April that we will play better in September.

However, I would prefer to see us playing our best football come August/September rather than now.

The formula has worked in the last couple of years, so I see no need to change it at present.

DST

DST there is one very good reason why a lot of us were disappointed. We are getting so used to winning and playing good footy that we get as little paranoid when we dont play so well. I'd rather be feeling this way than what I used to feel when we got flogged every week.

It is such a good feeling being a winner after decades of disappointment. I hate losing at any time now.

[TheHood]

Richmond did have a real dip, I thought that was the best they have looked since Brown broke is leg in 2million places.

And if you want to go by early season form, Richmond were looking flag favourites in 2005.

Now, down to brass tacks, Sydney showed an increased desire to kick goals and win games at the MCG. Some goals were murdered (see Schnides shockers and posters galore), however I was encouraged that we will kick on and more than that, some youngsters were keen, very keen.

Malcevski, Schmidt and Richards were really heartening, very good indeed, how good is Mal?. Even Monty was switched on. To me this means the traditional slow starters will kick in and not have to wait for anyone. We are looking good for Round 3.