Rd 6 vs. Roos: Game Thread

[Nico]

He had a look at one stage too Nico, going into traffic chasing a loose ball. He didin't collect, the Kangas did, and a goal followed. I love Goodesy, but something is crook.

That is why I said somewhere in the thread that he appeared not to follow through to the dangerous zone. I was being kind to him. Boarding house cup of tea last night - big and weak.

[NMWBloods]

He had a look at one stage too Nico, going into traffic chasing a loose ball. He didin't collect, the Kangas did, and a goal followed. I love Goodesy, but something is crook.

Yep - last quarter, forward of the wing, game close, dodged the contest, turned the ball over.

[swansrule100]

its hard to judge how close players are on tv. But there seemed a few times the kangaroos got past close swans players way too easily. Just a tilt of the arms or a little sprint and swans players almost stop and watch.

[cruiser]

He had a look at one stage too Nico, going into traffic chasing a loose ball. He didin't collect, the Kangas did, and a goal followed. I love Goodesy, but something is crook.

I agree. Somethings not right. He can't be as bad to ordinary as he has been so far this year without there being a cause.

[Donners]

Has McVeigh had one single stand-out game in his 60-odd at Sydney? I'm trawling through my stats records, and I think his best game was back in mid-2005 when he kicked a couple of goals and had 13 possessions. Even Justin Crawford had some better games than McVeigh has had!

I'm also getting increasingly cynical about the signing of Everitt (which I hadn't thought was possible, since I considered it an awful move to begin with). He looks like a third wheel so often, because Jolly is more than holding his own, and aside from one stand-out game, Everitt has done nothing to justify his signing. With Grant doing so well against us, it's a stark reminder than trading for the short-term is something that can come back to bite you. Admittedly, the trade was somewhat forced upon us in that case, but we chose a short-term compensation, and while Schwass played well for us for a few years, he's long gone and Grant is still around. What will happen when we come up against Hawthorn's draft picks in the next few years?

[cruiser]

God this is frustrating to listen too, especially with the blue n white commentary team. That's it for me, take care

You thought it was bad to listen to? Try flying down from Sydney for it. And I've got a flight paid for next weekend too! I might forfeit as I dont know that I can be arsed going to the trouble of travelling down to Melbourne again for more of that first half rubbish and a number of 'star' (and now overpaid) players not performing as they are paid to.

[TheMase]

Richards was pathetic and how judgement can be made on Moore when he played 20%, yes 20% of game time when that noted hack Bolton gets 82%. What is 82% of nothing?

I am not making judgement on Moore. He had very little gametime and really was not given the opportunity by Roos to get into the game. I just think we need more height down back....

[ROK Lobster]

You thought it was bad to listen to? Try flying down from Sydney for it. And I've got a flight paid for next weekend too! I might forfeit as I dont know that I can be arsed going to the trouble of travelling down to Melbourne again for more of that first half rubbish and a number of 'star' (and now overpaid) players not performing as they are paid to.

Come to Canberra. The beer is cold, the pies are hot, the weather is glorious, you can sit where you like, the footy is tough, the skills are similar, you can listed to the coach at 1/4 time, have a kick at half time and a win is almost certain. And it only costs 5 bucks to get in.

[swansrule100]

Has McVeigh had one single stand-out game in his 60-odd at Sydney? I'm trawling through my stats records, and I think his best game was back in mid-2005 when he kicked a couple of goals and had 13 possessions. Even Justin Crawford had some better games than McVeigh has had!

I'm also getting increasingly cynical about the signing of Everitt (which I hadn't thought was possible, since I considered it an awful move to begin with). He looks like a third wheel so often, because Jolly is more than holding his own, and aside from one stand-out game, Everitt has done nothing to justify his signing. With Grant doing so well against us, it's a stark reminder than trading for the short-term is something that can come back to bite you. Admittedly, the trade was somewhat forced upon us in that case, but we chose a short-term compensation, and while Schwass played well for us for a few years, he's long gone and Grant is still around. What will happen when we come up against Hawthorn's draft picks in the next few years?

i thought everitt was pretty good last night, he is good left foot pass. That first quarter mark should of been paid too.

[Gary]

I went to bed & watched "the Bill" at half time, & some would say that suggests someone who doesn't really care...but at 60 I've decided that I don't need to indulge in self inflicted pain...there is enough real stuff going on. So I gather there was something of a revival...but clearly not enough to win or really shift the balance of negative comment on this thread.
It is so disappointing but the truth is this mob can't win again for us...the skill level is just too low. The absence of the Irishman showed just how much we have been relying on him to rescue us from the worst midfield in the comp. Not one stand out in terms of pace or skill...just dour workhorses with low level skills. I agree with others that we were watching the other crowd go by on too many occasions, & that was just the first half. Just like the Eagles game it was like "that bloke can do what he likes...I'm under orders to go somewhere else!"
I said my bit on B1 at half time...he is gone, passed by by a game that he no longer understands or has the skill to play...& the same can be said for several of our journeymen.
St.Kilda...who knows...but since 2005 I no longer allow ulcers to develop...Carn the bloods...at least show some passion.

[liz]

I'm also getting increasingly cynical about the signing of Everitt (which I hadn't thought was possible, since I considered it an awful move to begin with). He looks like a third wheel so often, because Jolly is more than holding his own, and aside from one stand-out game, Everitt has done nothing to justify his signing.

That comment baffles me. I'd have Everitt in our top half dozen players from yesterday. He didn't rack up the possessions but almost every single one he got counted, whether it was marking wayward shots at goal at our end or taking marks in defence. His footskills to pick out Malceski in a crowded forward line were impressive.

I very much get the feeling they're pacing Everitt, knowing that having him on the ground for most of the season and with the ability to really step up for a quarter or two when needed is how we're going to get true value out of him. If he runs himself into the ground within the first two months and then spends most of the rest of the season in the medical room, there is no point to him. Right now our ruck division is probably the least of our problems - with Jolly also stepping up to make some important round-the-ground contributions.

As for sacrificing the future for the present, I think there are times when you are entitled to do so. One of those includes when you have played off for the last two Grand Finals, performed well in both, have a top quality power forward, a sometimes inspirational midfielder and a real goer of a defender all on the wrong side of 30 but with a couple of good years left in them. When you identify one major deficiency that arguably cost you a one point loss in last year's GF and you have the chance to address that at the cost of a draft pick that statistics indicate has less than a 50% chance of ever playing 50 AFL games, I think you can go for it.

I don't think the Swans could have won this year's premiership without Spida or someone of his ilk. I don't know yet if we can win it with him either, but we're still in the race based on comparison of the current position to that at similar periods in the last two seasons.

[satchmopugdog]

I too went to bed as the radio commentary was driving me spare. It was only half time and I hoped that the easing of the presssure of my expectations would help the boys. I was hoping that after reading for 2 hours and having sleep only interrupted twice by cats that I would wake up to a revival


Not to be. I wish I had foxtel so I didin't have to listen to that commentary and I could have seen Leo's mark,

Hurt my knee in hockey too....schizenhauser weekend.

[Donners]

That comment baffles me. I'd have Everitt in our top half dozen players from yesterday. He didn't rack up the possessions but almost every single one he got counted, whether it was marking wayward shots at goal at our end or taking marks in defence. His footskills to pick out Malceski in a crowded forward line were impressive.

I very much get the feeling they're pacing Everitt, knowing that having him on the ground for most of the season and with the ability to really step up for a quarter or two when needed is how we're going to get true value out of him. If he runs himself into the ground within the first two months and then spends most of the rest of the season in the medical room, there is no point to him. Right now our ruck division is probably the least of our problems - with Jolly also stepping up to make some important round-the-ground contributions.

As for sacrificing the future for the present, I think there are times when you are entitled to do so. One of those includes when you have played off for the last two Grand Finals, performed well in both, have a top quality power forward, a sometimes inspirational midfielder and a real goer of a defender all on the wrong side of 30 but with a couple of good years left in them. When you identify one major deficiency that arguably cost you a one point loss in last year's GF and you have the chance to address that at the cost of a draft pick that statistics indicate has less than a 50% chance of ever playing 50 AFL games, I think you can go for it.

I don't think the Swans could have won this year's premiership without Spida or someone of his ilk. I don't know yet if we can win it with him either, but we're still in the race based on comparison of the current position to that at similar periods in the last two seasons.

I can see where you're coming from, but I maintain my position on Everitt. I'm opposed to signing him as much as for his attitude as anything else - his quote earlier in the season about how he didn't mentor young ruckmen in case he came up against them one day pretty much ended any chance I had of warming to him.

Naturally, then, I'm going to take a cynical approach with everything to do with him. Though I doubt my views will change, I'll refrain from trolling threads with my criticisms, because I know how annoying it can get.

Just to summarise my stance on Everitt:

- The cost of a player is not only in what we give up immediately to his former club (which can be significant - eg. a Mr Black), but also the game time denied to players already at the club and the space taken in the salary cap. I'd hate to miss re-signing or picking up an uncontracted player because of Everitt.

- Bring in a couple of people with bad attitudes to a team with a strong work ethic and structure, and they may adapt. But they will not always fit in, and may start to bring others down.

- Ruck was not our weakest area, in my opinion. I'd have a key defender and outside midfielder as higher priorities.

- Nor is an absolutely dominant ruckman essential for a Premiership. The likes of Barnes, McDonald, Charman and Lade have been in the ruck all season for recent Premiership winners - not bad players by any means, but on a par with Jolly. Yes, he was belted in the GF, but he also dominated a hell of a lot of games in the lead-up. He's out-performed Everitt so far, and while Everitt may be being paced, he's only here for a couple of seasons, and results need to be on the board sooner rather than later.

- Sydney's strong performance has been through team efforts and a relatively charmed run with injuries. One player will not improve that situation, and can do little to help it if it worsens. For Everitt to have his intended effect of just pushing Sydney over the line, Sydney needs a heck of a lot of other things to go right to GET to that line. That may have happened for the last two years, but it is a gamble to expect it to happen in a third.

But, as I said, I recognise and respect your stance on the issue.

[liz]

Everitt was brought into complement Jolly though, not to replace him. If they'd had faith in Doyle's body holding up for more than a month at a time, maybe they wouldn't have gone for Jolly but history tells us that would be a huge gamble.

And with the style of footy the Swans play - all those stoppages - it is really too much to ask one player to carry the load on his own for most of the season. Last year, after the doughnut experiment was abandoned, we had poor Richards pinch-hitting in the ruck for several weeks.

[dimelb]

I can see where you're coming from, but I maintain my position on Everitt. I'm opposed to signing him as much as for his attitude as anything else - his quote earlier in the season about how he didn't mentor young ruckmen in case he came up against them one day pretty much ended any chance I had of warming to him.

Donners, I don't know when or where he said that, but one of the reasons he came to the Swans was specifically to pass on his experience to our blokes. I'd almost have picked him up for that alone. But as it is we are getting a very useful second stringer for the money. I think he's a bargain.