Bolton, Mathews, Crouch and Kirk

[TheMase]

We have too many taggers. Our midfield is in terrible shape. At each centre bounce they focus almost entirely on stopping their opponents - half of them don't even watch the football. I was amazed how many times they actually ran away from the football toward their own man, or they were facing their man and the ball bounced past them.

Actually I did take note of this as well. Ben Mathews was a shocker for it.

[goswannie14]

We definitely lost it in the mid-field. Many times in the first half the only movement was from Fosdike or Ablett. The only time we looked like getting any drive out of the middle was in the third when Goodes was running in from CHB, on more than one occasion he grabbed the ball and either kicked or knocked it forward.

It was more than obvious last night that we are struggling with our complete half back line out injured.

[Go Swannies]

Is there deliberate irony in claiming that we need to get rid of some of the best lock down players in the competition while bemoaning that we let the Roos blow us away in the first quarter so we never had a chance to catch up?

Work rate and structure were our undoing, not these players. In fact, it's so noticeable how our structure falls apart when a few players are missing. No Tiger or Monty (or LRT) and there are holes you can drive an Archer-sized truck through.

Watching it on TV last night, it was sad to see some Swans players simply give up the chase. Goodes and Moore were two who seemed to have the mindset "I've done enough and can stop now". That could certainly not be said of Kirk who seemed to play with desperation and was about the only one who cleared the ball out of the congestion.

We'd be looking really sad if our two ruckmen hadn't stepped up so well around the ground.

[Nico]

We have too many taggers. Our midfield is in terrible shape. At each centre bounce they focus almost entirely on stopping their opponents - half of them don't even watch the football. I was amazed how many times they actually ran away from the football toward their own man, or they were facing their man and the ball bounced past them.

And North was the opposite, eyes only for the ball and QUICK. I watched Goodes in the last Q at centre bounces and they showed scant regard for him.

On Goodes at centre bounces, play him off the back of the square to run in for the loose ball to give us some dash.

[Nico]

We definitely lost it in the mid-field. Many times in the first half the only movement was from Fosdike or Ablett. The only time we looked like getting any drive out of the middle was in the third when Goodes was running in from CHB, on more than one occasion he grabbed the ball and either kicked or knocked it forward.

It was more than obvious last night that we are struggling with our complete half back line out injured.

Sorry cant agree on Ablett. His stats show he had 13 of his 17 possessions as uncontested. I posted last night I thought as much and this mornings stats vindicate what I saw. Clearly injured and unable to make contests so took the short kicks and delivered to nowhere. Should never have been out there.

[BLT]

That was absolutely pathetic!

you're kidding right? that was a great kick by his standards - didn't go out on the full!

[NMWBloods]

Is there deliberate irony in claiming that we need to get rid of some of the best lock down players in the competition while bemoaning that we let the Roos blow us away in the first quarter so we never had a chance to catch up?

I think 3 goals in perfect conditons in a half of football (and thus leaving ourselves too much to catch up) suugests that too many of our players are defensively oriented.

As I say so many times we need to be more attacking and kick goals and the first half was a perfect example of that.

Work rate and structure were our undoing, not these players. In fact, it's so noticeable how our structure falls apart when a few players are missing. No Tiger or Monty (or LRT) and there are holes you can drive an Archer-sized truck through.

Injuries happen in football. Other teams get them and cope. Our game falls apart, which is a worry.

Watching it on TV last night, it was sad to see some Swans players simply give up the chase. Goodes and Moore were two who seemed to have the mindset "I've done enough and can stop now". That could certainly not be said of Kirk who seemed to play with desperation and was about the only one who cleared the ball out of the congestion.

Yes, Kirk was one of the few who kept at it. Goodes was a big sook for much of the night. Moore didn't seem to get enough game time to matter either way.

We'd be looking really sad if our two ruckmen hadn't stepped up so well around the ground.

One of the better halves of our two ruckmen combined. Finally made us competitive out of the centre too.

[swansrule100]

That was absolutely pathetic!

ive been up the oval today and i can kick that goal, granted not as much pressure, but what was with the wierd kicking action

[swans song]

We have too many taggers. Our midfield is in terrible shape. At each centre bounce they focus almost entirely on stopping their opponents - half of them don't even watch the football. I was amazed how many times they actually ran away from the football toward their own man, or they were facing their man and the ball bounced past them.

I agree and that is the game plan Why don't we just have a crack for at least a quarter of going in hard and getting the ball. When you are 5 goals down for Christ's sake you are never going to catch up playing our game plan. You may by having 5 quarters. To try and maintain the plan and score just doesn't gel. I'm sure we have great ball getters who if released from their tagging duties could causes havoc and then we might score 7 goals in a qrt. How exciting would it be?

[goswannie14]

About 1 goal more excitig than the 6 goal last qrtr last night.

[DST]

We definitely lost it in the mid-field. Many times in the first half the only movement was from Fosdike or Ablett. The only time we looked like getting any drive out of the middle was in the third when Goodes was running in from CHB, on more than one occasion he grabbed the ball and either kicked or knocked it forward.

It was more than obvious last night that we are struggling with our complete half back line out injured.

Very interesting you picked up the Goodes move by Roos.

From ground level it was very obvious that Goodes going to half back in the second half was one of the reasons we were better at the stoppages with his run from behind giving us that extra option and pace from the stoppages.

We saw last night how important Kennelly is to us structuraly and also how much LRT's absence is hurting our flexibility at present.

LRT would have been the perfect match-up for Edwards last night as he has the size and pace to go with him. LRT is best suited to defending those roaming forward types such as McGregor, Hansen & Edwards.

DST

[liz]

LRT would have been the perfect match-up for Edwards last night as he has the size and pace to go with him. LRT is best suited to defending those roaming forward types such as McGregor, Hansen & Edwards.

Edwards isn't that tall though. The AFL Guide has him listed at 184cm, which is ND height. He looks taller than that but he ain't no giant. We are missing LRT but not for players like Edwards, who would have run LRT off his feet.

For those people bemoaning the fact that ND didn't get the ball kicked to him, can any of you claim he put in the hard, continual running that Edwards did last night? Watching the game on TV you can't always tell but the fact that Davis wasn't getting to contests in that way kind indicates that at least part - probably most - of the blame must lie at his feet.

[ROK Lobster]

For those people bemoaning the fact that ND didn't get the ball kicked to him, can any of you claim he put in the hard, continual running that Edwards did last night? Watching the game on TV you can't always tell but the fact that Davis wasn't getting to contests in that way kind indicates that at least part - probably most - of the blame must lie at his feet.

But why was he parked in the goal square? No one can answer that either. Was he told to stay there? When he did lead it was ignored. Given that he was jumping out of his skin during the week (if the interview he did was this week) it suggests to me that he was either injured (if so why did he play? probably because they did not take enough emergencies because they named Buchanan) or there was some tactical reason that did not really work out that he stayed in the square and was told to stay there. Nick is harldy the bloke that wont try and go and get a kick. He may not dive into packs but he loves to get his hands on it.

[liz]

An injury seems the only rational explanation. I've never seen him play before when he rarely moves from the 50m arc - not for the whole game. He looked fit and lively last week. Maybe he aggravated the foot during the game, or he may have carried it into the game, with or without the knowledge of the coaching staff.