Taggers

[swansrule100]

I've seen Bolton used as a tagger occasionally (and he's crap at it).

They don't need to be fast - they just need to be smart... oops hang on...

bolton doesnt seem to be doing anything this year let alone tagging.
I agree with you on the tagging issue. Id like to see us try to attack, we can always revert back and try to shut games down. obviously you need a player running with say judd or dal santo type players. But i think with some younger players in like jack, schmidt, moore etc its a good chance to free the shackles. This would help free up the forward line and free up hall a bit or exploit teams who drop players back onto hall.

[ROK Lobster]

But, if we free up too much in the middle it exposes our backline. As I said elsewhere once, I think we need our middle to shut down sides to allow our backs to attack. To be honest our middle does not have the skill to set up attacks. Kennelly, Malceski and Leo are the best kicks in the team (except possibly for Hall and Davis). Ablett is a long kick but not always accurate, Fosdike, McVeigh and Bolton spray them everywhere, Kirk could not kick over a jam tin. An open midfiled is clanger city for the Swans and would expose our backs to the ball coming in way too quick. Much as I would like to see it, it aint going to happen with this set up. If it did it would be a disaster, and we would get smashed way more than qtr 1 last week.

[NMWBloods]

You're right - skills gaps makes us play boring footy!

[liz]

But, if we free up too much in the middle it exposes our backline. As I said elsewhere once, I think we need our middle to shut down sides to allow our backs to attack. To be honest our middle does not have the skill to set up attacks. Kennelly, Malceski and Leo are the best kicks in the team (except possibly for Hall and Davis). Ablett is a long kick but not always accurate, Fosdike, McVeigh and Bolton spray them everywhere, Kirk could not kick over a jam tin. An open midfiled is clanger city for the Swans and would expose our backs to the ball coming in way too quick. Much as I would like to see it, it aint going to happen with this set up. If it did it would be a disaster, and we would get smashed way more than qtr 1 last week.

I think you have it in a nutshell, though you've left out Bolton (no 2) in your kicking assessment. He's as good as Barry (I'd rate him higher) and probably at least as good as Kennelly too. (No-one comes close to Malceski.)

We saw last week (and in round 1 last year against the Bombers) that when the midfield isn't able to contain its opponents defensively, the defence gets smashed. So it is as much the absence of a Glass or Rutten or Scarlett that dictates the midfield's style as it is the nature of the players in that midfield group.

I suspect that even with the personnel we have, the midfield could become far more attack orientated if that is what it was instructed to do. Monty is one who provides a decent amount of attacking flair and, of course, Goodes was the prime driver at centre clearances last year. (When can we get the "old Goodes" back? )

But others too have the potential. Ablett, in particular, is one with the attributes to become a pretty valuable midfielder if he is let off the leash a little. I think he could be a significantly more valuable kick if he were given a more outside role. A lot of his kicks are taken from the middle of packs where he has no time and frequently gets smothered anyway. I understand why he was initially used as a tagger - it is common with younger players at all clubs because running with a top quality opponent teaches them where to run and gives them some idea of how hard the best midfielders work. But those lessons become useless if they're not allowed to be put into use.

His main deficiency is probably the inability to spot up and give off the quick handball. That's why he gets caught HTB so often - if he can't get it on his boot he has nowhere else to go. Who knows whether this skill is learnable at this stage in his career.

Ironically, Fosdike probably has quicker hands and is a far worse kick than Ablett, yet he is the one usually running in space while Ablett toils through traffic. Both are reportedly exceptional endurance athletes and moderately quick without being express, so it would be interesting to see what happened if their roles were switched around.

[originalswan]

But, if we free up too much in the middle it exposes our backline. As I said elsewhere once, I think we need our middle to shut down sides to allow our backs to attack. To be honest our middle does not have the skill to set up attacks. Kennelly, Malceski and Leo are the best kicks in the team (except possibly for Hall and Davis). Ablett is a long kick but not always accurate, Fosdike, McVeigh and Bolton spray them everywhere, Kirk could not kick over a jam tin. An open midfiled is clanger city for the Swans and would expose our backs to the ball coming in way too quick. Much as I would like to see it, it aint going to happen with this set up. If it did it would be a disaster, and we would get smashed way more than qtr 1 last week.

Generally true, except in the last quarter against the Kangas the midfield finally played the ball and we saw what happenend. The only exception was that perhaps the Kangas were tiring in the last quarter.

[Legs Akimbo]

But, if we free up too much in the middle it exposes our backline. As I said elsewhere once, I think we need our middle to shut down sides to allow our backs to attack. To be honest our middle does not have the skill to set up attacks. Kennelly, Malceski and Leo are the best kicks in the team (except possibly for Hall and Davis). Ablett is a long kick but not always accurate, Fosdike, McVeigh and Bolton spray them everywhere, Kirk could not kick over a jam tin. An open midfiled is clanger city for the Swans and would expose our backs to the ball coming in way too quick. Much as I would like to see it, it aint going to happen with this set up. If it did it would be a disaster, and we would get smashed way more than qtr 1 last week.

Exactly. Didn't Terry Wallace say Richmond was going to play open attacking footy some time back? See where it got them. Our game plan revolves around accountability and especially in the middle where we create all those ball ups.

This whole argument can be reduced to...

'Would you prefer see the Swans kick more goals and play exciting footy or be a serious premiership contender and play boring footy week after week?'

Take your pick, but don't believe for a minute that both are possible for our team, today.

[giant]

Take your pick, but don't believe for a minute that both are possible for our team, today.

Or indeed for any team today - see, eg, Dogs, Saints, Freo. A team without a defensive element to their gameplan will make for some exhilirating H&A footy - & some heartbreaking finals footy.

[ugg]

Another tagger coming back! I can hear the cries of joy already.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21702760-5001023,00.html

[hammo]

Another tagger coming back! I can hear the cries of joy already.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegrap...001023,00.html

Roos obviously hasn't read ORB's reserves report from last week.

On the downside, poor Bevo is in the horrors. He seems to think he can break tackles like Willy Mason, in fact he was caught and smashed several times ? and pinged HTB.

Then again that's theBevo we've come to know well.

[giant]

Bevo, Buchy in = Moore & ? out - surely not Jack?

[BeeEmmAre]

Come off it NMW, Bolton doesn't have a defensive bone in his body. Agree on the others though.

Problem with the first 6 is that none of them have any pace so running off their opponents is not an option although Kirk has learned the art to an extent. So we get nothing of a real positive speed nature from 6 players.

You do remember that Crouch won the grand final sprint three years ago?
They won't catch him if he's given a chance to run.

[NMWBloods]

You do remember that Crouch won the grand final sprint three years ago?
They won't catch him if he's given a chance to run.

That's three years ago - I think he's lost a lot of speed.

[NMWBloods]

Or indeed for any team today - see, eg, Dogs, Saints, Freo. A team without a defensive element to their gameplan will make for some exhilirating H&A footy - & some heartbreaking finals footy.

Currently this season no - for the Saints that has a lot to do with injuries - but in recent seasons teams have managed to combined defensive work with an attacking game. No one is as lockdown as the Swans, so most teams manage some sort of balance.

[giant]

Currently this season no - for the Saints that has a lot to do with injuries - but in recent seasons teams have managed to combined defensive work with an attacking game. No one is as lockdown as the Swans, so most teams manage some sort of balance.

If you've got both elements then great (certainly could be argued that we have a great attacking HB line as well as a potent forward line). But defence is the sine qua non of recent premiership success.

The 3 teams I've mentioned have been the ones most associated with all out attack & none of them have seriously threatened for flag over recent times. Perhaps the closest would be Port but who knows how many more flags they may have won with a tighter defensive game plan.

[swansrule100]

But, if we free up too much in the middle it exposes our backline. As I said elsewhere once, I think we need our middle to shut down sides to allow our backs to attack. To be honest our middle does not have the skill to set up attacks. Kennelly, Malceski and Leo are the best kicks in the team (except possibly for Hall and Davis). Ablett is a long kick but not always accurate, Fosdike, McVeigh and Bolton spray them everywhere, Kirk could not kick over a jam tin. An open midfiled is clanger city for the Swans and would expose our backs to the ball coming in way too quick. Much as I would like to see it, it aint going to happen with this set up. If it did it would be a disaster, and we would get smashed way more than qtr 1 last week.

true i guess, its still frustrating. we could still attack a lot quicker even if a lot of bash and crash. Id just like to see a win against a decent side this year