Swans v Lions Match Thread

[cruiser]

The Swans made a huge tactical error last night by trying to lock down the game when up by one goal. With any other scoreline ( such as up by 1, 2 or 7 points) it would have made sense to lock down the game. But being up by exactly one goal we should have gone on the attack. We only needed a behind to just about seal the game, and Brisbane needed a goal. Given that we were playing at least as well as them at that point, we should have exploited this arithmetic advantage.

We should have implemented a strategy to get one point. We could have sent both ruckmen forward and tried to put ourselves in a position to get the ball in the hands of a long kicker anywhere inside 70 and just sent the ball toward the goal. We would have been almost certain to get the ball at least rushed behind. Game over.

What we did instead was devalue Kirk's goal and played as if we were only a point up, not six. A draw was nearly as bad as a loss for us. We needed to go for the win. Very poor mental error made by the leadership group. The thing that probably cost us the game.

I agree. At the ground I was yelling out for them to kick it down for at least another point. That said, Brisbane were lucky to get a draw. I'd love to know why they were gifted a goal in the 2nd quarter with that free kick away from play when Bevan was pinged. No one around me saw it cause it happened so far way from play. I have yet to read this entire thread which might give me an answer.

[liz]

I have yet to read this entire thread which might give me an answer.

Don't read it just to find out the answer to that. None of us on here knows. It wasn't captured by the cameras and none of the commentators saw what happened.

[Missy]

For those of you that were at the game, how was the reaction from the crowd with the drawn result?

[stellation]

I assumed that Bevan was holding Brennan, if it was for that then it is a pretty huge free to pay (particuarly considering there looked to be a lot of frees missed through the game). For the distance between the ball and where the kick was paid I can't even see how the umpire could judge that Bevan was impeding Brennan's ability to lead.

[cruiser]

For those of you that were at the game, how was the reaction from the crowd with the drawn result?

Brisbane supporters were happy and relieved (they went off when Brown kicked his final goal), Swans supporters were quiet and dissappointed (we went off when we scored our last goal). Because it was a draw, they didnt play any cub song at the end, so the Brisbane supporters started singing the club song without the music playing. I was impressed by that.

[573v30]

Brisbane supporters were happy and relieved (they went off when Brown kicked his final goal), Swans supporters were quiet and dissappointed (we went off when we scored our last goal). Because it was a draw, they didnt play any cub song at the end, so the Brisbane supporters started singing the club song without the music playing. I was impressed by that.

Lions supporters obviously don't realise that a draw is going to make it very hard for their team to make the finals now.

[swansrule100]

annoying we cost ourselves the points and annoying the way we played. The shooting for goal was pathetic, we dominated the game most of the time and did nothing with it. It was pretty scrappy and i dont think we gained much from it. Barlows debut was the best aspect. All due respect to brisbane, but they are a side we should of put away by about 30 points

[liz]

Lions supporters obviously don't realise that a draw is going to make it very hard for their team to make the finals now.

With their relatively healthy percentage, a draw was almost as good as a win for them given they already had one draw on the board.

With our good percentage a draw was pretty much a loss.

[Zlatorog]

I don't think we can single out a player out of this debacle, because they all let us down, everything else is just trying to find a scape goat or excuses. The window of opportunity for a GF appearance is closing fast and it looks to me won't make this year. If liz is correct that many players are playing injured than we stand no chance, because they'll have no time to recover and the games will only get tougher.

[Nico]

I assumed that Bevan was holding Brennan, if it was for that then it is a pretty huge free to pay (particuarly considering there looked to be a lot of frees missed through the game). For the distance between the ball and where the kick was paid I can't even see how the umpire could judge that Bevan was impeding Brennan's ability to lead.

From what I could see it was paid by the third umpire sitting just off the play right in Brisbane's forward 50. That's one of the reasons a third umpire was introduced. They are watching for holding onto forwards who are potentially set to go for a lead, blocking etc.

[Nico]

I don't think we can single out a player out of this debacle, because they all let us down, everything else is just trying to find a scape goat or excuses. The window of opportunity for a GF appearance is closing fast and it looks to me won't make this year. If liz is correct that many players are playing injured than we stand no chance, because they'll have no time to recover and the games will only get tougher.

Geez mate I reckon playing injured goes for most sides right now. We seem to finishing our games off pretty well but I have seen some games played in slow motion over the past few weeks by other sides. The Collingwood V Melbourne game was like watching grass grow.

The mail is WCE are carrying a lot of injured players and indeed Judd and Cousins missed this round. It could really come down to survival of the fittest on GF day. After watching the last Q of the Port/Hawthorn game you would reckon the Hawks came off with some very sore bodies.

[stellation]

From what I could see it was paid by the third umpire sitting just off the play right in Brisbane's forward 50. That's one of the reasons a third umpire was introduced. They are watching for holding onto forwards who are potentially set to go for a lead, blocking etc.

Certainly, and I actually think that it is pretty good that they stop the holding. My thought was more that (based on how far the ball came down when the free was paid) Brennan was probably too far down the field to be leading to receive the ball from the kick... if that makes sense... so not in the passage of play.
It puzzled me anyway, certainly frustrating to give up a goal like that in a game that ends up in a tie (but I don't think for a second that is the reason we failed to win).

[liz]

Certainly, and I actually think that it is pretty good that they stop the holding.

Don't disagree with stopping holding but how often do you see a player trying to gather a ball and having one arm pinned behind his back or a pair of arms around his waist? That would seem to have far more impact on the play than a hold 80m away.

Or is it that you're allowed to hold a player if the ball's within 5m?

(I know it's not - but those are the ones the umpires should try to get some consistency on).

In the last month the umpiring as a whole seems to have got madder than ever. Not just our games, but in most I've missed, the umpires seem determined to assert themselves into the contest by plucking the softest, most ridiculous frees from nowhere.

[giant]

From what I could see it was paid by the third umpire sitting just off the play right in Brisbane's forward 50. That's one of the reasons a third umpire was introduced. They are watching for holding onto forwards who are potentially set to go for a lead, blocking etc.

Yeh, but have you ever seen them paid 90m off the ball? That was a ludicrous decision for something that happens roughly 150 times a game.

[giant]

In the last month the umpiring as a whole seems to have got madder than ever. Not just our games, but in most I've missed, the umpires seem determined to assert themselves into the contest by plucking the softest, most ridiculous frees from nowhere.

I agree Liz - watching the Hawks/Port game today the Hawks got a series of goals from soft as butter free kicks that had us at home & the commentators howling (all reminiscent of the Bolton free kick on Brown last night). If objective viewers can look at that & say this is just plain wrong, then something is fatally flawed in footy.