Fit reserves

[sharp9]

Good to see the (very short) report...but at least we know that we have a number of decent reserves fit and playing

Ruck
Currie

Talls
White
Faulks
Murphy (Rookie)
Bruce (Rookie)

Mid-sized
Davis
Mathews
Laidlaw
Brabazon
D. O'Keefe
Smith (Rookie)
O'Dwyer (Rookie)
Terlich (Rookie)
Beckmans (Rookie)

Nice to see scholarship player Bottin-Noonan playing...he'd only be 16, no?

Still no word on Fosdike, Everitt, Schmidt and Crouch

Think that leaves only Oreal unaccounted for (didn't Vezpremi play last week?)

[ugg]

Where's the report?

Davis kicked 8, easily BOG. Was also involved in the play of the day, when he kept the ball in Wayne Harmes-like to Laidlaw to goal when we were only 1 point in front.
Murphy is definitely a real prospect, just an amazing athlete. He'll be running around in our midfield in a couple of years.
Not much else to speak of individually, skills were generally poor, coupled with Belconnen's pressure meant that we struggled in the midfield. They noticeably tired near the end and we ran over the top of them. The injuries coupled with the increased restrictions meant there were a lot of skinny kids running around for us.

There was a player running around in 44 who also rucked, but he looked much shorter than Orreal's listed height.

Edit: Oh yeah and Benny didn't play. I was worried that Tadhg was going to pull out of the seniors.

[ROK Lobster]

Where's the report?

Davis kicked 8, easily BOG. Was also involved in the play of the day, when he kept the ball in Wayne Harmes-like to Laidlaw to goal when we were only 1 point in front.

I only saw the last 5 minutes, but that play really excited me!

[satchmopugdog]

[QUOTE=ugg;370546]Where's the report?

QUOTE]

I wondered that too..thought it was just me being dumb.

[sharp9]

On Swans site...go to the "team named" for the reserves and at the sidebar was a link to "swans win"...just scores

[Jeffers1984]

Brendan Murphy is an absolute gun. Better athlete than Goodes. Started at CHB and follows the play all the way to the forward line where he is there to support.

Can't wait to see him when he has learnt our game for more than a year.

[ugg]

According to the scoreboard

Goals: Davis 8 Bruce 2 Laidlaw 2 Jones Terlich Murphy Bottin-Noonan Frail


but I think Bruce kicked 3 and Laidlaw 1.

[Old Royboy]

Full report tomrrow guys.

[ROK Lobster]

Full report tomrrow guys.

You need to take a lap top to the games ORB

[liz]

It turned out to be a terrific game of football in the end.

In the first quarter and for much of the second I thought the Swans were going to get absolutely pumped. Most of the top-ups looked timid, their skills plus those of at least half the listed players were dreadful, and it seemed just a case of when Belconnen would start piling on the goals.

Midway through the second term enough of the senior Swans started getting their act together and they began to resemble a football team. I think they got to within less than a kick margin, before conceding three late goals. At least one of those came from what looked like a highly unfair free paid against Faulks in the goal square.

As the second half went on, the Swans got progressively better and better, and were superb in the final term. It might have been partly their superior fitness kicking in but that only applies to 2/3rds of the team. And in any case, it was more than that. They started looking really hungry for a win too. As their intensity picked up, so did the skill level and there were some fantastic passages of play.

It probably doesn't need to be said that Davis was outstanding. Most of his goals came from superb longish, straight kicks on goal. He was mostly left one out on his opponent and was simply in a different class in those one-on-one duals.

As well as kicking 8, he also set up at least 4 more. One was a regulation assist - something I'd expect any of the players, even at that level to do. But the other three were creative genuis.

One of the goals he kicked himself I had down as play of the day, until it was pipped twice later in the game. Murphy took a great mark running with the flight of the ball, taking it in his finger tips and carried on running all in the same motion. He kicked to Nick and kept running on, at which point Nick tried to set him up for a goal but fluffed the pass so it landed at Murphy's feet. At which point, Davis just decided to do it himself, gathered the ball and nailed the goal.

Other than Davis, there turned out to be plenty more to get excited about too. Lots is going to be written about Murphy - a sensation in the making. Still making plenty of mistakes but you can see his progression even within a game, let alone from week to week.

I thought Currie's ruckwork was very impressive this afternoon. He didn't do much around the ground (though with a lot of team mates got better as the game progressed). But he dominated at the centre bounces and was handy at stoppages around the ground. Many of his taps went to clear advantage, and even those that didn't, you could see he was trying to direct them to a team mate.

Laidlaw looked very rusty to start with but by the second half he started playing very very well indeed. He looks as fit as you'd expect someone coming back after quite a long lay off. He also looks noticeably stronger than last year. Give him a month and I reckon he'll be seriously pushing for a senior berth, especially given our sudden forward line woes.

O'Dwyer's final quarter was also very very good. He looked pretty ordinary for two quarters (a decent start to the game) but was instrumental in the Swans getting over the top in the end.

Jesse White also played a sensational second half. Played at FB for the whole game, was beaten several times early, but in the second half he took several very strong grabs and was charging out of defence like a bull in a china shop.

Apart from Davis, Bruce was probably the best 4-quarter player. Worked relentlessly, did make a few errors but his good well over-shadowed the ordinary. Got absolutely knocked out cold in the third quarter by a stray shepherd. He was lying prone on the ground for ages before final getting to his feet and being helped off the ground. But he came back in the final quarter and picked up where he left off. Of the three newbie / non-project rookies he's clearly the pick at the moment. Both Terlich and Beckmans look to be struggling to pick up the pace of the game from what I've seen over three matches.

Smith was unsighted for most of the first three quarters, but also came into the game a lot more in the final term.

Less impressive were DOK and Brabazon. As always, you can't fault Brabazon's work ethic but his disposal was well below what you'd expect even at this level. He had three pings on goal, for example, two of them toughish but one should have been a regulation goal. All three went OOBOTF.

As far as DOK goes, every now and again he got the ball and laid off a sensational kick that made one realise why he was highly touted. But at this stage he's just not getting enough of the ball, and when the ball hits the deck, he doesn't seem to have many ideas of how to pick it up.

The player who relieved Currie in the ruck I think was Ryan B-N. He's very skinny and gangly but he showed a few glimpses of some real talent.

[shaun..]

Thanks liz, sounds very promising indeed

[liz]

According to the scoreboard

Goals: Davis 8 Bruce 2 Laidlaw 2 Jones Terlich Murphy Bottin-Noonan Frail


but I think Bruce kicked 3 and Laidlaw 1.

I'm pretty sure Laidlaw got the two. I think Laidlaw kicked the first non-Davis goal (if not the first, then the second) and he also got one in the final quarter.

[ugg]

Yep sorry got my numbers mixed up. Laidlaw kicked 2, I'm unsure on Bottin-Noonan. You say he played in #44 but was listed as #49. You're probably right as #49 looked too short.

[Triple B]

I thought White was simply outstanding, BOG for me.

Davo obviously did well.

Laidlaw was so good for somebody just returning from a lengthy layoff.

Smith's last quarter in the centre was phenomenal. I reckon he sharked 5 taps in succession from Currie, sending us into attack and ultimately victory.

Just on the game itself, I doubt I've enjoyed a reserves game as much as I enjoyed today's game for 10 years at least. Belconnen thru everything at us and tried hard to physically intimidate the young fellas, with good effect, but it must be said they stepped over the line a few times. However, it appears the umpires have an agenda to try and make the game a contest, so let them get away with some very dodgy attacks. Davis deserved 2 or 3 clear frees, but it appears the umpires treated him differently because he is a 'name' player.

[liz]

RBN was credited with a goal on the scoreboard, and I'm pretty sure it was the same player who was doing ruck relief, so I put two and two together and may have come up with 3,4 or 5.

Looks like Murph wants to be a ruckman as well. He took a couple of contests but there were plenty more around the ground where he was shaping up to compete in the ruck before receiving a tap on the shoulder from Currie - clearly an instruction to get out of his way.