Ben Mathews - It's over

[Bloody Hell]

I think some balance is needed here.

Of course, he is on the way out. Of course, even at his peak, he was a plodder.

But when the kids you would introduce in his place are injured, you need to play him. If we field a team of kiddies we'll end up a basket case like Carlton were. Our young uns aren't the same pedigree as theirs either.

He wont play many more games that's for sure, but you need some older players out there.

Kirk - Goodes are excellent onfield leaders who deserve their spots.

Jude is an onfield leader whose position is in question.

That is 3 leaders for the youngun's.

To return is "Fearless" Fosdike who has over 160 AFL games.

This is obviously the midfield only.

On top you've got Moore as one of the young ones. Seems to be a natural leader...which would make it much easier for the guys stepping up.

I said often that Benny would be the worst Swan player (maybe the worst ever) to play 200 games. I think I'm going to be proven wrong.

[Bloody Hell]

Ball up Benny Matthews has been hopeless his whole career, not just yesterday. And let us all pray to the Swans god's that Roosy doesn't bring back his clone - Nic Fosdi**head. He can sell his house for a $30k profit and POQ back to the city of churches (probably Salisbury North).

FFS, bring in a player who might be of some CLASS in future like a Vezpremi.

"Fumbles" Fosdike used to have three major problems:

1. He'd duck his head in a contest.

2. He'd fumble the ball when under pressure. (sometimes when not)

3. He wouldn't get the hard ball.

I used to call for his head occasionally - though think he's gone a long way to rectifying these issues in the last two years.

[Bloody Hell]

Don't get me wrong, I thought Smith showed he had potential but he panicked a couple of times with the ball and gave it up against Geelong, just wasn't ready for the intensity of the contest.

Matthews on the other at least has expeirence but unfortunately he showed a distinct lack of any skills when disposing of the football on the weekend. Maybe he was just not able to make the step-up in the pace of the game at his late stage of his career.

I think we all agree that in order to progress further this year we really need to see the likes of Laidlaw, Schmidt, Daniel O'Keefe, Vesparmi and Merideth getting games ahead of Matthews and Smith at his stage of development.

But that is unlikely at present due to injury.

DST


DST

I guess the point is - people play and follow football to win premierships.

Are we going to play in a grand final this year?

Are we going to win the premiership?

Are we taking steps towards - or away from this goal?

Is Ben Mathews going to play any part in our next premiership tilt??? Is his current role helping or hindering???

Would he be better served imparting his wisdom to the 2's as their captain?

I've always tried to temper my Benny Bashing as he has been a great servant to the club as evidenced by his run at the captaincy a few years ago despite his skills.

I wish him all the best in the future and hope he can find a place at the club - but any time he had is now past.

[cressakel]

What have you been drinking? They are nothing alike. The only thing they have in common is that they are both on the Swans list.

They also have in common the following traits:

1. slow of mind
2. slow of hand
3. slow of foot
4. poor decision making
5. kick out of bounds on the full often
6. cannot tag when given a run-with role
7. lack of awareness of the opposition when in congested areas
8. lack of awareness of teammates in space

I could go on and on, but that will do for the moment.

In fact, Fosdike is WORSE - YES WORSE - than Ball up Benny as he gets the ball more often during the course of a game, consequently leading to additional stuff-ups in one of the above eight traits/situations/areas.

[hammo]

They also have in common the following traits:

1. slow of mind
2. slow of hand
3. slow of foot
4. poor decision making
5. kick out of bounds on the full often
6. cannot tag when given a run-with role
7. lack of awareness of the opposition when in congested areas
8. lack of awareness of teammates in space

I could go on and on, but that will do for the moment.

In fact, Fosdike is WORSE - YES WORSE - than Ball up Benny as he gets the ball more often during the course of a game, consequently leading to additional stuff-ups in one of the above eight traits/situations/areas.

You are a fool.

Fosdike is one of our most reliable and consistent midfielders. As an 'outside' midfielder he's one of our players who we don't need diving onto loose balls to create a contest.

Also, I don't know how many times in recent seasons he would've been asked to tag an opposition player. None that I can recall.

[Industrial Fan]

The one thing about Fosdike is that his kicking is ok when he passes a la Robert Harvey - the 20-30m lofted pass.

Any other kicks really stretch him - no penetration with his kicking what so ever. I think the thing that condemns him in terms of perception of his disposal is that he is often in space when he kicks (Self inflicted as he's a hard runner).

[cressakel]

You are a fool.

Fosdike is one of our most reliable and consistent midfielders. As an 'outside' midfielder he's one of our players who we don't need diving onto loose balls to create a contest.

Also, I don't know how many times in recent seasons he would've been asked to tag an opposition player. None that I can recall.

Who said anything about being an 'outside' midfielder and diving onto loose balls....

You're a damn fool for believing in Fosdike's effectiveness, usefullness and output to the team.

A RELIABLE and CONSISTENT midfielder is a title I attach to Sam Mitchell, Scott West, Jimmy Bartell, Gary Ablett Jnr, Daniel Kerr - not Fosdike for the reasons outlined in a previous post.

FYI - Fosdike has been asked to tag/run-with an opposition player on the odd occasion, but not too often as he is useless at the task and invariably wants to back himself with disastrous results (ie. his opponent carves him up).

Why do the majority of people on this site defend Fosdike ? The Sydney Swans FC have only put him for trade every year since 2004.....

[liz]

Who said anything about being an 'outside' midfielder and diving onto loose balls....

You're a damn fool for believing in Fosdike's effectiveness, usefullness and output to the team.

A RELIABLE and CONSISTENT midfielder is a title I attach to Sam Mitchell, Scott West, Jimmy Bartell, Gary Ablett Jnr, Daniel Kerr - not Fosdike for the reasons outlined in a previous post.

FYI - Fosdike has been asked to tag/run-with an opposition player on the odd occasion, but not too often as he is useless at the task and invariably wants to back himself with disastrous results (ie. his opponent carves him up).

Why do the majority of people on this site defend Fosdike ? The Sydney Swans FC have only put him for trade every year since 2004.....

Sorry, but that is just plain daft. Mitchell, West, Bartel, Ablett and Kerr and not "reliable, consistent midfielder". They are elite midfielders. No-one has suggested - ever - that Fosdike is in their class. But if you limit clubs to selecting players of that ilk, no team would ever have a midfield comprising more than 3 or 4 players. Some would have no midfield at all.

Fosdike is a good, honest footballer who runs hard all game, is a very effective link man as he knows how to find space, and who generally looks to move the ball forward. His issue is that he has dodgy kicking skills and this might mean he takes longer to find his way back into the senior side than someone like Schmidt, given Roos' current "mood".

But there is no need to denigrate someone just because they're not in the top 20 players in the league. Not many of our team are.

[Plugger46]

Sorry, but that is just plain daft. Mitchell, West, Bartel, Ablett and Kerr and not "reliable, consistent midfielder". They are elite midfielders. No-one has suggested - ever - that Fosdike is in their class. But if you limit clubs to selecting players of that ilk, no team would ever have a midfield comprising more than 3 or 4 players. Some would have no midfield at all.

Fosdike is a good, honest footballer who runs hard all game, is a very effective link man as he knows how to find space, and who generally looks to move the ball forward. His issue is that he has dodgy kicking skills and this might mean he takes longer to find his way back into the senior side than someone like Schmidt, given Roos' current "mood".

But there is no need to denigrate someone just because they're not in the top 20 players in the league. Not many of our team are.

Absolutely spot on liz.

[cressakel]

Sorry, but that is just plain daft. Mitchell, West, Bartel, Ablett and Kerr and not "reliable, consistent midfielder". They are elite midfielders. No-one has suggested - ever - that Fosdike is in their class. But if you limit clubs to selecting players of that ilk, no team would ever have a midfield comprising more than 3 or 4 players. Some would have no midfield at all.

Fosdike is a good, honest footballer who runs hard all game, is a very effective link man as he knows how to find space, and who generally looks to move the ball forward. His issue is that he has dodgy kicking skills and this might mean he takes longer to find his way back into the senior side than someone like Schmidt, given Roos' current "mood".

But there is no need to denigrate someone just because they're not in the top 20 players in the league. Not many of our team are.

If the term 'elite' was used when describing Fosdike by a previous poster, I could have referred to many other superstars of the game when providing a summation of who I believe is 'consistent', 'reliable' and 'elite'. However, the previous poster referred to Fosdike as 'consistent' and 'reliable', hence my reply that Mitchell, West, Bartel, Ablett and Kerr are what I term 'consistent' and 'reliable'. You cannot say that these guys are not 'consistent' and 'reliable', as well as being 'elite'. Goodes is an 'elite' midfielder in my opinion, but not 'consistent' and 'reliable'. Whereas Brett Kirk is 'consistent' and 'reliable', but probably not quite 'elite'. To be 'elite', you must be considered 'consistent' and 'reliable' amongst many other outstanding traits.

I was only replying to the post stating Fosdike's apparent contribution to the team from the previous poster. Don't try and twist my words here please.....

[hammo]

If the term 'elite' was used when describing Fosdike by a previous poster, I could have referred to many other superstars of the game when providing a summation of who I believe is 'consistent', 'reliable' and 'elite'. However, the previous poster referred to Fosdike as 'consistent' and 'reliable', hence my reply that Mitchell, West, Bartel, Ablett and Kerr are what I term 'consistent' and 'reliable'. You cannot say that these guys are not 'consistent' and 'reliable', as well as being 'elite'. Goodes is an 'elite' midfielder in my opinion, but not 'consistent' and 'reliable'. Whereas Brett Kirk is 'consistent' and 'reliable', but probably not quite 'elite'. To be 'elite', you must be considered 'consistent' and 'reliable' amongst many other outstanding traits.

I was only replying to the post stating Fosdike's apparent contribution to the team from the previous poster. Don't try and twist my words here please.....

I don't understand your logic when you consider Goodes to be an elite midfielder but not consistent or reliable??

[2005]

They also have in common the following traits:

1. slow of mind
2. slow of hand
3. slow of foot
4. poor decision making
5. kick out of bounds on the full often
6. cannot tag when given a run-with role
7. lack of awareness of the opposition when in congested areas
8. lack of awareness of teammates in space

I could go on and on, but that will do for the moment.

In fact, Fosdike is WORSE - YES WORSE - than Ball up Benny as he gets the ball more often during the course of a game, consequently leading to additional stuff-ups in one of the above eight traits/situations/areas.

You seroiusly dont get out much .
Fossies been a well above average player who got got the absolute best out of himself. Ben Mathews is now where near Nick Fosdike.
Not a star , though has been a great "linkman" who gets in the right spots and plays only to his limitations and generally has always played well in big games , remember 2005 Grand Final.

[mcs]

oh come on Fosdike is at least 3 classes above where Benny ever got to, let alone where he isnow. Fosdkie is a good solid player that has done more then his fair share when he has needed to. I think when we get him back this year he will make more then a noticeable difference to our midfield.

Trying to compare Ben matthews and Fosdike is trying to compare the old idea of chalk and cheese- different players in all but maybe one or two aspects. Fosdike is no star as 2005 said but he's a damn long way better then Matthews is or ever was.

[connolly]

That should end the Mathews experiment once and for all. He and Crouch should quietly retire mid-season.

Is this an admission that Bevo is now our established pre-eminent small defensive tagger? Room on the bandwagon!

[swantastic]

Is this an admission that Bevo is now our established pre-eminent small defensive tagger? Room on the bandwagon!

C'mon Connolly you cant possibly believe that some on here would admit that,do you?