Teams

[Captain]

As for Vespa, I'm as bigger fan as anybody and he's my new (equal) favourite player BUT to suggest that he's ahead of Buchy is just plain wrong.

Spot on.

I think the selectors got it right (except Ablett for Eski)

[DST]

They have signalled their intentions for this game at the selection table.

We are going to try and put Geelong under intense physical pressure and see if they can continue to play their high posession game under the heat.

If we are good enough to put the pressure on for a full 80 minutes, like Collingwood and North (to a lesser extent) were this year then we are in with a show.

Must win the contested ball, play man on man and pressure, scrag and harrass at evey opportunity.

DST

[ScottH]

Shame about Vespa and Jack.

I thought Vespa had done enough to hold his spot.
Jack has the leg speed we need in the midle.

[Goal Sneak]

I'm thinking maybe the coaching staff have penciled this game in for a loss and might be thinking ahead to the last two crucial games of our season. Lets see what Buchanan and Fosdike can do this week, they are not bad inclusions by any stretch. Give Vespa and Jack a rest to keep them fresh for the pies and lions. It is surely NOG's last chance, if he doesn't improve, then one of the two ins' will start in his place next week.

[Legs Akimbo]

We are going to try and put Geelong under intense physical pressure and see if they can continue to play their high posession game under the heat.

Freo tried it and were smashed. I doubt this is a good strategy.

[ernie koala]

I see on the swans web site Brennan is listed as an emergency, not Mal.
I suspect he will come in for Leaper, and hopefully play forward, he's hard at it and has pace to chase their defenders out, which would mean LRT or Grundy retreating to the backline.

[liz]

Freo tried it and were smashed. I doubt this is a good strategy.

But Collingwood not only tried it, they did it. And they are the only team to beat the Cats (so far!) this year.

I doubt anyone will beat the Cats without this approach, although on it's own it is probably not sufficient. The Swans also need to take some risks. If they take risks and stuff it up with poor skills they are going to get beaten. If they don't take risks, they will get beaten, regardless of how well they pressure the Cats. The only hope is to put on pressure, take risks and keep the fingers crossed that the skill level across the team is close to it maximum.

The need to take risks is the main reason I'm disappointed Vez isn't playing. A combination of his natural approach and his senior level "niaivety" means he's not scared of anything yet. He could be an x-factor. On the other hand, he's clearly far from peak fitness and the reports that his groin is still sore account certainly might account for a few of the mistakes he made last week (a missed tackle, that one-handed attempted pick-up where he didn't get down low enough). And while his enthusiasm and overall attack on the game can't be questioned, there's no doubt he doesn't yet have the physical strength that Buchanan has.

Leo is so unlikely to play you have to wonder why they've bothered to name him. Will Jack or Brennan come into the team? On a like for like basis Brennan is the more obvious candidate but I don't think Geelong have an overly tall forward line. It is their smalls and mediums who pose the greatest risk and I think Jack would be more useful in covering the likes of Ablett, Chapman and Stokes (in tandem, probably, with Crouch and Bevan). Plus, having Crouch and Jack running through our midfield with genuine zip over the past fortnight has made it look a whole lot more menacing than with just one of them.

[ugg]

I see on the swans web site Brennan is listed as an emergency, not Mal.
I suspect he will come in for Leaper, and hopefully play forward, he's hard at it and has pace to chase their defenders out, which would mean LRT or Grundy retreating to the backline.

I suspect it's a lazy cut and paste job. All the other sites have Malceski not Brennan as the emergency.

[gossipcom]

Glad to see Fozzie back!

I would have said if Leo went out Brennan would go in, but he's not listed as an emergency. Kind of surprised they dropped Jack though.

[BloodsInMyVeins]

I'm another really glad to see Fossie Back & hopefully Buchanan might impress.

In fact i hope all the swannies impress me this weekend ,with a win of course

[Bloody Hell]

Anyone want to speculate on LRT's role this week?

[Legs Akimbo]

But Collingwood not only tried it, they did it. And they are the only team to beat the Cats (so far!) this year.

I doubt anyone will beat the Cats without this approach, although on it's own it is probably not sufficient. The Swans also need to take some risks. If they take risks and stuff it up with poor skills they are going to get beaten. If they don't take risks, they will get beaten, regardless of how well they pressure the Cats. The only hope is to put on pressure, take risks and keep the fingers crossed that the skill level across the team is close to it maximum.

The need to take risks is the main reason I'm disappointed Vez isn't playing. A combination of his natural approach and his senior level "niaivety" means he's not scared of anything yet. He could be an x-factor. On the other hand, he's clearly far from peak fitness and the reports that his groin is still sore account certainly might account for a few of the mistakes he made last week (a missed tackle, that one-handed attempted pick-up where he didn't get down low enough). And while his enthusiasm and overall attack on the game can't be questioned, there's no doubt he doesn't yet have the physical strength that Buchanan has.

Leo is so unlikely to play you have to wonder why they've bothered to name him. Will Jack or Brennan come into the team? On a like for like basis Brennan is the more obvious candidate but I don't think Geelong have an overly tall forward line. It is their smalls and mediums who pose the greatest risk and I think Jack would be more useful in covering the likes of Ablett, Chapman and Stokes (in tandem, probably, with Crouch and Bevan). Plus, having Crouch and Jack running through our midfield with genuine zip over the past fortnight has made it look a whole lot more menacing than with just one of them.

Perhaps we are talking at cross purposes. I think there is a difference between pressure (bottling up, playing close, forcing mistakes and turnovers by giving no room - i.e. man on man or disciplined zoning) and intense PHYSICAL pressure (trying to put players off their game through niggling, bumping, intimidation, especially heavy tackling elbowing in face etc.). the former is a given, the latter is folly.

Beating Geelong this year requires catching them on an off day, applying intense 'pressure', a four quarter effort from every player, a talented team, a robust strategy and flawless execution. I hope it works out that way for us.

[BloodsInMyVeins]

Anyone want to speculate on LRT's role this week?

All i can say is i hope he doesn't see much of the ball this weekend.

Meaning Geelong not attacking as much as the Swannies.

[liz]

Perhaps we are talking at cross purposes. I think there is a difference between pressure (bottling up, playing close, forcing mistakes and turnovers by giving no room - i.e. man on man or disciplined zoning) and intense PHYSICAL pressure (trying to put players off their game through niggling, bumping, intimidation, especially heavy tackling elbowing in face etc.). the former is a given, the latter is folly.

Beating Geelong this year requires catching them on an off day, applying intense 'pressure', a four quarter effort from every player, a talented team, a robust strategy and flawless execution. I hope it works out that way for us.

I interpret "applying pressure" as the first of your two descriptions and the second hadn't occured to me in the context of the upcoming game. I don't think I've ever seen the Swans apply that kind of "pressure" - it just doesn't seem to to be part of the team personality, certainly not under Roos.

I agree with you it's a waste of time. The Hawks (not so much this year, but in past years when they were crap), Freo and Essendon are the three clubs I've regularly seen try the niggle approach and I agree with you that it rarely - if ever - works. And not just against teams like Geelong either.

[Lohengrin]

Given Ablett is struggling and not really applying pressure against the lesser teams, it doesn't seem likely that he'll suddenly discover form against Geelong. He doesn't really have a great record in big games.