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I thought the midfield looked awful for most of the match. Likely to be a long season. Crouch, J Bolton, Kirk and Buchanan very slow and reactive. Not sure how we can compete with the top sides this year. Bird was OK. McVeigh needs those around him to be playing well for him to be freed up to play well. He will be tagged out this year as he is the only offensive midfielder we have I suspect.
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Bird was more than OK. He had only 68% time on the ground for 26 possessions. One every 3 minutes. 15 possessions in the last half to 4 by Bolton (88%) and Crouch 3 (plus 3 awful frees for holding right in front of the umps). Crouch is too loose and slow to be a backman so he runs with the quick midfielders now. I love the way he just strolls around when on the ground.
Bird was consistent through the 4 quarters.
We get belted in the midfield because collectively it is not good enough. That's why ROK must go in there as a genuine midfileder not just a push up forward, but as a midfielder pushing into the forward line.
By the way you forgot to include the pretend midfielder in Buchanan who more than pulls down the standard of the group. -
ok I have been holding my steam in but here I go,
From where I was sitting one of 2 things was happening sat night after quarter time...
Either
1) the players were crap...
2) The coach did not tell them who they were playing on?
everyone was running around like they hadn't a clue who they were on or what direction we were kicking in...painful to say the very freaking leastyou know what they say, dirty pants- clean bottyComment
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Looked pretty much the samo on TV.
Mike Sheahan said OTC tonight that Sydney really ha a big question mark on them now.
In 78 mnutes of football, St Kilda scored 73 points to Sydney 4 behinds. Yes, that is the exact figures given on TV tonight.
Earlier in the eveing on the new One HD Footy Show, Robert Walls said that there are major problems in Sydney. Irish fellow left, Barry Hall and OKeefe wanted out because they know Sydney are finished as competition threats in their football life time.
This Saturday night will show what Sydney is really made of. They have to stand up after the criticism and failure of last Saturday night.
We shall wait and see.In memory of my little Staffy - Dicey, 17.06.2005 to 1.12.2011- I'll miss you mate.Comment
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Right. Because we all highly respect Walls' inside knowledge and insightful comments.
Could it not be the case that Kennelly left because his knees and shoulders and groins were sore and he feared that another season of the same would rob him of a chance at his dream?
That Hall was desparate for a two year deal because he is that confident he has plenty more good footy in him. (And if he really wanted out, why didn't he run off into the sunset with Green?)
That O'Keefe did actually want to be closer to his family? Or wanted a longer contract? Or just wanted more money? Whatever it was, there was nothing stopping him leaving if that is what he absolutely, defintely wanted to do.
Sure, the team has to stand up after their collective disappointments of Saturday night. They've had to do it many times before and they've delivered far more consistently during the "Bloods era" than at least 13 of the other teams in the competition. I think we owe it to them to wait and see. And for more than just next weekend before we twist that knife already lodged in the backs of everyone connected with the team.Comment
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Wot she said.
To say based on that performance, 'Sydney will miss the 8 by a long way, it's going to be a long miserable year' is like saying based on the pre-season comp, 'Carlton for premiers 2005'. One match is not a trend.
Oh, and by the way, we won clearances 38:36 (Herald Sun stats) and Kirk was fantastic.Comment
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Is Bird eligible to win the Rising Star this year?Comment
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I knew him as a gentle young man, I cannot say for sure the reasons for his decline
We watched him fade before our very eyes, and years before his timeComment
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Liz I couldnt agree with you more. Okay Saturday night was very disappointing but it WAS THE FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON!!!!! Look at Manly in the NRL. Premiers last year, they have lost their first three games and are at the bottom of the ladder. I for one don't give up on the Swans, and I think Paul Roos really knows more than the posters on RWO, so I will keep my faith that the team will improve over the next few games.Comment
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just a footnote on McVeigh, a few times in the match hes was released from the centre clearance and could have steadied and gone all the way a la bevo in the first quarter. He is naturally quick and a great kick for goal. He is a proven goal kicker from last year and i dont know whether there was no talk or whether he didnt feel he had the license to have a shot.Comment
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Good call liz - I'm concerned because I thought we were seriously ordinary in the second half of last year but it's far too early to be writing 2009 off.
As for Walls, who gives a stuff what he thinks. Gets his predictions wrong all the time and watches less footy than most of us.Bloods
"Lockett is the best of all time" - Robert Harvey, Darrel Baldock, Nathan Burke, Kevin Bartlett, Bob SkiltonComment
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Absolutely! Walls is the best post evidence analyst going around. He can tell you what everyone has already seen better than just about anybody! Biggest laugh of all was in the Carlton/Richmond call - listening to him and Tim Lane get themselves all hot and sweaty with excitement at how super duper awesome Carlton are - they are both dreaming of a premiership! At least they've got the dreaming part right!
Anyway, back on track .... In the space of two quarters he went from writing St Kilda off completely (if he owned em he would have been willing to sell em and Jack's Mum's cow for a handful of magic beans) to being a sycophantic fan of them. At quarter time he was all over the Swans, by the end of the night they are in for a long hard season and he'd written them off! That alone should be reason for optimism!
If not for the usual Melbourne media writing us off, and that our key guys are a bit older, there is absolutely nothing inconsistent with our early season form than in previous years. Everyone should calm down and make some reasoned judgments about them when a few more games are done and dusted.
Being hard on them and looking at the draw, it is still not unreasonable to pencil in 12 wins and see them in the 8 again this year. Steal a match against our perennial nemeses (pies and crows) and the top 8 will be a lock!
Go Swans!Comment
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