When did you know it was over?

[sharp9]

I can't listen to radio commentary unless we are winning so I went to afl.com.au at the end of the first quarter and saw....5 in a row in approx 4 minutes of actually playing time...at that point the game was Almost certainly over despite the gap only being 18 points.

The commentators 9 as always) trot out the "Swans will always come back" line despite the actual fact that the Swans have only come back to win from a mere 20 points down 2 or 3 times in the last 4 seasons. It is a myth. we nearly always "keep coming" we almost never "come back."

Anyway I said to myself that if we don't score the next goal it is 100% definitely over.....why? This team (and I can't think even of any other teams recently) could never, ever win a match where 6 in a row were kicked.....they might come back from 36 points down, but never, ever from 6 in a row (even though the margin was still only 24 points at that stage). Weird but true that it isn't so much the margin at that early stage but WAY the margin was reached that will tell you what can and what cannot happen in the rest of the game. Six in a row means you are outclassed - end of story (see Swans V Port last week)

Six is the magic number, methinks.

BTW I heard the last quarter as I was driving to town and the number of times the commentators were shaking their heads in disbelief that a modern footy team could concede 13 goals in a row....talk about short memories....did we not concede 12 in a row to St. Kilda just this very year????

Same thoughts in that game....the margin was around 20 when they scored their 6th in a row....and the game was OVER.

[Cheer Squad]

Weird but true that it isn't so much the margin at that early stage but WAY the margin was reached that will tell you what can and what cannot happen in the rest of the game.

Spot on.

I thought it was unlikely we would win this game while I was watching the first quarter.

The clue for me is whether or not we're struggling to kick goals. You're not going to win a game against the Bulldogs (or anyone else for that matter) by simply trying to shut the game down and stop them scoring.

I thought "the dam is going to break here sooner or later", and they'd get a run on like they did in all three games against us last year.

What was shocking this time was the extent of the run-on - 13 unanswered goals spread across three quarters.

[connolly]

When Rhyce Shaw abused a team mate for failing to hit him with a handpass. The players had lost confidence in the game plan, each other and started playing for themselves and survival. Roos should have taken him off and told him he wasn't playing for the maggots anymore, sent him into the midfield and told him to start playing for the club that had thrown him a career rescue line. If i had been a Doggies supporter, at that point, would have eased back in the armchair, poured another Jamiesons, toasted Teddy Whitten, turned the second bar on the heater up and enjoyed.

[ScottH]

When Rhyce Shaw abused a team mate for failing to hit him with a handpass. The players had lost confidence in the game plan, each other and started playing for themselves and survival. Roos should have taken him off and told him he wasn't playing for the maggots anymore, sent him into the midfield and told him to start playing for the club that had thrown him a career rescue line. If i had been a Doggies supporter, at that point, would have eased back in the armchair, poured another Jamiesons, toasted Teddy Whitten, turned the second bar on the heater up and enjoyed.

I think the first 3 goals the dogs got came from very silly mistakes like that.
The trouble was the trend continiued for most of the 1st half.
The stats from turnover in ths paper are for the whole game, I'd love to see it for the 1st half.

I left the pub at half time with my tail between my legs.

Maybe the 6 day/ 8 day break, since the last game was the telling factor, but the dogs really ran us off our feet, as we did to port a week ago.

[satchmopugdog]

1st quarter... When LRT fumbled on the wingish area after we had busted a gut(him included) to get it out of defence and we had a break.

I then knew we had the fumbles.

Turned off the radio wnet grocery shopping and read a book. Checked the scores occasionally on afl.com.au and saved a heart attack through blood pressure going through the roof.

Have not done that ever before but after flying over to that Freo game I could visualise what was happening and didn't want to put myself through it.

[Melbournehammer]

When Rhyce Shaw abused a team mate for failing to hit him with a handpass. The players had lost confidence in the game plan, each other and started playing for themselves and survival. Roos should have taken him off and told him he wasn't playing for the maggots anymore, sent him into the midfield and told him to start playing for the club that had thrown him a career rescue line. If i had been a Doggies supporter, at that point, would have eased back in the armchair, poured another Jamiesons, toasted Teddy Whitten, turned the second bar on the heater up and enjoyed.

but it was the sort of hand pass that needed abuse - my recollection is moore deciding to do a look away hand pass unnecessarily.

Nothing is more frustrating that players choosing to do hard things when the simple is available.

I agree that players shouldn't abuse each other but it happens all the time. It was one of a number of skill errors in an incredibly short period of time

[dimelb]

but it was the sort of hand pass that needed abuse - my recollection is moore deciding to do a look away hand pass unnecessarily.

Nothing is more frustrating that players choosing to do hard things when the simple is available.

I agree that players shouldn't abuse each other but it happens all the time. It was one of a number of skill errors in an incredibly short period of time

True - and as a result of the bullies' skilled application of pressure. Like St Kilda in that respect, play our game better than we do.

[alison.z]

... when i got home from netball to turn on the replay and my sister insisted that it would be better not to watch the 2nd quarter ... without the 2nd quarter it was a pretty good game!!

[connolly]

I think the first 3 goals the dogs got came from very silly mistakes like that.
The trouble was the trend continiued for most of the 1st half.
The stats from turnover in ths paper are for the whole game, I'd love to see it for the 1st half.

I left the pub at half time with my tail between my legs.

Maybe the 6 day/ 8 day break, since the last game was the telling factor, but the dogs really ran us off our feet, as we did to port a week ago.

Scott not only you had the tail down but also some of our younger players. The confidence in each other and the gameplan disnitegrated in front of our eyes. Shaws terrible petulance did have an effect on the younger players i'm sure. He needs to be reminded that he is a senior player up here not the poor little rich kid who can get away with temper tantrums. Roos should have sent a signal to the young kids by cooling him down over the boundary line. Very weak effort by the coach.

[pinkemu]

Scott not only you had the tail down but also some of our younger players. The confidence in each other and the gameplan disnitegrated in front of our eyes. Shaws terrible petulance did have an effect on the younger players i'm sure. He needs to be reminded that he is a senior player up here not the poor little rich kid who can get away with temper tantrums. Roos should have sent a signal to the young kids by cooling him down over the boundary line. Very weak effort by the coach.

Agreed, He did the same thing to Mattner last week when Mattner decided to go for goal and not handball on to him in the forward 50. Marty goaled of course.

I noticed he was the first player to leave the SCG last week, Maybe he had a hot date. I just hope he pulls his head in a bit as he has become extremely valuable.

I personally think abusing people for making mistakes is an old fashioned method of discipline. It doesn't work in the workplace and it doesn't work in footy teams. You wouldn't see Kirk spit the dummy like that.

[Bleed Red Blood]

I personally think abusing people for making mistakes is an old fashioned method of discipline. It doesn't work in the workplace and it doesn't work in footy teams. You wouldn't see Kirk spit the dummy like that.

?
"You owe us!"

[pinkemu]

?
"You owe us!"

? "K"

[Triple B]

"You owe us!"

It is only alleged that Kirky said that, I tend to think it may be an urban myth.

Nevertheless, whether he did or not, it was not in an open way which was obvious to all at the ground that night.

The point is, an open public admonishing is rarely a motivator.

[ScottH]

Scott not only you had the tail down but also some of our younger players. The confidence in each other and the gameplan disnitegrated in front of our eyes. Shaws terrible petulance did have an effect on the younger players i'm sure. He needs to be reminded that he is a senior player up here not the poor little rich kid who can get away with temper tantrums. Roos should have sent a signal to the young kids by cooling him down over the boundary line. Very weak effort by the coach.

I thought it was interesting that Bevan was dragged for the "PITB" that resulted in a goal, yet Ablett had done something stupid moments earlier that led to a goal, yet remained on the ground. Bevan was even admonished by the coach.
Actually to that point, most of the team should've been dragged at some point during that 40 minutes of the first half.

I think Shaw's reaction was a bit over the top, but it was probably the culminiation of many other stupid mistakes that occured before that.
I was swearing and cursing aplenty at that stage myself.

[dimelb]

My constant refrain through the game: "Dumb football" "Geez, what dumb football" "How stupid". Etc.