Round 1 V St. Kilda - Game Thread

[Xie Shan]

always disappointed to lose (and this game was winnable), but i think the glass is half full on this one. we look like a stronger team than last year overall, we matched the Saints pretty well. I think their defence is now better than ours was, they have taken it to a whole new level under Lyon. Their structure was the difference in the end. They're the toughest team in the comp to score against when they get their defensive set-up right.

Goodes... I don't think he had huge numbers in terms of possessions but in terms of impact I don't think you could ask for too much more, 3 goals + 2 direct assists, and the soccer skills?? To kick the goal that he did and then follow it up with the cross/assist to Bradshaw... I thought he was a freak, but that was before I saw Naitanui's highlights reel from tonight on the Fifth Quarter

LRT... I thought he just had a bad game, which really was out of the ordinary compared to the way he'd been playing for the majority of 2009. He'll bounce back. Disappointing, though.

Jetta is going to give us that X-factor in the weeks/seasons to come.

Anyone catch Roosy's spray? He didn't look happy...

But it's great to have footy back again!

[Damien]

And who can forget the 'Sing Sydney' or the 'Cheer Sydney' calls on the big screen when the Saints scored. Idiots.

Don't forget the 30 minute cheering training session given as pre match entertainment. I found the pre match embarrassing and as you mentioned the crap on the scoreboard and flicker board after every Saints goal.

Back to the SYYYYYYDNEEEEEY training thing, where have they (marketing) been? That chant still comes up, especially in close games. I think it does suit the SCG a whole lot more though.

[Xie Shan]

Umpiring was questionable, but we gave away even more goals in bad turnovers and slack marking.

This. And come to think of it was probably the reason for Roosy's spray at three-quarter time (just saw it replayed on the Fifth Quarter which I'd recorded). That's probably the most frustrating because we matched the Saints in most aspects.

[CJK]

Don't forget the 30 minute cheering training session given as pre match entertainment.

For once, I am proud of my procrastination.

[BSA5]

LRT was fine. Started off making some mistakes, definitely, and up to quarter time had had a shocker, but defensively was pretty sound (that first free to Kosi should never have been), and after quarter time he was fine with the ball in hand. Of course, as always seems to be the case with LRT, we remember the bad, not the good.

White was poor, but he was also the victim of a flood of epic proportions. It wasn't just Jesse that was shut down, Bradshaw had a tough time of it, and Goodes, while absolutely phenomenal when he had the ball, still didn't see that much of it, and had to take every chance he got. White will be fine, calls for him to be dropped are ridiculously premature.

Tadhg was scratchy, but bloody hell, he wasn't that bad. He missed some kicks, boo-hoo. He read the play fantastically well, put the body in, and ran the ball hard. I was happy with his efforts. Aside from fine-tuning the weight of his kicks, he hasn't missed a beat.

And how good was it to see Malceski playing like that? He was my BOG.

[SimonH]

There's every reason to think that this Swans side is one that I (and other footy fans) will enjoy watching.

[mcs]

ANZ Stadium, what a joke.

I received the emails that the Swans had swapped changing room sides. Seems they did not. The kids lining up to clap on the Swans after half time and seeing the Saints run on was hilarious in a pathetic and sad sort of way.

And who can forget the 'Sing Sydney' or the 'Cheer Sydney' calls on the big screen when the Saints scored. Idiots.

EDIT - having read the thread; Lack of 'Tadhg was terrible' posts is pretty, pretty, pretty surprising. He was terrible, can't mark, can't kick, can't defend, can't tackle, can't grow hair. Terrible.

Agree 100% about that. Absolutely ridiculous that whole trying to get the chant going- especially when they gave out to everyone those clappers that go with the sydney clap clap clap chant so well. I thought it was very embarrasing to say the least- whoever was the MC was pretty awful too imo. Plenty of work needs to be done with that. As for the scoreboard thing after every Saints goal- wtf was that all about, stupid to say the least!

Goodes didn't have so much in terms of possesion but he kept us in the game several times with key interjections of absolute class. The soccer goal and soccer assist were simply class. LRT however I did think was very ordinary, but still did ok at times.- one guy near me was giving it to him all night (No matter how bad a player is playing, you should never start ripping into them imo- its hardly showing support for your team is it).

Umps were pretty awful all night imo, pulling out lots of random calls going both ways. We were just unlucky that they got some crucial calls went against us. McBurney is crap though,always has been an average umpire at best. I love the OPSM sponsorship of the yellow maggots though- that is clever marketing from someone out there that is for sure.

I love the report on the AFL website though- saying Riewoldt dominated the game. Absolute hogwash- he only got 4 goals because at least 3 of them were given to him on a plate by the Umps!

While I would of loved a win tonight, I fairly satisfied with what I saw. A lot of work needs to be done on skills and general cohesion across the team, but I think we are in for a pretty decent year. I think what bugs me most tonight is out of the goals scored by St Kilda, at least half a dozen came from stupid turnovers and another half a dozen came from questionable umpiring decisions. If we can get rid of the stupid turnovers from our game we will challenge most teams in the comp and have a super year.

I am disappointed though as I think had we got the 50 for the Kennelly hit we would of gone on to win the game (We had heaps of momentum and were really taking it to them). It probably wasn't a reportable offence, but it was most definetly late, careless and high and was clearly a 50. How the Ump didn't see he marked it I will never know- from Bay 124 it was clear to me that he marked it. Koschdizke (I think it was- cant remember now) might be in a bit of trouble for that hit in the 1st quarter though.

[DeadlyAkkuret]

You don't drop a very promising, young KPP after one loss. You just don't do it.

White had a better season than we all hoped for last year and a solid preseason, but let's drop him after a poor round 1 performance against last year's runner-up? I'll tell you what, I'm glad none of you are selecting our team each week.

Bradshaw didn't set the world on fire, he was better but not much better. The team needs time to jell and especially the forward line with three big bodies there now. You have Bradshaw who's had no preseason and is in a new team, Goodes who's still relatively new to the HF role and White who is still finding his feet as our focal point. Give it time, at least 3 weeks or so.

Sometimes this place is shocking after a loss. Everyone wants a scapegoat and is scampering to find someone to blame, anyone will do. In the end we only lost by 8 points and while it is getting tiring losing to the Saints in a tight contest it also showed we have a lot that we can be excited about. Bring on next week and the rest of 2010, I still expect finals and believe we'll make it.

[smasher]

We did OK.We went close to winning and we carried a few passengers tonight.Promise for a good season IMO.

[RogueSwan]

Have to disagree. A spoil yes but fair no; he marked then got hit. Should have been a fifty metre free kick.

I just watched it again and the instant kennelly grabs the ball dawson spoils it. At normal speed it is to close to call. It was unfortunate, not unfair. Sometimes we need to take of the R&W coloured glasses and hope the Umpires take of their red,white and black ones.

[Primmy]

I need to have coffee and etc, and watch replay because I want to see who the very very brave St Kilda player was who tried to belt Kirky! What was That about!! All I could see through my elderly eyes was Kirky being suffocated and etc......

[Jeffers1984]

I need to have coffee and etc, and watch replay because I want to see who the very very brave St Kilda player was who tried to belt Kirky! What was That about!! All I could see through my elderly eyes was Kirky being suffocated and etc......

It was Baker. The other st Kilda Rat.

[RogueSwan]

I need to have coffee and etc, and watch replay because I want to see who the very very brave St Kilda player was who tried to belt Kirky! What was That about!! All I could see through my elderly eyes was Kirky being suffocated and etc......

Yeah, it was that dickhead Baker, he almost made Cap'n Kirk cranky

[giant]

Delighted by Seaby and Mumford who were considerably better than I expected. Certainly had the better of the ruck duels on the night, and both did well round the ground (eventually in the case of Mumford). Of our new recruits, these two were the ones I was most concerned with - very impressive first up effort.

And Reg continued his great efforts from 2009 - Riewoldt is a freakn machine, never stops (unless he's bending down to tie the umps shoelaces up), so Reg can look forward to easier contests.

[Wardy]

Really we had no one to blame but ourselves. Some of the turn overs were appalling, yes some of the ump decisions were crap - but you get those week in week out and all teams cop them. You had two teams that played identical styles of footy. For me it was glowingly obvious that our midfeild just dont take risks and blaze away go forward quickly when we have the momentum - we still insist on taking the mark then stopping, having a look around, then the ump indicates "play on", panic sets in and we then kick to a player who did have a space on the lead but the opportunity had passed - we need to think faster and smarter. LRT - well he's at least consistent. Does something bad, something good, something bad - you get the picture. I do find it worrying though that Rhyce Shaw was kind of nullified by Kennelly being there - he just didnt get the chance to go forward and run off like he did last year. Why we still insist on handballing to someone who is about to be set upon annoys the crap out of me too. And our boys fell over alot more (when un marked) than St Kilda - was the grass dewy?
White - well its early days - but he had a shocker, Bradshaw showed glimpses, Jetta same - you could see that he was just itching to go for a run, but this was the game where that wouldn't happen often.
However, its not all gloom and doom and it is the first game - we should have won it - no doubt, And really at the end of the day we were beaten by accuracy - St Kilda got pretty much all the goals they kicked for, we simply didnt.
My highlight was that we were sitting with Dean Cox's granny (and you can so see the family resemblence - side on my goodness!) but Dorothy is now the "lady friend" of one of our dear one eyed chaps, Ted, she was sitting there with red and white streamers - she said to me "I'm doing it for Ted" (and she gave a good wink) I said to her that I new of the connection and thought it lovely to do what she did - mind you relations could be strained the day we play West Coast!!! to see two people in their late 70's getting a second chance of love is just beautiful - even if they go for opposing sides!