A Theory

[Go Swannies]

Last night I was sitting at the game and very happy for the first half but increasingly disgruntled during the second half. We were having a competition amongst ourselves to see if the Swans would ever win a clearance with the Tigers perpetually able to find themselves in space where their woeful skills let them down. If they'd been a decent team we would have lost, big time.

In other words, the second half was very un-Swans-like. Now I'm wondering if that wasn't the coaching plan. I can't imagine that we were taking it easy to save our players. It seems more likely that we were trying a few different moves that one rarely has the luxury to try during a real H&A game. Jesse as a defender was one such. But I couldn't pick what we were doing differently in the ruck that gave the Tigers so much space. I haven't had a chance to watch the game again on TV but was wondering if anyone else noticed anything?

(I see today that Jude racked up an awesome array of disposals though.)

Or did we really drop to a level of footy just below the Tigers for a whole half game of footy? That'd be a worry.

[Trickster]

I'd like to think it was a coaching plan rather than us dropping our level of play. I did notice a few unusual match ups so you may be onto something-or I may be in denial

[Matt79]

I'd be surprised if we trying too many different things. As a wise one once said..."Don't flirt with form!"

[liz]

An article on the Swans website during the week (McVeigh's training journal) commented on how tough and tiring last week's game was. He said the ground was very hard and they all finished the game with sore feet. Having watched a replay of the first half of this week's game, it is apparent how hard the team ran in the first half. Yes, Richmond made it look all very easy for them but I don't think that should detract from their first half efforts.

Hard to argue that the didn't take their feet off the pedal in the second half. But when you've already won the game and your opposition is that bad, I imagine it must be hard to keep the concentration and intensity up. There were still some pretty good patches of play in that second half. Just not the continued domination that the crowd was baying for.

[Go Swannies]

Interesting that the Swans themselves felt the same way. The Tele reports that Roos was upset (and then didn't quote him at all) but said in part
:
"IT'S not often a team hand out a 55-point thumping and then receive a wake-up call.

But that is what happened to Sydney on Saturday night after a young Richmond side dominated the stoppages but couldn't convert their advantage to points on the scoreboard.

The Swans built their big win off their run from the half-back line but they were taught a valuable lesson by Richmond, who won the clearances 33-29.

Midfield general Jarrad McVeigh said the Swans would have been flogged had they played the same way against serious premiership contenders."

[Primmy]

An article on the Swans website during the week (McVeigh's training journal) commented on how tough and tiring last week's game was. He said the ground was very hard and they all finished the game with sore feet. Having watched a replay of the first half of this week's game, it is apparent how hard the team ran in the first half. Yes, Richmond made it look all very easy for them but I don't think that should detract from their first half efforts.

Hard to argue that the didn't take their feet off the pedal in the second half. But when you've already won the game and your opposition is that bad, I imagine it must be hard to keep the concentration and intensity up. There were still some pretty good patches of play in that second half. Just not the continued domination that the crowd was baying for.

Good point. It was frustrating though, the second half. But when you watch it as a replay its not all that bad. Richmond improved. Seaby wasn't on his game. And a bit of the first half mongrel dropped away. I hope we all learn a lesson from that.....

[Matty10]

Or did we really drop to a level of footy just below the Tigers for a whole half game of footy? That'd be a worry.

It will be interesting to see how we go this week against the Roos now that they are up and about again. Richmond were so poor on the weekend and provided so little pressure that it seemed like the swans players did not know what to do with themselves once they had the ball as they had too much time to think (particularly after the contest was blown apart). I kept saying during the second half that we were playing ourselves out of form. It wasn't instinctive, or disciplined play. It was over-thought and confused.

Hopefully they pull themselves together again during the week.

[TheHood]

Even during the Swans zenith of 05 and 06, they used to blow teams off the park for a quarter or a half and then break even for the balance of the game. It was a proven conservation strategy. Disappointing for fans yes and worth it for the ultimate prize.

I think there was some definite foot off the pedal stuff on Sat night but the Tigers would have got the razz of their life at half time. They had their chances in the first half too. Sydney too talented for Richmond overall.

[hot potato]

They were just warming down in the second half to get ready for a much tougher challenge - four solid quarters against North's.

HP

[CureTheSane]

Hard to argue that the didn't take their feet off the pedal in the second half. But when you've already won the game and your opposition is that bad, I imagine it must be hard to keep the concentration and intensity up. There were still some pretty good patches of play in that second half. Just not the continued domination that the crowd was baying for.

But great teams DO continue to dominate.
Been a big flaw within the Swans for a long time.
Unable to put a team away.

[Jesse Richards]

..." the ground was very hard and they all finished the game with sore feet. Having watched a replay of the first half of this week's game, it is apparent how hard the team ran in the first half."

Hmm. Thanks Liz. It raises the question as to how tired the boys will be running hard against tougher opposition, whether their feet will last 4 hard quarters. I thought that all that summer conditioning would keep them running all night. And if the SCG's hardness is such an issue in future then we do have an ongoing problem.

[goswannie14]

Hmm. Thanks Liz. It raises the question as to how tired the boys will be running hard against tougher opposition, whether their feet will last 4 hard quarters. I thought that all that summer conditioning would keep them running all night. And if the SCG's hardness is such an issue in future then we do have an ongoing problem.

I thought Liz was refering to the previous week with the hardness of the ground.

[Triple B]

But great teams DO continue to dominate.
Been a big flaw within the Swans for a long time.
Unable to put a team away.

But we did put them away. We put them away in the first half.

I do know where you are coming from, even in our prime in '05 and '06 we tended to get 4 or 5 goals up and switch/continue with our hardnosed style of play when sometimes we would have preferred to see them throw caution to the wind and win by 100.

However I'd suggest we put them away the other night early. As I said earlier, if we led by 3 points at halftime and won by 55, the mood on RWO would have been much different all week.

I thought Liz was refering to the previous week with the hardness of the ground.

She was.

[CureTheSane]

But we did put them away. We put them away in the first half.

I do know where you are coming from, even in our prime in '05 and '06 we tended to get 4 or 5 goals up and switch/continue with our hardnosed style of play when sometimes we would have preferred to see them throw caution to the wind and win by 100.

However I'd suggest we put them away the other night early. As I said earlier, if we led by 3 points at halftime and won by 55, the mood on RWO would have been much different all week.

I should have said that we don't put them away by going on with it and maintaining our intensity etc etc

As for the mood of RWO, I tend to agree.
Happy with any win - wish I had been able to see it all instead of just the first quarter.
I guess the Swans are still just about the hardest team to watch play, even when we are playing well, and that brings out some frustrations here....

[Go Swannies]

I guess the Swans are still just about the hardest team to watch play, even when we are playing well, and that brings out some frustrations here....

You reckon? I really dislike watching the Crows and North play. And I'd prefer watching us to any two teams with a big zone play so the ball just bounces between the two 50 m arcs. There was a lot of that at the end of the Freo-Cats game which was exciting largely because Freo got up at the end.

I love our man on man accountability - and that's why it hurt to see us drop off and give the Tigers players room out of the clearances.