AFL Canberra Round 6: Belconnen v Reserves

[ugg]

I'm hearing ankle injury although I'm unable to ascertain the seriousness or when it happened

[stellation]

My mail is that a little BIRDy may play in the ressies this week

He was running around Fox before the game looking for some better grub than the SCG has on offer.

[Nico]

Gee, MOD has 54 possessions and isn't the best player. Reid must have played an absolute blinder.

O'Dwyer can no longer be denied a game.

[ugg]

Reid played on their best forward and by all reports kept him real quiet.

[dimelb]

Thanks ugg, always pleased to get any ressies info. Looks as if we might have some useful replacements next week.

[Nico]

Thanks ugg, always pleased to get any ressies info. Looks as if we might have some useful replacements next week.

That's if the team is picked on form.

[SimonH]

We could really use a goalsneak after kicking 9 goals each of the last 2 weeks (and neither game was a mid-2000s style arm-wrestle), and also facing life without Bradshaw again. Should that guy be TDL? Well, do we need another small-mid forward after Rohan and Jetta (and Jack being very useful drifting forward), unless Jetta is deployed elsewhere (or dropped)?

All Playfair is doing is occupying a spot and making a contest. If goals come into his lap, well and good, but he's not going to kick any that any half-competent big man couldn't kick. (He is, if you like, the Swans' Kepler Bradley.) Our other big man complementing Goodes, Jesse White, seems unlikely to play firsts next week for a couple of reasons.

So against that background, why not play Lewis Johnston? Is there anything about his body size (or style of play) that would make it too early/dangerous for him to take on the big leaguers?

[Jesse Richards]

Swans Reserves v Belconnen Sat 22 May Manuka Oval

My impressions:

While the 1sts were struggling rain, cold, injuries and Freo, the Reserves and Belco played a superb game at beautiful sunny Manuka Oval. Well worth the trip, and it made up in part for last week?s disappointments.

Best Footy Buddy (BFB) and I arrived at the beginning of the 2nd quarter to find the scoreboard showing 2.1 13 Belco and 5.3 33 Swans. Our boys were running well and it was looking good. Almost as soon as we sat down Matt O?Dwyer had two possessions and both times turned the ball over through his disposals by foot. Hmmm. Then BFB pointed out that Vesz passed the ball to no advantage and then demanded the ball back again ? he was renamed Show Pony and we turned our attention to Cheese, who was certainly going in harder than against Geelong and handling the ball really well. Surprisingly, he was a pleasure to watch and later took some spectacular marks.

Sam Reid caught our attention ? some superb defence work and some excellent marks, taps and tackles. He also burnt off his opponent beautifully on at least one occasion. In the 2nd quarter there were several behinds kicked as well as goals, including a beautiful floating kick from White to Trent Dennis Lane who marked and goaled from about 40 metres out. Currie and White shared the rucking and full forward duties. Currie was solid, but White looked as though he might have a niggle, or a virus, or something. Not as fast as he usually was in the Reserves, but did do some impressive sprints ? a bit of an enigma, fast and slow. I get the impression that he is a team man and follows orders. If he were mainly out for his own interests he wouldn?t have so diligently passed the ball to the goal scorers ? he?s not a me-me-me player. While he does have an amazing turn of speed, he seemed quite slow at times today and it may be that he doesn?t run around unnecessarily and thinks about what needs to be done ,then does it. I thought he was steady and competent today, but not so exciting except when his jumper was ripped off. Though his handpass to TDL who goaled was a gem. I also think he did some good work down the other end, either rucking or in defence.

Our boys were playing with plenty of enthusiasm and vigour, looking as though they were really enjoying their football. And it was an enjoyable game to watch, too. Belco didn?t play badly ? we just played as close to as good as it gets.

Meredith and Thornton did some nice work first game back and Thornton in particular looked as though he was enjoying himself immensely. McKaigue caught our attention a couple of times, and Lewis Johnston frequently drew the eye. But it may be a while before he debuts in the firsts, he looks pretty light on, particularly his legs.

Some other standouts not mentioned above: No 51 Kieran Emmery (top up) did some superb work and looks big enough to survive in the firsts, should that opportunity ever arise. Dylan Mc Neil marked and goaled. It was good to see Byron Sumner on the field ? acquitted himself well and there is no doubt as to why we signed him ? he looks promising indeed.

The top up players seemed to play much less of a role in today?s match, but I don?t think I saw a bad player for the Swans. Whoever got BOG, it would be a real accolade when so many players played so well.

Matt O?Dwyer was everywhere. His marking would have been useful at the Freo game ? I once saw him take a mark behind his back ? seems to have the ball at his fingertips so often. His handballs seemed ok today ? it?s just his kicking to targets that let him down, I suspect. But he must be incredibly close to getting a 1sts game. All those possessions. 30 in the first half, someone told me.

Back to TDL ? very impressive. 7 goals. Solid marking and running. Then late in the 4th quarter he was tackled and there was a colossal smacking sound ? how the umpire didn?t hear it, let alone see it happen, I don?t know ? no free, no nothing ? head high contact resulting in him spitting up blood and taken off by the trainers. Then six minutes later he was back on the field. While Summer was kicking to Nathan Gordon, TDL was sprinting through the corridor and took Gordon?s perfect handpass running on to score yet another goal. Beautiful reading of the play from well down the field. Must be getting very close to his debut.

Sometime in the 4th quarter White went off and had his ankle iced and at the end of the game was helped off by Vesz. Jesse couldn?t put his right ankle to the ground and was hanging onto Vesz, hopping. Then Vesz started hopping too, in unison, and the camaraderie was visible from across the field. A great game by terrific young players, full of running still at the end.

Belconnen 8.6 54 Swans 18.9 117

[Bloody Hell]

Nice.

Always the same names in the best.

[stellation]

Thanks for the writeup, JR.

Awful news about White.

[aardvark]

[QUOTE=stellation;487390]Thanks for the writeup,

Yes many thanks. Us supporters from the deep south really appreciate the effort put into the ressies reports.

[Primmy]

Thanks Other Jesse. Glad to hear the boys were playing up a storm; agree with a lot of your observations from past experience.

Told yers Sam Reid The Weed could be a keeper.
So glad to hear MOD was on top, but next week he could have 10 - its his consistency that is the worry.
Show Pony is a good name, and I hope he learns to live it down - its a natural attribute, but not necessarily a useful one.

Also some astute observations about Big Jesse. I shall watch in future your assessment of slow slow fast, as being energy saving rather than just not involved.....good call. He does have quick hands doesn't he. yay from me. Note: Some of us will need a better couched report on the jumper off situation. Good? Very Good? Impressive? Not as good as expected?

And also glad to see 51 Emery getting a wrap. He is a bit of a unit for a kid isn't he. As he is a toppy I am pretty sure he is under 17 and not in the mix for drafting yet. But I am pleased to see him being consistently called in and consistently improving. Good on him.

Always thought Barlow looked much happier playing in the ressies than in the seniors = not as much pressure therefore he improves his game. If only it would translate.......

TDL looked to have a blinder - whoohoo from me and mine.
NICE to see the goal v point balance.

It would seem the boys have seen the light and are playing for positions as we keep breaking our biggns.

[Bas]

Great to have Sumner back on track.

[wedge.maverick]

Emery is 19 and was a scholarship holder at West Coast but they decided not to list him so therefore is available to anyone in the draft or us as a NSW rookie at the end of the year.

[Primmy]

Thanks for that WM. No wonder he looks so big. Hope he does get a call......looks like the Swans are puting him to the test then.