Swans v North Game-day thread

[mcs]

I took someone to their first ever game today and she loved it. She is already planning her next. I was at pains to point out to her that it was a pretty mediocre game but she still loved it.

I took my Mum to her first AFL game ever and she loved it as well! Didn't have any idea what was going on half the time, but she really enjoyed it. It wasn't the best game of footy, but it was a good contest and there were some good moments in it as well.

[Nico]

11. We MUST stop playing across the oppositions goals
12. There is a lot of promise in the team-some flashes of brilliance today

I have thought for a long time; Shaw in the midfield rotations adds the speed we need in that department. If there are two things he does have it is anticipation and quick reflexes. He has shown that he can give us the quick clean centre clearances that we lack.

[ugg]

From the press conference, Roos said McVeigh was crook yesterday and that's why he played mostly forward.
Teddy was super in his CHF/FF role, allowed Goodes to play further up the ground.
Bird a couple of weeks, Mattner to come back next week and no other injuries incurred today.
Mentioned Jetta and White specifically as ones who played well in the reserves.
Singled out Hanners and Meredith as youngsters who did well today.

[hot potato]

Goodesy in midfield = game, set and match.

Best move Roosey's made all year.

A bit scared that we'd lose it again a'la letting the Tiggers back in, but it made for a better win.

As for last week ... I feel a whole lot better now that the Tiggers beat Fweo ... we weren't that bad after all - Tiggers were just better.

I apologised to a Tiggers supporter leaving the ground today (yes he was at the Swans v. North game still wearing his Tiggers scarf) on behalf of Roosey's for his disrepectful comments about them being bottom feeders. He was quite grateful.


Hp

[Doctor J.]

I apologised to a Tiggers supporter leaving the ground today (yes he was at the Swans v. North game still wearing his Tiggers scarf) on behalf of Roosey's for his disrepectful comments about them being bottom feeders. He was quite grateful.


Hp

Its not disrespectful when its true.

[JudesaGun]

How did Hanners do?

[cruiser]

Gee we're bloody ordinary, even when we win. A most unsatisfying win, flattered by the final margin. We are hopeless inside our forward 50.

[cruiser]

How did Hanners do?

One word: turnover.

[Robbo]

Very well done to Brett Meredith today. He showed that he is a real prospect and I think we should keep him in the seniors for the rest of the season.

[The Goodes]

A win is a win. Never mind the criticisms-give me the 4 points. Goodes needs to stay in the midfield. Meredith looked good. Despite the "official" list of best players, I thought Hanners did very well. My Missus barracks for Norf, and we both laughed at the eveness of the game as it continually went from one end of the field to the other.

We'll have our work cut out for us against Carlton. Very much a "Must Win" game.

Go Bloods!

[liz]

Very well done to Brett Meredith today. He showed that he is a real prospect and I think we should keep him in the seniors for the rest of the season.

I didn't notice him that much watching the game live, but watched half of the replay last night and was very impressed by his first half. Got a reasonable amount of the ball and used it almost flawlessly.

[Primmy]

The ground itself was a mess; to be honest the ressies should not have played first, although I know it would have been impossible to shift them, and its fortunate that the surface won't be attacked for another few weeks; it resulted in the wings being used and the centre properly avoided.

Ted reminds me of Troy Luff; a great crowd favourite, no matter what.
We were ready to sack Rhyce Shaw until those two goals, the first so damned quick and so impossible; he is now back on probation.
Bevo may not be a world beater, but he did play the game out and will never spectate.
Brett Meredith kept popping up - he reminded me of Nic Smith; you don't really know what he is doing, until you realise he has had a hell of a game. Plays like a senior.
Noted below: LRT had some sort of game! Big smoochy kiss from me.
Cruiser; Hanners did some great things, and trust me he was not the only one to have a turnover; Goodsey kicked direct to Norf!
It was not a great game. No doubt about it. But that 4th quarter is a gem. It has a spark.

[johnno]

LRT was easily best on ground against North.

[satchmopugdog]

Have just watched the replay of the first quarter and I was expecting,from the comments on here, the worst game of football ever. I was pleasantly surprised. Having played in the wet yesterday on a synthetic surface and seeing how badly our game was affexted by the conditions I was pleasant ly surprised with the Swans game. Sure there were fumbles and dropped marks..but heavens to Betsy they are human not superhuman.

[Go Swannies]

It's so annoying to see the predictable news articles on how Goodes won the game. Yes he did play well in the midfield but so many others contributed.

Nic Smith is amazing - you don't even notice him on the ground but you don't see his opponent at all.

I thought Jude was doing too many amazingly good things until I realised one of him was Brett Meredith - he certainly didn't look overwhelmed but more like a 100 gamer. The real Jude was doing what he does best - being in the trenches with Kirk, getting the ball out and making sure the opposition don't.

I wonder if we'll hear of the need to drop Kirk this week - his job on Swallow was excellent.

RWO's TV critics have no idea of the ground conditions yesterday. It looked much better on tv than it was. Think 60s suburban footy. Ted took a mark near us and slid six metres further into the fence. And even Roos before the game said the centre was such a mess they'd have to play wide. That, and the fact Norf always bring us down to their mediocre level, was the reason I told my wife to stay home and wait for a better game.

I did catch up w ORB (and he did buy me a beer) and we were all pretty happy.

TDL looked much more at home out there this week.

Jack's tackle on Harvey was inspiring and definitely a highlight of the game. I held my breath as I thought it might be judged too low. As a sign of a generational change it reminded me of when Luke Ablett simply took the ball out of Glenn Archer's hands and kicked it into our forward 50.

Bevan and Ted certainly looked like they belonged in our best 22 (and sorry Bevo for calling out at the Pies game - "you'll never play for us again you hack"). Ted's marking was excellent most of the time.

Tiger is our McLeod - the marshall of our backline.

McVeigh was invisible so I'm not surprised to hear Roos say he was really sick and didn't eat on Saturday.

LRT. Let's sing his praises. He would be personally responsible for about 10% of our percentage advantage. A rock.

ROK was ok without being dominant. Mal can't do man-on-man defence (as we saw last week) but he's such a vital part of our drive forward. Goodes was everywhere. Mummy was as good we're come to expect - and how good was that turn and pickup and goal for a big man on mud with a wet ball?

But two players deserve special mention. Shaw is an essential part of the team as he provides the legs Tadhg used to have. But his decision making often has me looking for a grassy knoll. Then he kicks a miracle goal - and then a great mark and goal. And still never a smile yesterday - is there some issue?

What about Myke? Has he been in Benny's bathroom cabinet? I loved the time the ball was kicked towards him and he did a perfect palm to a small rover for a goal. It's like a light switch has been thrown in his AFL education or his goal last week has doubled his confidence. He seems to know where the ball is going, he was useful in getting the ball out and he's a good pack mark. Swans players now look for him. His attempt at the miracle goal had the whole SCG on its feet. Our last forward play of the game says it all for his development - Pyke takes good mark and puts long well-placed kick onto Goodes' chest for a goal. A week before he would have passed off.

We are going to have to play so much slicker footy next week to beat the Blues. But yesterday's scrappy game gave us so much more to look forward to than we've seen for a while. It could be a fun year of footy after all.