The positives

[Nico]

The positive. Make Hannaberry captain in 2011.

[Melbournehammer]

Desperately need a couple of very quick outside midfielders who only know one way and that is forward motion.

Hannaberry, Jack and Bird look very capable but they are not the cream that will be required to get ourselves from middle to elite again.

If only Tom Mitchell was coming this year and not the next as we need him in the system now.

Just need to find a gem somewhere later in the first round this year.

DST

i think we need what everyone needs as a result of afl hq strategy - faster players - the days of inside midfielders like couch, williams, hocking are over. we need leg speed desperately

[liz]

Desperately need a couple of very quick outside midfielders who only know one way and that is forward motion.

Hannaberry, Jack and Bird look very capable but they are not the cream that will be required to get ourselves from middle to elite again.

If only Tom Mitchell was coming this year and not the next as we need him in the system now.

Just need to find a gem somewhere later in the first round this year.

DST

Not sure you can conclude that Hannebury is not the cream. Too early to say for sure that he is, but certainly the evidence from today supports the hope that he will become that. He showed assurity and decision making and the ability to find the ball that almost every other midfield Swan failed to do today. He is not a speedster, but then nor are Black, Selwood, Bartel and the like.

As for Mitchell, I've not seen him play but I was under the impression (from what I have read about him) that he was another mid-paced inside clearance player. Can anyone who has seen him dispel this impression?

[AnnieH]

Absolutely no positives.

[liz]

i think we need what everyone needs as a result of afl hq strategy - faster players - the days of inside midfielders like couch, williams, hocking are over. we need leg speed desperately

Leg speed can help but I think it is tiny part of the equation. Geelong have a handful of speedsters but on the whole, they are not a lightning quick side by foot. They just move the ball very quickly and have exquisite skills. Similarly, I don't even think the Bulldogs are that quick by foot - or at least, that they have a large number of really quick players. Again they (usually) just use the ball very well. Even today, while much was being made of the Dees' footspeed, I think it was more their mindset of "run, run, run" coupled with exceptionally good ball use that made us look so slow.

[sWAns63]

Leg speed can help but I think it is tiny part of the equation. Geelong have a handful of speedsters but on the whole, they are not a lightning quick side by foot. They just move the ball very quickly and have exquisite skills. Similarly, I don't even think the Bulldogs are that quick by foot - or at least, that they have a large number of really quick players. Again they (usually) just use the ball very well. Even today, while much was being made of the Dees' footspeed, I think it was more their mindset of "run, run, run" coupled with exceptionally good ball use that made us look so slow.

What ever you call it leg speed , aerobic capacity, agilility, passion, footy smarts or all of the above we're too old and too slow as simple as that, we will never win a flag with that group.

[Ratna]

What ever you call it leg speed , aerobic capacity, agilility, passion, footy smarts or all of the above we're too old and too slow as simple as that, we will never win a flag with that group.

Never were gunna win the flag with this group. Very few positives, our decision making is as much to blame as our pace and the reliance of handball from the back half worked five years ago but the quicker teams Bulldogs, pies and Dees wait for it pressure us and exploit it. We can not handle the quick ball movement. I am a Roosy fan but it is time to change the game plan to make it fit the cattle we've got not those of 5 years ago, hopefully Horse brings change.

I don't believe in exposing youth on mass to get slaughtered is a good option but surely have to play some more youth.

The commentators, as disgusting as they were, hinted at our plan being based around playing at the SCG. Have to agree a bit (begrudgingly), and if you can't play on the MCG you can't win the ultimate prize. Time for a new plan and maybe a few years pain.

Biggest positive White led well early and if we had won the midfield I think he may have kicked a bag, He is still a work in progress but a big positive the way he has come back from holidays.

[Lucky Knickers]

Dees played fantastic contested footy. It always seemed like there were 10 more demons than swans everywhere. Their 1%ers were excellent. How good was that chase down on Jetta?
So whilst they did use the ball well when they didn't have it they attacked and bullied us everywhere. They backed each other up fantastically.
I don't think there was a lot of players in red and white willing do the really hard and tough stuff when the ball was a 50/50.
We need to be doing more of that consistently and matching teams when they bring it.

[Melbournehammer]

Leg speed can help but I think it is tiny part of the equation. Geelong have a handful of speedsters but on the whole, they are not a lightning quick side by foot. They just move the ball very quickly and have exquisite skills. Similarly, I don't even think the Bulldogs are that quick by foot - or at least, that they have a large number of really quick players. Again they (usually) just use the ball very well. Even today, while much was being made of the Dees' footspeed, I think it was more their mindset of "run, run, run" coupled with exceptionally good ball use that made us look so slow.

that might be so but what i remember was batram runnin g past moore, green running past grundy, vonamieri running past malceski, some other demon running past white, jamar running too fast for pyke or mummy, bruce running past o keefe, the bald no.2 running past kirk...need i go on ? Whether it was by mind or desire or just plaikn old physically faster they killed us with speed - as does collingwood, dogs. i grant geelong dont but thats because they win the hard balls against us so often...these guys are simply too quick for us

[Rod_]

The positives for me is that I won't have to pay the increased motel costs in September in another state... LOL

That Horse has to change up the game plan or he will be out of a job! Something to look forward to in 2011..

Rod_

[UglyDuckling]

There are quite a few positives for me

Hanners - he looked to tail of a bit mid season but his form has been really good for the past month. Looks like he will develop into a very good player and future captain.

Goodes - Back in form baby, love to watch him in full flight.

White - Really seems to respond to a dropping. His last 2 games have been good and hopefully he keeps it up. If this year is his second year blues then next year he should explode

Mal - Another solid game, tried hard and needs to step up as a leader when kirk, bolton, goodes are gone

McGynn - love him. Has a real crack. I wish a few more talented players on our list would learn from his effort

Jetta - will be a gun in a few years. Just has to pick up the pace of the game a bit better he should flourish after a couple of pre seasons.

I think we saw today that some of the young and middle aged players are stepping up and should for the nucleus of our team for the medium to long term

[Reggi]

Great servant of the club, and this era will quickly be forgotten in the scheme of things, but the only positive is someone new will be taking the list over soon and surely that person will realise there are 5-6 in the team that will not take us forward. Seriously great servants but, Shaw, Mattner, O'Keefe, Kenneally, Bevan, Kirk (already going), Richards? (I wonder whether he will be better next year having recovered from the Fevola clash)

Need to assess everyone over 28 as to whether we need them. This is very reminiscent of the End of Eade, when he pathologically refused to play young guys and stuck to ageing players, which Roosy promptly turned around. I can understand why as it is probably really frustrating as they go through a learning curve but needs to happen.

So that is my positive

[ScottH]

I had a positively delightful lunch.
Prawns, Oysters, Salmon, Spanner Crab, Blue Eye, Beef medallions, Chicken, Veg, an a massive plate of desserts, before the game.
Managed to arrive at the ground at exactly 2pm.
Also managed to make it home, with less than a minute on the clock.

On the footy side.
Melbourne are going to be a pretty good team in the next few years.

[Doctor J.]

I was always taught that if you can't say anything positive, don't say anything.
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That is all!!

[Go Swannies]

We finally reached a critical mass of "outs" - LRT plus Nic Smith plus B2 all gone was always a recipe for disaster (especially when the midfield was thrashed). That was the same situation when Port flogged us years ago - we simply didn't have a ruckman that week. No Braddy so a cobbled together forward line - and we should appreciate that Jesse is finally lifting after a dud year. And surely ROK and McVeigh are injured? Hanners, McGlyn and Goodes were great; Meredith (apart from running too far around the goal square) wasn't bad.

It was a rare Swans game that I had to walk away from the TV but the next morning I'm more relaxed (good thing the other Adam won over on Ch10). The main positive is that I'm relaxed with whatever the rest of the season produces. No more aspiration of the team lifting as we head towards finals. If I see another win this season it'd be nice. So I'll get on with my life with the Swans moving into a minor role. A rather Zen morning around here.