Round 14: Sydney Swans Reserves v Eastlake Demons

[sWAns63]

Swans 4.3 12.8 16.12 21.15 (141)
Eastlake 6.2 8.4 12.7 15.12 (102)

Goals Johnston 5 Dennis-Lane 4 Veszpremi 4 McNeil 3 Britton Gordon Potter Rohan Sumner 1

My Bests: take your pick from Currie Gordon Johnston McNeil Sumner Veszpremi and TDL from 1 half.

This just about tells who should of come into the side tonight 4 of these guys from the ressies would of been better then carrying some of the dead weight we saw tonight

[ugg]

Was really good to see the guys hit back after Eastlake got the jump on them early. Reid didn't do much but what he did he did well enough. If LRT doesn't come up then I'd put him in for a debut against the Hawks, especially after our backline was pulverised tonight.

Yes he competed well in the wrestling contests with Gibson. But where would you play him against Hawthorn - against Buddy/Roughy? They'll also take his young age into account, they don't want to burn him unnecessarily.

I thought the Geelong key forwards weren't the main problem tonight, it was the medium to small ones that killed us and Reid won't help in that regard.

[liz]

Swans 4.3 12.8 16.12 21.15 (141)
Eastlake 6.2 8.4 12.7 15.12 (102)

Goals Johnston 5 Dennis-Lane 4 Veszpremi 4 McNeil 3 Britton Gordon Potter Rohan Sumner 1

My Bests: take your pick from Currie Gordon Johnston McNeil Sumner Veszpremi and TDL from 1 half.

Pretty much my list too, though I might have Gordon just a rung below the rest of those names. He did some good work in the middle but I don't think he is a natural onballer. His goal was an absolute gem though.

I would have McNeil just out in front. I suspect if you were trying to keep tally of his centre bounce clearances you would certainly work through your fingers and would be most of the way through your toes as well. He took a bit of time to get going - and Eastlake dominated centre clearance takeaways in the first quarter. But once he and Currie re-tuned their wavelengths they became a deadly combo at the bounces.

Currie didn't do a huge amount around the ground but dominated at the bounces, as hinted. He seems to be picking up on the Mummy style of rucking, with some mongrel body work entering into his game, together with a willingness to get down and dirty on the ground and try to clear his own tap-outs on the rare occasion McNeil, Sumner or Gordon couldn't get there first.

I've seen Johnston mark better and I've seen him kick better (or at least, more consistently). But I don't think I have ever seen him tackle better, chase harder, get his more stuck in to clean up a mess (sometimes of his own creation). After watching that game, and then the senior game, I'd have him in next week's Hawks game in a flash.

Vez, too, was hugely improved from his last outing. He played almost exclusively in the forward line, and showed a bit of class with a couple of snaps out of packs. Maybe once or twice he tried to be the hero when he should have dished off, but other times he tried to bring team mates into play with a creative handball. His work rate was pretty good, though he didn't actually apply as much pressure to the opposition defenders as Johnston was able to.

Absolutely loved Sumner's game - he just buzzed around like a busy little bee, putting on the after burners when he felt like it. I have no idea where he's going to play at senior level - I suspect he may be too small to make it as an onballer, where he played a lot of today's game. But with another pre-season and the chance to add a little weight, I suspect we'll see something of him at senior level next year.

TDL's hands were like vice-grips in the first half (before disappearing to play emergency). His kicking wasn't quite on song, and he missed a few gettable shots. But he looked sharp and very creative - sometimes too creative for his team mates to keep up.

Rohan was in cruise mode and looked like a player who has had a month out with injury. He showed odd glimpses to tantalise, like a great defensive mark, almost on the goal line, a straight conversion at goal, and a couple of times when he put the accelerators on. But he didn't do enough to suggest he can help fix the senior problems that need fixing - not next weekend, anyway.

Heath looked a little short of a gallop too, and like Rohan cramped up towards the end of the game. The rest pretty much did their jobs, without overly catching the eye.

Potter was my pick of the scholarship players, especially in the first half. He plays like he believes he is a footballer and that he can hold his own at this level. He is quite small, though, and not overly quick, and his kicking can be a little suspect at times. So he has a bit of improvement to come if he is to graduate to the senior list in time. Mitch May has a wonderful physique for his age and had a couple of eye-catching moments. But he plays with low intensity and given he's a reasonably size already, I'm far from convinced he is destined for a place on the list.

Some of the non-scholarship top-ups showed impressive appetite for the contested ball and this was a significant reason why the team played so much better than in Canberra a fortnight ago. Numbers 44, 55 and 53 caught my eye in particular - not because they were quick or skilled, but because they were all outsized yet kept putting their heads over the ball and won it more often that one might have expected them to.

This was a very creditable performance by our younger guys today because Eastlake certainly came to play and jumped out with a strong - dominant at times - first quarter. Given that the team only started with 13 listed Swans, lost Cheese somehow (I didn't see how) in the first half, and TDL after half-time, and had Rohan probably borderline ready to play, the way they wrested control in the second quarter and kept their noses comfortably in front for the rest of the game wasn't a performance to be sniffed at.

[ugg]

Liz, I would love to hear your thoughts on Reid, his absence from your review is somewhat conspicuous.

On Sumner, how about playing as a small defender playing on the really quick small forwards. We don't really have anyone capable at the moment, and as we saw a few times tonight guys like Byrnes and Varcoe are too quick for the likes of Tadhg and the Eski.

[liz]

Liz, I would love to hear your thoughts on Reid, his absence from your review is somewhat conspicuous.

On Sumner, how about playing as a small defender playing on the really quick small forwards. We don't really have anyone capable at the moment, and as we saw a few times tonight guys like Byrnes and Varcoe are too quick for the likes of Tadhg and the Eski.

Well he wasn't in your list of best either

My impression of Reid was he did his role and did it well without doing much that was flashy or overly creative. But I had forgotten / not realised he was playing on Gibson, so in terms of limiting a pretty good forward's contribution to Eastlake's score, he did pretty well. I am not in the camp of "bring Reid into the senior team", at least not as a defender.(He has played forward to good effect too, earlier in the year.) I think he's had a marvellous year but don't think he is physically ready yet for the big time.

Agree with you that back pocket is a spot Sumner might be able to make his own, though equally well he might add some zip up forward. In time he might make an onballer too because I reckon his frame, though small, will be able to carry a bit of bulk as he gets older. He seems to have the natural instincts read the ball from the ruckman's hand, or to bend down and pick up the ball (he doesn't have far to bend down!) and run, run, run. I remember on the U18 highlights video a few of us thought he moved and kicked like McLeod, but having watched him in the flesh now, his running style is a dead-ringer for David Rodan and he is probably the same height too. I doubt he will ever be quite that chunky though.

[gazza]

thank you all for the updates i like to know how our 2s are going

[Primmy]

Haven't read liz's yet, am going to put my notes taken down first. Lets see if we agree; or not.

. TDL was going really well, getting to contests, and kicked 4 before not coming back on (probably emergency). Has an ability to run backwards, literally. Very busy.

. Curry, good rucking but not moving to contests, tends to watch. Noticed he kicks to whoever calls, not necessarily whoever is free......this needs to be addressed. Noticed Steve Taubert having a long long long discussion with him at quarter time.

. Thought Barlow was having a much more mature game, then I thought it must have been Cambo. Barlow didn't play after a very short while.

. Cambo is getting better and better. Not Fantastic, but his improvement is on a relatively steady incline. He is very good in defense and is making good decisions.

. Ves, did some very good things, somewhat more 'team' style game, looks to be training to be a goal sneak. Kicked a very nice one from the 50m boundary. Work in progress.

. Rohan, rusty Rohan - literally. Got better as the game progressed. He is quick, and got quicker towards the end of the game. Not great, not disgraceful, pretty good.

. Sam Reid - can't call him Reid the Weed anymore - the kid has acquired shoulders. He is obviously working on his strength off the ground, he will probably not be a totally powerful build, but he is working to improve it (not as strong as LRT for instance, but has that rangy look, but far more graceful). Safe player, reliable. Was loose in defense (why!) and never took his eyes off the state of play. Good spoiler. ready for seniors? No not yet, but will he become a senior? yes most definitely

. Byron Sumner - getting better and better. Did some great stuff, is an enthusiastic crumber, stole a kickin and goaled, puts in effort, bit of a cheeky bugger.

. LJ - kicked five, is maturing into his game, takes a great mark, not a particularly quick runner, he is better at playing within the 50m arc. ready for seniors? No not yet, but will he become a senior? yes most definitely

. Dill - Darling Dill. He has fantastic awareness of the play, he is a gem, kicked 3. He works in tandem with.......

. Nipper Gordan - can tackle, makes good decisions, 2nd/3rd/4th efforts, has grown an inch or two in height (could do with a few more).
these two are a good tandem - like Schwatter and Cressa - they seem to understand each other's game and to know who does what when, and yes I can see them playing seniors, not yet though - its amazing really, the harder they work the smarter they get.........

. Chris MacKaigue. I love him. Improve improve improve. Each game. Got a bit of a football dribble going 1st quarter and got away from the opp; his kicking needs to improve, but he doesn't like being beaten. Real competitor.

. Gilly - had the kickin duties, reasonably good at this. Has a way to go, but looks to have been moved into defense and looks like Marty Mattner when on the move. Is not afraid to scramble for the ball. Work in progress. Hope he is ok with umpire who he collided with because he was not aware of the state of play (bloody amature umpires.....) and found himself in the middle of a running pack.

Scholarship boys;
. Jackson Potter is still a fiesty player, with attitude and probably aptitude and kicked a goal
. Blake Guthrie did some good things, played a better game than previously, has attitude.
. Jack Lynch learning the game, had a great smother, big unit getting bigger, nice looking too, and can put on a reasonable block. WIP.
. Mitch May, not bad, lost a bit of concentration and watched a ball go past while he kept following his man.....way to go yet.

Toppies
. 44 Joseph Britton - (Stumpy ) he is great. Short of stature, tall of attitude, got a goal, good player.
. 51 Etiosa Okumbor - has played with us before a few times, long and very skinny, but he is a pretty good spoiler, and is persistent.
. 56 Mathew Knight - hard worker.
. 53 -- Worked.

I couldn't match up the other players and their numbers, but there was one indig boy number 50 who looked like a bit of fluff out there, and I am not sure if he should be playing even in ressies yet, but my lordy he is quick - he should be training for athletics, sprinting.

It was a pretty good effort; the one thing I can say to all who want more of the lower tiers to make their debuts in the seniors......no one is ready yet. They are still kids. They have kids bodies on the most part. They are going to be good afl players one day, most of them. I can see real improvement from the start of the season to now. But most of this mob are first year players. You have to be exceptional (Hanners) to just walk in, and he only got a gig last year because we were desparate and he is one out of the box. Same with Rohan.

Vez is still blowing like a cart horse. He has a way to go, and will probably schtar! one day, if we give him time to develop his motor. They did that for Bulldog, and it is working with him. Wait people, wait.

[Jesse Richards]

Thanks, Liz, really enjoyed your summation. Thanks ugg and the other posters. It's good to hear that Vez is shining brightly again.

[ugg]

Just realised that I swapped Potter's and Guthrie's numbers in the preview. Potter was 48 and Guthrie 47.

Topups 44 britton 50 duthie 51 okunbor 53 thompson 54 lemme 55 Rodgers 56 knight

[Scottee]

Haven't read liz's yet, am going to put my notes taken down first. Lets see if we agree; or not.

. TDL was going really well, getting to contests, and kicked 4 before not coming back on (probably emergency). Has an ability to run backwards, literally. Very busy.

. Curry, good rucking but not moving to contests, tends to watch. Noticed he kicks to whoever calls, not necessarily whoever is free......this needs to be addressed. Noticed Steve Taubert having a long long long discussion with him at quarter time.

. Thought Barlow was having a much more mature game, until I realised from a great distance it was actually Cambo. Barlow didn't play. Cambo is getting better and better. Not Fantastic, but his improvement is on a relatively steady incline. He is very good in defense and is making good decisions.

. Ves, did some very good things, somewhat more 'team' style game, looks to be training to be a goal sneak. Kicked a very nice one from the 50m boundary. Work in progress.

. Rohan, rusty Rohan - literally. Got better as the game progressed. He is quick, and got quicker towards the end of the game. Not great, not disgraceful, pretty good.

. Sam Reid - can't call him Reid the Weed anymore - the kid has acquired shoulders. He is obviously working on his strength off the ground, he will probably not be a totally powerful build, but he is working to improve it (not as strong as LRT for instance, but has that rangy look, but far more graceful). Safe player, reliable. Was loose in defense (why!) and never took his eyes off the state of play. Good spoiler. ready for seniors? No not yet, but will he become a senior? yes most definitely

. Byron Sumner - getting better and better. Did some great stuff, is an enthusiastic crumber, stole a kickin and goaled, puts in effort, bit of a cheeky bugger.

. LJ - kicked five, is maturing into his game, takes a great mark, not a particularly quick runner, he is better at playing within the 50m arc. ready for seniors? No not yet, but will he become a senior? yes most definitely

. Dill - Darling Dill. He has fantastic awareness of the play, he is a gem, kicked 3. He works in tandem with.......

. Nipper - can tackle, makes good decisions, 2nd/3rd/4th efforts, has grown an inch or two in height (could do with a few more).
these two are a good tandem - like Schwatter and Cressa - they seem to understand each other's game and to know who does what when, and yes I can see them playing seniors, not yet though - its amazing really, the harder they work the smarter they get.........

. Chris MacKaigue. I love him. Improve improve improve. Each game. Got a bit of a football dribble going 1st quarter and got away from the opp; his kicking needs to improve, but he doesn't like being beaten. Real competitor.

. Gilly - had the kickin duties, reasonably good at this. Has a way to go, but looks to have been moved into defense and looks like Marty Mattner when on the move. Is not afraid to scramble for the ball. Work in progress. Hope he is ok with umpire who he collided with because he was not aware of the state of play (bloody amature umpires.....) and found himself in the middle of a running pack.

Scholarship boys;
. Jackson Potter is still a fiesty player, with attitude and probably aptitude.
. Blake Guthrie did some good things, kicked a goal.
. Jack Lynch learning the game, had a great smother, big unit getting bigger, nice looking too, and can put on a reasonable block. WIP.
. Mitch May, not bad, lost a bit of concentration and watched a ball go past while he kept following his man.....way to go yet.

Toppies
. 44 Joseph Britton - (Stumpy ) he is great. Short of stature, tall of attitude, got a goal, good player.
. 51 Etiosa Okumbor - has played with us before a few times, long and very skinny, but he is a pretty good spoiler, and is persistent.
. 56 Mathew Knight - hard worker.
. 53 -- Worked.

I couldn't match up the other players and their numbers, but there was one indig boy number 50 who looked like a bit of fluff out there, and I am not sure if he should be playing even in ressies yet, but my lordy he is quick - he should be training for athletics, sprinting.

It was a pretty good effort; the one thing I can say to all who want more of the lower tiers to make their debuts in the seniors......no one is ready yet. They are still kids. They have kids bodies on the most part. They are going to be good afl players one day, most of them. I can see real improvement from the start of the season to now. But most of this mob are first year players. You have to be exceptional (Hanners) to just walk in, and he only got a gig last year because we were desparate and he is one out of the box. Same with Rohan.

Vez is still blowing like a cart horse. He has a way to go, and will probably schtar! one day, if we give him time to develop his motor. They did that for Bulldog, and it is working with him. Wait people, wait.

Thanks Primmy for the insights. I note with disappointment that you think most of the kids aren't ready yet. However, what about TDL, seems he was on track for an 8 goal day if he had of stayed on the field. Is he the prime candidate for a senior berth?

[Primmy]

Just read liz's post, which has better use of flowing sentances than me. We appear to more or less agree in principle on most issues. Except perhaps on LJ. But that's ok, I have blown up his tyres in the past.

Oh and Scottee, TDL is an automatic for seniors imo, I just take that for granted as he was an emergency as it is.

On my thoughts about the kids into the seniors. I think it is coloured by the fact that once the senior game started, it was like a blast. The energy required and the decision making speed was like chalk and cheese after watching the ressies. We (the team and my lungs) were working like mad and I am not convinced that many of the kids could keep up, last night that is. The difference in body size, development, maturity is fairly evident. Maybe LJ and Reid could have managed; maybe its mumma coming out in me.

[Jesse Richards]

It was a pretty good effort; the one thing I can say to all who want more of the lower tiers to make their debuts in the seniors......no one is ready yet. They are still kids. They have kids bodies on the most part.

Thanks Primmy for this, and all your comments.

[liz]

On my thoughts about the kids into the seniors. I think it is coloured by the fact that once the senior game started, it was like a blast. The energy required and the decision making speed was like chalk and cheese after watching the ressies. We (the team and my lungs) were working like mad and I am not convinced that many of the kids could keep up, last night that is. The difference in body size, development, maturity is fairly evident. Maybe LJ and Reid could have managed; maybe its mumma coming out in me.

I agree that our kids probably aren't ready to come in and star at senior level, but I think a few of them could survive and be modestly handy.

Vez could certainly contribute, and at senior level, he can be used as a burst player, which more suits his (current attributes). Presumably at least part of the issue with him is how long those bursts can be.

TDL could contribute. He needs to start believing he can at senior level, and he will struggle a bit in a forward line that looks for Goodes as options 1, 2 and 3 regardless of whether anyone is "on".

I am curious to see whether Johnston can contribute yet. I think he is physically big/strong enough to cope, and his fitness looks decent enough (like Vez, he wouldn't be required to play for 120 minutes in the manner he has to at reserves level. At worst, surely a senior game or two would give him some idea of what he is working to achieve.

[Primmy]

Its a problem isn't it. Will he, won't he. I guess you really don't know until the event takes place. LJ, he could well step up. May be worth the risk, especially if we are a snowballs hope to make the top 8.

[aardvark]

Roosy seems determined to make them wait and from what you ladies say he is probably right. I doubt we will see them before next year. Horse is probably starting to look at the Seniors to decide who he will keep. I wouldn't be surprised to see Barlow given one last chance if he is fit.