Round 17: Sydney Swans Reserves v Ainslie

[Jewels]

What happened to Vez?
I got to the ground just after quarter time and when he wasn't out there, I assumed he was going to play seniors but no, he was nowhere to be seen.

[Lucky Knickers]

He was out with the seniors having a bit of a kick.

[ugg]

Nipper 35 touches
McNeil 34


Reserves do it tough - Official AFL Website of the Sydney Swans Football Club

[ugg]

What happened to Vez?
I got to the ground just after quarter time and when he wasn't out there, I assumed he was going to play seniors but no, he was nowhere to be seen.

Most likely precautionary in case someone in the seniors injures himself in the warm up.

[Jewels]

Most likely precautionary in case someone in the seniors injures himself in the warm up.

Don't they normally give them half a game in this instance?
I'm worried about the future of Vez. I just love this kid but his treatment (for want of a better word) by the coaching staff is starting to worry me.
When is his contract up? I know we have a list somewhere but I can't find it.

[ugg]

Don't they normally give them half a game in this instance?
I'm worried about the future of Vez. I just love this kid but his treatment (for want of a better word) by the coaching staff is starting to worry me.
When is his contract up? I know we have a list somewhere but I can't find it.

Yes you are correct they usually do play the first half, but yesterday and at the Hawthorn game we had one emergency (Meredith) that didn't play in the reserves at all. So it could be a new policy, perhaps having learnt from North Melbourne's debacle or some senior players are going into games with injury concerns.

[ugg]

I would also like to say something about some of the umpiring......however words fail me.

There was a man sitting in the stands behind me who shared your views about the umpiring and was not afraid to let them know. Given how quiet the crowd was, I'm pretty sure they heard it. Most of the bouncing in the game was poor, and it was only in the last that they started throwing it up. I don't know why they didn't revert to throwing it up sooner. In contrast to 2 weeks ago where one umpire in particular had a bounce that would put most AFL umpires to shame.

[unconfuseme]

Agree ugg! That guy 2 weeks ago would be the best bouncer in Australia! Incredible wrist strength and control ... unfortunately the rest of his game was exactly the same standard of the other ACT umps. It must have been embarrassing at some stage, but we are way past that now, and you just expect to get about 3 of 4 decisions against the Swans, week in week out.

I suppose it makes the boys more resilient to the rubbish umpiring they can ultimately come to expect in the future as senior Swans players, and the handicap makes for tougher contests ... it does become tedious at times though, and reinforces the need for the mandatory annual "Umpire Appreciation Round".

[tara]

It was hard to miss the large Mitch Donovan who shows wonderful athleticism. He was quick over a short distance and has a good leap but there is a reason that he is playing in the lower grades of the Sydney AFL. That reason being his football nous is lacking. Once he led into space and Johnston duly kicked into that space. For no obvious reason he just stopped allowing the Ainslie defender to mark unopposed. Johnston was not pleased and threw up his hands in exasperation. Donovan also failed to use his big frame to hold position in marking contests. He was the initial relief ruckman, but the Swans soon turned to Emery in this position perhaps having no confidence in Donovan's play.

Acutally the reason Mitch plays in the lower grades in becuase prior to this game he only picked up an AFL ball for the first time ten weeks earlier - Every week he has played for me he has improved and again last Saturday in a very physical final was never beaten in the ruck.