Paul Roos gone so break rule 1

[Donners]

TDL showed he needs a lot more work in the gym to compete well at this level. He might sneak under the radar for a few goals, but he was dealt with far too easily in this game.

I'd prefer Bradshaw with an amputated leg over White.

[AnnieH]

She made him promise.

He did promise. He agrees that he owes me a coleman.
What a tops bloke!!

[Jewels]

Dear god,

Night of the long knives in here. We just made a semi-final, a bee's dick away from a prelim. None of you saw that coming this time last year. Now we're getting stuck into about 1/3 of the players on the list as if they cost us a premiership?

Almost every player on the list had a better year this year than they did the last.

And, as for Bradshaw, he missed some kicks, but he's hardly alone in the department, and he was still far and away our most dangerous option up front. We got him for nothing, it'd be stupid to throw him away after one season where almost every game he played was a good one.

And come off it, he's not robbing anyone of their place in the side. Seriously? He's holding TDL back? How? Because he doesn't drop the ball as much as White does? Is our long term plan to play a bloke at full forward that can't take a mark?

Ha ha, absolutely love this J. Every point is spot on.

[Donners]

Almost every player on the list had a better year this year than they did the last.

I think there's quite a few who didn't, actually.

Bolton and LRT were obviously cut down by injury, but White, Veszpremi, Barlow and arguably Moore went backwards. Kirk, Richards, O'Keefe, Mattner and Shaw were also notably down on last season.

[Go Swannies]

I think there's quite a few who didn't, actually.

Bolton and LRT were obviously cut down by injury, but White, Veszpremi, Barlow and arguably Moore went backwards. Kirk, Richards, O'Keefe, Mattner and Shaw were also notably down on last season.

Agree - we got so far because the new players and the kids really stepped up. It's a great sign of a team with a good future.

[msb]

If Braddy had of kicked striaght we would of been lauding him for kicking 4 or 5 and probably being the matchwinner. He did well I thought considering how much footy he has missed. No excuses for those couple of very easy shots he missed though, especially when we desperately needed a goal or two to steady the ship.

Yeah, not only that but if we had of got up and won this stupid thread would never of been started in the first place! I cannot believe that people think bradshaw is not good for the team, I thought he did great considering the amount of footy he's missed, although I cannot excuse those misses for goal, cost us big time.

[Xie Shan]

Bradshaw was fine, he just had a shocker in front of goal. It happens! Should have had 5 or 6. He'll still be in the 22 come Round 1, 2011, no doubt about that.

Though part of me still wonders what would have happened if he AND Jesse had played. *sigh*

[ScottH]

I'd put more blame on Mattner.
3rd term
He received a terrible hand pass from Bradshaw, manage to real it in, evaded one tackler, and had a trio of swans in fron of him waiting for the handball, only for him to be run down from behind.
Dogs, free and eventuated in a goal. This would've broken their momentum, and instead they found themselves only a goal or so down!!
Turining point of the game for me.

[Go Swannies]

I'd put more blame on Mattner.
3rd term
He received a terrible hand pass from Bradshaw, manage to real it in, evaded one tackler, and had a trio of swans in fron of him waiting for the handball, only for him to be run down from behind.
Dogs, free and eventuated in a goal. This would've broken their momentum, and instead they found themselves only a goal or so down!!
Turining point of the game for me.

That was bizarre. I still think missing the sitter that would have given us some momentum gave them the game as we flattened and they lifted.

But Marty! I reckon I could have driven down to Melbourne, taken the ball from him and passed it to his teammates alongside in the time it took him to be tackled with the ball.

[chunksngravy]

It is a shame about Reg as he will be remembered for this game.You only had to watch the Footy Show today when they made sure everyone saw Reg at his worse.Disappointing.

I think this is the point that people are missing! Sure Bradshaw should have kicked straighter but he generally played a blinder-the problem was at the other end-Reg wasn't big enough! One Defensive tall and we would have romped it in. Sure the youngsters and those carrying injuries struggled in the second half, but a single LRT or B2 to get a fist in front of Barry and we would have been a class above them. Things look very, very good for next year, and Bradshaw should be a big part of it. What other club can recycle like us!
"Give us your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, and we will turn them into 200 game Key Position Players".

[Matty10]

I'd put more blame on Mattner.

Gee, that is harsh. More blame than the missed shots (Bradshaw, Goodes, and even the unfit O'Keefe who for the second week in a row could not snap the distance from 40 metres when clear), or are you taking a sarcastic jab at those who blame the loss on single incidents?

I thought Mattner had a very good game all in all.

Of course there were lots of single incidents that cost us dearly in that game (but that is football): Kennelly trying to win the game, spinning out of one tackle but getting caught from behind; Goodes mark just outside 50 and kicking it high and behind to Kirk who was running open inside 40; Shaw kicking from defence long and high to poor overhead options in Eski and Smith (who were also outnumbered) Grundy's dropped marks, etc.

The entire list of single acts is probably quite long (and each could have affected momentum and changed the course of the game).

[giant]

What was with Mattner not even contesting that final mark? I assume (or hope) that he was so exhausted he couldn't get off the ground. Not Marty's best night by any means but not going to point the finger.

[intranced]

Dear god,

Night of the long knives in here. We just made a semi-final, a bee's dick away from a prelim. None of you saw that coming this time last year. Now we're getting stuck into about 1/3 of the players on the list as if they cost us a premiership?

Almost every player on the list had a better year this year than they did the last.

And, as for Bradshaw, he missed some kicks, but he's hardly alone in the department, and he was still far and away our most dangerous option up front. We got him for nothing, it'd be stupid to throw him away after one season where almost every game he played was a good one.

And come off it, he's not robbing anyone of their place in the side. Seriously? He's holding TDL back? How? Because he doesn't drop the ball as much as White does? Is our long term plan to play a bloke at full forward that can't take a mark?

This.

[Hartijon]

This.

Hey,you win some you lose some! Bradshaw HAD to be picked and took 9 marks. A potential match winner at FF who had to be introduced if we were ever going to get close to St.Kilda. Was he fit? He sure was as he followed Lake all the way to FB and cleared the ball out! Very impressive game only marred by poor accuracy in front of goal which was a factor(but not the only one) in our loss of a game we should have won by 4-5 goals. I thought in the last 5 minutes when we needed to win it and a few players were too coy and careful putting up little tentative chips into the forward 50. We needed long kicks then and to move the ball fast to give our forwards and crumbers a chance.I thought at the end we needed more from Goodsey and Mc Veigh,we needed some magic like actually finding Kirk with a pass and letting him give us the Fairy tale ending......but I am dreaming!!!!

[mcs]

Hey,you win some you lose some! Bradshaw HAD to be picked and took 9 marks. A potential match winner at FF who had to be introduced if we were ever going to get close to St.Kilda. Was he fit? He sure was as he followed Lake all the way to FB and cleared the ball out! Very impressive game only marred by poor accuracy in front of goal which was a factor(but not the only one) in our loss of a game we should have won by 4-5 goals. I thought in the last 5 minutes when we needed to win it and a few players were too coy and careful putting up little tentative chips into the forward 50. We needed long kicks then and to move the ball fast to give our forwards and crumbers a chance.I thought at the end we needed more from Goodsey and Mc Veigh,we needed some magic like actually finding Kirk with a pass and letting him give us the Fairy tale ending......but I am dreaming!!!!

Those misses in the 3rd quarter were very BIG factors in the match imo (Not the only ones as you say). We were desperate for a goal or two to steady the ship, and Braddy should have delivered. But I thought he had a more than decent game, and justified his selection. I'm not sure White should have also been left out, but thats an academic debate now and a what might have been.