Pies match thread

[Legs Akimbo]

Went to the game tonight. Last time saw us play pies was at Vic Park.

Collingwood people smell and are feral. Sat in their area in the last quarter for a laugh.

Quick notes before bed.

- Bird looked great. One of the most evasive players I've seen. Amazing lateral movement and knows where the ball is.
- JPK is incredible. Like an octopus in close.
- We are a few outside players short
- Not feeling much love for Brett Meredith and only slightly more for Everitt. Meredith used to have a beautiful kick. What happened?
- Goodes, McGlynne, ROK were good
- Reid, Johnstone both have a way to go yet. Johstone is a lazy forward and lacks strength. He's either going to play as a flanker in which case he needs to run harder and find space or a marking forward in which case he needs to bulk up
- Quite nights for TDL and Jetta (second week in a row for both). Hannebery seemed quite too.

Overall, feeling pretty positive. We lost it because of some @@@@ handballs that hit people's toes at pivotal moments. Need to improve four quarter focus and outside players need to give more, but we're looking ok.

[dimelb]

Just back from Etihad and a quick squiz at the thread. Agree with the positives people have picked out. It was a good hitout for us, and once we got the rust out of the system we were good to look at. Kennedy was terrific and Uncle was very impressive. Bird is not a runner, but what a pair of hands he has. Good to see Jetta on different players, including Thomas, whom he more than matched for pace if not always for positioning. There were no poor players despite a few clangers. The Pies were better on skills and more consistent, but if a couple of ump decisions had been different, and if we had not turned over the ball at one or two critical moments, the game could have gone the other way. Altogether an enjoyable and very encouraging Friday night at the footy.

[AnnieH]

Yay. We lost.
Now we can forget about the ansett cup.
Time to concentrate on the granny.

[ShockOfHair]

Good to see Longmire pretty much continuing the Roos NAB tradition. Lost all his games apart from the one against teenagers.

Agree with most of the above: the forward line is a work in progress, Rohan's game a highlight as was Mattner's defensive work and Goodes' form. Great to push the premiers to the limit.

It was also nice to hear Bruce and Dennis give Bird a little shout. He's often overlooked but he rarely makes bad decisions and has a great ability to find space.

[liz]

- Reid, Johnstone both have a way to go yet. Johstone is a lazy forward and lacks strength. He's either going to play as a flanker in which case he needs to run harder and find space or a marking forward in which case he needs to bulk up

Don't lose the faith in Johnston yet. He certainly doesn't have the strength to play as a deep marking forward yet, but I think his work ethic is decent enough. I realise the ACTAFL is a significantly lower grade than playing against the Pies, but last year he worked incredibly hard in some games, even when not overly effective. It is a big step up from whence he's come and one would expect him to take a bit of time to get used to what is required. I am hopeful that once we get a big body like Bradshaw, or even White, parading the forward 50, Johnston can fill a role as a leading HFFer - hopefully akin to the old ROK role.

[robamiee]

me i was impressed tonight...some silly mistakes, and questionablle razor ray decisions...but gee only NAB cup but we did well against a pretty much full strength pies side......Everitt will need to realise his work ethic needs to pick up, but i think his confidence maybe still shot from WB days..a good game from will see him do alright....but the yng fellas are doing well..give em time...the great thing is these yng fellas will put pressure on the team to break in where as 3-4 yrs ago we didn'thave that and got lazy...

[DeadlyAkkuret]

The long-time assistant to Paul Roos noted the efforts of Josh Kennedy, who finished the game with 30 disposals, the most of any player on the ground, 22 of them contested, and won 11 clearances.

What a beast!

[erica]

Pathetic crowd (10,773) for a team that boasts the biggest number of club members in the country. Ironic considering the narky comments in the media about the size of last week's Blacktown crowd.

[Legs Akimbo]

Don't lose the faith in Johnston yet. He certainly doesn't have the strength to play as a deep marking forward yet, but I think his work ethic is decent enough. I realise the ACTAFL is a significantly lower grade than playing against the Pies, but last year he worked incredibly hard in some games, even when not overly effective. It is a big step up from whence he's come and one would expect him to take a bit of time to get used to what is required. I am hopeful that once we get a big body like Bradshaw, or even White, parading the forward 50, Johnston can fill a role as a leading HFFer - hopefully akin to the old ROK role.

Not losing hope, but perhaps not as good a package as I thought he was. A bit of a betwixter if you know what I mean. His best attribute is his kicking. I hope he finds his strengths, plays to them and develops into a great player for the Swans. There's plenty on the list to help him achieve that.

The one I forgot to mention was Sumner. Really impressed by his bursting runs into the clear out of tight situations. Can see this guy doing well this year.

Just one final observation is how many really short guys we have on our team. It's like the fellowship of the ring all over again but instead of Schneider, Buchanan, Mathews and Crouch, its Moore (178cm), Sumner (174cm), McGlynn (172cm) and Jack (177cm). All good players.

[Auntie.Gerald]

My turning point - was obviously Dane Swan from a set shot on the sideline when we were 78-80.............That goal hurt...........then a few mins later with approx 3mins left on the clock .........Dale Thomas zipping through the middle running sideways and backwards then forwards to evade and brush off Malceski and then brushed off JBolton who looked like an old man chasing Thomas...........Thomas ran forward to set up Andrew Karakouer (who McVeigh should have easily spoiled).......I just hope that we have the pace in the midfield to stop a team like Melbourne, Collingwood, Freeo etc

Sumner was very good and his lateral vision and poise in the ruck area - well you just cant buy !.............he will be a dangerous player if he can keep his fitness high enough as his vision and left foot is lethal and now he has bulked up enough at 19 yrs only

JPK was brilliant and is appearing to be a great buy and going strength to strength..............

Mattner who I didnt think would start in 2011 was a standout in defence with Teddy playing well also..........and Goodes was a standout in attack

Rohan, Jetta, Bird, Sumner - could be all fighting for a couple of spots in the 22.............Rohans defence was tenacious and needed........I thought his pressure and Kennedy, Mattners pressure started to get the Swans back on top.

Everyone else (after the first qtr) did fairly well............I did think LJ is giving it his best..........he reminds me a little of the development of Heath Grundy..........it may take a couplpe more years like Heath to cement a possie.......Grundy is 24 and LJ is only 19 turning 20yrs old in a month !! 20 yrs of age for a lanky forward is early days........my guess is physically he is not even expected to be Senior yet

but LJ off the bench and taking a flank possie up front will be dangerous.........he may start to put some heat on TDL who I thought would be an automatic this year for a starting spot in upfront.

[Primmy]

LJ is going to lull a great many others into thinking he is not doing much. He reads the game quite well, he is a loper rather than a sprinter, but he does have very good hands and a long high mark. He is just not that flashy.

[top40]

Pathetic crowd (10,773) for a team that boasts the biggest number of club members in the country. Ironic considering the narky comments in the media about the size of last week's Blacktown crowd.

I didnt see these comments about the Blacktown crowd.
Considering it was officially a full house that's just plainly absurd.

I do remember in last year's NAB cup game at Blacktown some News Limited journalist compared the full house Blacktown of just under 10,000, with a half full Penrith Stadium pre season NRL local derby game between Penrith and Parramatta of about 11,000, and noted that Rugby League was winning the football code war in Western Sydney!

[top40]

Yay. We lost.
Now we can forget about the ansett cup.
Time to concentrate on the granny.

I thought it was the TAA Cup

[lwjoyner]

still have not improved our kicking to a team mate. Mattner is the worst most of the tem is prone to turning it over surely black and white is different to red and white. we will not climb the ladder is we dont inprove in this area, under 11's can and do do better.

[Primmy]

I didnt see these comments about the Blacktown crowd.
Considering it was officially a full house that's just plainly absurd.

I do remember in last year's NAB cup game at Blacktown some News Limited journalist compared the full house Blacktown of just under 10,000, with a half full Penrith Stadium pre season NRL local derby game between Penrith and Parramatta of about 11,000, and noted that Rugby League was winning the football code war in Western Sydney!

Actually my fellow traveller did hear a whole heap of negative comments on the radio in Sydney; that there would be noone at the ground, that anyone at the ground went because of the thousands of free tickets given out, along those lines. He is a very pragmatic fellow so to hear him being incensed was a bit of a treat. He can also repeat a complete scene from a film word for word on a single hearing, so I trust he got the info correct.

And there were a fair number of NRL types there, kids with the "wrong" ball and their parents. I stayed for 2.5 games, and most of them were still there when I left. Lot of garbage being sprouted because the reporters are worried about their jobs, they have now idea about AFL and can't be bothered learning anything new.....