Well, I've looked at the game again and I've finally found a negative.

[mocaholic]

Got to watch the game last night (so different on tv) and I feel much better to have identified a negative out of Saturday. I just couldn't possibly be totally peppy about the performance as the last thing I want to do is get my expectations up only to have them slaughtered. Again.

I honestly don't think (aside from every kick at goal going through) that we could've played any better on Saturday. Intensity, skill, sticking to plan, support, running, numbers, our best players standing up and the young'uns taking the next step. But we played this game against a (admittedly very good) team out of form, coming off a bye and a lacklustre performance before that, who are carrying injuries, who are "loading up" for the finals, and who ultimately had little to play for except pride whereas we were playing for our spot in the finals and for a team-mate undergoing a time of great personal stress. And let's face it, we did remarkably well with the umpiring decisions - the 50/50s virtually all went our way. And with all these going for us we still only won by 13pts.

My negative? We're not good and consistent enough to match it with the best teams and so go deep into September.

I'm not going to list all the GOOD points out of the game because there were many, I know. I just need to be able to manage my expectations when we don't win the flag.

Hey ho.

[illiards]

Jesse White missed a sitter.

[sprite]

My negative is that the press in Melbourne (Sunday Age) went on about Geelong and how Scott wasn't too fazed by the result.

Just one bloody paragraph to say that Goodes played a ripper.

[Mr Magoo]

You have to expect that the melbourne press would make all sorts of excuses for the loss but what will be interesting is how they look at Geelong should they not put up a good contest against Collingwood this weekend.

[Jewels]

My negative is that the press in Melbourne (Sunday Age) went on about Geelong and how Scott wasn't too fazed by the result.

Just one bloody paragraph to say that Goodes played a ripper.

Jimmy Bartell was on OTC on Monday and when Sheahan talked about how off the Cats were, Bartell commented something along the lines of how it was a lot to do with the Swans pressure.

[liz]

I had exactly the same thought when I watched the replay. Given our domination of the contested ball, relatively favourable umpiring and the fact we kicked reasonably straight and the Cats missed some sitters, we should have won by more.

I can think of two factors that partly explain this. One is that good as our "inside game" was, our "outside game" still has plenty of room for improvement. We didn't make as much of the advantage we had in contested ball as we should have done.

The second factor - which is more guesswork / psychological - is that I reckon the team didn't quite believe they could win, not deep down. So when they found themselves with a comfortable lead halfway through the final term, it was almost as if they expected Geelong to come at them and snatch the game and maybe they didn't press home the advantage that they had. We did concede two relatively soft goals to them late in the game, which made the margin more respectable for Geelong than it should have been. Hopefully a few more victories in the next season or two over the very best teams will give our boys more belief that they really can match it with the best.

[Big Al]

Jimmy Bartell was on OTC on Monday and when Sheahan talked about how off the Cats were, Bartell commented something along the lines of how it was a lot to do with the Swans pressure.

He's up there with Simon Black as an opposition player I respect and like to watch play. A class act!

[Jewels]

Well, one of the BIG POSITIVES that I took out of the game is that we have beaten four of the other seven top 8 sides this season!
I would think that would certainly help them psychologically going into the finals.

[Go Swannies]

You can assess footy reviewers by how they covered this game. Twice on OTC Roos had to bring the win back to the Swans pressure when Sheahan wanted to deal with the Cats loss.

[Dosser]

Well, one of the BIG POSITIVES that I took out of the game is that we have beaten four of the other seven top 8 sides this season!
I would think that would certainly help them psychologically going into the finals.

It is good to get some pessimism in there again so that we cant be disappointed in the future. My big negative is that I suspect that if we played them again this weekend we would probably lose.

[Triple B]

I reckon the team didn't quite believe they could win, not deep down. So when they found themselves with a comfortable lead halfway through the final term, it was almost as if they expected Geelong to come at them and snatch the game ......

It wouldn't surprise me at all if they were thinking like that.

I was.

I'd be surprised if most of the rest of us were not just waiting for something terrrible to happen as well...

[BeeEmmAre]

I know I was. I spent the whole game saying to myself, "we couldn't, could we?"

[DLBIA14]

I know I was. I spent the whole game saying to myself, "we couldn't, could we?"

I'm embaressed to admit I was exactly like that aswell! Probably right up until 2 minutes to go, but even then I was thinking about every way possible Geelong could extract goals.

You could tell though, from the commentators to the fans at the ground, everybody was expecting Geelong to flick the switch and turn it on. The boys were the only ones who gave themselves every chance and I respect that so much.

On cutie Jimmy Bartel, he's fairly diplomatic and reserved in interviews. Like most players he isn't out there to offend and never really gives his true opinion. I'm sure, he like most people in the media thought Geelong were off their game.

Our team never get any credit for our good performaces so I don't think we should be surprised that all the press concentrated on Geelong's perceived lack of interest in the game.

On that point, we do seem to perform the best when up against the odds and written off. Unfortunately it is always games we are expected to win convincingly that we capitulate in. Another media dirven fallacy: 'the Swans are an honest team who will beat the teams they should and never beat teams above teh onthe ladder' .

[Plugger46]

Exactly the same here. I thought we'd get beaten until Reid goaled in the last quarter.

[Triple B]

In the final 5 minutes the commentators kept saying 'Geelong need 3 goals' continually, even though we led by 20, then 19 points.

I kept yelling 'It's 4 goals you @@@@ing knob!!!!!'

I have no idea what my neighbours think sometimes...lol