Match-day thread : Semi-Final 2 versus Hawthorn

[hammo]

We'll be better for the experience. We lost it in the first half when the Hawks were so much cleaner and harder.

In Hanners, Rohan, Reid, Parker and Johnson we have 5 of the best young players in the comp. And we can add Tom Mitchell to the list next year.

Tonight was disappointing. The open spaces of the MCG expose our lack of pace but it was the foot skills and fumbling which killed us tonight.

[HBAsyd]

We'll be better for the experience. We lost it in the first half when the Hawks were so much cleaner and harder.

In Hanners, Rohan, Reid, Parker and Johnson we have 5 of the best young players in the comp. And we can add Tom Mitchell to the list next year.

Tonight was disappointing. The open spaces of the MCG expose our lack of pace but it was the foot skills and fumbling which killed us tonight.

here her...well said hammo

[goswannies]

Longmire kicked 511 goals and won the Coleman in 1990. I think he has a fair idea of how to play as a forward.

True Ugg, true. Point well made.

Plugger 1360, 4 Colemans and a Brownlow and 5 times All Australian. And my point is having a specialist coach who can focus solely on Jesse. Horse has to divide his attention between White and the rest of the team.

[SwansFan1972]

the birds...the birds....

yes distraction indeed.

there were 2 teams playing.

heads up though. some fine tuning around a good squad is all we need.

Some Jetta dash, with Shaw would have been nice down the length and breadth of the G.

Well done to our loyal servants and now we move on, to start the next chapter. the Horse is quality and I believe we ar ein good hands....he will do well at trade

One of which got to play SFL (seagull football league) there 13 times this year. Has to be some advantage!

Anyway -regardless of what it did or didn't do to the players, it looked shizer on tv watching the flocks milling around all the time. The AFL has billions at its disposal - seagull removal shouldn't be an issue - just throw money at the problem and it will surely go away!

[elastic]

I think they'd be disappointed with the first quarter and a half when some terrible skill errors were made.
As always they dug deep and fought back into the contest which was a great effort.
Unfortunately Hawthorn just couldn't miss the goals tonight after the first quarter.
Seem to lack that bit of pace to clear it from the contest and spread when necessary.
Bad luck tonight boys but still be proud of your efforts this season.
The next generation of swans champions are starting to emerge.

[aardvark]

The thing is our forward line was really crap earlier this season. Horse had to do something and throwing White and Sphanger down there made it look a bit more functional. That doesn't mean by any stretch of the imagination that White can play.

[i'm-uninformed2]

One of which got to play SFL (seagull football league) there 13 times this year. Has to be some advantage!

Anyway -regardless of what it did or didn't do to the players, it looked shizer on tv watching the flocks milling around all the time. The AFL has billions at its disposal - seagull removal shouldn't be an issue - just throw money at the problem and it will surely go away!

Five shotguns at $250 a piece is an easy fix. Surely thats better than any pre game entertainment I've ever witnessed. KAPOW!

[dimelb]

I agree that the main problem was the midfield. Apart from Kennedy, Goodes and Bird, I doubt whether any other player won their position. Add Mummy to that. The forward line might have worked better with a defensive forward on Gibson. The back six worked hard but had too much to do, s is always the case when the ball comes in as often and as quickly as it did tonight.
The Hawks were the better team tonight. Flooded our forward 50 when we had the ball, opened up their own when they had it. Buddy was his normal self and I agree that Ted needed more support, though he tried hard he is not in Buddy's class. I think Hawthorn's "unsociable football" took a few of our blokes by surprise.
We looked better in the Q3, intensity was up, we played on a bit more and took our chances. If we had kicked the first goal in Q4 it may have finished differently.
Overall, not a bad year, could easily have been significantly better. Must find a way to stop the boys going missing as they did in the first half tonight, it felt like the Richmond game all over again. And the skills were lamentable in the first half, need to work on being more consistent. At least we kicked more goals than behinds!

[Ratna]

Lost to a better team tonight. Lot of people saying Hanners should not have played and I agree, but decisions have to be made and even if this one was wrong you have to love his commitment and hope he is a Swan for life.

Hopefully there are a few young guys both playing tonight and the ressies tomorrow who realise that in a years time the tables may well be turned.

Goodsey 300

farewell Tadhg

Bring on 2012.

With losing Bradshaw and B2 this year I think we reached our potential in making a semi, but perhaps more players were blooded than otherwise would have been and I for one can't wait for 2012.

[Melbournehammer]

being the sort of masochist that i am i decided to watch the game when i got home. it is difficult to say too much other than we were just awful in that first half and our skills were largely deplorable - and mostly when we weren't under pressure.

nonetheless i really think the umpiring was deplorable from the very beginning when it appeared to me that goodes clearly took a mark in the first quarter which wasn't paid all the way through the game. its depressing to think that umpiring that was so very bad had no real bearing on the game but i do wish someone would say that the decisions so clearly favored the hawks over the course of the game that the umpires ought be really criticized. i know it wont happen but behind closed doors these questions need to be asked.

[Bas]

How is everyone feeling this bright and chirpy morning?

Thanks to those that posted and let us northern people hear what happened after the game.

It sounds the Hawks were very gracious in victory and at least they can give the mugpies a run for their money next week.

[erica]

I had a terrible nightmare last night - I dreamt that we used all our intensity last week against the Saints and lost to the Hawks. Wait...that actually happened?

I'm looking forward to 2012's season. Can't wait to get the draw next month and start planning my year around the games. Love my Swans.

[mcs]

We very much were left to rue our awful 1st half last night as the 2nd half showed we could match it with them. That's footy though, and I am very much looking forward to 2012 and seeing just what progress we can make. We are only a couple of players off being a very good side indeed, and with a couple of players in the reserved knocking hard on the door and Mitchell to come, we will be close to having a squad good enough to challenge. Can't wait for next years draw to come out - its going to be a very good yesterday I think!

[Cardinal]

Was it just me, or did that game, particularly the first quarter move very quickly. Not sure of the figures, but wouldn't be surprised if there were hardly any stoppages, plent of play ons and short quarters.

One of the beautys of the AFL of the draw coming out in full so you plan ahead. The NRL is now also considering fixed times rather than a floating draw.

[Nico]

I agree that the main problem was the midfield. Apart from Kennedy, Goodes and Bird, I doubt whether any other player won their position. Add Mummy to that. The forward line might have worked better with a defensive forward on Gibson. The back six worked hard but had too much to do, s is always the case when the ball comes in as often and as quickly as it did tonight.
The Hawks were the better team tonight. Flooded our forward 50 when we had the ball, opened up their own when they had it. Buddy was his normal self and I agree that Ted needed more support, though he tried hard he is not in Buddy's class. I think Hawthorn's "unsociable football" took a few of our blokes by surprise.
We looked better in the Q3, intensity was up, we played on a bit more and took our chances. If we had kicked the first goal in Q4 it may have finished differently.
Overall, not a bad year, could easily have been significantly better. Must find a way to stop the boys going missing as they did in the first half tonight, it felt like the Richmond game all over again. And the skills were lamentable in the first half, need to work on being more consistent. At least we kicked more goals than behinds!

We looked better in the third quarter because we moved the ball quickly into the forward line. Our static play in the first half was palpable. We gave our forwards little chance in the first half by chipping the ball around and standing, looking, looking, looking instead of moving the off the mark quickly. I think it was the second quarter...Goodes has the ball just behind the centre circle with a clear run forward, and for whatever reason tried and did draw a player for a handball over the top, but went sideways to the snail Bolton. Poor handpass, poor attempted pick up, turnover for a goal. Just woeful stuff when it should have gone to the top of the square or at least to the handpass recipient it looked like it was intended for. You can't blame Reid and Spangher for the rubbish they were delivered last night.

As for White...trade him. He had little idea last night and "second efforts" is not in his vocabulary. We would have been better off playing Pyke, and right up front I say he should be the preferred second ruck/forward option in 2012. Mark Fyne on SEN suggested that with the dearth of tall forwards White could be a trade option. Sounded like he didn't rate him after last night and he is a fair judge. I for one am tired of waiting for him to emerge.