Saints v. Swans gameday thread

[Nich]

Im sensing that we have a soft underbelly these days. The great Bloods intestinal fortitude is falling by the wayside. 2 really poor games in 3 weeks with a win at home over a team at the depths of despair. Put the heat on us and we cant run with you. It feels as though we are going backwards and that is scary.

[Melbournehammer]

I was pretty angry after the Richmond game, but this really was another class altogether. Not angry tonight, more resigned really. Very very poor forward line. Very very poor midfield. Structures absolutely shocking. Geez we miss goodes, mummy and rohan. And our style is awful. Last week we played a non-competitive unit and never looked like hitting a leading forward. Tonight even more so. And whenever we were in doubt the chain of handbills missing targets was terrible. But what else can they do - nothing to kick to, and no ability to keep it in even if it hits the ground.

[crackedactor]

More like girls than men

Just no energy for the contest, fumbling bumbling missed targets lack of run on and on

We have to be the worse tackling team in the League! Getting tackled by a swans player is like having a marshmallow thrown at you! There are serious issues at this club. Good to see the place butter on their hands before each game! Serious footballers don't perform like this. To think they will probably get paid for today's performance. Nick smith and shaw should be dropped. Maybe Tom mitchell might be worth a try. We are a desperate team! How often I saw Hayes or Goodard just stick their arm out and brush the Swans player aside was a disgrace. We are a joke! time to rebuild and try some kids again!!

[wolftone57]

Forward line should be TDL, Reid and Mitch Morton

Longmire & the selection committee @@@@@@ that one up! TDL as Sub never going to work! They will blame him though and he will play reserves next week as will Tommy. The way we delivered the ball it is a wonder a forward could get a kick. We were 1990's early 2000's slow in our build up and never looked like it. What is with a few of our older players in the centre square, they never look on the defensive side and every side we play sets up that side. This was EMBARRASSING! We moved the ball so slowly and got killed in the clearances! We normally don't get shattered in the clearances! Did against Richmond and broke even against Crows. We look slow and down!

Changes for next week.

Macca OUT = Too Soft and tried continually to take chest marks instead of meeting the contest
Mal = Never hit one of our guernseys all night
Tommy = Just not there tonight but gee the delivery was sooo great! He will go but I think he deserves another go!
AJ = Injured I reckon he has broken his arm! Looking at the footage.

INS

Mitchell = I don't give a stuff if he has only played 130 minutes so far. This kid is good, great even
Cunningham = Speed, Speed, Speed and can kick a goal
Morton = Kicks goals
Armstrong = Needs to take AJ's place. He will do ok

[Melbourne_Blood]

Pace is not an excuse, effort is what lost us the game. Lack of effort all over the ground. The saints are not that quick. If you win the ball and use it effectively, you can get from the back pocket to the forward pocket in 4 seconds!! We dogged it tonight, plain and simple.

[sharp9]

To repeat what others have said....I truly think that was our worst performance in the 17 years I have been watching (I didn't see the Melb 70 point game). The effort was pathetic...not even bothering to run when we HAD the ball....let alone run to man up! We lost almost every single one on one contest...the decision making was astounding and the repeated skill errors really had to be seen to be believed. There is absolutely no question that we are the 2nd worst team in the league at the moment. Every other team except Melbourne has more skill and more run that we displayed. Sickening, truly sickening. But no one of consequence will be dropped. No one ever pays at the Swans (except TDL)

[emaze1]

dogged it!! totally agree!!
etihad isnt a demanding ground
our trademark hard contested footy? please!
bring in some youngins because we are being shown up by a lack of hunger and attack on the ball
show some video of paul kelly for %#$@@s sake!

[Melbournehammer]

Btw the decision to move dempster on - really was one of the better trades the swans have done.

[Southern Swan15]

Tonight has highlighted to me, on our day when we are prepared to work and do the team things we are as good as anybody in the competition. However we are a loooooonnnnggggg way away from being able to it week in week out.

Looking at teams like Richmond and Adelaide and how they are playing we will be luck to make the 8 top 4 is all but gone in my eyes.

[sharp9]

To those who are wondering how good the Saints are...they are as good as we were against Melbourne. We really, really and truly were as bad as Melbourne were last week. I would like to give St. Kilda credit but I can't as they did not have any opposition.

[wolftone57]

We fumbled and hand-balled to standing targets not running players. We managed to avoid running players tonight. Every time we had what looked to be an advantage we just steadied the game and played right into their hands. Instead of getting the play going we just passed the ball around. So many times we had the chance to break them open and we just took the wrong options. We chose to handball and keep the ball in rather than to take the risk on the running player.

[Captain]

What was most dissapointing to me were the unusual names among poor performers.

Parker, Smith and Hanners were terrible.

The decision to play TDL as a sub was just plain stupid. He is no sub. Longmire has never come to grips with the whole sub rule.

[Sidney V]

Ball movement in the middle part of game really slowed us down and they just flooded numbers back. Hard to judge on the TV what we offered down field in those times - would be interested in an "at game" comment.

[emaze1]

tdl must play as a genuine forward or not at all
surely your sub must 95% of the time be a utility type player
i agree our best 22 is competitive with anyone but outside of that we are very ordinary and lack alot of belief
goodes is a genuine captain who leads from the front, mcveigh is a good player but not a captain!!

[Swanner]

Funnily enough this was a typical swans game

Why?

1. We should have lost by 60 but only by 30.
2. No Goodes, no Mumford, no contest in the middle.
3. Coach made the wrong call on the sub.
4. Failed to take the opportunity to push up the ladder.
5. Mc Veigh and Malceski once again demonstrate they only play well when others have won the game.

Another year when we finish 6,7 or 8.

Wish it different but the coaches won't make wholesale changes because there is not much to come in.