Swans v Bombers Game Day Thread

[Cheer_Cheer]

The reason I love AFL above every other sport is because I believe 99 times out of 100 the best team wins.. I couldn't imagine being a soccer fan.. We were the best tonight.. Simple as that.. The bombers missed shots.. That was largely due to our pressure. We were the best team.. No doubt... We won.. We are top of he ladder and playing a pretty ordinary looking Geelong (most likely minus Hunt) at the SCG in 2 weeks time with Goodsey coming back into the forward line. I reckon the way we played in the 1st half will confuse the hell out of the rest of the competition.. Have we taken "tempo football" to a new level...

[Beerman]

Pity about the last quarter. I think a few of them lost their composure (among other things) during that heart-stopping Bomber onslaught!

The great thing about winning a game like that is the confidence it gives the players next time there's a comeback and it's close. They can go into that situation next time knowing that if they put in, they will win. It makes a big difference .

[jono2707]

My offsider said it was the best game he's seen, in a few a short years of following the Swans. Congrats to Essendon for sterling fight back, but we hung in at the end and deserved the win. And he loves Jetta (ours of course...)... Yay!

[sam7]

The problem is Ryder 41 hitouts, Pyke 14 Hitouts. He competed OK and was a bit better around the ground with 12 possies.

No pyke in last term and we got smashed out of middle

[SwansFan1972]

I'm a bit disappointed though that we're not really being given credit for what was a brilliant three quarters.

The front page of the afl.com.au now is "the split second decision that cost the dons a miracle win".
First: it was the right call -dempsey clearly played on, and second: he was not a given to kick it anyway! We won that fair and square and I bloody hope the papers tomorrow don't print the same tripe, but they no doubt will.

Sucks doesn't it. More appropriate to quote the 2.15 for the first three quarters, but that would also serve to gloss over a pretty fine swans performance. Game wasn't played on our preferred terms, we had to run and chase so so hard all game, and beat the three blind mice for a fair portion of it (mostly in the last quarter) to get a really gutsy win. They might be referring to Dempsey's decision, but it is so poorly written, who would know?!?!

The whole article is a load of tosh. Apparently the Swans "appeared home when they held the Bombers to just 2.15 by three-quarter-time and made surprisingly easy work of the contest".

Nothing - apart from the scoreboard for the first three quarters - appeared easy in that game! It was intense from start to finish, a bit different to our most recent Melbourne based efforts, when we seemed to mentally go wandering through poppy fields for most of both games! That wasn't the case tonight - losing Hanners hurt, and the boys were run pretty ragged by the last quarter. And any team that enters the 50m arc 78 or so times is going to be hard to handle when they swing their goal kicking accuracy from 11% to 90% in the space of 30 minutes!

Taking it all in, just feels sooooo good to be on the right side of the scoreline hey!

[swansrule100]

I feel like essendon the club itself actually dont rate the side the way hirdy talked for instance. Seemed so shocked we played as well as we did

Maybe i read too much into it

[Beerman]

The problem is Ryder 41 hitouts, Pyke 14 Hitouts. He competed OK and was a bit better around the ground with 12 possies.

He was ok around the ground. Great work in the first(?) quarter when the ball came deep into our defensive area and he crashed the pack and spoiled. But he ain't no Mumford in a stoppage situation with the ball on the ground.

[liz]

Last quarter felt like the closing stages of the 05 grand final. Totally wrung out at the end. Hated the free kick count against us, really helped the Bombers hang in there and kept their momentum going. Perhaps we should focus on how good we were for three quarters and not how bad we were in the last. Surely we go into the Geelong game in a fortnights with our tails up. If we can't pack the SCG for that night something will be wrong.

I thought we were ordinary in many aspects for much of the game. Particularly in the contested ball. We have to thank our defence for withstanding so much pressure in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, and Lewis J for using the ball so effectively when we got it in the clear.

[sam7]

I thought we were ordinary in many aspects for much of the game. Particularly in the contested ball. We have to thank our defence for withstanding so much pressure in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, and Lewis J for using the ball so effectively when we got it in the clear.

What aspects were we ordinary in?

[aardvark]

I feel like essendon the club itself actually dont rate the side the way hirdy talked for instance. Seemed so shocked we played as well as we did

Maybe i read too much into it

Essendons whole approach under Hird reeks of arrogance so its no surprise really.

[GongSwan]

I feel like essendon the club itself actually dont rate the side the way hirdy talked for instance. Seemed so shocked we played as well as we did

Maybe i read too much into it

Probably not, they expected us to try to clog it up and play stoppage footy. I think Horse has worked out that this is great on the SCG, but on longer grounds, spread, run, carry and spot up yr forwards is bettter. Plan B

[BillyRayCypress]

I thought we were ordinary in many aspects for much of the game. Particularly in the contested ball. We have to thank our defence for withstanding so much pressure in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, and Lewis J for using the ball so effectively when we got it in the clear.

I think that was harsh comments. I thought our defence was a bit shaky early if anything. They did improve in the 2nd and 3rd quarters but you need to look at that stats of the game and see how lucky we were.

Essendon are a very good side having only lost 1 game so far. Well now 2.

The contested ball was the best part for the first 3 quarters even the pumpkin heads said the pressure the Swans were applyind was amazing.

[sam7]

Probably not, they expected us to try to clog it up and play stoppage footy. I think Horse has worked out that this is great on the SCG, but on longer grounds, spread, run, carry and spot up yr forwards is bettter. Plan B

So true- the mix between our inside and outside players is really exciting!

[SwansFan1972]

No you take back control with alcohol and medication (legal type naturally).

Risky - then you might start talking to them directly and hearing their musings! Could be some kind of conversation though - what would our top questions be?

- Why did you let the Drug Fuelled Beagles hold us at bay in the last quarter in 06? ....
- Why did you put the ball just out of plugger's reach ten years earlier? ...
- Why did you let Plugger break the goal kicking record in front of the ladies stand, instead of in front of the common crowd (though we are happy you had Kel kick it to him)? ...
- Why did you put some nuff nuff named Staker in Bazza's swing zone? ...
- Why Collingwood? ...

Any other burning questions out there Swans folk - just send em through to our pickled friend Billy here and see what the footy gods have to say!!

[Nico]

No pyke in last term and we got smashed out of middle

Smashed out of the middle all game.