Round 15: Sydney Swans Reserves v Brisbane Lions Reserves

[Dosser]

Thanks Liz. We really appreciate this down in Melbourne.

[707]

Thanks to everyone who does a post game review. As an interstater I really appreciate the update on (hopefully) future Swans players.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Agree with your comments Liz especially regarding Parker, at times he looked very scratchy (at other times he looked brilliant) so perhaps another week. Between injuries and scratchy form, I thought the only player that put his hand up for promotion this week was TDL.

Also I hadn't previously noticed how one-sided Lamb was. He was forced to use his left foot a couple of times against the Lionecubs and to say the results weren't pretty is an understatement, did anyone else notice that? He needs to put in some serious remedial work there.

[aardvark]

Lamb came on at half-time. His first 10 minutes or so were patchy but then he got into things and looked more purposeful (and a little quicker) than he has all year. Kicked one superb goal where he drilled a low skidding ball from the 50m line, taking advantage of an empty goal square.

Liz I know its hard to call at this stage but do you think Jed will make it to senior ranks. I watched him play all his junior career down here including games where he tore Jarryd Blair, McCaffer and Golby apart at different times. Is Senior footy going to be one step too far ?

[Primmy]

I'll put in my two cents worth here aaarrr.... Not sure. He has played so little, he has been so injured, and we have seen one recent game where he was on for only a half. He is way behind the teammates he started with. If he has the drive then probably he will get somewhere. But if you judge him NOW against a first year starter such as Harry or Tommy or Tom Mitchell, then its going to be a very big ask.

We are heading into the back end of the season and he has only just started. Then again so has Alex Brown, with same scenario and I am somewhat more confident that Browny has the goods.

One thought I had was that perhaps Jed was shocked to find during game time that he was not as far up the totem pole as he thought he would be (being young male in a dream job with talent and....). Wake up call? I guess the ressiewatchers "watch" from here on in. He has a bit of mongrel in him, so it I believe he will start shaking things up a bit. Besides, I would love to have a Senior Swan called Jed.

[jono2707]

A chat with Mummy at the recent Trivia Night included the words "Jed will be a gun if he can get his body right" so I am happy to be patient with him for some time longer yet...

[aardvark]

Besides, I would love to have a Senior Swan called Jed.

Thanks Primmy. It wouldn't surprise me at all if the demands of senior AFL footy were a bit of a shock to Jed. He was always the big fish in the small pond.
I too would like to see a Senior Swan called Jed. I really enjoy seeing kids from my area do well, even if it is with the Pies.

[aardvark]

A chat with Mummy at the recent Trivia Night included the words "Jed will be a gun if he can get his body right" so I am happy to be patient with him for some time longer yet...

I'm sure the club will do all it can to get him up and running. I'm just impatient to see him debut.

[ugg]

• The team fought well with a lesser number of listed players than the Lions. There were 14 named, but Seaby went off very early in the first quarter and Lamb only played the second half so there were long patches where we only had 12. The Lions on the other hand had 19, reduced to 18 when Claye Beams was withdrawn at half time to be their senior emergency (luckily for them). Even the Lions topups seemed to be bigger than ours. The Lions missed a lot of set shots, not totally straightforward but quite kickable which kept us in the game.
• Seaby went off really early but it was notable that he didn't take the first bounce of the game - that honour belonged to White - so perhaps it was a case of testing the calf and pulling the pin when he didn't feel right after the first 5 minutes.
• Mitchell did finish the game on the bench with ice on his knee, it continues to be an issue for him. Hope it was just a precautionary measure by the medicos.
• Meredith did well in defence considering the trouble the Swans had containing the Lions' transition but his forward tag in Newell did kick 2 goals and finished in their best players.
• TDL started centre bounces in the midifeld but also covered ground in the forward line. Two of his goals were a case of Trent being too good for his defender, beating them in one-on-one battles to win the loose ball and having the composure and skill to finish off. He's in great form at the moment and looks to be doing all the defensive things they've harped on about in the past 18 months, and while he deserves a place in the seniors I'm not sure they can squeeze him in.
• Lamb's best game of the year, of half a game to be technically correct. Perhaps it was an adjustment to the higher standard, but he seemed a lot more switched on today played with more instinct rather than being hesitant and second-guessing himself.
• Walsh played an important role as the lone tall in attack and reveled in the added responsibility. He was too good for his opponent Justin Clarke on the lead, his outstretched hands strong enough to repel any attempted spoil. He started coming further up the ground when the Lions began to pin the Swans in their defensive half.
• White has a pair of "anti-Reid" hands. Where the ball seems to stick to Sammy's hands, in Jesse's case it invariably bounces off his hands. Took a nice speccy but then failed to heed his ex-coach's advice to not handball after you take one. He did take on the majority of the ruckwork against the bigger Longer and Lisle, with Walsh only relieving him in very short spells, a testament to his improved fitness levels.
• Parker was rusty as noted, surprised he played as a forward given his role in the seniors has been in the midfield. It might be a sign that they're not ready to bring him back in just yet. He displayed some speed in a 3 bounce run down the Brewongle side of the stadium before a unleashing a long centering kick that found Lewis Broome who marks and goaled.
• Heath/Lynch had the unenviable task of marking Cornelius/Lisle with the Lions forwards having plenty of space and getting good delivery from their midfield. Heath was the preferred option on the bigger Lisle but would swap over to Cornelius when the Lisle was utilised as the second ruckman. Overall I think the defence did a solid job in the circumstances although it was disappointing that Cornelius managed to grab a few contested marks thanks to some smart blocking by his teammates
• Didn't see much of Brown again, wasn't sitting near the bench this time so I couldn't note whether he spent a lot of time on it.
• Broome looked lively in the first quarter and was troubling his marker Sheldon but only had one on the board. He had fewer opportunities as the Lions midfield took control of the game but did manage to convert the few other chances he had. I had him down for 4 goals but the official scores gave him 3.

Sydney 4.3 7.4 13.4 16.7 (103)
Brisbane 1.6 8.6 12.12 17.20 (122)

Sydney Swans

Goal Kickers: L. Broome 3, L. PARKER 3, T. DENNIS-LANE 3, T. WALSH 3, J. MOORE , M. Krochmal , T. MITCHELL , J. LAMB
Best Players: T. WALSH, B. MEREDITH, T. DENNIS-LANE, C. HEATH, B. Plug, L. PARKER
Brisbane Lions

Goal Kickers: A. Cornelius 6, J. HAWKSLEY 3, R. Newell 2, J. Fox 2, S. Docherty , J. Lisle , W. Pendlebury , J. O''Brien
Best Players: J. HAWKSLEY, S. Wrigley, J. Lisle, R. Newell, A. Cornelius, J. Clarke

[BillyRayCypress]

Interview at the ground with Moore, indicated that it woulkd probably be his last year and he will go into a coaching role. I'm presuming with the Swans.

[707]

I'm always intrigued about the Best Players on the official list. They often seem to differ considerably fom the ressie watchers.

Do you think there is a method in the official list indicating who they want to pump up or who they want to keep the lid on?

[Primmy]

I think we up in the stands see certain aspects of the game but the coaches are seeing what the ressie players are doing in respect to the game plan, team work, whether they follow instructions, what the gps thingy is telling them re work rate, etc. We only see the theatre, but its what goes on behind the scenes that puts the show on the road. They probably wouldn't pump up the tyres of someone who looked flash but didn't follow instructions, etc.

I think they put the lid on someone who may have had a good/great game, and is over pleased with themselves.

[ugg]

Who played in 53? I like him. Big unit ready to go; solid build and moves very well.

#53 I believe was Plug, who got in the bests list and I'm pretty sure kicked a goal although the only toppie listed as a goalkicker was Krochmal who was wearing #50

I'm always intrigued about the Best Players on the official list. They often seem to differ considerably fom the ressie watchers.

Do you think there is a method in the official list indicating who they want to pump up or who they want to keep the lid on?

No doubt that there is a smidgen of politicking involved, but on the whole I think it's a reflection on how well each player went in relation to his assigned role coming into the game. In one of Mitchell's early games he had 40 odd touches in 3 quarters of football but wasn't named (and hasn't been named in any of his games yet) in the bests list.

[wolftone57]

#53 I believe was Plug, who got in the bests list and I'm pretty sure kicked a goal although the only toppie listed as a goalkicker was Krochmal who was wearing #50


No doubt that there is a smidgen of politicking involved, but on the whole I think it's a reflection on how well each player went in relation to his assigned role coming into the game. In one of Mitchell's early games he had 40 odd touches in 3 quarters of football but wasn't named (and hasn't been named in any of his games yet) in the bests list.

If the best list is indeed supplied by the coaching staff then they do sometimes get it wrong evidentially. But I doubt that Best Lists are a thing the coaching staff would be interested in supplying. They would be more interested in how the team co-ordinated as a unit and how each member of the unit played their role. I wouldn't have thought Jared Crouch would have the time to contemplate drawing up a 'Best List' and I would have thought it not a job the coach would want to do as he is more interested in team effort.

[wolftone57]

The only reason the Two's lost to Brisbane is that we had a lot more Toppies than them. There were some good things that came out of the game though. The Bloods Spirit is alive and well and even the Toppies were fighting back when we got a git behind. We just lacked that little bit of top grade preparation that the Brisbane boys had. That is due to the amount of Toppies playing not being used to the rigours of AFL training and playing styles.