Tweet
TDL played a lone hand up forward with 6 goals, just not enough support as he was being double- and triple-teamed by the end. Game looked good on the live stream and was impressed with both the standard of play and the commentary, I think it's great that we're able to see games like this! I think the local Canberra teams have a lot more to play for in the finals than our reserves do, and that showed today. Jesse's ruckwork looks very good at this level and would be a more than handy back-up for Mummy and Pyke if required.
-
-
The increased number of topples in the finals hurts, for sure, but some of the toppie selections were a little odd, I thought. There were three or four who've barely played with the team all year and who are physically very immature. I wonder why they didn't stick with semi regulars like Wray and Plug, who've shown they can compete physically at this level.
Still, kudos to those who did play and gave it a red hot dip. Lycakis and Prior, in particular, had a real crack.
Of the listed Swans, Harry's pace and long kicking were on show, while Lamb kept up his good late season form too.Comment
-
The topups are almost entirely dependent on their respective Sydney afl club's commitments. I think that's why we had a fair ffew from St George today, they must be out of the finals?
I agree that Lycakis was very good but I thought Pryor and a bit of a 'mare. Weir was better beside him in defenceComment
-
Just got back from the game. Geez TDL can play, although he was well manned up by the Struggletown defence, he showed a class above all day. Have to say the QBN side played bloody well, they were really good. There were some serious mismatches particularly with their forward entry in terms of size and speed. Brett Meredith was really good IMO also, ran like a madman, Armstrong was everywhere until he came off. Don't know who our #58 was he looked really young and skinny but had silky skills and game reading when he was around it (apologies didnt have the record, and isnt a listed player) any more knowledgable RWOers please help out.
Just on another topic my young fella snuck into the dugout and had a chat to Gary Rohan, says he is feeling good and ready to go for pre-season training."We talked five times. I called him twice, and he called me twice." :confused: :confused: :confused: :D
Eddie McGuireComment
-
How come TDL can cope with getting triple-teamed in a grand final and still kick 6 goals, but just disappears on an AFL field against a single mediocre opponent? I know it's a big jump in standard, but I still demand answers.Comment
-
He is real class, the thought (ugly thought) that crossed my mind on the drive home from Manuka is that we may lose him if he can't get a more regular senior game. In regard to dissapearing, I don't think that is really fair......final against Carlton?"We talked five times. I called him twice, and he called me twice." :confused: :confused: :confused: :D
Eddie McGuireComment
-
BOG today, Kaine Stevens, was delisted by the Giants before they entered the AFL. We should give him a rookie contract.Comment
-
Comment
-
UGG is right - St George and North Shore are out of the running in Sydney football, so Swans reserves get their hands on Weir and Lykakis (among others.)
Plug and Wray were playing in the Sydney prelim at Blacktown today
PS FOR UGG....you've done well this year my friend - thanks for all the info.Comment
-
Thanks for the clarification. I had kinda assumed they'd be playing the local GF this weekend, and hence most players would be free of their local team commitments.
BTW, does anyone know what has happened to Daniel Robinson? I can only remember him playing one reserves game since the U18 championships. Has he been injured? Based on what little we have seen of him this year (and some decently positive reports of his u18 performances) I thought he was the most likely of the scholarship / academy players to win himself a rookie spot for next year.Comment
-
Just saw sydney afl results and Plug and Wray did play today. Kicked 3 goals and 1 respectively, with Plug named in Balmains best. would have been very handy for the swannies to have them out there today.Comment
-
The rules are designed to make it very difficult for the Swans to win a comp down there.
Half the Swans are u/18's, and when their mature bodied opponents are just allowed to play that unchecked scragging and scrapping game by the umpires, it is even harder.
But watching the coverage, you know you are really in trouble when the one eyed commentators start patting the umpires on the back half way through the game!
Still they knew what was required, they knew the umpires would be intimidated, they carried out their plans, and didn't the bounce of the ball help them too!
Good luck to the Tigers - the best team in Canberra.
For what it's worth, the Swans v Brisbane game a month or so back probably proved who is the best team in the NEAFL though.Comment
-
I wasn't overly enthusiastic when I saw that Lynch had been left out of the team, against one of the better tall forward lines in the competition. For balance one of the runners in a Meredith, McNeil, Cunningham or Gordon should have been left out but they are all apparently closer to senior selection than Lynch and the fortunes of the senior team took precedence. But to be fair, Crouch devised a game plan to try and lessen the impact of Lynch's omission rather than throw his putative replacement Pryor in the firing line. White would contest the centre bounces but would drop back to cover the 'hole' in defence. Any boundary throw-ins in the forward half were contested by Walsh or Spangher. The idea was for White to provide assistance to our beleaguered defence by cutting off forward 50 entries by the Tigers and by and large it worked well in the first quarter, and Crouch mentioned this at the quarter time huddle.
Heath was magnificent all day, not just in covering his direct opponent but peeling off at the right times and there were numerous instances where he flew courageously forwards, backwards, sideways you name it putting his body on the line to prevent the Queanbeyan forwards from marking it. The fact that his opponent Quade only kicked one goal, and it took a very good flying mark for him to do so, was testament to Heath's defensive capabilities today. Where it all really fell apart was in the second quarter when the Tigers' tackling and physical aggression affected the Swans, particularly in the midfield where the main drivers were set upon quick and hard before they had time to dispose of the ball cleanly. The forward structure wasn't working particularly well either with TDL, Walsh and Spangher closely checked and well held by a tightly packed defensive unit.
It didn't help that Armstrong went off early in the 3rd quarter and Walsh not long after that. Armstrong looked to have no injury concerns when he headed down the race to have a shower and change into civvies. Walsh came off limping in the first quarter and did come back on, but he looked proppy and couldn't seem to jump properly at marking contests. Not sure if his withdrawal was due to injury or time considerations.
Crouch was calm and considered at the third quarter break, he was encouraging but definitely not angry. He told Spangher (who had dropped back to defence in the 3rd quarter) to start on the wing, the half-forwards to push up the ground and clear the space for TDL to work in. Right on cue, Cunningham ran onto the opening bounce of the fourth quarter and kicked it to TDL who juggled a contested mark.
It's late, more tomorrow...Comment
Comment