Reserves practice game vs Hills Eagles (split thread)

[liz]

@swansreserves: FT Swans 20.10 (130) Eagles 8.4 (52) Goals: Jack 3 Lamb 3 Membrey 3 Pyke 2 #51 2 Marsh 2 #49 #58 #59 Towers Biggs #goswans #fb

I didn't bother counting goals so good to know the final tally. Did Pyke really kick two? I can recall one but thought I'd have noticed him kicking a second. Mind you, I watched the second half down near the goals at the Randwick end and it was hard to see who was scoring what up the other end during the final quarter.

I thought it was a good showing against a decent local opponent. Lamb was solid throughout - sometimes better than solid. Biggs played the best game I've seen him play - lots of the ball and mostly used it quite well. He still doesn't really scream "senior AFL" to me, but certainly deserves credit for today's performance.

Harry (C) looked like he was concentrating hard on his defensive skills, and especially his tackling. I liked how he let loose late in the game and was prominent in some clearances streaming through the middle of the ground.

Harry (M) and Membray took a little time to get into the game but got progressively busier as it went on. In the third quarter especially, Membray showed that he knows how to hold his ground in a marking contest and protect the drop zone. Marsh looks to me like he might need another 12-18 months to get the endurance and body shape required to be effective at senior level, but there were glimpses of pace and skill that showed why he was drafted.

Jack jnr certainly loves a goal. One of his was a 45m snap off one step at a fair angle to goal. He's a player who's not scared to use his pace. In time, he'll learn to use it to even better effect but he certainly plays like a lad who believes he has what it takes, and physically and skills wise he is more advanced than Kieran was at age 18. If he has the same determination and work ethic as big brother, look out!

If this group is anything to go by, we can expect some more solid performances from the top ups this year. There were lots of big, strong lads out there, and none looked over awed. Number 51 kicked one particularly nice goal, swooping on a loose ball at top pace and converting from a tight angle. When he ran passed the boundary not long after, I was surprised to see he was a pretty tall and solidly built chap - not your typically diminutive goal sneak.

[Alan]

I have a lunch date!! rare these days, so unfortunately the ressies will have to battle on without me. Stay safe boys.

Talk about us staying safe, PRIMMY. Just make sure you call into the chemist on your way....or you can buy them in vending machine at pubs and railway stations. If you feel yourself going too early...think of England. Good luck...stud

[ugg]

Pyke's goals
2nd qtr - strong mark 15m out right in front
4th qtr - dick kicked over a defender for Pyke to mark in the pocket. Narrow angle but not far out

[ugg]

Bye Liz who did you think was Lloyd Perris?

[liz]

Bye Liz who did you think was Lloyd Perris?

Smallish lad wearing 48 (I think), or it could have been 49. Didn't seem him do much with the ball but he was very energetic guarding the mark on a few occasions. He looks like he is well under 180cm at the moment. But while he is relatively slight at the moment, he looks like he could develop a Jared Crouch or Paul Williams style build.

[ugg]

49 was dark haired so it must be 48. 47 I recognised as Stephen Wray but that is the only one. The others were quite big as you have noted they certainly don't make topples in the skinny model anymore

[liz]

49 was dark haired so it must be 48. 47 I recognised as Stephen Wray but that is the only one. The others were quite big as you have noted they certainly don't make topples in the skinny model anymore

Yep, now I recall 49 was a smallish (relatively) dark haired lad, so 48 was 'my' Perris. One of the toppies had floppy blond hair and looked like Monty Kromchal (sp?) who played a couple of games last year with the reserves (or was it the year before?) There is a kid with the same surname on the Academy list, so that could well have been Monty's brother.

Speaking of Monty, it was good to see our old Monty back on Lakeside. He's looking a little chunkier than even last season but still showed touches of class that most of the rest of players out there could only dream about. And Eugene was another returnee - he kicked one delightful goal for the Eagles.

[ugg]

A good hitout for both teams and both sets of coaches will be happy with their respective charges tonight. The Eagles have recruited well this year with Amon Buchanan (#6) and Marc Dragicevic (#7) adding class to their midfield. They were reasonably competitive, and when given time and space they could move the ball from their defence to attack with precision. It's only when they came up against the Swans pressure that they struggled, with the red and whites winning more of the contested ball.

• 1. Tim MEMBREY - I know I've mentioned this before but his resemblance to Luke Parker is uncanny, especially from a distance. At my first sighting of him this morning, I truly believed Parker was somehow playing in this match, perhaps as a result of some indiscretion during the week. But I digress; Membrey was the main target in attack due to White and Walsh in Adelaide, Morton playing further up field (see below) and Pyke only getting short rests from his ruck spells. However he wasn't your stereotypical stay-at-home full forward, he did plenty of work bustling up to the flanks and even the wings at times, reminiscent of a past #1-wearing Sydney forward. One thing is for certain - Membrey will kick a lot of goals in the NEAFL. He takes a lot of marks inside 50 - both through hard work on leads and excelling in winning one-on-one contests with his strength and body positioning. With his good kicking skills, Membrey will convert plenty of those marks into goals.
• 7. Harry CUNNINGHAM - Spent most of the day on defensive duty but contributed more offensively towards the end of the game when he had a direct hand in 2 of the last 3 goals kicked by the Swans. Stuck to his task well but would like to see him use his noted speed more running out from defence.
• 10. Mitch MORTON - Looked in very good form, both fitness and skills wise, for a player getting his first hitout of the preseason. Started in the forward line but as the game went on spent more time in the midfield and even in a few plays pushed right back to the defensive 50 to help out. Used the ball well when he had it and he finished off the 'play of the day' for me when he stepped inside an Eagle (think of his 2nd GF goal) before hitting Membrey in the right pocket with a long kick. Significantly, at least from my point of view, he was constantly looking for teammates in better positions than himself rather than having his trademarks snaps at goals.
• 11. Jed LAMB - Very much a midfielder now in this reserves team and not the small forward he was drafted as, so to come away with 3 goals playing almost exclusively from the centre was an excellent return and a just reward for his efforts today. He looks such a classy player when he plays with confidence and is a stark difference to the hesitant version who was hampered by injury last year. He was very much one of the better Swans for the first 3 quarters before having his influence curbed in the final term. One area of his game that impressed me today was his ability to use hit targets on his left foot rather than trying to swing around onto his preferred right.
• 22. Dean TOWERS - Played in defence for most of the game before shifting to a wing in the latter stages of the game. He had a solid game without really being a standout and on today's performance I don't think he would have pushed back ahead of Rampe for a possible HB spot for Round 1. Used his pace a few times to break the lines which was good to see but looks like the Swans are concentrating on improving his defensive aspects of his game at this stage.
• 23. Jordan LOCKYER - Looked rusty playing in a key position defensive role. Notably in a few passages of play, he had to either attack the incoming ball hard or maintain body contact with his opponent but did neither letting his man a free run and jump at the ball. He'll improve his output as the season goes on but at this stage I'm just grateful to see him out there after his injury riddled year in 2012.
• 27. Daniel ROBINSON - Part of the midfield rotation, good tackler.
• 28. Matthew DICK - Didn't spot him in the first quarter (not sure if this game had listed players restrictions?) and when he did enter the field of play the big redhead was somewhat fumbly in defence. Possesses a low and deliberate kicking action that is similar to Alex Johnson's kicking style. He managed a clever kick over the top of Pyke's defender to allow the Canuck to mark in the pocket with ease
• 31. Harrison MARSH - Started in the midfield (while he was used as a defender in the WA U18 side, he generally played in the midfield in the WAFL colts and it looks like this is where the Swans see him playing.) matched up on Buchanan but it wasn't a hard tag and a few players were rotated on Monty throughout the day. Showed he has a few strings to his bow, with his pace and strong hands the standout attributes.
• 33. Brandon JACK - Exciting, flashy (wore garish yellow fluoro boots), but with more than a hint of skill (definitely a MUCH better kick than his brother when Kieren was in his first year on the rookie list) to back it up, Jack will provide plenty of highlights playing across the half-forward line for the Reserves. He finished with a bag of 3 today but had involvement in at least 3 other goals and it's an excellent sign that he has the unselfishness and vision to bring his teammates into play rather than being an opportunistic goalsneak (which won't get you very far at the Swans).
• 38. Mike PYKE - Won plenty of hitouts (despite some really inept bouncing from the umpires, who should have just resorted to throwing the thing up at centre bounces instead of recalling so many of them) and unusally saw quite a bit of the ball in general play too. He rucked for most of the game with topup #59 relieving him for short spells. Kicked 2 goals including a tough set shot in the left forward pocket from a very narrow angle.
• 42. Xavier RICHARDS - I couldn't really spot the similarity to Teddy based on their profile pictures, but the way he moves and kicks screams 'Richards!!!'. He had an okay game, had a few opponents but was especially troubled by Eagles #3 who also gave Lockyer a few headaches. He's still learning the intricacies and tactics of playing as a key defender, but he will have a big load on his slender shoulders with the coaches likely to assign him the best opposition forward every week.
• 44. Jake LLOYD - Along with Lamb was the main driver of the onball brigade. Looks to be a compact, solid inside midfield option with good disposal, solid tackling skills and a intense desire for the football.
• 46. Shane BIGGS - Rotated mostly through the wing, halfback and onball, I actually thought he was a little quiet in the first half but exploded in the second half where he had a LOT of the footy. Ball use was mostly good with the occasional miskick - we'll put that down to crossed wires between new(ish) teammates.
• Topups - #47 Stephen Wray, #48 Lloyd Perris, and the unknowns #49, #51, #58, #59, and #60. #59 was a bigger lad who played forward/relief ruck. He was the recipient of an atrocious free kick in the goal square when he basically stumbled over his own feet and the umpire deemed it a push in the back. Clinton Young would have loved to be umpired by that particular umpire. #51 kicked a lovely left foot snap goal deep in the left pocket after Jack had put too much power on his pass. Wray saw time in the midfield while #60 played in defence. Would love to see some names matched to the numbers from the Swans, but I'm not holding my breath for it to happen.

Sam Naismith spent the game on the sidelines watching in non-Swans gear, complete with his left arm in a sling. I think Tom Mitchell was beside him although I'm not 100% sure. Overheard Naismith saying he had some surgery done to a finger. Paul Roos also spent time watching the game from the sidelines, literally a step or two from the boundary, complete with designer tears in his jeans. I assume some of the topups would have been under his charge at the Academy in the past couple of years.

For the opposition, Buchanan was fantastic for them, still has plenty of tricks up his sleeve enabling him to win the contested footy in close, but he was also very vocal out there, encouraging and directing his teammates. (Officially he is an assistant coach too!). Another ex-Swan in Eugene Kruger (#19) kicked a beautiful long goal from beyond 50m, although it was incredibly negligent of the Swans defenders to leave no one on the line who would have easily punched it through. As mentioned previously #3 was their best forward and his movement proved problematic for our defenders despite not getting the best of deliveries at times.

Swans 4.4 10.6 15.9 20.10 (130)
Eagles 0.1 4.2 6.3 8.4 (52)
Goals: Jack 3 Lamb 3 Membrey 3 Pyke 2 #51 2 Marsh 2 #49 #58 #59 Towers Biggs

[Auntie.Gerald]

Thanks Ugg

as always comprehensive and a great read !

[ShockOfHair]

Thanks, Ugg. Brilliant work.

Good news about Morton and Lamb in particular, and solid workout for Pyke. I hope that wasn't Mitchell on the sidelines.

It does sound a little weird for a coach (Buchanan) to be playing against some of his charges. Oh well.

[ugg]

I think Monty takes charge of the younger Cygnets of the Academy

[ScottH]

Nice work Ugg!!

[Triple B]

Excellent as always ugg...

[Big Al]

Re: Reserves practice game vs Hills Eagles (split thread)

Stood next to Ugg during the match and the guy is a machine. Wonderful effort as always mate.

My standout today was Lamb (surprise surprise). Works hard, plays smart and is showing that x-factor skill level that we saw when he first came to the club. I'm still predictibg big things for the kids.

The other standout was Membrey. A big lump of lad with a high work ethic and good hands. Sleeve tattoo aside I think this kid has the goods.

One thing Ugg and I did comment on was how physically advanced the new recruits are. None of them skinny weeds like in the past.

All in all a pretty good afternoon. Even popped into the Sheffield Shield after the game and watched a NSW player hit 46 off 18 balls to finish off SA.

[strapper]

Mitchell did a 3Km time trial before the game