GFC gameday thread

[Matt79]

So much negativity! We were beaten by the better team who were 100% full strength on their home turf.

I do tend to remember we lost to Hawthorn and Geelong in the final two rounds last year and our own supporters were writing us off...we know what happened next!!

Next week v Hawthorn Hanners and ROK need a rest before finals to freshen up. I also think we need to virtually throw Jetta and Reid in. If they re-injure oh well we were probably going to be without them for the finals anyway. But they need a run before finals to see if they can add something this late in the season after injury.

Another positive, we are playing in Melbourne for the qualifying final.

So v Hawks
In: Cunningham, Bolton, Jetta, Reid
Out: Shaw (inj), ROK (rest) Hanners (rest) and one more with niggling injuries to rest

[hot potato]

Commentators have to come up with some smart analysis, but when The opposition are running rings around you, it's a battle just to get hold of the bloody pill, let alone do anything with it.
Where's Paul Kelly when you need him .
The Cats Are Pill Possession Maniacs . Good lesson fr them.

[Swansinger]

I envy those who could get to the game. If you thought the loss was painful , it was not as bad as listening to Eddie "I support two teams - Collingwood and whoever is playing against the Swans" McGuire.

Some of us criticised the recent game-plan of "bomb it long to KT" . But did we really need to change it to bombing it long to Harry Taylor ?!

Teddy was good , as was JPK. Reg was not bad.Tom tried his heart out. And six contested marks for Pykey - impressive.

Injuries were a factor in the margin , but hardly decisive.

[Primmy]

To me it looks like some of the kids are showing that they are kids and still have a long way to go. Panic and a lack of calm is evident. Some of the older men are no longer as quick as they were. Decision making is awful too often.

Importantly, the synergy has been stripped. It was on show right through until a few weeks ago, and it has thinned out. No longer a settled team. Too many changes, no longer sure of what their team mate is going to do, old guard coming in and playing like they always have thereby fracturing the recently established patterns, some fringe players too anxious about their future to concentrate fully on their present and are becoming easily 'bullied'.

Tippert is good for the team, but the team don't know how to fully play to a leading forward because we haven't had a good one for years. Upwards of 3 big talls, one of whom is not exactly known for his expertise and timing, spoiling each other.

We look like a jigsaw puzzle that is not properly joined together yet. May not be again this year.

Grand Final 2013. No. Grand Final 2014? Maybe.

[undy]

Quote Originally Posted by undy
Goodes and LRT are both itching to play on and both were in good form before they got injured they will be back. Given Shaw is having a LARS, I think he is intending to play on.

Goodes and LRT have not even started training yet. Jetts and Sammy trained with the Resies today so maybe get them back. would be good to get Jetts back. But little chance of Goodsie or LRT. Although with Goodsie you never know. LRT has not played all season, since round 4 I believe. Goodes since mid season. Be real!!!

I was replying to Bloodthirsty's lament about Goodsie, LRT, Bolton and Shaw retiring at the end of the year... the app lost the original context.

Probably Bolton, Morton and Mattner to go at the end of this year.
We've done well to make the top 4 with the players we have had injured. Its a great opportunity to get some finals experience into the younger players and anything else must be an unexpected bonus.

[Bloodthirsty]

So much negativity! We were beaten by the better team who were 100% full strength on their home turf.

I do tend to remember we lost to Hawthorn and Geelong in the final two rounds last year and our own supporters were writing us off...we know what happened next!!

Next week v Hawthorn Hanners and ROK need a rest before finals to freshen up. I also think we need to virtually throw Jetta and Reid in. If they re-injure oh well we were probably going to be without them for the finals anyway. But they need a run before finals to see if they can add something this late in the season after injury.

Another positive, we are playing in Melbourne for the qualifying final.

So v Hawks
In: Cunningham, Bolton, Jetta, Reid
Out: Shaw (inj), ROK (rest) Hanners (rest) and one more with niggling injuries to rest

Completely agree.

In: Cunningham, Bolton, Reid, Jetta, Morton
Out: Shaw, Everitt (omitted), maybe Lamb if he doesn't look like a GF player, plus rest some stars. The Hawks game is a dead rubber.

Someone's surmise that we are deliberately playing an unSwans-like gameplan currently.....well TBH that's not the craziest I've heard. There could well be some truth and merit to that. If we can all see the basic strategic errors, then I'm sure Longmire knows all about them. The opposition are showing all their cards, we're not, plus half our team is missing so there's little point.

[DK_]

I envy those who could get to the game. If you thought the loss was painful , it was not as bad as listening to Eddie "I support two teams - Collingwood and whoever is playing against the Swans" McGuire.

Some of us criticised the recent game-plan of "bomb it long to KT" . But did we really need to change it to bombing it long to Harry Taylor ?!

Teddy was good , as was JPK. Reg was not bad.Tom tried his heart out. And six contested marks for Pykey - impressive.

Injuries were a factor in the margin , but hardly decisive.

I'm with you. Eddie is simply awful as a commentator. He doesn't even make up for it by being good at something else (except maybe pretending to be shocked by Collingwood member behaviour). Can't stand him on any level. Wish he wasn't on TV.

As I descend into despondency, I'm starting to suspect that the Swans were just bombing it long, full stop. Tippett was just good enough to make his way onto the end of it a lot of the time.

On the positive side, Teddy and JPK are back to last year's form and just at the right time. Pyke and White are far better than anyone would have expected of them at the start of the year. Rampe and Tippett have been revelations. Reg is back to being solid. But what has been happening with the rest of them? Where did it all go wrong?

What happened to the team that took apart Richmond? The current team demonstrated their class that day, but the midfield just haven't seemed to click since. Our attack has seemed disorganised and second-rate in every game. Our handballing out of trouble, which used to be carried out with the finesse of a philharmonic orchestra, just seems to be a series of fumbles which end up in the hands of the opposition. Our player placement, which used to look like a grand chess-master was pushing the players around, now looks much the same, but with an opposition player where a man in red and white used to be. We seem to be out-tackled in every single game.

Did the Bulldogs show the top 8 how to beat us (by illegally tackling players off the ball) even though they didn't have the class to finish it off themselves? Have the returnees upset the apple cart? Has the ramped-up training load been too harsh on some young bodies?

If I try to be positive, I tell myself that we lost three of the last four last year. But we were awesome in the Hawthorn game and good in the Collingwood game, even though we lost. Our losses have been simply awful this year.

I look at the start of the year, where we were poor against some poor opposition and got resoundingly beaten by Collingwood and Geelong, but suddenly clicked in the most emphatic way possible when the chips were down. I know from experience that the Swans like to go the hardest possible way (and for the supporters, the most stressful). They've come back when all seems lost so many times. But can they turn things around in just two weeks?

I'm sure that Longmire won't lose sleep on whether we have a home final or not, so maybe there's some strategy or subterfuge in play. Last year Jetta disappeared from the goal-scoring stats and seemed to spend a lot of time down back for the last quarter of the year, only to burst back onto the scene in the finals. There's no doubt that Longmire is a brilliant coach. Despite his protestations to the contrary, from observance I can see his strategies play out far beyond winning the next game. But I can't see a similar play here. Hopefully that's just because I'm not awesome like Horse!

I'm hoping, but it feels like that's all it is.

[Bloodthirsty]

I'm with you. Eddie is simply awful as a commentator. He doesn't even make up for it by being good at something else (except maybe pretending to be shocked by Collingwood member behaviour). Can't stand him on any level. Wish he wasn't on TV.

As I descend into despondency, I'm starting to suspect that the Swans were just bombing it long, full stop. Tippett was just good enough to make his way onto the end of it a lot of the time.

On the positive side, Teddy and JPK are back to last year's form and just at the right time. Pyke and White are far better than anyone would have expected of them at the start of the year. Rampe and Tippett have been revelations. Reg is back to being solid. But what has been happening with the rest of them? Where did it all go wrong?

What happened to the team that took apart Richmond? The current team demonstrated their class that day, but the midfield just haven't seemed to click since. Our attack has seemed disorganised and second-rate in every game. Our handballing out of trouble, which used to be carried out with the finesse of a philharmonic orchestra, just seems to be a series of fumbles which end up in the hands of the opposition. Our player placement, which used to look like a grand chess-master was pushing the players around, now looks much the same, but with an opposition player where a man in red and white used to be. We seem to be out-tackled in every single game.

Did the Bulldogs show the top 8 how to beat us (by illegally tackling players off the ball) even though they didn't have the class to finish it off themselves? Have the returnees upset the apple cart? Has the ramped-up training load been too harsh on some young bodies?

If I try to be positive, I tell myself that we lost three of the last four last year. But we were awesome in the Hawthorn game and good in the Collingwood game, even though we lost. Our losses have been simply awful this year.

I look at the start of the year, where we were poor against some poor opposition and got resoundingly beaten by Collingwood and Geelong, but suddenly clicked in the most emphatic way possible when the chips were down. I know from experience that the Swans like to go the hardest possible way (and for the supporters, the most stressful). They've come back when all seems lost so many times. But can they turn things around in just two weeks?

I'm sure that Longmire won't lose sleep on whether we have a home final or not, so maybe there's some strategy or subterfuge in play. Last year Jetta disappeared from the goal-scoring stats and seemed to spend a lot of time down back for the last quarter of the year, only to burst back onto the scene in the finals. There's no doubt that Longmire is a brilliant coach. Despite his protestations to the contrary, from observance I can see his strategies play out far beyond winning the next game. But I can't see a similar play here. Hopefully that's just because I'm not awesome like Horse!

I'm hoping, but it feels like that's all it is.

Good post DK. Yes, we have gone from a philharmonic orchestra at the Opera House to Britany Spears lip-syncing at a trailer park.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

We looked pretty horrible in this game last year too. It's largely irrelevant , it would be nice to see us play some decent footy coming into finals though. The injuries weve copped today haven't helped.

It is a remarkably similar pattern to last year. And i believe it may not be coincidental (as was suggested after the maggots game, the swans may be deliberately over training ATM, so they can taper in the finals). So I'm not going to run round squawking "the sky is falling" and call for 6 changes to the team.
Don't misunderstand me i don't believe we can go back to back, I believe that boat sailed over a month ago, far too many injuries to KPP and speedy players.

[stellation]

Did my eyes deceive me, or was Jesse in the centre square as a mid for one of the bounces?

[annew]

If our mids can get their mo jo and running game back we just might be a chance.

[Bloodthirsty]

Reid for Everitt?
Jetta for Lamb?
Morton for somebody?
Is Cunningham good enough to play a role in finals footy?

[Melbournehammer]

Did my eyes deceive me, or was Jesse in the centre square as a mid for one of the bounces?

Actually he was in there for most of the fourth quarter bounces. I sort of understood the thinking - he was our only player all day who looked like he could break a tackle and did seem creative enough.

Don't think he actually touched it mind you

[Nich]

I would not read too much into the way we played today. If you show your hand before finals the opposition will work out your strengths and weaknesses. I really do believe we will change the way we play come finals football. As I said before if we play the
way we did against Adelaide and Collingwood mid year and still don't win the flag, I will not be unhappy.

I'm with you as well. I've got no doubt the players are smart enough to know what they have to do and I know they can do it. They are playing a diff type of footy at the moment, for what reason im not completely sure but im sure the Coaches know whats going on. Come next week and Sept it will change for the better. I'm sure!

There was a moment yesterday when Gary led up 'unmarked' 40 out in front and they kicked to Pyke 20 out in front with 2 on him. Now Pykey marked and kicked the goal so all good but what has been happening is when that mark is not taken the opposing team just rebounds so quickly because we have no one there at the 'drop zone'. We sure are playing a weird brand but hopefully as I said they do the old switcheroo next week/Sept and screw their heads back on. Looking forward to it!

[DK_]

It is a remarkably similar pattern to last year. And i believe it may not be coincidental (as was suggested after the maggots game, the swans may be deliberately over training ATM, so they can taper in the finals). So I'm not going to run round squawking "the sky is falling" and call for 6 changes to the team.
Don't misunderstand me i don't believe we can go back to back, I believe that boat sailed over a month ago, far too many injuries to KPP and speedy players.

I'd run around like the sky's falling if Horse made 6 changes. That would say he's got no strategy and is now panicking.