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News Limited by name, news limited by nature.
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I think that ROK has been treated very shabbily here and it leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I find it hard to believe that anything much can be discerned from pre-season "form" - i.e the presumption that somehow ROK has lost speed or cannot now handle the mid-bodies"" as Longmire asserted. . Surely the ultimate test is in a real game? If ROK had played three or four and his form had been poor , then, yes, sadly, he might be turned out for a spell in the ressies. But for the first game! And against GWS. Either something smelly is boiling underneath in the Swans organisation or maybe it was thought that GWS was going to be an"?asy beat"" so maybe give ROK a rest. Of course the Swans could not publicly say that was what they were doing lest they be accused of "tanking"or the opposite of that when you are winning. I am hoping it is the latter - but then as has been reported faithfully by the RWO?rs why was he listed down to play ressies?
It smacks a bit of the shabby treatment that was afforded to Paul Bevan a few years ago. Played a stunning match against Carlton I think in an early final , kicked I think three or four goals and then was summarily dumped the next week for the returning Ben McGlynn. He (Bevan) was rightly p....d off. Mighty warrior that he had been for the club. Ben McGlynn is IMO only OK and I would have a slow ROK well before I picked McGlynn.
It is all a bad vibe.Comment
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I think we did underestimate the Giants and I believe O'Keefe's omission was nothing more than an extended rest.
If ROK had been on the ground from the first quarter we wouldn't have lost to GWS.Comment
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Although I don't think there is a direct connection, it is far more logical to conclude that we lost because ROK came on the ground, as we were ahead of GWS in all three quarters before ROK played. Our game fell apart once ROK came on.
He actually played quite poorly, but I'm not hanging the blame for the loss on him.Comment
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Not a princess at the time they met, but the ladies name was Mary Donaldson from Tasmania. ROK was a young unknown Swans player at the time! There are reports in News Ltd papers about this meeting!
They would both admire each other's careers fondly! Mary became a famous Princess, while ROK became king of the MCG. ROK is now in a position where his "Horse" is trying to dethrone him!Comment
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Every player's career comes to an end. He has been a champion for us but this I think will be the last year for he, Goodes, LRT & possibly Shaw. But Shaw seems to be the most likely to play on and last season or off season I would not have said that. I think all players have flat spots and he is going through one at the moment. Maybe he can't get excited about the new season after winning 2 premierships.Comment
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I agree it will be goodes last year and possibly ROK last year too. I just think ROK deserves a start in the senior team and not to be written off on the perception of poor form pre season. I think at his age his pre season performance means little. I don't think his form at the end of last season deserved him to be dropped and I don't think he has to prove his value in the preseason. He is a big game player for us and deserves a full game where it really matters. I can certainly understand why he wouldn't get excited about trial games but the real stuff is on now.
Rant finished
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Most players gradually slow down and realise it's coming to an end. None , of course, want to go, and resist the coaches' suggestions. But the coach always wins.
Some players seem to lose it pretty quickly; case in point is Kennelly. He lost his pace overnight, and quickly went.
Towards the end of last season, on several occasions I thought ROK was a tad slow getting to the ball or taking off with it.
In the last intra club and then in NAB this year, his influence on the game was significantly reduced from his norm.
I was not surprised to see him as emerg for round 1.
And when he did play, I believe his performance would have left both him and the coaches disappointed.
Love to be proved wrong, but the end may be nigh.
The caveat is ,of course, that he is only about 25 games past a Norm Smith.Comment
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I remember when people on here used to bemoan the fact (or at least, perception) of players getting games because they had credits in the bank, rather than on absolute merit. This is the first shock non-selection we have experienced for a while. We can't have it both ways. Those who think that ROK's past merited him a spot in the side, who should have made way? Many will nominate someone like Cunningham, notwithstanding the fact he brings something a little different to the side. If you're going to argue that, you can't then complain that young players who have performed well over pre-season aren't getting a fair go.
We also need to remember that the club can only pick 22 players in a side each week. So any particular player not being selected doesn't mean that they have suddenly lost the ability to play. It just means that the coaches don't consider they fit into the best, most balanced side for that week.Comment
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It's not sentimentality. I think it's all happened over the off season without any afl games to back it up. Goodsie for example is always different in the big games. I'm sure he will be scratchy if he gets back from injury but he will get games because we know what he can do when match fit.Comment
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