Game Day GWS vs Swans Rd 1

[Nico]

One positive is that Laidler is no good. Flick him now.

[707]

This was always going to happen, just that it happened two years sooner than we thought.

The AFL love child has a whole team of first round draft picks, four number one picks etc etc. As I have said several times in the past, it is a juggernaught waiting to roll and it started rolling today!

Not sure where it leaves us but we aren't looking a top four side that's for sure. I'll wait for a few more weeks before letting depression set in but it will be a long wait to round 2.

[bodgie]

Easy in hindsight but we were caught trying to cruise into the season, as per the previous two years, by their increased intensity. That extra long break would have suited them much more than us. I expect a positive turnaround. We need some serious forward to distract from Franklin.

[Melbournehammer]

Gee whiz the criticism directed towards laidler is over the top. He was far from the worst and there are a lot of players who need to be looked at.

[Meg]

I particularly agree with Ludwig's first two points:

"1. GWS are a seriously good team. They played hard and they played well. Credit to them.

2. They kicked the last 9 scores. We were overrun in the end. You have to wonder what happened to our vaunted fitness."

We usually have one shocker each season. Let's hope this was it and normal service resumes round 2.

[Melbournehammer]

If it is a tragedy then it's most definitely one of our own making. Call it hubris, call it karma. I can't help feeling a little glad that Mummy got a little bit of his own back

Now before someone tries to lynch me, i do hope to god this isn't a foretaste of the season as a whole.
But on the other hand this loss will be fantastically good for the game in nsw - far better i believe long term than any number of glamour full forwards.

I don't actually know why it is good for the game. Are there really so many undiscovered afl fans waiting for the giants bandwagon to roll ? And if the swans die in the he process with a midfield of honest triers and an aging forward that's got to grow it yes ?

[robamiee]

at least the reality check of not taking any team for granted happened in round 1...
we looked tired, lack of a back up ruck for pyke I think really showed and our clearances fained away...

I preferred the days when we weren't talked about as premiership favourites or contenders.... hopefully this loss will let the boys know not to believe the hype unless they put in the work..

regardless I wont accept comments about karma etc relating to buddy.. it will take 5-6 outings for him be use to our game day play..

Hanners, very very quiet, Jetta really didn't make an impact when needed..

Our forward line looked unsure of its structure, they got 2 weeks to turn it around...

[Bexl]

One positive is that Laidler is no good. Flick him now.

Stats are not everything but Laidler had our equal top super coach score of 95 points with Parker.

[Meg]

Wonderful crowd of 17k too - shows how much Sydney loves the AFL.....

Two thirds of whom were Swans' fans anyway. And to our credit nearly all Swans' fans in my area applauded GWS at the end.

[bodgie]

I thought Jetta looked better than he has for a while. Hanners looked quiet in the pre-season too. Agree Pyke looked shattered by the end, no surprise there. Reid was kinda useless but not good weather for him (ha - for many), rabble umpiring but a hard game to umpire. Have to admire how bad GWS wanted it.

[DA_Swan]

I think we saw today why the coaches were worried about our lack of pace with ROK being on the bench - made even worse with K Jack out - GWS looked way quicker than us and they will beat other teams this year - the conditions made it perfect for Mumford to do some damage and we just did not handle their pressure - had chances to put it away and could not get the job done - hopefully we play a 2nd ruckman to help out Pyke next time we play a team that has 2 rucks - the rain certainly did not help us and we can only improve

[swannymum]

Reminds me of a few seasons back with Roos at the helm. Waiting with anticipation for the first game of the season against the Saints at Etihad, who were expected to lose. Then putting in an insipid performance. What an anti-climax! Fortunately improved soon after and I hope the Swans do improve. We'll have to put up with all the gloating every time Buddy misses a goal in the meantime.

[Swansinger]

First quarter okay , then all downhill. We were beaten by a better team.
Late on , the Fox Footy satellite signal dropped out. I'm sorry they fixed it !

[Mug Punter]

Cannot remember ever being so gutted as a Swans supporter, the way we just rolled over and died.

As for the knobs we played tonight, yes they deserved it but all this "It is good for the game in Sydney" talk is rubbish, they could win a flag and they still won't have any genuine fans.

Some random rants
* Buddy was fat and lazy tonight, I know they were not ideal conditions for him but he looked very very ordinary. This could be the biggest mistake in AFL history, every other club in the AFL is laughing in our faces at the moment.
* Laidler clearly not AFL Standard
* Rampe to suffer some serious second season blues
* LRT too old and slow
* Jetta looked OK but as usual doesn't put in for four quarters
* Pyke not an AFL standard first choice ruckman, some of his kicks straight up in the air were plain ordinary
* Sam Reid a complete passenger

Only players to hold their heads up were Ted, Jarred and Benny McGlynn in my view.

The truly worrying thing is that was our best team - sure Keiran is a huge out but KT (the immovable statue) and our geriatric Australian of the Year would have added little tonight.

I expect Horse to flog those lazy big time charlies for the next 10 days. They have very little time to turn this around of this could be a season from hell for us....

[BillyRayCypress]

Well what the Buddy hell????

Sandy Roberts is calling it a thrashing.

Andrew Demetriou nearly choked on his souvlaki and quickly broke out into a few minutes of dancing Zorba the Great when he heard the result.

Well it was lucky I have my dual Swans-GWS membership so you always leave the ground a winner!!!!!!