vs Melbourne match thread

[Gary]

Have decided to read none of the above ... but noticed "entertaining" as a comment on the game ... well let me speak and get a few things of my chest ... not necessarily profitable or positive ... but honest ...
1. this was the most uninspiring / unsatisfying 30 point Swans "win" I have ever endured
2. it was like self inflicted torture most of the time
3. field kicking ... terrible
4. goal kicking ... terrible
5. hand passing ... mostly awful ... both givers and receivers (running into dead ends) at fault
6. general skill level / ball handling ... terrible
7. opportunities wasted / clangers ... horrendous
8. it got into a pattern that was predictable ... the best passages were Melbourne ... even if they mostly couldn't finish it off
9. if I was ever silly enough to watch a replay I'm sure there is more
10. and last weeks "arrival" is seen for what it wasn't with the Freo loss at home.

Bright spots in the gloom ... Hanners is back ... Rampe is simply great ...Tom D looked a bit better ... Shaw had a lot of possessions ... Goodes ... but we won'y get anywhere near Geelong, Hawthorn etc serving up this error riddled drivel.

[0918330512]

Worst. Game. Ever.

Rubbish.

We won.

For a start, any of those 3 losses earlier in the session were worse

[Matt80]

Many people are commenting on the lack of output by LRT and Tom D.

Is it time to acknowledge that Tippett will need to do some ruckwork when he is back?

[0918330512]

Many people are commenting on the lack of output by LRT and Tom D.

Is it time to acknowledge that Tippett will need to do some ruckwork when he is back?

Tippett seems to break if someone even breathes heavily in his general direction at the moment. How's he going to handle ruck duties?

[aguy]

I'm not so sure. Rucking down in the forward line takes tippet out of the contest for goal kicking which I think he is better suited to. Additionally he is more likely to reinjure his knee and ribs

I'm sort of agreeing with Leigh Matthews about the ruck and I think the ground work of hanners Kennedy etc is prob more important. Surely the clearances are more important than hit outs. We won clearances 35 29 despite losing hit outs 26 48

[barry]

I cant beleive the negativity here. Any sloppiness was due to Melbourne pressure and slippery ball. Give the opposition some credit. If the demons played like that every week, theyd have a few more wins.

I liked laidlers game. He reminds me a bit of LRT. Not much talent but plenty of guts and determination.

[Melbournehammer]

I cant beleive the negativity here. Any sloppiness was due to Melbourne pressure and slippery ball. Give the opposition some credit. If the demons played like that every week, theyd have a few more wins.

I liked laidlers game. He reminds me a bit of LRT. Not much talent but plenty of guts and determination.

I'm not negative. I think we did ok, but that is because I have lowered my expectations. I think you should too. Your comment about the demons playing like that every week could be said about north and gws as well. As I say to my son - if you have arguments with one person it could be them or you, If you have arguments with everyone in the house it's probably you. The dees kicked less than forty points for the MATCH in cold but dry conditions. We coulda shoulda woulda beat them by more but won by just five goals kicking less than seventy points ourselves. It wasn't even that windy. A lot of our set shots just missed, never deviated off the line, just missed. Man Craig bird didn't even make the distance from 45. And that kicking was no different but considerably better than that off half back where we missed player after player time and time again. At the ground all you heard were groans from both sets of fans (and the Bronx cheers for jack watts).


After a while you either come to the realization that with the current 22 injuries, experience, skills we are playing about as well as we can and that, hopefully, Reid and Tippett and maybe Rohan and Mitchell will improve us. But I doubt it to be honest. If last nights skills were anything to go by our field kicking would have to improve out of this world to beat Port and essendon, let alone Geelong and hawthorn.

I can see us finishing between 5-10 unless the personnel or skills improve. I think we have it in us to improve, but we are coming from a long way back at the moment

[Matt80]

As a football lover I'm looking forward to the battle of the Swans attack v Hawks defence. If everyone is ready it's:

Tippett V Lake
Franklin V Gibson
Goodes V Stratton
Reid V Schoennakers

That is the best AFL attack V the best AFL defence (Geelong Key defence is similar class).

What strategies could the Swans forwards use to get on top?

[ernie koala]

I can see us finishing between 5-10 unless the personnel or skills improve. I think we have it in us to improve, but we are coming from a long way back at the moment

I don't agree.

Our mids are finding form

Our defenders have been excellent (one of the best outfits in the league)

Our forwards have been poor but will change dramatically with the inclusion of Tippett, Reid and a match fit Goodes.

If we get a lucky run with injuries, I predict we'll still finish top 4.

Sorry Melbournehammer, just noticed you qualified with "personnel improve'....So perhaps we agree?

[707]

Scrappy game, the Tankers tactics made it that way although disposal skill was missing somewhat.

The positive is that we kept them to a miniscule score, the negative is that we couldn't break out of their clutches to kick a better score ourselves.

On personnel, Hanners is finally back in form, Kennedy just keeps churning it out, Shaw getting plenty of it although he burns a few each game, Jack is playing under duress but the BIG one is ......

tell me what other top side would be playing either Derickx or LRT at present? and we are playing BOTH and getting bugger all impact out of either. We are almost playing two men down.

Both of these players should be under severe selection pressure once Tippett & Reid are back and surely Nankervis would give us more than Derickx?

Unless we find much better disposal and speed, I fear for our season in the upcoming five game streak of Hawthorn, Essendon, Geelong, Port Adelaide and Gold Coast at Metricon.

[Matt80]

Top four is still a possibility, at 3 and 3, the Swans remain in striking distance. Only Geelong and the Hawks will pull away in first and second spot. Spots 3 and 4 are wide open. North and a Jesse White inspired Collingwood are better this year. West Coast , Fremantle, and Essondon are faltering. We should be able to beat the Suns and our key position strength should edge out Port as long as our midfield plays well. Teams like Carlton, Richmond and Adelaide will take games of good teams. GWS are a wet weather team, St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs will struggle after a solid start to the season.

The top four is there for the taking! If the remaining games are on dry decks then we will be top four.

[MattW]

Scrappy game, the Tankers tactics made it that way although disposal skill was missing somewhat.

The positive is that we kept them to a miniscule score, the negative is that we couldn't break out of their clutches to kick a better score ourselves.

On personnel, Hanners is finally back in form, Kennedy just keeps churning it out, Shaw getting plenty of it although he burns a few each game, Jack is playing under duress but the BIG one is ......

tell me what other top side would be playing either Derickx or LRT at present? and we are playing BOTH and getting bugger all impact out of either. We are almost playing two men down.

Both of these players should be under severe selection pressure once Tippett & Reid are back and surely Nankervis would give us more than Derickx?

Unless we find much better disposal and speed, I fear for our season in the upcoming five game streak of Hawthorn, Essendon, Geelong, Port Adelaide and Gold Coast at Metricon.

I agree with that. I'm inclined to favour LRT given his historical contribution, but he's not rucking at the moment and he's not playing as a key defender, so I'm not sure what he is doing. No marks (or even marking contests) inside 50. Derickx is winning a couple of contests, and is rucking, so perhaps he deserves to stay in. Smashed in the hit-outs again.

Edit: Nankervis was in the bests for the Reserves again, but I notice from the stats that he was second ruckman to Naismith until Sam was injured. So it seems at the moment that they see him as a forward who can ruck. So Naismith is the main second ruck challenger to Derickx, and he's probably a long way off.

We really need our forwards fit and in form to be challenging. They're a long way off that, but they may all be back next week and maybe we can start building.

[Triple B]

I see all the Derrickx bashers are out with their baseball bats again after he, yet again, did all that was asked of him, made a contest and hurt a few bodies along the way and again gave Myke a chopout and a chance to further ease into the season after a limited pre-season.

Anybody critical of his game last night has an obvious axe to grind and is not watching his game objectively at all...

[royboy42]

Good crowd, just under 25,000 with a lot of red and white.
Frustrating game to be at: messy, flashes of brilliance punctuating the endless clangers, turnovers, dropped balls, losing position... the list goes on.
The midfield was not bad, worked pretty solidly, especially Hannebery, McVeigh, Kennedy and Jack. Parker contributed but his radar was off tonight. Jetta was good in patches, Harry was good and Lloyd should be a fixture with his kicking (despite one turnover) and positioning - exceptional in such a young player. Benny worked hard and will have better days; I think his goal had a settling effect for us.
Ted was outstanding (I thought our best on field with McVeigh) and Mal was solid. Laidler and Shaw were patchy, both making good decisions at times, at other times horrible clangers that led to Melbourne goals. Smithy was generally good but also gave away a goal with a delivery straight to an opponent in the 50. Rampe was very good for most of his time on ground.
Goodes lifted the team when he came on: his calmness, accuracy and sheer presence was enough to justify the cheers whenever he touched the ball. Buddy was Ok, his radar was off too, but he and Kennedy were never paid for the holding they put up with; I really admire their restraint.
This team is unfortunately playing ugly football and I confidently predict they will not win a premiership if they keep it up ...

Dangerous to predict us not winning a flag cos of ugly football...Demetriou is a case in point 2005!

[Legs Akimbo]

tell me what other top side would be playing either Derickx or LRT at present? and we are playing BOTH and getting bugger all impact out of either. We are almost playing two men down.

Both of these players should be under severe selection pressure once Tippett & Reid are back and surely Nankervis would give us more than Derickx?

Derickx is my whipping boy. He spent quite a lot of time in the ruck and managed 7 hit outs and not sure any were to advantage. Pyke had 18 hitouts. I'd note that Derickx had 11 possessions (9 handballs) and kicked a charity goal versus Pyke's 8 possessions. Pyke is definitely not playing well and at present is borderline in the 'crap pack', although I think he is a very good player in general...

I admire Derickx's (do you need an 's after an 'x') attitude and courage, but he is a complete spud. Yes, I'm eating my own etc. etc, but I'm still calling it. I watched Nankervis last week and just can't see how he doesn't provide more upside and I don't understand why he has not been promoted.

I like LRT but last night he was woeful. Surely injured or has he hit the wall a la ROK?