Round 8, Sydney v Hawthorn

[mcs]

agree Liz

Parks for me is becoming like a Michael Voss type midfielder or a Mark Rusciutto or a Nathan Buckley

Some of his courageous smashing thru tight spaces to offload to our fast moving midfield was just awesome last night !!

Parker is a 21 yr old man playing in a kids body............... every since I saw Parks first playing I thought here is a 200 game player because his decision making, hardness, competitiveness, kicking, marking, vision and all round football ability is simply A1A !

Awesome recruiting and very fortunate he was still available at pick 40 cause i just love watching the kid play football for the swans.

Add 100 games to that and you'll be closer - I'll be very surprised, if he gets a good run with injury, if Parker isn't a 300 gamer by the end of his career.

I think he would be very close to leading our B&F at this stage - he has had a fantastic start to the year. His attack on the footy is top rate, and like Hanners, when he is going to mark, he has no sense of self worth or protecting himself, just all eyes on the ball. That moment in the last quarter when he managed to get the ball to the swans advantage in a 2 to 1 was a great piece of good footy smarts combined with a focus of 'the ball only.'

He is quickly turning into a very, very good player - and he is still only 21!

[Matt80]

agree Liz

Parks for me is becoming like a Michael Voss type midfielder or a Mark Rusciutto or a Nathan Buckley

Some of his courageous smashing thru tight spaces to offload to our fast moving midfield was just awesome last night !!

Parker is a 21 yr old man playing in a kids body............... every since I saw Parks first playing I thought here is a 200 game player because his decision making, hardness, competitiveness, kicking, marking, vision and all round football ability is simply A1A !

Awesome recruiting and very fortunate he was still available at pick 40 cause i just love watching the kid play football for the swans.

Parker is also the best overhead mark in the Swans side. If Franklin possessed Parker's overhead making ability he would be better than Wayne Carey.

I would like to see Parker occasionally isolated at Full Forward with some space. He could do a lot of damage in that situation. It should only be done occasionally as a change up.

[YvonneH]

I thought the same thing. Barring injury or some other calamity, I can't see LRT or ROK getting back in the team. Sad to see our TLAs go this way. It must be great having two players of their quality to teach the youngsters in the magoos though.

Does anyone know if ROK has any coaching aspirations? Maybe next year he could be an assistant coach (with us?) Sounds like from the NEAFL reports that both he and LRT are coaching the reserves on field vey nicely.

[aguy]

Does anyone know if ROK has any coaching aspirations? Maybe next year he could be an assistant coach (with us?) Sounds like from the NEAFL reports that both he and LRT are coaching the reserves on field vey nicely.

I've wondered if he might want to coach at Melbourne??

[Matt80]

I've wondered if he might want to coach at Melbourne??

I totally agree with that. I was talking to a guy who thinks he is suffering from Osteitis Pubis, which is limiting his acceleration and long kicking ability. If he can shake this injury and regain his acceleration then he will be a fine pick up for the Demons as a playing assistant.

[ugg]

I would like to see Parker occasionally isolated at Full Forward with some space. He could do a lot of damage in that situation. It should only be done occasionally as a change up.

If we isolate Parker at FF, where will Tippett, Buddy, Reid, Goodes and Bondi's 2nd most famous man play?

[liz]

I think Parker would make a fine medium sized marking forward, in the mould of a Jude Bolton. But he also makes a fine contested ball machine and, given all the forward options we have (fitness permitting) and the fact that we haven't managed to clone him, I think the team is better served with him being in the midfield. Not that this stops him playing in the forward line for stints. One of the strengths of the team is that we have so many smaller players capable of playing as forwards.

Just on that, it's been great to see Jack add this to his arsenal this season. While he's been a reasonably prolific goal kicking midfielder for the last few years, he has rarely spent time stationed in the forward line and the bulk of his goals have been on the run, or from forward 50 stoppages when the whole team is essentially parked in the forward line. His overhead marking and his set shot kicking for goal look to have really improved this year. That said, I think he, too, serves the team best by being part of the onball rotations. Hopefully he'll be able to spend more time in the midfield as the year progresses and his rib ailment lessens.

[jono2707]

I totally agree with that. I was talking to a guy who thinks he is suffering from Osteitis Pubis, which is limiting his acceleration and long kicking ability. If he can shake this injury and regain his acceleration then he will be a fine pick up for the Demons as a playing assistant.

He has had groin issues in the past. Remember he had that full groin reconstruction a few years ago. That received a lot of speculation here on RWO at the time.....

[Ludwig]

The team is looking very strong all over the ground. If we can get back to that slick and quick disposal from mid-season last year, I think we can seriously make a challenge for the cup this year.

1. Maybe 2013 was our year for injuries. This year it's looking like Hawthorn. They are still a very sharp team with superb skills, although a few of their players (Langdon, Hill) made a number of errors with the ball.

2. As Liz noted, the depth of midfield players that can rotate through the forward line is formidable. Almost all are excellent contested marks and good goal kickers. The fact the McGlynn and Cunningham take rotations in midfield is very valuable.

3. One positive change with Parker this year is the quickness of his body movements. He hits the deck and bounces up in a flash and is ready for the next play. He he is actually a quick player now, and on the fringes of being elite at only 21yo.

4. Buddy's defensive pressure is great. He's so agile. If he could reduce the FAs, he would be the perfect player. Maybe this is why Rohan has been playing in defence in the reserves. With Buddy and Reid, the big guys can really slow the ball coming out of defence.

5. Reg is back to his 2012 best after a bit of an off year in 2013. Laidler is quicker than I originally thought, although he is slow from a standing start, a la Mattner.

6. I like Reid as midfield player drifting back to help in defence. He's a great mark when he can find a bit of space, and reads the play well. He can rotate forward and let Buddy drag a defender well up the ground where he can use his speed and penetrating kick to move the ball long. Buddy's ability to launch the ball 70 metres should be utilised.

7. We don't need too many players clogging up the forward line. I would try to isolate Tippett 1 on 1 deep as often as possible. He looks even more powerful than Cloke, which is saying something, and with the added leniency on wrestling in marking contests, he shows he is hard to stop. Schoenmakers may have bulked up, but love the way Tippo ragged dolled him. We can learn from Hawthorn and try to get a smaller players open around 30 to 40 out from goal. Tippett and Buddy will attract a crowd and that should give opportunities to our strong marking mids.

8. Laidler has a long accurate kick and can add a goal or 2 from long range, like Mal often does. He can be the one you handball to for the bomb outside 50.

The Swans have many weapons and strategies once we get the structure and coordination right, which should happen in due course.

[Matt80]

If we isolate Parker at FF, where will Tippett, Buddy, Reid, Goodes and Bondi's 2nd most famous man play?

I think you can push all four up the the field on bigger grounds like Subiaco and the Adelaide oval. I would only do it for a maximum of five minutes. A change of forward strategy to confuse the opposition defence.

Who is Bondi's second most famous man?

After reading the papers this week I would argue that Buddy has dropped down the Bondi Beach pecking order!

[Matimbo]

I always know when its a helluvagame when I crave chicken chow mein on the drive home.

What the ... ??? Hands down the most bizarre thing I've ever read on this forum. Awesome.

[Matt80]

wow PORT are one serious team to watch play

just awesome awesome awesome running game to watch

I must say the pressure we brought against the HAwks last night, puts us in good stead against the Bombers, Cats and Port over the next month or so given our execution is still no were it needs to be and can be

We will beat Port if we get a dry day. Ports biggest weapon is Chad Winguard and Nick Smith will contain him, like he contains Cyril. Westoff will be tagged around the ground by Sam Reid and won't be as effective. Our defence will handle their forwards and Franklin, Tippett and Goodes will out class their defence.

Our midfield will need to break even with their midfield, but we have the edge in other areas of the ground!

[Nico]

I totally agree with that. I was talking to a guy who thinks he is suffering from Osteitis Pubis, which is limiting his acceleration and long kicking ability. If he can shake this injury and regain his acceleration then he will be a fine pick up for the Demons as a playing assistant.

No such thing Matt. Playing mentor more likely.

[Doctor]

If I annoyed anyone in the bar, I apologise!

Bet that's not the first time you've had to say that!

- - - Updated - - -

I always know when its a helluvagame when I crave chicken chow mein on the drive home.

For me it's a chicken kebab, but that's more a reflection of whether or not I've had a big game rather than the players!

[DamY]

I have it saved as a shortcut text in my phone!