Game Day - R18 vs Hawks

[Auntie.Gerald]

for me i dont think we can play worse then tonight against a top 4 team......and the Hawks only just put us away by 10points

There was still plenty of spirit which was encouraging right to then end !

Cunningham and Lloyd have been crucial for matchups and Horse made a strong decision early on in season 2014 to make sure we had enough running players to compete with the likes of the Hawks and or Port. If we didnt have them out there tonight we would have been beaten by 30points compared to having say ROK playing.

Parker, Macca, Kennedy, Bird have to have to have to win more clearances for us to truly come out on top and dominate.........if they dont a clinical team like the Hawks move the ball so quickly that the above slow inside midfielders can not then keep up with the pace of the chip, spread uncontested footy of the Hawks

[Kelpie_X]

Quoted from the first page.

Does this officially make me a "pundit" like Matt80?

ooooh. On here, you probably don't want to be associated with anything Matt80 says.

Just a joke Matt80

[Bloody Hell]

Definately the loss we had to have.

Lacked intensity in the 3rd when the Hawks took it up a notch and started smashing us in the centre clearances. The Swans didn't go up a gear until we were down 3 goals and the game was gone.

I'm reasonably confident we won't drop another without reason. Alot of players were down on usual performance including Kennedy, Malcheski, Parker and McVeigh, who are probably the best indicators of performance for the Swans. An indication the Hawks were better prepared dor us, then us for them.

Good to see Rohan getting some confidence back. Biiig crash pack in the 4th that a man with a dodgy leg wouldn't ever contemplate. He will be important for us come finals.

[Ampersand]

Apparently not. Post match they said that he said he was indicating it wasn't touched to the umpire. Guess that makes Gibbo a bad sport for claiming touched? :-/

Benny clearly says "point" after waving his arms. The replay's up on the AFL website.

[dimelb]

Just back from the 'G. Huge crowd, so slow exit.
I agree that our intensity seemed down, despite winning the tackle count clearly. The mids were OK, but we have come to expect more intensity, and their disposals were down by comparison with their better efforts. Except for Benny, of course.
Our defence was a bit at sea at times what with unfortunate matchups, subbing Reg off, dropping marks they would normally swallow. Ted put in. I'm happy to be developing Rampe and he does many good things, but sometimes finds himself out of position and has a tendency to punch the ball across the goal instead of away from it; his clanger was horrid and he should realise that against a side like Hawthorn with some of the best forward defensive pressure around you are unlikely to be allowed to run the ball out. But he needs to stay where he is, the potential is there.
Back to sessions with Nick Davis for some of our forwards. And Buddy needs to curb the tendency to take on more than he can chew by trying it on and ending up tackled or dispossessed through dithering.
The umpiring was strange on occasion, but that's generally the case and it had nothing to do with tonight's loss. Hawthorn simply played better than we did, took cleaner marks on the whole, kicked and handballed more accurately.
And we need Hannebery back as soon as he's ready.

[wolftone57]

for me i dont think we can play worse then tonight against a top 4 team......and the Hawks only just put us away by 10points

There was still plenty of spirit which was encouraging right to then end !

Cunningham and Lloyd have been crucial for matchups and Horse made a strong decision early on in season 2014 to make sure we had enough running players to compete with the likes of the Hawks and or Port. If we didnt have them out there tonight we would have been beaten by 30points compared to having say ROK playing.

Parker, Macca, Kennedy, Bird have to have to have to win more clearances for us to truly come out on top and dominate.........if they dont a clinical team like the Hawks move the ball so quickly that the above slow inside midfielders can not then keep up with the pace of the chip, spread uncontested footy of the Hawks

The mid set ups were bloody wrong. We got stuffed off the Hawks defensive side. This is something we have done regularly in 2013. But I thought we had it under control this year. But in this game we were regularly stuffed by players getting the ball on their defensive side and running it. the other thing that worried me was our lack of forward pressure. It was crap. We set up with a loose player in defence so did they but they used theirs better. We play better man on man and got sucked in. Longmire you are a sucker!!!@ Outcoached !!!!!

[Nico]

Disappointing to lose, but it was a finals style game of footy and im confident that we can beat them come finals time.

One of those games where a couple of 50/50 calls (well the first one wasnt to me for their goal just befor 3/4time - htb every day of the week!) that didnt go our way really hurt. We may get our payback come finals time.

I must comment on some of the flogs that follow the hawks though. I really don't appreciate dickheads like the one we got on the way out - who yelled something along the lines of (without us saying a word) '@@@@ off you @@@@ing cheaters' at me and my gf. We had had nothing to do with this fool all night (we were two bays across) - my better half has now vowed she will not attend another game involving them again. Really disappointing when im trying to get her to appreciate the game to have to put up with that sort of behaviour.

The fools next to us in p18 were pretty unbareable too with their comments about goodes - I was so suprised one of the petty minded, racist fools didnt say something bad enough to allow me to report him - I was very tempted.

Poor form hawthorn fans, I will take great pleasure if we finish them off in september.

I wonder sometimes whether some Hawthorn supporters know anything about the game. We had one behind us (HFF next to AFL members) who only shut up when we were 20 points in front. All he did was slag off Swans players and apparently called Goodes a black piece of ****. He may been spoken to outside the ground because it appears one of the women near us was an off duty copper. When he was challenged by a couple of women for his appalling language he just gave it back to them commencing with the F word. You know someone is bad when their own supporters turn on them. I have seen worse though; again Hawthorn supporters at AFL Park.

I and my sons copped the same as you did after a final against Hawthorn at Telstra Dome. These tools got in the faces of my sons who were 10 and 8 at the time, simply because they were wearing Swans jumpers. I have no time for them at all.

[Nico]

The mid set ups were bloody wrong. We got stuffed off the Hawks defensive side. This is something we have done regularly in 2013. But I thought we had it under control this year. But in this game we were regularly stuffed by players getting the ball on their defensive side and running it. the other thing that worried me was our lack of forward pressure. It was crap. We set up with a loose player in defence so did they but they used theirs better. We play better man on man and got sucked in. Longmire you are a sucker!!!@ Outcoached !!!!!

You are right about being beaten at centre bounces. This is what started their run of goals. Outcoached; Unadulterated rubbish.

[Swans500]

Yes I have read all the synopsis here and agree with most...but for simple me...in the last few minutes...the horrendous mistake by Smith and the disallowed mark to Goodes finished us off.... right when the Bloods were well into gaining the final momentum...

[mcsquirta]

Agrree with everything you say, from watching it on tele. Also worth noting that Reg was subbed at 3/4 time so I don't think tonight was a huge sweat for Horse. The bugger is still blooding Towers and sorting if GRohan is a Half or Full back! #GoHawks - yeah, in yer dreams Hawthorn. Premiership drinks are on me, just nothing with cola in it!

Just back from the 'G. Huge crowd, so slow exit.
I agree that our intensity seemed down, despite winning the tackle count clearly. The mids were OK, but we have come to expect more intensity, and their disposals were down by comparison with their better efforts. Except for Benny, of course.
Our defence was a bit at sea at times what with unfortunate matchups, subbing Reg off, dropping marks they would normally swallow. Ted put in. I'm happy to be developing Rampe and he does many good things, but sometimes finds himself out of position and has a tendency to punch the ball across the goal instead of away from it; his clanger was horrid and he should realise that against a side like Hawthorn with some of the best forward defensive pressure around you are unlikely to be allowed to run the ball out. But he needs to stay where he is, the potential is there.
Back to sessions with Nick Davis for some of our forwards. And Buddy needs to curb the tendency to take on more than he can chew by trying it on and ending up tackled or dispossessed through dithering.
The umpiring was strange on occasion, but that's generally the case and it had nothing to do with tonight's loss. Hawthorn simply played better than we did, took cleaner marks on the whole, kicked and handballed more accurately.
And we need Hannebery back as soon as he's ready.

Note to self: GR-16 could be a 35 goal/year running halfback - don't sell him!

[joemoore12]

Certainly no need for panic stations. We were outplayed by a very good team. We were far from our best, with our midfield being dominated by the Hawks old brigade. I don't think this will happen again come finals time. We were well down on our recent output, and only lost by a few points. Strange decision to sub Grundy, Tippo was very rusty and 'Mr. Reliable' Nick Smith probably had his worst match in about five years. I know the Hawks had a couple of guys missing but Hanners and Shaw will make a HUGE difference for us. We're still on top, playing good footy and still have improvement in us. Bring on Friday night!

[0918330512]

Sam Lane always used to annoy me when she spoke, as she frequently pauses mid-sentence (often a few times each sentence). She reached an all new level with her mid-match chat with Andrew Pridham trying to stoke the fires of the Eddie fracas (great that he pretty much ignored her idiotic comments & suggestions) and then post match with Goodsey trying to get him to bite regarding the un-paid mark. Sam is not a chip off the old block! Just a flaky bit of sawdust, trying (unsuccessfully ... thanks to the class & dignity of Andrew & Adam) to create a headline.
I originally thought Mick Malthouse was hard on her post match after the Swans game. I now suspect she just annoyed him as much as she does me.

[rojo]

Next Friday is going to be a critical game in that it will show how our players who were well held tonight can bounce back.

I still love Goodesy. First half indeed showed that his ability to run has more or less gone. Then in the second half he ended up being our highest goal kicker, a couple of the goals were at critical times and really inspirational. With a bit of luck he would have had a 5th. He also did some little 1% ers at critical times too. One was when he ran ahead of the ball, you could almost hear the knees creaking and it looked like it would be in vain but he just got there and prevented the Hawk player from taking a clean mark. Instead of a possible Hawk goal the ball headed back to our goals. I think he still earns his spot.

Whatever was Sam Reid doing tonight! At one time during the game I wondered whether he was playing - then I saw him doing a bit of ruck work and once or twice he bobbed up in the back in line. Did he spend anytime in the forward line? I guess I will have to watch the replay and find out for myself!

[DK_]

Shame to lose, but it keeps the season interesting. Some thoughts:
1. Goodes is still the champ. Man he knows how to stand up when it matters.
2. Rohan may have just cemented himself a spot in the back 6. I'd be very nervous watching that game if I was Shaw.
3. Jetta had a cracker of a game. He's hitting his straps at the right end of the season.
4. Smith had a stinker. But after 115 games of shut-down perfection, it had to happen sooner or later. By my reckoning, we see another one like this in 2018.
5. Great to have Tippett back. The man is a monster. Couple more games and we'll be unstoppable up front.
6. Towers did well when he came on. His pressure was exceptional.
7. Might be just me, but Jack didn't have his best game. Kennedy wasn't great either.
8. McGlynn is awesome.
9. Not sure when they changed the rule on marking. WTF umpires?
10. Loving Reid's season.
Cracking game. Looking forward to next week, the Port game and the finals.

[Kelpie_X]

Yes I have read all the synopsis here and agree with most...but for simple me...in the last few minutes...the horrendous mistake by Smith and the disallowed mark to Goodes finished us off.... right when the Bloods were well into gaining the final momentum...

Too little too late mate. We should have kept that 20 point lead in the 3rd. No excuses for that.