Game Day - R18 vs Hawks

[top40]

Can't agree with this ... Hawks were minus Lake, Rioli and Sewell. I'd call the outs even for both sides.

Don't agree with respect.

Because of the nature of their injuries, I can't see either Rioli or Sewell (factoring in his age as well) being a significant presence in September. Lake certainly, but that's only one extra player.

The return of Hanners and Shaw brings fresh legs to the side. The break for both of them after a long season will give both an advantage.

Tippert's goal kicking should also improve. (He reminded me in respect to his goal kicking of Daniel Bradshaw when in 2010 he came back into the side after a long break to play a MCG semi final against the Western Bulldogs). (I might also add that Tippert's rust should be unfavourably compared with Gibson's, who played like he had never had a break)

One other facto tonight was that this was a milestone Home game for Roughhead. It lifted the Hawthorn players, as well as the Home crowd. (Herein a MCG Grand Final crowd will be less pro Hawthorn compared with a Home and Away MCG crowd)

Further, the ladder position gave Hawthorn just the tiny bit more mental incentive.

For us, the pressure of this streak may have become more a burden.

[Bloody Hell]

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.
.

No doubt someone should be nervous, but I'll suggest it's Laidler.

The commentators noted he was being targeted, and it seemed that way to me, somewhat successfully - can anyone from the game comment further?

Either way, he's in trouble for that hit on Gunston behind play - he'll probably miss a week just as Shaw comes back - then good luck getting back in.

[Matt80]

The thing that amazes me about the Hawks is there ability to kick 4 quick goals in a burst when they really need them.

The Swans are a team who can go from 10 to 30 points ahead in a quick burst, while the Hawks can go from a team who are 20 - 30 points down and kick four quick goals to draw level.

The opposition thinks things are going well, the play starts to open up, then the Hawks hit you on the counter attack and pile on four quick goals.

It happened in the following games:

- SCG game of 2012
- Grand Final 2012
- ANZ game 2014
- MCG game 2014

Some of those games we still win, but we have to find a way to combat this phenomena. Maybe Horse can have periods where be puts everyone behind the ball for 10 minutes after we go 20 points ahead, and play tight contested boundary line football.

I think if you deny the Hawks a quick comeback from 20 points down then they will start to become nervous as they are always used to the quick burst counterattack.

Unfortunately for the Swans, when we have been 20 points or over down this year, the opposition win.

[tasswan]

It would have been better if we were 20 points down in the third and not up. Midfield really went to sleep after that. Jack gave off two hospital handballs that resulted in Hawks goals, not his (or most of the midfield except Benny) best game.
Thought Rohan had a really good game and the back line seems to suit him very well.
Not sure about some of the comments re Reid, I thought he had a good game, and his ruck work is improving.

To give up 11 goals after the 13th minute of the 3rd qtr was very unlike us this year and hopefully is an aberration.

[goswannies]

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

From an interview with Benny reported on afl.com.au:

"He finished with 23 disposals, nine tackles and three goals, including one that needed a score review after Hawthorn defender Josh Gibson claimed to have touched it.

McGlynn could be seen waving his arms after the ball went through, and some television and radio commentators mistakenly thought he was declaring that it had been touched.

In fact, he was encouraging the umpires to call off the score review."

[stellation]

Just on that score review- did anybody else think that the goal umpire had no doubt it was a goal at first and only called for a review because Gibson got in his face screaming for it?

[Melbournehammer]

I've got a LOT of comments so forgive the length...

1. It meant a great bloody deal to horse, contrary to the view expressed here.
2. We are copping 2-3 goals per game from slingshot which is because we can't kick straight enough and when we all push up to within a kick and a half of the ball when it comes out we are getting done on transition very very badly. The only reason it didn't happen more tonight was Gary Rohan's chasing and tackling. I think three times he effected a kick on a hawker running absolutely free through the middle.
3. The way goodes is playing demonstrates that a tony Lockett couldn't play as a third forward in the modern era. Time after time the ball got run out because he, and it was specifically he, couldn't put any real pressure on the player. His effort just before three quarter time when we had just regained the lead to let Litherland run past him on the boundary leading to roughheads goal was nothing short of pathetic. If it only occurred once it would be forgiveable. It doesn't.
4. Reid got thrown loose behind the ball in the third and looked completely at sea and we conceded two goals in quick succession because he either lost track of the ball or wouldn't stand his ground. In front of the ball he doesn't get it anywhere near enough. He had birch all playing on him for large amounts and he was unable to get the ball despite having I think a greater height and reach.
5. Kieran jack played one of his worst games. Two of the worst handballs ever - the one to Lloyd could have killed him and the one to rampe was just dumb. He also is playing unaccountable footy at stoppages which is odd, but was on smith on a few occasions and just went looking for the ball as smith streaked away.
6. Rampe, laidler, smith, Richards all kicked like drunks out of the back line - turnovers coming out of defense will kill you. That ten minutes after we went twenty points up involved a complete inability to win, keep or even contest possession.
7. Our skills by Han in the open as opposed to in the contest were ordinary - coughed it up too often as we were running through.
There were a lot of positives - Rohan was a star, McGlynn did well, Pyke basically halved his contest, our bottom tier Lloyd, Cunningham etc did ok. Towers looked good.

It's hard not to conclude their team will be more improved than ours from the potential ins.

[mcs]

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.

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.

Their fans are such hypocrites in relation to their treatment of goodes, considering the ongoing contribution of indigenous players to their success...

There is absolutely no need for the behaviour one sees time and time again from some of their fans - like you, I have little time for them.

A lot of them seem so very bitter about 2012 as well - one tools catchline last night was 'you only ever @@@@ing win when the afl does it for you, like 2012'. I dont get what is their problem, but Id love to beat them when its counts in finals.

After last night though, ive decided hawthorn away in melbourne will no longer be a game ill consider going to, unless its a final. Im all for banter at the football, but the vitriol that comes from some of their fans is amongst the worst ive seen, and its getting worse, and it is detrimental to the enjoyment I get from attending the game.

[Swansinger]

It's the one we had to loose. Some bodies gotta say it

What ?? How can we win the Premiership,after losing a cracking late season game ,to Hawthorn,by less than two goals ?? It is impossible !!!
Ah , riggghhttt .... yes , I do remember ....

[Swansinger]

Sam lane sums up melbourne to a tee.

Spellchecker not working.Else auto-correct would suggest Sam Lame.

[mcs]

The way goodes is playing demonstrates that a tony Lockett couldn't play as a third forward in the modern era. Time after time the ball got run out because he, and it was specifically he, couldn't put any real pressure on the player. His effort just before three quarter time when we had just regained the lead to let Litherland run past him on the boundary leading to roughheads goal was nothing short of pathetic. If it only occurred once it would be forgiveable. It doesn't.

It's hard not to conclude their team will be more improved than ours from the potential ins.

It was very clear they targeted goodes to great effect on the break. I wonder if the solution will be for goodes to, as a game wears on more and more, will end up playing out of the square.

Also I see where you are coming from in relation to their outs, but id make two points on that:

1) dont underestimate just how important hanners is to our midfield group and shaw is to generating run out of the back half - both areas we really struggled last night.

2) I would argue that lake coming back in may not improve them at all. On his day, he is a very good defender - but he is liable to brain farts and at times can get well beaten.

I think what tempers the potential advantage from the players to come back in, at least in my mind, is that we can play a hell of a lot better than we did, whereas I think the dawks were much closer to their best. Of course, we have to do that when the big games roll around - but last night did not change my belief that our best footy is better than any other team's best footy in the competition.

[aguy]

What ?? How can we win the Premiership,after losing a cracking late season game ,to Hawthorn,by less than two goals ?? It is impossible !!!
Ah , riggghhttt .... yes , I do remember ....

Yes something like that may have happened before

[barry]

Clarkson is an amazing coach. They targetted our lack of speed of some players. Laidler, grundy, goodes.

Grundy didnt have an obviois matchup, a nd can be slow, that's why he was subbed.

[Melbournehammer]

After last night though, ive decided hawthorn away in melbourne will no longer be a game ill consider going to, unless its a final. Im all for banter at the football, but the vitriol that comes from some of their fans is amongst the worst ive seen, and its getting worse, and it is detrimental to the enjoyment I get from attending the game.

I never liked theirs fans as a group before 2012 because of the born to rule mentality which is a combination of their sustained success and their scotch college former president and private school grouping (although we have more than a few gps kids in our team!)

But they really are borderline pathological and obsessed to the point of weirdness about us. I genuinely hate their club like no other. Going to cooling wood games is certainly more pleasant

[Nico]

It appeared to me that that they worked on shutting down Malceski to limit our run from the backline. Where we got done though was in the turnover after half time, and they had a loose man run into the centre square with not a Swans player in sight.