Game Day - R18 vs Hawks

[Melbournehammer]

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.

Grundy on ceglar was fine. Once he went off there were a lot of medium quick types. But it does mix things up a bit for us because towers basically only plays one position.

Laidler shouldn't have been on puopolo but I actually thought he had a pretty good game. That goal though has been replicated against smith in forward fifty as well

[DamY]

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.

I was disgusted by the language used by Hawthorn fans at the final last year. I refuse to attend any Hawthorn home game, and would only go to the Grand Final should we both make it. I'm used to people getting rowdy but the homophobic language used which children started emulating was abhorrent.

[mcs]

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.

The silly turnovers last night really hurt us - and despite what the hawks fans near me thought, a majority of them were, in tennis terms 'unforced errors'. We need to cut that out before the big games.

last night also showed the importance of shaw to our setup - they shut malceski down well and we really struggled big time to get any run from the back line at all. We need shaw fit and firing to give us that critical 2nd outlet.

[annew]

Were the players at Jude's night on Friday night, maybe they were tired. Just a grabbing at straws thought.

[ernie koala]

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.

I agree with most of your points.

Though Goodsey can't run and is being found out....It's a problem. Horse and co need to find a way of covering his lack of acceleration.

I also was pleasantly surprised with Towers, he did a great job as sub, his pressure was good and he has really quick, clean hands.

We had a few of our usual suspects down last night...Kennedy, Smith, Jack, Pyke, to name a few.

If we play them again, with Hanners and Shaw in, I hope they do play Sewell, he'll be found out like Goodsey.

IMO, we'll beat them well next time around.

[aguy]

The game was pretty even In most of the statistics with hawthorn just pipping us in most of them. The scoreboard pretty accurately reflects the game stats. Good news is I think we have lots of improvement on the way we played and that would mean we should be able to dominate more through the midfield.

[gumby_bolts]

To me Jack looked like he was hampered by that rib injury he has been carrying for most of the season. Just looked proppy and hesitant when he was around the ball. Hope I'm wrong and he just had a bad game.
So happy to see Rohan playing with flair and confidence again.

[aguy]

To me Jack looked like he was hampered by that rib injury he has been carrying for most of the season. Just looked proppy and hesitant when he was around the ball. Hope I'm wrong and he just had a bad game.
So happy to see Rohan playing with flair and confidence again.

Hope you're wrong about jack too. I have to say I thought he just made some bad decisions last night that's all.

Agree 100% about Rohan

[mcs]

To me Jack looked like he was hampered by that rib injury he has been carrying for most of the season. Just looked proppy and hesitant when he was around the ball. Hope I'm wrong and he just had a bad game.
So happy to see Rohan playing with flair and confidence again.

Jack wasnt helped by the number of knocks he got as he was targeted by a number of hawks players early on in a few off the ball 'rough ups'.

[Mel_C]

Were the players at Jude's night on Friday night, maybe they were tired. Just a grabbing at straws thought.

No there weren't any current players at Jude's tribute night.

[ShockOfHair]

Ahhh I forget her name. Anyway they had her interviewing pridham on the sideline. Pretty short and sweet, and the final question was 'eddie told Sydney to get stuffed, do you have anything to say to him?'
Come on

Edit: it was Sam lane

She wasn't trying to bait him - rather her question was a way of calling out McGuire for indulging in childish abuse. She wrote quite a sympathetic story about Pridham and for the Age yesterday.

The game was The One We Had To Lose.

It's good not to into the finals on a record streak and players not feeling that they've got to go up several notches to win.

[annew]

No there weren't any current players at Jude's tribute night.

Thanks that puts an end to that theory.

[Mel_C]

Compared to other years I was lucky the hawks supporters weren't as bad...(apart from the Goodes booing). They were mostly whinging about the umpiring. There were a few swans supporters around me so that helped. I think Towers family and friends must have been in front of me because every time he got the ball they went nuts!

Some things I noticed from the game:
- We weren't as clean handling the ball.
- Our forward and midfield pressure was lacking at times which allowed the hawks to easily move the ball forward. It made it hard for our defenders.
- They successfully isolated a forward one on one more then we did.
- We missed a lot of tackles.
- I loved Rohan's game.
- Gunston is a twit.

I so wanted to win the game so we could be 2 games ahead of Hawks and Freo. No more mistakes for the remaining rounds so that we can stay top 2!

[Meg]

From Ben McGlynn @McGlynn_21

Disappointing night, just to clear things up was signaling that the ball WASNT touched,not the other way around!#rightdecision @sydneyswans
11:41 PM - 26 Jul 2014
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[aguy]

From Ben McGlynn @McGlynn_21

Disappointing night, just to clear things up was signaling that the ball WASNT touched,not the other way around!#rightdecision @sydneyswans
11:41 PM - 26 Jul 2014
72 RETWEETS 107 FAVORITES ReplyRetweetFavorite

Thanks meg. Good to hear it from
Mcglynn himself