Swans v Dockers QF1

[mcs]

Just about to leave a mild and pleasant Canberra for the trip up the highway.

Come on you mighty bloods - lets be having them!

[liz]

Freo are also going in tall, unless Griffen is a late out for Crozier, which I think is highly likely (probably just mind games from Ross the Boss).

I honestly don't think the wet puts us at a huge disadvantage. Sure, it helps their small forwards but it negates their hitouts and quick hands and exposes their less mobile big men (we only have one genuine ruckman in the squad).

It negates our quick hands too, which I think underpins our best footy. The Swans are the masters are short, sharp, instinctive handballs that get the Kennedy and Parker hard-won ball out, eventually, into someone in a little space who can actually try and kick forward to the advantage of our forwards, rather than bomb it forward under pressure straight to the opposition's spare man in defence. In the rain, we seem to either still try the handballs but with less success (given the slippery ball), or just bang it on the boot from congestion. I think the best wet weather teams generally try to keep the ball at ground level and just gain territory by forcing it forward with bodies at repeated contests until they can get a stoppage in their forward line or are able to hit up a short kick into the forward line (hopefully to a forward).

[ernie koala]

I agree with Liz's summation, and as I posted earlier, this style of wet weather play. ie Just rubbling the ball forward with bodies around the ball,

requires prolonged intensity....IMO, that's what will win it.

[CureTheSane]

I should add that while I'm here I made a trip over to Virgin Airlines yesterday and fiddled with the thing that makes the plane fly, but don't tell anyone about that.

Easy to do. Just put your phone on flight mode and you have full control

[Ampersand]

It requires good tackling and a strong defensive game, which, believe it or not, I think we are better at than Freo, particularly with their outs.

Fyfe, Mayne, Hill love the open space and clean ball use. In Kennedy, McGlynn and Parker we have strong in and under players which I believe Freo lack.

Again, I'm not saying conditions suit us, but I believe the advantage to Freo is overstated.

[floppinab]

Pouring rain here in Balmain but the radar says that Homebush is just on the fringes of it. Anyone out that way who can report?

It's pretty wet GS. Raining all through the Inner West to Parra since about midnight. Probably got a few more hours in it before hopefully thinning out around game time. BOM is your friend.

Latest Capital City Observations Sydney Olympic Park

It's a pity it's been pretty dry most of this week

[liz]

It requires good tackling and a strong defensive game, which, believe it or not, I think we are better at than Freo, particularly with their outs.

Fyfe, Mayne, Hill love the open space and clean ball use. In Kennedy, McGlynn and Parker we have strong in and under players which I believe Freo lack.

Again, I'm not saying conditions suit us, but I believe the advantage to Freo is overstated.

Can't agree with that. Fyfe, Mundy and Barlow are contested ball beasts, just as much as Kennedy and Parker are for us (with a few others more than happy to chip in too). Our major source of advantage over the Dockers should be our tall forwards, especially with their best two tall defenders missing. But that advantage will be lessened in the rain. Their forward line strength - the ultra clever and slippery Ballantyne and Walters - will be less affected by the rain that our taller timber.

That's not to say we can't win this. I would just be more confident in our relative strengths over theirs in the dry than the wet.

[Ampersand]

Fair enough, liz. I think your analysis is a good one and I'd much prefer to face them on a dry track. I'm just reacting against the Freo supporters that seem to believe rain = automatic win.

Hopefully, we learnt some things from the Richmond game last week, particularly as our back 6 is likely to be pretty much unchanged.

[Swansinger]

I'm normally conservative and restrained . Today I'm not : Swans by 50.

[Ampersand]

Given the conditions I think we'd be lucky to score 50 points let alone beat them by that margin.

[barry]

Its going to be a good old fashioned slug fest.

On the bright side, less chance of injury in the wet. Everthing sliws down.

[DamY]

FYI The Swans Members Bar WILL be open for the match!

[jono2707]

FYI The Swans Members Bar WILL be open for the match!

Shhh! Please don't tell too many people.....

[giant]

My first post on RWO. Thanks for the plane niggle Doctor.

Benny McGlynn is a huge in for us in these conditions. Midfield clash will be key. If we can match it with the Dockers there we've got too many options forward and back.

Swans by 25 points.

Quality first up effort Anna - can't disagree with anything here. And yes I'm sick of the rain too.

[annew]

Pickers on SEN said Sydney have lost Grundy, just a casual comment.