Sydney v Hawthorn

[Margie]

I had a couple of extra days in Melbourne so am just now unpacking my bag. I found my grand final footy Record at the bottom still in its cellophane sealed bag. Is it worth taking it out and reading it and then throwing it away? Or should I just throw it away unopened??

Given the result, looking at the 'Don't Go Quietly' on the front cover is a bit of a sick joke now.

Mine was also unopened and I gave it away. Just another waste of money to add to the rest.

[Ampersand]

Does anyone else have some serious concerns about our mental and physical toughness? As good as McVeigh, Jack and Goodes have been as leaders I sometimes have my doubts about their mental toughness and hardness for the ball.

One of my guilty pleasures at the end of the season is watching some of the big hit/shepherds/brawls/jumper punch melees compilations on youtube and one thing I've noticed is that the Swans are never featured.

Sure, I think there's a strong place for discipline but there's a way to be physical without giving away frees or getting suspended. The Lake elbow to Buddy's head incident and the earlier Gibson contest was a pivotal moment for me. Someone - anyone! - should have stepped up and got in Lake's face in a big way.

I think it also shows in the way we rarely flog bottom 8 sides, while Hawthorn, Fremantle and Geelong happily rack up 100+ point victories. There's something lacking in terms of ruthlessness.

[Meg]

Sure, I think there's a strong place for discipline but there's a way to be physical without giving away frees or getting suspended. The Lake elbow to Buddy's head incident and the earlier Gibson contest was a pivotal moment for me. Someone - anyone! - should have stepped up and got in Lake's face.

You are right. It is both a plus and a real negative of our team at the moment that they play really clean disciplined football. I think we really, really missed Mumford on Saturday. My view is that Pyke was one of the few to play a reasonable game, but he is much too gentle a man to take on the enforcer role that Mumford would have performed in that situation. The only player whom I think might have is Ted, and he was at the wrong end of the field.

Not sure what can be done about it. Jones might do the job in the future.

[Meg]

Ps to my post above. I feel we let Buddy down and I feel bad about it.

[Swanny40519]

I agree. There was so much pressure on Buddy when he first came up here - inside football and outside of football. And then as the year unfolded and we started winning, the expectation that we would perform very well in the finals and probably win was very high.

Buddy played his heart out, and when he was getting belted and shoved around, there was not one bloody Swan player who went up and helped him. No one went to Lake and protested the treatment he dished out.

I think Buddy would be disappointed in his teammates based on saturdays effort.

[Ludwig]

One of the benefits we had with Barry Hall was that no one ever belted us around. The last thing any side wanted to do was to get into a scuffle with the Swans.

[Cheer_Cheer]

Imagine what would have happened if Hodge kissed BBBH...

[Mel_C]

I had a couple of extra days in Melbourne so am just now unpacking my bag. I found my grand final footy Record at the bottom still in its cellophane sealed bag. Is it worth taking it out and reading it and then throwing it away? Or should I just throw it away unopened??

Given the result, looking at the 'Don't Go Quietly' on the front cover is a bit of a sick joke now.

Now that you mention it I just realised that the footy record is also at the bottom of my backpack and still sealed! I'd totally forgotten about it. I think I will end up reading it and I won't be throwing it away.

[ernie koala]

I agree. There was so much pressure on Buddy when he first came up here - inside football and outside of football. And then as the year unfolded and we started winning, the expectation that we would perform very well in the finals and probably win was very high.

Buddy played his heart out, and when he was getting belted and shoved around, there was not one bloody Swan player who went up and helped him. No one went to Lake and protested the treatment he dished out.

I think Buddy would be disappointed in his teammates based on saturdays effort.

Couldn't agree more, it was piss poor.

We should of had a couple of players immediately in the face of Spangher and Lake, and to a lesser extent, the umpire, where was the 50m?

Then once they got on a role we should of , at least attempted, to turn it into a tight, brutal affair....Instead, nothing.

This was the most damning part of the game...We just went through the motions for the best part of 3.5 quarters....That includes coaching.

Not one innovative, unusual, challenging, move was made, to try and change the games inexorable path.

They needed to try something...Buddy on the ball, Parker to FF, Reid to FB, Grundy forward, Jetta off....something.

[Hotpotato]

I watched the past 3 Swans GF comfortably at my Sydney home. My first experience of being at the MCG for the GF this time was just Terrible ! It was very disappointing to see my favourite players playing so badly. Worst of all, the abuse from Hawthorn Fans was just too much. We were standing behind our Cheers Squad at M4. Then more and more Hawks fans "invaded" the space, claiming that that area belongs to them as that is the section where their Cheers Squad have gathered for all their "Home" Games. I will probably avoid going near any Hawthorn Fans in the MCG again in the future. It is expensive and not enjoyable. Probably will just cheer the Swans in front of the TV in 20015!

We have been to 96, 05, 06 and 2014. Unfortunately missed 2012.
Like Roosey said the other night it is one of the great sporting events on the calendar , it's fantastic to be there. If by chance your team gets up, you will never forget it. It's an amazing stadium filled to capacity.
I have no idea why a small percentage of ill behaved fans get it so wrong. My solution is to ban alcohol , totally . Do NOT serve it. I guarantee the bad behaviour will improve dramatically. It's not rocket science, go two hours without it. They do it in Brazil.
The a Swans put in a really bad one. But we still had a great weekend away in Melbourne - recommend The Little Creatures Brewery, Brunettis, n2 Extreme Gelato, Melbourne by Bike, Bimbo Deluxe, Naked for Satun, Phamish's , St Kilda Markets, the Fairy Penguins on the St Kilda Breakwater, cycling along the St Kilda Promenade.
We all thought we could come home with a Premiership as well, Hawthorn had other ideas, they wanted to show Buddy he was crazy for leaving them.
If Adam Goodes had done the same thing , we would have been just as motivated .
Looking forward to the next trip to Melbourne, and don't be fooled , we can never really afford to go , but we find a way somehow.

[Big Al]

I thought exactly the same. Maybe the players should have bought a copy of the Record on entering the ground. They did the exact opposite

I have thrown it out. Same as I did for 96 & 06

I gave mine to my nephew warning him if I ever see it again I'll tear it into 3 million pieces.

Cleaned out my bag and found my GF ticket which was duly disposed of with extreme prejudice. What a contrast to the 2012 ticket which is part of a framed WEG poster hanging proudly at home.

[Cardinal]

I don't agree with any of this physically soft and mental untoughness rubbish about the Swans. We just finished minor prems and made the gf. Instead, I'm hearing commentary similar to that posted after our start to the season when we had no runs on the board & lost to GWS.

But I do agree that if the umpies weren't going to sort out the Hawk's "unsociable football" then someone should have stood up. Gibson and Lake did a great job of rubbing Buddy into ground just a fraction too late after every contested mark.

[Ampersand]

Cardinal, it's easy to have a mental lapse or two during the home and away season but this is different. That's two seasons in a row we looked overawed and intimidated by the physical intensity of our opponent in a final.

Remember the Prelim against Freo last year where Crowley was mocking Jack for ducking his head while backing into a contest? The worst part was Crowley was right - he did flinch in anticipation of contact and didn't commit to the ball.

You don't have to be a dickhead like Crowley to sense this lack of toughness in the opposition and good teams will take advantage of it.

Look at Paul Kelly or Brett Kirk. You couldn't find two better captains and their courage and hardness for the ball was unquestionable. Could I say the same thing about our current leadership group? Unfortunately not and I think someone in our coaching staff needs to point that out to them.

[ernie koala]

I agree Ampersand. I hate to say it, but we were soft in the GF.

From the moment Grundy flinched, ducked, and meekly punched the ball to a spot about 10m out straight in front, we were in trouble.

You could sense it, the Hawthorn players could sense it...IMO, it was one of the defining moments of the game.

At that point, one of our players needed to throw themselves, or back, fearlessly into a contest, to show we were going to stand up to them.

2 way gut running is great, but you also need to bring a fearless and feisty attitude if you are going to counter intense opposition.

[dimelb]

an interesting analysis of why it happened:

Why we were so wrong: Swans not even second best | The New Daily