What happens next

[Mr Magoo]

From four minutes in , it was quite apparent that Hawthorn had come to play and in essence we hadnt. What could Longmire possibly do in that situation , he had addressed the team less than fifteen minutes earlier. It wasnt the case of a matchup being wrong here or there, everyone that had the ability to influence the game seemed half a yard slower than their opponent. It was like watching a team on speed against a team on weed.

Do you remember the last few seconds of 2012 and Bruce McAvenay saying "crash , bash thats the swans way" with the likes of hannebery , reid, shaw throwing their bodies to be FIRST to the football. It was like Hawthorn had taken that memory and shoved it down our throats with a bit of how do you like them apples. Our guys will be ashamed of how they played but lets hope they can take that and use it positively .

As for what happens next , I actually think very little is needed but a little tinkering. For me , Shaw should retire, we may lose malceski and with the retirements of LRT (wouldnt you have loved somenone like him out there on the weekend) and okeefe there is plenty of room for a new recruit as well as some good first year players.

[mcs]

From four minutes in , it was quite apparent that Hawthorn had come to play and in essence we hadnt. What could Longmire possibly do in that situation , he had addressed the team less than fifteen minutes earlier. It wasnt the case of a matchup being wrong here or there, everyone that had the ability to influence the game seemed half a yard slower than their opponent. It was like watching a team on speed against a team on weed.

Do you remember the last few seconds of 2012 and Bruce McAvenay saying "crash , bash thats the swans way" with the likes of hannebery , reid, shaw throwing their bodies to be FIRST to the football. It was like Hawthorn had taken that memory and shoved it down our throats with a bit of how do you like them apples. Our guys will be ashamed of how they played but lets hope they can take that and use it positively .

As for what happens next , I actually think very little is needed but a little tinkering. For me , Shaw should retire, we may lose malceski and with the retirements of LRT (wouldnt you have loved somenone like him out there on the weekend) and okeefe there is plenty of room for a new recruit as well as some good first year players.

I think that lack of 'crash bash football' that you describe is what infuriated me most on Saturday. We've never been one to sit off our opponents and let them play - but that is what we did all day Saturday. None of our mids stood up and said 'enough of this' and tried to change it. It was such a bizarre performance across the park, but especially in the middle where we just got hammered time and time again and did so without a whimper.

[Untamed Snark]

If we lose Shaw wouldn't that free up enough room to keep Mal?
If he wants to stay that is

[Matt80]

I think that lack of 'crash bash football' that you describe is what infuriated me most on Saturday. We've never been one to sit off our opponents and let them play - but that is what we did all day Saturday. None of our mids stood up and said 'enough of this' and tried to change it. It was such a bizarre performance across the park, but especially in the middle where we just got hammered time and time again and did so without a whimper.

It's hard to put physical pressure on a team with such beautiful elite kicking skills. The Hawks passed it around, opened up space and never allowed us to apply a pressure game. The uncontested mark count will tell you the story. Apply pressure when that is happening and the umpire blows 50m.

The Swans only have four players with truly elite kicking skills (Mcveigh, Buddy, Malceski and Jetta. The Hawks have the following players who are elite by foot:

Lake
Gibson
Birchill
Suckling
Hodge
Mitchell
Lewis
Burgoin
Smith
Hill
Bruest
Rioli
Roughead
Gunston

These guys can keep possession and drain the oppositions will and energy. It's like the All Blacks putting 12 phases of play together or an elite soccer team who can string together 20 plus passes without giving the opposition a chance.

When the Swans get the ball we move it quickly and try to get our key forwards a one on one. The Hawks know that so they put three guys back on our key forwards. The Hawks then won the ball back and weaved their way through us.

We needed to hold the ball when we had it, not apply more physical pressure. If we could hold the ball then the Hawks would tire and lose their rhythm and momentum.

We can't do it because we don't have many players with elite foot skills like the Hawks do.

We were beaten by foot skill and strategy. Not effort or lack of pressure.

This is just my opinion.

[Jewels]

We were beaten by foot skill and strategy plus no effort and lack of pressure.

Sorry Matt but I had to edit your post for accuracy.

[Matt80]

Thanks Jewels. Perfect! That is what I was trying to say.

[Untamed Snark]

Swans to see AFL grand final horror show

[goswannie14]

Firstly I hope none of you take this as trolling - I read this forum mainly for the Local footy but some of the posters here have some pretty good insight into Footy particularly the swans point of view.

Lay of McVeigh - the guy is a champion and a warrior for your footy club, he had a bad day but doesn't deserve some of what he is copping on here!
Your young guys will learn and improve for that result - they simply have too but remember Lloyd, Cunningham, Rampe etc are kids.... they will improve out of sight which is scary.
(Aimed at a few not a lot) - Stop Blaming Stevic, I believe he was in control when Malceski was clearly holding the ball and when Buddy took a dive, not every decision will go your way and umpires don't miss kicks and drop marks, fall off tackles etc....

You have a wonderful footy team and will be competitors for a cup for a few years yet so stick strong, look to trade 1 or 2 not a dozen and look forward to 2015....

PS - Thanks for not playing Tom Mitchell - his omission made me smile.

I agree with most of what you say. However, I don't believe Buddy took a dive, I think he was actually off balance when he was shoved. The problem for Gibson (I think it was) was that the ball had been well and truly disposed of, hence the kick down field. You could argue that it should have been a fifty instead, but that wouldn't have made a difference in the end result anyway.

With regards to Franklin, I think all Hawthorn fans just need to get over it. He wanted out of Melbourne, he was going to leave, it was only a matter of where. We managed to trump GWS because Andrew Ireland is good at offering long contracts. Does anyone remember Alistair Lynch getting a 10 year contract?

[Meg]

With regards to Franklin, I think all Hawthorn fans just need to get over it. He wanted out of Melbourne, he was going to leave, it was only a matter of where. We managed to trump GWS because Andrew Ireland is good at offering long contracts. Does anyone remember Alistair Lynch getting a 10 year contract?

Totally agree with this.

If Malceski takes advantage of free agency to go elsewhere next hear the Swans players and the Swans fans will be sad and disappointed. But I'm confident he would go with our thanks and good wishes. I can't envisage the players physically targeting him or the fans booing and abusing him when we play against him.

Appalling way to treat a player who contributed so much to Hawthorn for nine years.

[cartman48]

Totally agree with this.

If Malceski takes advantage of free agency to go elsewhere next hear the Swans players and the Swans fans will be sad and disappointed. But I'm confident he would go with our thanks and good wishes. I can't envisage the players physically targeting him or the fans booing and abusing him when we play against him.

Appalling way to treat a player who contributed so much to Hawthorn for nine years.

This is all well and good but as a former swans member I sat in the SCG crowd and saw how guys like Anthony Rocca, Shannon Grant etc were treated, neither are in the same league as Franklin but glass houses..... (Admittedly Most Sydney people were pretty good to Mummy this year in the two games I went to). Hawthorn people are mixed on Buddy - but booing him seems to make him play better so its not a good long term strategy.....

[Big Al]

This is all well and good but as a former swans member I sat in the SCG crowd and saw how guys like Anthony Rocca, Shannon Grant etc were treated, neither are in the same league as Franklin but glass houses..... (Admittedly Most Sydney people were pretty good to Mummy this year in the two games I went to). Hawthorn people are mixed on Buddy - but booing him seems to make him play better so its not a good long term strategy.....

Gladly booed Rocca simply because I didn't like the bloke. Never booed Shannon Grant. I understood why he left so I left him alone. I would never boo a premiership player regardless of the circumstances. Came close with Jolly a few times though.

[cartman48]

Gladly booed Rocca simply because I didn't like the bloke. Never booed Shannon Grant. I understood why he left so I left him alone. I would never boo a premiership player regardless of the circumstances. Came close with Jolly a few times though.

That would be different - he did go to Collingwood.....

[Go Swannies]

It's hard to put physical pressure on a team with such beautiful elite kicking skills. The Hawks passed it around, opened up space and never allowed us to apply a pressure game. The uncontested mark count will tell you the story. Apply pressure when that is happening and the umpire blows 50m.

The Swans only have four players with truly elite kicking skills (Mcveigh, Buddy, Malceski and Jetta. The Hawks have the following players who are elite by foot:

Lake
Gibson
Birchill
Suckling
Hodge
Mitchell
Lewis
Burgoin
Smith
Hill
Bruest
Rioli
Roughead
Gunston

These guys can keep possession and drain the oppositions will and energy. It's like the All Blacks putting 12 phases of play together or an elite soccer team who can string together 20 plus passes without giving the opposition a chance.

When the Swans get the ball we move it quickly and try to get our key forwards a one on one. The Hawks know that so they put three guys back on our key forwards. The Hawks then won the ball back and weaved their way through us.

We needed to hold the ball when we had it, not apply more physical pressure. If we could hold the ball then the Hawks would tire and lose their rhythm and momentum.

We can't do it because we don't have many players with elite foot skills like the Hawks do.

We were beaten by foot skill and strategy. Not effort or lack of pressure.

This is just my opinion.

I can't agree. In fact I strongly disagree - sure they did well but that was because they could run into space and no Swan would run with them.

It's easy to get possessions when there's no competition - we showed that the week before.

[Dosser]

I think that mcs touched on it before but the thing that disappointed me (apart from the obvious) was that the Hawks physically lined us up and ran through us and not one Swan reacted to it. Nobody stood up and took it back to them. Not one player was even remotely in danger of getting reported for rough play because they were p@#$ ed off with what was happening. There was no passion and less pride. If we have someone who will take it up to them then let's get them in the team ASAP. It is one thing to look really pretty when you play but if you can't intimidate the opposition physically as a team then your time at the top will be severely curtailed.

[Melbourne_Blood]

There really are no words for that performance. Even now the anger and depression is just starting to subside slightly, I'm still left completely puzzled as to what happened. I don't believe there are too many issues with our list, besides the obvious weaknesses in ruck depth , and KPD backup. We were good enough to be minor premiers and give ourself the best possible chance on the last day and have a flawless preparation coming in. Even if we went in to the game to cocky or complacent, surely you'd snap out of that after 1 qtr of getting smashed, 2 max! Not lie down and take it without so much as a whimper for 4 qtrs. It is the most bizarre performance I've ever seen, it was surreal how bad we were. It still feels surreal. I hope someone can explain to it to me and other supporters,i hope there's some conspiracy that can explain it. I can cop losing but I can't cop what happened on Saturday.