What happens next

[aardvark]

Me too. Ludwig's girlfriend has the only rational explanation (that the Swans threw the game). I'm not for a moment suggesting it is right, but at least it would make sense. Nothing I can think of makes any sense at all.

I have to confess that Hawthorn head to head at $2.50 was too great a temptation for me. My one win for the weekend. I wonder..........

[Meg]

I have to confess that Hawthorn head to head at $2.50 was too great a temptation for me. My one win for the weekend. I wonder..........

Let us know if you see any of our boys browsing in a Porsche showroom in coming weeks .........

[Swanny40519]

It is also really shocking coaching. We were getting annihilated in the contest. The only time we were winning contests was deep in defence. How about saying we are going man on man everywhere. Parker plays on Mitchell jack on hodge Kennedy on Lewis Jetta on hill McGLynn on suckling and so on.

I've said this elsewhere. Horse has two tactics when getting beat - the first is to throw Reid behind by the ball. The second is to bring a second player behind the ball as well as al of the smalls. But every time we do that against anyone we lose control of the game.

When Gibson can get the ball kicked to him 60 metres from goal without anyone being 40 metres from him the game plan has been ruthlessly exploited.

Given the number of times we have played the Hawks in a row where they have just got the ball and dominated against us and had repeat entries and goals, the lack of planning here was really disappointing. The pres conference after round 18 was to the effect that the boys have been up for a while it was just a down day. But it actually was similar to the qf last year, and even against the Hawks this season where we won there was a period of absolute domination against us.

Too often have we seen games where we are unable to compete if the midfield is down. I could do a list of them, but he needs to develop a strategy for responding to that situation, not just say it was really disappointing and we are at a loss. Do something. At least he put Goodes inton the centre square but the 2014 goodes is not the 2007 version sadly

Agree 100%. I have said here before that I believe the coaching staff had shockers as well and they should have a good long look at their tactics.

Not only did he put Reid down back at times when he could not even make a contest, Jetta found himself in the back line and was running (walking) around in circles watching the ball keep going over his head. Then in the 3rd qtr Rohan was banished from the back line and was at full forward while we had Buddy on the wing and Tippet in the ruck. How in the hell were we going to score with that setup ???

[mcs]

I have to confess that Hawthorn head to head at $2.50 was too great a temptation for me. My one win for the weekend. I wonder..........

I must admit I had some of it too, as they were ridiculous odds. At least it paid for a large number of beverages consumed by me on Saturday night, and a failed night having a few bets of the Red Hots and Dishlickers :P Was a very sorry Saturday indeed!

[Mr Magoo]

But arent these the sort of left field tactics that everyone calls for when things are totally going wrong. Put Rohan up forward as he has had little impact in the back line, throw buddy into the centre as he was the only one shining, put Sam into defence.

Ive heard all these options spruiked on this forum and they had to try something.

The reality is that our guys collectively werent hard enough at the ball, werent playing two ways and were under such pressure (both perceived and real) that they were forced into stupid errors.

[Bloodthirsty]

Perhaps someone with ties to semi-pro football can help answer what seems like a simple question:

Why don't the Swans simply develop elite field-kicking as well, just like the Hawks?

I mean, are the players uncoordinated? Are the coaches too stupid to come up with novel kicking drills and simulations? Why test draftees in combines for pointless stuff that ususally doesn't matter, such as the ability to jump 0.3mm higher than someone else, when you should be looking for kicking coordination? How do bad kickers exist in the AFL, and get handed salaries of hundreds of thousands of dollars to be an average field kick? That is like employing a firefighter who doesn't know how to use a hose properly.

Why?

'Why?' seems to be the question of the moment.

[Flying South]

I have to confess that Hawthorn head to head at $2.50 was too great a temptation for me. My one win for the weekend. I wonder..........

Didn't you get the $4 Tom Waterhouse was offering. Seen it on an TV ad down here. Must have been a catch though.

[Mr Magoo]

Perhaps someone with ties to semi-pro football can help answer what seems like a simple question:

Why don't the Swans simply develop elite field-kicking as well, just like the Hawks?

I mean, are the players uncoordinated? Are the coaches too stupid to come up with novel kicking drills and simulations? Why test draftees in combines for pointless stuff that ususally doesn't matter, such as the ability to jump 0.3mm higher than someone else, when you should be looking for kicking coordination? How do bad kickers exist in the AFL, and get handed salaries of hundreds of thousands of dollars to be an average field kick? That is like employing a firefighter who doesn't know how to use a hose properly.

Why?

'Why?' seems to be the question of the moment.

You just have to look at the Swnas academy - they seem to want athletes first and foremost and footballing ability comes second (ie ability to hit a target, kick well, position etc can be taught it seems)

[Ludwig]

Perhaps someone with ties to semi-pro football can help answer what seems like a simple question:Why don't the Swans simply develop elite field-kicking as well, just like the Hawks?I mean, are the players uncoordinated? Are the coaches too stupid to come up with novel kicking drills and simulations? Why test draftees in combines for pointless stuff that ususally doesn't matter, such as the ability to jump 0.3mm higher than someone else, when you should be looking for kicking coordination? How do bad kickers exist in the AFL, and get handed salaries of hundreds of thousands of dollars to be an average field kick? That is like employing a firefighter who doesn't know how to use a hose properly.Why?'Why?' seems to be the question of the moment.

IIRC, Rohan had a perfect score in the Buckley kick test in the combine, but doesn't seem to be able to bring it into real game situations. Jetta was also supposed to be an elite kick, but goes through periods of constantly missing targets. KJ was a very good kick a few years back, but seems to have tailed off with age. Some like Shaw have always been poor at kicking. It's a mystery why so many Hawthorn players seen to be so good at kicking the footy. I really don't know if they were always good or they just have some superior training program that makes them so good.

[Bloodthirsty]

You just have to look at the Swnas academy - they seem to want athletes first and foremost and footballing ability comes second (ie ability to hit a target, kick well, position etc can be taught it seems)

Athletic like Jesse White?

[Meg]

It's a mystery why so many Hawthorn players seen to be so good at kicking the footy. I really don't know if they were always good or they just have some superior training program that makes them so good.

I have read that it has been a Hawthorn recruitment policy ever since Clarkson became coach to target players with elite kicking skills, and whenever there was a choice to particularly target those with elite left foot kicking skills (with an eye on balance in the team with enough right foot kickers as well).

The theory re the left foot preference as I understand it is that it is the natural disposition of most players to swing out of defence on the left hand side.

I don't know what their current ratio looks like. The article I read was from some years ago.

[Jeffers1984]

Probably not alone but is it weird that as each day goes on i get angrier and angrier about their "Performance"
I think it's more that the initial shock of the result has subsided, i am now in a fit of rage about the embarrassment the group (barring Buddy, Goodes, and maybe Kennedy) have brought upon this great club.

[mcs]

Probably not alone but is it weird that as each day goes on i get angrier and angrier about their "Performance"
I think it's more that the initial shock of the result has subsided, i am now in a fit of rage about the embarrassment the group (barring Buddy, Goodes, and maybe Kennedy) have brought upon this great club.

+1 for this Jeffers. Its going to be a looooonnnnng Summer chewing over that performance, especially with the late start to next season. Its more than 12 months still until hopefully our club gets a chance to redeem itself.

[Cardinal]

I stood to make $1000 on a Swans win. Can't believe I didn't think of hedging my bet till now.

Could have been my virus responsible for the result.

[baskin]

Probably not alone but is it weird that as each day goes on i get angrier and angrier about their "Performance"
I think it's more that the initial shock of the result has subsided, i am now in a fit of rage about the embarrassment the group (barring Buddy, Goodes, and maybe Kennedy) have brought upon this great club.

The three generations always watch the replay of our games on a Monday or Tuesday and we decided to watch the GF today. After being at the ground, it was good (?) to see it from another perspective. 85yo Dad's conclusions were; they did try but nothing, absolutely nothing, went right for us and everything went right for the Hawks; someone needed to make a statement after Hannebery was felled and, I've seen worse Swans games in my life time so I'm not going to give up on them now.