Round 2 Port Adelaide v Swans

[dimelb]

A small item but an exciting one: Buddy's occasional cameo role as a wrecking ball in the middle.

[aardvark]

A small item but an exciting one: Buddy's occasional cameo role as a wrecking ball in the middle.

Seemed like there was quite a bit of "Unsociable footy" from the Swans. Maybe we learned something from the GF after all.

[graemed]

It was my first visit to Adelaide oval and I was fortunate enough to be sitting some of our most dedicated and loyal supporters, I speak of course, of the cheer squad. The organisation required and the cooperation necessary for undertakings as simple as a run through banner is enormous. They are a great bunch and it was a fantastic night.
The football was pretty impressive and seeing it up close and personal was a very different experience from my usual aerie up in the noble stand.
The game was won by our midfield and secured by our defence. Our forwards were great taking advantage of the opportunities and whilst port were clearly below their best I believe that was more a function of our intense desire rather than their lack.

[GoSouth33]

In awe of our performance last night. Need to keep a lid on it though. It's a long season and we need to be playing like this at the end of the season. Just as the Cats went on to greater things after a devastating loss to us in the semi final in 2005, I hope our boys continue to draw inspiration from the disappointment of that last Saturday in September 2014.

[Auntie.Gerald]

great coaching

relentless effort

I would like to add that this week included TWO very very good decision makers and they got lots of minutes in McVeigh and Lloyd

Last week Lloyd only go 1 qtr and Goodes had 3 qtrs and this to be swappped around and for Macca to be back just shows that when you win that inside ball and you have elite decision makers receiving the ball.........well it is icing on the cake !

[Conor_Dillon]

A small item but an exciting one: Buddy's occasional cameo role as a wrecking ball in the middle.

How good was his hit on Boak?!

- - - Updated - - -

Really liked the way Reid and Laidler were able to zone off their opponents and come over the top to help out Ted and Reg...Reid is getting better with every game, could be a genuinely good CHB.

[dejavoodoo44]

The Swans tore em apart - for four quarters .....
That Crappy song at the start didn't work ... Songs are for post match ...

Yes, you're sort of asking for your team to be torn apart, by playing the song, Never Tear Us Apart. Maybe they could have played something at the end of the game, to match the general mood of the Port supporters? Simon and Garfunkel's, The Sounds Of Silence, perhaps?

[aguy]

I'm about to fly home. Looking forward to watching the replay on tv

[Ludwig]

As others have said, that was just the way we need to play to challenge for the cup. Great balanced performance, and pleasantly unsociable.

A few comments and observations:

• Tippett is our best ruckman. Wish we had 2 of him.
• Reg looks like a mudder, but plays so much better on a dry track. And he was really good. In fact, credit to the whole defensive group played so well together.
• Great to see Macca and little macca (Jake Lloyd) in the 21. Jake fits in so well. A quick and good decision maker. One thing I like is that after a goal, he starts counting the players on the field and signalling to the bench, just like our captains do. Smart players that can kick well are so valuable.
• At the end of last season I thought Shaw should have retired and was pleased Goodes decided to play on. It should have been the other way around. Rhyce is looking very solid so far this year, while Goodes, sadly, because I'm a big fan, looks a bit off the pace.
• Towers is looking good for an 8 gamer. He still has a way to go and hopefully continues to improve.
• Rohan is beginning to display his prodigious talent. He could be a Dangerfield type player. He's getting more involved and hopefully that continues. It could be one of the factors that brings team improvement this year.
• Our other talent from the 2009 draft, Jetta, is looking to be setting himself for a big year. Good to see both he and Rohan involved in the offence and the scoring.
• I was a bit surprised that Reid played back after making Goodes the sub. I like the forward line with Tippo, Buddy and the 2 bookend speedsters in Towers and Rohan. Reid is starting to get the knack of playing defence. Could be a good move.

[Doctor]

Outstanding performance from the first bounce to the final siren. Everyone played their role and we were relentless throughout. I could single out players but I won't, cos they were all wonderful.

[Hotpotato]

After you break a leg , you are never supposed to be the same again, so Rohan's recovery and return to the elite level is remarkable to say the least.

[Scottee]

We tore them apart!!!

[MattW]

What a game! I think the disaster of that last day in September has now been redeemed! A weight off their collective shoulders. Bring on the Hawks.

While the great effort in defence is being lauded, and rightly so, at last we saw our forward line functioning about the best I have seen with Buddy and KT both there playing their roles, and with others actually there to feed off them and kick goals. For the first time it seems to have worked. The combination of Towers, Lloyd, Rohan and Heeney rotating forward of centre was impressive.

The 'old firm' mids were at their best and Macca showed us just how important he is to the team structure. KT's teaming with Mike Pyke in the ruck, with his Mummy-like presence, may be just what they have desperately needed.

Go Swannies!!

Too early to claim redemption; only a grand final win can do that. Great to see they are up for it though.

[DLBIA14]

Seemed like there was quite a bit of "Unsociable footy" from the Swans. Maybe we learned something from the GF after all.

This. I know we are a physical big bodied side, but we usually don't go out of our way to engage in scraps and any push and shove. Normally well have a bit of an obligatory go when one of ours gets targeted (the fact that it didn't happen in the GF was one of the most resonant aspects of that game for me), but we're never the instigators. A fairly respectful team by most standards.

Last night, our mood seemed a little intense however. A little angry even. We seemed to want to physically and mentally out-perform Port and in the end, that was telling as went longer and stronger in our pressure and hardness. We seemed to let them know about it too, and I walked away believing we bullied them out of the game.

The Hawks, Freo and Geelong in their time, have all had this aggressive arrogance to their play. I don't mind our 'unsociable' change, as long I don't have to sit through us being pushed around and intimidated like we were by Hawthorn on THAT day. Never again.

[Matt80]

How great was it that Tippett and Franklin laid 8 tackles each?

The may be labeled the Bondi Billionaires, but they are putting in the grunt work and 2nd efforts that would make Brett Kirk happy.

I really feel that if we had not got Tippett and Franklin that we would be a 5-8 positioned team, and not a 2-4 positioned team that we are now.

We would not have beaten Essendon without them. They drag you over the line in the tough, close games.