Scoreboard looks sick for Swans

[Steve]

Before the weekend's game our average score against was 67.6 - clearly we're not a high-scoring team, so the stats being thrown up re: scoring are fairly meaningless. Same with Fremantle - our plan is to minimise the opponent's score and back ourselves to kick an adequate score to win.

Last year's GF is the only dominant performance by Hawthorn in a PF or GF during 2012-14 - they nearly lost all 3 Prelims and Fremantle kicked themselves out of the 2013 in the first half.

A couple of key injuries, a wet/windy day and/or an exceptional pressure game against them would all make for a very different challenge to Hawthorn come the finals. They deserve to be favourites, but the adoration is still over-the-top IMO.

Our biggest issue is the dreadful skill level of our defenders, which means they either turn the ball over when they try to create something (Shaw, Rampe etc), or we move the ball slowly and wide if they go conservative trying to avoid errors.

That won't change this year, but if we can fast-track guys like Jones, Heeney and Mills into running defenders, and replace Richards with Reid, it can improve significantly in the next couple of years.

[WauchopeAnalyst]

Healy, Brown and Dunstall all gave Sydney a bake for their stubborn defensive game plan. It just isn't working any more..

[Doctor]

While I accept that this is a forum for the fans of the club, and that, for the most part, their comments are either passionate, logical or both, I think we have to accept that our current predicament comes down to one of two things:-
1. The players - Maybe we just aren't that good
2. The coaching - Maybe we are good enough and we're not being coached well enough

It could also be a bit of both, but there's no point treating the symptoms if we don't address the cause. As to which (or a combination of both) it is, I don't have the answer, but we have to be sure that we're addressing the right issues if we're to fix this.

[The Big Cat]

our current predicament

Our current predicament is in the top four and having lost four games, the same as Hawthorn. We beat them once and they returned the favour (albeit in spades). Geez I wish we had no problems like Essendon, Carlton and Brisbane!

[Keg]

Hawthorn has a game plan which they've demonstrated is good enough to beat everyone else in the competition. Our game plan does not. Even when we beat Hawthorn earlier this year we were lucky they were 'off'.

Our game plan is one dimensional and predictable. It works against lesser skilled opposition because our players have time and space to dispose of the ball effectively. It does not work against our equals or better when our players are rushed for time and space. Our only hope for defeating the likes of Hawthorn and Freo is that they are having an off day and we are at our best. That's not a way to win a Grand Final.

[The Big Cat]

Even when we beat Hawthorn earlier this year we were lucky they were 'off'.

So they can be "off" but we can't!

[WauchopeAnalyst]

Hawthorn were off and we beat them by 4 points. We were off and lost by 15 goals. Thats like comparing caraway seeds to watermelons.

[Ludwig]

The game plan that we want to have is one that we have tried but can't execute. It's very much like the Hawthorn game plan. The difference being that they can string together 5 or 6 effective disposals leading to a goal. They move it quickly out of defence and through the corridor and they find the open man in the forward line. We can't do any of these things. We kick out of desperation to the boundary hoping we can get a stoppage and catch our breath. When we use the corridor, we turn it over and everyone is screaming why we play such high risk football. It could be the same type of play as Hawthorn, the only difference is that they pull it off and we turn it over.

At the times that we have played well, we do move the ball quickly through the corridor. We just can't do it often enough and it seems that our ability to execute is diminishing rather than improving. Furthermore, it is often the players that we normally could most count on to execute well are the ones falling off. When our execution goes off the boil, then we play it 'safe' again and kick to a contest along the boundary. It's boring, predictable and easy to beat.

This must be very frustrating for the coaching staff because there doesn't seem to be any way out of a bad situation except for the players to simply play better. If you take St. Kilda for example, they have played some exciting football, applying pressure all over the ground and trying to move the ball quickly, often with many risky high precision passes. We are all surprised when it comes off so well for such a 'lowly' team and it looks great when it does, but like most teams that try this game plan, it breaks down quickly once those passes go awry and get turned over for easy goals.

The difference with Hawthorn is that they can and do play this precision football and execute it to a high level on a consistent basis and they are the only team in football that can do it. "Catch me if you can." I don't think anyone can. The advantage that Hawthorn have is that they've been on this road for many years. While the rest of us are trying to figure out how to play the Hawthorn game plan, they are just making refinements here and they are honing the skills that are already at a very high level. It's hard for the rest to catch up.

I think the only way out is to try to play like Hawthorn, even though we surely will be turning the ball over a lot and it is certain to cost us games in the process. But we have to find the kind of personnel and methodology to get it right at some point in the future if we ever want to challenge for a premiership again. Every other club is trying this is as well. The ones that succeed will be able to challenge for premierships. Others will not.

[The Big Cat]

Hawthorn were off and we beat them by 4 points. We were off and lost by 15 goals. Thats like comparing caraway seeds to watermelons.

Depends how far "off" you are! We were way "off" they were a touch "off".

[stevoswan]

Our current predicament is in the top four and having lost four games, the same as Hawthorn. We beat them once and they returned the favour (albeit in spades). Geez I wish we had no problems like Essendon, Carlton and Brisbane!

You are taking the 'glass half full' approach WAY too far here. I think what happened on the weekend was a massive reality check for our club on where we actually sit it in the grand scheme of things. Some of it is our fault, some of it is due to outside forces, but all in all, it's not a pretty picture. My optimism of a few seasons ago has been replaced with the stark reality that our 'window' is shutting fast. I feel sorry for Buddy.......

[aardvark]

I feel sorry for Buddy.......

Blokes getting truckloads of money for an unrealistic amount of years and gets to bonk Jescinta Campbell. I don't feel sorry for him in the slightest.

[stevoswan]

Blokes getting truckloads of money for an unrealistic amount of years and gets to bonk Jescinta Campbell. I don't feel sorry for him in the slightest.

Look, I'm sure he'll get over it. Truckloads of money and a top shelf bonking will do that, I'll admit. But you must have at least felt a bit sorry for him after last years GF, being about the only Swans player who played with the Bloods spirit, while his team mates dropped around him, and then left to wonder if he'd made the right career move, while watching his former team mates rejoice in his misery......even if he did get to go home for a good bonking on a bed of money. Seriously?

[Meg]

I've no idea about the bonking (good looks don't necessarily equate to good bonks) - but Franklin's partner seems to be an intelligent, caring, family-orientated woman and the two seem to be a very happy couple. So I doubt Buddy regrets moving to Sydney. However if GWS continue its rise and the Swans continue to dip, then Buddy may come to ponder his choice of club within Sydney.

[aardvark]

However if GWS continue its rise and the Swans continue to dip, then Buddy may come to ponder his choice of club within Sydney.

Personally I'd trade him to GWS tomorrow in exchange for 2 or 3 of their spare first round draft pics.

[Doctor]

Personally I'd trade him to GWS tomorrow in exchange for 2 or 3 of their spare first round draft pics.

I doubt they'd take the trade. They have Cameron, McCarthy and Patton.