Time for home truths....

[Ajn]

I know it is easy to be angry and upset, but after sitting back and reflecting I think there is an easy answer to our problems.
Game style!
It needs to change and I think we are 2-3 years behind the pace setters. Hawthorn, West Coast, Bulldogs, GWS(I know we beat them, but they are coming fast), Richmond are all employing a similar game style that relies on a total team buy in. The web defence is killing our handball through traffic style and we need to improve our foot skills and start now!

I believe Longmire is capable, but it needs to be sooner rather than later. We can not win with this style, p.s. Port Adelaide are in the same boat

[111431]

I know it is easy to be angry and upset, but after sitting back and reflecting I think there is an easy answer to our problems.
Game style!
It needs to change and I think we are 2-3 years behind the pace setters. Hawthorn, West Coast, Bulldogs, GWS(I know we beat them, but they are coming fast), Richmond are all employing a similar game style that relies on a total team buy in. The web defence is killing our handball through traffic style and we need to improve our foot skills and start now!

I believe Longmire is capable, but it needs to be sooner rather than later. We can not win with this style, p.s. Port Adelaide are in the same boat

Fully agree - we don't have a Plan B when the way we want to play isn't working and with the potential in fire power we have up fwd we rarely capitalise because we take far too long to move the ball fwd.

[bungwahl]

We've got nothing to lose this season. We know our current game plan simply does not stand up against top teams, so we may as well switch to an attacking style. Lock Tippett/Goodes in the goal square, lock Buddy at HF/wing. Every time we run out of defence we want at least two options forward of the play so we can stop this stupid sideways shuffling.

Every time we drop spare men back, we fall apart. The pressure is off now - we're not expected to win, so if we can switch to an attacking style and turnaround our results that's great. If it fails, we drop a few more ladder spots and get better value draft picks to help with academy bidding.

[Cheer_Cheer]

I agree that our game plan isn't great but it would sure work a lot better if we could actually execute it. The number of turnovers and missed targets makes any game plan impossible for us.

[bungwahl]

I agree that our game plan isn't great but it would sure work a lot better if we could actually execute it. The number of turnovers and missed targets makes any game plan impossible for us.

It's a chicken vs egg scenario. The game plan causes high level congestion which is supposed to make defence easier, but in turn it's hindering our attack. The last two weeks have shown that the current plan is not preventing the opposition scoring freely, so we need to switch to attack. At full strength we can match it with most sides when we go one on one.

Plus there is nothing to lose!

[tasmania60]

Really don't think the skill levels there to go with a plan B, watch them kicking under pressure , first act under pressure with people round is a standard backward handpass. They are starting to go to Jetta because of his footskills ? Some flaws ?

[chuckie]

In 2007 Port Adelaide scored fairly freely but were smashed in the grand final so they decided to change their game plan from then on to a less free flowing style so they could never be embarressed like that again I was told by an employee of the club at the time. They decided to restrict the teams from scoring and forgot about scoring themselves this lead to them going from a top side to a very poor side real quick, I see a similar way to our style of play this year. Most of our wins this year have been a struggle. I don't think we will drop that quickly but the trade ban is going to hurt for a few years unless we can unearth a cheap gem. We should persist with Xavier Richards and play Aliir, Marsh and maybe Davis as our backline really struggles against good forwards if we don't get time into these players we will end up hanging on to players that may not be up to it next year when they are required. At the end of the year do the match commitee say well we better keep Shaw and continue to play Grundy and Ted as our main backs cause we don't know how good these other players are or even worse delete young players without giving them a go as we know what we can get from the older players. we don't have to play all these players at once but give them at least a couple of games. The midfield players need to go out and take the game on instead of worrying about the opposition our group of players in that area are as good as any in the league but they spend to much time blocking and scragging and are more interested in tackling than getting the ball if the ball was moved quicker then we may have some forwards in our forward line that can kick goals.

[AnnieH]

Do we have a game plan?
Noooooo.

[dimelb]

In 2007 Port Adelaide scored fairly freely but were smashed in the grand final so they decided to change their game plan from then on to a less free flowing style so they could never be embarressed like that again I was told by an employee of the club at the time. They decided to restrict the teams from scoring and forgot about scoring themselves this lead to them going from a top side to a very poor side real quick, I see a similar way to our style of play this year. Most of our wins this year have been a struggle. I don't think we will drop that quickly but the trade ban is going to hurt for a few years unless we can unearth a cheap gem. We should persist with Xavier Richards and play Aliir, Marsh and maybe Davis as our backline really struggles against good forwards if we don't get time into these players we will end up hanging on to players that may not be up to it next year when they are required. At the end of the year do the match commitee say well we better keep Shaw and continue to play Grundy and Ted as our main backs cause we don't know how good these other players are or even worse delete young players without giving them a go as we know what we can get from the older players. we don't have to play all these players at once but give them at least a couple of games. The midfield players need to go out and take the game on instead of worrying about the opposition our group of players in that area are as good as any in the league but they spend to much time blocking and scragging and are more interested in tackling than getting the ball if the ball was moved quicker then we may have some forwards in our forward line that can kick goals.

A lot of truth in that. In a word, too much responding and not enough initiating.

[Ajn]

I'm not sure wholesale changes will ever be the Swans way, but by giving one or two a game and seeing if we can unearth anything. I would like to see Newman trialed, as I hear his foot skills are high class. If not he, then we need to unearth someone who can launch our attacks and put us on the front foot. Attack sides and get them to react to us...

[mcs]

I'm not sure wholesale changes will ever be the Swans way, but by giving one or two a game and seeing if we can unearth anything. I would like to see Newman trialed, as I hear his foot skills are high class. If not he, then we need to unearth someone who can launch our attacks and put us on the front foot. Attack sides and get them to react to us...

I think newman will find a place in the 22 sooner rather than later - but more likely to be next year. There is a lot to like about his footy, but plenty to work on as well.

[Ludwig]

Until we can effectively turn defence into attack from our defensive 50, no game plan is going to work. We are pulling everyone from our forward line just to help our defence get the ball out of our defensive zone, then of course there's no one to kick to if we do get the ball back.

I think our defence next year will include Reg, Rampe, Smith and Jones. Rampe and Reg can't handball and Reg is slow, but they all can kick well enough. There's not enough speed in that group to trouble anyone. The remaining 2 in the back six have to have some reasonable pace and good skills as well as the requisite ability to defend 1 on 1. I'm not sure who the other 2 will be. But we know who the candidates are. Newman is a good chance since he's got most of the what we need. Then it's who will be our other tall defender: Maybe X, maybe Reid. I like Laidler, but he may be to 'ordinary' to fit with the rest of the group, but a reliable player that should remain on our list. He's a bit like Kyle Cheney, who does a good fill in job, but finds it hard to keep a regular spot.

I have some concern that a number of our better young midfielders are more inside players than outside runners and I don't know how it will all work out. Hewett is a natural inside mid and so is Mills. If we get Dunkley, that's yet another. We may have to find a game plan that takes this into account.

[rojo]

I am wondering if our team, especially the leaders, and add Buddy to that, are losing or have lost confidence in the current 'game plan'. It sort of worked for the first quarter on Sunday and we failed to capitalise and then for part of the last quarter. The players are said to be guilty of playing inconsistent footy but it is such an uphill battle when every opposition has a worked out a way to counter 'the plan' - the best teams effectively do it for four quarters other teams for one two or three quarters. Our midfielders just cannot hold up for four quarters game after game.

[Mr Magoo]

What is our game plan - Im not being sarcastic but just want someone to describe what they believe it is. I think our game style has become much less through the corridor as the season has gone on and as our confidence has gone down.

[wolftone57]

Fully agree - we don't have a Plan B when the way we want to play isn't working and with the potential in fire power we have up fwd we rarely capitalise because we take far too long to move the ball fwd.

I have been saying for ages that game plans are overrated. If you have a game plan that you stick rigidly to you are restricting your team to only the game plan or plans you put in place. If the opposition is able to change it up and counter your game plan and go one better you are stuffed unless you have strategies to nullify their strategies. We don't have anything to nullify their strategies and we play an out of date style. Not only that we no longer play a style of game that suits our personnel.

For years we had that hard nut wall across half back and elite runners to back them. Shaw is almost finished and leaks scores. The rest have retired and Teddy is near to retirement. I'm sorry we have recruited players who play a certain style of game and then we are getting them to play the opposite to the style they play. for instance Tip & Bud are not huge pack marking forwards, they are leading forwards. They are being asked to play the former. Stupid seeing the only player vaguely good at contested marking is Tip and even he needs a run at it just like Reid. With tip & Bud out they tried to get Goodsie & Reid to play their roles so they wouldn't change the game plan.

THE GAME PLAN SUCKS JOHN CHUCK IT OUT WITH THE BATHWATER. THIS BABY IS BABY ALIEN AND DON'T CUT IT.

Bud should play on the flank or wing with Reid at CHF or FF. Bud can kick 70 so use that & drag his opponent into territory he won't like.

We need to look at the personnel and look at what they all as individuals bring to the table. Design a game plan and strategies that use their strengths instead of drafting players and then telling them you have to change to the way we play footy 'cos 'We got aGame Plan or Two. Don't ask about Three'. At the moment we are not using the players to their best skill set and not doing work on the track that enhances this. We have some pretty talented players but some are asked to do jobs they have absolutely no capacity to do. For instance asking Lloydy to play on Smith the West coast speedsters. Stupid he ain't capable. Work to his skill set and his abilities. He is great in and under. He is a really strong tackle. He is a very good user of the ball. He has no confidence ever since being put on players who are far too fast. Longmire is an idiot. We will lose this kid and he will end up playing in a premiership elsewhere while we struggle.

We have to look to use the combined skills and abilities of all our players and we can design strategies to do this. But it takes a few good coaches to sit around and get started on what they are and how to use them to the advantage of the team. If the game plan you have is not working and you don't have a clue then go away and let someone who does do the job. If you are incapable of developing fluid strategies that can win another premiership don't bother coming to the table.

The first sign the playing group is losing confidence in the game plan and by that they coaches is their skill level deteriorates. They start to lose confidence because they start to expect the same results if the plan/s are not working particularly well or they just don't believe in the plan. Players being played beyond their abilities or in positions or on players who's ability is far different from theirs lose confidence because they get towelled up. No good putting Lloyd on speedsters but it has happened all year. No good putting Jetts on strong body players it is not one of his skills sets. But it has happened often enough to be of concern. It seems to me the coaches are just blind to what our players actually bring to the table and expect them to be able to cope no matter what they ask them to do. That is crap. It is a stupid mind set as is the bombing to a pack forward entry. Longmire is trying to reinvent Pagan's paddock except there is one problem, defenders rarely play one on one like in Carey's day. That means we bomb into a three or more on one and the ball comes out faster then it went in. There can't be too many Swans players who have confidence in that. By the way I asked a few people to chech in a match when we first start bombing the ball into the forward line and don't pass off at all. We do it just before half time or just after half time and then we do it for the remainder of the match. It is a coach driven thing, a game plan not as Longmire has tried to suggest, players not following the game plan.

1. Get rid of our Game Plans, both of them, they don't work.

2. Do much more Skills & Fitness work at training. We are good at tackling and the hard stuff we need to upgrade the former.

3. Develop an abilities & skill-sets based program of tactics to use in games. Use the players natural abilities and skills to our advantage not our detriment.

4. Look at the way the other top sides are developing and develop a set of strategies to combat each side.

5. Look at the players who we have who are over the hill or on the edge of retirement and pension them off. Start with a new set of skill sets. Even if this means missing the big ones this year look to next. I don't believe under this current coaching regime we have a hope in hell of even being competitive in the finals.If it means putting some of these blokes on the long term injury list or retiring them and upgrading someone like Perris and Newman, so be it.

6. Look to the draft and who we can trade off for draft picks.