Sydney V Collingwood Match Day Thread

[mcs]

Funny, I went to the game looking at it as our Grand Final for this year, and I can't say I was disappointed. I remember saying to someone at some point in the 3rd that everything about this game is $h^##%. Both teams and especially the umpires interpretation of whatever this week's rules are.

But when Sammy took the mark at the top of the square in the last, the roof exploded off the top of the SCG. After waiting all night for us to just stop, I knew we were going to win. Probably only the Port game last year was more emotionally charged.

Watching the boys on the replay hobble into the change rooms afterwards, battered and bruised, it feels to me like we turned a huge corner last night. Injuries will do us in for the rest of the season I think, but it felt to me like there was a massive shift in attitude last night. Before the song when the boys were getting in the circle someone said "This is just the start boys"... I'm pretty sure it was Rhyce. He turned a corner afew weeks ago and one by one we're all doing it. It's really only the AFL commission and injuries that will do us in but at least Pridham is tackling the AFL and good on him!

I loved that moment in the change rooms - I thought it may have been Shaw, or maybe McVeigh. I think injuries are going to cruel us come finals time, but I'd love to think some significant steps can be taken over the next few weeks to get back to the Bloods football we all know and the football world in general has admired over the past decade and a bit. If we are going to go out in the finals in 2015 like 2013, lets not do it with a whimper - and do it in a way that the players can make our premiership heroes of a decade a go proud. There has been too much footy this year which has been so 'unswanslike' in many ways from the team - but the way they battled on last night, despite it being far from a good overall performance, was what makes me love this club. More of the same please boys - don't die wondering, and you just never know what could happen.

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Surely beating Collingwood - however it is achieved - has to count as one of the great small things in life, regardless of how it fits into any bigger picture?

Hard to argue with that Liz - and finishing off their finals hopes in the process makes it even better

[Swanny40519]

Agree with above comments.

It was a very emotional and hard fought win. Credit to the boys as they really dug in hard in the last qtr when Parker and Heeney went off. Then after that Hanners copped one in the chest and was very sore.

I thought it was the best game I have seen Mitchell play and BJ was up as well. We need Buddy and Benny back fit and firing and that will help us a lot.

Plus if Gaz can keep fit and on the ground he will only get better. His pace, tackling pressure and kicking last night was terrific - even if it did come in spurts.

Well done - getting back to being Bloods again.

[Gary]

I've only been able to watch the tackle in which Luke Parker's ankle/lower leg (?) was broken on video replay on my iPad and also look at the still image. But to me it looks as if Adams trapped Luke's leg between his legs and then used his foot to take Luke down in the tackle, so causing Luke to collapse with both his and Adams' weight bearing down on his ankle/leg which is folded beneath him, thus causing the bone break. If this is what happened, surely this tackle technique is as bad (or worse) and just as dangerous as sliding in for a low ball. And the resulting injury to Parker was a predictable outcome of that form of tackle?

Totally agree ... like to see some expert commentary on that tackle ... just as an extra ... on at least 2 occasions Parker was held back when going for the ball ... both times the umpires chose to let it go ... any one else notice that, and was it Adams tagging him?

[Ludwig]

I'm reading Vonnegut's "Timequake" at the moment. It's an odd book - billed as a novel but really more like a scrapbook of reflections on life. On paragraph goes as follows:

Surely beating Collingwood - however it is achieved - has to count as one of the great small things in life, regardless of how it fits into any bigger picture?

I was just thinking "isn't this nice, quoting Kurt Vonnegut on RWO." One of my favourite authors. "Slaughterhouse Five" is a classic and a must read. Cat's Cradle would be my next in line.

I've posted a few times that 2011 was one of my favourite years as a Swans' supporter, because you could see something good was building. This year has been disappointing because the stuff that made us a good team last year has been faltering, to say the least. I posted at halftime that I commend the Swans for trying to do something different by getting the ball moving quickly, even if the decisions weren't always the best. But we need to change the way we play and I thought last night was a good start in that direction. We will learn to play this way better in due course. We will find the right players to execute a plan that produces more scoring and more exciting football.

As sad as it is to lose a player of Parker's quality, I don't think it will be a tragedy for the Swans if he can return at the start of next year. Nor with Laidler. We will probably replace these with some quicker players, and I think that will help the team in the long run. Zak Jones comes back into the picture and perhaps Nic Newman will be elevated if Parker goes on the LTIL. Once Buddy returns, Reid can play in defence, or perhaps Xav Richards will come in. I hope Hewett's concussion is not serious and he can play in the ressies next week. I was thinking what a good player he is watching him in the first qtr. Hope he gets a senior game this year. He's not the quickest player, but has a near perfect profile for the modern inside midfielder.

[annew]

I agree with other posters on this site, winning the Premiership is the ultimate but gee last night was sweet.

[Zlatorog]

I agree with liz that win over Collingwood is a good comeback after the loss against Geelong. I felt very down last week, because of that and posted a comment that we are limping into the finals (which is probably still true), but in the end I'll take any win even if it's an ugly one.

[Agent 86]

Whatever Dermott said about Tippett was warranted. Seemed to lack effort at crucial times and that hospital pass to Parker was appalling.

[Sandridge]

Great to see the optimistic trend of recent posts!

The shocking injury to Parker aside, last night was a fantastic result and one to be savoured! We kept ourselves in the race for top 4, we knocked out any slight chance Collingwood had of making the 8, we made sure the Pie fans who travelled up had a lousy trip home and we would've made Eddie really, really sad!

Go the mighty Bloods!!!

[YvonneH]

I really enjoyed the intensity of the game (at the ground) , against a team that had the wood on us big time.
The season is not all about winning The Premierships , of course it's the ultimate goal , but other pleasures occur on the journey . Beating The Pies last night was one of them.
Cloke in , Buddy out, Parker stretchered off, seriously , that was an excellent performance by the Swans.
Players have become very good at breaking tackles. They have watched Buddy doing often enough, a fast moving player is difficult to stop.
Well done boys. Terrific win.
Just hope Buddy gets back for the finals or sooner.

Agree 100%. Let us enjoy the journey with the boys.

[Auntie.Gerald]

i did like seeing Brandon Jack take another step towards our best 22

I did enjoy seeing Mitchell definitely take the challenge head on and conquer

Rohan come back after 5 weeks off was great to see and a difficult match up for the Pies

It was a greasy ball and the stakes were high ..............@@@@ game to watch but such is footy some weeks

[SCGonasunnyday]

Whatever Dermott said about Tippett was warranted. Seemed to lack effort at crucial times and that hospital pass to Parker was appalling.

At the game my wife and I marvelled at Tippett's effort and how he would probably get (unfairly) slammed in the media unless he got some goals. Watching the replay confirmed my view - great ruck work at times, great pressure, some important touches. Other than falling over once, fair to say he would kick more goals if we kicked to his advantage now and again.

I reckon he is a pretty handy player and did his part in our win.

[baskin]

I was sure I saw Tippett hurt his hand again early in the 3rd quarter. I don't know if I'm correct but the photo at the top of the attached article is, I think, the moment straight after it happened. He tapped the ball down and then pulled his hand away and stopped playing for a moment.

Adam Goodes largely respected but booed by small pocket of Collingwood fans

[liz]

I was sure I saw Tippett hurt his hand again early in the 3rd quarter. I don't know if I'm correct but the photo at the top of the attached article is, I think, the moment straight after it happened. He tapped the ball down and then pulled his hand away and stopped playing for a moment.

Adam Goodes largely respected but booed by small pocket of Collingwood fans

He has a plate in the hand and it's almost certainly not fully healed. Whether he "rehurt" it or not, I'm sure there's some pain in there.

I was frustrated during the game at the amount of time Tippett spent in the ruck, rather than forward, given Pyke was back in the side. And Pyke didn't really look too dangerous forward. But I ate my words when Pyke took that mark and calmly slotted through the goal. (Though I was far from calm!!) And Pyke did some other good stuff forward as well, like the pick up and handball that led to Jack's goal.

On even further reflection, it's clear that the side is a bit cobbled together at the moment. Pyke was there but is clearly far from fit with his knee. We know Tippett has his hand issue. And I am pretty sure McVeigh has a leg or groin injury that explains his kicking woes. I notice his calf was strapped, so maybe that's the problem. He took two forward line marks that had him kicking from well inside the 50m. Normally he swallows those up, for distance at least. But on both occasions it was obvious he didn't want to take the kick, and after realising there was no better option, his kicks lacked any conviction. The fact he was able to contribute so strongly last night despite the skill errors from him being more prevalent than we're used to, suggests the knock on his leadership some of have been giving him on here (myself very much included) may be a little out of line.

[goswannies]

Longmire on ABC just now. Parker broken tibia and being scanned for ankle ligament damage. Best case scenario 4 WEEKS! I'd take that!!

4 weeks?! Perhaps if it's a teeny tiny crack. But the tibia takes about 70% of the body's weight if it's a significant fracture in a large/long bone, regardless of whether there is fixation holding it together, we usually say 6 weeks ... minimum. Until there is a media release about the severity, we simply won't know. Also, it relies on routine recovery.

[baskin]

4 weeks?! Perhaps if it's a teeny tiny crack. But the tibia takes about 70% of the body's weight if it's a significant fracture in a large/long bone, regardless of whether there is fixation holding it together, we usually say 6 weeks ... minimum. Until there is a media release about the severity, we simply won't know. Also, it relies on routine recovery.

On the Swans site they say it is his fibula and he was having scans today to see if there was any additional ligament damage.