First Qualifying Final: Fremantle v Sydney

[lwjoyner]

A great effort considering lack of firepower. What if Reidy was ok all night. The thing that really worries me is WHO IS THE SKILLS COACH our kicking to position has been deplorable all season and we continue the turnovers. If we are going to improve next year they need to start preseason with some training in this area.

[goswannies]

All this talk of our outs is justified, but i hate to say it but Hawthorn had a similar year last year with injuries and just kept on winning. It makes me realise that our replacement players are not at the same standard as the Hawks. Maybe it is VFL vs NEAFL but Melbourne teams seem to have that advantage over us when bringing in replacements.

Maybe it's our trade restrictions that's prevents us from adding depth

[goswannies]

Beaten by injuries and the wind.

Both teams had to play with that wind.

Why have so many of Barry's posts been deleted?

Is there anything that can be done (from a supporters perspective) to try & encourage Goodsey to go on one more year? IMO he's still got something to offer ... maybe to encourage Jetta to stay ... definitely still contributing on field ATM

[aardvark]

Both teams had to play with that wind.

True but one team didn't handle it.

[barry]

Sorry Barry but I disagree with you. The people that will stop already have and the others you can't convince, I believe that the w c crowds ARE the worst in the AFL but it would cause those people booing more pain if we get to go there and win that game. I know that's how I feel after a finals loss.

This is bigger than any football game. Lets say the AFL did make them replay the game at an empty stadium, and without the crowd effect, the swans won. That would make the booers who caused this public enemy no 1 in perth.. there actions have consequences... directly to them.

- - - Updated - - -

Both teams had to play with that wind.

Why have so many of Barry's posts been deleted?

Its my fault. Im posting from my phone and whenever i go to edit my post for spelling mistakes it seems to automatically delete the post. And i can't be bothered typing it again.

[annew]

Forecast rain in Sydney from Wednesday onwards including Saturday, swans having a terrible year in every area. I do believe if the swans can play like they did yesterday they can beat either Richmond or North but would prefer North than the Richmond army. It will be up to us fans to make the noise to get them up.

[dejavoodoo44]

Both teams had to play with that wind.

Why have so many of Barry's posts been deleted?

Is there anything that can be done (from a supporters perspective) to try & encourage Goodsey to go on one more year? IMO he's still got something to offer ... maybe to encourage Jetta to stay ... definitely still contributing on field ATM

Personally, I'd be surprised if Goodesy doesn't go around another year. And I think that the idiotic booing over in the west recently, would certainly be encouraging Jetts to stay.

[liz]

Personally, I'd be surprised if Goodesy doesn't go around another year. And I think that the idiotic booing over in the west recently, would certainly be encouraging Jetts to stay.

One of the reasons Goodes was so great yesterday is that he played predominantly as a midfielder, not a forward. I don't know whether his move to the forward line was because he could no longer run out games in the midfield, or because the Swans needed him more forward. Watching him run around yesterday, even well past his best, was a reminder that he was an elite midfielder but has rarely been more than a decent forward. Assuming Buddy can get appropriate treatment, our forward line is decently stocked now. Tippett is showing what he can do when his body lets him. Reid seems to be maturing (though soft tissue injuries at inopportune times remain a concern). Heeney may play another season or so predominantly up forward before he graduates full time to the midfield. Towers is showing signs he might be an AFL player long term. BJ maybe also. And Rose is in the wings.

We don't need Goodsey in the forward line. If his knees will let him run around as an oversized ruck or wingman for one more year, wouldn't that be great to behold.

[cherub]

All this talk of our outs is justified, but i hate to say it but Hawthorn had a similar year last year with injuries and just kept on winning. It makes me realise that our replacement players are not at the same standard as the Hawks. Maybe it is VFL vs NEAFL but Melbourne teams seem to have that advantage over us when bringing in replacements.

But timing is everything in this life. We're getting a lot of our injuries at the business end of the season. No time to adjust and retrain for a game plan. Injuries earlier in the season force you to give your young players a go, so they get valuable experience.

[Daisi]

This is probably off topic and I apologise, the mods can move or delete if necessary.

Re Adam and the booing...

I spoke to somebody from a Non English Speaking background the other day, and they said that for the first time in their life,( they would be about 40) they stood up and confronted somebody who said something racist about them. They said they were directly inspired by Adam Goodes and his courage in the face of adversity to do so.

So Adam's stance is influencing people in real life...

I just wanted to share that.

I would like to see Adam go around another year...but any decision he makes is fine by me.

[dimelb]

Great little anecdote Daisi, most encouraging and in my view perfectly appropriate in this discussion.

[liz]

This is probably off topic and I apologise, the mods can move or delete if necessary.

Re Adam and the booing...

I spoke to somebody from a Non English Speaking background the other day, and they said that for the first time in their life,( they would be about 40) they stood up and confronted somebody who said something racist about them. They said they were directly inspired by Adam Goodes and his courage in the face of adversity to do so.

So Adam's stance is influencing people in real life...

I just wanted to share that.

I would like to see Adam go around another year...but any decision he makes is fine by me.

Wonderful to hear.

[liz]

All this talk of our outs is justified, but i hate to say it but Hawthorn had a similar year last year with injuries and just kept on winning. It makes me realise that our replacement players are not at the same standard as the Hawks. Maybe it is VFL vs NEAFL but Melbourne teams seem to have that advantage over us when bringing in replacements.

The Hawks have an amazingly deep squad, and they are very well drilled too. Nonetheless, their achievement in making the top 4 last year was outstanding, given the injuries they faced during the year. Once finals came around, they had close to their best side available though. Injuries didn't really hamper them during the finals.

We had a pretty good run with injury for most of the year. But, as with 2013, it has all arrived at the wrong time of the season. Despite that, we came ever so close yesterday and I reckon that even without Buddy, Jack, Parker and Smith, we would have won had Sammy not gone down when he did. Once our midfield was on top, we were just lacking someone to mark the ball in the forward line, especially while Tippett was in the ruck. That should have been Reid, and a couple of his efforts before he got injured suggested he was up for it yesterday.

We will go in next week without Buddy, Reid, Jack and Parker. We might get Smith back. That is equivalent to the Hawks going in without Gunston (who they've already lost) plus, say, Lewis, Shiels and Bruest - not like for like players but similar in where they rate in terms of importance to their teams. At their best, they can win without those players. We can win next week without ours too, though our bottom six next week will be far less experienced that a bottom six the Hawks can dredge up.

Heeney (under duress), Jones and Towers did their bit yesterday. We just need a little more from Rohan and/or BJ. And the coaches need to decide whether McGlynn is physically capable of contributing in a finals game, given how much footy he has missed this season. Is there anyone left to replace him? Smith, if he comes up. But if not, it comes down to whether Bird is in any better physical shape than McGlynn, or whether a Rose or Davis or Hewett or Richards can provide any more.

[chalbilto]

One of the reasons Goodes was so great yesterday is that he played predominantly as a midfielder, not a forward. I don't know whether his move to the forward line was because he could no longer run out games in the midfield, or because the Swans needed him more forward. Watching him run around yesterday, even well past his best, was a reminder that he was an elite midfielder but has rarely been more than a decent forward. Assuming Buddy can get appropriate treatment, our forward line is decently stocked now. Tippett is showing what he can do when his body lets him. Reid seems to be maturing (though soft tissue injuries at inopportune times remain a concern). Heeney may play another season or so predominantly up forward before he graduates full time to the midfield. Towers is showing signs he might be an AFL player long term. BJ maybe also. And Rose is in the wings.

We don't need Goodsey in the forward line. If his knees will let him run around as an oversized ruck or wingman for one more year, wouldn't that be great to behold.

It would indeed. However I don't think his knees will hold up for another season so I would rather that he retire this year and be remembered as a great player and champion not as a champ who played one season too long. In saying this I believe that Towers or Rose can replace his position in the forwards.

[SA Swan]

On the road in Adelaide most of yesterday listening to the game on Dribble M. Mark Ricciutto, doing special comments, suggested the Swans looked back to their old ways in some aspects; tackling, running to space & pressure. He was of the opinion that we won the game everywhere but the score. Gave me great confidence that we will get to a Prelim. We have not seen our old ways in the second half of the year.

PS. Normally listen to ABC but reception was crap!