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Master of the understatement. That absolutely reeked. I know it is only pre-season and that we traditionally don't try in March, but it would be nice to actually see SOME improvement in the areas where we clearly do need to change, like skills and game plan positivity. Yet another year where the pre-season suggests we are stagnant. I know it may not turn out that way, but it would be nice if early indications were positive rather than a dreary downer. Papley showed some signs but everything else was distinctly underwhelming. GWS looked to have vastly more raw talent.
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My opinion is objective truth in its purest form -
GWS were keen. We weren't.
Lloyd, Cunningham, Towers and Robinson are the ones that concern me. The first two have obviously played plenty of senior footy. They're both 'nice' players but they're both pretty ordinary under pressure. Towers has shown signs of improvement. We need to see more of it. Robinson is clearly a good runner but doesn't look to have a whole lot of natural football ability. We need a couple of those to improve significantly.
Early days but I like the look of the 2015 Draft already.Bloods
"Lockett is the best of all time" - Robert Harvey, Darrel Baldock, Nathan Burke, Kevin Bartlett, Bob SkiltonComment
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At least Macca got us a win ...
Kidding. Early days.Comment
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Not a great performance and hard to find anything to get positive about, Heeney did OK, Buddy got through another game but GWS did look "on" tonight and Stevie J's signing could be a masterstroke. If they get some momentum then seriously look out..
Clearly silly to be getting overly worried at this early stage but tonight does leave me feeling more concerned than I feel I should be for a meaningless pre-season matchComment
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Gee, a lot of over reaction on here to a round 2 pre season game.
Given we play GWS for points in round 3, we were never give them a look at how we will structure up.
There was plenty of vanilla on show from the Swans. IMO, on purpose.
The continual 'throw it on the boot to move it forward' scenario, was supposed to set up contested footy and stoppages.
Horse alluded to his mind set in his pre game interview..."It's a small ground, the game will be congested."
He talked about getting plenty of body on body work, getting back into the groove of hits and bruises.
I reckon he was pissed off because GWS went harder, and pressured better, which was what he wanted from our boys.
I think you can all but guarantee a vast improvement in this area next week...
But again, we play Carlton in round 2, so it will be more vanilla in terms of game plan.
Come round 1, I expect to see Buddy and Tippo or Sinclair, lining up in the forward line.
The strugglers for me were...Towers, Robinson, B Jack...All pressure forwards, so that's a worry given we are without the services of McGlynn and Rohan.Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect... MTComment
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It's just that it only looked congested for us, not for them. It's a common pattern over recent years against a range of opposition, and one I wish we showed some vague signs of addressing. It's about game plan, not the dimensions of the ground. Maybe we weren't trying our real game plan, and in addition maybe we weren't bringing our real skill level or our real endeavour, but I wish we'd showed a crapload more of all those things than we did. It's not about winning vs losing, it's about what you show in a game (hence me being far more bullish about our prospects in 2012 than I was in 2014).My opinion is objective truth in its purest formComment
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Johnson won't get a kick when the winter months roll around and things get a bit tougher. Much like Chapman at Essendon.Bloods
"Lockett is the best of all time" - Robert Harvey, Darrel Baldock, Nathan Burke, Kevin Bartlett, Bob SkiltonComment
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Yes, well, while I would have liked to have seen some indication, that all the skill work that we were apparently doing in the off season had actually improved our skills, I tend to look at NAB matches through the prism of the Paul Roos era. That is, Roosy coached the Swans to wins in; one grand final, nine finals and one NAB Cup game.Comment
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I know the positive one's on here keep blaming NAB challenge and our history of apparently 'not trying' in these games as a reason for our stinker last night but unfortunately i'm still a little concerned. While i agree we do have form in the area of stinkers in previous NAB games, most seasons previously we have come into the new seasons after competing in Grand Finals and Preliminary Finals so we are usually coming off less training than most with little to prove.
Last year we got defeated in straight sets in the finals for the first time in many years and while obviously injuries played a part, i would have thought we would attack the pre-season like we had something to prove. There was a lot of talk about improving our skills, Buddy and Tippett having their best pre-season in years and talented youth coming in to freshen up our side.
Well i'm sorry but from what I've witnessed in the first 2 games this pre-season our skills looked to be as horrible as ever, our game plan is no different (bomb to a foward line horribly outnumbered) and if anything we look to have gone a little backwards while others that were just below us appear to have improved.
While I'm definitely not one to write us off just yet considering the heart we have shown for many years, it's still a little worrying the way we look right now heading into what most believe will be one of the most competitive seasons in a long, long time for teams battling it out to make the 8!
In previous years i've listened to all the so called experts in the media write us off and have always been confident we'd prove them wrong. They never really follow our team as intensely as all us RWOers do so I figure they are just really making an educated guess! But ultimately tell and i really hope i'm wrong!
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This sums up my concerns as well. I don't care about pre-season results or even to some degree the performances, but I am worried by what appears to be little if any improvement in our skills, and the game plan continues to look like the tired, crap one that we've had in recent years that simply won't match up against the best teams.
Also concerned about those fringe guys who should be standing up saying 'I want that spot' in the 22, given the retirements/trades etc, and just don't seem to really be doing a lot.
I am worried by what I've seen in the first two pre-season games - it may all well come out better in time, but I've got a bad feeling about 2016 so far."You get the feeling that like Monty Python's Black Knight, the Swans would regard amputation as merely a flesh wound."Comment
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Missed the game as I was out on the sauce. From what I've read here, it sounds like most of the Swans were too.Today's a draft of your epitaphComment
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comments on just a few players on the fringe or new to the club
10. JONES, Zak - average but no base fitness and only half a game
14. MILLS, Callum - by mid season i wouldn't be surprised if he is warming to the HBF role...........he is a real goer and good kick / vision
18. SINCLAIR, Callum - wow Sinclair is a serious addition to the Swans and very luck we attracted him to Sydney........he was relentless
22. TOWERS. Dean - he looked rigid but hell it was a nightmare to work out where our midfield / backs were kicking to so Towers job was ridiculous
28. NEWMAN, Nic - has potential but didn't stand out........not much game time either i.e. primarily second half ?
32. TALIA, Michael - no one would have wanted to be in defence last night for the Swans > he was so so but at the same i think he has potential to be a top 22 player by mid season
34. DAWSON, Jordan - i had trouble monitoring his defence / workrate.......... but he is certainly a natural kick and long.........Rohan being out may create an opportunity ?
41. PAPLEY, Tom - could be our next Poppa or McGlynn style of small forward....... it will be interesting to watch TP evolve"be tough, only when it gets tough"
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