Round 1 Match Day Thread. Sydney V Collingwood SCG.

[CureTheSane]

My personal belief is that we made one change, which made us look awesome and Collingwood flat footed.
The one thing I have been moaning about over the last few ears is our delivery into the forward line.
Everything changed on Sat night.
Kicks into the 50 were on target, and the targets were leading and making room for themselves.
Simply, all of the hard work done by the midfield and back line over the last few years was rewarded when the result of that work didn't bounce back down the ground

Hopefully we can keep it up.

[Mountain Man]

If someone can get Mitchell to stop bombing the ball out of packs ALA ROK, and start looking for a better option in close - or alternatively follow Parkers lead and move to space, things will be looking much better.

It is a call I wouldn't make as I think the value of the quick extraction is more valuable than the occasional error. Mitchell, more than most is able to get his kick away without needing to get balanced or take the few steps first. If we are matching up forward of the contest, then it is at worst a 50/50, and the ball is going in the direction we want.

Kennedy (and Parker) are so strong they can force themselves from the contest.

[aguy]

And speaking of player numbers - I am grumpy about the update to the AFL club apps which means it is no longer possible to view players by number order. The update has made a whole range of statistics by player available which I think is great. But in doing that it's lost the player number order. I've always used my phone to quickly check on a player I don't recognise (usually from the opposing team) but now I have to read down the whole list to try to find the player number. And with my head down looking at my phone, miss some key action!

Hmmm, perhaps a ploy to try to get me to buy the printed AFL Record?

I've emailed the swans about exactly this issue. They need to add order by jumper number back into the app

[Mug Punter]

Have finally managed to land long enough to write something after being on Cloud 9 since Saturday night. Wow!

Did not expect that! I am trying not to get too carried away but from believing we would struggle to hold onto a place in the 8 after watching the NAB Cup games to watching that performance I must admit to being totally gob smacked and actually pinched myself after the game.

Have not seen a quarter of football like the second quarter since the night we handed Geelong a 108 point smashing a few years ago.

All 3 debutantes made excellent contributions throughout the match and whilst K Jack, Parker and Lloyd were outstanding there were no passengers.

Loved Tippett's game, I like many doubted his commitment. I was corrected in no uncertain terms on Saturday night, he was earnest in the contest, brave in marking contests, focused in his defensive tasks and apart from his marking which was poor (perhaps affected by fatigue) played a brilliant match.

Also enjoyed Towers' efforts, he was always available either as a defensive out or to put in a block or as a marking option. His decision making is improving and he is showing more confidence.

My concerns remain unresolved mainly because the midfield were so dominant that our backline were never exposed to the type of pressure that they will experience from the likes of the Bulldogs, Hawthorn, West Coast, Geelong, North, etc. Until we are matched by that type of quality perhaps in 2 weeks we cannot be overconfident.

Rampe, Jones, Mills all played attacking roles and without pressure made good decisions and found targets. Talia, Laidler and Grundy all did well on their respective talls but I for one will be interested to see how Richards fits into that group. His positioning and intercept marking have always been elite but recently he has been exposed for a lack of pace and that is not going to improve with time. McVeigh will also need to be accomodated so the pressure to perform will be interesting on the back 6. Smith was outstanding all night and apart from an errant handball to poor Reg in the goal square did not put a foot wrong.

Sinclair is a genuine target as a forward he makes good position, takes contested marks and moves well. I am less convinced of his abilities around the ground and with his rucking skills specifically. He made some fundamental errors when positioning for boundary throw ins and his centre ruck work was ineffective. I think Taubert needs to work hard with this guy.

Kennedy was below his best but I thought until his injury Hanaberry was working well.

Sidebottom seemed to have better of Cunningham until the 2nd half so he may be under pressure although his 2 goals were excellent. Mitchell started slowly but is a class act and his first goal opened the flood gates until then we couldn't buy a major.

I thought the world had ended when I saw Franklin grab his shoulder after that contest on the wing. Luckily, it seems unobtrusive or at least treatable. It was magnificent watching him attack the ball, run into contests, create space and oppourtunites and to kick so beautifully. What a talent!

Great summary Graeme

I'm still totally buzzing myself, I was resigned to this being a real hard grind of a season but the three new kids have just blown me away plus the overall intensity, WOW! I still think we'll just fall short at the business end but if we can set that as the marker for our efforts this year we'll be playing finals again and I think 2017 we'll be really well placed for a tilt.

Jack played his best game for seasons IMO, I know he polled OK last year in our B&F but for me that was gertting back to the All Australian form he had a few years ago. Agree with you re Tippett, real workhorse and his versatility is just brilliant for us and with him and Sinclair we just have so many more options in that front.

I've never seen a player debut with as much composure as Mills, his delivery is first class and he just knows what to so. Injuries permitting he'll play every game this year. This is a big call but he reminds me of Luke Hodge with his delivery and composure and he definitely is a future captain.

Heeney looks ready to really have a good year, to contribute week in week out and generally be difficult to man up on, he looks like he's bulked up a bit too which is good.

Love our unsung backline in Laidler, Rampe and Smith. Laidler never gets any huge wraps but I bet he's one of the first on the teamsheet every week. I do think we may get exposed a bit against the top teams as Ted did start to get towelled up a bit last year. Reg is still in career best form but it's an area we need to address this year now our ruck stocks are fine. Would definitely see us going to the draft for the best KPD available or possibly even look at trading our first round draft pick this year.

Towers played a great role for the team but he'll get better than that and I thought Jones did some good things. He is one we need to persist with because whilst he still makes some judgement errors his mongrel is really needed.

Maybe I'm being greedy now but I'd like to see one more rookie emerge and play a few games this year. I don't care who but at a pinch I'd think Abe Davis as being the lad most likely.

[dejavoodoo44]

Yes, mp, Laidler would be one of the first picked in my team, too. He always goes in hard and seems to have a genuine dislike of being beaten in a contest.

[Triple B]

I've never seen a player debut with as much composure as Mills, his delivery is first class and he just knows what to so.

His towering contested mark and the follow up 50+ metre kick off a few steps to hit Hewitt lace out was my play of the night...

[crackedactor]

there was a lot to like about the Swans first half and graemed did a great summary. However watching reviews of the game was most disappointing for Melbourne TV viewers. Commentators Spent 90 % talking about how bad Collingwood were and spent 10% of the time on the Swans which they basically just mentioned Buddy is back. Almost zero on any other player. I am sure there was more than 22 Collingwood players and Buddy there on Saturday night???

[The Big Cat]

The VFL was not the be all and end all then. The other state comps were very strong. I know I lived through it. don't give a @@@@ if he played no VFL footy he was still the best judged the best by the best players that ever played the game including Jeseluenko, Parkin, Barrassi. You name it everyone who saw him said he was the best they ever saw. I saw him cut the Vics to pieces and this was in the time the Vics had every great player from every state playing for them not their home states. No 'State of Origin' then the mongrels. You Vics always cheated and still do. Robran CHOSE not to go to Victoria. He hated the city and didn't even live in Adelaide. He lived in the Adelaide Hills and was a farmer. He did not have to play in Victoria to be the best to have ever played. Buddy would be the modern equivalent but playing as a midfielder. He was 6'3"and played follower/centre. But could play CHF, CHB or ruck if needed. He played FF in a few matches after he did his cruciate ligament. Mind you he played from 1974 to 1980 after doing that. There were not even operations guaranteed to fix a posterior let alone anterior cruciate ligament in those days. I didn't barrack for North Adelaide and I am not a South Australian (born in Broken Hill), but I have seen the man play as I have seen all the greats since 1965 play and he was by far the best player I have ever seen. He made all the other players look ordinary in the State matches. Killed Jezza, murdered Matthews, you name it. If the state games had been a State of Origin sides Jezza would never have been able to play for Victoria as he was from the ACT. Blight and Bussusto actually played for Victoria for @@@@s sake. That is how seriously the Vics took State matches, they always wanted to kill the opposition so they played the other states players against them, their best players. Bloody cheats.

Partly because of the influx of interstate players, in terms of depth of talent, the VFL was eons in front of the other state leagues who no doubt could field strong rep sides but any VFL club team would have murdered any interstate club. There is no doubt that Robran was a gun player. Too many people speak of his ability to dismiss him as anything but a champion within the environment he competed. All I'm saying is that he was untested against the best, week in, week out. To have him installed as a legend in the AFL Hall of Fame without playing a VFL game is an insult to those champions who put their reputations on the line and performed year after year in the big league. It's the same argument as saying Jamie Siddons should be an Australian cricket legend because of his exploits in Sheffield Shield. I for one think Jamie would have been a great Australian player if he had gotten the chance. Probably Robran would have been an absolute champion in the VFL. But we'll never know because he was content (no implied criticism of his personal decision) to be a big fish in a small pool.

[Triple B]

It's the same argument as saying Jamie Siddons should be an Australian cricket legend because of his exploits in Sheffield Shield....

Don't forget his exploits with the Sydney Swans....

[Mug Punter]

His towering contested mark and the follow up 50+ metre kick off a few steps to hit Hewitt lace out was my play of the night...

Both him and Hewett seem the complete packages to me. I just love the George Hewett story as it shows why our development system works, two years patiently doing the work and slogging it out in the twos and then become an overnight sensation two years in the making.

It's early days I know and I'm trying to keep a lid on it but...... Mills can definitely play better than that, he did what he did very well but it was actually quite tradesmen like, man talk about maturity beyond his years. But you get the sense he will cut loose and get a 30+ possession game pretty soon and then the giddy-o-meter will be really running hot

[Ludwig]

The recent rule changes and the natural evolution of game style across the league have altered my analysis of the game.

There are now fewer stoppages and more continuous play with counterattacks. I think this will suit some of our traditional strong points, like contested footy, as well as our emphasis on conditioning, which has helped hard running players like Jake Lloyd.

Ruckmen will be less important for no other reason than there being fewer ruck contests, although with higher scoring, there will be more centre bounces, so centre clearances will remain an important aspect of the game.

Although there's been a tendency toward ever taller forwards, there also seems to be more clubs going with small defences, with good positioning, closing speed and team defence having a greater effect than height matchups. Geelong is one exception, going with a tall lineup around the ground, but many of their taller players are athletic, e.g. Blicavs. I think Sam Reid will be an important player for us as an athletic tall that can play all over the ground as required. Flexibility is the key, and we now have lots of players that can play many roles.

Tippett played more in the ruck and was useful in that he was better able to match the size of Witts in the ruck contests and allowed more space forward for our smaller players to operate. I like having Buddy in our forward line along with a bevy of smaller players in support; less predictable and more opportunities for players to pop up unmarked, one of the reasons for Hawthorn's success. It's going to be a big change having players like Hewett and Papley who can nail those kicks to the open man in the forward line. Jones also can kick the ball low and hard and is usually accurate. When he does hit them, his kicks are telling and often lead to good scoring chances.

There's no point in being critical about some of our missed field kicks and easy shots missed for goal, as that was the case in most of the games. Even Hawthorn were less accurate than usual.

I didn't rate Collingwood as high as many of the pundits and feel they won't improve over last year, especially now that Swan is out. The stretch of 3 games from round 3 vs GWS, Adelaide and WCE will tell us more about how we stand this season. But it was an impressive start.

[Nico]

6.2.32 to 1 point from centre clearances. I've been banging on about this for years. It just shows how vital this is for putting immediate pressure on a defence. Now for the weekly consistency.

[Nico]

I actually thought that our kicking was impressive compared with the efforts of the past 3 years.

The trajectory or Mill's kicks is very similar to Malcheski in his prime.

The ball going I50 was particularly impressive. Heeney, Papley, Towers, Mills, etc and just the general effort to not mess around and get it in long without letting it hang in the air.

I noted McVeigh On the Couch discussed it as an area they had identified as a weakness and have drafted recently, particulaly this year, with it in mind.

If someone can get Mitchell to stop bombing the ball out of packs ALA ROK, and start looking for a better option in close - or alternatively follow Parkers lead and move to space, things will be looking much better.

On Mitchell; it doesn't matter that he has not a lot of strength in his kicking if he racks up 30+ possessions a week, and kicks 3 goals to boot. A superb performance.

[Nico]

My personal belief is that we made one change, which made us look awesome and Collingwood flat footed.
The one thing I have been moaning about over the last few ears is our delivery into the forward line.
Everything changed on Sat night.
Kicks into the 50 were on target, and the targets were leading and making room for themselves.
Simply, all of the hard work done by the midfield and back line over the last few years was rewarded when the result of that work didn't bounce back down the ground

Hopefully we can keep it up.

Too true CTS, and as I mentioned our centre clearances were top shelf and we also went through the corridor at every opportunity. Add those 3 improvements and we become a vastly improved team. Also we have played the boundary for years and worked the stoppages, but we adapted quickly to new OOB rule and kept the ball in play, then moved it quickly inboard. Was exciting football.

[Mug Punter]

Too true CTS, and as I mentioned our centre clearances were top shelf and we also went through the corridor at every opportunity. Add those 3 improvements and we become a vastly improved team. Also we have played the boundary for years and worked the stoppages, but we adapted quickly to new OOB rule and kept the ball in play, then moved it quickly inboard. Was exciting football.

It's not often I'm inclined to praise the AFL recently but I must say that the rule changes and the interchange cap have IMO improved the game massively for the better. I'd still like to see interchanges reduced even further, 60 would be my ideal, but I think we've seen enough to say it has been a success.