G.F. Day Thread. Sydney V Western Bulldogs. MCG 2.30pm.

[KTigers]

I suspect any group at the AFL comprising of ex players from the 70s thru the 90s might feel a bit
intimidated and out of their depth if they had to engage very often with successful people from real businesses
and the legal fraternity. Part of the reason they chose to be a poorly paid footballer back in 1977 or whenever may have
been there weren't a whole lot of other career options presenting themselves.

[Blue Sun]

Hmmm, still no Whistleblowers video on AFL site. There was only one match to review so shouldn't take this long. Unless there were some embarrassing things to explain .........?

There is no way in hell that will ever see the light of day. What we saw on the weekend was indefensible.

[liz]

There is no way in hell that will ever see the light of day. What we saw on the weekend was indefensible.

The Dogs got over 20 free kicks for the day. I am sure they can dig out a couple of them that were justified and explain why the umpire was correct.

[Ludwig]

Hmmm, still no Whistleblowers video on AFL site. There was only one match to review so shouldn't take this long. Unless there were some embarrassing things to explain .........?

They're working on a link up with Julian Assange and Edward Snowden for this episode. There may be a rebranding of the show, renaming it The Stevic Files

[SouthSwans]

My opinion on the GF

Despite the umpiring (absolute disgrace)...

Tippett, Rohan, McGlynn & Richards were utterly ineffective all day.

McVeigh & Mills shouldn'tve played, both injured, killed our flexibility and slowed us down.

Laidler also slow, couldn't keep up with anyone in the second half.

Papley & Hewett relatively unsighted.

Parker, Jack & Smith weren't on, nowhere near their best.

Bud & Hanners were both injured during the game & performed below par thereafter.

Naismith & Lloyd tried all day but weren't overly damaging.

The rest of the lads were pretty solid or better.

But that's six/seven blokes having stinkers and way over half of the team (16/22) not playing near their best, which just isn't good enough on GF day, against anyone.

Jones, Heeney, Rampe & Mitchell (gonna miss him next year) all put in solid, hard-working, four-quarter performances.

Kennedy & Grundy were inspirational.

But to be fair to the players who were great all year and who mostly did give it a real crack on Saturday, Horse & the coaches (who were also great all year) got flustered and cooked it in Grand Final week.

The messaging was wrong.

During the week Horse was banging on about 'knowing what is required' and 'responsibility'.

Beveridge was preaching heart and soul and emotion, from what I've seen Horse doesn't instill much of that into us.

It's not about 'responsibility' & 'knowing what's required', that makes it sound like they're just there to earn a paycheck.

It's about putting your heart on the line all day and having a fair dinkum crack like we did in 2012, and like the Dogs did on Saturday.

Professionalism is a great mantra for us... until 3QT in the GF, then you need to find something else... ticker.

That professional message was a conservative instruction for the players and it was wrong for grand final week.

In a Grand Final you've gotta get the boys motivated and focused on playing fast, instinctive footy (like Aliir did in the previous two finals, we missed him so much) and throwing everything at it like your life depends on it like the Dogs did in that last 10 minutes and we didn't.../couldn't.

And I think it was certainly more of a we couldn't than a we didn't.

From the outer looking in, my view is the selection committee got it wrong with playing injured players, after Aliir was ruled out the removal of another member of what was so far during the finals a very stable back six - Marsh for an unfit bloke Mills or McVeigh take your pick - was a horrible decision.

And Horse's conservative approach didn't get the players focused on the right things and didn't help him either, a rather riskless and reactive performance on gameday from the coaching group when we really needed something special from upstairs.

Back to selection and with Marsh, Cunningham, Towers, T.Richards, Nankervis all fit & available (Marsh & Toby both in career-best form too), the McVeigh/Mills/Tippett selections sends a shocking message to those guys too, Horse obviously doesn't have any faith in them if they weren't picked over clearly unfit blokes.

Would've loved to see them try, even if we went down in flames, but Horse said "Nup not good enough Cunningham (even though you're signed on until 2019) I want 50% fit McVeigh".

Absolute rubbish, nonsense mixed-messaging.

Richmond sorta stuff.

Let alone the ripple effect it had on the way we played.

After Hanners & Buddy became hampered, the McVeigh & Mills selections killed our flexibility and tired out the fresh blokes.

Marsh/Cunningham/Towers may or may not have lost a few more 1-on-1s and may or may have not been exposed for decision making under pressure but they would have run, run, run, run, run like nobody did in the fourth on Saturday.

Having those hobbling blokes out there gave us no option to rotate our cooked midfielders or swing Heeney forward.

In the end we were shown up for not being adaptable enough to deal with the Dogs run and effort in the 4th quarter, I'm putting it on us not backing Marsh or Cunningham over an injured bloke.

And just quickly, despite being on one leg, the decision to eliminate Ted's (and ROK's) dreams of regaining his spot halfway through 2016 (and 2014 with ROK) is one that doesn't sit well with me.

Should've had him still chasing the hope for a spot in the team putting pressure on the blokes who did get the spots in the Grand Final.

If Horse comes out and publicly takes responsibility for his conservative Grand final week messaging, the decision to play the unfit players and his mundane gameday coaching performance that'll be good enough for me to bury the hatchet on ROK & Ted's treatment, and it'll be the first step in the right direction for next year.

/endrant

PS. Go Bloods, this post makes me look like I hate them all , I don't, I'm just passionate about the Swans and gutted about the loss and if we don't accept responsibility for these faults we're kidding ourselves thinking we can compete with the further-advancing GWS & Dogs next year.

Nobody's perfect, I have nothing but love for all of the players & coaches, they all wear the red & white, but everyone can get better.

We need to get better again.

Our club going forward in 2017 needs all of our players, coaches, staff and supporters to generate that passion and desire to go one step further so we will be all focused and desperate enough to get it right next time we get the opportunity.

Regardless of whatever you think of my opinions about the game on Saturday I think we can all agree that despite the Grand Final result the players are legends and put in an awesome effort this year.

Hopefully in 12 months time whether the odds be great or be small the Swans will go in and win over all.

[AnnieH]

Despite the umpiring (absolute disgrace)...

/endrant

SPOT ON!!!

[WauchopeAnalyst]

I don't know if this is muckracking or just an organisation that makes stuff up to full their website.

http://www.sportingnews.com/au/afl/list/the-rover-swans-loss-leads-to-post-match-punch-up/1th1ryds3yi8z16w1m9eg6tgec/slide/2

Didn't see it until today. If previously posted please delete.

[RogueSwan]

Despite the umpiring (absolute disgrace)...
...
Hopefully in 12 months time whether the odds be great or be small the Swans will go in and win over all.

Love your work SouthSwans

[goswannies]

I don't know if this is muckracking or just an organisation that makes stuff up to full their website.

http://www.sportingnews.com/au/afl/list/the-rover-swans-loss-leads-to-post-match-punch-up/1th1ryds3yi8z16w1m9eg6tgec/slide/2

Didn't see it until today. If previously posted please delete.

Well, given that there would be no post match meet & greet if we lost was announced before the game, I'd say it's utter crap, not naming the players gives it less credibility too.

[crackedactor]

Well, given that there would be no post match meet & greet if we lost was announced before the game, I'd say it's utter crap, not naming the players gives it less credibility too.

Agree! I believe its Media Hype looking for a story. Never heard of it before the game and a lost was always going to change the meet and greet fans situation.

[Meg]

I don't know if this is muckracking or just an organisation that makes stuff up to full their website.

Muckraking I suggest. As others have pointed out, the fans event was not cancelled, the Swans had advised well BEFORE the match that it would only take place should the Swans win. (A mistake in the case of the Melbourne event I think but that is another story.)

Also, the reference to resentment about size of contracts is heavily hinting that Tippett and/or Franklin were involved. Both can be clearly seen joining in the frivolities in the Mad Monday photos taken not more than 24 hours after this dust-up supposedly took place. No hostility apparent there.

[goswannies]

Muckraking I suggest. As others have pointed out, the fans event was not cancelled, the Swans had advised well BEFORE the match that it would only take place should the Swans win. (A mistake in the case of the Melbourne event I think but that is another story.)

Yeah, I was a little disappointed as I booked flights based on hanging around to attend a post match event. It made previous losses more palatable & gave closure. Never mind

[royboy42]

Playing half fit players in finals....down that path lies nothing but madness and despair!

I said this here before the prelim...sigh

[aardvark]

Playing half fit players in finals....down that path lies nothing but madness and despair!

I said this here before the prelim...sigh

You reckon they'd learn....

[Go Swannies]

Playing half fit players in finals....down that path lies nothing but madness and despair!

I said this here before the prelim...sigh

So you'd have left out Josh and Parks? Brave.