Match Day Thread Rnd. 5. Sydney V GWS. SCG. 19.25 pm.

[Markwebbos]

This!!!!!! A new midfield thread needs to be started to discuss this further. Parker, Heeney, Cunningham, Foote, Jack, Lloyd and Mills had 3 clearances between them. Disgraceful. GWS had 8 players with over 3 clearances. All midfielders. Sorry KJ but your time is up and Foote is not good enough. We are missing Mitchell big time. Parker and Hannebery are feeling the effects of years of crash and bash. Along with Joey they need some support. But the cupboard is pretty bare.

We do need to talk about Kieren

[Markwebbos]

Swans won the first 4 centre clearances and then it went rapidly downhill. I don't understand what changed?

Also Longmire's been happy to demote a couple of sacred senior players to the NEAFL (ROK and Teddy) so I wonder why he's being so patient at the moment, or whether the axe will be swung?

[ugg]

The first 4 centre bounces:

1. Mumford wins tap, into space, ball gets locked up with Ward tackled with the ball. Next ball up, no clear tap, Rohan scrambles the clearance
2. Mumford wins tap, Kennedy wins free for being held. Rohan would have the clearance otherwise coming off the back edge of the square.
3. Free kick before bounce, Greene encroaching in centre square
4. Mumford wins tap by hitting backwards, ball bounces into Sinclair's hands and he clears the ball.

So we won the clearances despite Mumford winning the taps, however this didn't last as the game went on as Mumford won the taps and GWS dominated the clearances.

[bodgie]

Haven't seen the game yet but the comments about the worn out midfield ring true. They always hunted as a pack and when one was down they all seemed to fade out. With Mitchell gone they are missing a whole cylinder from the engine room while necessity means the Heeneys Mills etc haven't had time to step in and grow

[wolftone57]

I know this might sound funny, but Buddy needs to step up. He is one of the all time greats but is certainly not playing like one.

Lot of heat (rightfully so) on Jack, Parker, Hanners etc but Buddy seems to escape the criticism.

if your mids are not getting it then the forwards suffer. Our mids were disgusting. Hewee was doing pretty well for a while in there so GWS targeted him. suddenly nothing out of the mids. not one of our senior players lent a hand. They were soft. The kid kept getting first hand on the ball but was swamped every time he got it and GWS took the ball away with little or no interference from our other mids. Bud tried very hard tonight but there just weren't the opportunities for him.

I am going to suggest we start from scratch and that means a clean out like a dose of Epsom salts. In other words get rid of the dross. Does the back line need a clean out, oh my yes. Do the mids need refreshing? By golly yes. But more so the set ups need to change. The back strategies and stoppage strategies have to change to fit the modern game. You can't counter other sides by being uber defensive these days. They will destroy you. You have to attack to win. We don't attack, we defend. This is our problem and there is only one solution, get rid of Horse. His day is done I think the players don't believe in the game plan any more. Understandable as it is old and crap.

Carlton will give us a run for our money the way we are playing and might even beat us. I'd say at this stage on our game today they will. In fact I have us not winning one more game with this game plan. Hopeless. you can talk about player form etc but I think a lot of this is to do with players not believing in the plan ot that there is a plan.

[AB Swannie]

Out: Foote, Jack, Sinclair, Marsh
In: Edwards, Newman, Dawson, Aliir

Stop playing a second ruck.

[Hartijon]

Mills addressing the players during a break? For so many senior players to be out of form there are signs that it might be discord within the group rather than injuries.

[Auntie.Gerald]

Wow how the mighty fall
The Indv efforts in the contested ball are embarrassing
I am disappointed with our non ability to Indv dominate our opposing player

Exhibit A

3rd qtr
Parker in the midfield wins the ball
Couldn't get it away
Looked like a deer in headlights deciding to not hand pass but was under pressure
Gws journeyman sam Reid no 50, chases Parker, drives Parker into the ground

While Parker is still getting off the ground , gws sam Reid jumps up and sprints forward putting 30m on Parker to support Greene and Greene scores a goal with 5 or so swans trailing behind him

30m he put on Parker
30m !!!!!!!!

Embarrassing !!!!!

The lack of urgency just getting off the ground to chase when we were still close enough ie 20pts in the 3rd is so disappointing!!

[Nico]

Well, everyone else has an opinion tonight, so why not?
I agree with a lot of Bloodspirit's post.
It puzzles me that Parker, Hanners, Jack and Joey have in four or five months become ordinary players. This is actually almost impossible, so what can it be?
I reckon undisclosed injuries have a lot to do here. Hanners belting in the last quarter of the GF..Parker went in hurt to the GF..Jack had an injury all last year and with increasing age, and possible loss of pace and strength, is struggling to get back to his best. He had a shot from 40m tonight and didn't make the distance for God's sake! Joey is a shadow, and now has that facial injury to contend with as well.
Heeney clearly was not ready physically for tonight..Papley is still some weeks away from the required fitness...Tippett clearly not fit enough yet.
But we bring these guys in and "hope for the best"?
I know we're suffering enormously from missing injured senior guys, and have to play 'not ready yet' kids, but I hate seeing obviously unfit players running around.
Look how that went in the GF..Mills Mcveigh Parker..Rohan..
Thank God Rohan looks to be ready to play at this level (as long as he can forget his non appearance at the GF).
A bit despondent tonight....tomorrow will be brighter...always is.

I have a bit of a theory on why our mids are down. It appears that they are all getting tagged. They are all in the slow category so the opposition don't need a quick run with player, so can use one or rotate players on them. Last night when one of the 3 mids got the footy there was someone on them immediately. The stats show that; Parker 17, Kennedy 22, Hanners 23. Last year they were all getting 30+ possessions.

People have been all over Jordan Foote, but he appeared to be following Scully all game and Scully had 23 possessions, so for mine blunted much of his effectiveness. Scully is the best gut runner in the comp, and Foote got caught in a lot of GWS forward defensive traffic because that's where Scully took him. What was he to do when he got the footy in that situation? His only option was to handball and a couple were chopped off.

No one appears to question Hewett but he is yet to convince me he is able to go to the next level. He had 19 stats last night but most of them were rubbish. Somehow he gets caught with the footy when he is clear. His style gives the opposition the chance to grab his jumper. He bends and ducks and weaves and is not instinctive with his disposal. He doesn't lead up for a pass and doesn't run much to space and I have no idea of his role in the team. Looks good, looks like a smooth mover, but.... Not questioning his effort, just his all round ability.

[Hotpotato]

Gee , the Giants don't have many supporters ... why don't they turn up ?

[Nico]

Mills addressing the players during a break? For so many senior players to be out of form there are signs that it might be discord within the group rather than injuries.

The good thing out of that is the Mills talked the talk, then walked the walk in the second half.

[Flying South]

I have a bit of a theory on why our mids are down. It appears that they are all getting tagged. They are all in the slow category so the opposition don't need a quick run with player, so can use one or rotate players on them. Last night when one of the 3 mids got the footy there was someone on them immediately. The stats show that; Parker 17, Kennedy 22, Hanners 23. Last year they were all getting 30+ possessions.

People have been all over Jordan Foote, but he appeared to be following Scully all game and Scully had 23 possessions, so for mine blunted much of his effectiveness. Scully is the best gut runner in the comp, and Foote got caught in a lot of GWS forward defensive traffic because that's where Scully took him. What was he to do when he got the footy in that situation? His only option was to handball and a couple were chopped off.

No one appears to question Hewett but he is yet to convince me he is able to go to the next level. He had 19 stats last night but most of them were rubbish. Somehow he gets caught with the footy when he is clear. His style gives the opposition the chance to grab his jumper. He bends and ducks and weaves and is not instinctive with his disposal. He doesn't lead up for a pass and doesn't run much to space and I have no idea of his role in the team. Looks good, looks like a smooth mover, but.... Not questioning his effort, just his all round ability.

GWS had 9 players with 20+ possessions. We had 4. They don't have to rely on individual stars. Like the Bulldogs they work together as a collective unit. As a team they work their butts off. Something we are not able or willing to do.

[Industrial Fan]

Hanners had about 5-6 possessions in one futile run around our goal line.

I don't know if it's a confidence thing now but we're just not playing as a team. The effort is there on an individual level. Both teams had a free man at the back but only we were unable to get out of the D50. Everytime they switched, drew us out wide then came back through the corridor.

While we were trying to do the same the players weren't working hard enough to create space on the far side. Cunningham did late on in the game but the kick was too high, too slow - instead of using smith as a short option and drawing the giants we turned it over.

There were a few really poor individual efforts too - the Tippett chase was horrible, and Parker was fairly ordinary in a few that I noticed too - one on the interchange wing, another inside F50. He stayed on the ground after the non chase on the interchange side as well.

Melican did well on debut. Can't think of too many winners in their position though.

We are undermanned at the moment but that will fade as an excuse within the next 2-3 rounds as Papley, Heeney, Rohan etc get their match fitness up.

Without a doubt the worst part of the game was that I was 10 minutes late because of my kids - I got there just as Patton marked in the goal square and we didn't score a goal for nearly an hour...

[YvonneH]

I think GWS are a disgusting team with Shaw being a disgrace. To call Papley what Shaw did shows what sort of person he is. Mummy sledged Buddy last year for his mental health issues and last night it was Shaw with his remarks. If that is how GWS have to get noticed in Sydney it is a low act. This is a bad look for the AFL up here.

What did Shaw say? I haven't watched the replay yet (may not). Was it mentioned on the commentary?

[CureTheSane]

Good on Mills for taking the reigns and addressing the players.
True leadership to take this initiative so early in his career.
Shows self belief and ability to command.
He will be our captain one day.