Match Day Rnd. 9 St Kilda V Sydney 13.45pm Etihad Stadium.

[aardvark]

I'm predicting Swans by 50pts.

Sorry that should read round 9

[Hotpotato]

What odds can you get ?

[Wardy]

It was really good!!

[stevoswan]

Something went wrong over the last few days eh? Glad we're back online!! Anyway, it was a great match by the Swannies, a well and truly dominant performance. Getting back to near our best, our pressure didn't allow the Saints any freedom, forcing them into mistakes and turnovers......and our skills were looking much more slick as well. Confidence to take the game on is rising. Keep this up and we're finals bound!

[Mel_C]

Bad time for the site to be down after such a great win!

What a pleasure it was to watch the game live. It's amazing what a win can do to the confidence of the team. Even our skills were impressive. It helps that our side is nearing full strength.

A shame about Cunningham...who would have thought a few weeks backs that him missing would be a loss!

I saw Buddy's dad for the second week in a row. Now I know why there was a whole lot of cheering for Buddy a couple of rows behind me ????.

I think I heard the worst sledge ever and it was targeted at Kennedy. There was a scuffle near the interchange bench between Mills, Jack Steven and a couple of others. Kennedy was coming to the bench and went to help out. This saints supporter yelled out that he was the worst captain in swans history! WTF!!! He copped a mouthful from a few supporters. He had a real nerve considering their years of mediocrity!

Sent from my HTC_PN071 using Tapatalk

[dejavoodoo44]

I'm predicting Swans by 50pts.

Sorry that should read round 9

That's impressive: but I predict that Hanners will get 10 votes in the AFLCA awards.

[Blue Sun]

Good to see RWO is back online! Great win by the boys on the weekend. Perhaps a sneaky chance to make the 8 after all...

[Mug Punter]

Brilliant all round effort.

The MP Random comments are as follows:

* I was clearly wrong Newman, he gets better every week and looks every bit and AFL footballer, we've uncovered another gem
* Sinclair's spot is for him to lose now, Naismith back through the twos for mine
* Our midfield is back baby
* Papley give us heaps
* Melican definitgely holding his spot and I suspect Aliir will get picked when we need three talls down back, can we play Lewis, AA and Reg?
* If Towers plays like that every week we'll need a new RWO whipping boy, great workrate and some flashes of brilliance

I just love the way our list is developing. You look at that side and then we've got Florent, Maubain, Cameron, COR, Naismith, Jack, McVeigh and Dawson breathing down their necks. It's a young list and it's got a lot of upside.

Win Friday and I rate us 50-50 for finals

[707]

Good to see RWO is back online! Great win by the boys on the weekend. Perhaps a sneaky chance to make the 8 after all...

Notice that many of the sides in the log jam in front of us are starting to play each other meaning, providing we keep winning, that they will slip back into our clutches.

We must nail all the games against those teams from 4-11, the 8 point games and hope the hugely unpredictable results keep falling our way.

Saturday was an improvement on the Norf game, think the back six are now looking really solid again, helped of course by pressure in the midfield. The mix of small/mid forwards is as good as we've had for a long time, Papley, Rohan and Hayward along with Buddy and Reid bring real pace and harassment. Given that no other team, including GWS, are really firing at present makes me feel good about this year despite the 0-6 start.

Good to have RWO back on line too!

- - - Updated - - -

Good to see RWO is back online! Great win by the boys on the weekend. Perhaps a sneaky chance to make the 8 after all...

Notice that many of the sides in the log jam in front of us are starting to play each other meaning, providing we keep winning, that they will slip back into our clutches.

We must nail all the games against those teams from 4-11, the 8 point games and hope the hugely unpredictable results keep falling our way.

Saturday was an improvement on the Norf game, think the back six are now looking really solid again, helped of course by pressure in the midfield. The mix of small/mid forwards is as good as we've had for a long time, Papley, Rohan and Hayward along with Buddy and Reid bring real pace and harassment. Given that no other team, including GWS, are really firing at present makes me feel good about this year despite the 0-6 start.

Good to have RWO back on line too!

[Odysseus]

I went expecting that we'd probably fall short, or at least that it would really test us. It was great to watch, especially sitting in an area where there were lots of Saints supporters.
Those who dared to suggest Nic Newman might lose his spot should think again, he's staying. Another player some RWOers tend to knock is Dean Towers, and he too played a good game, highlighted by a great goal. We had many good players but two others that I was rapt with were Callum and Isaac. Callum is getting back his form and is such a gutsy player; this year, he seems to have added a touch of aggro, in the best sense. Certainly, Jack Newnes will attest to the fact that Callum doesn't take a backward step. Isaac Heeney keeps getting better, and he never gives up - it was the same in that sad day in September, where he was one of those who kept slugging it out to the end. It's fantastic we've got him signed up for some years to come. I hope he'll be a one club player. And when we know how much money there is to go around, can we please sign up Zac Jones?!

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[AB Swannie]

I know the tactic has copped a bit of criticism here on RWO but I'm really liking the use of Reid as a swingman. When he is used down back, it makes it really difficult for the opposition to score without precise, quick entries. It also opens up our forward line for our quick, mobile forwards.

Alternatively, when the game is hot in the midfield and we need to bomb more than run and carry, he provides our best contested marking option.

[crackedactor]

For what it is worth, I just want to say somethings about Saturday's game which I saw live, practically from the boundary line:

- HORSE mentioned that 20 minute period we played as good as we have ever played. He was right! it was the 3rd quarter from about the 5 minute mark to the 25 minute mark, We were savage and brutal and we clearly intimidated a good side in St Kilda. That running and tackling was amazing!! Definitely capable of beating any side in the comp if we can put it together. Many surprises is coming forward: Thought Sinclair was a waste.. maybe got this wrong. he was very hard running and physical out there and was a definite marking target , was not bad at the centre bounces either. Cunningham first half was great with him carrying out some surprising tackles. Towers has improved. does some very nice things around the ground, maybe his finishing skills are quite there yet. The midfield of Kennedy, hanners and parker are back to their best. Did not have a bad player. Also on top of this I heard Florent's game in the NEAFL's wet conditions had to be seen to be believed. Aliir Aliir dominated down back and Cameron took several marks and had 55 hit outs. But there will be no room for them unless Florent comes in for Cunningham.
Hard to believe this is the side that lost to Carlton. If we played them tomorrow we would win by 10 goals. Interesting few weeks ahead.

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For what it is worth, I just want to say somethings about Saturday's game which I saw live, practically from the boundary line:

- HORSE mentioned that 20 minute period we played as good as we have ever played. He was right! it was the 3rd quarter from about the 5 minute mark to the 25 minute mark, We were savage and brutal and we clearly intimidated a good side in St Kilda. That running and tackling was amazing!! Definitely capable of beating any side in the comp if we can put it together. Many surprises is coming forward: Thought Sinclair was a waste.. maybe got this wrong. he was very hard running and physical out there and was a definite marking target , was not bad at the centre bounces either. Cunningham first half was great with him carrying out some surprising tackles. Towers has improved. does some very nice things around the ground, maybe his finishing skills are quite there yet. The midfield of Kennedy, hanners and parker are back to their best. Did not have a bad player. Also on top of this I heard Florent's game in the NEAFL's wet conditions had to be seen to be believed. Aliir Aliir dominated down back and Cameron took several marks and had 55 hit outs. But there will be no room for them unless Florent comes in for Cunningham.
Hard to believe this is the side that lost to Carlton. If we played them tomorrow we would win by 10 goals. Interesting few weeks ahead.

[Bloody Hell]

I find it weird watching a Swans team with good disposal....it's been so long!

[Foreign Legion]

Florent was indeed very very good from what I saw on the Livestream. Class above every other player. He will come in for the unfortunate Cunningham who was having a good run of form.

[Nico]

Did you notice that Reid went back to the last line of defence for the last 5 minutes of the first 3 quarters? I reckon he did last week also. Clearly playing the best footy of his career.

Hewett has now strung a few very good games together. Leading up, finding space and not playing for a free. Could just about say he has arrived.

Newman gives us a new dimension that I don't think we have had since John Pitura. His kicking is superb and what I like is he waits until he is in the right position before he delivers. His goal from the 50 was a delight. For a bloke who was short of a run, Rampe really topped off our backline.
Reg gone; ease up Ludwig.
Melican might not be flashy but he sure plays his man close, just like the human glove Smithy. Another one relegated to the scrap heap by a few. Melican's style makes him look a little slow but he gets back to support really well.
Papley adds that bite to the forward line that worries defences, in the Eddie Betts mould.
The ferocity of the team made the Saints fumble all day.
The mids are kicking goals again and Longmire is mixing things up a lot by rotating the likes of Papley and Hewett through the midfield, and Hanners coming off the wing at centre bounces is mastermind coaching.
Last but not least; when we started getting it out of the centre we smashed them big time. That quick, clean kick into our forward line creates real anxiety to defences. Loved Parker's kick out of the air for Tippett to mark and goal. Flair and the unexpected creates opportunities.

- - - Updated - - -

Did you notice that Reid went back to the last line of defence for the last 5 minutes of the first 3 quarters? I reckon he did last week also. Clearly playing the best footy of his career.

Hewett has now strung a few very good games together. Leading up, finding space and not playing for a free. Could just about say he has arrived.

Newman gives us a new dimension that I don't think we have had since John Pitura. His kicking is superb and what I like is he waits until he is in the right position before he delivers. His goal from the 50 was a delight. For a bloke who was short of a run, Rampe really topped off our backline.
Reg gone; ease up Ludwig.
Melican might not be flashy but he sure plays his man close, just like the human glove Smithy. Another one relegated to the scrap heap by a few. Melican's style makes him look a little slow but he gets back to support really well.
Papley adds that bite to the forward line that worries defences, in the Eddie Betts mould.
The ferocity of the team made the Saints fumble all day.
The mids are kicking goals again and Longmire is mixing things up a lot by rotating the likes of Papley and Hewett through the midfield, and Hanners coming off the wing at centre bounces is mastermind coaching.
Last but not least; when we started getting it out of the centre we smashed them big time. That quick, clean kick into our forward line creates real anxiety to defences. Loved Parker's kick out of the air for Tippett to mark and goal. Flair and the unexpected creates opportunities.