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

[giant]

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.

What we need now more than anything is four points every game and Reid back helps us do that.

Rohan, Tippett and Towers are unholy enigmas - all 3 had moments of fabulousness on the weekend. But would I be comfortable watching them line up in a finals team? Well, may not matter this year at least...

[dimelb]

The forward setup is terrific, from the Lion King (Buddy) to the giraffe (Tippo) to the greyhound (Towers) to the Doberman (Rohan) to the Jack Russell (Paps) and everyone who rotated through and kept the opposition guessing. Fantastic to watch.

[aardvark]

Papley is very quickly becoming my favorite Swan

[707]

Hayward once again showed his class and footy nous and he's still just 18 and slightly built. Got pace too and loves a chase and tackle/harass. Think we have a potential gun on our hands within a couple of years.

Our forwards are now suddenly amongst the quickest in the league which creates pressure on the opposition as they try to clear it out resulting as we saw at the weekend in turnovers and repeat entries.

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Hayward once again showed his class and footy nous and he's still just 18 and slightly built. Got pace too and loves a chase and tackle/harass. Think we have a potential gun on our hands within a couple of years.

Our forwards are now suddenly amongst the quickest in the league which creates pressure on the opposition as they try to clear it out resulting as we saw at the weekend in turnovers and repeat entries.

[aardvark]

My highlight. Mark of the Week: Sinclair - Rd 9 - sydneyswans.com.au

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My highlight. http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/video/2017-05-22/mark-of-the-week-sinclair-rd-9

[liz]

Old impressions take a long time to die. Even before the game, I was perplexed to hear the commentators talking about how the Saints just had to match the Swans on the inside and that they would then "get us" on the outside with their leg speed. Sure, our main trio of onballers are as slow as those of most other clubs, but Sydney's addition of outside speed continues to be ignored. Certainly, I saw nothing in the Saints' outfit to suggest they could match the combination of Rohan, Towers, Cunningham, Jones, Papley, Hayward - not to mention Buddy.

[bloodspirit]

It was a great game on the weekend. It wasn't just that we won but how and by how much. That's the kind of form that makes me think we can still be a sneaky chance of playing finals. Based on our current form there is almost no team I'm afraid of - the Giants on a good day are a massive challenge and the game against the Bulldogs in two weeks will be a litmus test.

Also, I caught snippets of other footy games recently and it made me think we pull our hair out about stupid turnovers/poor disposal. The other teams are no better. I would hate being a Dees fan - I was pulling my hair out watching them (against Norf) and they are not even my side.

Against the Saints what was so pleasing was that not only did our midfield guns all stand up again for the second week running but a lot of our fringe players played well too: Towers, Hayward, Sinclair, Harry C, Newman and Hewett (if you would call him a fringe player - I wouldn't but I know others have). When our good players play well (and now that we have had missing players return from injury) suddenly it looks like we've got a young side (with good experience too) and with great depth. There are so many outside the 22 that are really pushing for a spot: Florent, Dawson, Aliir, Marsh as well as the likes of Cameron, Talia, Maibaum, Fox, Fisher, Murray, Robinson, Naismith, O'Riordan. Looks dire for BJ, Rose and Leonardis who I think are all pushing up hill to get contract renewals.

Incidentally was I the only one that was filthy with the umps during the first quarter? I thought they really spoiled our momentum when we were up about 21-1 and they engineered a couple of goals for the saints including the free and then the 50m penalty against Buddy that was pretty soft as far as I could tell. I'm sure I'm not alone because posters here howl about the umpiring every week but I usually don't.

Anyway, I'm fired up and I can't wait to beat the living daylights out of the Hawks. I hope we frag them!

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It was a great game on the weekend. It wasn't just that we won but how and by how much. That's the kind of form that makes me think we can still be a sneaky chance of playing finals. Based on our current form there is almost no team I'm afraid of - the Giants on a good day are a massive challenge and the game against the Bulldogs in two weeks will be a litmus test.

Also, I caught snippets of other footy games recently and it made me think we pull our hair out about stupid turnovers/poor disposal. The other teams are no better. I would hate being a Dees fan - I was pulling my hair out watching them (against Norf) and they are not even my side.

Against the Saints what was so pleasing was that not only did our midfield guns all stand up again for the second week running but a lot of our fringe players played well too: Towers, Hayward, Sinclair, Harry C, Newman and Hewett (if you would call him a fringe player - I wouldn't but I know others have). When our good players play well (and now that we have had missing players return from injury) suddenly it looks like we've got a young side (with good experience too) and with great depth. There are so many outside the 22 that are really pushing for a spot: Florent, Dawson, Aliir, Marsh as well as the likes of Cameron, Talia, Maibaum, Fox, Fisher, Murray, Robinson, Naismith, O'Riordan. Looks dire for BJ, Rose and Leonardis who I think are all pushing up hill to get contract renewals.

Incidentally was I the only one that was filthy with the umps during the first quarter? I thought they really spoiled our momentum when we were up about 21-1 and they engineered a couple of goals for the saints including the free and then the 50m penalty against Buddy that was pretty soft as far as I could tell. I'm sure I'm not alone because posters here howl about the umpiring every week but I usually don't.

Anyway, I'm fired up and I can't wait to beat the living daylights out of the Hawks. I hope we frag them!

[liz]

I agree that the umpires seemed to want to keep St Kilda in the game in the first quarter. After that, I think they gave up and realised it was beyond even their powers. The 50m penalty against Buddy was pulled from thin air.

[Odysseus]

Agree about some of the decisions against us in the first quarter being perplexing. As for the Buddy one, I didn't see anything watching at the ground, nor on the replay shown on the screen; back home I read or heard he'd pushed over an opponent after the whistle. I didn't see it. Did he?

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Hayward once again showed his class and footy nous and he's still just 18 and slightly built. Got pace too and loves a chase and tackle/harass. Think we have a potential gun on our hands within a couple of years.

707's comment is spot on. I too enjoyed not only what he did, but the footy nous. One to watch.

[bloodspirit]

Someone needs to tell Meg we're back online!

[Mel_C]

Agree about some of the decisions against us in the first quarter being perplexing. As for the Buddy one, I didn't see anything watching at the ground, nor on the replay shown on the screen; back home I read or heard he'd pushed over an opponent after the whistle. I didn't see it. Did he?

There was a free awarded against Buddy and he did push the opponent while they were still on the ground but it was really soft and didn't deserve 50 metres. Even the commentators on the radio agreed and basically said that it was only paid because it was Buddy.

We just have to be careful and not provide anything to the umpires to pay against us!

[Meg]

Someone needs to tell Meg we're back online!

Woohoo! I'm here in Stockholm - and have been bereft without RWO. Great win by our Swannies, sad I will miss the next three matches. Make it three more wins please!

[Markwebbos]

Woohoo! I'm here in Stockholm - and have been bereft without RWO. Great win by our Swannies, sad I will miss the next three matches. Make it three more wins please!

I'm in the UK and the ABClive app still works for me. Friday night v Hawks will be late morning here. I am quietly hoping we give them an absolute shellacking, although I think they'll be up for this game.

[Auntie.Gerald]

Meg enjoy Sweden
I was lucky to do the hills of bali with a few swedes last month big yoga week
Had an awesome time

Last year snowboarded in the backcountry with a few swedes in Japan ???????? and life was good

ha s? kul !!!!

Have fun

Ps how good is stockholm !!

[Bill Posters]

Afltv served me well when I lived in the uk, think it's now called watchafl.com.au. You can pay by the game.