Match Day Thread Rnd 22 Adelaide V Sydney. Adelaide Oval 19.50 pm. Or 19.20 ACST.

[Ludwig]

Sinclair and Towers are nervous Nellies and not suited to finals football. Tippett should be our sole ruckman.

With all due respect to Hayward, who I think will get a great player for us, he is simply not physically developed enough at this stage for the high pressure rigours of finals footy. Next year will be a different story.

I don't think we can win the premiership without Aliir. Last year Aliir shut out Tom Lynch. This game he had 24 possessions and was instrumental in the 2nd half. We need another dangerous player who can take big marks and make big plays.

[liz]

A few random comments:

We were outplayed for most of the game but I'm not too concerned. The coaches won't be fooled and this game will receive a lot of focus in the review. Normally the losing side learns more from a game but the Crows will mostly learn that they need to kick straight. I think there is far more opportunity for the Swans to improve next time we meet, and I also believe they are capable of making tweaks that might make a difference.

The Heeney on Sloane match-up didn't work. Heeney couldn't quell Sloane and he gave us very little offensively. I don't think that one will be tried again, not this year anyway. Sloane was relatively subdued in the last quarter (I think with Jack mostly playing on him) so there are other alternatives.

There were two aspects to the free kick count. First was the number of holding the man frees that went against the Swans. That says that they need to be a bit smarter next time we play the Crows. I find it very hard to believe there weren't plenty of instances of Swans players being held but clearly none that the umpires saw. The second was the lack of HTB decisions that went the Swans way, particularly compared to some that were paid early against the Swans. There were several in the second half where a Crows forward took on more than one tackler before the ball was locked up. They were blatant HTBs but not paid. And I'll need to watch it again, but on live viewing it was hard to understand why the piece of play that led to the Papley point (where he hit the post) wasn't a free to the Swans. We did get a scoring shot away but a set shot from that position would most likely have been converted, rather than the rushed shot Papley took.

All the players were fumbly early on (from both teams) but as the game wore on, the Crows started handling the ball much better in the slippery conditions than the Swans did. I don't think our fumbling got much worse. It was just worse relative to the Crows. That may not be relevant to a game played in better conditions, but it's also something the Swans might want a refresher course on. They'll need to provide their own water, because it doesn't look like raining with intent in Sydney any time soon.

Some of our younger players are showing solid improvement (important on a night when our more senior mids were a bit subdued - other than Kennedy in the first half). Jones made a couple of blues but he also used his pace and aggression well to get the ball moving forward. Hewett was very solid, and Papley was very solid with the few goal scoring chances he got.

The comment about Hayward earlier in this thread is an abomination. Sure he didn't have a good game but he's an 18 yo kid. Maybe he's not ready for finals pressure (and maybe he is but just had a bad night) but the suggestion that his allegiance was with the Crows and that his heart wasn't in it is mean-spirited and spiteful (not to mention baseless).

I thought our rucks started well against Jacobs and that's part of the reason our midfield was on top early. Jacobs definitely responded and dominated the middle quarters. I think the coaches will be keen to get Naismith back in the side as soon as he's fit. He's still a work in progress and the lack of a pre-season hasn't helped him this year, but I still think he's our most competitive player at ruck contests.

I wouldn't have thought Jones has much to worry about with the MRP (though it's hard to tell sometimes). McGuire was arguing quite passionately that it wasn't a reportable action (and questionable whether it should even have been a 50m penalty, given the Crows player hadn't completed the mark when Jones collided with him. Dunstall thought that the lack of any spoiling attempt by Jones might count against him, but he wasn't very convincing with his argument. It's not the kind of "non-footballing" action that the MRP is really focussed on at the moment, and nor is there any question of high contact.

[liz]

That was a tense game to watch. Umpiring was absolutely disgusting as was Ling saying Papley stages for free kicks. .

Can someone expand on Ling's comments? I was saved from the C7 post match commentary by dint of watching FF instead. I don't recall Papley getting a free all night, nor of him exaggerating contact to win a free that wasn't paid. Did Ling actually provide examples, or has he still not moved on from Duncan whacking Papley?

[wolftone57]

I think Newman was left out more as a precaution. They'd play him at a pinch but not before. The use of Newman, Lloyd, Jones & Macca to all run from the flanks and then through the mids has proved very hard for opposition teams to stop. The fact they all deliver pretty well makes it even more dangerous. I wonder just what the make up of a finals team would be. So far Harry is nowhere near ready. does towers come out? Id Hayward ready for the rough and tumble of an AFL finals campaign?

Respect for Rory Sloane. Three votes; massive performance.

Emotional, seriously enjoyable win. That's why we love the bloody game.

Most of our players were very good. Joey the hardest player early. Parker and Heeney great last quarters, typical for the last few months. Heeney's contested grab on the wing with 2 mins to go was massive. Longmire was asked in the presser whether Heeney was given a lesson by Sloane tonight; he stood up.

Papley, Buddy, and Rohan did all the could when the ball was in their vicinity, again, especially late. Papley's improvement this year has been very important; we can throw him into the contest and he wins the ball, he's converting his chances and is more efficient with his field kicking.

Rampe's defeat of Walker was very important (and again: enjoyable!). Dane's a smart, hard player. Nick Smith's best game of the year, and Mills again took some telling intercept marks late.

Reid was great. McVeigh too - such a smart player and still wants it. Hewitt made one bad error, but was otherwise very good. Clean, tackled well.

Our bottom three were well off it: Sinclair, Towers and Hayward (I'm very sorry to say). Those midweek suggesting Cunningham should play over Hayward were right, I think. At this point, Harry's more likely to make a difference on a game like that. Newman is clearly a better player than Towers.

I can't finish on a negative. Biggest game of Melican's career. What a bloody cucumber. Love the lad.

It's easy to get 30 disposals with 9 frees.

[goswannies]

OMG WHAT A NIGHT!! - a special shout out to goswannies - thank you for your tickets - wow they were great - I so appreciate it. Hope you had a great time with Goswanniesette in the corporate box!! Thanks again- well how good was that??? I'm still in shock but we won!!!! Love these boys and AO is a fabulous venue. Goodnight all - I'm spent xx cheer cheer the red & the White!!

Wardy, lovely to meet you & you're most welcome! We're a family here on RWO & we look out for each other. Hope you enjoyed the game as much as Goswannette & I did (heck, who couldn't!). My fourth game at Adelaide Oval this year - the only one I cared about & it was an amazing night. Started wonderfully meeting Wardy (sorry I was late but the footy traffic following a 10 hour day at work made the trip to the ground a challenge). Rain stopped as we arrived & held off all night. Helping with the banner was fun (thanks to the security guard for helping me out). & the win capped it off. Wonderful evening - thanks Swans! Can't wait to wear a Swans tie to work tomorrow!

[Matty10]

Match Day Thread Rnd 22 Adelaide V Sydney. Adelaide Oval 19.50 pm. Or 19.20 ACST.

I don't recall Papley getting a free all night, nor of him exaggerating contact to win a free that wasn't paid.

I didn't listen to the C7 post-game, but I do recall Papley getting a free in the centre square during the last quarter (I think). On first viewing it looked like a legitimate push in the back - I was screaming at the TV for it to be paid before the whistle - he was leaning forward over the ball and was essentially flattened. It is always difficult to tell if a player flops in that type of instance, but I did not second-guess its legitimacy at the time. I didn't see a replay or alternate angle, and nothing was made of it by the commentators at the time.


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[Matty10]

I am obviously not very clear in my recall...

I just watched it again, he is given a free kick for holding the man - he is tackled to the ground without the ball. This was on the half-back flank with 5:00 left to play in the last quarter. It is a clear free.


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[Scottee]

Hayward turnover there

- - - Updated - - -

I think he's out of his depth physically

I think he has shown he is not ready for finals football.

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[Matty10]

Incidentally, Papley's winning goal was ridiculously amazing.

The fact that the ball lands on his back and then bounces into his arms, without him breaking stride (or looking around) was incredible. There was a touch of magic in that moment.


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[Hartijon]

Im done, umpiring seems to be about controlling the game and making it a close contest rather than just calling it as it happens. The game is so open to interpretation that technically all the frees are there but I keep telling myself, surely not, they couldnt do that... Could they?

A lot was made about Mills playing on after his mark and collecting a 50 metre penalty. Ok ,this was one bad decision for the Crows but for them to claim they lost the game this way is a joke. Just look at the free kick count and the number of legitimate frees we missed out on and it makes our win even more meritorious.

[Mug Punter]

just some salient points.

We won even though we had less of the ball. We won even though the umpiring was trying to strip us of a win. We won even without several players contributing. About those players.

Will Hayward; Will, if you are going to play for the Swans you have to commit completely to us or @@@@ off back to Adelaide. Tonight you showed your allegiance to the Crows not to us. You were pathetic and it was obvious with every ball you attacked your heart wasn't in it.

Dean Towers; As much as I could see you were trying very hard it might be time to admit you just don't have the requisite skills to play with the big boys.

Dear midfield as a group, you are the most fumbly, bad decision making mids in the business on a wet deck.

For crying out loud Longmire will you not get the match ups right? What the @@@@ was the matter with you sending Heens one on one with Sloane? There were forward and back match ups that were not right too and you did not change them. For instance McGovern kicked 4.1 on Melican and it was evident early that the match up wasn't working. The unfortunate problem is that you couldn't change them because the other two were too involved. I truly believe it is time for Aliir to come back.

Changes for next week. Aliir & Dawson for Towers and Hayward.

What a disgraceful post, I hate to think of the tantrum you would have thrown if we had lost.

Will is an 18 year old kid and I think he has dine remarkably well for his first year, for crying out loud get off his back.

Having said that I do think he is probably a year too soon for the physical demands of finals footy.

Towers was found out yesterday, as much as I like the guy I'd feel nervous with him in a GF though I'd say he'll get a run next week again if Zak takes a week vacation.

Last night was all about positives for me and I think Horse would have taken a huge amount from the game in terms of our finals campaign. A few guys were probably shown up a bit short, I think the followibg changes will make us a stronger side come finals:

* Naismith for Sinclair
* Newman for Towers (playing off half back)
* Harry for Hayward

[Auntie.Gerald]

Ok
1st qtr
So we went for the points in the first qtr to ensure we applied scoreboard pressure. The lead in the first qtr against a very very difficult forward line matchup is critical. We achieved in spades. 3 goals up. Our midfield contest pressure was exceptional against Adelaide first qtr. our hunt was imposing.

2qtr
I thought smart coaching to chock up the middle and our backline line and keep the powder dry for the last 2qtrs. Let's be honest we can't play long periods of an open game against Adelaide. They move the all very well and they have so many dominant one on one targets. It is a seriously lethal forward line that needed Reid down there over half the game to spoil and play loose

3rd qtr
I Understand our tactics but I felt our guys we still dropping the ball too much but we hung in there

4th qtr
Not sure if anyone has looked at the Tracker results for both teams and I only put this quite low in my assessment of games but let's review together for this game and how it complimented our last qtr win

Top 5 both teams distance covered
McVeigh
Kennedy
Heeney
Jones
Hannebery

Top 2 both teams distance covered at speed
Jones and jack

I think that most of us might be surprised that Adelaide didn't have players featuring in these areas??? Quite incredible actually !!!

For me it showed how when we break we break hard and our midfield were tremendous in getting ahead of their opposite numbers when it counted with massive gut running . We had energy for the last 10mins of the last qtr and Adelaide tired

I haven't seen us as poor in catching and hand passing. I know that our intention was to move the ball from the clearance right thru the middle of the pack and turned it back inside to back our midfield and so we could send it in direct and hot but I felt we could have played better and we still won.

Personally I don't get into the umpiring too much cause it ends up ruining my experience of the game .....that's just my philosophy .........but it really counted against for the 2nd and 3rd qtr unfairly I thought. Our tackling and pinning their players who dropped it cold so many times was simply unfair and almost affected the outcome of the game. We had minimal reward for some great tackling. Conversely Adelaide got free so many times from tackles that should of been HTB and they got a roll on

[Hotpotato]

Cal me old fashioned but I'll just let Boof out to go and get the paper to check if we really did win the game last night at Apricot Slice Stadium . BTW does anyone know what our banner said ?

[mgrogan]

Cal me old fashioned but I'll just let Boof out to go and get the paper to check if we really did win the game last night at Apricot Slice Stadium . BTW does anyone know what our banner said ?

We started out rough
and copped plenty of blows
but now we're on point
lookout the crows

https://twitter.com/sydneyswans/status/898480223359877120

[Hotpotato]

Uummm , shouldnt it have been:

WE STARTED OUT TOUGH
AND COPPED PLENTY OF BLOWS
NOW THE GOING GETS TOUGH
SO LOOKOUT THE CROWS