VFL Grand Final: Sydney Swans Reserves v Brisbane Lions Reserves @ SCG

[bloodspirit]

I'm always impatient for the Reserves thread to start and so I'm going to get it going this time.

First things first: the match has been confirmed as the curtain closer for the elimination final against Essendon: SCG double header locked in - sydneyswans.com.au. The match is scheduled to start at 7.45 pm. Free entry to the SCG from 7.15 pm. I presume this means that we can sit wherever we like? I might try moving to some of the premium seats that are normally out of my price range for the Reserves. Brewongle? O'Reilly?

The second thing to observe is that these have been the top 2 teams all year. The Lions are the only team to have beaten us all year. And, like Hawthorn at AFL level, they have done it not once, but twice! However, sadly for them, the Lions are standing in the way of DESTINY! We have been cruelled by the footy gods the past 3 years and now it is OUR TIME!

Changes to the team? Could there be a swap of ruckmen? Will Naismith get promoted at the expense of Tippo or Sinkers? And, if he is, will they play NEAFL? Papley and Hannebery return to the seniors. Harry C is likely to be relegated (he played NEAFL over the weekend just gone) but who else? My tip: Hayward will miss. Seniors loss is the Reserves gain. Decent consolation for him too if we win our inaugural NEAFL flag.

Unfortunately for the Lions, Schache is going to miss the game: Home time for Schache as he misses NEAFL GF - AFL.com.au. Then again he is out of sorts and they won last weekend without him so perhaps it is for the best all round. Sad for Schache though that he is feeling bad enough not to be motivated to play in the Grand Final when the opportunity is there, even if it is NEAFL. On the other hand it didn't stop Buddy coming back as good as ever in 2016 after missing 2015 finals for similar reasons. The Lions had a good victory over Sydney Uni in their prelim, who were tougher opposition than the Suns: MATCH REPORT: Brisbane out-muscles Sydney University to book Grand Final spot ? NEAFL. Hopefully that won't harm our chances any and we'll make the most of our home ground advantage and a decent crowd in support.

Onwards to VIC-TORY!

[ugg]

Some team stats to whet the appetite. The Lions look to have an advantage on us in the talls department, taking the most contested marks of any side in the NEAFL this season. Our league-best defence was made to look ordinary by their forwards, who took plenty of marks inside 50 during our last meeting

[AnnieH]

I'm excited.
I'll be hanging around for it.

[ugg]

Random thoughts:

1. Not that we need any more reasons to win the Essendon final, but I can't imagine how the NEAFL players (and coaches) would get themselves up for this game were the seniors to do the unthinkable.

2. The other time we've played the NEAFL game as a curtain closer was last year against Sydney Uni after that dreadful Bulldogs loss when it was raining cats and dogs and I think the crowd would have been fewer than the usual curtain raiser number save for a group of hardcore Uni fans sitting behind the goals at the Paddington end.

3. Fox listed as 1 week on the injury list last Tuesday, and possibly spotted in the background of that training photo. If he does play, we would most likely have 23 listed players, which I'm sure through all my years of NEAFL and AFL Canberra watching has never happened before.

[bloodspirit]

Not just the players will having trouble getting themselves up for the NEAFL granny if we lose beforehand. I don't know if I would have the stomach for it either. Have to wait and see.

Our injury list is spectacularly good at the moment - if you're right about Fox that would leave only Cameron out, right? Ronke the Phantom has been back for ages; even AJ after 5 years give or take. Pretty spesh! I tell you, it's our time!

[707]

Last years GF was significant, Newman BOG and Melican played the best game of his career. Fast forward to this season and both now serious senior players. A lot for guys to play for other than the flag.

A full team of listed players, wow.

[barracuda]

Great for the Swanees! Sucks for the toppies!

[crackedactor]

Last years GF was significant, Newman BOG and Melican played the best game of his career. Fast forward to this season and both now serious senior players. A lot for guys to play for other than the flag.

A full team of listed players, wow.

For the record. Watched the Preliminary final and Dawson looks all class. Has to be a shoe in next year. I think Rose is starting to show promise. Cannot believe how hard people on this forum are on Aliir Aliir. Two turnovers, one was not his fault and they condemn him? I think he tries to break the lines and makes something happen, that's why some times things go wrong. Quite happy to see him in the seniors very soon.

[barracuda]

For the record. Watched the Preliminary final and Dawson looks all class. Has to be a shoe in next year. I think Rose is starting to show promise. Cannot believe how hard people on this forum are on Aliir Aliir. Two turnovers, one was not his fault and they condemn him? I think he tries to break the lines and makes something happen, that's why some times things go wrong. Quite happy to see him in the seniors very soon.

He does seem to get the ball and then try to break the lines. He often gets caught when he should have dished off the ball. It is almost like he struggles with peripheral vision and knowing where his players are. This issue sometimes happens with players who did not grow up playing the game. They struggle to have good spatial awareness.

[Ludwig]

He does seem to get the ball and then try to break the lines. He often gets caught when he should have dished off the ball. It is almost like he struggles with peripheral vision and knowing where his players are. This issue sometimes happens with players who did not grow up playing the game. They struggle to have good spatial awareness.

My feeling is that the coaches have been encouraging Aliir to take the game on and try to become a line breaker. This makes a lot of sense as we already have plenty of stodgy (and I use the term respectfully) defenders, with Maibaum being the next in that mould. We only really have Zak Jones and Buddy who take on tacklers with the aim of breaking tackles and moving the ball out of tight situations in that fashion, so it would be nice if we could develop another. Aliir is uncannily successful at breaking tackles, but like Jones and Franklin, does get caught at times. I said in another post that I thought he was instructed to play this way. Let's face it. The runner could have always come out and tell him to cut out all that play on at all cost attitude and play a more conservative game, but apparently that didn't happen.

[barracuda]

My feeling is that the coaches have been encouraging Aliir to take the game on and try to become a line breaker. This makes a lot of sense as we already have plenty of stodgy (and I use the term respectfully) defenders, with Maibaum being the next in that mould. We only really have Zak Jones and Buddy who take on tacklers with the aim of breaking tackles and moving the ball out of tight situations in that fashion, so it would be nice if we could develop another. Aliir is uncannily successful at breaking tackles, but like Jones and Franklin, does get caught at times. I said in another post that I thought he was instructed to play this way. Let's face it. The runner could have always come out and tell him to cut out all that play on at all cost attitude and play a more conservative game, but apparently that didn't happen.

That makes sense Ludwig. I agree they must be supporting that approach. I am just not sure that Aliir has the agility or awareness to pull it of at the moment. When he played his best football with the seniors he was breaking lines, but it is all feeling a bit one dimensional now.

[bloodspirit]

What is frustrating is that Aliir was successfully breaking the tackles and then turning the ball over with poor disposal - which is not his hallmark, he has been a safe disposer of the ball in the past.

[bloodspirit]

The match is scheduled to start at 7.45 pm. Free entry to the SCG from 7.15 pm. I presume this means that we can sit wherever we like?

It turns out no we can't sit anywhere. Everyone has to go to Members Reserve. From the Swans website today:

If attending the elimination final and staying to watch the match, please make your way to the SCG Members Reserve after the final siren of the senior?s match.

It is important that patrons do not exit the venue when moving into the Members Area. Please use one of the cross over points noted below:
?Behind Bay 33 on the Brewongle Concourse
?Near Gate G ? following the Bill O?Reilly Concourse to the end, walking towards the Bradman Stand

For those only attending the NEAFL match, free access will be permitted via SCG Gate A on Driver Avenue from 7:15pm only.

Food and drink will be available to purchase in the MA Noble Stand Level 1 food court.

SCG dress regulations will not apply.

[liz]

I wonder why it's important not to leave the ground when moving to the Members' area, given that people can enter the ground from 7.15pm if they're just attending the NEAFL game. Are they going to quiz people entering after 7.15pm to find out whether they were at the EF?

[ugg]

SCG dress regulations will not apply.

All right! I can finally fulfill my long held ambition of wearing a singlet, torn jeans and ugg boots to an AFL match sitting in the Members!