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

[liz]

The players in the team have been very selfish all year. I can only think that the dominant focus for the team is supporting the seniors. The selfishness of the players and the poor team culture cost the grand final. One of the players told me after the game that the aggressive and unsupportive culture in the team made it hard to be creative and to lean on others. One of the trainers also said that Shaws comment to the players after the game was that their selfishness cost the grand final.

I can't comment on what Shaw said after the game, but the rest of your post doesn't really resonate.

This is a team that lost only to the Lions all year (and whose height previously caused the team issues, though that was only part of the story on Saturday). It's a team made up predominantly of players who operate within the broader scope of the whole club, and whose senior team does not epitomise even a hint of selfishness. I find it really hard to believe that the team has played selfishly throughout a pretty dominant season, or that if there had been signs of that, Shaw and the rest of the coaching team wouldn't have addressed that issue during the year.

What I saw on Saturday was a team
a) that struggled, at times, with the Lions' height
b) a team that struggled with the dewy conditions (and to be fair I think the Lions did too - I don't suppose many of them have played much evening time footy during the season)
c) a team that absolutely dominated the final quarter but couldn't kick straight to save their lives. And it wasn't that they were taking pings from unrealistic positions. Foote and Robinson are two players who had very straightforward set shots in that final term that were missed (and there were plenty more - just can't replay all of them off the top of my head).

And to your comment that "you can only think that the dominant focus for the team is supporting the seniors", I'd have thought that should be the main focus of the team. It's essentially a development squad of listed AFL players. Its entire point is to develop players who might one day be ready to graduate to play senior AFL footy.

[liz]

I noticed COR give Florent a serve when Old didn't pick the ball up for him after a behind. I thought that was a bit odd. Like he expected someone to get the ball for him rather than do the work himself. I then watched him not pick up a player in defence even though he was being directed to. Definitely some cultural and commitment issues. Strange because you'd think they would adopt the same culture as the seniors so your attitude translates seamlessly if / when you're picked to play.

I think I know the incident you're referring to. I am pretty sure COR was hoping to execute a very quick kick in, and Florent was closest to the ball.

[Mr Magoo]

First full game of NEAFL I have watched all year but the reality was that they blew it . Kicking 3/9 in the last quarter on a relatively still night (and to the end the wind had been blowing to earlier in the day anyway) was their downfall.

I was quite amazed at the differential in intensity and skill level between this game and the seniors. It truly is quite a marked difference and shows to me why they are still hesitant to reward the younger guys straight up.

My view on a few players :
Rose - very disappointing and showed little under the pressure of a GF. Wouldnt be suprised if they looked to trade him on that effort.
Foote - was pretty good and despite his costly miss in the final quarter was almost best on ground.
Tippett - should dominate at that level but clearly didnt - looked proppy.
Talia - gone for me - didnt show much.
Allir - good but not the allir of last year and would take melican every day over him.
AJ - still getting used to the game again. Not a forward, positions himself like a backman.
Hayward - not overly impressive for a guy that had plenty to prove. Still learning senior level football.

Plaudits to the Brisbane player with the dreadlocks playing full back / CHB who had a cheer squad of gorgeous blondes cheering his every move.

[liz]

Plaudits to the Brisbane player with the dreadlocks playing full back / CHB who had a cheer squad of gorgeous blondes cheering his every move.

That was Matt Eagles, winner of last season's "The Recruit". He must have thought he was playing for the Swans, so many times did they kick it directly to him.

[S.S. Bleeder]

That would be Matthew Eagles but he has brown dreadlocks.

[Mr Magoo]

That would be Matthew Eagles but he has brown dreadlocks.

I said his cheer squad was a bunch of gorgeous blondes not him

They did seem to pick him out quite regularly but for me we really lacked some proper forwards. Either that or the delivery was so poor that no one really had the opportunity to show it.

Playing Talia and AJ up there just didnt work in my view. Pink can develop but there were few that looked comfortable in front of goal. Hayward should have killed it at this level but he was in and out.

My 13 year old has better goal sense than most of these guys seem to (and he is in the academy Horse )

[Nico]

The players in the team have been very selfish all year. I can only think that the dominant focus for the team is supporting the seniors. The selfishness of the players and the poor team culture cost the grand final. One of the players told me after the game that the aggressive and unsupportive culture in the team made it hard to be creative and to lean on others. One of the trainers also said that Shaws comment to the players after the game was that their selfishness cost the grand final.

I guess Barra that some play for themselves because they can't be dropped.

[barry]

If Talia gets delisted we will have to take a serious look for the next big bodied defender to replace Reg. Reg may only have 1 more year in him.

[bloodspirit]

It was a disappointing performance. Like others I noticed the great drop off from the seniors but that is not so surprising. However I also think there was less intensity compared to other games this year. Could this have been a by-product of vibe dying down both in the second half of the seniors (as the fireworks were over and the spark had gone out of the game), combined with the substantial delay until the Reserves began, and then the drop in temperatures and with those features the disappearance of >90% of the crowd from earlier? Just feel like, despite the occasion, maybe the 'vibe' flowed through to the game and the players too.

People criticising Hayward and Pink need to remember they have both been aged 18 years for most of this year. They are both wonderful prospects. Hayward will be back in Seniors next year. Although I don't expect the same of Pink I remain hopeful (not yet confident) that he can succeed at AFL level in the future. As I have said before, he has a great work ethic, good footy brain, powerful kick, fairly mobile for his size, can mark the ball. I really like him. Very pleased for him that the coaches recognised him in the bests. Hopefully that assures him of at least another year.

Painful to have lost yet another NEAFL granny.

[Ludwig]

People criticising Hayward and Pink need to remember they have both been aged 18 years for most of this year. They are both wonderful prospects. Hayward will be back in Seniors next year. Although I don't expect the same of Pink I remain hopeful (not yet confident) that he can succeed at AFL level in the future. As I have said before, he has a great work ethic, good footy brain, powerful kick, fairly mobile for his size, can mark the ball. I really like him. Very pleased for him that the coaches recognised him in the bests. Hopefully that assures him of at least another year.

I agree with your analysis on Toby Pink. I would also put Maibaum in this category. It's often hard to make a good assessment on KPPs until the 2nd year. But sometimes you can put a line through them, although I might have put a line through Aliir after his first year and he still came through. I'm glad that both have held up reasonably well through their first season. Also great that both have been quite resilient in playing in every game this year.

[Aprilbr]

Laidler Foote Rose Marsh all under contract for next year

If that is the case then it's a concern to me as these four are at best depth players who have been given plenty of chances and arguably are not up to top AFL level. Just my view and I would love for some of these to prove me wrong. Marsh is the only one of those that I rate.


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[Blood Fever]

If that is the case then it's a concern to me as these four are at best depth players who have been given plenty of chances and arguably are not up to top AFL level. Just my view and I would love for some of these to prove me wrong. Marsh is the only one of those that I rate.


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L?ndler has played a number of solid defensive games for us. Marsh is worthy depth as you say.

[KTigers]

Almost by definition you are going to get guys pushing their own barrows in reserves teams. Let's face it, no one gets drafted to
play NEAFL or VFL. But I think kicking 10.22 didn't help. I guess all the accurate shots on goal were used up in the earlier match.

The players in the team have been very selfish all year. I can only think that the dominant focus for the team is supporting the seniors. The selfishness of the players and the poor team culture cost the grand final. One of the players told me after the game that the aggressive and unsupportive culture in the team made it hard to be creative and to lean on others. One of the trainers also said that Shaws comment to the players after the game was that their selfishness cost the grand final.

[Hotpotato]

Wonder why they didn't play this game in warm sunshine at like 11.30am

Then there could have been kick to kick after the EF.

The reasons many of us didn't stick around :
Too long a wait.
Getting cold.
Wanted to go home and watch the other EF.

[goswannies]

Wonder why they didn't play this game in warm sunshine at like 11.30am

Then there could have been kick to kick after the EF.

The reasons many of us didn't stick around :
Too long a wait.
Getting cold.
Wanted to go home and watch the other EF.

For one, it allows all the senior emergencies to play in the Ressies GF.