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This assessment of the Swans immediate future is a pretty fair summary I reckon:
COMMENT: Swans need to find answers to big questions - AFL.com.au
COMMENT: Swans need to find answers to big questions - AFL.com.au
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Its obvious where our problems lie. Its our midfield. Shut down Kennedy and Parker, shut down swans clearances. We have no real back up to these 2. In the past, teams would not only have to worry about Parks and JPK, but also Jack and Hanners. These 2 are now effectively irrelevant given their sad declines (no composure, speed and shocking disposals). We need to either draft some support for our inside bulls or hope that Mills, Heeney and Dawson come to the party next year (but then that leaves holes down back and up forward!). We also need some outside run and again draft and / or hope Stoddart and Ling can step up. I'm almost thinking that if another club puts an early selection on Blakey, we seriously consider not matching it and going for a potential elite mid who is ready to start in the 1's for us and make an impact.Comment
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RD I agree.
I wrote on another thread that I think we are much more a team based on stars like Geelong, than a systems team like Richmond or Hawthorn.
If our top few fail to fire, get injured or tagged, we can be beaten. And what there is of our system (win contested ball), the same. Teams know if they beat us in clearances, contested possesssion, they are a good chance to win.
We have had a serious depth problem this year up forward and midfield which needs to be addressed in the offseason through all means possible: fa, trade and draft.
There are a couple of players crying out for a midfield spot - Mills and Jones, who need to be tried in there.
Skills need to improve.
Gameplan needs an overhaul. It’s been suggested somewhere that Swans will have a review after this season (and the previous one). I think that would be appropriate.Comment
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Take Rance or Dusty out of Richmond and their superior "system" will quickly unfold.
Success is a combination of stars, plans, lack of injuries and luck...
...and having the grand final always at your home ground.Comment
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That does not suprise me one bit. Shows just how good our defence is to have had to deal with such pressure on such a regular basis. We have to improve in this space if we are going to make any strides forward in 2019."You get the feeling that like Monty Python's Black Knight, the Swans would regard amputation as merely a flesh wound."Comment
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Is Hanners still at the club?
I can't believe they gave him 7/10 for that game.
Sure, get 25+ possessions - that's the easy part.
Disposing of them in an effective manner is the hard bit, isn't it mate?Wild speculation, unsubstantiated rumours, silly jokes and opposition delight in another's failures is what makes an internet forum fun.
Blessed are the cracked for they are the ones who let in the light.Comment
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I'm not surprised either. It shows how good our defence has been, but also that our forward line has been reasonably good - at least in some matches - in converting a modest number of forward 50 entries into goals.
Our forward line needs work but some of this might just be a case of injuries/maturation. (That said, I'd love a mature, medium sized marking player to complement the smalls and talls - someone to play the Melksham, or Caddy role. Parker and Heeney provide it at times, but while both are strong overhead marks for their size, they haven't developed all the tools of a mid-sized forward, like body use and leading patterns. They just excel at overhead marking.) But the fact that the team has manufactured more winning scores than losing ones shows that the forward line hasn't been awful.
We all know the midfield has been the problem, so this stat doesn't tell us anything new.Comment
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In my opinion I think a few things need to happen to get us back to where we need to be-
1- Rampe goes in the middle and we get Darcy Moore to replace him in defence
2- Macartin is groomed to play a Sicily type role in defence
3- Jones is moved permantly into the midfield
3- Reid stays healthy and plays most games
3- Blakey is as good as everyone is saying and can kick 20-25 goals
4- Hannabery goes and we get another first round pick (would love Paddy Mcartin involved n this trade)
5- I know everyone doesn't rate Paddy but it would enable Buddy to play a Goodes type role and not be stuck in the forward line. Sinclair can also play this role as a deep forward..
6- Mills stays in defence he is not the answer for our midfield woes.
7- Florent, Hayward, Ronke, Dawson, O'riodon and Papley improve...
8- Naismith to be the number one and compete in the ruck
9- Reg cant force his way in the side
A lot of wishful thinking I know but I don't think its all doom and gloom list wise....Comment
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Into the side that played on the weekend, inject:
Moore (by and large replacing Reg who will be backup in 2019)
Reid (Either him or Sinclair as tall forward, second ruck)
Nainsmith (the real reason our midfield struggled)
Blakely (probably only half a dozen games)
AJ (later half of next year)
Mills (Defender/Midfielder)
We just need to find another good mid to cover the loss of Hanners.
Still feel we are one super star short.Comment
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Some fair points there but points 1, 2 and the last part of point 4......complete fairyland stuff. We got the better McCartin.....let's just leave it at that.....and he's a natural forward, not a defender.....and Darcy Moore is a complete crock that the club should forget. Glad your not part of the season end review!
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