#AFL Round 2, Sydney Swans v Port Adelaide, 01/04/18, SCG @sydneyswans

[Belmasta]

where has our stingy back line gone ????

I think that great back line still exists, but they had an off day. Lewis Melican made errors that are usually absent from his game. He has been playing so well. I was holding my breath when our boys were kicking back into the back line when there was so much fumbled going on.


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[O'Reilly Boy]

In the first half the Swans played a terrific, mobile short game. They almost looked Hawthorn-like for periods of play: lots of players presenting for 15-20 metre kicks through the middle of the ground. In the second half, though, it looked like back to long kicks down the line with no-one offering any alternatives. Port just had to spike the ball and spread to the fat side and we were undone. We also looked exhausted by the first half effort.
Positives: Cunningham, Florent. Heeney looks on the cusp of a great season. Hannebery worked his way into the game well. And it is good to see Jack up and about in the middle.
Poor Rohan looked all over the shop, apart from one contested mark late in the game (and that run here he was legged and grated his head on the turf).
Wish that the Club was a bit more transparent about injuries: what is up with Reid? Can we expect to hear anything about Hannebery's knee?

[O'Reilly Boy]

and Sinclair was done by half-time. Looked to be hobbling, but was certainly cooked. Very troubling for the rest of the season. We need Aliir in to provide a robust ruck chop-out and a bit of something different off half back.

[Papernick]

and Sinclair was done by half-time. Looked to be hobbling, but was certainly cooked. Very troubling for the rest of the season. We need Aliir in to provide a robust ruck chop-out and a bit of something different off half back.

I know some on here think ruckmen are an optional extra but I the fact we only have two average ruckmen will hurt us. Look at how grundy toweling up Lobb got the Pies back in the game on Saturday.

I can see some changes over the course of the year. Dawson now seems an absolute must when fit. Reid, Jones and Aliir too. And I wouldn?t be surprised to see one of our draftees break into the team the back half of the year. That?s five potential changes from a team that had some worrying signs.

I?ll reserve the right to be worried about our season if we are less than 6 wins at th me turn, we are notorious late starters

[Mountain Man]

Are the black armbands for Brian Bourke?

My understanding, yes.

He died on Friday, and, as a former SMFC President , probably got the recognition. I believe he was the President when the relocation was approved.

He was also a life member of the AFL for his long service with the Tribunals and match review panels.

[Blood Fever]

My understanding, yes.

He died on Friday, and, as a former SMFC President , probably got the recognition. I believe he was the President when the relocation was approved.

He was also a life member of the AFL for his long service with the Tribunals and match review panels.

Was president late sixties early seventies. Helped get Norm Smith to club and he coached us into the finals in 1970 when Peter Bedford won the Brownlow. Jack Marks was president as well as Bill Collins in 1981/82. Club voted to stay as South Melbourne but VFL forced relocation in 1982. Players still lived in Melbourne but played in Sydney that season. Stand to be corrected but I think this is reasonably accurate.

[Blood Fever]

I think that great back line still exists, but they had an off day. Lewis Melican made errors that are usually absent from his game. He has been playing so well. I was holding my breath when our boys were kicking back into the back line when there was so much fumbled going on.


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The fumbling by us became contagious all over the ground. Even McVeigh, our surest ball handler, got a dose of them. Port fumbled as well but not as badly.

[Blood Fever]

You've sucked me in again Wolfy and I've wasted another five minutes of my life. But I do get your point. The answer to everything is to sack the coach with the second best W/L ratio in the AFL. Time to go after the blokes with new ideas like Brendan Bolton, or Bucks or Alan Richardson.

Apparently the new Perth stadium surface was like rock last week and our boys struggled to come up as quickly as expected.

Good call re Longmire TBC. Not sure about Optus surface. Eagles on fire v Bullies. We did tire but I reckon a lot of it was mental after huge effort and domination in first half only to be a couple of goals in front. Takes its toll psychologically and that transfers to the physical.

[Nico]

Was president late sixties early seventies. Helped get Norm Smith to club and he coached us into the finals in 1970 when Peter Bedford won the Brownlow. Jack Marks was president as well as Bill Collins in 1981/82. Club voted to stay as South Melbourne but VFL forced relocation in 1982. Players still lived in Melbourne but played in Sydney that season. Stand to be corrected but I think this is reasonably accurate.

Met him in the cricket club bar a couple of times. My recollection is that he was against the relocation.

[goswannies]

Talking of that. Our blokes are NOT fit. Last week proved that when we started cramping. cramp is caused by not being fit enough and hydrated enough on the day.

Actually I?d suggest that?s a simplistic view on cramping.

It has less to do with hydration in terms of pure water, than electrolytic balance (particularly sodium, but calcium and potassium also play a role as well as a number of other minerals) - grab a Gatorade bottle for a fairly comprehensive list.

Now, some people (or perhaps a person) might blame Horse for this lack of ?hydration? but if you watch a game of AFL standard football, you might notice some people running around with drink bottles and bum-bags? They?re called sports trainers. It?s their responsibility to give players water or electrolytic drinks. And if you watch closely, they run around a lot during a game, offering drinks to players, before the players are actually thirsty. Horse probably isn?t even directly responsible for those instructions, that?s the sports scientists or medical director. But I?m sure Horse wants it done in the best interest of his players ... and given the trainers are out there offering sports bottles of water or electrolytes, means the message is getting out there. The next link in the chain is the player actually accepting the proffered hydration. Now, I?ve noticed that this link is probably the weak one as I occasionally (or even frequently) observe players declining the proferred fluids. Short of Horse administering an IV of fluids to the players, I think it?s a little harsh to say that he is directly responsible for insufficient hydration. As the old saying is paraphrased ?A Horse can lead a player to water but cannot make him drink? ... and in this instance, the player isn?t even being led to the water, water is brought directly to the player.

But even this is a simplistic view regarding cramping.

There is another theory that neuromuscular fatigue contributes to cramping. Now, there are many factors that can contribute to neuromuscular fatigue. I am happy to go into the physiology of it but it?s a little complicated. If I simplify it for brevity, muscles, of overworked, can cramp. Again, I emphasise the multifactorial nature of this, but one can be harder playing surfaces can, creating larger ground reaction forces on the limbs, that over the course of 120 minutes of an elite level football match, could result in ... anybody? ... you up the back ... yes, cramps.

Ok it has been extensively complained about that the new WA oval?s surface (you know, last weeks game?) is - at this stage - hard under foot. It?s a pretty big leap to accuse Horse of orchestrating this to scuttle his own players.

If the logical (if naive and ill-considered) comeback against the hard surface theory is the West Coast players hard to deal with it too, well, yes they did but they also train on it, facilitating neuromuscular fatigue adaptability ... they get used to it.

Horse (and his team) do also address neuromuscular fatigue (simply from the perspective of high intensity activities, such as a football game) issues by implementing a dynamic warm-up and stretching programme. We see it pre-match on the ground (and with TV coverage, in the change rooms). From all appearances Horse (or his staff, under his instruction) are doing the correct thing here too.

I can?t attest to the overall level of fitness of our players, as I don?t have specific data from their skin folds and fitness testing base-lines and progression. I can say that, a State League football team that I worked with was exhaustive in its pre-season assessment, monitoring and progression of pre-season fitness. And this was several years ago when standards were less lofty than today. I hypothesise that a professional elite level AFL club today would be more meticulous than a semi-professional SANFL club back then. I?m personally confident that Swans players are fit - but I?m happy to be proven wrong.

[dejavoodoo44]

Interesting post, GS. Since you appear to know what you're talking about, can I pick your brain with a few questions?
Firstly, with the hard surface, is the fatigue caused by the muscles constantly having to make minor adjustments, in order to counteract instability caused by the extra force feeding back? If so, can softer surfaces also cause cramps; since there is an extra amount of unpredictability, that needs to be countered?
Also, is it possible that the cramping and fatigue, would be still affecting the players during the Port game? If so, what would be the cause? Muscular microtears that hadn't fully healed?

[goswannies]

Interesting post, GS. Since you appear to know what you're talking about,

appearances can be deceptive

can I pick your brain with a few questions?
Firstly, with the hard surface, is the fatigue caused by the muscles constantly having to make minor adjustments, in order to counteract instability caused by the extra force feeding back? If so, can softer surfaces also cause cramps; since there is an extra amount of unpredictability, that needs to be countered?
Also, is it possible that the cramping and fatigue, would be still affecting the players during the Port game? If so, what would be the cause? Muscular microtears that hadn't fully healed?

Yes to all of the above in theory (although I?m not as convinced about instability with hard surfaces, increased ground reaction forces perhaps?).
and yes to your last point (depending on how they are managed). But clubs are meticulous with post game icing, dynamic warm downs and cool downs.

The capping of rotations is probably counterproductive to cramp management as immediate stretching during the cramp is probably one of the more effective management strategies. Hard to do while you?re playing. By spending a little time off the ground, stretching while ?resting?, and doing low intensity ?warm-ups? to prevent lactic acid/metabolite buildup, you could be prophylactivrly reducing the risk of cramping occuring.

[dejavoodoo44]

appearances can be deceptive


Yes to all of the above in theory (although I?m not as convinced about instability with hard surfaces, increased ground reaction forces perhaps?).
and yes to your last point (depending on how they are managed). But clubs are meticulous with post game icing, dynamic warm downs and cool downs.

The capping of rotations is probably counterproductive to cramp management as immediate stretching during the cramp is probably one of the more effective management strategies. Hard to do while you?re playing. By spending a little time off the ground, stretching while ?resting?, and doing low intensity ?warm-ups? to prevent lactic acid/metabolite buildup, you could be prophylactivrly reducing the risk of cramping occuring.

Thanks for that. I was nearly going to post before the Port game, that I thought we would need to get a good lead early, because the cramping the previous week would make us more likely to tire in the second half. But then it occurred to me that I didn't really know if that was true; so I didn't.

[MattW]

In the first half the Swans played a terrific, mobile short game. They almost looked Hawthorn-like for periods of play: lots of players presenting for 15-20 metre kicks through the middle of the ground. In the second half, though, it looked like back to long kicks down the line with no-one offering any alternatives. Port just had to spike the ball and spread to the fat side and we were undone. We also looked exhausted by the first half effort.
Positives: Cunningham, Florent. Heeney looks on the cusp of a great season. Hannebery worked his way into the game well. And it is good to see Jack up and about in the middle.
Poor Rohan looked all over the shop, apart from one contested mark late in the game (and that run here he was legged and grated his head on the turf).
Wish that the Club was a bit more transparent about injuries: what is up with Reid? Can we expect to hear anything about Hannebery's knee?

Florent was my highlight. His chase and tackle was excellent. He was afflicted by our poor kicking, particularly in the first quarter, when he collected 8 possessions. But he found space all night and took a few critical marks low down, under pressure.

I don't agree with the suggestion the club hasn't been transparent with Reid's injury. Longmire said on Tuesday that Reid's tight hamstring would mean he'd miss the main session to run instead and he seemed pessimistic Reid would play. In his post-game presser he said he hoped Reid would get up for this week. Gotta say, he sounded a bit pessimistic about Jones and it was still too early re Hannebery. I suspect we'll be told more details at Longmire's presser tomorrow.

On Jones, I thought we missed his line busting runs and long kicking.

[Blood Fever]

Met him in the cricket club bar a couple of times. My recollection is that he was against the relocation.

Bar was under the old stand. Remember my late father buying me a sarsaparilla there when I was a kid. Nostalgia plus Nico.