#AFL Round 5, Sydney Swans v Adelaide Crows, 7:50pm 20/04 SCG @sydneyswans #AFLSwansCrows

[Belmasta]

I sort of remember Macca calling the SCG our Fortress.

But I think I must have misheard him. He probably said the SCG was our Mattress. When we play there, we just want to lie down and go to sleep.

LOL! I'll pay that! Was disappointing but a crushing hard played game. They are going to be sore after that. Predicting the team will be back with a vengeance against Geelong. Looking forward to sitting in the stands to watch them play.


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[liz]

I'm glad the Cats won yesterday. They (like most teams) seem to come out with a vengeance after a loss. That doesn't mean they'll be complacent against us next week - the fact that we're the only team to have notched up several wins against them at KP over the last few seasons will probably have them on their guard - but they won't be under the pump in the media as they were in that SF, and as the Crows were last week.

[The Big Cat]

Looking at Hawks game. Clarkson has to go! His game plan is now outdated. No plan B. Possibly lost the players. Lucky to have had the list to win four flags! Hawks should be looking for someone like Longmire

[Markwebbos]

Looking at Hawks game. Clarkson has to go! His game plan is now outdated. No plan B. Possibly lost the players. Lucky to have had the list to win four flags! Hawks should be looking for someone like Longmire

It's certainly not the scoreline I'd expect at half-time. This round has been a nightmare tipping wise.

[Blood Fever]

Looking at Hawks game. Clarkson has to go! His game plan is now outdated. No plan B. Possibly lost the players. Lucky to have had the list to win four flags! Hawks should be looking for someone like Longmire

LOL. Don't hold your breath TBC waiting for any criticism of Clarkson from some on this forum! On a more serious note, it looks as if the AFL draft system, salary cap etc might have finally produced a competition where a lot of games are difficult to pick a winner in. Happens in USA with NFL where a lot of teams can rise quickly in each season and a lot of teams win a fair amount of games. May not need as many wins for finals and top 4 this year but there might be a lot of contenders.

[Plugger1300]

Flew up from Melbourne for the game
Was really looking forward to sitting around swans supporters and enjoying that atmosphere.
Unfortunately i was seated in the middle of about 10 crows supporters.
The fact that they were winning from the get go really didn't help the atmosphere.
Felt like i was at Footy park.

From the ground level i really got a feel for how bad our disposal was not only exiting the back 50 (which was dismal)
but also entering the 50

We have been terrible all year with our skills and you can talk about clearances, coaching, set ups or injuries
but the skill level is the reason we are either losing or almost losing.
If we had hit targets by hand or foot on Friday night the pressure would've been released and centre clearances would not have mattered.

Agree with most about Buddies game. Didn't seem to want to take a set shot and played lazy.

Also i was sitting behind the goals when Papley snapped the goal.
It was clearly touched and correct decision was a point.

Not sure how we correct the ball skills except training but at least it's something that could change quick

[Billericay]

Looking at Hawks game. Clarkson has to go! His game plan is now outdated. No plan B. Possibly lost the players. Lucky to have had the list to win four flags! Hawks should be looking for someone like Longmire

I wonder if Longmire would ever say this?

Clarko to review own role in shock loss - AFL.com.au

Clarkson: "I've got to take some responsibility, and we as a coaching group, on why we didn't have our players in the same sort of desire and hunt for the contest as the Kangaroos side. But there will be times in the next few weeks where it just evaporates from the Kangaroos system as well. It's bloody hard to maintain for 22 rounds of the season."

[aardvark]

Looking at Hawks game. Clarkson has to go! His game plan is now outdated. No plan B. Possibly lost the players. Lucky to have had the list to win four flags! Hawks should be looking for someone like Longmire

Poor Big Cat. He's been waiting for weeks to post this and no one recognized the sarcasm.

[barry]

Clarkson's plan B was executed in the 3rd quarter. However, Scott is quite a canny coach, and was able to counteract it by 4th by blocking the corridor.
In the end, the margin was just too big.

[Markwebbos]

Poor Big Cat. He's been waiting for weeks to post this and no one recognized the sarcasm.

The sarcasm was noted. Or perhaps double standard (in that no one is calling for Clarko?s head on RWO).

[liz]

Poor Big Cat. He's been waiting for weeks to post this and no one recognized the sarcasm.

His post has four "likes" - the most, I think, for any post since the like functionality was introduced. So I reckon at least some recognised the sarcasm.

[Steve]

Looking at Hawks game. Clarkson has to go! His game plan is now outdated. No plan B. Possibly lost the players. Lucky to have had the list to win four flags! Hawks should be looking for someone like Longmire

I wonder if Longmire would ever say this?

Clarko to review own role in shock loss - AFL.com.au

Clarkson: "I've got to take some responsibility, and we as a coaching group, on why we didn't have our players in the same sort of desire and hunt for the contest as the Kangaroos side. But there will be times in the next few weeks where it just evaporates from the Kangaroos system as well. It's bloody hard to maintain for 22 rounds of the season."

Not hard to answer that one in terms of public comments, but I genuinely hope there is that sort of acknowledgement from Longmire internally from time-to-time. You'd think there probably has to be, given his noted strength in man-management and the perception that we have a fairly motivated and driven playing list. But then you could say it should be easy for someone like Longmire (ie. long-term contract, clearly entrenched in his role) to voice it publicly every now-and-then like Clarkson does.

The main concern I think Longmire should have at the moment re: the 'Plan A' issue is that even when we have dominated periods of games recently, our structure/personnel haven't been able to convert it on the scoreboard. After half-time in the two SCG games this year being prime examples.

At least when Hawthorn awoke from their slumber yesterday they started to dominate on the scoreboard also.

[AnnieH]

Wow.
There are enough levels of @@@@ to choose a level that that game was played at.
I left in protest with five minutes to go (still listening to the radio). Three shots at goal and all behinds in that time. Would have won us the game had we been a little more accurate.
Truth be told, they would have crushed us by 100 points had they been more accurate.
Hope the swans play this weekend.

[wolftone57]

Not hard to answer that one in terms of public comments, but I genuinely hope there is that sort of acknowledgement from Longmire internally from time-to-time. You'd think there probably has to be, given his noted strength in man-management and the perception that we have a fairly motivated and driven playing list. But then you could say it should be easy for someone like Longmire (ie. long-term contract, clearly entrenched in his role) to voice it publicly every now-and-then like Clarkson does.

The main concern I think Longmire should have at the moment re: the 'Plan A' issue is that even when we have dominated periods of games recently, our structure/personnel haven't been able to convert it on the scoreboard. After half-time in the two SCG games this year being prime examples.

At least when Hawthorn awoke from their slumber yesterday they started to dominate on the scoreboard also.

I remember i 2011 when we were going badly that Longmire refused to take responsibility and was blaming the players. A senior group of players including Adam Goodes and Ryan O'Keefe approached Longmire about the game plan. They were adamant the game plan had to change to get the best out of the players we had at the time. They also wanted the coaches to start taking responsibility and not simply blaming the players for not instituting the game plan. This worked, the coaches admitted they got it wrong, instituted a new game plan which included slingshot and the rest is history.

Since then the strong, independent, leaders at the club have retired and been replaced by mainly more introspective follow the club line leaders. Nobody in the player leadership group seeds to question anymore even if the match day stuff is not working. The other thing is nobody seems to be questioning several other issues of concern;

1. Our lack of ability to consistently hit targets
2. Our work-rate in providing leads. This has been very poor since round one
3. Our panicky defence that just seems to kick the ball indiscriminately out of defence only to see it come back time and again.
4. The breakdown of structures due to putting on a full flood. this leads to indiscriminate kicking out of defence because there is nobody to take the kick over 50 metres. There is no structure at all just a flood
5. The lack of structure coming into the forward 50. We bomb more than any other side in the AFL. We simply put the ball on players heads and pretend they will mark. Without Reid and Sinclair forward there is @@@@ all chance of that. But even with only smalls there we just bomb. This is idiocy not a game plan.
6. Our inability to win the stoppages, clearances and contested possession.
7. Our tackle count being way down on last year.
8. Our inability to run with other sides. We don't seem to be able to keep up with them and they seem to get an overlap too easily and run the ball into the forward-line very quickly.
9. We are playing that dreadful zoning tactic again. This gives opposition sides at least 20 metres on our players and all they do is play it around until they get an overlap. We are using the extra man in defence and if a side uses the extra on the ball they cut us to pieces; IE Crows. Why not play man on man as we are just as good at that, even better than zone in fact. The zone is a totally defensive move that is easily exploited.
10. Our lack of ability to change things up on the field smacks of our players being far to regimented to a regime. This shows lack of flair. Some of the young guys have flair but are playing well below their ability due to Longmire's lack of being able to devise a game plan to fit the talent at his disposal. We are far too defensive and then when that does not work we don't have an attack except defensive attack.

In the end the talent is being totally wasted at the Swans. They might as well go somewhere their abilities will be appreciated because they aren't here. I bet Longmire, as concessional as he was in the press conference, gave Ollie a blast after the game. Ollie committed the mortal sin, he attacked when he was supposed to defend.

[Blood Fever]

I remember i 2011 when we were going badly that Longmire refused to take responsibility and was blaming the players. A senior group of players including Adam Goodes and Ryan O'Keefe approached Longmire about the game plan. They were adamant the game plan had to change to get the best out of the players we had at the time. They also wanted the coaches to start taking responsibility and not simply blaming the players for not instituting the game plan. This worked, the coaches admitted they got it wrong, instituted a new game plan which included slingshot and the rest is history.

Since then the strong, independent, leaders at the club have retired and been replaced by mainly more introspective follow the club line leaders. Nobody in the player leadership group seeds to question anymore even if the match day stuff is not working. The other thing is nobody seems to be questioning several other issues of concern;

1. Our lack of ability to consistently hit targets
2. Our work-rate in providing leads. This has been very poor since round one
3. Our panicky defence that just seems to kick the ball indiscriminately out of defence only to see it come back time and again.
4. The breakdown of structures due to putting on a full flood. this leads to indiscriminate kicking out of defence because there is nobody to take the kick over 50 metres. There is no structure at all just a flood
5. The lack of structure coming into the forward 50. We bomb more than any other side in the AFL. We simply put the ball on players heads and pretend they will mark. Without Reid and Sinclair forward there is @@@@ all chance of that. But even with only smalls there we just bomb. This is idiocy not a game plan.
6. Our inability to win the stoppages, clearances and contested possession.
7. Our tackle count being way down on last year.
8. Our inability to run with other sides. We don't seem to be able to keep up with them and they seem to get an overlap too easily and run the ball into the forward-line very quickly.
9. We are playing that dreadful zoning tactic again. This gives opposition sides at least 20 metres on our players and all they do is play it around until they get an overlap. We are using the extra man in defence and if a side uses the extra on the ball they cut us to pieces; IE Crows. Why not play man on man as we are just as good at that, even better than zone in fact. The zone is a totally defensive move that is easily exploited.
10. Our lack of ability to change things up on the field smacks of our players being far to regimented to a regime. This shows lack of flair. Some of the young guys have flair but are playing well below their ability due to Longmire's lack of being able to devise a game plan to fit the talent at his disposal. We are far too defensive and then when that does not work we don't have an attack except defensive attack.

In the end the talent is being totally wasted at the Swans. They might as well go somewhere their abilities will be appreciated because they aren't here. I bet Longmire, as concessional as he was in the press conference, gave Ollie a blast after the game. Ollie committed the mortal sin, he attacked when he was supposed to defend.

We are 3 and 2, one game off the top team. Under Longmire, we have made 3 grand finals and won one flag. All grand finals have been played on oppositions home ground or in oppositions home city. No one is perfect but his record is outstanding. Our list is good but over rated. If we played like millionaires, we would be the turnover kings. We only have a couple of elite ball users in McVeigh and Buddy. Amazing that coach has got us where he has for the past 7 years through pressure game.