Changes Round 21 Demons v Swans

[Steve]

I really don't understand the team selection, assuming that's the final team and there's no late changes.

2 weeks ago Longmire uses the excuse that our young players are cooked but we had to keep playing them due to lack of alternatives, yet we have Rohan, Towers and Robinson as emergencies. And Cameron who could replace McCartin and offer some relief to Sinclair (and/or allow Sinclair to spend more time forward).

Last week he concedes that we need other avenues to goal, but the only change is Hannebery for Robinson.

Hayward and McCartin are clearly struggling to even get near it in recent weeks, and while Florent's numbers are down but not terrible, he's a shadow of the player from the middle of the year.

I feel for Dan Robinson - he's a steady contributor at best, but we refuse a trade at the end of last year, yet then this year play him 5 separate times only to drop him the following week, only giving him consecutive games once. We are 5-1 in those games he's played BTW.

Towers and Rohan are just as likely to disappoint as they are to make a strong contribution - but when young players are struggling at the back end of a season, that's the time to go with some more experience. At the moment we're getting 5-6 possession games from players which is not sustainable against good opponents.

It's the easy option to leave these younger guys in - if we lose we can say "oh, we can't expect them to always be consistent" and "at least they'll be better for the experience" etc etc. But for the team best equipped to beat Melbourne this Sunday, I can't see that we've picked our best available side.

[Markwebbos]

No one knows why Dean Towers can't get a game anymore. Maybe they took a decision mid-year not to offer him another contract and now won't play him again to prove themselves right. Rohan was dropped before getting injured (in the NEAFL), but might have offered more than a worn out second year player.

I get your point re: kids. Since saying the kids were worn out Horse has brought the experience of Macca, Hanners, Jack and AJ at the expense of Jones, Fox, O'Riordan and Grundy.

Re: avenues to goal, this might be structurally as much as personnel wise. Bringing in Hanners, Jack etc may let him play Ronke, Paps, Heeney etc forward more.

There could also be a late out. Who traveled with the team to Melbourne?

[Faunac8]

No one knows why Dean Towers can't get a game anymore. Maybe they took a decision mid-year not to offer him another contract and now won't play him again to prove themselves right. Rohan was dropped before getting injured (in the NEAFL), but might have offered more than a worn out second year player.
I get your point re: kids. Since saying the kids were worn out Horse has brought the experience of Macca, Hanners, Jack and AJ at the expense of Jones, Fox, O'Riordan and Grundy.

Re: avenues to goal, this might be structurally as much as personnel wise. Bringing in Hanners, Jack etc may let him play Ronke, Paps, Heeney etc forward more.

There could also be a late out. Who traveled with the team to Melbourne?

After all the grief that Dean’s presence caused posters on this site over the last few years it is great to see people starting to appreciate him now. I always had him in the team but never above position 18 so a great role player but never a star. If he moves on will automatically become one of my non swan favourites. He appears to be a player who has got the very best out of himself at the highest level available to him unfortunately that level wasn’t AFL

[Steve]

To stick with these younger players who are clearly struggling, they are making a distinct decision that as a selection group they are accountable for.

They might be saying that they are backing these guys to make a contribution on Sunday - I’m not optimistic about that given the recent trend, but we will wait and assess then.

Alternatively they’re saying they will stick with these players with a view to the future, regardless of whether there are slightly better options right now.

But either way there can’t be any excuses because they have options and have chosen this path.

[S.S. Bleeder]

I really don't understand the team selection, assuming that's the final team and there's no late changes.

2 weeks ago Longmire uses the excuse that our young players are cooked but we had to keep playing them due to lack of alternatives, yet we have Rohan, Towers and Robinson as emergencies. And Cameron who could replace McCartin and offer some relief to Sinclair (and/or allow Sinclair to spend more time forward).

Last week he concedes that we need other avenues to goal, but the only change is Hannebery for Robinson.

Hayward and McCartin are clearly struggling to even get near it in recent weeks, and while Florent's numbers are down but not terrible, he's a shadow of the player from the middle of the year.

I feel for Dan Robinson - he's a steady contributor at best, but we refuse a trade at the end of last year, yet then this year play him 5 separate times only to drop him the following week, only giving him consecutive games once. We are 5-1 in those games he's played BTW.

Towers and Rohan are just as likely to disappoint as they are to make a strong contribution - but when young players are struggling at the back end of a season, that's the time to go with some more experience. At the moment we're getting 5-6 possession games from players which is not sustainable against good opponents.

It's the easy option to leave these younger guys in - if we lose we can say "oh, we can't expect them to always be consistent" and "at least they'll be better for the experience" etc etc. But for the team best equipped to beat Melbourne this Sunday, I can't see that we've picked our best available side.

Maybe Horse acknowledges that this season is shot and he's putting a few games under the belts of our youngsters? At least I hope that's his intentions.

[Hotpotato]

If the Swans were a horse (not just trained by a horse) the comments section would read:

Inquiry into performance (against the Suns) pulled up lame, looks safely held, lacks turn of foot.

[ugg]

Towers is the traveling emergency

Cameron, Robinson and Rohan to play NEAFL.

[MattW]

Just to put the game in context a little bit, I just did the ladder predictor in the AFL site.

If I gave us 3/3 (v Melbourne, GWS, Hawthorn) we finished 4th.
If I gave us 2/3 we finished 7th or 8th.
If I gave us 1/3 we finished 9th or 10th.

For what it's worth I think we'll go WLW (which would be 7th on my predictor).

[barry]

Just to put the game in context a little bit, I just did the ladder predictor in the AFL site.

If I gave us 3/3 (v Melbourne, GWS, Hawthorn) we finished 4th.
If I gave us 2/3 we finished 7th or 8th.
If I gave us 1/3 we finished 9th or 10th.

For what it's worth I think we'll go WLW (which would be 7th on my predictor).

I was thinking this way to. Can't see us bring GWS, so we must win against Melbourne to make finals.

[Markwebbos]

GWS is the game I feel most confident about. With one “freak” exception, We always lose to Hawthorn. Really would hate to be relying on beating them to make the 8.

[707]

GWS is the game I feel most confident about. With one “freak” exception, We always lose to Hawthorn. Really would hate to be relying on beating them to make the 8.

Be nice to beat the Hawks and tipping them out of the finals. Great pain or great reward!

[dejavoodoo44]

Be nice to beat the Hawks and tipping them out of the finals. Great pain or great reward!

With Dane Rampe best on ground.

[Ludwig]

It's quite possible to win 2 out of 3 and still finish ninth. This game is a must win for us to play finals. I think GWS are the 2nd best side, so if we lose in a close game to them I would think we were still a shot at playing the GF, otherwise we will just be making up the numbers.

This week we have close to our best side for the rest of the season. Jones should come back next week and we can shuffle a few positions without making much of a difference. So this game should be a fair indication of where we are at. I'm not surprised that none of the 'experts' expect us to win.

[Industrial Fan]

Gws seem to have injuries mounting again. If they play well they’ll thrash us but as it is the game could go either way imo

[chammond]

That’s true for most of the top 10 or 11. Win 2 out of 3 or risk missing the finals