#AFLFinals 2ndEF Swans vs Giants, SCG, Sat 8 Sep 4:20pm @sydneyswans #AFLSwansGiants

[Faunac8]

Yeah well that WOULD be good. Why the hell do Swans players have such appalling kicking skills?? Isn’t kicking the ball THE most elementary skill to be an AFL player??? Bewilders me.

I agree Meg I can’t understand how players get drafted and get paid 200 k plus pa without being able to hit a team mate 20- 30 metres away with a kick. Obviously no realistic comparison in regard to pressure but I have seen plenty of country footy players who can put it on the chest off one step. Do we coach that instinctive skill set out of players when they get to the top level by focusing on “thinking” decision making.

[0918330512]

In retrospect I think the trades for Tippett and Franklin have been a major recruiting mistake. Tippett was a flop and unfortunately we are too predictable and one dimensional with Franklin. I think we would be a better side with Mitchell rather than Franklin. We simply lost too much middle ranking depth to have Tippett and Franklin.

Seriously, I think people forget the sequence of events - or simply have no idea

1) we recruited the only power forward available (we hadn’t had a genuine power forward for 3 years)

2) the best forward in modern times wants to join us. We can make it happen. Seriously, in what alternate universe would we not do it?!

On paper Tippett at full forward (and at the time he was reasonably agile for a 200cm player, who made a contest), Buddy roaming around CHF & bombing them from 60m. Looked good. Opposition clubs couldn’t double team either player. And that doesn’t even take into consideration Pyke becoming a genuine number 1 ruckman who in 2013 was a genuine forward option - second in the league for contested marks and 4th in our goal kicking.

So Buddy’s arrival in 2014 looked very promising indeed. Didn’t hear a lot of complaining up until 27 Sept 2014. On paper a forwardline boasting Buddy, Tippett, Reid. And Pyke in the ruck. Which supporter from any club would turn that down at the start of the year?

The AFL onbviously thought it looked ok and rewarded us with a trade ban for a couple of years.

Now on to your Mitchell tirade.

If we hadn’t signed JPK, Parker and Hanners when we did (prior to Mitchell’s departure) RWO would have gone into meltdown. They were all in their prime and we were all relieved when they put pen to paper. We then drafted a couple of promising kids (Heeney & Mills - and Mills cost us when the AFL introduced a points system to punish us for spending $1M/yr developing kids in our academy). Now we have the somewhat unfortunate situation of securing JPK, Parker and Hanners long-term when they are at their best and having to keep enough coin to secure 2 very promising youngsters (Heeney & Mills) right when Mitchell is coming out of contract when he finally is finding good form (& was essentially over paid for the entire start of his career).

Your 20:20 hindsight is superbly retrospectively prophetic. But realistically, the club made the best decisions about the present and the future that it could at the time.

Sure a Premiership is the ultimate goal, but each year almost 95% of teams fail, if your only measure of success is a Premiership. Since Tippett’s arrival (and everything that has subsequently teanspired with list management) we have played in 2 Grand Finals (almost 90% of clubs fail to do that every year) and we’ve played Finals every year (if you make the 8, you’re a chance, just ask the Dogs).

Time for you to get over it. You’ll probably eventually feel better for it.

[Matty10]

The easiest improvements we could make in the summer would be to learn to handball lower and faster and kick to a player on the lead, not dump it on his head.... all season we have sold players into trouble with dumb loopy handballs and kicks with way too much air under them. We play so often in a way that leaves the reciever under huge amounts of pressure.

An inability to kick or handball to a teammate's advantage has been a consistent trait for the majority of the playing group for most of the year. We are frequently half a metre behind when handballing or three to five metres the wrong side when kicking. Our ball movement sucks.

We overused the ball today in terms of handballs and dinky kicks. Wet weather adjustments just didn't seem to enter the consciousness of our players.

[Foreign Legion]

Seriously, I think people forget the sequence of events - or simply have no idea

1) we recruited the only power forward available (we hadn’t had a genuine power forward for 3 years)

2) the best forward in modern times wants to join us. We can make it happen. Seriously, in what alternate universe would we not do it?!

On paper Tippett at full forward (and at the time he was reasonably agile for a 200cm player, who made a contest), Buddy roaming around CHF & bombing them from 60m. Looked good. Opposition clubs couldn’t double team either player. And that doesn’t even take into consideration Pyke becoming a genuine number 1 ruckman who in 2013 was a genuine forward option - second in the league for contested marks and 4th in our goal kicking.

So Buddy’s arrival in 2014 looked very promising indeed. Didn’t hear a lot of complaining up until 27 Sept 2014. On paper a forwardline boasting Buddy, Tippett, Reid. And Pyke in the ruck. Which supporter from any club would turn that down at the start of the year?

The AFL onbviously thought it looked ok and rewarded us with a trade ban for a couple of years.

Now on to your Mitchell tirade.

If we hadn’t signed JPK, Parker and Hanners when we did (prior to Mitchell’s departure) RWO would have gone into meltdown. They were all in their prime and we were all relieved when they put pen to paper. We then drafted a couple of promising kids (Heeney & Mills - and Mills cost us when the AFL introduced a points system to punish us for spending $1M/yr developing kids in our academy). Now we have the somewhat unfortunate situation of securing JPK, Parker and Hanners long-term when they are at their best and having to keep enough coin to secure 2 very promising youngsters (Heeney & Mills) right when Mitchell is coming out of contract when he finally is finding good form (& was essentially over paid for the entire start of his career).

Your 20:20 hindsight is superbly retrospectively prophetic. But realistically, the club made the best decisions about the present and the future that it could at the time.

Sure a Premiership is the ultimate goal, but each year almost 95% of teams fail, if your only measure of success is a Premiership. Since Tippett’s arrival (and everything that has subsequently teanspired with list management) we have played in 2 Grand Finals (almost 90% of clubs fail to do that every year) and we’ve played Finals every year (if you make the 8, you’re a chance, just ask the Dogs).

Time for you to get over it. You’ll probably eventually feel better for it.

Much more eloquently put than myself in a post game rage. Good post.

[Agent 86]

So, between Papley’s goal in 2nd quarter & Parker’s in the last, GWS had 22 scoring opportunities, whilst we managed 2 behinds.

This is not a team on the rise. Our younger players just don’t look like they can step up & our a number of senior players are almost over the hill.

We have always made up for our skill shortage with being hard at the contest. Today we were soundly beaten on both counts & were embarrassing. It really should have been a 100 point loss. Today we were Carlton-esque.

Not a lot to look forward to.

[sprite]

Great forward coaching stevie Johnson. What a coach you are!!!


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That goes for the mids coach too!!!

[goswannies]

Several people at the ground were saying they would now support Melbourne... Looks like they're the official Swans second team this final's series...

Personally I'm a 'no Swans' ' no AFL' fan. I used to follow the rest of the competition,( I like Geelong and Freo) but I've given up this year after some appalling displays of umpiring and some appalling AFL house decisions regarding the Swans. I'm just sick of the Melbourne-centric AFL...

I no longer care about AFL season 2018, but I’ll be watching the NEAFL with genuine interest for a little while yet!

[Blood Fever]

Not a great result, but I’m probably more embarrassed by the spelling on here at times

I'm more embarrassed by those who can't wait to stick the boot in. Usually they end up with egg on their face after we manage to win. We were poor today but GWS were outstanding and will take some stopping now they've got quite a few back. Buddy not fit and young players totally outmuscled.

[Meg]

Aliir was a bright note in a miserable performance. Quite a turnaround from his previous match.

[Melbourne_Blood]

The easiest improvements we could make in the summer would be to learn to handball lower and faster and kick to a player on the lead, not dump it on his head.... all season we have sold players into trouble with dumb loopy handballs and kicks with way too much air under them. We play so often in a way that leaves the reciever under huge amounts of pressure.

Agree 100%. The only game we seemed to not do this was against the Dees. We kicked short passes along the wing with a little flight under them that allowed a hard leading player to run full steam into. This also allowed for overlap hand ball opportunities.


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[Hotpotato]

It all seemed so unSwans like, second to the ball, kickittothem, it was actually very poor value for money with the bun fight v Ticketek to be there and shout my daughter as well.
A terrible contest ! Giants so classy (except Green)
SYDNEY didn’t give a yelp, no fight back
It felt like a rip-off , however there were good wins to savour during the year against Melbourne (could go all the way), against Pies, North, West Coast twice, Hawks (round 8), Cats, Crows and Giants twice.
I found it a baffling performance by the Swans tbh. They were simply terrible.
It was a final, they should have been much better than that.

[Blood Fever]

No, recruiting was flawed because we didnt win the flag since recruiting Tippett and Buddy, we went for it all and it didnt work.

As for Mitchell, the players player of the year wouldn't improve the Swans even if he is slow? Your kidding!

Buddy is the best player in the game but he makes our side so predictable that if he doesn't fire we don't win, it's still a team game which means you need more than just Buddy. The fact that Clarkson was able to win without him says every thing.

He is great to watch, great theater, great for attendances, and will win a number of matches off his own boot. But when you have no other class around him its not enough to win a premiership.

Going for Tippett and then Buddy has ruined our salary cap and caused us to lose too much mid tier strength. In the end the 10 year offer was a step too far, we of course, should have made an offer if the Hawks matched it so be bit. I think we could have got him for less since he wanted to be with his Mrs.

So getting Buddy was a mistake?

[0918330512]

I'm more embarrassed by those who can't wait to stick the boot in. Usually they end up with egg on their face after we manage to win. We were poor today but GWS were outstanding and will take some stopping now they've got quite a few back. Buddy not fit and young players totally outmuscled.

They might be “fans” of the Swans, but it’s questionable whether the are actually “supporters”. They don’t sound particularly supportive

[mcs]

They might be “fans” of the Swans, but it’s questionable whether the are actually “supporters”. They don’t sound particularly supportive

My facebook feed is full of the 'true supporter' crap.... dont want to see the same garbage argumentsoon here.

Frankly imho i think any criticism after that is deserved. It truly was pretty horrendous stuff today in a big game.

[Agent 86]

Yes. Doesn't matter who's in you forward line when you can only manage 30 inside 50s in 2 hours.