2019 NEAFL discussion thread

[rb4x]

Naismith a late out

[ugg]

Surprised to see Amartey lining up in defence with Melican and Pink also playing down back.

[ugg]

Thurlow playing further up the field today.

[MattW]

If Barling and Ryall are both in we must have another out!

I was surprised that Fox was selected, given he was still suffering concussion symptoms on Monday. Perhaps it's him.

[S.S. Bleeder]

Beautiful play by Foot then. A long run straight down the guts and a kick to the advantage of Ellem.

[ugg]

Quite messy from both sides which is not surprising given how many topups are playing today.

[dejavoodoo44]

Quite a scrappy quarter, as you'd probably expect, with both sides having lineups hit by injuries. Highlight of the quarter was Foot bouncing through half back to centre and then hitting up Ellem; who consequently marked and goaled, from about 45 out. Bell possibly our best. Our defence with Melican, Pink and Amartey, looking secure. McInerney and Thurlow getting plenty of it, with Thurlow largely playing in the centre.

[ugg]

Thurlow tagging Nick Shipley now

[troyjones2525]

Hope it's not another injury to Naismith and actually just some soreness, which is to be suspected after playing your first game in 2 years! Unusual to pull out with soreness in a warm up though...

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[dejavoodoo44]

Another quite scrappy quarter. I thought for that term, Amartey was our best, especially when he was playing more as a mid. Since the Giants ruckman went off injured, Knoll has become dominant in the hitouts. Which should compensate for our lack of mature bodied mids. Melican also is pretty dominant at this level, when the ball comes into his area.
Of the academy players, Campbell is again showing his promise, and Thorne has been his usual busy self. Brewer, Parks and Ellem have all done some good things. Although we didn't get to see Ellem's second goal, because of a BarTV glitch.

[dejavoodoo44]

Giants looked like blowing the score out early in that quarter, then we did fairly well to peg them back, until they got a goal on the siren. Umpiring starting to irritate me. 15-8 free kick count in favour of the Giants. While we're topping the tackle count 70-55, but can't seem to get a holding the ball decision.

[dejavoodoo44]

A bit of a disappointing result, but probably reflects our lack of mature bodied inside mids. Or even a lack of inside mids. Possibly our only genuine inside midfielder was young Sam Thorne. All the others spending time in close today, were either outside mids or small forwards. The umpiring was also disappointing. 19-10 free kick count in favour of the Giants, with one very mystifying, momentum killing fifty paid in the final quarter. Melican took an unopposed mark, about five metres away from any other player, and immediately kicked the ball into our attacking fifty. Somehow the umpire decided that there was both a free and a fifty??. The Giants player duly strolled down the field and goaled.

On the positive side, Amartey was probably our best. 158 dream team points, playing defence, attack and ruck. Though possibly a few too many of his possessions, were handballs to team mates who weren't in better position. Something similar could be said of Bell, played well, plenty of possessions, but could of used it a bit better. Wicks had a good second half, McInerney had a good first half. Of the toppies, Barling and Ellem did well, to kick 7.0 between them. In Barling's fourth goal, there was a notable assist from Ellem, who chased Giants speedster Brown down the wing and won a holding the ball decision. Of the others, Thorne and Campbell, both further confirmed my opinions of them, respectively, as someone who could sneak on to the list this season and someone who should be taken as a fairly high pick, next season. Many of the others did some good things.

[liz]

If last week's game was one of the Swans' better efforts for the season (and one where the final scoreboard maybe didn't quite reflect how long they kept up with the powerful Lions team), today's must be one of their flabbiest. I reckon the scoreboard flattered the Swans. Stats might say that possession counts and tackles were relatively even, but I reckon you could count on your fingers (and have some toes left over) how many kicks went to team mates. And tackles seemed to consist of waiting for a Giant to gather the ball and then pounce on him, rather than the genuine, and sustained, pressure the Giants were able to apply.

Amartey was the only listed player I thought had a good game. Bell started well but didn't continue at the same pace. McInerney seemed to be trying hard at times, but it was far from his most effective game for the year. Melican and Pink were just OK in defence, Thurlow disappointing - again - for an experienced player. I saw Foot do one great thing but he was largely invisible for the rest of the game. Wicks was one of the better chasers and tacklers but didn't have much influence on the game. Hirst buzzed around a lot but I don't recall him actually doing anything useful, while Knoll was ineffectual at giving his midfield first use of the ball (though a lack of quality midfielders didn't help his cause).

It's unfair to lay the blame for the loss on the toppies, and Barling did all that could be asked of him, while Campbell also showed a few flashes of his ability. But the Giants toppies were a classier group and their whole team was far more cohesive than ours. Nick Murray was particularly impressive for a toppie, while Delahunty and others made good contributions too.

Shipley was BOG by so far it isn't funny. I believe he has a contract at the Giants for 2020, but I reckon the Swans should make enquiries about whether he fancies a move east. Even with the senior team depleted, he's still not getting a senior game at the Giants, and seemingly has Bonar (though he might depart the Giants) and Caldwell ahead of him in the queue, plus the Giants will almost certainly pick up Tom Green for next season. I doubt he has it in him to be a top liner at AFL level, but he knows how to win his own ball, and tackles cleanly and with intent. And he's as good on the spread as he is in close. If he were on our list now, I reckon he'd likely be playing in this afternoon's game.

I know no-one has yet crossed from the Giants to the Swans (unless you count Steve Johnson) but he'd be a good candidate to be the first player to do so, given he's a local Sydney boy so doesn't have the lure of "going home" to another club.

[ugg]

Not sure if you could count Shaun Edwards as a former Giant who played for us but went via Essendon.

[rojo]

I thought it was a disappointing game too. The Swans were outplayed all over the ground. Whether in back line or forward line the Giants were so often first to the ball. When it was a two on two situation the Swans players were so often outbodied or behind. The usual hand balling to no one and kicks to disadvantage, coralling instead of tackling ....... Amarty stood out but he is a bit like Rose in that he is let down by a couple of weaknesses in his game. Campbell looks to have a touch of class along with endeavour and confidence. I liked the way he went back and took a shot at goal from a distance out even though it hit the post. You could say that he should have looked to pass or put it to the top of goal, but the Giants' backs were generally clearing the ball with ease in those situations.

It must have been so difficult however with players being switched around the ground, forward line and backline personnel changing all the time.. Challenging enough for experienced players to know where or what each other were doing. Having players like Rose and Fox and Clarke in would have made a big difference.