#AFL Round 17 Swans v Blues Sat 13-Jul at SCG #AFLSwansBlues @sydneyswans

[Agent 86]

So that's our future. Our great young list. Carlton's young players are better than ours.

Carlton’s list is better than most teams in the AFL, so no surprises there.

One side loaded with high draft picks vs our rag-tag mob of 3rd & 4th rounders. They simply have more class than us. It’s a crime they’ve been so poor for so long.

H(w)ayward is worth sticking with - but has been mostly awful since returning. He’ll turn around.

I thought Heeney was okay today, particularly later in the game - just not enough support.

I used to think Ollie was soft - but he’s been okay this year, imho, but overall today we got smashed in the middle. Kennedy is on the slide & Parker, who’s been the main reason our season looked a bit brighter for a while there, was beaten today.

Agree it’s time to give up on Ronke, KJ should retire. No room for passengers.

A major concern is that we’ve been leaking goals from stoppages / and can’t score from them. This used to be our strength, but now it’s a yawning weakness.

As for promoting “some young players who want to make a name for themselves”, we are already the youngest team running around this year. They’re gonna have some poor weeks. The clean out is coming, but we also have to watch out for our better kids getting lured back to Victoria.

[Matty10]

This would have to rank right up with there as one of our worst losses in the last decade.

Why?

We got beaten. It happens. We have some big structural issues at the moment and we are putting out a very young team. Carlton have been playing some very good football recently and I didn't see this as a huge shock. Our loss to them in 2017 was far worse. I am not sure that today's loss would even be in the top half of the worst losses in the last decade.

[Markwebbos]

I went Into this game thinking it’s a real danger game. They just got Cripps and McKay back. We have no Buddy, no ruck which weakens our Fwd line and defence.

They are playing for a new coach with everything to prove. And they’ve handed their first draft pick to Adelaide.

[Markwebbos]

The real reason we lost. No injuries.

Didn’t we keep winning when down one or more players on the bench?

[stevoswan]

I went Into this game thinking it’s a real danger game. They just got Cripps and McKay back. We have no Buddy, no ruck which weakens our Fwd line and defence.

They are playing for a new coach with everything to prove. And they’ve handed their first draft pick to Adelaide.

Yep, I looked at their in's and got nervous....and the bad vibes continued to match start. From there, it only got worse.....

[waswan]

Clarke should have tagged Walsh, stupidity
Ronke is totally lost
Everyone needs to kick straight, cost us 2 games and a season now

Someone has said it but go back a month, Clarke tagging, Hewett getting his own ball and Melican on the tall to release Ramps
To not roll the dice with a Neafl ruck againsy those tall forwards and Kruezer was silly, ok against Essendon but not playing into Carltons only chance

[Markwebbos]

I can only assume the dropping of Clarke has been done with an eye to the future and to getting game time into Rowbottom?

Our change in fortune also corresponds with the loss of Sinkers in the ruck, the loss of Aliir as sweeper in defence etc.

I think it’s totally screwed our structure. And exposed our complete lack of depth in the tall player department.

[Faunac8]

Why?

We got beaten. It happens. We have some big structural issues at the moment and we are putting out a very young team. Carlton have been playing some very good football recently and I didn't see this as a huge shock. Our loss to them in 2017 was far worse. I am not sure that today's loss would even be in the top half of the worst losses in the last decade.

Admittedly it does happen that we lose games to better teams but the skill level and general quality of today’s performance was well below what we usually deliver and even given the “ youth “ of our playing list it was poor. If you don’t think it was worth mention as one of our poorest and more disappointing efforts recently then I feel your expectations are well below the level of mine. That’s fine and we can agree to disagree but it was definitely a below par performance.

[rojo]

I can only assume the dropping of Clarke has been done with an eye to the future and to getting game time into Rowbottom?

Our change in fortune also corresponds with the loss of Sinkers in the ruck, the loss of Aliir as sweeper in defence etc.

I think it’s totally screwed our structure. And exposed our complete lack of depth in the tall player department.

+1

[Mel_C]

I can't believe how bad Hayward's goal kicking is. He used to be our most reliable set shot.

I wonder how much goal kicking practice we actually do. I remember hearing earlier this year about some other clubs that the sports scientists restrict how much goal kicking players can do at training.

[Nico]

I can't believe how bad Hayward's goal kicking is. He used to be our most reliable set shot.

I wonder how much goal kicking practice we actually do. I remember hearing earlier this year about some other clubs that the sports scientists restrict how much goal kicking players can do at training.

Hayward is playing like someone who thinks he can't be dropped; no desperation. The club over rates him. His average stats for someone who gets a game every week are appalling and his forward pressure is non existent. He offers us nothing. He has taken over Gary Rohan's mantle.

[Markwebbos]

I can't believe how bad Hayward's goal kicking is. He used to be our most reliable set shot.

I wonder how much goal kicking practice we actually do. I remember hearing earlier this year about some other clubs that the sports scientists restrict how much goal kicking players can do at training.

They had a goal kicking “expert” on the Trends podcast earlier this year and he said goal kicking, particularly set shot kicking, is more than 50% in the mind. It’s not about technique.

It wasn’t that long ago that Lewis Jetta, a beautiful kick, recorded 19 behinds before his first goal.

- - - Updated - - -

Hayward is playing like someone who thinks he can't be dropped; no desperation. The club over rates him. His average stats for someone who gets a game every week are appalling and his forward pressure is non existent. He offers us nothing. He has taken over Gary Rohan's mantle.

He lacks confidence. I also wonder how much getting his jaw smashed in a collision earlier this year has affected him?

[111431]

They had a goal kicking “expert” on the Trends podcast earlier this year and he said goal kicking, particularly set shot kicking, is more than 50% in the mind. It’s not about technique.

It wasn’t that long ago that Lewis Jetta, a beautiful kick, recorded 19 behinds before his first goal.

- - - Updated - - -



He lacks confidence. I also wonder how much getting his jaw smashed in a collision earlier this year has affected him?

If that is his issue he shouldn’t be playing

[AB Swannie]

A couple of weeks ago we had won three in a row including a smashing of the reigning premiers. Now we’ve lost two by a combined 17 points without our superstar forward and with no ruck and everyone jumps off. I agree that it is disappointing but we need to put everything into context. We are a rebuilding team who are going to have ups and downs.

The main positives have to include our young guys. Rowbottom. Blakey, McCartin are all making mistakes but are showing some exciting traits as well.

Ronke is my worry. He is the small forward we needed and his form slump has been season-long.

Hayward has the yips but it won’t last.

We’ll end up with more good young guys with our draft picks but still have confidence in our list that we won’t be bottom fodder for years.

[Ralph Dawg]

A couple of weeks ago we had won three in a row including a smashing of the reigning premiers. Now we’ve lost two by a combined 17 points without our superstar forward and with no ruck and everyone jumps off. I agree that it is disappointing but we need to put everything into context. We are a rebuilding team who are going to have ups and downs.

The main positives have to include our young guys. Rowbottom. Blakey, McCartin are all making mistakes but are showing some exciting traits as well.

Ronke is my worry. He is the small forward we needed and his form slump has been season-long.

Hayward has the yips but it won’t last.

We’ll end up with more good young guys with our draft picks but still have confidence in our list that we won’t be bottom fodder for years.

+1