Round 7 Vs Gold Coast Sun

[Ralph Dawg]

Maybe you've solved the problem right there. Once their successors in attack and defence are groomed, maybe they'll move into the midfield and be our superstars? Although can't see them ever reaching levels of Dusty/Nat/Bont etc.

Not every team has a superstar, not even every flag winner. We didn't (in '05 or '12). Debatable even whether the Hawks did. Mitchell comes close. Lewis was not. Hodge, for mine, was a more of a super captain and just a very good player. (I'd put Parker on the same level as a player.) Rioli no better than Papley.

I think our list can be good enough. We've had a superstar the past seven seasons and it didn't net us a flag. Some even say our superstar cost us success.

05 we had Goodes - I think most would agree he is a superstar! Supported by ROK, Bolton and Kirk.
12 we had JPK, Hanners, McVeigh and Jack in their primes, Bolton still playing well and Parker as our sub.
I struggle to see our current younger midfielders reaching the heights of the above mentioned. They look to be more up to the standard of guys like Fosdike, Luke Ablett, Bird and Bevan.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Has any Swan ever won a Skilton and a Coleman in the same year?

Loved Tom's leap over Hayward, much more successful than his attempt over Cripps last year


paply piggy back.jpg

[Blood Fever]

Maybe you've solved the problem right there. Once their successors in attack and defence are groomed, maybe they'll move into the midfield and be our superstars? Although can't see them ever reaching levels of Dusty/Nat/Bont etc.

Not every team has a superstar, not even every flag winner. We didn't (in '05 or '12). Debatable even whether the Hawks did. Mitchell comes close. Lewis was not. Hodge, for mine, was a more of a super captain and just a very good player. (I'd put Parker on the same level as a player.) Rioli no better than Papley.

I think our list can be good enough. We've had a superstar the past seven seasons and it didn't net us a flag. Some even say our superstar cost us success.

Barry Hall from 2003- 2006 was in the top 5 players in the comp.

[Kafka's Ghost]

Maybe you've solved the problem right there. Once their successors in attack and defence are groomed, maybe they'll move into the midfield and be our superstars? Although can't see them ever reaching levels of Dusty/Nat/Bont etc.

Not every team has a superstar, not even every flag winner. We didn't (in '05 or '12). Debatable even whether the Hawks did. Mitchell comes close. Lewis was not. Hodge, for mine, was a more of a super captain and just a very good player. (I'd put Parker on the same level as a player.) Rioli no better than Papley.

I think our list can be good enough. We've had a superstar the past seven seasons and it didn't net us a flag. Some even say our superstar cost us success.

You don’t consider a dual Brownlow Medallist and club games record holder a superstar? Or a forward who kicked 80 goals in a season? Or another forward who was one of the most skilled players ever to don the guernsey and was our first player to grace the field over 300 times? We had our superstars in 05, and in 2012, but the media has barely recognised that fact. Teddy and Reg were at least the equal of the much vaunted Grimes and Rance, and Nick Smith was nigh on unbeatable.

[Mel_C]

Has he had it for the past 6 weeks ? And if he has, sort it out in the practice games. He’s contributed nothing since round 1. All at sea. Mercifully , they need to drop him.


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I think it was the Bulldogs game when I first saw his elbow being strapped. He really is struggling especially with his run up when having a shot at goal.

And the lack of talking when the ball went forward as 4 or 5 Swans flew for a mark with no one over the back. It is pretty basic stuff that not many contested pack marks are taken so why is there no one front and back at a marking contest.

I agree time and time again there were too many players jumping for the mark. It brought their opponents to the pack for the easy spoil.

[bloodspirit]

I retract my comment about the '05 team, not '12. I was too hasty based on the notion we were a working class 'Cortina' team and didn't have the likes of Judd, Cousins and Kerr.

Anyway, my broader point remains, you don't have to have certified 'superstars' to win a premiership. And, besides, lots of players get reevaluated after they've won a premiership. I have faith in our list and in players like Rowbottom and Florent stepping up to help take us forward. They can be the cogs in a champion team even if never win Brownlows.

[KTigers]

I retract my comment about the '05 team, not '12. I was too hasty based on the notion we were a working class 'Cortina' team and didn't have the likes of Judd, Cousins and Kerr.

Anyway, my broader point remains, you don't have to have certified 'superstars' to win a premiership. And, besides, lots of players get reevaluated after they've won a premiership. I have faith in our list and in players like Rowbottom and Florent stepping up to help take us forward. They can be the cogs in a champion team even if never win Brownlows.

I guess I wouldn't think either the 05 or 12 teams were "Cortinas" or "Maserati's". But you don't win that many games over the course of a
season unless you're at least a fully kitted out "Lexus". I've said this before but I think the gap between the so-called superstars and the
next rung of very very good players has narrowed a lot over the past ten or fifteen years, so the superstar factor is less important these days.

[bloodspirit]

I just got around to watching the post-matches interviews with the coaches. I took a couple of things from what Stuey Dew said:

1. The tactic of playing directly against the Suns was anticipated because oppositions have used it with success against the Suns recently. So the fact that we employed that strategy might say more about the opposition than our game plan going forward. But clearly we can see that our coaches do significantly modify our game plan according to the opposition and the personnel available. You need look no further than the different strategies employed between this week v Suns and last week v Tigers.

2. Stuey Dew thinks our future is bright. He noted that for a change his size was the older and more experienced team and the challenges we are facing with injured players. He may or may not be biased but he is certainly well placed to comment.

[Markwebbos]

I just got around to watching the post-matches interviews with the coaches. I took a couple of things from what Stuey Dew said:

1. The tactic of playing directly against the Suns was anticipated because oppositions have used it with success against the Suns recently. So the fact that we employed that strategy might say more about the opposition than our game plan going forward. But clearly we can see that our coaches do significantly modify our game plan according to the opposition and the personnel available. You need look no further than the different strategies employed between this week v Suns and last week v Tigers.

2. Stuey Dew thinks our future is bright. He noted that for a change his size was the older and more experienced team and the challenges we are facing with injured players. He may or may not be biased but he is certainly well placed to comment.

Interesting post. Thanks bloodspirit

[rojo]

In the Swans post-match interview Horse said that the next generation mids have to pick up the slack, or something like that. It made me wonder who he was talking about! Hewett always gives his best, of Heeney and Mills who would fit the bill, Heeney of course is not going to be available and Mills plays predominantly in the back line, which leaves Florent and Clarke. Rowbottom hasn't got much experience yet at this level and Stephens, McInerney and Warner have even less. Of course there is Papley, L. Taylor and Gray but the latter two haven't been playing anyway. When the opposition have to look at which of our mids they have to shut down, Parker and Hewett are now 'it', with no JPK and Heeney to worry about. Maybe that is why Florent has faded out of the action somewhat lately. I think Horse is asking too much. When you add in our rucking woes plus the chopping and changing around of our players positionally each week and within each game, all in all I think that as a team they are actually doing an amazing job!

[Auntie.Gerald]

for me when you get offensive defence right you are a bloody hard team to beat........when you can shift between high pressure and low pressure defence with razor like reactions you are a team that makes life so difficult for an opposition and an opposition coach.

equally we have seen from the Hawks over the years ......... time your direct play when needed......dont force the kick long and fight if not needed........use your uncontested footy in a game when needed

I have absolutely loved coaching local and rep sport for 28 years now and when you have a team that sets up in shape and intensity in defence it just causes mistakes for the oppositions....they fold.........and you capitalise if you know how to transition and score

For me I havent seen the set up in offensive defence and i sure havent seen the hunt.....the will to anticipate and minimise the oppositions time with the ball

The will and or the capacity and or tenacity is not there yet vs our opposition........there is a 22 of hunters that are turning up.......in fact we are facing a team of 22 most weeks that like hunting more then we do !!!!

That said..... if you dont have targets up front it certainly allows the opposition to play a more offensive defence which is a major problem also right now

my concern right now is that I am not seeing a game plan of set up that looks better then our opposition

I thought the Suns set up much better then us and thought through our kicking areas and then rebounded with force..........i saw way to may kicks to the suns waiting to rebound

[Ludwig]

There's no way the Swans can develop a game plan this season, with so many key players injured. Losing Naismith was probably the biggest loss in this regard, since now we either have to recruit a new ruckman or develop Knoll and Amartey. In either case, our game plan will involve a new stoppage setup, in all likelihood one where we know that we will not get 1st touch on the ball. It can be done successfully, but has to be planned for.

With reduced training schedules, going man on man is easier for a young side than trying to coordinate with teammates who you haven't practiced with that much. But we can see the long term plan Horse has in mind, which is the one that's been building over several years: move the ball quickly and use the corridor. We drafted players with skill and speed, so hopefully we can implement this plan in due course.

[Markwebbos]

Mr Beethoven, you may want to read Bloodspirit's post above, which implies that the game style employed against the Suns could be a bit of a one-off, bespoke Suns-countering approach, rather than a new dawn. I'm hoping it's a bit of both.

[Ludwig]

Mr Beethoven, you may want to read Bloodspirit's post above, which implies that the game style employed against the Suns could be a bit of a one-off, bespoke Suns-countering approach, rather than a new dawn. I'm hoping it's a bit of both.

I did read the post, and was just commenting that it was a style that's easier to employ than a more complicated zone defence and intricate lead up patterns. I don't know if it will be a one off or not, but it's easier to give a kid a simple instruction to follow his man.