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Tough game to watch. Not a lot to report on other than Tom Greene is the best player out there by a mile and Melbourne City must have won the A League judging by the fireworks and horns.
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No scoreboard but you can overhear the media team talking in the 3/4 time break and we're down 79-40Comment
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You can see why Gould isn't being selected - his touch isn't great and he's not winning enough contests.
Taylor is easily our most influential, but his limitations are also clear.
Stephens looks good when running, but his disposal is still lacking penetration.
Blakey looks OK, but his kicking is also a bit inconsistent.
Ronke mostly following the contest.
McLean looks well off.
In summary: no-one standing up as possible selections.Comment
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Although that was a great mark running back with the flight from Gould.Comment
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Agree with this. Where was Logan?
Thought Blakey looked ok with the footy but just not comfortable in aerial contests defensively.
Gould tried hard, but was always going to be in for a tough night on Riccardi with the footy coming in that quick.
Stephens covers a lot of turf. Just always off the contest and not using the footy with conviction. Needs to be coached to know he belongs and to be more authoritative.
All the usual suspects showed why they aren't going to be on the list next year.
Tough for guys like Ling, Carruthers to justify themselves from Sydney for the foreseeable future. Hopefully they can get in town soon.Comment
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I went along tonight and watched three quarters.
Lewie was our best player by a long way. Sinkers did well and always competes. Ronke did a few nice things and looks a far more capable player than Bell. O’Riordan hits the ball hard and always makes his opponent earn their disposal. I really wanted to see Gould make a statement but he was just ok . Blakey flashes in and out but not dominant
A disappointing game by the swans.
Also Ling was supporting with most of the senior playersComment
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Looked like Cox was coaching the team from footage on IGComment
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Good Summary. I thought McClean did some good things and he is prepared to put his body on the line. which is something we need now. Although those 2 goals he missed from 25 meters out (directly in front) was hard to watch. Lewie was the only one that looked composed out there, surely he is a better bet than Bell.Comment
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Best Players: B. Ronke, C. O''Riordan, N. Blakey, R. Clarke, C. Sinclair, L. TaylorComment
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I watched the 3Q. It was tough going as the bulk of the side consisted of random local U19s. In the circumstances, I thought Squiz and Lizard were great. There were a few occasions were the Lizard soared above the pack to kill off the ball with an effective spoil and his overall effort was good. Time to give him a run in the firsts, off HB in place of George who stays in the midfield. Squiz had plenty of energy and agree that he brings more to the table than Bell, as does Ronke for that matter. Cal was great too and could be an inclusion for Amartey. His tap work in that 3Q was slick.
Re Gould, I think it was hard to get an accurate read. Our defence was under the pump due to the mismatch given GWS pretty much had their full squad. 2 moments stood out, one good, one not so. There was one moment where Gould's opponent layed a very solid tackle on him. Gould was able to shrug him off and break away. In that moment, he displayed the sort of physicality we could do with, especially in our defensive 50. This was followed by a moment where he was caught ball watching, his opponent got seperation from him as a result, and then took an easy mark out the back. Granted Gould would've been double guessing due to playing with unfamiliar team mates but it wasn't a good look.
Based on what I saw, I'd say Squiz, Blakey, Ronke and Cal would be the ones I'd consider for promotion, Gould not sure, most probably unlikely. Stephens looked hesitant to contest so a definite no. Not sure what is going on with him?Comment
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Really pleased to hear Ronke is looking good on the come back trail! Thanks for the reports.
Did anyone notice one Ryan O'Keefe was playing for us?? Surely not Pebbles! There isn't a Ryan Jr is there? And he wouldn't be old enough, would he?
McDonald wasn't taken on purpose because they are trying to work on other aspects of his development (e.g. strength training) and also they didn't anticipate being away so long at the time they made their hasty departure.
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Interesting that Gould made the cut. I wonder if he is getting closer to a debut this year? It's not sounding promising based on the comments of posters here.All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated, and well supported in logic and argument than others. -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001)
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I am starting to suspect he is falling out of love with the club due to limited chances and now pining for home.....and his recent output reflects this desire. Happy to be proven wrong but the potential he showed last season is just not there this year. Somethings not right and I would not be surprised if he's back in SA next year. I just hope Dawson doesn't join him there.Comment
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While I do think he should have been given more of a chance in the Seniors so far this year, he really hasn't shown much at all when he has been there - and that hesistancy has been remarked upon by a lot of people in those appearances.
The kid clearly has a lot of talent, but something has him well off his best (maybe a combination of homesickness plus a couple of very screwed up footy seasons has left him struggling). I probably doubt it probably has much to do with the 'club' itself - he may be a bit peeved on limited chances, but the club does a lot to support its younger players, and (some might argue with some valid justification in some more recent seasons), but we've had a long history of more players then not genuinely having to earn their stripes and chances. I can't remember which coach is was (probably Laidler) that gave some pretty clear insights on what they wanted to see Stephens improve on earlier in the season - and I don't think anyone can say that we've seen much progress.
For all we know he could be nursing injury too - which can affect players in vastly different ways."You get the feeling that like Monty Python's Black Knight, the Swans would regard amputation as merely a flesh wound."Comment
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Hi mcs,
Great post! Astute points made, especially about Laidler's reflections on where young Dylan was at. They wanted to see him working on his inside and outside game. It's such a vital part of being a midfielder these days! Gone are the days when you could get away with being quick on the outside and strong on the inside! You need a bit of both to your game now! Every time i see Stephens play, when on the inside he seems hesitant to use his speed and the space around him, and when he is on the outside, he spends too much time running into space and covering the ground exceptionally well, but not enough time presenting for the ball when needed. He is figuring a lot of things out right now!! Poor kid. A lot on his plate. Away from home, bamboozling VFL schedule, COVID impacted seasons, multiple roles to learn!! We'll find out what he is made of at least!
I might also make note of how often footy comes down to that little thing called luck! It's all about timing. Going into season 2021 almost everyone would've had Dylan ahead of Chad as far as making senior appearances. Pre-season 2021 comes around, Dylan gets injured, Chad gets a go and excels. Rowbottom gets injured and the door opens even further for Chad while Dylan is watching from the pine! Only gets a game as medical sub and didn't get to sink his teeth into a role as others, like McInerney, get to lock down their places! Things really fell Chad's way this year while they went the other way for Dylan! I'm not diminishing what Chad has shown this year, I am pointing to the opportunities that presented themselves for one second year player while another second year player has not had such fortunes! All about timing in AFL!!Comment
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