Match Thread: Fremantle v Swans

[Bexl]

I think we’re seriously mismanaging Blakey based on what he’s doing - when he’s up the ground he’s all over the place like a headless chook, and most of his disposals are either dinky little chip kicks or across his body, most of which are missing their targets.

I’m not saying to take all the flair out of his game, but I’m genuinely shocked to see week after week him taking such low percentage options that we’re clearly not (successfully at least) helping him iron out.

An extended run the reserves playing a disciplined role without trying all that highlight reel stuff is what he needs.
.

It is obvious Blakey is trying really hard however whenever he gets the ball and goes for a run now days I feel a bit sick worried about what the hell's going to happen

[Blood Fever]

It is obvious Blakey is trying really hard however whenever he gets the ball and goes for a run now days I feel a bit sick worried about what the hell's going to happen

Sounds like how I used to feel when Leo Barry had possession! Maybe he'll end up down back.

[Legs Akimbo]

It is obvious Blakey is trying really hard however whenever he gets the ball and goes for a run now days I feel a bit sick worried about what the hell's going to happen

I think he is trying too hard. He needs to learn to play percentages and focus on disposal efficiency. IMO he is a wingman. His main attribute is combo of speed and height with (potentially) skill. Problem is I am sure in his mind he has elite disposal and constantly needs to prove it. It doesn't help that he is so one sided. Also you can see he is trying for the highlights reel. Needs a big change of mindset.

[stevoswan]

We all know iin the eyes of that poser everyone is equal, but some are more equal than others in the eyes of said poster..... Another week, the same old dribble - one set of rules for the chosen few favourites, bazookas for the target boys.

Its not worth the energy responding to such tripe - if only we could have 'list reviews' on here and have regular delistings....


Tend to agree with your summation Kafka. So disappointed by the ending - Ollie has generally got a lot better than that with his decision making, but the rush of blood to his head that such a moment can have meant he made a poor call.

As you say, was always going to be hard when Hickey got that early knock - the most frustrating part of it was we got ourselves well placed by half time to go on and win the game, but a very poor 3rd term hurt us badly. But it is simply growing pains - not the 'throw the baby out with the bathwater' that some on here want to do, let alone the relentess campaigning of a few about a select few players to go with it.

And agree about Blakey - I want to see him succeed but he is just not offering anywhere near enough at the moment.

+1 on your first point.

On the second part, I agree.....if Ollie had made a good decision at the end, we're all here today saying 'we won ugly, that's what good teams do when they're not playing well'. One bad quarter and we paid the price. I still think we're on track, with a tweak or two.....wouldn't want any more injuries though.

[Foreign Legion]

I was spewing we let Mitchell go at the time but thank @@@@ we did because he is just a run of the mill mid these days , just an accumulating plodder. That is what RB is heading towards but hes not even an accumulator , just a plodder !

A player I think is in the top 5 I've ever seen - Greg Williams - was an accumulating plodder - but he hurt with his handballs and kicks. Mitchell is not in his class.

I think Rowbottom is better than you think.

[Bexl]

I think Rowbottom is better than you think.

So you think Rowbottom is better than T B thinks he is.
That my friend is as obvious a statement as me saying I'm breathing air.
But you won't change the utter crap that T B keeps writing about him.

[stevoswan]

I pretty much agree, mate.

In fact, i see a little of the way we threw Rohan around the field in this.

He was settling nicely as a forward when he broke his leg.

After his recovery, we threw him all over the place, half back, half fwd, full fwd wing...he never really had the chance to settle.

Geelong said lock yourself into that forward line. and , voila!

Blakey might just need one job to show his best?

I do hope so, cos he occasionally shows what he's capable of.

Spot on on Rohan.....I've been saying this exact thing for awhile now.....he was never settled at the Swans and it affected his confidence. He played 'anxious' and come finals time, he must have been a mental wreck and it showed. At Geelong, he has one role and one role only and he's now the player we were seeking.

So back to the reserves for Blakey and hopefully in the ONE role they want him to play in the seniors (assuming they know what it is!).....and for a number of weeks.

[stevoswan]

Speaking of passengers, one that baffled me was Heeney - was almost invisible all night and when he was around the ball just seemed to be a beat behind the play. Was all very strange as I didn't expect Freo to have a match up for him. You can't see much on the telecast but perhaps it was just "one of those nights" for a guy we know regularly crawls through cut glass for the R&W.

24 possession 'passenger'.....but yes, he was not as influential as usual. Spent too much of the game on the wing. I must say, it was not Horse's best night in the box.

[i'm-uninformed2]

I was spewing we let Mitchell go at the time but thank @@@@ we did because he is just a run of the mill mid these days , just an accumulating plodder. That is what RB is heading towards but hes not even an accumulator , just a plodder !

I guess we’ll learn one day is whether it came about from walking in on her with him, or hearing about it after the event.

[Foreign Legion]

So you think Rowbottom is better than T B thinks he is.
That my friend is as obvious a statement as me saying I'm breathing air.
But you won't change the utter crap that T B keeps writing about him.

Haha yes Bexl. I really hope Rowbottom plays 200+ games for us - he is very good.

[Number 14]

Hei there ,new to these pages but been lurking for a while.
Thought I might throw my 2 cents in on a few things.
Firstly on the game ,many many clangers ,bad turnovers and bad decisions by the team. Many here are quite swift to jump on the younger blokes like Blakey or Florent but seem to forget about some of the errors of the more experienced players. JPK turned the ball over in a dangerous position twice which resulted in SOG's ,Rampe made a couple of poor decisions which resulted in goals and the list goes on if you want. All players make mistakes at various times ,the best teams limit the result of those mistakes which is why they are the best.

At the moment we have some midfield problems in that we have too many of the same type of player ,both veteran and youngster combined which is creating an imbalance and forcing us to play some guys out of position. Inside bulls ,we have JPK ,Parker ,Hewitt ,Mills ,Rowbottom and Warner (add Campbell next year or 2) all in the team together and it causes an imbalance. We can probably use 5 but not all 6. We need a solution to this problem to set our midfield on its way. I look to the future so would start with Mills ,Rowbottom and Warner in the guts ,throw Parker forward and put JPK on the bench. Hewitt is the conundrum right now and misses a game for mine unless we have a special run with role. We have thrown him in defence lately and seriously with Lloyd ,Cunningham and Hewitt in defence we look very vulnerable ,none are good overhead and only Harry has any genuine speed. I also hate to say things like this but maybe its almost time up for JPK ,time to move him on same as the Hawks did with Mitchell ,Hodge and Lewis. I would also look at Blakey on a wing for the rest of the season ,either in seniors or VFL ,just to let him settle into something ,a key possie player he is not going to be by the looks of it -21 yo and still a lizard. So if everyone was fit my starting midfield would be
Centreline : Florent ,Warner ,Blakey Ruck/followers Hickey ,Mills ,Rowbottom

People tend to think young players are all going to be A Graders ,maybe it's a case of hopeful thinking ,but the reality is most will at best be B Graders. What upsets people a bit is guys like Blakey who was hyped in the media as a generational player and ends up only being a B Grader. Setting the world on fire at junior level is no guarantee of being a champion at AFL level. So a quick look at our young blokes (U/25) and what they will most likely become in my opinion.
Papley - A , Mills - A ,Melican - B- ,Dawson - B+ ,Florent - B ,Haywood - B- ,McLean - B ,Wicks - B- ,McCartin - A ,Blakey - B ,McInerney - B ,Rowbottom - B+ ,Warner - A ,Campbell - A-. We need to see more from Bell ,Ling ,Amartey , Stephens ,Gould ,McDonald and Gulden. I am pretty confident the last 4 mentioned will at least reach B Grade standard. Others not mentioned are either proven C Graders or players I believe will be cut within the next 2 seasons.
Above all we need to give this bunch of youngsters more time and not expect too much from them until 2023. We will lose some of these young players along the way though ,that is inevitable.

[Foreign Legion]

Hi number 14 - thats a good choice of a name.

I like how you at least rate players without just bagging the odd one.

My thoughts: Papley yes A, Mills A - maybe even A+, Dawson A, McCartin - A, Warner 100% A IMHO, McDonald and Campbell and Gulden at least B+ - not enough exposed form.

[Ludwig]

That my friend is as obvious a statement as me saying I'm breathing air.

In normal times, this would not be worth commenting on, but I recently heard something interesting on a science podcast that makes your remark less obvious than you might think.

In a recent experiment, oxygen was pumped into the abdomens of human subjects through the rectum to support the hypothesis that people might one day be able to stay under water, without diving equipment, for up to an hour. This procedure has been tested on pigs, who did not require pulmonary respiration for more than an hour if infused with oxygen in such manner every 20 minutes.

I thought the Swans might get out in front of the science with this before the AFL catches on. It could dramatically increase the aerobic capacity of our players.

In any case, it was too good a porcine interest story to pass on.

Hei there ,new to these pages but been lurking for a while.

At the moment we have some midfield problems in that we have too many of the same type of player ,both veteran and youngster combined which is creating an imbalance and forcing us to play some guys out of position. Inside bulls ,we have JPK ,Parker ,Hewitt ,Mills ,Rowbottom and Warner (add Campbell next year or 2) all in the team together and it causes an imbalance. We can probably use 5 but not all 6. We need a solution to this problem to set our midfield on its way. I look to the future so would start with Mills ,Rowbottom and Warner in the guts ,throw Parker forward and put JPK on the bench. Hewitt is the conundrum right now and misses a game for mine unless we have a special run with role. We have thrown him in defence lately and seriously with Lloyd ,Cunningham and Hewitt in defence we look very vulnerable ,none are good overhead and only Harry has any genuine speed. I also hate to say things like this but maybe its almost time up for JPK ,time to move him on same as the Hawks did with Mitchell ,Hodge and Lewis.

Congratulations Number 14 on your first commentary. It's always a good move regurgitating some Ludwig wisdom for an introductory expository posting. Keep up the good work.

If you cut the alphabet soup player rating system, you might be on to something.

[Bexl]

Hei there ,new to these pages but been lurking for a while.
Thought I might throw my 2 cents in on a few things.
Firstly on the game ,many many clangers ,bad turnovers and bad decisions by the team. Many here are quite swift to jump on the younger blokes like Blakey or Florent but seem to forget about some of the errors of the more experienced players. JPK turned the ball over in a dangerous position twice which resulted in SOG's ,Rampe made a couple of poor decisions which resulted in goals and the list goes on if you want. All players make mistakes at various times ,the best teams limit the result of those mistakes which is why they are the best.

At the moment we have some midfield problems in that we have too many of the same type of player ,both veteran and youngster combined which is creating an imbalance and forcing us to play some guys out of position. Inside bulls ,we have JPK ,Parker ,Hewitt ,Mills ,Rowbottom and Warner (add Campbell next year or 2) all in the team together and it causes an imbalance. We can probably use 5 but not all 6. We need a solution to this problem to set our midfield on its way. I look to the future so would start with Mills ,Rowbottom and Warner in the guts ,throw Parker forward and put JPK on the bench. Hewitt is the conundrum right now and misses a game for mine unless we have a special run with role. We have thrown him in defence lately and seriously with Lloyd ,Cunningham and Hewitt in defence we look very vulnerable ,none are good overhead and only Harry has any genuine speed. I also hate to say things like this but maybe its almost time up for JPK ,time to move him on same as the Hawks did with Mitchell ,Hodge and Lewis. I would also look at Blakey on a wing for the rest of the season ,either in seniors or VFL ,just to let him settle into something ,a key possie player he is not going to be by the looks of it -21 yo and still a lizard. So if everyone was fit my starting midfield would be
Centreline : Florent ,Warner ,Blakey Ruck/followers Hickey ,Mills ,Rowbottom

People tend to think young players are all going to be A Graders ,maybe it's a case of hopeful thinking ,but the reality is most will at best be B Graders. What upsets people a bit is guys like Blakey who was hyped in the media as a generational player and ends up only being a B Grader. Setting the world on fire at junior level is no guarantee of being a champion at AFL level. So a quick look at our young blokes (U/25) and what they will most likely become in my opinion.
Papley - A , Mills - A ,Melican - B- ,Dawson - B+ ,Florent - B ,Haywood - B- ,McLean - B ,Wicks - B- ,McCartin - A ,Blakey - B ,McInerney - B ,Rowbottom - B+ ,Warner - A ,Campbell - A-. We need to see more from Bell ,Ling ,Amartey , Stephens ,Gould ,McDonald and Gulden. I am pretty confident the last 4 mentioned will at least reach B Grade standard. Others not mentioned are either proven C Graders or players I believe will be cut within the next 2 seasons.
Above all we need to give this bunch of youngsters more time and not expect too much from them until 2023. We will lose some of these young players along the way though ,that is inevitable.

Thanks for that. Very good first post. Don't totally agree with all your player ratings but who cares. One thing though this year definitely we NEED Parker and Kennedy in the mid field still and still Parker for next year too but the mid field you suggest going forward could be alright but unless things change I would say McInernny instead of Blakey.

[NeonBible]

Hei there ,new to these pages but been lurking for a while.
Thought I might throw my 2 cents in on a few things.
Firstly on the game ,many many clangers ,bad turnovers and bad decisions by the team. Many here are quite swift to jump on the younger blokes like Blakey or Florent but seem to forget about some of the errors of the more experienced players. JPK turned the ball over in a dangerous position twice which resulted in SOG's ,Rampe made a couple of poor decisions which resulted in goals and the list goes on if you want. All players make mistakes at various times ,the best teams limit the result of those mistakes which is why they are the best.

At the moment we have some midfield problems in that we have too many of the same type of player ,both veteran and youngster combined which is creating an imbalance and forcing us to play some guys out of position. Inside bulls ,we have JPK ,Parker ,Hewitt ,Mills ,Rowbottom and Warner (add Campbell next year or 2) all in the team together and it causes an imbalance. We can probably use 5 but not all 6. We need a solution to this problem to set our midfield on its way. I look to the future so would start with Mills ,Rowbottom and Warner in the guts ,throw Parker forward and put JPK on the bench. Hewitt is the conundrum right now and misses a game for mine unless we have a special run with role. We have thrown him in defence lately and seriously with Lloyd ,Cunningham and Hewitt in defence we look very vulnerable ,none are good overhead and only Harry has any genuine speed. I also hate to say things like this but maybe its almost time up for JPK ,time to move him on same as the Hawks did with Mitchell ,Hodge and Lewis. I would also look at Blakey on a wing for the rest of the season ,either in seniors or VFL ,just to let him settle into something ,a key possie player he is not going to be by the looks of it -21 yo and still a lizard. So if everyone was fit my starting midfield would be
Centreline : Florent ,Warner ,Blakey Ruck/followers Hickey ,Mills ,Rowbottom

People tend to think young players are all going to be A Graders ,maybe it's a case of hopeful thinking ,but the reality is most will at best be B Graders. What upsets people a bit is guys like Blakey who was hyped in the media as a generational player and ends up only being a B Grader. Setting the world on fire at junior level is no guarantee of being a champion at AFL level. So a quick look at our young blokes (U/25) and what they will most likely become in my opinion.
Papley - A , Mills - A ,Melican - B- ,Dawson - B+ ,Florent - B ,Haywood - B- ,McLean - B ,Wicks - B- ,McCartin - A ,Blakey - B ,McInerney - B ,Rowbottom - B+ ,Warner - A ,Campbell - A-. We need to see more from Bell ,Ling ,Amartey , Stephens ,Gould ,McDonald and Gulden. I am pretty confident the last 4 mentioned will at least reach B Grade standard. Others not mentioned are either proven C Graders or players I believe will be cut within the next 2 seasons.
Above all we need to give this bunch of youngsters more time and not expect too much from them until 2023. We will lose some of these young players along the way though ,that is inevitable.

Welcome :-)

I like a post that makes one think! I could do with a good think after drowning in my sorrows trying to black last night's game out lol!!

I think our likely A graders are Mills, McCartin, McInerney and Warner. They are in the infancies of their positions - Mills 1st yr as a mid, McCartin 1st full yr as a defender, McInerney 2nd yr on wing, Warner 1st yr as a mid. And they are tracking along incredibly!! Posting the kind of numbers with the kind of performances that suggest they will be elite in no time!!

The next group down for me would be Dawson, Papley, Heeney and Florent. Great talents we just need a bit more consistency out of! They are wonderful players and if they show us their best more often they are All Australian level talents!!

Beneath them would be Errol Gulden, Braeden Campbell, Logan McDonald and Dylan Stephens. Very promising but very raw cygnets! SO much talent but SUCH a long way to go with these boys!!

Next down I would have Hayward & Blakey - the headache twins!! Because we slap our foreheads so much at these two!!! It is quite frustrating watching them struggle when we KNOW how much talent they have!! It is wild that their careers could go any way!! But both are signed until 2024, so time is on their side!!

And finally i would have the young men who might not have much by way of unique talent or ability but who could still be fine players if they work hard, apply themselves, stick to the path and have the right discipline! Rowbottom, McLean, Wicks, Melican, Ling will be part of this group. And make no mistake they will be an important group!! A premiership team is only as good as it's bottom six players so how good these boys can become could potentially determine how good WE as the SYDNEY SWANS become!!

Exciting times! Cheer cheer!!!