R18 Sydney Derby XXI - GWS V Swans @ Gold Coast 6:10pm

[Markwebbos]

There's a question as to whether any of the late outs from today will be able to play next week as they may have to isolate for 14 days

[i'm-uninformed2]

It’s funny how change can sometimes work.

Cunningham goes out.

J-Mac and Blakey look really threatening as attacking half back flankers.

Should Cunningham still be in this defence despite having a strong season?

Yes, mainly because he plays lockdown on the best small forward of good teams and the finals sides all have good small forwards.

[dimelb]

I've never seen so many people singing the song. Wonderful stuff!

[i'm-uninformed2]

Apparently Stephens, Rowbottom and Ronke only got the call to get from the hotel to the ground less than an hour before the game. Makes their effort to get out of there after playing yesterday even more remarkable.

[Hotpotato]

Paps does kick astonishing opportunistic goals that lifts the team to fight back .

[Ludwig]

All credit to the Swans for turning their game around and coming home strong. I don't want to dampen the enthusiasm, because it's well deserved. But much of the 2nd half turnaround had to do with the ineptitude of the Giants. Nonetheless, we played what was before us and we scored and important victory.

A few things still need improvement if we want to go beyond our 6th place:

• We kicked far too often into a tall and well accomplished GWS backline, turning the ball over far more often than we needed to.
• The Giants were weak on the ground and we should have kicked to grass in our forward line unless there was a clear opening. We came out winners far more often when the ball was on the ground. We need to adjust to strengths and weaknesses of the opposition. It changes every week.
• Our inside mids were great, but the Giants lacked a lot of their outside run without Whitfield and when Kelly went off injured. It worked this time against similar type players like Hopper, Ward and Tarranto, but a speedier midfield will be needed against different opposition.
• As I have been saying for weeks, get Heeney in the midfield. Get him the ball. He makes things happen.
• We still need another tall defender. Rampe is not having a good year. I don't know if it's a form slump or injury, but he's not up to covering big forwards this year.

[Agent 86]

Fantastic

What a win

Jmac is exceptional. Like Gulden , everything they do turns to gold. Blakey shuts me up again
Luke Parker the most underrated player in the competition , no Mills and he stands up even taller - i was talking on here yesterday about Skilton the great , this was the stuff he did

Shame on anyone who bagged Stephens and Rowbottom , gutsy effort from both to run out there after playing yesterday when neither shouldve been out there at all !

That was a BLOODS game , unlike those manufactured ##### we beat !

Great that someone can shut you up. Blakey could be great - important that he doesn’t try to overcook it, tho’, just stick to doing the simple things really well and he’ll be a star.

As for Parker, still out most important player in my opinion.

Stephens still looks completely lost at times but like Rowbottom’s pressure.

Amazing turnaround after that awful start. I guess we haven’t played a bad qtr for the last 8 under really trying conditions - so I guess we were due a dud. Awesome response. Was that a tear in Horse’s eye after the game.

[TheBloods]

Great that someone can shut you up. Blakey could be great - important that he doesn’t try to overcook it, tho’, just stick to doing the simple things really well and he’ll be a star.

As for Parker, still out most important player in my opinion.

Stephens still looks completely lost at times but like Rowbottom’s pressure.

Amazing turnaround after that awful start. I guess we haven’t played a bad qtr for the last 8 under really trying conditions - so I guess we were due a dud. Awesome response. Was that a tear in Horse’s eye after the game.

Stephens had played a full game 24 hours ago !!

[Captain]

The Rampe criticism throughout this thread is perplexing.

We concede so many inside 50’s, were smashed in the middle in the first quarter (and all last week) and generally he takes the oppositions best forward. Of course there are times he is going to get beaten!!

I think Rampe is a gun and we are lucky to have him.

[joeykanga]

Spot on. Great effort from the Swans fans, too!

We seem to have an incredible support all around the countryside ..that was so pleasing to hear that support

[Agent 86]

11 wins always earns a finals berth

Sent from my JAT-L29 using Tapatalk

Sorry to be a pedant, but rare for 11 wins to make it to finals. Generally requires 48 points and good percentage to sneak in. 13 or + wins to make it a certainty.

[stevoswan]

Wow what ?

I think you know TB....but cudo's for the RB acknowledgement.

[Markwebbos]

Was that a tear in Horse’s eye after the game.

I thought I saw that too

[stevoswan]

Agreed. We had two players who played a full game the previous day. GWS had none. It meant that some of our players played much bigger minutes than normal because RB and Stephens didn’t have the legs. Errol Gulden played 98% of the game! That’s nuts for any midfield/half forward let alone a player in his first year.

Bangalore will be screaming for 'Errol management' this week!

[Bangalore Swans]

Bangalore will be screaming for 'Errol management' this week!

The Victorian Government has instead decided to manage Mills and Cunningham for the next two games. They will both approach finals fresh and ready to go.

Unfortunately with the evolving COVID situation, Gulden’s break will have to wait.