Round 19 - Sydney Swans v Fremantle @Gold Coast

[AB Swannie]

Gulden - was terrific, especially early on when we were scratching around. I don't know how others can question his disposal. I thought he was composed and very impressive again and the stats back this up (78% disposal efficiency, 9 contested possessions, 6 score involvements, 5 tackles, 4 clearances). The arbitrary notion that a player who misses 5 games can't win the Rising Star should be forgotten as I think Gulden has been the most influential young player in the league.

Heeney - great to see him back in form. I really love his more hybrid role between the wing and forward. Next step would be to play him at centre bounce more often.

Fox - has put together a string of very strong, reliable games. His ability to keep running to get to a loose ball or make a spoil is very handy.

Bell - had one of his better games and had some nice moments. His effort can never be questioned but I do think it is a worry when a 10 possession, 2 tackle game is one of your best. I just haven't seen the potential for him to be ever ranked as one of the Swans "bests" for a game.

Ronke - I don't know what role he was given but I hardly noticed him. He didn't stuff anything up but was really non-existent. Maybe I'm being harsh and will keep a closer eye on the replay but at first thought, Stephens must be doing a lot wrong to have been displaced by Ben.

[Ludwig]

We should want to get Melican back in the side in the next week or 2. Kicking the ball to a big man is still the best avenue to goal for the opposition. We need to do something to mitigate the size mismatches in our defence, even though I feel we have good coverage and cohesion in defence with current group plus Cunningham.

Campbell and Warner will also be looking to get back in the side. I think Bell played well today, but there may be too much pressure from returnees for him to hold his spot.

With a nearly empty injury list, not everyone can be squeezed in the side. Being the medical sub for the Swans has got to be the easiest path to picking up a match payment.

The lower times on ground for JPK for most of this season may have helped carry him to the back end of the season. He's looked full of energy the past couple of games and has filled the void left by Mills' absence.

[royboy42]

I’m yet to be convinced that Stephens is ready (either on or off the field) to be thrown in at this point in time. Chad should come in when fit. Squizzy? Not sure.

Ronke rarely sighted today & maybe Campbell should get another crack.

Bell and Wicks are vying for a spot - imho, Bell has an edge in effort & 1%ers - but Wicks the edge in attack. Neither certain starters in full strength team, but I dunno…

Buddy could benefit from a rest, so a week off will not be a disaster (unless the Vic press get involved and any suspension is longer than warranted) - unfortunately I always like to see him up against the bombers.

I'm not so sure about Campbell 'getting another crack'.
I had the impresion he was injured and managed, not dropped.
Won't he just come back when fit?
Or have I missed something?

[Agent 86]

…Blakey was very good in that quarter again. Certainly has a bit of 'headless chicken/kamikaze leo barry' about him, but willingness to take on the game very important to get some movement going…

This made me chuckle. I must say, tho’, that I don’t have the same dread when the lizard has the ball than how I used to sweat until Leo disposed of it to advantage (or not).

Blakey looks much better when he has more of the field in front of him than when he’s up the pointy end.

[royboy42]

Exhibit A - The Craig O'Brien incident, 28 September 1996.

Spot on, and I never forget it when he's pontificating.

[Markwebbos]

I'm not so sure about Campbell 'getting another crack'.
I had the impresion he was injured and managed, not dropped.
Won't he just come back when fit?
Or have I missed something?

I thought he got dropped first.

Any news on Sam Reid? He went off in Q4 and didn’t return

[i'm-uninformed2]

Gee the race for spots coming home is going to be hot.

With Heeney playing more mid, Mills back next week, and Harry returning down back (which will push either McInerney or Dawson further back up the ground), someone gets squeezed out. Right now you’d say it’s Rowbottom. It’ll also take a bit for Warner to squeeze back in after so long out.

Then up forward the mix is interesting. Buddy (though unlikely next week) and the resting ruck. Then goal kicking smaller forwards in Papley and Hayward - with Heeney at times. Then Horse loves two pressure forwards, which is Wicks and right now Bell.

Then there is Ronke’s spot. He did nothing toward his own cause today. So does Horse try a third tall in McDonald or Amartey or does he push Gulden back into the forward line to open up an extra midfield spot.

A nice problem to have.

[Hotpotato]

Thought we could win by substantially more especially with their injuries .
Buddy a little careless , should be OK .

[Kafka's Ghost]

A tremendous game from Heeney, and Kennedy is a marvel. We weren’t quite as good across the board this week, it’s true, but we did have both Reid and Ronke playing their first games for some time. Papley didn’t have his kicking boots on either, 1.5 reversed is a 10+ goal win.
Mills and Cunningham will come straight back in, and Campbell should also be given another run at some stage. A week off for Buddy gives McLean another chance, who’s done a good job when backed up by Reid. It also makes us much less predictable.
Going into the season it was generally thought Freo were ahead of us in the rebuild stakes, but we’ve just had a lazy 40 point win over them and will play finals. An amazing outcome, by any stretch of the imagination.

[snajik]

Exactly....and not where the player who marked it ends up running to in slowing down after the mark. All the opposition player has to do is stand still like he's being a good boy (a metre or two over the mark!) and have the umpire think 'good boy, stay there'. The umpires fall for it every time.....it's exasperating. Also, they have no idea when it comes to setting the correct angle for the kick at goal....another bug bear of mine. It's not good enough in a top level 'professional' sporting league.

On the flip-side, the player with ball in hand has a tendency to think they are bullet proof because the man on the mark is no longer allowed to move. Too often they don't take the extra backward steps required before moving the ball on, resulting in being tackled by the man on the mark when they decide to play on, or kicking it into the man on the mark. Just dumb footy, and one of my pet hates.

[Kafka's Ghost]

Spot on, and I never forget it when he's pontificating.

Same. Remember it well.

[Agent 86]

How is it that he seemingly moves in slow motion yet always manages to find a mile of time? It's ultra Zen. Everything just seems to fall into place for him so easily, as if everyone else around him just falls away. It's mesmerising.

It’s quite uncanny that he seems to have that much time, hey? He’s like watching one of the giants in GoT (not the gws kind).

[Swanny40519]

Spot on, and I never forget it when he's pontificating.

Very Strange that two of the most "accidental crashers - it wasn't me " in Derm and Kinga, are nailing Buddy to the cross.

If Greene from the midgets had done that they would all be screaming how tough and great he was. But because he is Buddy he has to get many many weeks.

What a bunch of hippo-critics they are.

[Nico]

Exactly....and not where the player who marked it ends up running to in slowing down after the mark. All the opposition player has to do is stand still like he's being a good boy (a metre or two over the mark!) and have the umpire think 'good boy, stay there'. The umpires fall for it every time.....it's exasperating. Also, they have no idea when it comes to setting the correct angle for the kick at goal....another bug bear of mine. It's not good enough in a top level 'professional' sporting league.

Fyfe should have got a 50 metre penalty. The umpire called him back twice on the mark, 2 metres, he took half a step and that was good enough.

[snajik]

It’s quite uncanny that he seems to have that much time, hey? He’s like watching one of the giants in GoT (not the gws kind).

We've had a few of these over the years with that laconic unhurried yet elusive style. David Rhys-Jones and Dale Lewis are two that come to mind. A tendency to glide around the ground. Kind of like, well, swans.