Round 19 - Sydney Swans v Fremantle @Gold Coast

[stevoswan]

Stevo, I’m telling it how it was.

Some of the comments on Red and White were quite negative towards Blakey. I remember one poster saying that “Blakey should go back to the academy”.I think it’s important for posters to come forward and say I was wrong on Blakey instead of now switching and jumping on the bandwagon.

TheBloods has done this brilliantly. He’s the first to acknowledge that he was tough on Blakey early in the year and that Blakey has proved him wrong.

There needs to be more posters like TheBloods who can come forward and own their position and the changing of their position.

I personally think that Blakey off half back has been in All Australian form the last 4 weeks.

There needs to be less fawning over certain posters and more understanding that when someone on RWO says something like 'he needs to go back to the Academy' it doesn't mean they are 'off him', it means they are just frustrated that his potential is not being delivered upon.....which it wasn't. Frustration can elicit negativity.

Some comments are 'heat of the moment' and to read too much into them to come to the conclusions you do is a folly....and then to act like a font who knew all along while implying that others didn't IS just skiting. RWO is a forum where ideas and thoughts are discussed, not a site for games of 'one-upmanship'.....but I can't stop you if this is your 'thing'.

The only reason TB acknowledges that he is sometimes wrong is because he comes out with occasional extreme statements and predictions (maybe also in the heat of the moment) that are just plain wrong. Most others aren't so extreme or at times brutal in their assessments and as such, have less or nothing to have to 'backtrack' on.

I think we all saw in Blakey unfulfilled potential and that can be extremely frustrating and expressing this frustration is reasonable. It is not 'giving up on' him as you imply. I would suggest that no one has to "jump back on" the bandwagon because no one really actually jumped off it in the first place. They simply expressed frustration.

Personally, I have always been on the Blakey train despite frustration with his progress....and I totally agree with your final sentence.

[Go Swannies]

Not sure why you thought no one else was at the game? I actually posted the following comment at quarter time
“Still trying to understand the seating arrangements everyone squashed up in one area behind one end of the field. Swans home game so they warm up at the opposite end away from every spectator! “
It was a little bit frustrating trying to see what was happening across the whole ground however you’re right we did have an armchair view of Isaac’s mark and goal

I didn't look here until long after I got back to Brisbane after the game - and I tend to skip posts written during a game we're losing so I missed yours. Sorry. I hope you agreed re heat and wind that may not have shown on TV?

[liz]

Looks like there was coach collusion in awarding the votes for our game this week.

[Aaron]

Looks like there was coach collusion in awarding the votes for our game this week.

Exactly!
10 Isaac Heeney (SYD)
8 Josh Kennedy (SYD)
6 Luke Parker (SYD)
4 Adam Cerra (FRE)
2 Errol Gulden (SYD)

[Faunac8]

I didn't look here until long after I got back to Brisbane after the game - and I tend to skip posts written during a game we're losing so I missed yours. Sorry. I hope you agreed re heat and wind that may not have shown on TV?

No problems I tend to post optimistically even when we are losing because this is a side that appears to have become a tight knit team with the belief that they are never out of contention in a game as evidenced by the last two weeks.
This is the attitude that I tend to take while watching at least until the scoreboard dictates otherwise.
Against the Giants I suggested at quarter time that they couldn’t continue to play that well and we couldn’t continue to play that bad and that proved to be the case over the next three quarters.

Certainly the wind gusts at the open northern end of the field appeared to have an impact initially but I think the players adapted after the first quarter. The heat and by association the sun did have quite an impact at times players appeared to have difficulty judging the flight of the ball on occasions. One benefit of being squashed up one end was that from where I was sitting was that it was undercover and you didn’t have to look into the sun which can be a right nuisance if you are seated on the Eastern side of the field.

[Aaron]

2 of us charged

Dane Rampe, has been charged with Tripping Michael Walters, during the second quarter.In summary, he can accept a $2000 sanction with an early plea.
...
Lance Franklin, Sydney Swans, has been charged with Striking Luke Ryan, 2021.

In summary, he can accept a one-match sanction with an early plea.

Based on the available evidence, the incident was assessed as Careless Conduct, Medium Impact, High Contact.

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[TheBloods]

There needs to be less fawning over certain posters and more understanding that when someone on RWO says something like 'he needs to go back to the Academy' it doesn't mean they are 'off him', it means they are just frustrated that his potential is not being delivered upon.....which it wasn't. Frustration can elicit negativity.

Some comments are 'heat of the moment' and to read too much into them to come to the conclusions you do is a folly....and then to act like a font who knew all along while implying that others didn't IS just skiting. RWO is a forum where ideas and thoughts are discussed, not a site for games of 'one-upmanship'.....but I can't stop you if this is your 'thing'.

The only reason TB acknowledges that he is sometimes wrong is because he comes out with occasional extreme statements and predictions (maybe also in the heat of the moment) that are just plain wrong. Most others aren't so extreme or at times brutal in their assessments and as such, have less or nothing to have to 'backtrack' on.

I think we all saw in Blakey unfulfilled potential and that can be extremely frustrating and expressing this frustration is reasonable. It is not 'giving up on' him as you imply. I would suggest that no one has to "jump back on" the bandwagon because no one really actually jumped off it in the first place. They simply expressed frustration.

Personally, I have always been on the Blakey train despite frustration with his progress....and I totally agree with your final sentence.

I dont make extreme statements i say what my opinion is good or bad. I said Blakey was rubbish and miles off it and he was . I said he would end up in the magoos on his form and he did. I said we shouldve signed up others to 2024 before him and we should've. I also said if he lifts and performs well and shuts me up then I would shut up, and he did so I have.

I dont know why Bangalore finds me so brilliant as all i am doing is giving my opinions same as everyone else on here , maybe im harder than some but they are just my opinions . Irony is he is a fan of free speech and doesn tlike cancel culture , to each their own but that is the kind of jargon you hear on Sky news , in which case if Bangalore and i ever met we'd probably not get along as he'd think im a left wing nut . Maybe im a grouch at times but i'd have a pint and talk footy with anyone on here and we should keep our differences limited to just opinions on footy !

[MattW]

Agree that Gulden, Warner and JMac are all looking at great careers in football. But the package that Blakey brings to the game could be best of all. He has to learn how best to use his talent, and I don't see why he should be able to. I can't think of another player going around with his height, high marking ability, burst of speed, running power and kicking skill. There's so much talent for him to harness that it could take a few more years to get it all working right, but when it does, he will be unstoppable.

Agree with everything you say about Blakey, but still think Gulden will be the best of the lot.

He has that super rare champion's intelligence and mentality. The overdue successor to Kirk, but with better skills.

[joeykanga]

Exactly!
10 Isaac Heeney (SYD)
8 Josh Kennedy (SYD)
6 Luke Parker (SYD)
4 Adam Cerra (FRE)
2 Errol Gulden (SYD)

The coaches do have similar names !
longnmuir comes across as a humble clever coach and is one of the ones whose demeanour I enjoy and listening to other than our Longmire

[Markwebbos]

Looks like there was coach collusion in awarding the votes for our game this week.

that’s because both sides are coached by John Longmuir. If you read half of the AFL media anyway

[joeykanga]

that’s because both sides are coached by John Longmuir. If you read half of the AFL media anyway

Very true ! They do tend to get in a tongue twist when they have to rattle off both names in the same news segment

[Ludwig]

Agree with everything you say about Blakey, but still think Gulden will be the best of the lot.

He has that super rare champion's intelligence and mentality. The overdue successor to Kirk, but with better skills.

Blakey COULD become the best of the lot, but Gulden is already there. I'm finding it hard to think of a better 1st year Swan, including past rising star winners. He's a complete package and already a star.

[Industrial Fan]

I’d take Alex Johnson’s debut year, Rampes debut year or even Adam Schneider’s debut year.

Gulden has been very good mind you.

I think Mcinerney will be the pick of our current youngsters personally.

[Nico]

And Gulden hasn't gone into the midfield yet.

[Bangalore Swans]

Blakey COULD become the best of the lot, but Gulden is already there. I'm finding it hard to think of a better 1st year Swan, including past rising star winners. He's a complete package and already a star.

Watching Blakey play at half back reminds me of a Rugby Union Winger or Fullback fielding a kick and running it back. It’s clear that growing up in Sydney and attending Waverley College that Blakey has had some exposure to Rugby. He knows probably far more instinctively than a junior AFL player from Victoria, SA or WA how to run into a gap between defenders or how to bauk and beat a player one on one with ball in hand.

This then allows him to gain and extra 10, 20 or 30 meters before he needs to kick. Then tactic can absolutely destroy a well organised AFL defence, they are not defending deep enough for Blakey’s runs.

It’s probably why Blakey looks more comfortable running towards goal then having his back to goal in the forward line.