Rd 6 vs Hawthorn @ Launceston - Match Thread

[AB Swannie]

What a game from Callum Mills. How can a player do so much so easily while still being so unassuming? Super, super, super player.

[Bangalore Swans]

I believe that was Bangalore's brother.

Interestingly enough my brother does work in the media, but not in AFL football.

[707]

That was a great illustration of how you can go to ground to attack the ball without crashing into the legs of an opponent.

Parker was great but I had Ladhams as my second best on ground. How wonderful to find out that last week wasn't just a one off. Hickey might struggle to get back into the team...

Ladhams has lifted from his Port days, seems determined and committed now. Reckon we'll be tempted to play both but with time on bench for both, meaning our first grade rucks will still be fresh in the last quarter, rather than worn down. Both offer a lot as giant mids.

Great that Ronke is regaining form, adds another dangerous small forward. Agree Bell's senior tenure must be coming to and end.

[Bangalore Swans]

Ladhams has lifted from his Port days, seems determined and committed now. Reckon we'll be tempted to play both but with time on bench for both, meaning our first grade rucks will still be fresh in the last quarter, rather than worn down. Both offer a lot as giant mids.

Great that Ronke is regaining form, adds another dangerous small forward. Agree Bell's senior tenure must be coming to and end.

I don’t know if you can play Hickey and Ladhams in the same team. Our forward line would lack mobility in that scenario.

This will become a terrific debate in a few weeks time.

[707]

I don’t know if you can play Hickey and Ladhams in the same team. Our forward line would lack mobility in that scenario.

This will become a terrific debate in a few weeks time.

90% of time only one on the ground, rest of time on the bench. We are not using our rotation quota so that would work. It helps having a lot of high endurance players who stay on most of the time. Your key rucks stay fresher during the game and during the season, most important when you get to finals, you don't have just a single worn down ruckman. Both players look very influencial at this stage, albeit Hickey injured, and both surprisingly are doing plenty at ground level.

[neilfws]

I thought that was a great win in the end. Horrible start, but the signs were more encouraging even by late Q2. All they had to do was execute better and kick straighter, and so they did!

These shocking first halves are never fun for fans, but what I like about these Swans is that they don't get dejected or lose belief. They just get on with trying to make it better.

McLean just doing the basics well once again: stand tall, contest, kick straight. Another good outing for Ronke. And let's hope Paddy is OK. Tom's concern is always very touching to see, he was right there checking on him after that first big collision.

Had a bit of a laugh at David King proclaiming that Rampe never gives team mates a spray - I've seen it more than once!

[Scottee]

I think that win will provide a lot of confidence amongst the players in the ability of the side to fight back from well behind.

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[rojo]

Reflecting further on today's game it is sobering to remember that 8 of our players today, Blakey, Tom McC, Justin, Rowie, Chad, Campbell, Gulden and Logan are all aged 22 years and under. There's a lot of inexperience there especially when you add in Ronke, McLean, Paddy McC, Ladhams and Bell! Of those 13 players, Tom and Nick Blakey are the only ones to have played more than 50 games.

Message to myself, be amazed that they are doing so well and a little less critical of the shortcomings!

[TheBloods]

Have been hard on Mclean , thought he was ok today , not his fault we target Bud too much

[Nico]

I think we kept them in it with our inaccurate kicking. At one stage it was 13-5 inside 50. We were controlling play just not putting it on the scoreboard. At one stage in the third, David King commented that if we got our @@@@ together as far as scoarboard pressure was concerned the floodgates would open. They did. But we had to wait until the last.

We had 25 more inside 50 for the game. We dominated play from the 15 minute mark of the first. But we did not convert. We spent over 53% of the last 3 quarters in possession. Our game in possession was 46%, theirs 37. We had over 50 more disposals. The fact is, if we had converted the majority of our opportunities, instead of bombing long to their defenders again and again for 3 quarters, we would have won by far more. That was King's point. He realised we were smashing thrm everywhere but the scoreboard. In the last, we finally converted. Why? Because, we hit up targets.

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When we were getting beaten our forwards were playing behind and sometimes deep expecting our players to kick the ball 80 metres to them. Of course they fell short and got picked off by the Dawks backs.

[mcs]

Reflecting further on today's game it is sobering to remember that 8 of our players today, Blakey, Tom McC, Justin, Rowie, Chad, Campbell, Gulden and Logan are all aged 22 years and under. There's a lot of inexperience there especially when you add in Ronke, McLean, Paddy McC, Ladhams and Bell! Of those 13 players, Tom and Nick Blakey are the only ones to have played more than 50 games.

Message to myself, be amazed that they are doing so well and a little less critical of the shortcomings!

It's pretty astounding for mine.

I don't see AFL 360 all that often as we don't have fox at home, but I did watch it tonight on the hotel tv to see the few minutes on our game. Key point Wheately and Robinson had was the ability to find our way into the game by firstly wrestling control and then eventually coming over the top was the mark of a mature footy team. Almost as if to some degree we are well towards our peak as a current squad.

Juxta-postioned against the makeup of the team and it seems such a strange co-existence. We are still in many regards far from a mature team.

We have some great leaders in the team sure with experience, but so much of where we are headed is being driven by the Cygnets, many of whom are truly still babies in terms of their career.

I think they missed the real nuance to the point - it's not a case of the current team being anywhere near a mature team. We have an enormous amount of growth and improvement to come.

It is the case of a team that, collectively have a level of maturity and poise way beyond the sum of the individual parts at this time in many of their careers.

That to me is the most promising sign of the first 6 weeks this year. Not that we've been anywhere near our best, or indeed had completely dominant performances. But that we as a team are learning how to win ugly, how to find no situation too hard to build our way out of, find a way forward.

The more complete performances will come in time, where we will some days utterly obliterate teams. But to win flags you need to know how to take any situation, no matter how desperate, how difficult it may be, and find a way forward.

The ugly win against North and today will be huge in time for these Cygnets. And much like that game a decade ago against the Hawks at the same ground, where we flicked a switch and went bang, bang bang and ripped the contest apart, we did so again today. Let's hope there are more comparisons to come to 2012 yet.

[Maltopia]

Hun in Melbourne questioning Franklin bumping umpire. In the words of Sergeant Schultz, ‘I know nothing.’ Saw nothing on TV and it wasn’t mentioned during broadcast. Anyone know more?

There was a play where Ladhams got a free kick, but Lance was pretty much in the same play trying to play on, running from the right side of goal towards right in front. As he ran with the ball, he bumped into an umpire. Was a low to medium force bump but no harm.

[Foreign Legion]

It's pretty astounding for mine.

I don't see AFL 360 all that often as we don't have fox at home, but I did watch it tonight on the hotel tv to see the few minutes on our game. Key point Wheately and Robinson had was the ability to find our way into the game by firstly wrestling control and then eventually coming over the top was the mark of a mature footy team. Almost as if to some degree we are well towards our peak as a current squad.

Juxta-postioned against the makeup of the team and it seems such a strange co-existence. We are still in many regards far from a mature team.

We have some great leaders in the team sure with experience, but so much of where we are headed is being driven by the Cygnets, many of whom are truly still babies in terms of their career.

I think they missed the real nuance to the point - it's not a case of the current team being anywhere near a mature team. We have an enormous amount of growth and improvement to come.

It is the case of a team that, collectively have a level of maturity and poise way beyond the sum of the individual parts at this time in many of their careers.

That to me is the most promising sign of the first 6 weeks this year. Not that we've been anywhere near our best, or indeed had completely dominant performances. But that we as a team are learning how to win ugly, how to find no situation too hard to build our way out of, find a way forward.

The more complete performances will come in time, where we will some days utterly obliterate teams. But to win flags you need to know how to take any situation, no matter how desperate, how difficult it may be, and find a way forward.

The ugly win against North and today will be huge in time for these Cygnets. And much like that game a decade ago against the Hawks at the same ground, where we flicked a switch and went bang, bang bang and ripped the contest apart, we did so again today. Let's hope there are more comparisons to come to 2012 yet.

Great summation mcs!

Next week will be massive but as supporters I think we can enjoy the bloody good fightback from a terrible start!

[Bangalore Swans]

Anyone concerned about Cunningham’s form? Chad W got a hold of him early.

[Nico]

What gems we have in Gulden, Warner and Campbell.

Gulden is a rolls royce - nobody I'd rather have ball in hand looking to deliver inside 50 (or anywhere on the ground, really).

There's an article on the AFL site, which notes, with incredulity, that Warner has just played 20 games. *Twenty games*. He plays with a deserved confidence - I suspect he's been breaking tackles and bombing goals from 50 for many years and he's quickly found he can do it at AFL level too. The Parker heir apparent; what a joy.

I'm Uninformed was spot on with the previous post on Campbell - I found myself reflecting during the game that I already feel confident when he's defending one-on-one. He's tenacious in the contest and going to win the possession if it's contested at ground level in that situation.

I wonder how many of Buddy's 1007 he's kicked with his right - under 50? I enjoyed that one to get his day back on track.

It's true, as someone mentioned, that Ladhams overcame a more junior opponent. Still, I thought he was excellent around the ground again. I think he's absorbing the lessons already. Encouraging.

Really pleased for Joey. Props to Ludwig for the spot on call re medical sub.

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It could be argued that Ladhams at 22 is still a junior ruckman. His centre clearances in the last quarter were telling.