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I think it is interesting that Ben Ronke has had two quiet weeks. Based on my observation in the games he played when Papley was not there he was far deeper into the forward line, attacking and kicked more goals. Once Papley was there Ronke has played much higher up the field, with far less opportunities. At the end of the day we generally measure forwards on scoring with things like tackles or pressure acts a distant second, and I do feel for Ronke as fans are now criticizing him when he was only following the team plan. In my view he is much more of a Papley type player and in fact on form was going better than Papley at it. However he has now been pushed up field for the defensive forward role, that I think is not his best contribution. I actually think Ronke could become a much more valuable player if he was able to play the deeper papley type role.
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One major reason Wolf- not good enough. Admittedly he has been HF or on the wing in the run of games he’s had, but unfortunately showed no signs that he would make it as a mid. I’m assuming he has played there in the ressies and his possession count was healthy, but that doesn’t translate to the seniors. We have better options who should be given some games.Comment
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All the forwards had a quiet week. In fact, the Swans' offense had a quiet week. It was more than quiet; it was tranquilizing. I don't know why Ronke has been singled out for criticism. At least Nico put the torch to Hayward, even though I disagree. Except for that nice goal he kicked, Papley hasn't done much since he returned. But we are all happy to give him time to pick up the pace of the game.
There is so much wrong with the way we are playing it's hard to know where to start. We are not winning enough ball in the midfield and we're turning it over far too much. We just can't win games like that, and our forward line isn't going to be looking too good with the unimaginative ball movement forward.
I think the blame should fall on the coaching staff rather than the players. Perhaps with 2 consecutive short weeks it's hard to make adjustments. So that falls on the unfavourable fixture we got from the AFL. Longmire intimated that we needed to look at our preparation coming off short weeks, which is something I wanted before we even went into the short weeks. We also need to batten down the game plan to better adjust to opposition defenses, so we don't get dominated and drop out of the game before halftime.
There was this perplexing line from the injury report. Maybe it's time for Harry to see the doc:
The club is still yet to diagnose the hip/abdomen problem suffered by Cunningham against Brisbane in round seven.
There was no mention of Sheather, who went out after halftime with a back complaint. I hope he's okay, because he's been playing well since moving into defence.
I wouldn't mind seeing COR and Clarke into the side this week. Both look to be in good form. I'm sure some regulars could use a week off. As Wolftone suggested, Buddy had a bad one and could also use a week off. We have another 6 day break after this game, so we might look to rest players that look tired, rather than have them play another lethargic game.Comment
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I agree with this. Play Ronke close to goal....he's a proven goal kicker. So is Paps but he's rusty, so get him into the midfield and get him involved. He can rest in the forward line but maybe on a flank for the time being to keep Ronke close to goal.
There will come a time when they will both terrorise opposing defenders close to goal together but Paps needs to find form first. The match committees assumption that Paps would be instantly effective in his first match back has proven to be hopeful and short sighted.Comment
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I agree that a lot of the “lethargy” could be due to overtraining during short weeks. It is hard to imagine that the majority of our players can lose form at the same time and appear listless. Horse and co need to have a good look at themselves and maybe lighten up the training. They need to help our blokes get their enthusiasm back and to enjoy the game.Comment
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True, he hasn’t played in the mids, but he’s played on the wing- not the same, I know. The trouble with Bell is that he doesn’t handle the ball cleanly and is indecisive when he does get it. His disposals are not very good.
We may as well play Clarke, who does rack up possessions in midfield, as his delivery is no worse than Bell’s.
But if you think Bell deserves a shot in the mid, please support your argument with something specific, rather than just saying he hasn’t had a chance! The spot has to be earned.Comment
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If that's the case you want to make for Bell, then you've made even a stronger case for Clarke and Taylor to come into the senior midfield. What would you think about that? How would you rank Clarke, Bell and Taylor as midfielders?
I can't see Bell replacing Mills or Parker in the midfield, so that would mean that Bell moves ahead of Warner as our 3rd inside mid and Chad goes to the wing, I suppose. I'm not too keen on that move, as Chad provides that much needed burst of power from centre stoppages.
I would love to see Bell succeed, but he just hasn't performed very well at AFL level, and he's probably been given more chances than most of our fringe players to prove himself. I would like to see Bell string together some dominant performances in the VFL before giving him another go at AFL level. He needs to show that his game has moved to a higher level and it's not going to be the same old thing if he's elevated.Comment
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Clarke and Taylor have hardly played since 2020. Bell has been the one given the most chances. Clarke and Bell are working hard in the VFL side. Taylor gets possessions, but plays like a man who knows that he's getting delisted. His disposal has been poor and he doesn't play with the energy he had in days past. I feel bad for Taylor. It turned out to be a poor move for him coming to the Swans. It hasn't helped his career and he hasn't helped the Swans. A bit of bad luck on both sides.
Our midfield is a work in progress. We have had lots of players rotating through the midfield.Here are the CBAs from last week:
Sydney 22 – Peter Ladhams 18, Luke Parker 17, Callum Mills 16, Chad Warner 13, James Rowbottom 9, Tom Papley 6, Hayden McLean 4, Josh P Kennedy 2, Justin McInerney 1, Isaac Heeney 1, Errol Gulden 1.
I looks about right to me, although we had less variety than usual. Florent played mostly in defence and JMac looked tired last game. I think we tried to get Papley in the game a bit more. Like previously posted, Mills, Parker and Warner look like the top 3 for now. The rest will be a mix and match from week to week, depending if we are looking for defensive matchups or more burst from stoppages. I think we are all watching and learning.Last edited by Ludwig; 10 May 2022, 08:07 PM.Comment
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