Match thread: Swans v Giants.

[neilfws]

I had this one down as a danger game and now I wonder why...it was certainly the woeful Giants who turned up. Something is badly wrong when you don't score for almost 2 quarters.

The Swans were very good across the board. I especially enjoyed watching Gulden, Blakey and the McCartins yesterday.

My only concern was that it wasn't much of a challenge, but I think it was as much the Swans playing well as the Giants playing badly. Some of the Swans ball movement across the ground yesterday was just a joy to watch.

Very few Giants fans there, the opposition bay near the city goals was reasonably full but not much else, and they were very quiet. I have been at games where they've had more voice and made up perhaps 1/3 of the crowd, so the absence was very apparent.

So is next week the danger game now? The Swans did almost conspire to lose their last North game, but I don't see that happening again. Feels like they are quite settled and composed just now, and have adjusted successfully with different strategies in the last few games. I'm starting to believe in the top 4!

[Markwebbos]

Was that the first time Chad was tagged from the get go? He had a pretty handy first Q considering and when he got the ball after that played with an insane amount of confidence.

The Mongrel Punt is pretty scathing about the lack of effort from GW$ mids and fwds

I’d expect North to put in a better performance than that.

Pies is going to be massive. Do we want them to win or lose v Dees next week? (I see they’ll have 2 days more than us to recover / prepare)

[707]

Was that the first time Chad was tagged from the get go? He had a pretty handy first Q considering and when he got the ball after that played with an insane amount of confidence.

The Mongrel Punt is pretty scathing about the lack of effort from GW$ mids and fwds

I’d expect North to put in a better performance than that.

Pies is going to be massive. Do we want them to win or lose v Dees next week? (I see they’ll have 2 days more than us to recover / prepare)

Want Pies to win by under a goal again! We have Pies well covered for % and could do with a Dees loss to draw level on points with them.

If Pies winning streak extends, it means their next loss is closer ;-)

[Goal Sneak]

Was that the first time Chad was tagged from the get go? He had a pretty handy first Q considering and when he got the ball after that played with an insane amount of confidence.

The Mongrel Punt is pretty scathing about the lack of effort from GW$ mids and fwds

I’d expect North to put in a better performance than that.

Pies is going to be massive. Do we want them to win or lose v Dees next week? (I see they’ll have 2 days more than us to recover / prepare)

I really like the idea of the Swans snapping the Pies winning streak. I'll never forget that run of wins they had against us, travelling out to Homebush only to come home defeated time and time again.

[Agent 86]

I had this one down as a danger game and now I wonder why...it was certainly the woeful Giants who turned up. Something is badly wrong when you don't score for almost 2 quarters…

…So is next week the danger game now?…

You were right the first time. This was a danger game. At least up until around 2:30 pm on Saturday.

I’m still not sure if we were really good - or of they were really bad. But it was important that we got out of the blocks well - and we certainly did not disappoint.

As for Norf, with 3 games to go in the H&A part of the season, they’re all danger games. Have a nap & you’re in strife. I’m looking forward to our next home game, but until then - this one’s critical (cue the cliches …)

[Hotpotato]

Their skill level and confidence of the whole group has really headed north since the Bombers game.

Stunning winters day.

At the players gate (afterwards) our kids got photos with Heeney, Sam, Paps, Paddy and Millsy….

Kick to kick on dry ground .

It’s a cool family club.

[Maltopia]

Want Pies to win by under a goal again! We have Pies well covered for % and could do with a Dees loss to draw level on points with them.

If Pies winning streak extends, it means their next loss is closer ;-)

Dees have 5.1 percentage points on us. We want the Pies to have a larger win and then still lose to us. That gets us to third spot if we win all our games (and we get enough percentage gain).

We can finish second if Melbourne and Brisbane each drop one game (and they play each other in round 22 or 23) and we make up the 5.1 percentage on Melbourne.

If Melbourne lose to Brisbane and Collingwood, and Richmond beat Brisbane today, that also takes us to 2nd if we win all our games by similar or better margins than Brisbane’s wins (as we are just ahead by percentage now and they will lose a bit if they lose to Richmond).

I will admit I was one of who was questioning if we were a top 8 team for several weeks and had no idea we could be a genuine chance to finish in the top 2!

[joeykanga]

I agree. Also provides emergency ruck assistance for hobbled Hickey. I want McDonald in and doing well, but I'd be a little surprised if they dropped Amartey.

- - - Updated - - -

Just a mention for Stephens. That's as poised as I've seen him and he kicked well. The run of games has done him the world of good.

I'm so impressed with Stephens..it really does seem to have been a confidence thing for him and just having a run of matches where his influence has been strong has him feeling more confident in his ability and role..he really has done some one per centers where he's tapped the ball along the ground out to an exit or where he's run a long way to jump and fist the ball away..he's an absolute running machine and you could see a different body language to him after this game as he mingled after the siren feeling like he was part of the team.

[cruiser]

If there were a couple of hundred Giant supporters there I would be surprised. A very poor turnout by them.Its hard to fathom what is happening at that club with coach sacked, players talking of leaving and salary cap issues.

A manufactured club with very little support in Sydney - If they have 30,000 members I am unsure of where they are - they don't go to games.

I think the AFL needs to start giving serious consideration to permanently relocating the Giants to Canberra.

[Ludwig]

I think the AFL needs to start giving serious consideration to permanently relocating the Giants to Canberra.

Send them to Tasmania.

We can take over their academy zone.

[Velour&Ruffles]

TheBloods and I have come to an arrangement whereby he won't be mentioning Rowbottom - good, bad or ugly - at least for the foreseeable future. So can I ask everyone else to stop goading him into making comment on James, or assuming that when he doesn't, he is criticising by omission. This way, TheBloods isn't coerced into making comments that he doesn't believe in but still has another 45 odd players on the list to talk about, and everyone else can talk about Rowbottom, however they see fit (within obvious reason).

I did make a request for people to stop baiting in last week's matchday thread, but now I'm being more explicit. Let's all enjoy RWO and cut the Rowbottom argy bargy out.

Thanks Liz - understood.

[Captain]

Happy to admit I was wrong in thinking JPK for Rowbottom. He played a blinder yesterday, absolute tacking machine.

[cruiser]

Yay Richmond (I don’t say that very often)!

[troyjones2525]

Cool, cool.

Are we allowed know when Bangalore’s being released from the dungeon? I kinda miss the big goofball.

+1

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[MattW]

Send them to Tasmania.

We can take over their academy zone.

The Giants are actually sinking some decent roots here in Canberra. Developing a following in school children and the crowd average at Manuka is much higher than Homebush. It's become a Giants town amongst young families (ie those who, unlike me, haven't brought an allegiance in).

If they invested in Manuka and called it a Canberra team, they could average at least 18k.