Rd 4 vs Port Adelaide @ SCG - Match Thread

[Blood Fever]

You are right that this Buddy fixation has gotten out of hand. I will just have to accept what is and let the chips hall as they may. My constant harping about Buddy is not doing anyone any good, including myself.

Know your heart is in the right place

[gloveski]

100%

I havent noticed it as much in JM but Stephens is clearly told to provide a wide bail out option from defence and when you mark it, hold the ball for the next line to get into position only then you are to kick long down the line.
For a good kick he doesnt have a license to hit up a target or play on.

Modern football the wings are the hardest position to play , lots of unrewarded gut running.


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[Kafka's Ghost]

Cameron and Nankervis didn't get played because we kept winning and making grand finals. Hewitt was a mainstay of our team who developed in the reserves until he was able to play a proper role in the senior team. Played a large majority of his games as a midfielder, not out of position. Mitchell had injuries but was just starting to reach his peak when he played in 2016 GF and then pissed off for more money. We developed Dawson into a gun and then he did the dirty on us. Allir played some good footy for us and was only used in the ruck infrequently.

The coaching staff have done a phenomenal job of developing a very young group into a Grand Final team over a three year period. A lot of our players are still not seasoned, especially a number of our midfielders. You are way too quick to condemn and you are not alone.

Spot on. Some have short memories and forget we also had that ridiculous trading ban for a couple of years. Our team is still very young and still developing. Yesterday was frustrating; it’s not the end of the world.


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[MattW]

All 4 of our 2013 national draft picks are now successfully playing for other clubs (Jones, Hewitt, Nankervis and Aliir). On one hand, it says that our drafting is pretty good, but on the other hand, we haven't managed the development of our players very well and have made some poor decisions in this regard along the way.

Longmire noted in his press conference our predictable and poor entry into our forward 50. We all know that, and have known that for quite some time. In the minds of our players, the game plan is to move the ball quickly then kick it long to Buddy who will pull off a miracle goal, like he's done his whole career. If there's no Buddy to kick to, then everything changes. Everyone plays to a different plan. It doesn't pay to go too deeply into many individual performances until this is resolved and we can evaluate how the team plays without Buddy.

We devoted the past 2 drafts to adding midfielders to our list. These drafts will be wasted unless we find a way to play them. Roberts got a few games as the sub. He should be a good player in due course. Sheldrick has been a strong contested player in the VFL and looks a natural inside mid. HHK is likely to produce inconsistent performances early in his career, but he has a lot of talent and is a good option for replacing under-performing outside mids, e.g. if we wanted to replace Cunningham or McInerney.

We have serious problem picking up the coverage of smaller players in our defensive 50. There's always someone loose, even after we've had time to go back and set up. There have been some comments regarding on field leadership, and this could be part of the problem. We also have been poor for some time with our defensive 50 stoppages.

We have to make the most of these kind of losses by fixing the problems these kind of games reveal. I have long held that team selection is more about picking the best team than the best 22 players. And it's not just about the next game, but the best future.

Thanks.

I'm convinced re Buddy, sadly.

[dejavoodoo44]

You are right that this Buddy fixation has gotten out of hand. I will just have to accept what is and let the chips hall as they may. My constant harping about Buddy is not doing anyone any good, including myself.

I don't know. It's an obvious conversation topic at the moment and trying not to talk about his lack of form, will probably be as successful as trying to stop people from complaining about umpiring decisions.

FWIW, probably the best spin that can be put on it, is that he didn't train much during the pre-season and he isn't match fit. Therefore, once he gets fitter, he should find form. Obviously not the form of his peak years, but maybe better than, say, 80% of the tall forwards in the competition. Then the question becomes where does he play while he builds his fitness base: starting team, sub, or reserves? I can see arguments for each option.

Of course, the other main possibility is that his decline is much more age related, rather than a fixable lack of fitness. Then what do the coaching staff do, if it becomes increasingly clear that he can no longer beat the best defender? Recently, I've been thinking that he should largely be used as a decoy. That is, perhaps the fact that the best defender is still likely to be on Buddy, could be used to our advantage, by stressing to our other forwards to lead well away from him or that he leads away from them. You'd also have to make sure that our midfielders know that he's no longer our prime target.

Which might be easier said than done. Firstly, somebody has to have the conversation, along the lines of; 'Okay, Bud, while we appreciate your efforts, it looks like you're not really up to it any more, so ...'

Though it's possible that conversation has already happened. One of the ABC Radio commentators last night, said how strange it was watching a champ without his swagger. And watching him on the replay, he did seem at times to lack confidence. Which must be a strange feeling, for someone who's probably spent most of their career, justifiably believing that they're the best forward going around, but now possibly knowing that he's no longer the best forward in the team. And would that doubt further hasten his decline?

Actually, the way we played last night, suggests that conversation hasn't already happened. What with McDonald and especially Amartey often being in the same area as Buddy, and our midfielders constantly putting it on top of his head. So, if the seeming lack of confidence is through self awareness of his own poor form, could that confidence be boosted by a spell in the reserves? Again, probably another conversation that nobody really wants to have.

Anyway, I don't really think I've any solutions, but unless his form dramatically and suddenly improves, it is going to be the subject of much conversation and conjecture.

[stevoswan]

One of those umpires tonight, the blond one who spends too much time in the gym was appalling and full of so full of himself too.

Yep, he's the one I call 'pretty boy'. I seriously can't fathom how he is seen as a viable top level umpire....unless cheating is part of the job description. Every time I see him officiating one of our matches, I shudder.

[stevoswan]

Gee Buddy was horrible (again). Should have retired last year. He needs to call it quits and let us build the forward line without him.

Been a great of the game but time to go.

I agree. It would be sad....but it would make sense and be very noble. Just don't think he's got it in him to be that noble. His confidence in himself may not let him.....and he has plenty of reason for self confidence....but seriously, the writing is on the wall.

[stevoswan]

Or trade him while he has currency his ankle is completely shot and is on huge money could get another mid and defender.

So you know for a fact that Heeney's "ankle is completely shot"?

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Really awful re Paddy and his family seeing him in distress.

Reddit has a thread about the incident..

Majority on it including some Swans followers, are saying AFL and Swans were negligent for allowing him to play after St Kilda delisted him.

Most are also saying he should retire immediately to protect what quality of life he has left, given the incident looked relatively minor (compared to a knee in the head, I guess). Paddy did have a red eye socket it wasn’t that minor (or the turf was really hard).

I noticed that the red eye socket was on the right (and where his head hit the grass) but he grabbed at his left side of his head when he was on the grass? Did anyone else see that?

Not an expert but that looked bad to me - suggesting neurological damage from previous concussions and he was confused about what side the pain is at or he was grabbibg, or he genuinely felt agony/shock in the left side of his brain from the jolt.

Anyway, hope he recovers soon and that it has no long term impacts on his health. We probably won’t get any news about his recovery for several days, but will be hoping the news is as good as it can be, when they finally tell us anything.

It didn't look good at all that such an innocuous light contact could cause so much distress. I know he won't want to but I wouldn't be surprised if a retirement announcement is coming. Real sad if it does.

[stevoswan]

Just read Jeremy Findlayson's wife is terminally ill with cancer. Puts things into perspective.

Yeah, I knew that so it was hard to be angry at him for kicking the winning goal. Pretty gutsy even being out there playing. Life can throw some curveballs...they have a young daughter as well. I wish all of them well.

[waswan]

Fwd line woes and how they all work together are overblown

We kick straight, the game is in the bag at the half and no one is talking about how they do or dont work together

2 weeks in a row fwds not making the most of opportunities

Frustrating game, sometimes when we are doing it easily, like in the 1st half, you can just tell its going to bite us

[Blood Fever]

Fwd line woes and how they all work together are overblown

We kick straight, the game is in the bag at the half and no one is talking about how they do or dont work together

2 weeks in a row fwds not making the most of opportunities

Frustrating game, sometimes when we are doing it easily, like in the 1st half, you can just tell its going to bite us

Kicking straight is so important and often just glossed over. Our pressure and effort were very good. Even in last year's Prelim we should have blown Collingwood away in first half. If we kick straight no way they get close. Not to mention 2021 final v giants.

On the other hand we kicked 14.7 to 11.15 in 2012 GF. Can be that simple.

[Captain]

Just read Jeremy Findlayson's wife is terminally ill with cancer. Puts things into perspective.

Absolutely! Shocking for them.

[stevoswan]

I love the way Horse opens the post match presser......"They get two free kick goals and it changes momentum". He doesn't like talking about umpiring.....for obvious reasons but that is code for 'two gifts that robbed us'. He acknowledges that we didn't play great but I reckon he is fuming inside about the maggots in yellow and it's not like it hasn't happened before FFS.

[MattW]

I don't know. It's an obvious conversation topic at the moment and trying not to talk about his lack of form, will probably be as successful as trying to stop people from complaining about umpiring decisions.

FWIW, probably the best spin that can be put on it, is that he didn't train much during the pre-season and he isn't match fit. Therefore, once he gets fitter, he should find form. Obviously not the form of his peak years, but maybe better than, say, 80% of the tall forwards in the competition. Then the question becomes where does he play while he builds his fitness base: starting team, sub, or reserves? I can see arguments for each option.

Of course, the other main possibility is that his decline is much more age related, rather than a fixable lack of fitness. Then what do the coaching staff do, if it becomes increasingly clear that he can no longer beat the best defender? Recently, I've been thinking that he should largely be used as a decoy. That is, perhaps the fact that the best defender is still likely to be on Buddy, could be used to our advantage, by stressing to our other forwards to lead well away from him or that he leads away from them. You'd also have to make sure that our midfielders know that he's no longer our prime target.

Which might be easier said than done. Firstly, somebody has to have the conversation, along the lines of; 'Okay, Bud, while we appreciate your efforts, it looks like you're not really up to it any more, so ...'

Though it's possible that conversation has already happened. One of the ABC Radio commentators last night, said how strange it was watching a champ without his swagger. And watching him on the replay, he did seem at times to lack confidence. Which must be a strange feeling, for someone who's probably spent most of their career, justifiably believing that they're the best forward going around, but now possibly knowing that he's no longer the best forward in the team. And would that doubt further hasten his decline?

Actually, the way we played last night, suggests that conversation hasn't already happened. What with McDonald and especially Amartey often being in the same area as Buddy, and our midfielders constantly putting it on top of his head. So, if the seeming lack of confidence is through self awareness of his own poor form, could that confidence be boosted by a spell in the reserves? Again, probably another conversation that nobody really wants to have.

Anyway, I don't really think I've any solutions, but unless his form dramatically and suddenly improves, it is going to be the subject of much conversation and conjecture.

Great post, mate.

I agree that the conversation hasn't happened. Last night seemed like the plan was just to play our three best available talls. I suspect the dysfunction of it, and Buddy's performance in particular, must have been quite bracing for the coaching staff.

I'm intrigued as to how we handle selection and strategy next Friday night, which is must win to keep the season on track, with Geelong the following week.

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Kicking straight is so important and often just glossed over. Our pressure and effort were very good. Even in last year's Prelim we should have blown Collingwood away in first half. If we kick straight no way they get close. Not to mention 2021 final v giants.

On the other hand we kicked 14.7 to 11.15 in 2012 GF. Can be that simple.

Yes.

[Kafka's Ghost]

Kicking straight is so important and often just glossed over. Our pressure and effort were very good. Even in last year's Prelim we should have blown Collingwood away in first half. If we kick straight no way they get close. Not to mention 2021 final v giants.

On the other hand we kicked 14.7 to 11.15 in 2012 GF. Can be that simple.

Spot on. Should have been 4+ goals in front at 3/4 time, but opportunities wasted. That around-the-corner kick from Heeney…, and Buddy missing one from 30m out…,. Although he’s done that his whole career.


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