Tweet
Saints Squander, Sydney Go Under
Pictures Courtesy of Norris Lurker
When Swan's players Schneider and Dempster were traded to St Kilda, the first match between these two clubs was always going to be keenly anticipated. It just so happened that they met in round 1 of the 2008 season.
Full of renewed optimism, enthusiasm and hope of a new season I flew south to the Telstra Dome to watch Sydney tackle St Kilda. After hearing prior to the match that we were going to play a more adventurous style of play and 'hopefully' kick more goals one would think that if the Swans were to keep a side goaless in 2 quarters of football we would come out victorious. Problem is, when we manage to only kick 6 goals and not break the half century scoring mark in perfectly fine conditions it was apparent that the pre game prediction of more goals was simply a ruse or was that a 'Roos'?!?'
For one of the few times in the past few seasons, we went into the game as rank outsiders. The hot running, youthful pre season champions were supposed to be too fast and too potent up forward for our aging list. The first 20 minutes of the match was confirming the punters correct. It only took just over 30 seconds from the opening bounce for the Saints to take the ball straight from the middle and hit Reiwoldt on the chest for the first goal. For the first 20 minutes of the match, we could barely get the ball inside our forward 50 and was trailing 20-0. After trailing 11-3 early in the free kick count, it took 3 consecutive free kicks in quick time for our first goal to Grundy. At quarter time, St Kilda were looking ominous leading 27-7. The Saints were choking up our defensive half well and pressuring the ball carrier all over the ground. Our poor disposal around the ground was allowing the Saints to rebound the ball quickly back into their forward 50 and we were lucky to be only trailing by 20 points. Even more concerning was the stat that we had only entered our forward 50 five times for the quarter.
One would think that a gale force breeze was blowing to the Lockett end of the ground as the second quarter was a mirror image of the first bar the team's colours. It was time for a Goodes or Hall to stand up and be counted and in the past that is what we would have expected. Enter Kieran Jack. Our 3 2nd quarter goals were all contributed to by Jack. Firstly Buchanan, then a left foot ripping pass by Jack to Hall and finally a Jack pass to Jolly and then long into J. Bolton. Jack's speed and ball use stood out in the second quarter and finally the Swan's faithful had something to cheer about. Teddy and C.Bolton were getting on top of Kosi and Riewoldt respectively and Kennelly was running the ball from defence. At half time, the scores were tied at 30 apiece.
The second half maintained the trend of the first, goals to the Lockett end and none to the Coventry end. St Kilda started the third quarter well with a terrific mark and goal to Kosi. The Swan's forward line was again looking crowded and ineffectual. Hall was looking sharper on the lead than in 07 but was again a victim of some poor delivery and poor marking on his part. The dour, game needed a spark and once again it was a first gamer in Clinton Jones for the Saints to deliver it in spades. A long pass into the foward line sent Jones and former Crow turned Swan Marty Mattner on a collision course. Both Jones and Mattner maintained their focus on the ball with Jones arriving just moments before Mattner, taking the mark and colliding. Schneider had a relatively quiet game up until this moment but sensed his chance. He accepted the handpass from Jones and delivered a trademark Schneids left foot bomb from 50 sailing through the middle for a goal lifting the Saints to a 2 goal lead at three quarter time 46-34.
The last quarter was one of missed opportunites for both sides. St Kilda kicked 5 behinds and once again were held goaless whilst for the Swans, Nick Davis and Jarred Moore both had chances in the dying stages to win the game for the Swans off their own boot only for the ball to narrowly go wide. In season 07 and now in 08 Swans and close matches do not seem to bring about a winning result and this will need to change to be a genuine top contender as once again the Swans go down in a close match 51-49.
For the Swans Craig Bolton and Ted Richards performed well on the Saint's twin towers. Kennelly was perhaps our standout from half back whilst O'Keefe presented hard and young Kieran Jack showed real promise. Disappointingly Goodes was kept to only 7 touches and one goal by Leigh Fisher, O'Loughlin was barely sighted up forward and held goaless whilst Hall, Buchanan, Grundy, Buchanan, Bolton and Davis all kicked one goal. I find it hard to know where this performance rates for the Swans and perhaps we will only know where to rank it once we see how they play on Sunday against Port Adelaide. Do we take Roo's post match statement that we can be as positive as we can be about a loss or are there real danger signs of an ineffectual forward line and opposititon sides finding it too easy to clog us up and choke us up?
We shall find out in the next few weeks.
BY Matt Hope
Pictures Courtesy of Norris LurkerWhen Swan's players Schneider and Dempster were traded to St Kilda, the first match between these two clubs was always going to be keenly anticipated. It just so happened that they met in round 1 of the 2008 season.
Full of renewed optimism, enthusiasm and hope of a new season I flew south to the Telstra Dome to watch Sydney tackle St Kilda. After hearing prior to the match that we were going to play a more adventurous style of play and 'hopefully' kick more goals one would think that if the Swans were to keep a side goaless in 2 quarters of football we would come out victorious. Problem is, when we manage to only kick 6 goals and not break the half century scoring mark in perfectly fine conditions it was apparent that the pre game prediction of more goals was simply a ruse or was that a 'Roos'?!?'
For one of the few times in the past few seasons, we went into the game as rank outsiders. The hot running, youthful pre season champions were supposed to be too fast and too potent up forward for our aging list. The first 20 minutes of the match was confirming the punters correct. It only took just over 30 seconds from the opening bounce for the Saints to take the ball straight from the middle and hit Reiwoldt on the chest for the first goal. For the first 20 minutes of the match, we could barely get the ball inside our forward 50 and was trailing 20-0. After trailing 11-3 early in the free kick count, it took 3 consecutive free kicks in quick time for our first goal to Grundy. At quarter time, St Kilda were looking ominous leading 27-7. The Saints were choking up our defensive half well and pressuring the ball carrier all over the ground. Our poor disposal around the ground was allowing the Saints to rebound the ball quickly back into their forward 50 and we were lucky to be only trailing by 20 points. Even more concerning was the stat that we had only entered our forward 50 five times for the quarter.
One would think that a gale force breeze was blowing to the Lockett end of the ground as the second quarter was a mirror image of the first bar the team's colours. It was time for a Goodes or Hall to stand up and be counted and in the past that is what we would have expected. Enter Kieran Jack. Our 3 2nd quarter goals were all contributed to by Jack. Firstly Buchanan, then a left foot ripping pass by Jack to Hall and finally a Jack pass to Jolly and then long into J. Bolton. Jack's speed and ball use stood out in the second quarter and finally the Swan's faithful had something to cheer about. Teddy and C.Bolton were getting on top of Kosi and Riewoldt respectively and Kennelly was running the ball from defence. At half time, the scores were tied at 30 apiece.
The second half maintained the trend of the first, goals to the Lockett end and none to the Coventry end. St Kilda started the third quarter well with a terrific mark and goal to Kosi. The Swan's forward line was again looking crowded and ineffectual. Hall was looking sharper on the lead than in 07 but was again a victim of some poor delivery and poor marking on his part. The dour, game needed a spark and once again it was a first gamer in Clinton Jones for the Saints to deliver it in spades. A long pass into the foward line sent Jones and former Crow turned Swan Marty Mattner on a collision course. Both Jones and Mattner maintained their focus on the ball with Jones arriving just moments before Mattner, taking the mark and colliding. Schneider had a relatively quiet game up until this moment but sensed his chance. He accepted the handpass from Jones and delivered a trademark Schneids left foot bomb from 50 sailing through the middle for a goal lifting the Saints to a 2 goal lead at three quarter time 46-34.
The last quarter was one of missed opportunites for both sides. St Kilda kicked 5 behinds and once again were held goaless whilst for the Swans, Nick Davis and Jarred Moore both had chances in the dying stages to win the game for the Swans off their own boot only for the ball to narrowly go wide. In season 07 and now in 08 Swans and close matches do not seem to bring about a winning result and this will need to change to be a genuine top contender as once again the Swans go down in a close match 51-49.
For the Swans Craig Bolton and Ted Richards performed well on the Saint's twin towers. Kennelly was perhaps our standout from half back whilst O'Keefe presented hard and young Kieran Jack showed real promise. Disappointingly Goodes was kept to only 7 touches and one goal by Leigh Fisher, O'Loughlin was barely sighted up forward and held goaless whilst Hall, Buchanan, Grundy, Buchanan, Bolton and Davis all kicked one goal. I find it hard to know where this performance rates for the Swans and perhaps we will only know where to rank it once we see how they play on Sunday against Port Adelaide. Do we take Roo's post match statement that we can be as positive as we can be about a loss or are there real danger signs of an ineffectual forward line and opposititon sides finding it too easy to clog us up and choke us up?
We shall find out in the next few weeks.
BY Matt Hope
| GOAL OF THE DAY There are 7 minutes to go in the last quarter and the Swans are down by 9. The ball is delivered loooong into Goodes who nudges his opponent under the ball, takes the mark, runs into an open goal and dribbles it through...the Swans are within a goal! |
| Goals: Sydney: Grundy, Hall, Buchanan, Goodes, Davis, J.Bolton St Kilda: Riewoldt (2), Koschitzke (2), Schneider, Milne Best: Sydney: McVeigh, Buchanan, Kennelly, C.Bolton, Jack St Kilda: S Fisher, L Fisher, Riewoldt, Ball, Dal Santo Injuries: Sydney: L Ablett (Knee) St Kilda: Nil Reports: None Umpires: Vozzo, Jeffrey, Ryan Crowd: 36,614 at the Telstra Dome |
Comment