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The Game in Summary
The Eastlake Demons have been on the end of some almighty hidings from the Swans reserves over the past few years, yet when they met in Canberra earlier this year, it was the Demons who emerged triumphant, running over a young, top-up-rich Swans side in the final term. With the fantastic levelling out of this competition in season 2008, the Demons probably fancied their chances again this week but it was a vastly different side they faced. Indeed, this must have been the strongest Sydney side yet this season, featuring 17 listed players and a handful of top-ups who have equipped themselves very creditably this season.
While the Swans still have a decent injury list, it is mostly the less experienced players who are out. So for a second successive SCG Sunday morning, it was disappointing to be spared the magic of Vezspremi or the excitement of Murphy. The team that did front up included nine players with some senior AFL experience. A record maybe?
For the first quarter, certainly, and much of the second, the gulf in experience and class certainly showed. It looked like a cricket score might be on its way. But to Eastlake?s credit they dug deep and worked their way back into the game, albeit assisted by some ordinary conversion from the Swans and some lacklustre performances too.
A five goal to two opening term was followed by another five goals to the Swans in the second term and a healthy 31 point half-time margin. But the Demons hit back hard in the third quarter and narrowed the gap to 21 points at the final change. They continued to look dangerous as the final term got underway but both teams found it hard to score. The more experienced Swans, in particular, were guilty of some sloppy play around the ground. White had a good chance but fumbled the ball in the goal square. Spiteri marked 30m out after Fosdike finally created some space but he failed to convert. When Eastlake finally snared the first goal of the term ? more than 10 minutes in - the lead had been cut to barely two goals and one sensed the Swans were in danger of letting this match slip away. Those doubts didn?t last for long. Two minutes later Nick Davis took a strong mark on the 50m line after Terlich sensibly decided he was no chance of converting tucked tight in a pocket, not far in from the boundary line. Davis was still on a difficult angle himself but he unleashed one of those beautiful shots we know is going through the moment it leaves the boot.
From that point on the Swans took back control and dominated play. Barlow, O?Dwyer, Beckmans and Rampe added further goals, before letting in Eastlake for a final consolation goal. It was just left to Beckmans to characteristically mark brilliantly but fluff an easy shot and the final result was a 41 point win to Sydney.
The Quarter By Quarter Scores
Swans 5.5. 10.6 13.8 18.12 121
Eastlake 2.1 5.5 10.5 12.8 80
Sydney scorers: Rampe 4 Barlow 3 Grundy 2 White Beckmans O'Dwyer Smith Schmidt May Mathews Brennan No 55
Players ? the Good and the Not So Good
Most of our boys had their moments at some point during the game but few played at top intensity for all four quarters and the skill level was just so-so on a damp SCG turf.
For ball-winning ability, Fosdike was the clear stand-out. Playing most of the match in a true on-ball role we don?t see him in at senior level, he read the ball superbly from the ruckmen?s palms. Or maybe they were just adept at putting it down his throat. Either way, he had multiple clearances and was a class above any Eastlake midfielder. His disposal was very much a mixed bag, however. Dominant as he was in the ball-winning stakes, it?s hard to know whether he did enough to force out any of the senior incumbents.
Roos set Schmidt the challenge of going back to the seconds this week and having ?a really good game?. He did in parts. His first half was very good, I thought, winning almost as much ball from the middle as Fosdike and generally using it better. But he was far less prominent in the second half and I?ll put a small wager on him making the short trip down the highway next weekend, rather than the long flight over the Nullabor, unless as a travelling emergency.
Grundy, in his first game back after a month or so?s absence with a problem foot, started the game brightly, marking everything in sight. His kicking for goal was less convincing and he missed two eminently gettable shots in the first quarter. Throughout the game he worked hard, often up and around the wing, but some dubious decision making slightly marred his efforts. It wasn?t a bad game but he looked like a player who?d been out for a while and who needs some time to blow the cobwebs away.
Barlow was another returning from a (slightly shorter) lay-off and he too looked rusty. His first quarter was promising enough, with three shots on goal yielding two majors. But then he just cruised around the ground, looking decent enough when he found the ball but making no special effort to impose himself on the game. He popped up late for another two shots and one more goal. He?ll find it tougher this time round to force his way back into the senior team, with Malceski back, Hall imminent, and competition from Fosdike, Schmidt and Davis. He?ll need to work slightly harder for four quarters, one would think, to have his name seriously talked about at selection table.
Davis was relatively lacklustre, I thought. Apart from his wonderful goal, he did little that made him stand out from the crowd. He found a reasonable amount of ball and used it decently, rather than eye-catchingly, and I thought some of his chasing efforts were fairly ordinary, given the raps he got after last week.
Brennan was in command across CHB, marking strongly as usual. With White forward and Murphy missing, he had a fair few top-ups to organise and did a good job.
Smith was excellent to half-time, winning a fair bit of ball across half-back, running, carrying and delivering well. Towards the end of the third quarter I realised I?d not noticed him at all that term, and figured he was probably inside with the seniors as an emergency. But then 20 minutes into the final term I noticed him deliver a penetrating kick to Bruce. I have no idea whether he spent most of the second half on the pine, or just ?went missing? around the ground.
White was good in parts, playing predominantly in the forward line. He looked best when he was further out from goal but took a couple of impressive marks inside the forward 50m. Like Grundy, however, he needs to make sure he nails the regulation shots.
Mathews? game was exactly as expected. Reliable, good clean hands, worked hard, showed leadership, nailed a shot at goal from 40m out that was never going to miss. Yet there was nothing that elevated him above the chasing pack for that increasingly elusive senior spot.
O?Dwyer was named amongst the official best and anyone who arrived for just the final quarter would have had no difficulty understanding why. Yet I thought it was a fairly lazy game from him, in a match he might have dominated. He worked hard enough when the ball was in close proximity, handled it better off the ground in slippery conditions than most of his team mates, and looks increasingly confident in his movement. He has something of the ?O?Loughlin in him, in the way he moves ? very balanced and almost catlike in stance. His disposal let him down a couple of times but was generally sound. My gripe with his game was how much time he just spent cruising around 30m away from the ball, neither running in to pressure the opposition or lend support to a team mate in possession, nor running hard into space to present himself as an option. He wasn?t poor by any means but I just reckon he could have been a whole lot better. And while he continues to improve as the season wears on, his overall intensity needs to lift a notch or three if he?s going to make it to senior grade.
Currie dominated in the middle, feeding his onballers like hungry children. Around the ground he was reasonable rather than outstanding but he does have a presence about him that is encouraging. Still very much a work in progress but certainly one that is progressing well. Orreal wasn?t embarrassed in the ruck either, though his work had less craft about it than Currie?s. Still very early days.
Bruce and Beckmans were virtually unsighted in the first half but improved as the game went on. Bruce, in particular, had a good second half. It took Brabazon until the final quarter before he started to have much influence but his final term was good. The incident that best sums him up before that point was a brilliant one handed juggling mark jumping backwards, followed up by a missed shot at goal from just 15m out.
As usual, some of the top-ups made valuable contributions too. The stand-out was no 52, Rampe, who kicked 4 goals and missed another couple. But his best moment wasn?t one of his own goals. In the second quarter he chased a ball deep into the forward 50 and was fast running out of space when he managed to gather the ball, almost on the boundary line and a few feet wide of the behind post. He handballed the ball along the ground and across the face of the posts, and Grundy was on the spot to kick through from about 1cm out. And while there was some fortune in the way the ball moved, I reckon he knew exactly what he was doing and executed it to perfection.
Another top-up highlight came in the first quarter from number 50 Michael May. He took a great one handed juggling mark and then converted from around 40m out on a decent angle. I don't recall him doing anything else eye-catching, but this one highlight was worth remembering.
Quarter-by-Quarter Game Notes
1st quarter
Less than a minute in ? Eastlake score opening goal.
2min 35 Grundy takes strong mark but misses from 45m out.
Moments later, Cheese Barlow kick finds Rampe who duly kicks Swans? first.
Brilliant chase and run down by O?Dwyer ? he ran almost half the length of the field before he got his man.
7 min 30 Another Grundy mark and miss.
Barlow misses from 50m out after hurrying his kick. He?d been found with a short kick from Grundy but umpire deemed it not to be 15m and called play-on.
Barlow kicks short range crumbing goal after series of defensive fumbles by Eastlake.
No 50 (May?) takes great mark and converts from about 40m out. Was set up by a great centre clearance move ? Orreal straight down Fossie?s throat, pass to Brabazon, kick to May.
25 min Smith misses shot.
26 min Barlow kicks his second from about 30m out after Spiteri finds him with short pass.
28 min Eastlake kick their 2nd
30 min Brennan executes quick grab and kick from 50m line and it wobbles through for the final goal of term.
2nd quarter
1 min 30 White nearly takes a screamer in the goal square but can?t hang on. No 55 goals from the crumb.
4 min Mathews mark and goal from 40m out.
More beautiful tap work by Currie from restart ? again onto Fossie?s chest.
8 min Rampe sets up short range goal for Reg after a great handball across the face of the sticks.
White takes mark on quick, sharp lead but misses shot from 40m.
Good body work by Reg earns him a mark 15m out from goal and he gets his second.
19 min Eastlake get their 1st for quarter.
23 min Eastlake get another after Terlich spilled a mark in attack and Eastlake rushed the ball down the other end.
From restart, Smith goals on the run ? a 4 possession move from the middle without Eastlake getting anywhere near the ball.
26 min Eastlake get another. Swans fortunate not to concede at least one more for term as they get fumbly in defence. Eastlake have clear shot at goal but kick goes wide.
3rd quarter
2 min 30 Eastlake open scoring for term.
Brabazon marks brilliantly but misses shot from 15m.
7 mins White receives short kick from Spiteri and duly converts. Lead up was a series of chips from one side of 50m arc to the other from Schmidt, Barlow, Fossie and Spiteri.
Moments later Mathews gathers ball with very clean handling skills, finds Schmidt with short pass and Schmidt goals from 40m, straight in front.
11 min Eastlake scrounge goal from mass of bodies in goal square. Poor defensive effort by Swans.
12 min Eastlake get another after another poor defensive blunder. (Was it a top-up or was it Faulks?)
Two minutes later and Eastlake have kicked their 3rd in a row. They?ve definitely lifted their intensity.
Rampe steadies the ship with his 2nd, the beneficiary of a (deserved) 50m penalty.
20 min Penetrating kick from Barlow to the ?hot-spot? where Davis takes a juggling, contested mark. Uncharacteristic miss from Davis shot.
Eastlake then turn the ball over coming out from their goal square and find Rampe again but this time he sends his kick OOBOTF.
24 min Eastlake get a 50m penalty and make no mistake with conversion.
4th quarter
Whites chases loose ball into goal square but can?t pick it up cleanly.
Swans getting a bit scrappy ? and Fosdike, Grundy, Barlow, Schmidt are amongst the culprits. Finally Fosdike gets the ball into space and his kick finds Spiteri 30m out from goal. Miss.
11 min Eastlake get first goal of quarter and are looking dangerous. Can the Swans hold on?
13 min Davis scores from beaut 50m kick
Breeze is getting a bit more noticeable now and it affects Barlow as he attempts a goal from a tight angle. However, Eastlake?s kick-in from that behind goes straight to MattyO who finds Barlow on almost the same line, but slightly closer in. This time Barlow hits it through the big sticks.
20 min It?s Bruce?s turn to attempt a specie in the forward arc, off a long Smith kick. Great effort but still a spill. O?Dwyer crumbs and runs into the open goal to score.
22 min Beckmans uses body well in marking contest and converts from 35m. Swans in complete control now.
26 min Schmidt finds Romfe who takes a strong contested mark and converts, again from about 35m out.
28 min The game is over but Eastlake get a consolation goal.
29 min Beckmans takes sliding mark low down to ground but kicks just a behind. Last score of the day.
Team (listed Swans players only)
Davis Mathews Brennan Barlow Fosdike White Faulks Brabazon Currie Schmidt Grundy Smith O'Dwyer Orreal Beckmans Bruce Terlich
The Eastlake Demons have been on the end of some almighty hidings from the Swans reserves over the past few years, yet when they met in Canberra earlier this year, it was the Demons who emerged triumphant, running over a young, top-up-rich Swans side in the final term. With the fantastic levelling out of this competition in season 2008, the Demons probably fancied their chances again this week but it was a vastly different side they faced. Indeed, this must have been the strongest Sydney side yet this season, featuring 17 listed players and a handful of top-ups who have equipped themselves very creditably this season.
While the Swans still have a decent injury list, it is mostly the less experienced players who are out. So for a second successive SCG Sunday morning, it was disappointing to be spared the magic of Vezspremi or the excitement of Murphy. The team that did front up included nine players with some senior AFL experience. A record maybe?
For the first quarter, certainly, and much of the second, the gulf in experience and class certainly showed. It looked like a cricket score might be on its way. But to Eastlake?s credit they dug deep and worked their way back into the game, albeit assisted by some ordinary conversion from the Swans and some lacklustre performances too.
A five goal to two opening term was followed by another five goals to the Swans in the second term and a healthy 31 point half-time margin. But the Demons hit back hard in the third quarter and narrowed the gap to 21 points at the final change. They continued to look dangerous as the final term got underway but both teams found it hard to score. The more experienced Swans, in particular, were guilty of some sloppy play around the ground. White had a good chance but fumbled the ball in the goal square. Spiteri marked 30m out after Fosdike finally created some space but he failed to convert. When Eastlake finally snared the first goal of the term ? more than 10 minutes in - the lead had been cut to barely two goals and one sensed the Swans were in danger of letting this match slip away. Those doubts didn?t last for long. Two minutes later Nick Davis took a strong mark on the 50m line after Terlich sensibly decided he was no chance of converting tucked tight in a pocket, not far in from the boundary line. Davis was still on a difficult angle himself but he unleashed one of those beautiful shots we know is going through the moment it leaves the boot.
From that point on the Swans took back control and dominated play. Barlow, O?Dwyer, Beckmans and Rampe added further goals, before letting in Eastlake for a final consolation goal. It was just left to Beckmans to characteristically mark brilliantly but fluff an easy shot and the final result was a 41 point win to Sydney.
The Quarter By Quarter Scores
Swans 5.5. 10.6 13.8 18.12 121
Eastlake 2.1 5.5 10.5 12.8 80
Sydney scorers: Rampe 4 Barlow 3 Grundy 2 White Beckmans O'Dwyer Smith Schmidt May Mathews Brennan No 55
Players ? the Good and the Not So Good
Most of our boys had their moments at some point during the game but few played at top intensity for all four quarters and the skill level was just so-so on a damp SCG turf.
For ball-winning ability, Fosdike was the clear stand-out. Playing most of the match in a true on-ball role we don?t see him in at senior level, he read the ball superbly from the ruckmen?s palms. Or maybe they were just adept at putting it down his throat. Either way, he had multiple clearances and was a class above any Eastlake midfielder. His disposal was very much a mixed bag, however. Dominant as he was in the ball-winning stakes, it?s hard to know whether he did enough to force out any of the senior incumbents.
Roos set Schmidt the challenge of going back to the seconds this week and having ?a really good game?. He did in parts. His first half was very good, I thought, winning almost as much ball from the middle as Fosdike and generally using it better. But he was far less prominent in the second half and I?ll put a small wager on him making the short trip down the highway next weekend, rather than the long flight over the Nullabor, unless as a travelling emergency.
Grundy, in his first game back after a month or so?s absence with a problem foot, started the game brightly, marking everything in sight. His kicking for goal was less convincing and he missed two eminently gettable shots in the first quarter. Throughout the game he worked hard, often up and around the wing, but some dubious decision making slightly marred his efforts. It wasn?t a bad game but he looked like a player who?d been out for a while and who needs some time to blow the cobwebs away.
Barlow was another returning from a (slightly shorter) lay-off and he too looked rusty. His first quarter was promising enough, with three shots on goal yielding two majors. But then he just cruised around the ground, looking decent enough when he found the ball but making no special effort to impose himself on the game. He popped up late for another two shots and one more goal. He?ll find it tougher this time round to force his way back into the senior team, with Malceski back, Hall imminent, and competition from Fosdike, Schmidt and Davis. He?ll need to work slightly harder for four quarters, one would think, to have his name seriously talked about at selection table.
Davis was relatively lacklustre, I thought. Apart from his wonderful goal, he did little that made him stand out from the crowd. He found a reasonable amount of ball and used it decently, rather than eye-catchingly, and I thought some of his chasing efforts were fairly ordinary, given the raps he got after last week.
Brennan was in command across CHB, marking strongly as usual. With White forward and Murphy missing, he had a fair few top-ups to organise and did a good job.
Smith was excellent to half-time, winning a fair bit of ball across half-back, running, carrying and delivering well. Towards the end of the third quarter I realised I?d not noticed him at all that term, and figured he was probably inside with the seniors as an emergency. But then 20 minutes into the final term I noticed him deliver a penetrating kick to Bruce. I have no idea whether he spent most of the second half on the pine, or just ?went missing? around the ground.
White was good in parts, playing predominantly in the forward line. He looked best when he was further out from goal but took a couple of impressive marks inside the forward 50m. Like Grundy, however, he needs to make sure he nails the regulation shots.
Mathews? game was exactly as expected. Reliable, good clean hands, worked hard, showed leadership, nailed a shot at goal from 40m out that was never going to miss. Yet there was nothing that elevated him above the chasing pack for that increasingly elusive senior spot.
O?Dwyer was named amongst the official best and anyone who arrived for just the final quarter would have had no difficulty understanding why. Yet I thought it was a fairly lazy game from him, in a match he might have dominated. He worked hard enough when the ball was in close proximity, handled it better off the ground in slippery conditions than most of his team mates, and looks increasingly confident in his movement. He has something of the ?O?Loughlin in him, in the way he moves ? very balanced and almost catlike in stance. His disposal let him down a couple of times but was generally sound. My gripe with his game was how much time he just spent cruising around 30m away from the ball, neither running in to pressure the opposition or lend support to a team mate in possession, nor running hard into space to present himself as an option. He wasn?t poor by any means but I just reckon he could have been a whole lot better. And while he continues to improve as the season wears on, his overall intensity needs to lift a notch or three if he?s going to make it to senior grade.
Currie dominated in the middle, feeding his onballers like hungry children. Around the ground he was reasonable rather than outstanding but he does have a presence about him that is encouraging. Still very much a work in progress but certainly one that is progressing well. Orreal wasn?t embarrassed in the ruck either, though his work had less craft about it than Currie?s. Still very early days.
Bruce and Beckmans were virtually unsighted in the first half but improved as the game went on. Bruce, in particular, had a good second half. It took Brabazon until the final quarter before he started to have much influence but his final term was good. The incident that best sums him up before that point was a brilliant one handed juggling mark jumping backwards, followed up by a missed shot at goal from just 15m out.
As usual, some of the top-ups made valuable contributions too. The stand-out was no 52, Rampe, who kicked 4 goals and missed another couple. But his best moment wasn?t one of his own goals. In the second quarter he chased a ball deep into the forward 50 and was fast running out of space when he managed to gather the ball, almost on the boundary line and a few feet wide of the behind post. He handballed the ball along the ground and across the face of the posts, and Grundy was on the spot to kick through from about 1cm out. And while there was some fortune in the way the ball moved, I reckon he knew exactly what he was doing and executed it to perfection.
Another top-up highlight came in the first quarter from number 50 Michael May. He took a great one handed juggling mark and then converted from around 40m out on a decent angle. I don't recall him doing anything else eye-catching, but this one highlight was worth remembering.
Quarter-by-Quarter Game Notes
1st quarter
Less than a minute in ? Eastlake score opening goal.
2min 35 Grundy takes strong mark but misses from 45m out.
Moments later, Cheese Barlow kick finds Rampe who duly kicks Swans? first.
Brilliant chase and run down by O?Dwyer ? he ran almost half the length of the field before he got his man.
7 min 30 Another Grundy mark and miss.
Barlow misses from 50m out after hurrying his kick. He?d been found with a short kick from Grundy but umpire deemed it not to be 15m and called play-on.
Barlow kicks short range crumbing goal after series of defensive fumbles by Eastlake.
No 50 (May?) takes great mark and converts from about 40m out. Was set up by a great centre clearance move ? Orreal straight down Fossie?s throat, pass to Brabazon, kick to May.
25 min Smith misses shot.
26 min Barlow kicks his second from about 30m out after Spiteri finds him with short pass.
28 min Eastlake kick their 2nd
30 min Brennan executes quick grab and kick from 50m line and it wobbles through for the final goal of term.
2nd quarter
1 min 30 White nearly takes a screamer in the goal square but can?t hang on. No 55 goals from the crumb.
4 min Mathews mark and goal from 40m out.
More beautiful tap work by Currie from restart ? again onto Fossie?s chest.
8 min Rampe sets up short range goal for Reg after a great handball across the face of the sticks.
White takes mark on quick, sharp lead but misses shot from 40m.
Good body work by Reg earns him a mark 15m out from goal and he gets his second.
19 min Eastlake get their 1st for quarter.
23 min Eastlake get another after Terlich spilled a mark in attack and Eastlake rushed the ball down the other end.
From restart, Smith goals on the run ? a 4 possession move from the middle without Eastlake getting anywhere near the ball.
26 min Eastlake get another. Swans fortunate not to concede at least one more for term as they get fumbly in defence. Eastlake have clear shot at goal but kick goes wide.
3rd quarter
2 min 30 Eastlake open scoring for term.
Brabazon marks brilliantly but misses shot from 15m.
7 mins White receives short kick from Spiteri and duly converts. Lead up was a series of chips from one side of 50m arc to the other from Schmidt, Barlow, Fossie and Spiteri.
Moments later Mathews gathers ball with very clean handling skills, finds Schmidt with short pass and Schmidt goals from 40m, straight in front.
11 min Eastlake scrounge goal from mass of bodies in goal square. Poor defensive effort by Swans.
12 min Eastlake get another after another poor defensive blunder. (Was it a top-up or was it Faulks?)
Two minutes later and Eastlake have kicked their 3rd in a row. They?ve definitely lifted their intensity.
Rampe steadies the ship with his 2nd, the beneficiary of a (deserved) 50m penalty.
20 min Penetrating kick from Barlow to the ?hot-spot? where Davis takes a juggling, contested mark. Uncharacteristic miss from Davis shot.
Eastlake then turn the ball over coming out from their goal square and find Rampe again but this time he sends his kick OOBOTF.
24 min Eastlake get a 50m penalty and make no mistake with conversion.
4th quarter
Whites chases loose ball into goal square but can?t pick it up cleanly.
Swans getting a bit scrappy ? and Fosdike, Grundy, Barlow, Schmidt are amongst the culprits. Finally Fosdike gets the ball into space and his kick finds Spiteri 30m out from goal. Miss.
11 min Eastlake get first goal of quarter and are looking dangerous. Can the Swans hold on?
13 min Davis scores from beaut 50m kick
Breeze is getting a bit more noticeable now and it affects Barlow as he attempts a goal from a tight angle. However, Eastlake?s kick-in from that behind goes straight to MattyO who finds Barlow on almost the same line, but slightly closer in. This time Barlow hits it through the big sticks.
20 min It?s Bruce?s turn to attempt a specie in the forward arc, off a long Smith kick. Great effort but still a spill. O?Dwyer crumbs and runs into the open goal to score.
22 min Beckmans uses body well in marking contest and converts from 35m. Swans in complete control now.
26 min Schmidt finds Romfe who takes a strong contested mark and converts, again from about 35m out.
28 min The game is over but Eastlake get a consolation goal.
29 min Beckmans takes sliding mark low down to ground but kicks just a behind. Last score of the day.
Team (listed Swans players only)
Davis Mathews Brennan Barlow Fosdike White Faulks Brabazon Currie Schmidt Grundy Smith O'Dwyer Orreal Beckmans Bruce Terlich
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