amazonstud
26th August 2001, 23:54
The Saints started this game as if they were going to cause an upset. Out of the centre straight down forward and mark to Riewoldt and Hall and goals from the resultant kicks. Andrew Thompson was doing well and the Saints forward line of Hall, Hamill, Riewoldt looked to be too big, fast and strong in the air for the Swans. Peter Everitt was winning in the ruck and then drifting forward. The Swans match winners were being effectively tagged out of the game but the Siants couldn't deliver the telling blows. The Swans regrouped and shuffled their team around.
The Swans Jason Ball lifted in the ruck and the Swans coaching staff decided they weren't going to win the taps. So every Swans onballer including Ball started to rove to Everitt and the game changed. The Saints don't appear to have the ability to rotate all of their players through a variety of positions the way the top teams do and this is what can lead to mismatches. Also some of the workrate of their players leaves a bit to be desired. Hamill was matched against Saddington and this worked in the Saints favour early but then Saddington went down forward.
During the second quarter the Swans in Maxfield Cresswell Crouch Williams and Mathews started to pump the ball forward O'Loughlin got into the play Schauble came on and went up forward and the Saints were in disarray. A perfect example of how versatility and work rate can change a game was Matthew Nicks who had a day out when he went from defence to attack and I wondered if he had some disease as no-one seemed to come near him. As soon as the Swans started to lift a few Saints started to drop off the pace, they started to turn over the ball, failed to put pressure on or man up and the game was effectively over with the Swans kicking the next 8 goals.
Why the Saints couldn't shut the game down, man up, throw Everitt to full forward and put Hall or Riewoldt into the ruck is a question for the coaching panel. To me it seemed that they didn't try to change the course of the game and it appeared the Saints had already decided that the season is over and they don't have to try. The rain came and the Saints never looked like bridging the gap.
I'm not sure about who is going to coach the Saints next year but they do have quite a few good players and there have been some good signs. Any team with Aussie Jones, Koschitzke, Gehrig and Hudghton down back has the basis for a good backline. Up forward Hall Hamill and Riewoldt provide the tall marking and contesting strength. On ball and flank positions require more options with greater skill and pace while some players have been there too long and continue to turn the ball over and lack discipline in manning up and contesting.
For the Swans this was a tune up for the finals and allowed them to experiment. Ball and Goodes played well Schauble got a game under his belt and the onballers fired.
Scores 1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr Final scores
Sydney 4.4 28 12.8 80 18.12 120 21.16 142
St Kilda 4.2 26 5.3 33 5.5 35 8.7 55
Sydney
M.Nicks 6, B.Kirk 3, D.Lewis 2, D.McPherson 2, A.Schauble 2, J.Bolton 1, B.Fixter 1, A.Goodes 1, B.Mathews 1, M.O'Loughlin 1, P.Williams 1
Saints
B.Hall 3, N.Riewoldt 2, P.Everitt 1, B.Knowles 1, S.Milne 1
The Swans Jason Ball lifted in the ruck and the Swans coaching staff decided they weren't going to win the taps. So every Swans onballer including Ball started to rove to Everitt and the game changed. The Saints don't appear to have the ability to rotate all of their players through a variety of positions the way the top teams do and this is what can lead to mismatches. Also some of the workrate of their players leaves a bit to be desired. Hamill was matched against Saddington and this worked in the Saints favour early but then Saddington went down forward.
During the second quarter the Swans in Maxfield Cresswell Crouch Williams and Mathews started to pump the ball forward O'Loughlin got into the play Schauble came on and went up forward and the Saints were in disarray. A perfect example of how versatility and work rate can change a game was Matthew Nicks who had a day out when he went from defence to attack and I wondered if he had some disease as no-one seemed to come near him. As soon as the Swans started to lift a few Saints started to drop off the pace, they started to turn over the ball, failed to put pressure on or man up and the game was effectively over with the Swans kicking the next 8 goals.
Why the Saints couldn't shut the game down, man up, throw Everitt to full forward and put Hall or Riewoldt into the ruck is a question for the coaching panel. To me it seemed that they didn't try to change the course of the game and it appeared the Saints had already decided that the season is over and they don't have to try. The rain came and the Saints never looked like bridging the gap.
I'm not sure about who is going to coach the Saints next year but they do have quite a few good players and there have been some good signs. Any team with Aussie Jones, Koschitzke, Gehrig and Hudghton down back has the basis for a good backline. Up forward Hall Hamill and Riewoldt provide the tall marking and contesting strength. On ball and flank positions require more options with greater skill and pace while some players have been there too long and continue to turn the ball over and lack discipline in manning up and contesting.
For the Swans this was a tune up for the finals and allowed them to experiment. Ball and Goodes played well Schauble got a game under his belt and the onballers fired.
Scores 1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr Final scores
Sydney 4.4 28 12.8 80 18.12 120 21.16 142
St Kilda 4.2 26 5.3 33 5.5 35 8.7 55
Sydney
M.Nicks 6, B.Kirk 3, D.Lewis 2, D.McPherson 2, A.Schauble 2, J.Bolton 1, B.Fixter 1, A.Goodes 1, B.Mathews 1, M.O'Loughlin 1, P.Williams 1
Saints
B.Hall 3, N.Riewoldt 2, P.Everitt 1, B.Knowles 1, S.Milne 1