Preview Round 3 vs Sydney @ AAMI Stadium

[Honeyboy Wilson]

Oh dear god, the prospect of a Trengove/Reid battle is mouthwatering. Just like last week vs Hurley.

I goddamn love having Trengove in our team.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

I think you're underestimating how good Jonas is defensively.

No I'm being realistic. Jonas is giving away 4 cms, 15 kgs and 300 games of experience and playing against a top 10, maybe top 5 player in the AFL. He is skinner than Matt Thomas. If Thomas can't hold Goodes, Jonas isn't.

He did well on Hodge when we lost by 165pts. I reserve my judgement on that performance. Wouldn't be surprised if a guy like Hodge turned off after the 1st quarter.

 

[FrankDrebin]

Will be interested to see how Matt Thomas goes this week. This is about that time in a midfielders career where he should be hitting his straps and taking his game to the next level. Havent seen it in the first 2 games. If he doesnt get in the best against a side who loves contested footy, lots of stoppages etc then i am not sure how much longer we should persist.

I would let him go one on one with Kennedy all day and lets see really where he is at.

 

[Macca19]

I quite like Jonas, but he doesnt seem like the player that would cope with the explosiveness of Goodes.

 

[PJ Power]

Will be interested to see how Matt Thomas goes this week. This is about that time in a midfielders career where he should be hitting his straps and taking his game to the next level. Havent seen it in the first 2 games. If he doesnt get in the best against a side who loves contested footy, lots of stoppages etc then i am not sure how much longer we should persist.

I would let him go one on one with Kennedy all day and lets see really where he is at.

You see, what worries me is that at the moment we're going into matches "carrying" a low-possession gathering midfielder in Thomas on the grounds that he is extremely tough at the ball and can create chaos inside congested packs. Those qualities are extremely valuable, granted, but in the current day of high rotation midfields, players are most useful if they can play inside and outside games and the merits of the niche midfielder are becoming less apparent. We already have two mids who play fairly narrow roles in Rodan (offensive clearance) and Cassisi (largely a defensive inside player). Both are a little one dimensional, especially Cassisi, who has largely lost his link up/outside qualities as he's taken on more contested footy as skipper. So, having banished Kane Cornes to the remedial farm in 2011 to transform his game, we still have three players who have played regular games under Primus, whose output is highly predictable but fairly limited:

Rodan 15-20 possessions, lots of clearances, most likely to feature prominently in 1-2 quarters with a couple of other quiet ones. Queries over defensive chase and pressure.

Cassisi 18-24 possessions, lots of dead ball involvements and tackles. Slow ball movement.

Thomas 8-18 possessions, lots of hard contested play and tackles, little ball carry.

If the weapons of Rodan, Cassisi and Thomas could be merged into one or at most two players, we would be much, much better off. As it is, taking all three into games, we seem to be depriving ourselves of one more link up player who can help with ball movement and inside 50s. Steven Salopek in really good form (or potentially Pittard) is probably the closest we have on our list to the player missing from our midfield who could cover that deficiency.

 

[FishingRick04]

I agree PJ.

One of my pet hate are players that come in out of games. We carry a few some you have mentioned.

I hold out hope Newton could become an upgraded version of Thomas and give us some X factor. I also like Pittard he's a desperate and smart footballer, you know he leaves nothing on the ground it's all spent during a game.

 

[powermacs]

No I'm being realistic. Jonas is giving away 4 cms, 15 kgs and 300 games of experience and playing against a top 10, maybe top 5 player in the AFL. He is skinner than Matt Thomas. If Thomas can't hold Goodes, Jonas isn't.

He did well on Hodge when we lost by 165pts. I reserve my judgement on that performance. Wouldn't be surprised if a guy like Hodge turned off after the 1st quarter.

I doubt it would be 15kgs now and Jonas is a much better defender than Thomas. I remember listening to Basset in the preseason talking about him. He said he was a coaches dream because he would stick to his task all day long. I would've had him in our round 1 side as our third tall defender, behind Trengove and Bob, over Chappy or as a defensive midfielder over Kornes or Thomas.

 

[Portmanteau]

Further to my previous post:

I was supremely confident in round 1
I was not confident last week
I am confident this week

 

[powermacs]

I quite like Jonas, but he doesnt seem like the player that would cope with the explosiveness of Goodes.

There was an SANFL game last year where Butch had Kicked a couple in the first quarter and was looking dangerous. Jonas was moved onto him and he hardly touched it for the next 3 quarters. Now Im not comparing Butch to Goodes but i would say Butch does have some explosive pace and he was able to match it. I know it was the $ANFL but the way he was able to go from the midfield to key defensive post was very impressive.

 

[jaseesaj]

Im my opinion this is the round Port should put an end to the hoodoo against Sydney.

-Home ground advantage
- First time Sydney have travelled interstate this season (granted it is only round 3)
- Gray & Butcher look good to play
- I rate St Kilda higher than Sydney and you defeated them at home
- Could have easily run away with the Essendon game

Sydney have most probably lost Lewis Robert-Thompson and Smith, and if you ask me their form, whilst not bad, hasnt impressed me so far this season. Only 100 points against the leagues easy-beats and a dismall showing in the second half of the Fremantle match.

My Prediction - If a crowd shows up, Port by 9
(They better otherwise my tipping is royally screwed)

 

[FishingRick04]

Im my opinion this is the round Port should put an end to the hoodoo against Sydney.

-Home ground advantage
- First time Sydney have travelled interstate this season (granted it is only round 3)
- Gray & Butcher look good to play
- I rate St Kilda higher than Sydney and you defeated them at home
- Could have easily run away with the Essendon game

Sydney have most probably lost Lewis Robert-Thompson and Smith, and if you ask me their form, whilst not bad, hasnt impressed me so far this season. Only 100 points against the leagues easy-beats and a dismall showing in the second half of the Fremantle match.

My Prediction - If a crowd shows up, Port by 9
(They better otherwise my tipping is royally screwed)

I'm with you mate but i do have concerns over our midfield.

I'm getting happier with our back line and Forwards however, so we are making progressing, we just need a star in there and we are laughing.

 

[240volt]

We just never get a good start playing this mob,If we can get a jump in the first qtr we will be in it but if its our normal slow start against Sydney it will be curtains at qtr time.

 

[DonDraper]

I'd really like to see us tear a game open soon. Just go bang, 7-8 goal quarter. Just can't see it happening with our current midfield set up, we're too slow

 

[ash_78]

Top writeup Macca.

I'd like to see Paul Stewart wear Goodes when he's in the middle - and be given instructions to run off him on occasions to make Goodes accountable. Could be a dangerous ploy but we need to take risks to win a game like this.

My heart says we can pinch it... but my head says "shut up heart, you say that every week".

 

[FishingRick04]

I'd really like to see us tear a game open soon. Just go bang, 7-8 goal quarter. Just can't see it happening with our current midfield set up, we're too slow

We almost did it against the saints

 

[Schulzenfest]

wow swans supporters are nice posters

Swans supporters are usually good. Anybody from NSW or QLD who likes footy enough to follow it on an Internet forum despite rugby being the main game up there is probably passionate enough about it to know their stuff.

Who would you play on Goodes WHOME? The same guys who have failed on him in the past? What's the point of doing that?

Has Goodes towelled up Chaplin before? If not, him. He has a good record against a similar 'key forward who runs through the midfield' player in Pavlich.

EDIT: I don't mind the Jonas suggestion either, but I'm wary of using up one of our precious 22 spots on somebody who's only in the side for a specific match-up and probably won't be in it next week.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Jonas still has to be promoted off the rookie list too.

 

[Portia]

I'd play Michael Wilson on Goodes.

Oh. Bugger.

Uh...Paul Stewart maybe? Its mostly about having someone play on him that will give him zero space and constant physical niggle. Nothing wrong with my boy Trengove for that.

 

[FishingRick04]

I'd play Michael Wilson on Goodes.

Oh. Bugger.

Uh...Paul Stewart maybe? Its mostly about having someone play on him that will give him zero space and constant physical niggle. Nothing wrong with my boy Trengove for that.

I like but question endurance maybe.

Early on I thought Goodes was overrated, now I just think he's a freak!

 

[MarkRobboPA1870]

I say thomas is the man for goodes

 

[Schulzenfest]

I say thomas is the man for goodes

Then you clearly weren't watching every other time we've tried that.

 

[S.Patrol.G]

There was an SANFL game last year where Butch had Kicked a couple in the first quarter and was looking dangerous. Jonas was moved onto him and he hardly touched it for the next 3 quarters. Now Im not comparing Butch to Goodes but i would say Butch does have some explosive pace and he was able to match it. I know it was the $ANFL but the way he was able to go from the midfield to key defensive post was very impressive.

I know the game you're talking about and you're right, Jonas did a very good job on Butcher- so did the Magpies midfield. The delivery was terrible.

Jonas isn't available for this match and even if he was, I wouldn't pick him as the match up.

When Goodes goes deep forward, I'd play Carlile on him. Through the midfield and as a high forward, I'd consider a combination of Stewart and Chaplin.

 

[PowerForGood]

If we think we can't nullify Goodes 1 on 1 and he'll punish us, then forget the nullify matchup, send someone with the speed and endurance to go head to head with him around the ground. (Boak? Pearce?)

- If they accept the head to head, then it means that we've freed up a creative player who can hurt the Swans running free. Hurt Goodes by making him accountable. That's why a Boak or a Pearce could be the right one.

- If they want to tag our head-to-head, lets say Boak, that means 2-on-1 and we have a free man around the ball - preferably someone taller who will pick up Goodes if he wants to drift forward as a marking option. Or send the tagged head-to-head (Boak in this case) off and throw the second head-to-head on to Goodes (Pearce).

I know it sounds weird, but if tagging ain't working, then go head-to-head.

 

[powermacs]

I know the game you're talking about and you're right, Jonas did a very good job on Butcher- so did the Magpies midfield. The delivery was terrible.

Jonas isn't available for this match and even if he was, I wouldn't pick him as the match up.

When Goodes goes deep forward, I'd play Carlile on him. Through the midfield and as a high forward, I'd consider a combination of Stewart and Chaplin.

I never said he should be brought in to play on Goodes. The point I was getting at is if he was to come in I think he would be a good option. The first 2 games have eased my worries about our defense a bit. Im happy with Chaplin so far this year but I have horrible memories of his insipid performances last year,so far so good.

I also think Phillips deserves his chance. Stood out to me over the preseason and i'm looking forward to watching him at the higher level.

In- Phillips, Grey & Butch if fit
Out- O'shea, Jacobs and Westhoff.

 

[DonDraper]

If the rumours of Rodan, J-Mac and Wingard all out are true then I don't like our chances at all