Game Day Round 5 - Sydney Swans v Fremantle Dockers - 240 pm WST SCG

[Harry Reems]

The Swans seemed to have this wall up at half-back with Malceski , Rampe and Shaw just blanketing all of our forward entries. They then put the rest of the team on the ball and shut down our ball carriers so they couldn't use the ball effectively.

We were forced to just kick in hope, which meant turn over after turnover which they capitalised on through long kicks at goal.

Sydney knows that ground better than anyone, and a dry day finally allowed them to use their rugby style game to their advantage.

Ross tried lots of things, but nothing was working as the players were spent.

The form of Mayne, De Boer, Suban and Spurr is a worry.

Tabs not up to it yet.

Clarke and Pearce were terrible, however they are only just back into the side.

Short week this week, but at least we don't have to travel.

We need to get the hunger from last year back,

 

[slicedndiced]

Yeah, I think every coach is going to be well aware that if you can bypass Johnson you will cause us a lot of trouble. He can only mop up effectively if there's pressure on the kicks coming in, so we're going to have to work out how to respond to these short passes back and sideways. May actually involve setting up more offensively at stoppages.

This is where we are missing Barlow badly. His work is underestimated by many.

 

[Carnthedockers]

The Swans seemed to have this wall up at half-back with Malceski , Rampe and Shaw just blanketing all of our forward entries. They then put the rest of the team on the ball and shut down our ball carriers so they couldn't use the ball effectively.

We were forced to just kick in hope, which meant turn over after turnover which they capitalised on through long kicks at goal.

Sydney knows that ground better than anyone, and a dry day finally allowed them to use their rugby style game to their advantage.

Ross tried lots of things, but nothing was working as the players were spent.

The form of Mayne, De Boer, Suban and Spurr is a worry.

Tabs not up to it yet.

Clarke and Pearce were terrible, however they are only just back into the side.

Short week this week, but at least we don't have to travel.

We need to get the hunger from last year back,

This!
We seem to be returning to the old days a little, when we used to only show desire for the contest
when we had something to prove, not on a week by week basis.

 

[clogged]

Mayne and De Boer more so, but we can't afford to have all three of those players down in the one game. With Walters out, there goes all our forward pressure.

I don't think Walters is responsible for that much tackling pressure. What he does do is keep defenders honest.

 

[freoextra]

I don't think Walters is responsible for that much tackling pressure. What he does do is keep defenders honest.

Agreed, but he is not a slow mover in the Taberner mould.

 

[The Anchorite]

I don't think Walters is responsible for that much tackling pressure. What he does do is keep defenders honest.

Exactly, the best form of forward pressure is being a dangerous forward that defenders can't so easily run off of. Which I take is your point re: de Boer. I do agree that we need potent players up there. However the fifth or sixth best forward is always going to be more loosely checked. I think perhaps the problem with our set up at the moment isn't so much the focus of the defensive forward role or the form (or inherent limitations) of the player playing it, but more to do with missing personnel. The defensive forward has worked very well in a forward line with Pav, Balla, Walters, and Mayne in form. It should work even better if we can get a true second tall playing well. It's with the dangerous players missing or down on form that it's becoming more of a liability. This is why we desperately need Sylvia in. I'm not sure though if he should replace de Boer or in fact Mayne.

 

[pokerspiv]

The defensive forward has worked very well in a forward line with Pav, Balla, Walters, and Mayne in form.

I don't think there's any evidence of that. It's just as likely that we've succeeded despite it. Now picking guys with below-AFL standard skills is actively costing us games.

 

[Spoken4]

I don't think there's any evidence of that. It's just as likely that we've succeeded despite it. Now picking guys with below-AFL standard skills is actively costing us games.

Wot? We had the best defensive forward line in 2012 and 2013. It worked very well. IMO, if we had have Pav for the whole season and not the tail end where he was still finding form, we could have averaged 100 points a game.

 

[pokerspiv]

Wot? We had the best defensive forward line in 2012 and 2013. It worked very well. IMO, if we had have Pav for the whole season and not the tail end where he was still finding form, we could have averaged 100 points a game.

The fact is we are one of the lowest scoring teams in the league and repeatedly struggle to kick more than 10 goals. We lost the Grand Final to a team that only kicked 11 goals.

I don't have those stats available but I'm willing to bet we are dead last for converting inside 50s to goals.

 

[Spoken4]

The fact is we are one of the lowest scoring teams in the league and repeatedly struggle to kick more than 10 goals.

I don't have those stats available but I'm willing to bet we are dead last for converting inside 50s to goals.

To date, we are the fifth highest scoring team of 2014, behind Hawthorn, Port Adelaide, Geelong and Adelaide. And we have played better teams to date than all of these sides.

 

[pokerspiv]

To date there have only been 5 games in 2014. Last year we were one of the lowest scoring teams in the league.

 

[Spoken4]

To date there have only been 5 games in 2014. Last year we were one of the lowest scoring teams in the league.

Yes and we have played 4 top 8 sides from last year (including a game where we got flogged), 2 top 4 sides and 1 side that is pushing for top 8 this year. We've kicked over 110 points on two occasions and no less than 75 points in the games we have lost. When we start to play sides like Carlton, Brisbane, Melbourne, GWS, Western Bulldogs, Saints etc we will be averaging well over 100 points per game

 

[Spoken4]

To date there have only been 5 games in 2014. Last year we were one of the lowest scoring teams in the league.

Because we were missing Pav last year. Pav in the team all of last year and in the form he is in this year (he has kicked 12 goals this year and is fifth on the goal kicking tally) makes us a 3-4 goal better side and in the top 5 offensive sides in the league (on the back of number 1 defensive side).

Of course the loss of Walters (who is worth 2 goals a game) and the poor form of Mayne (who is worth 2 goals a game) this year brings us back to earth with a thud.

 

[pokerspiv]

I agree that Pav is very important to our forward structure. Tall forwards generally are, which is why most teams play at least two.

Yet people here are almost universally suggesting we should drop our 2nd one for another small.

 

[salim malik]

I agree that Pav is very important to our forward structure. Tall forwards generally are, which is why most teams play at least two.

Yet people here are almost universally suggesting we should drop our 2nd one for another small.

Taberner's not ready .What part of that dont you understand.

 

[The Anchorite]

Yet people here are almost universally suggesting we should drop our 2nd one for another small.

Taberner's not ready .What part of that dont you understand.

I'm not sure, I think he deserves another go. Couldn't be any worse than Mayne at the moment.

 

[electricfeel]

I think Tabs deserves another go as well. Might do well at home. He's already kicked more goals than Mayne has so far this season.

 

[Latro]

I'm not sure, I think he deserves another go. Couldn't be any worse than Mayne at the moment.

He was worse than Mayne against Sydney.

 

[The Anchorite]

He was worse than Mayne against Sydney.

Hardly. Presented well in the first then couldn't get near it. Mayne couldn't get near it all game. Tabs was subbed because of his height while Mayne was sent to the backline. I still think Tabs is more important for structure, don't see why he couldn't do a Petrie, we're only playing North.

 

[Latro]

Hardly. Presented well in the first then couldn't get near it. Mayne couldn't get near it all game. Tabs was subbed because of his height while Mayne was sent to the backline. I still think Tabs is more important for structure, don't see why he couldn't do a Petrie, we're only playing North.

Because Petrie is ten times the player Tabs will ever be and I dont really rate Petrie.

 

[The Anchorite]

Because Petrie is ten times the player Tabs will ever be and I dont really rate Petrie.

I agree with you on Petrie, but that's an early call on Taberner.

 

[pokerspiv]

Taberner's not ready .What part of that dont you understand.

He kicked 2 goals last week. Which is more than De Boer or Mayne have kicked all year. He also took a defender off Pavlich which allowed him to dominate instead of being double-teamed which is what happens every week when we don't play a 2nd tall.

I don't care if it's Taberner, Apeness, Alex Pearce or anyone else. But we should be playing 2 tall forwards.

Hawthorn always play 2 tall forwards even it means losing a tall defender. That's because they like to kick goals. If none of our forwards are ready then that's unfortunate, but throw them in anyway and let's find out. They are never going to be ready if we never play them.

 

[Simmofreo]

He kicked 2 goals last week. Which is more than De Boer or Mayne have kicked all year. He also took a defender off Pavlich which allowed him to dominate instead of being double-teamed which is what happens every week when we don't play a 2nd tall.

I don't care if it's Taberner, Apeness, Alex Pearce or anyone else. But we should be playing 2 tall forwards.

Hawthorn always play 2 tall forwards even it means losing a tall defender. That's because they like to kick goals. If none of our forwards are ready then that's unfortunate, but throw them in anyway and let's find out. They are never going to be ready if we never play them.

This !!

 

[Spoken4]

Because Petrie is ten times the player Tabs will ever be and I dont really rate Petrie.

That's just silly. Petrie is a fully mature player; Tabs is just starting out. Pretty sure the same comment could have been made about Gunston when he was at Adelaide. Got a handful of games over a two year period and did not look the goods. He is now a quality KPF in a Hawthorn premiership team. Way to early to make the call on Tabs.