Preview Round 13 Swans vs Tigers

[caesar88]

My hope for training this week and the weeks ahead is that we focus less on trying to play our game plan and nail it, and that we instead focus on learning to play imperfectly.

What to do when you're tackled or your space is closed off, what to do when your teammate has banged it on the boot down the line, what to do when the corridor is closed off.

Like what is our plan when things aren't going our way and the game plan can't get off the canvas? Because against any decent pressure from the opposition, things just fall to pieces for us.

 

[Punts]

I still remember Membery’s debut. Kid got himself in good positions and led well and for some reason was ignored all night.

Was there , against the dons at the scg pretty sure. Buddy was a late out.

Agree with this if the game I was thinking off

 

[kickthething]

He said as much in the presser from last Friday; McKirdy asked

That was before Saturday night…..

 

[Adnico26Parker]

That was before Saturday night…..

How many goals did he score in the 2’s?

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Cox pretty much has to bring Florent back in doesnt he?

 

[The King!]

Incorrect

Laidler has a 70.5% win rate. (43 wins from 61 games)

Tom Mitchell is 64.6% (42 wins from 65 games)

Hint: second place is also above 70%

Dean Towers

 

[zyzzbruh]

Incorrect

Laidler has a 70.5% win rate. (43 wins from 61 games)

Tom Mitchell is 64.6% (42 wins from 65 games)

Hint: second place is also above 70%

Tippet?

 

[strauchanie59]

I still remember Membery’s debut. Kid got himself in good positions and led well and for some reason was ignored all night.

Exactly the same memory. Was lucky enough to watch the game from the SCG media box and the amount of good leads he produced that got ignored was incredible.

 

[Kennedy Parker]

Dean Towers

It is indeed Deano!

40 wins from 57 games (70.2%)

Tippet?

Tippett is close , 51 wins from 74 games at 68.9%

 

[RUNVS]

Richmond are a terrible team, but right now we are worse.

 

[bedford]

Hayward i said a couple of years ago to half back , why not

 

[bedford]

Richmond are a terrible team, but right now we are worse.

How are they terrible this year , with all the outs

 

[RUNVS]

How are they terrible this year , with all the outs

Richmond or us?

 

[RUNVS]

I standby saying that the Swans problem for quite a long time actually is our engine room. Even a decade ago when we lost big it was always because the midfield became water.

Look at 2014, 2022 and 2024. The players are different but the one thing that was the same in all three Grand Finals was our midfield was smashed. You can't blame the defenders, you can't blame the forwards in those games when the midfield was making it impossible to defend and not giving the forwards any supply. The midfield got bullied in all three Grand Finals.

Now we have greater problems than the midfield right now, our KP stocks at both ends are a bit poor, but it is still our midfield which is the greatest problem. They get bullied far too easily, they let the opposition have it more than we have it ourselves and they don't win clean clearances like they like our opponents do.

Right now the midfield is the problem, and has been the problem for over a decade.

 

[bedford]

Richmond or us?

I said they

 

[RUNVS]

I said they

Well I would have thought it was pretty obvious why Richmond are terrible.

 

[bedford]

Well I would have thought it was pretty obvious why Richmond are terrible.

They have won 1 less that us with a bigger depleted list .....................

 

[Swans22]

Having a think about this game and I find it hard to see how more players don't get axed after that woeful performance. But additionally, I don't see how Florent gets a game this week after what appears to be an underwhelming performance. Finals are gone so it's got to be about prioritising sending clear messages to the playing group that moving forward if you aren't performing then you aren't playing. Now you can't drop the whole side of course but I think the consistent underperformance of some players implicates them in being demoted.

Anyway, this is the side I'd go with:

B: Rampe - McCartin - Melican
HB: Blakey - Roberts - Cunningham
C: Jordon - Rowbottom - McInerney
HF: Campbell - Hanily - Francis
F: Hayward - Heeney - McLean
R: Grundy - Mills - Warner

I/C: Sheldrick - Mitchell - Buller - Cleary
Sub: Warner

Emer: Florent - Ladhams - Adams

In: Mills, Hanily, Cunningham, Buller, Francis
Out: Adams, Lloyd, Ladhams, Hamling, Bice

No idea if Francis is fit to play this week given he didn't play anywhere last weekend, but if he's fit I'd go with him despite my concern that he'll be lower on confidence. Hanily's numbers aren't half bad so he can get a game and we need some actual tackling pressure up forward so I'd be directing him and Cleary to be frothing at the mouth. Buller deserves to be given a shot if for no other reason than he hasn't been tried yet. Mills comes back of course and if Cunningham is 80% fit then I'd pick him given that Wicks isn't passed fit to play.

As for the outs, IMO Lloyd either needs to be dropped or be the sub. It's beyond time that he is made accountable for his play this year and we've gotta be prioritising young players so I'd rather he get dropped than Corey Warner or Cleary or Sheldrick. Adams wasn't aided by a lot of long bombing on his head but even so, Hanily deserves a game and the younger guys are prioritised. Ladhams hasn't been awful on the surface but my eyes tell me our clearances are really bad when he's in the ruck. I don't think he's a competitive AFL standard ruck so I'd have McLean go back to the role that he was good at last year and be 2nd ruck. I liked that Cox tried to make the forward line smaller against Adelaide but our delivery was awful and we refused to man up Mark Keane for too long. Get the ball in lower and along the ground and man up Vlastuin or Broad or Balta and we'll give ourselves a chance.

I don't know what in the name of god we've been doing playing Hamling for this long but for the love of god he's gotta go. Not defensive FF, not in defence, he's got to go from the side. He simply does not provide enough as a defender as a lockdown, interceptor, or rebounder to play in 2025. And Bice has been off for a while now so he can have a bit of time in the 2's to consolidate. Not unusual for a guy so new to professional footy to tail off after a good start - he'll be right I suspect and having a bit of a break over the bye and some reserves time to reclaim some touch would be good for him.

Great commentary. My biggest bug bear is Llloyd - has to go. That is the guys id be dropping too. I'd move Mills to defence. He is not a forward and doesnt have the run to play mids, particularly at the MCG. There is a defensive rotation missing in the subs listed.

 

[S120]

Great commentary. My biggest bug bear is Llloyd - has to go. That is the guys id be dropping too. I'd move Mills to defence. He is not a forward and doesnt have the run to play mids, particularly at the MCG. There is a defensive rotation missing in the subs listed.

Caleb Mitchell would be the 7th defender in that side.

 

[Neverwas]

We won clearance and contested ball vs Adelaide and lost by 90 points. It's the least important thing in today's game. Focussing on the contest has the flow on affect of being reactionary to your opponent rather than positioning yourself to escape the contest towards goal, and creates less positive numbers around the ball carrier - so when the opposition is bursting through, tackling our flat footed ball carrier and ultimately winning the footy and getting the overlap, it looks like a flogging. 'Contest' is nothing but an illusion.

We were the highest scoring team last year by a mile without having great clearance and contested ball numbers. Proof is in the pudding.

I think you are right there Zyzzbruh. The worry is that Cox seems to be focussed on a problem that isn't there. Contested ball rather than system and ball movement.

 

[Bloods86]

How many goals did he score in the 2’s?

Bit simplistic. Worked hard, brought others into it as the only listed tall target, chop out in the ruck.

Thought his first half was good. No-one's 2nd half was.

 

[kickthething]

How many goals did he score in the 2’s?

I think you miss the point

 

[RedBloodBlackSwan]

It is indeed Deano!

40 wins from 57 games (70.2%)

Tippett is close , 51 wins from 74 games at 68.9%

I was going to guess “The Difference”!

 

[kickthething]

It is indeed Deano!

40 wins from 57 games (70.2%)

Tippett is close , 51 wins from 74 games at 68.9%

Is that SuperCoach Dean Towers?

 

[Dubai Quacker]

Having a think about this game and I find it hard to see how more players don't get axed after that woeful performance. But additionally, I don't see how Florent gets a game this week after what appears to be an underwhelming performance. Finals are gone so it's got to be about prioritising sending clear messages to the playing group that moving forward if you aren't performing then you aren't playing. Now you can't drop the whole side of course but I think the consistent underperformance of some players implicates them in being demoted.

Anyway, this is the side I'd go with:

B: Rampe - McCartin - Melican
HB: Blakey - Roberts - Cunningham
C: Jordon - Rowbottom - McInerney
HF: Campbell - Hanily - Francis
F: Hayward - Heeney - McLean
R: Grundy - Mills - Warner

I/C: Sheldrick - Mitchell - Buller - Cleary
Sub: Warner

Emer: Florent - Ladhams - Adams

In: Mills, Hanily, Cunningham, Buller, Francis
Out: Adams, Lloyd, Ladhams, Hamling, Bice

No idea if Francis is fit to play this week given he didn't play anywhere last weekend, but if he's fit I'd go with him despite my concern that he'll be lower on confidence. Hanily's numbers aren't half bad so he can get a game and we need some actual tackling pressure up forward so I'd be directing him and Cleary to be frothing at the mouth. Buller deserves to be given a shot if for no other reason than he hasn't been tried yet. Mills comes back of course and if Cunningham is 80% fit then I'd pick him given that Wicks isn't passed fit to play.

As for the outs, IMO Lloyd either needs to be dropped or be the sub. It's beyond time that he is made accountable for his play this year and we've gotta be prioritising young players so I'd rather he get dropped than Corey Warner or Cleary or Sheldrick. Adams wasn't aided by a lot of long bombing on his head but even so, Hanily deserves a game and the younger guys are prioritised. Ladhams hasn't been awful on the surface but my eyes tell me our clearances are really bad when he's in the ruck. I don't think he's a competitive AFL standard ruck so I'd have McLean go back to the role that he was good at last year and be 2nd ruck. I liked that Cox tried to make the forward line smaller against Adelaide but our delivery was awful and we refused to man up Mark Keane for too long. Get the ball in lower and along the ground and man up Vlastuin or Broad or Balta and we'll give ourselves a chance.

I don't know what in the name of god we've been doing playing Hamling for this long but for the love of god he's gotta go. Not defensive FF, not in defence, he's got to go from the side. He simply does not provide enough as a defender as a lockdown, interceptor, or rebounder to play in 2025. And Bice has been off for a while now so he can have a bit of time in the 2's to consolidate. Not unusual for a guy so new to professional footy to tail off after a good start - he'll be right I suspect and having a bit of a break over the bye and some reserves time to reclaim some touch would be good for him.

The problem I see with that side is that at present, we can’t get out of defensive 50. We have no run, no carry, no precision kicks apart from Blakey.

Personally, I think if Bice goes out, Florent needs to come back. For all his flaws, Florent is an elusive runner & we need SOMEONE to take the game on. I’ve been convinced by a few commentators (Josh Jenkins in particular) that the solution to our woes starts at half-back.

Aside from that, neither Buller nor Hanily offer much in my view. And I think Cox agrees.