Autopsy Blew our chances against Carlton

[caesar88]

Hewett is so good to watch, just not against us

 

[dosser]

JACK Martin is set to miss Carlton's semi-final against Melbourne and potentially the preliminary final after being offered a two-match ban for his high hit on Sydney defender Nick Blakey

22

Nick Blakey

Age

24

Ht

196cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.9

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

2.9

3star

M

2.3

2star

T

2.4

4star

MG

189.1

3star

D

8.1

2star

K

6.3

3star

HB

1.9

1star

M

2.1

2star

T

2.6

4star

MG

189.1

3star

D

7.2

2star

K

5.2

2star

HB

2.0

2star

M

1.2

2star

T

1.2

3star

.

Tom Papley

11

Tom Papley

Age

27

Ht

177cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.1

4star

K

9.1

4star

HB

5.0

4star

M

3.7

4star

T

3.2

5star

G

1.5

5star

D

12.3

3star

K

8.9

4star

HB

3.4

2star

M

4.5

4star

T

1.5

2star

G

2.4

5star

D

13.4

4star

K

8.0

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

3.4

4star

T

3.4

5star

G

1.6

5star

fined.

UPDATE: Blues to challenge Martin ban at Tribunal

The Blues have announced they will contest Jack Martin's two-game ban

www.afl.com.au

I love the way they are always "offered" a punishment.

"I've got a 2 match ban here, would you like it?"

 

[GoTheSwannies]

I love the way they are always "offered" a punishment.

"I've got a 2 match ban here, would you like it?"

In fairness, clubs do have the opportunity to respond with a "no thanks".

 

[ErrolisGoldun]

2 weeks harsh

You reckon? 1 week more fair?

Took the Lizard out with a punch to the head and had to do a concussion test, so was out for however long that goes for.

Lizards absence was notable and it was a weak act for mine.

Bearing in mind Parker got a week for a tackle against this mob, 2 weeks is fair for a strike with a clenched fist for mine.

 

[GoTheSwannies]

You reckon? 1 week more fair?

Took the Lizard out with a punch to the head and had to do a concussion test, so was out for however long that goes for.

Lizards absence was notable and it was a weak act for mine.

Bearing in mind Parker got a week for a tackle against this mob, 2 weeks is fair for a strike with a clenched fist for mine.

Would be good if they introduced the sin bin for instances like that. We shouldn't have been a man down for 20min because some prick chose to swing at lizards head.

 

[sataris]

Would be good if they introduced the sin bin for instances like that. We shouldn't have been a man down for 20min because some prick chose to swing at lizards head.

Will never happen, nor will there ever be a send off at AFL level.

 

[dosser]

You reckon? 1 week more fair?

Took the Lizard out with a punch to the head and had to do a concussion test, so was out for however long that goes for.

Lizards absence was notable and it was a weak act for mine.

Bearing in mind Parker got a week for a tackle against this mob, 2 weeks is fair for a strike with a clenched fist for mine.

I actually think Liz has been targeted a few times this year as opponents have tried to stop him from performing. He has been on the receiving end of a lot of physicality so he is obviously viewed as a threat by other coaches.

 

[Punts]

Wonder what the plan in for Campbell

Where they think he is best suited

Reminds me a little of the Florent track

 

[The King!]

You reckon? 1 week more fair?

Took the Lizard out with a punch to the head and had to do a concussion test, so was out for however long that goes for.

Lizards absence was notable and it was a weak act for mine.

Bearing in mind Parker got a week for a tackle against this mob, 2 weeks is fair for a strike with a clenched fist for mine.

the precedent has been established that you can't do anything so I get that especially parker etc

But he comes in to just smack the ball , he got him high with an open arm it looked like to me?

 

[Dubai Quacker]

Last night's game just sorta crystalized everything I think I already knew about us and have been saying for a long time.

That McLean is legit. He just churned out breakout game after breakout game in the second half of this year, proving it's no fluke, and last night's was the best of the lot.

That McCartin can be an elite, match-winnning/saving defender. If we perform better up the ground and get the W, then one of the major talking points out of this game is McCartin doing a number on the Coleman Medallist.

That we really do need Mills & Rowbottom firing. I highlighted these two as players we needed to have big games (and big years, going all the way back to pre-season.) They got less contested possessions combined than any of Cripps, Hewett & Walsh. One was tagging, the other didn't look right from the get go.

That Gulden really is the kind of cool customer who doesn't see the game in moments of importance or pressure. It's all the same to him. Six goals up in a dead rubber or five goals down in a must-win final, his level of application and intensity doesn't waver.

That Parker can be a very dangerous forward, but I won't open that can of worms.

That you can generate more scoring shots in a game than your opponents but still be the inferior team. All year we have had no problem generating our fair share of shots at goal, but too many of them feel individual-based. Individuals just pulling brilliant things out of their arse to give us a chance and keep us in games. They haven't felt system-based enough for me and it's why we fail to turn our goals into genuine, sustained momentum.

And on a slightly more sour note, once again I'm left lamenting a leadership void in a final. We just don't get enough of a return from our senior core in these games, over and over. Heeney dropping an absolute sitter in the middle of the ground, Parker missing tackles, Lloyd & Rampe spraying kicks, Papley making dumb decisions. It all adds up.

Onto next year.

Reckon you’re being very harsh on Lloyd caesar88 - he put his body on the line numerous times & I felt he (along with McCartin) held the defence together admirably.

To my eye, Lloyd had a fine match despite the odd inefficient disposal.

 

[Ticky009]

2 weeks harsh

One of our best playmakers from down back off 20mins. It cost us - 2 weeks deserved.

 

[caesar88]

Reckon you’re being very harsh on Lloyd caesar88 - he put his body on the line numerous times & I felt he (along with McCartin) held the defence together admirably.

To my eye, Lloyd had a fine match despite the odd inefficient disposal.

That's fair DQ. As you know I'm a huge fan so I hold him to a high standard. I've almost come to expect that stuff you mention, I think he's understatedly brave and also key to organising our defensive structures. Those are givens. I just didn't like his ball use that much considering it's a strength of his and he is a leader.

 

[ErrolisGoldun]

the precedent has been established that you can't do anything so I get that especially parker etc

But he comes in to just smack the ball , he got him high with an open arm it looked like to me?

Closed fist, actually got his head, was a weak act to be fair

 

[Kiama Chris]

the precedent has been established that you can't do anything so I get that especially parker etc

But he comes in to just smack the ball , he got him high with an open arm it looked like to me?

No. Deliberate fist to jaw. The ball was gone. Malice aforethought. Not "careless" at all. Intentional. Watch the replay again.

 

[The King!]

No. Deliberate fist to jaw. The ball was gone. Malice aforethought. Not "careless" at all. Intentional. Watch the replay again.

eh then i'd have to watch again

 

[RubbaDuck]

That final and our season as a whole will provide enough material to highlight most of the flaws in our game plan, our execution and our personnel. The good news is most of it is fixable, the team is young and eager to learn. During the times it clicked for us this year we played unstoppable exciting footy. The West Coast game, while unrealistic in many ways, at least allowed us to see what our game style is capable of without opposition pressure. Trying to get closer to delivering the same under pressure is a work in progress.

Our injury riddled year needs to be addressed, whether that's through changes to training loads or being more cautious with players, I can't say. But it didn't help that we reached a tipping point where we couldn't afford to rest many players, we were so short of key personnel. The upside is we blooded a good number of players, pushed others into new positions and we may have unearthed a few gems. Angus Sheldrick is one such gem. Early indications are that boy is a true Blood.

A couple of big retirements has shaken some cash off the money tree, and I really do hope we secure Grundy. Rucks of his calibre do more than win hitouts. I'm also hoping we get Reid back for at least one more year. He's had a nice rest to freshen up and can fill a bunch of holes while we bring our talls up to speed. McDonald, McLean and Amartey are all showing good signs but young talls need patience. Amartey needs to get his body right to get back to the player who used to fearlessly throw himself into players. McLean needs to find consistency. McDonald needs to get used to the extra attention he'll get in a post Buddy world. All three need to gel with each other and our smaller forwards. We don't have a personnel issue, but we have a lack of experience. Buddy has long been the leader of the forward group, with Reid also bringing experience. Perhaps a more permanent move of Parker forward can bring the in-game leadership the group needs.

Life after Rampe is a challenge for our defence, especially if Fox is moved into a defensive midfield role, which I'd like to see. Reid may fit easily into Paddy Mac's role. He trained there in the 21/22 off-season and has shown he can work well down back. He could pinch hit ruck in defence as McLean could pinch hit ruck forward. His safe hands and strong contested mark would give us an outlet from defence if the ball is kicked long down the line.

Gulden will only get better with another pre-season. Mills too, though I'd perfer he tag less and attack more. Perhaps someone else can step into that role. Rowbottom, Warner and now Campbell need to do more of what they're doing well in the midfield and work for consistent form. That said, none of us know what injuries they're carrying, especially this late in the season.

Another big inside mid would really help us. I think we're pretty well stocked otherwise. Perhaps the addition of Grundy alone can fix our ruck and midfield woes.

Overall, making the finals, over-coming a lot of bad luck and the sheer grit and resilience we've shown points to a very bright future. Add in a longer pre-season, our upwards direction of travel - after a poor start and s**t-load of injuries - plus another pre-season under the belts of a young team and, barring an unforseen disaster, I would hope we can finish top 4 in 2024 and have a real shot at the premiership. In the meantime I'll be backing GWS and Brisbane as fellow northern clubs against the Melbourne heartland and the southern AFL confederacy.

On a side note, I look forward to seeing the Pies go down in a Prelim to GWS, another sydney based team and a sense of deja vu for the toothless ferals. I'll gladly watch a Lions or Demons v. GWS GF. If it's Lions v. GWS it'll add more voice to stop the nonsense of always playing the GF at the MCG, giving a huge advantage to select Victorian teams.

If the AFL are serious about head injuries I look forward to Maynard being rubbed out for the remainder of the finals, while Martin for the Blues deserves to be punished for smacking Blakey in the gob. Hopefully next year will see some sensible rules brought in to allow a sub to be activated termporarily during concussion assessment and an extra sub if a player is ruled out of the match, like Brayshaw was. I prefer this option to red-carding or a sin-bin, as it doesn't come down to umpiring decisions.

 

[RubbaDuck]

No. Deliberate fist to jaw. The ball was gone. Malice aforethought. Not "careless" at all. Intentional. Watch the replay again.

Agree completely. Eyes him up and whacks him. A dog act

 

[bedford]

Would be good if they introduced the sin bin for instances like that. We shouldn't have been a man down for 20min because some prick chose to swing at lizards head.

Are you serious once again

 

[RubbaDuck]

i mean north interchange crows goal etc probably finish 12th

Disappointed overall still

especially when it's guys like Papley Heeney parker (good forward second half last night) being so patchy

We finished top 8 this year. Every team has swings and roundabouts. North cheated and got caught. Karma got the Crows at the end of a quarter of biased umpiring. Top 4 is the improvement we need. It's entirely possible. We're good enough

 

[RubbaDuck]

Are you serious once again

The AFL will need to address the outages for concussion protocols when due to another team's actions. We were lucky to only be a man down for just 20 minutes. Demons lost Bradshaw for the whole game and then the next. It doesn't even the score for them if Maynard gets rubbed out. Sure there's a sub, but what if it happens after the sub has been activated?§

 

[bedford]

The AFL will need to address the outages for concussion protocols when due to another team's actions. We were lucky to only be a man down for just 20 minutes. Demons lost Bradshaw for the whole game and then the next. It doesn't even the score for them if Maynard gets rubbed out. Sure there's a sub, but what if it happens after the sub has been activated?§

Loved Bradshaw when he played for us , but a Lions champ

 

[Dubai Quacker]

Just as an aside - I was hoping to see the old school white with red V in the finals.

Still reckon it’s the best Swans guernsey.

 

[bedford]

Just as an aside - I was hoping to see the old school white with red V in the finals.

Still reckon it’s the best Swans guernsey.

Can't understand why not

 

[RubbaDuck]

Loved Bradshaw when he played for us , but a Lions champ

Soz. Brayshaw

 

[RubbaDuck]

I like a lot of what you say here, especially about some of the brain dead stuff. There's a fair bit more to that too that extends right through the season.
Where possibly we differ is with what the word "ruthless" means. If you mean "honest, direct, thoughtful and tough" then I agree. If you mean "nasty, derogatory and shaming" then I don't.
And evaluation of the coaches should never happen in front of the players.
That evaluation needs to happen soon while it's still fresh in people's minds and maybe it needs outside facilitators too because it can be pretty tricky and destroying a half million dollar asset is pretty poor business. Just ask Don Pyke.

I agree with you KC, but a thorough evaluation doesn't need to be tough either, simply fair, honest and well communicated. It needs to get the buy in of everyone, which won't happen if it's seen as ruthless, a word I'd thankfully never apply to the Swans. Ruthless on field is fine, but off field, it ddoesn't sit well with the Bloods ethos. It doesn't engender respect, fidelity or devotion. A ruthless club doesn't have stars signing up for lengthy terms because they love the club and its culture. That doesn't mean we can't have an honest and thorough look at our players, staff, game plan etc, but for change to be effective it has to be embraced at all levels.

I've worked for and consulted to senior management in some very successful private companies, including some that might appear to be "ruthless organisations", ie, tech companies and investment banks. These companies are only ruthless in business, against their competitors, not with their staff, who make up the core of the business. Good CEOs win the trust of their staff. They communicate well so everyone sees the big picture and acts accordingly. They allow their staff to make decisions, with few hard and fast rules. They recruit the sort of people who thrive in such an environment of personal responsibility and freedom. Look at our No Dickheads policy. The players embrace it, understand it and steer themselves away from trouble. They know they can ask the impossible and get every effort. They will make the hard calls when needed, but they're never callous. Good organisations treat staff as whole people, complete with personal issues, family issues and all the baggage that comes with life. Caring is a huge advantage at the Swans. They look after their own, share the rewards and treat everyone with the same care and respect they'd expect, but that loyalty is paid back many times over.

We're fortunate that Horse learned under Roos. I don't want to be part of a ruthless club. Ruthlessness infects an organisation. Good clubs are well managed.