Preview Swans vs Crows @ SCG, Saturday Night 7.35pm AEST

[SwansLifer]

I wanted him in , but he's not , we have to move on

Think the Swans have moved on from Buller. Joking of course, but if your in half decent form in the VFL and the guys in front of you are ALL either injured, suspended or out of form then its a pretty obvious statement the coaching staff doesn't think your AFL standard. That might be the case of course, but they need to find out. Maybe he will thrive in the faster environment.

 

[Benmacca33]

He started up with great moves. New moves. But has now reverted to Horse's game plan

Great moves ???
New moves ????

 

[Wheresbuddy]

I have to admit, I'm rapidly losing faith in Cox.
Yes we have injuries but ultimately, we still have our AA stars in Heeney, Warner and Blakey. He still has some cattle to play with but we are looking no better than Richmond or WCE. To me, that indicates there is a strong possibility of a coaching issue. Other hints of problems:

1) Effort and discipline.

It's clear that effort is down and our discipline is clearly poor. Players seem not to be playing for each other or the coach (let alone the supporters).

2) Positional changes

McCartin as a forward was a bust from the start yet Cox persisted. But the big one is Blakey as a key position defender. FFS he is not one, it hurts our attack and removes his influence on the game. Yes he's tall but he is a twig and can fit through a narrow crevice front on. If Cox continues down this path, he is showing a worrying stubborn side and a tendency to double down on what is clearly an error.

3) Team selection

Every week he seems to have a clanger. Paton, McLean, not picking Gus and this week not picking Buller. I understand these choices are unlikely to make or break the side but it just sends the wrong message to the squad.

4) Tactics during a game

Cox seems to just sit on his hands during a game. There doesn't seem to be any attempt to change things up or if he does, it's when the game is gone. To my uneducated eyes, the tactics seems to be bomb it long and hope Heeney and Chad go berserk.

Sorry if this negative and as always happy to be proven wrong - happy for someone to remind me of this post after Cox delivers us a flag!

 

[robbieando]

Turn it up , who comes in !

Toby Pink

 

[Nool Carpenna]

Toby Pink

Surely we'd prefer Jack Maibaum over big Toby... again?

 

[Nuggetz]

I'm wondering if Blakey can play Hamling's role in the fwd line. He's got the aerial ability & ability to disrupt intercept marking types imo. Plus he's got the speed to worry defenders & knack of kicking goals which is lacking in the fwd line. The suns performance when he kicked 3 goals as a pinch hitting fwd was very promising.

I think it's a risk we should take especially with Melican returning in defence & our limp fwd line. You could even put Heeney in the fwd line if you can trust the other mids to hold their own. Only doubt would be our fwd 50 entries & potentially our defence being slower, especially with Wicks missing.

Imo a fwd line something like this looks a lot more threatening. Warner bros & ladhams rotating through the fwd line too.

Heeney Blakey Campbell
Cleary Mclean Hayward

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

I have to admit, I'm rapidly losing faith in Cox.
Yes we have injuries but ultimately, we still have our AA stars in Heeney, Warner and Blakey. He still has some cattle to play with but we are looking no better than Richmond or WCE. To me, that indicates there is a strong possibility of a coaching issue. Other hints of problems:

1) Effort and discipline.

It's clear that effort is down and our discipline is clearly poor. Players seem not to be playing for each other or the coach (let alone the supporters).

2) Positional changes

McCartin as a forward was a bust from the start yet Cox persisted. But the big one is Blakey as a key position defender. FFS he is not one, it hurts our attack and removes his influence on the game. Yes he's tall but he is a twig and can fit through a narrow crevice front on. If Cox continues down this path, he is showing a worrying stubborn side and a tendency to double down on what is clearly an error.

3) Team selection

Every week he seems to have a clanger. Paton, McLean, not picking Gus and this week not picking Buller. I understand these choices are unlikely to make or break the side but it just sends the wrong message to the squad.

4) Tactics during a game

Cox seems to just sit on his hands during a game. There doesn't seem to be any attempt to change things up or if he does, it's when the game is gone. To my uneducated eyes, the tactics seems to be bomb it long and hope Heeney and Chad go berserk.

Sorry if this negative and as always happy to be proven wrong - happy for someone to remind me of this post after Cox delivers us a flag!

Familiarity would be expected afterall its the same panel that was under Longmire generally what worked under his tenure would be relied upon for better/worse.

It does feel like we are trying to migitate damage rather than trying to win with assigning defensive roles for forwards

 

[caesar88]

If we lose one or two more games in the next few weeks I suspect Florent won't be the only head that will roll. Hayward, Lloyd, McInerney, Roberts etc. would want to find form & quickly.

 

[melbournehammer]

honestly we are playing our 5th and 6th best tall forwards in ladhams and hamling. what is that people expect ??

 

[Wheresbuddy]

Familiarity would be expected afterall its the same panel that was under Longmire generally what worked under his tenure would be relied upon for better/worse.

It does feel like we are trying to migitate damage rather than trying to win with assigning defensive roles for forwards

So true. Essentially we're sacrificing our forward line to negate the opposition's rebound, then hoping there's enough goals in Heeney, Chad and the rest of the team. Which makes the use of Blakey as a KP defender all the more baffling.

 

[caesar88]

The sad thing is, last week was actually our second-best forward 50 conversion of any game this year, and our equal-best in any loss (tied with the Hawks game back in Opening Round.) So it was our putrid ****ing team defence that cost us.

Still early days, but Cox would have to be having some sleepless nights wondering if this group is the right group for what he's wanting...

 

[Wheresbuddy]

honestly we are playing our 5th and 6th best tall forwards in ladhams and hamling. what is that people expect ??

So are you just saying all is ok because its all because of injuries? I have a few ideas

Maybe not persist in bombing to a contest especially given we don't have a proper crumbing small forward.

Find goals from other sources such as rebound but our best rebounder has his hands full wrestling with guys twice his width.

Help Heeney shake the inevitable tag he gets every week.

Just go harder at the contest and win some ball.

Stick some tackles

Its not so much that we're losing. Its the manner of the losses where for long periods of the games, our team is clueless as to how to stop momentum and kick some goals. And i worry that it is coming from the top.

 

[Bloods86]

honestly we are playing our 5th and 6th best tall forwards in ladhams and hamling. what is that people expect ??

For this week, the reasonable expectation would be to drop a KPF who was dropped to VFL, did very little, brought back, did very little. For someone (Buller) who at least is presenting and getting chances, if not making the most of them.

Maybe shuffle some different targets through the forward line to unsettle the opposition e.g. Heeney, Blakey.

That said, unless we improve in contested work and ball use going forward, it won't make too much difference.

 

[Nuggetz]

For this week, the reasonable expectation would be to drop a KPF who was dropped to VFL, did very little, brought back, did very little. For someone (Buller) who at least is presenting and getting chances, if not making the most of them.

Maybe shuffle some different targets through the forward line to unsettle the opposition e.g. Heeney, Blakey.

That said, uness we improve in contested work and ball use going forward, it won't make too much difference.

Have both of them playing fwd imo. No one in our fwd line worries the oppo, imo having heeney & blakey would worry the oppo. Sometimes the perceived pressure from having those attacking players in the fwd line can be helpful.

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

Horse tried to turn a mid into a back and it didn't work. Ollie tried hard but he is a mid. If we let him go he will find a REAL coach who knows how to win Premiership and will be played as a mid and win a premiership.

And maybe just maybe 5 Brownlows as well ?

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

The sad thing is, last week was actually our second-best forward 50 conversion of any game this year, and our equal-best in any loss (tied with the Hawks game back in Opening Round.) So it was our putrid ****ing team defence that cost us.

Still early days, but Cox would have to be having some sleepless nights wondering if this group is the right group for what he's wanting...

I think he is trying to see what works/what doesnt perhaps lingering to long on some of his positional moves.

But its a very difficult year for a first year coach with a team coming off a GF flogging about everything that could go wrong has.

Lets see what sort of response we get tomorrow night

 

[caesar88]

I think he is trying to see what works/what doesnt perhaps lingering to long on some of his positional moves.

But its a very difficult year for a first year coach with a team coming off a GF flogging about everything that could go wrong has.

Lets see what sort of response we get tomorrow night

But that he was so upfront re needing to be better at the contest, defence, pressure side of the game, suggests to me that he already wasn't satisfied with this group in that aspect, before he'd even coached his first game. Now he's a dozen games in and all they've done is potentially reinforced to him that they're not up to it.

I get that on the one hand he knows what this group are capable of when they play their best style, and he'd know they're in horrible form slumps and dealing with post-GF scarring and also a ridiculous injury crisis. But on the other hand he'd have to look at so many of our players who can't tackle, who can't contest 1v1s, who don't run defensively, etc. and think, "Is this just who they are?"

And the answer would probably be - yes! We've been poor in these areas for a few years now, we'd just gone all-in on attack to cover for it, with relative success, if never the ultimate success. But if Cox decides to continue prioritising those areas this group is weak in - which he should, as I think they're non-negotiables if we want to win a flag - then he may find that a lot of our players simply aren't compatible with it.

Extremely interesting times ahead...

 

[Donza]

Would be nice to read an actual preview of the game.

 

[Bloods86]

Would be nice to read an actual preview of the game.

We're on a 6 game winning streak against the Crows, but fortunes have swung this year with our injuries and forgetting basic skills. The Crows have uncovered a functional midfield, Thilthorpe has arrived and Worrell continues to improve in defence, as an interceptor. Mark Keane bought lottery tickets when Amartey was suspended.

For a collection of past material at the Crows expense, in better contrasting times, you can relive the disdain here:

Preview - Episode XIX - Return of the Jordy (Swans vs Crows - Sat 23/7 13:45 AEST @ SCG)

Alternative Title - Premiere Episode of Dawson's Cheek “If you have to eat crow, eat it while it’s young and tender” - Thomas Jefferson Match Details - The Fitzy and Tippett Cup Round 19 - Sydney Swans v Adelaide Cows* at the SCG Saturday 23 July 2022 - 1:45 PM (AEST) The History The Crows...

www.bigfooty.com

Preview - R24 | Sydney vs Adelaide | SCG - Sat 24/8 @ 7:40PM AEST | We need to prove a point (unlike last year)

Non Swans fans who didn't actively look for this - https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/you-might-be-watching-the-sydney-board-without-meaning-to-heres-how-to-fix-it.1381066/ This preview is proudly brought to you by BigFooty losing a draft (luckily mostly backed up), having compatibility...

www.bigfooty.com

 

[Kiama Chris]

Don’t disagree.

I would just point out that Cleary, Gus & Corey need to be more than depth.

They need to be best XXIII.

Because by the time you’re 4-5 years on the list, if you ain’t best XXIII, you’re becoming a list clogger.

I think Cleary and Sheldrick are best XXIII.

I think the jury is still out on Corey.

I have hope for Corey. He's improved quite a bit from last year to this and has a crack. Cleary and Sheldrick should be the core of our inside midfield sooner rather than later.

 

[Wheresbuddy]

Have both of them playing fwd imo. No one in our fwd line worries the oppo, imo having heeney & blakey would worry the oppo. Sometimes the perceived pressure from having those attacking players in the fwd line can be helpful.

I agree with this, especially playing Heeney mainly as a forward. He's getting so heavily tagged (and gets zero from the umpires) that he's struggling to really impact games anyway (Carlton game aside). Sheldrick, Rowie, JJ and Adams can rotate through on ball with Chad to inject himself when the time is right. Often changing it up can throw the opposition and introduce a different look that they haven't necessarily prepared for. Think Rozee and Merrett off HB, Danger and Bont one out in the goal square, Richards on ball and Lobb as a tall defender as surprise moves that have been made in recent times. Plus Heeney was AA playing as a forward.........

 

[strauchanie59]

Familiarity would be expected afterall its the same panel that was under Longmire generally what worked under his tenure would be relied upon for better/worse.

It does feel like we are trying to migitate damage rather than trying to win with assigning defensive roles for forwards

Someone in the media said it the other day/week, not sure who...but they said Longmire would back his game plan in, for good or bad, and Cox is more worried about the opposition and what they'll do, so the "game plan" differs each week depending on what the other team will potentially do.

Have yet to see a semblance of any form of game plan almost halfway through 2025. I was excited when Cox was put in charge, but each week the excitement has been rapidly declining.

 

[rustycrate]

At least Buller might give us a contest.

Beauty contest at the moment.

 

[Dubai Quacker]

Would be nice to read an actual preview of the game.

You can always volunteer to write one Donza.

 

[Adnico26Parker]

So there was a presser with Cox this morning, but no video

Key Quotes: Dean Cox, Round 12

Sydney senior coach Dean Cox spoke to the media on Friday.

www.sydneyswans.com.au