Autopsy Swans vs Eagles

[Tuco]

Our defence was pretty bad but at least not this bad

Bahahaha. Just spilled my Easter Sunday quality Shiraz you bastard!

 

[MC Bad Genius]

I thought Buddy and Reid were our among our best mids when played there. Buddy can accurately kick into the forwards, and Reid was actually decent at finding a good option to extract it from the melee at times rather than "anywhere but here" which Kennedy and a few others did all day. It's a shame Buddy isn't a bit quicker - he'd be freaken awesome if he could take on more players on the outside. Still - I see his future as a wing - half forward, Richardson and now Reiwoldt style. Bud was pretty darn good as a pinch hitting ruck too - combative, and long reach - some decent taps to good spots. Buddy delivering to Reid on the lead is a good option imho. He's too good to waste deep unless we are constantly winning it there anyway.

Don't get me wrong, I love Buddy roaming around the wings and I agree with everything you said. Just when he's clearly injured, he should've been used in a different role deeper in the 50.

 

[Zaky]

A few factors I think. Our defence is undermanned with the loss of Rampe and a lot of inexperience, this means our midfield is being even more defensive. Together with poor form by Hannebery (0.5 per game last year 0.25 this year) and Parker (about 1 per game to 0 this year).

Papley has just come back was our second highest goals 2016 (29). Heeney third (28), Rohan and Parker fourth (25). Not getting goals from Hewett due to new role (18 down to 0) Kennedy average down too. Tippett also kicked 17 last year and not playing.

In short injuries have somewhat curtailed each area of the ground. Defence where Rampe is such an important component, mids without Heeney and therefore not adequately replacing Tom Mitchell (Hewett and kids not there yet) and then lost all our inside 50 pressure where we were able to bomb, keep the ball in and force a score (kids have been good but can't keep it up for four quarters).

Example, we had 7 tackles inside 50 in the first quarter against the Eagles, and 6 for the rest of the game. Just can't keep it going with the kids in that area for four quarters.

So our defence lacks structure / understanding (how many times did we see three go for the punch and all losing their feet?). Our mids need to work harder back because of this and because of that aren't as effective in attack and when we do get it forward (less often than 2016 because of the prior reasons) we either struggle to mark the ball or can't hit a target and then the pressure is not there to keep the ball in and the field opens up for the opposition and they bring it fast into their forward line against our exposed defence.

We don't have the depth to cover for these gaps and our coaching staff appear to have adjusted the game plan to be this defensive to try and stifle any confidence shedding blow outs. Horse effectively said this "our goal has been to remain as competitive as possible until we get some of these guys back and firing".

This is exposing our already poor skill level as in the past we have been able to overcome this by attrition.

All is not lost and this time will end up being a blessing is disguise giving some seriously talented youngsters exposure to senior footy.

Best summation I have read so far. Injuries have stuffed us this year with an injury to a key player on all lines. And in regards to the coaches, we should be thanking them for us not being walloped by 10+ goals in every game. No one likes to loose but at the same time i rather loose with the team putting up a competitive fight than being flogged.

This year we should sit back and watch the younger players develop, we are not going to win the flag but look at some of our future stars and think theres so much upside.

 

[Wolftone]

I don't think Horse needs to go, 3 GF's has probably earned him at least through the start of a mini-rebuild, but we probably need an assistant from a club with a very different game style to offer some new perspective.
The game-plan needs some evolution, clearly, we're always out of position....we desperately need some actual structure in our set ups......and he doesn't pull the trigger and make moves if we're just hanging in, even though it's clear we're only moments away from a dam wall burst.

We need to be more proactive, and create headaches for opposition coaches, not reactive to every trick and new tactic they try.

When we're in trouble it's always, Reid to defence/wing, Buddy to wing, those aren't match winning tactics, in fact moving them away from dangerous positions and targeting outnumbered smalls up front doesn't nothing but play into the oppositions hands. I don't understand why we choose to handy cap ourselves all the time trying to save games that are slipping away?
The effort has been there, but it would be better to be losing playing the right style of footy that will evolve into a match winning style as the kids develop.

Won't all happen over night, but for the love of god at least address the kick ins over the week....same tactic every single time, always to an outnumbered contest as well and usually to the oppositions advantage for an easy mark.

Yes the whole game plan is predictable. That is the problem with the kick ins. We do the same things every time and they just cut us off. There is a lead down the centre of the back half which is generally closed off. There are leads to thecside which are covered. Then we kick long generally to their advantage.

 

[Wolftone]

Okay, read to page 13 but have given up...

So we lost four on the trot... I'll agree it's tragic when the count gets up into the teens... think early 90s!

I think the rule changes are the biggest issue we have. We prided ourselves on our tackling skills, being first to the contested ball, breaking tackles, and now these are not only the best tactics, but are likely to cause a penalty against us. You could see it coming at the end of last year. All of our players now need to take the time to think, rather than play instinctively and it's messing with their heads! All across the ground, but most noticeably in defence and the mids, our whole team is learning to put into practice a new way of playing the ball and tackling.

The AFL changes the rules to grow the game and also specifically to cause a changing of the guard. All hail equalisation!

Our experienced players aren't playing well, added to this, we have a number of injuries and are playing a whole bunch of youngsters... we really are doing okay.

We have a great team, a great club and a pretty good coach! Give them a little time and they will get it all together. Dropping players, sacking coaches, these are all huge overreactions imo, to a bump in the road! Hang in for a bit...

Look the AFL has not flagged any rule change with tackling. It is interpretation that has changed. It is the interpretation when we have the ball compared to the interpretation when they have the ball that bothers me. There is no consistency. It is rubbish to say there has been a rule change because there hasn't. In fact McLachlan told the coaches that policing players dropping the ball or throwing was too difficult for the umpires and yet they don't seem to have a problem policing it when we are in possession. Subsequently they do have a problem when the opposition has possession though. I wonder why? Of course this is a form of equalisation.

 

[Wolftone]

This is the single most important factor in all this. The AFL has changed the rules after the season has begun and effectively made our players semi redundant.

Horse can create a new gameplan, but which player do we create this game plan around? Our mids are grunt players and not elite pacers. Our game plan was based around Kennedy but now it needs to be based around endurance runners.

And even if Horse did change the game plan it will still need the players to execute it flawlessly and that doesnt occur in a few games. So instead of a 2 goal loss we will face a 10 goal loss..and i can just imagine the hawk fans here performing mental gymnastics.

If you want to direct your anger at why we are 0-4 blame the league. All of this is the AFL doing.

But lets call for the sacking of a brilliant coach. Then we can bring in all new personal and be in even bigger trouble when players confidence are shot. Way to destabilize a great culture guuuyths.

From what I can remember they haven't changed the holding the ball/incorrect disposal rules at all. They are interpreting them differently. So differently that if we drop or throw the ball we get done for incorrect disposal. If the opposition drop or throw the ball it is play on. I'm led to believe Horse had very strong words with Peter Schwab over the interpretation and the lopsidedness of the interpretation. It is not that we are doing anything wrong, it's just that the AFL have decided a change of the guard would be good for business.

 

[Zaky]

From what I can remember they haven't changed the holding the ball/incorrect disposal rules at all. They are interpreting them differently. So differently that if we drop or throw the ball we get done for incorrect disposal. If the opposition drop or throw the ball it is play on. I'm led to believe Horse had very strong words with Peter Schwab over the interpretation and the lopsidedness of the interpretation. It is not that we are doing anything wrong, it's just that the AFL have decided a change of the guard would be good for business.

Yeah sorry when i meant change i meant interpretations.

 

[Wolftone]

Regardless of what happens this season, GWS will not become the premium team in Sydney! Are you thinking our members are so fickle?

I'm talking about performance wise. but then again good performances get people onboard, just ask Canberra, Rabbits etc. No we won't lose too many but new people will get on the gravy train.

 

[Zaky]

I'm talking about performance wise. but then again good performances get people onboard, just ask Canberra, Rabbits etc. No we won't lose too many but new people will get on the gravy train.

For sure, I think they will become media darlings in Sydney. They have a few players ripe for media over exposure and they are young and well some of them great looking.

No one loooves winners more like the Sydney media.