To Bloodstained Angel

[Shinboners]

Hey BSA

Top performance by your boys last night, so congratulations. Kelly was unbelievable....with all those close losses the Swans had at the SCG this year, I reckon that if he was playing, you would've won most, if not all, of those games and be sitting in the top 4. Great performances by Stafford, O'Loughlin, Goodes, and Schauble as well.

Anyone who didn't see the game, you should try and catch the "goal of the week" highlights and check out Robbie Ahmat's goal. He took the ball on the half back flank, just ran with it (looked like he was doing the Olympic 100m sprint) and got the goal from the Swans half-forward flank. It was one of those bits of plays where you put aside the loyalities to your own side and *hope* that he got his just reward. A totally magical piece of play.

As for my boys, I'm not too despondent. They didn't pay the Swans enough respect (in fact, apart from Carey, Archer, Colbert, Bell, and Pickett, the team looked totally disinterested) and paid the price. It just seemed to me that they were expecting to turn on the form when needed, but alas, it didn't happen. Still, I'm fairly optimistic and reckon that it's the wake up call that the Rooboys need right now.

 

[Groucho]

I'd like to echo those sentiments SB! BA should be very proud of his boys in a fair dinkum unbelievable performance. I was pretty dirty during the game at the way the Roos were playing but, what the hell, when you're being thrashed like that what's the point! Looks like the Swannies may have saved their best for last and, probably, too late. Over the years the Roos have often had a lapse like that leading into the finals, though not usually this close in, so all might not be lost though the signs aren't promising for us being able to match it with the BIG 2 (or is it The BIG1?).

 

[Shinboners]

Oh, I forgot to add two other comments.

1. Kelly in the centre. The last time we were thrashed so badly in the centre was round 13 vs. Essendon. The first quarter in case anyone has forgotten. There is no higher compliment.

2. Chatting to another North fan, I pointed out that if the roles of North and Sydney were reversed, us North fans would have been spending the last day or so ooh-ing and ahh-ing about the game. It wasn't just Sydney belting us, it was the way they played their footy.

Anyway, I was very dirty on the boys straight after the game, but as always in the H&A, there's always next week.

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

Thanks guys - a great show from our boys Saturday night

I thought we were always going to piut on a good show against the 'imposters' in our last home game of theseason. Also I thought it might be a danger game for the Roos, as they are comfortably in 3rd place and may have come into the game a little complacent, but boy ! - nothing prepared me for quite such a good showing from the Swans or indeed quite such a lethargic effort from the Roos.

Outstanding peformances all round, especially from Kelly once he moved into the centre and Greg Stafford again had a terrific game on Burton and also ran off him well fopr 3 goals of his own.

But how about Robbie Ahmats stunning goal when he took the ball in a pack in the back pocket, took three bounces and burned off everyone with sensational pace all the way up the field before slotting through a tight one from the boundary line ? - Goal of the year no doubt about it.

On Saturdays performance you would have to say that Sydney are playing as well as anyone in the comp. at the moment. We are easily the best team out of the eight, thats for sure.

Bring on the Tigers !!!!

[This message has been edited by Bloodstained Angel (edited 24 July 2000).]

 

[Don]

Could have been 80 points if Goodes had kicked straight. Still a chance to make the finals with a win this week.

The Ahmat goal was a gem.

How many weeks Colbert for the dog act knock on Crouch considering he left the ground.

Similar Archer on Schwass seeing as he ignored going for the Footy.

A couple of interesting ones for the tribunal.

but who cares go Swannies

 

[Shinboners]

Bloodstained Angel

Yeah, I know you had more than your fair share of angst earlier in the season, so I'm sure you had a throughly enjoyable night on Saturday....you deserved it.

Another player that should get a mention is Brad Seymour. Defenders are often forgotten (which reminds me, McCartney also worked hard for the Roos) and he did a very good job in defence marking everything that came his way.

Sadly, I don't think the Swans will make the finals, but I reckon you can go into next season with plenty of optimism.

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

Hmmmm me neither Shinboners, I reckon we have it in us to beat Richmond OR Geelong but probably not both, and even then we will need to rely on Hawthorn losing narrowly to Adelaide next week to give us any chance ...

Still, I am really happy with the way we have have played out the 2nd half of the season, going down to the Lions by 3 points at home in Round 11 and then getting belted by the Crows at Footy Park in Round 12 was probably our low point, since then we have played very well I think, easy wins over Hawthorn, St Kilda and Collingwood were workmanlike, and professionally executed, then came our big wins over West Coast and the Roos last Saturady then of course it is also worth noting that we got closer to Essendon than anyone else this year, (playing conditions were a big leveller - I admit)

I reckon we will finish with 10 wins and a 9-11 placing. Prettty good for what was always a 'rebuilding year' (Hands up who else hates this term ?) that started well, then went rapidly down the gurgler. It turns out we have only won 1 less game than last year and our home record, which has been much criticised this year, is still a reasonably respectable 6-5.

The best thing of course about the end of our season is that all the youngsters we have started have all played very well and we have a great list of up and coming young players who have really 'stepped up' as they say this year.

Jude Bolton
Adam Goodes
Jared Crouch
Nic Fosdike
Jason Saddington
Ben Matthews

have all come on really well this year. Now if we can manage our veterans, Kelly, Dunkley, Schwass, Lewis and Cresswell and maybe pick up a nice established key position 'tall' in the trade period then maybe (and it is only a maybe) we can go with it next year as well.