Horse's hands on the reigns

[Rod_]

Well if I was coach, I would try as many players as I could and move the team around to see what else they can do!

I feel that Horse has done this so far. In the mean time he has blooded a few kids.

Agreed that a few moves would be considered not preferable for the long haul, it does give a few differing solutions if we need another game plan on match day.

LRT in the ruck comes to mind and while he could have played on Buddy a couple of weeks ago, LRT wasn't ready. He had only played a couple of games in the 2nds and as such probably not ready for a key back position. Since he has had a run in the firsts, I feel he could ready to take on a Jonathan Brown if needed. (if we had enough ruck stock ..)

I would suggest that we will have a few more weeks of shuffling to go, before we settle a team towards the finals. Some players that are playing in the seconds may be back later on when we head towards the "settling towards the finals period"

There are only so many game plans and plays that a team can have, and while it would be good to be settled, we need as many options to victory as we can.. Therefore I don't mind the playing players out of position that much at the moment. Hopefully we have a short term hurt for long term gain.

I feel that Horse has done an excellent job thus far in trailing options. While I would love a functioning forward line, we need to keep on trying options till one clicks. (maybe we will get one for Christmas..?)

Keep on blooding and experimenting and we will be ready come September.

If you bought a new car and you only drove around in first gear, you would know what it did. You try them all. While I wish the swans were travelling in overdrive, perhaps that will be closer to that by the end of the year... (Or next year..?)

Keep on trailing the options is my preference.

Horse has the reigns and hold on for the ride. We will have good days and bad and I hope we have more good!

Cheers

Rod_

Comments?

[IrishSwanPerth]

Swans need a settled team and have dodged bullets, who will play next week?
I reckon the lions will beat us at the weekend, we will not kick over 14 goals and we were lucky against the Demons, Eagles and North Mlb.
Only Adelaide and GC have kicked less scores than us. The only game we controlled was the 2nd half against Port.

I think horse has been average and very lucky to be in the 8.

[The Big Cat]

Here we go again! Another snipe at the coach! Why don't we have a separate forum so all you malcontents can wallow in your pessimism, negativity and complete lack of understanding of AFL football, its strategies and the obstacles facing coaching staff!

[Cpt. Kirk]

Here we go again! Another snipe at the coach! Why don't we have a separate forum so all you malcontents can wallow in your pessimism, negativity and complete lack of understanding of AFL football, its strategies and the obstacles facing coaching staff!

This ^^^

[AnnieH]

Swans need a settled team and have dodged bullets, who will play next week?
I reckon the lions will beat us at the weekend, we will not kick over 14 goals and we were lucky against the Demons, Eagles and North Mlb.
Only Adelaide and GC have kicked less scores than us. The only game we controlled was the 2nd half against Port.

I think horse has been average and very lucky to be in the 8.

Horse doesn't play. The players play, therefore they have been average.
There's a game plan. Normally, it revolves around "get out there and win".
We all know they CAN play like a very well oiled machine - it's just getting them all to do it at the same time.

[aardvark]

Horse doesn't play. The players play, therefore they have been average.
There's a game plan. Normally, it revolves around "get out there and win".
We all know they CAN play like a very well oiled machine - it's just getting them all to do it at the same time.

Agree again Annie. When this team eventually settles and all plays well together it will be scary. And Horse will be the new messiah.

[ernie koala]

Here we go again! Another snipe at the coach! Why don't we have a separate forum so all you malcontents can wallow in your pessimism, negativity and complete lack of understanding of AFL football, its strategies and the obstacles facing coaching staff!

And here you go again, to use the word you seem to enjoy misrepresenting, "sniping" at those who don't share your views.

[The Big Cat]

And here you go again, to use the word you seem to enjoy misrepresenting, "sniping" at those who don't share your views.

You don't seem to realise there is a difference between sniping and criticism or debate based on accurate knowledge of the facts. The Longmire assassins' criticisms have NO basis in VALID data but are merely the casual observations of people whose INFORMED knowledge equals zilch. To call for the head of the coach on this basis cannot be called anything but sniping.

[barry]

I dont think many are calling for Horse's head yet, but there are some serious question marks about where he is taking the team.

Players who you'd have expected to really step up this year in Jetta, Hanebery and Jesse White have gone backwards, and its up to the very old guard of Bolton, Richards and Goodes do carry us.

An obvious poor planning was the inclusion of Johnson (is that with a T?) as a forward last week. He's played all the previous couple of years as a defender. Why, if he was forward material in seniors, wasnt he played as a forward in the 2's for the preceeding 8 rounds ?

Horse is not doing a bad job, but these sort of mistakes mean we are operating at 90% effectiveness compared to the better coaches.

[Untamed Snark]

And here you go again, to use the word you seem to enjoy misrepresenting, "sniping" at those who don't share your views.

Just to be clear:
?verb (used without object)
4. to shoot or hunt snipe.
5. to shoot at individuals as opportunity offers from a concealed or distant position: The enemy was sniping from the roofs.
6. to attack a person or a person's work with petulant or snide criticism, especially anonymously or from a safe distance.

[ScottH]

I didn't think the OP was a snipe at the Coach, I thought it was a fairly open and positive appraisal.
But then that is only my opinion, I could be wrong.

[Frog]

Here we go again! Another snipe at the coach! Why don't we have a separate forum so all you malcontents can wallow in your pessimism, negativity and complete lack of understanding of AFL football, its strategies and the obstacles facing coaching staff!

Do we have you on the match report register?