"We can't have any fractures in the team"

**Cheer Squad** · 16th August 2011, 08:43 AM

http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/s...815-1iuu8.html

In today's SMH, Mattner gives his take on our current situation and mentions the need to avoid "fractures" in the team.

Last week it was team chemistry. This week there's talk of avoiding fractures. Headlines suggesting we need a "kick in the backside", and an apparent attitude of "why bother"? It sounds like there's a fair bit of dissatisfaction just below the surface.

Obviously, something's not right. I reckon the lack of stability in our structure has a lot to do with it, plus the perceived lack of leadership. Not a good situation to be in.

**Nich** · 16th August 2011, 08:51 AM

I noticed that comment too straight away when I watched the clip on fox sports news. I find that a little strange but maybe we are over analysing it. To bring up the notion though of not having any fractures without a question being put forward about any fractures might suggest something isn't right. I hope that isn't right! I'll make my judgement after a few more games. If the boys don't fire up this Sunday you will know something is wrong.

**toothy76** · 16th August 2011, 09:02 AM

I'll throw this out there. Maybe the "fracture" is a player - let's say, for argument's sake, Jarrad McVeigh - who the club knows is heading to GWS.

**Big Al** · 16th August 2011, 09:17 AM

Mattner is saying that when under the pump the team needs to stick together and get through it. Very sinister if you ask me.

**Yuri H** · 16th August 2011, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by toothy76

I'll throw this out there. Maybe the "fracture" is a player - let's say, for argument's sake, Jarrad McVeigh - who the club knows is heading to GWS.

Well, at least that would solve the 'what to do about the captain/co-captain question', then.

**Untamed Snark** · 16th August 2011, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by Big Al

Mattner is saying that when under the pump the team needs to stick together and get through it. Very sinister if you ask me.

left handed?

**wolftone57** · 16th August 2011, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by Cheer Squad

http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/s...815-1iuu8.html

In today's SMH, Mattner gives his take on our current situation and mentions the need to avoid "fractures" in the team.

Last week it was team chemistry. This week there's talk of avoiding fractures. Headlines suggesting we need a "kick in the backside", and an apparent attitude of "why bother"? It sounds like there's a fair bit of dissatisfaction just below the surface.

Obviously, something's not right. I reckon the lack of stability in our structure has a lot to do with it, plus the perceived lack of leadership. Not a good situation to be in.

I also thought this a very strange comment to make if all is well. I have been a bit concerned that our players don't shepherd very much but seem to try to run ahead of the play once they have given the ball off often resulting in one of our players being hammered. There is in my perception a lot of ball chasing going on & I'd rather the boys back each other up by blocking and shepherding to give the player with the pill a good chance to get a good disposal.

If there is discontent I wouldn't be surprised if it was directed at the coaching panel who have constantly blamed the players for on field failures when sometimes it was obviously the game plan. In the games against Adelaide, Essendon, Freemantle & Richmond the game plan was wrong in each case. What I thought was annoying was that the coaching panel thought that if you kicked the ball high you automatically outmark Richmond & therefore win the game, well that really worked, NOT!

**dimelb** · 16th August 2011, 06:18 PM

I suspect he is simply saying "Don't break up the team."

**Leeroy** · 16th August 2011, 06:53 PM

There are several young Swans, but several young Tigers too. I'm suspecting a disintegration of team harmony. This goes back several years.

Nick Davis was always on the outer, he never bought into the "Bloods ethos". The treatment of Barry Hall was disgusting; regardless of his brainsnaps, he was a premiership captain and shouldn't have been criticised in the media by Roos and Kirk.

Now those two strong characters have gone, along with co-captain Craig Bolton. Adam Goodes has been carrying the team; Jude Bolton was earlier, but hasn't been the same since his injury. Authority doesn't seem to sit too easily on Longmire's shoulders, not yet, anyway.

There is no full-forward and no forward structure worth the name, delivery from the midfield is haphazard (Sydney have had less top ten draft picks than any other team over the last ten years).

Make Kieran Jack the sole captain. He's young, hard at it, can afford a year or two to grow into the role. He is, by all accounts, a relaxed sort of fellow who doesn't care a bit for Buddhism and meditation. It'll make a break from a club culture that delivered a premiership but has lost the two men who most spoke it up.

**Cygnus** · 16th August 2011, 07:19 PM

I believe he said that in the context of the same list of players getting the opportunity to redeem themselves as a unit rather than wielding the axe and breaking up the side. I recon he just choose the word fracture poorly given the other ways it can be interpreted.