It's like a thoroughbred going through the motions, getting fitter with each race until they are at peak fitness for when it counts.
It may not look pretty at the moment but we are nowhere near our peak. Take the two and move on. I'm happy.
It's like a thoroughbred going through the motions, getting fitter with each race until they are at peak fitness for when it counts.
It may not look pretty at the moment but we are nowhere near our peak. Take the two and move on. I'm happy.
I'm out of town this weekend and wasn't that keen on going to the game anyway. Round 1 last year was hugely frustrating and I had the feeling this year would be much the same. I wasn't disappointed. Good run from the boys, comfortable win, take the points and look to improve next week. Nothing to get worried about, (remember how underdone ROK was in Rnd 1 last year? From that to a Norm Smith), but nothing too exciting either.
Also, Rampe did well, but someone needs to tell him not to overcommit to the tackle. A couple of times his man ran past him because he charged too quickly at them. The enthusiasm of youth!
It reminded me (to swap seasons) of the struggle to start the lawnmower after a winter doing nothing: splutter, roar, splutter, stop, pull the cord again, splutter etc.
The effort was there but the skills were lamentable. We will do better. We need to.
Having said that, a significant part of our problem was the new level achieved by GWS. They are quick, keen, and have a few skilled characters of their own. They'll upset some sides this year.
He reminds him of the guys, close-set, slow, and never rattled, who were play-makers on the team. (John Updike, seeing Josh Kennedy in a crystal ball)
This link suggests that the crowd was more us than GWS.
Having woken up I decided to watch the game. I can't watch it. It is unwatchable. The skills in this game are beyond bad and we won it seems to me despite ourselves - there were parts of this game where we were simply unable to do anything except hack it off a step. But rather than that occurring once or twice it was like 7-8 times in a row. Thank god for the draw, otherwise we'd have been stuffed.
Thankfully I know there is a lot of improvement there but I hope I don't have to watch too many games like this - it reminds me of the kick and hope of the 70s
With apologies to the bard
Sheedy has come to Sydney,
To claim this city for the AFL,
The Swans were already hear,
Yet Sheedy is an honourable man!
11,000 giants signed already
The game expanding rapidly
Such surprising news proclained
Yet Sheedy is an honourable man!
Looking at a Giant home game
A sea of red is all I percieve
Something is seriously amiss
Yet Sheedy is an honourable man!
Could their membership count
Include infants, pets and ghosts
I really beging to wonder
Is Sheedy truly an honourable man?
Loose translation from the Latin is - I am tall, so I hit out.
Sure we have a good draw in the first 2 rounds, but if it was 2 top teams we were playing the preseason would have been adjusted accordingly to achieve a much higher fitness level. By the way GC were pretty good so this week we will need to go up a few levels.
Did anyone else notice that Mumford had 2 frees against for simply being 'too strong' for his opponent?
Frustrated the hell out of me!!!!
There were definitely times when GWS' speed & accuracy in direct kicks to each other (and catching it too) seemed to leave the Swans behind - though much of that was that nap we seemed to have at the start of the second quarter. But yeah, GWS are definitely improving rapidly. And watching a bit of the Suns' game last night had me saying the same thing as a few already have above - we'd better be ready next week, the Suns are definitely starting to get it together. Can't expect a cakewalk. I wish the newbie teams luck, but I don't want my Swannies to be the first major scalp either of them claim!
Oh, and having been there, my view of the game attendance was most definitely a lot more red and white than orange and ... and ... whatever fancy grey thing colour.
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