Game Day Thread: Qualifying Final Sydney Swans vs Hawthorn Hawks

[Sandridge]

.Quoted post deleted

Yes, you're certainly entitled to have an opinion. And so is everyone else. If you don't like your opinion being challenged, don't join a forum.

[Triple B]

Lol @ the usual game thread comments. Some people should get there Internet access rescinded during game time to save themselves the embarrassment.

[Ludwig]

Clarkson commented that his team was better prepared this year coming into the finals. He rested players during the season so they would be fresher at the pointy end of the season. Perhaps this is the most telling point. Longmire is not inclined to rest senior players, even against weak teams. Having so many injuries makes this strategy even more difficult.

The huge differential in uncontested marks is the best indication of the gap in the comparative fitness levels of the 2 teams.

[swansrob]

Theory: The Swans threw the game last night as a way to get some extra game time into some underdone players.

[Melbournehammer]

Ah, here we go again. It's a wonder that the "How Long Longmire?" thread hasn't resurfaced. The bald reality is that with the injuries we've had it is an amazing effort that we even made the top four. The truth is the new kids have been able to hold the fort against the mediocre teams but the big guns show up the inexperience and put pressure on the older guys who have busted a gut to keep us competitive and are now feeling the effects. If by some twist of fate we get through to face Hawthorn again I wouldn't bet against us knocking them off. They tend to choke a bit when there's no second chance and those pretty little kicks don't always hit their targets, plus they play through Franklin a lot and his kicking is dodgy.

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I know who I'd back!

Oddly enough I agree with you. But there is something wrong with the way we are playing currently. And it has been there for the whole second half of the season, which has coincided with the tall heavy structure. It might be personnel, execution or game plan. But whichever it is, 2013 is looking beyond us (although freo if they were to upset Geelong opens up our side of the draw, assuming we were to win next week).

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Clarkson commented that his team was better prepared this year coming into the finals. He rested players during the season so they would be fresher at the pointy end of the season. Perhaps this is the most telling point. Longmire is not inclined to rest senior players, even against weak teams. Having so many injuries makes this strategy even more difficult.

The huge differential in uncontested marks is the best indication of the gap in the comparative fitness levels of the 2 teams.

The skill level also (which may be related to fatigue) and pace, and personnel. Last night saw smith burn off hanners, hill burn past mcveigh, breust do the same to Grundy, and whitecross made mal look slow.

On the other hand in the critical five minutes, Richards missed a target, jack missed a target and bird and Grundy missed targets. That leaves to one side hanners passing to roughhead on the fifty.

I think some criticism must be made of the coaching as well. Once they started to pass it around we persisted with the loose man at the back, which meant they were able to work the ball methodically to our fifty without ever looking to pass the ball near traffic. Their spare man kept popping up in the centre of the centre square and we were so disorganised thereafter as each defender successively had to go to the next player in the chain. The refusal to back the defenders to win one on one meant that the hawks were able to kick it repeatedly to the one on none.

[ShockOfHair]

When we beat the Pies in round 9(?) Buckley said we had eight or nine endurance runners and were capable of running any team off the park.

So how is it we were so lacking in legs last night when we had so much tank in round 9. Or was BECAUSE we had so much tank then?

I can't see that our structure or strategy could be to blame when we matched it with the Hawks in the first half. The only difference was our players started to tire badly in the third quarter. The third quarter! Was it because too many players have had to shoulder too much of the load because of injuries? Because the game plan relies too much on spread for the players' fitness levels across a whole season? Because the Hawks are just super-fit?

We were fantastic in the first half. We just ran out of petrol tickets. We've done well to get this far. Let's see what happens next week.

[Auntie.Gerald]

it is simple

our style of football works when our midfield wins the ball more then the opposition and if this fails our style of football works if we force more turnovers on our opposition !

we didnt do that last night !

[Zlatorog]

Theory: The Swans threw the game last night as a way to get some extra game time into some underdone players.

He, he this is funny!

[hot potato]

I've got a friend who takes Nil , zero, no interest in any sport , doesn't support any team, he doesn't put himself through any of this .
DOES he need help or do I.

Best
HP

[annew]

I've got a friend who takes Nil , zero, no interest in any sport , doesn't support any team, he doesn't put himself through any of this .
DOES he need help or do I.

Best
HP

You do but he misses the excitement.

[crackedactor]

Theory: The Swans threw the game last night as a way to get some extra game time into some underdone players.

Oh I see, that is what happened,I thought this was the case. The Bookies are offering 10/1 about winning the flag. Time to get on!! who is brave enough???

[aardvark]

Time to get on!! who is brave enough???

Not me!