Nick Smith in a post game interview said that we didn't push up into the forward line to stop the Pies run out of the backline.
Nick Smith in a post game interview said that we didn't push up into the forward line to stop the Pies run out of the backline.
Positives for me.......
It smells like a master plan in action....
After 6 rounds.....2 wins, 4 losses...
We will then resume our rightful position, as chronic underdogs, against the top 10 or so sides.
That's when the Swannies will no doubt click into action and, against the odds, start winning!!
Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect... MT
Just checked some stats - clutching at straws here....57% win rate at the SCG (including some horrible years) versus 60% at Stadium Australia or whatever it is called now. Thought the figures would be a LOT worse. The grass always looks too bloody long at that ground. We should get out of that contract at the first chance in my opinion.
Note: I am from Melbourne and have never been to the stadium but I love the SCG!
Your forward structure breaks down when you keep losing the ball in the midfield and the forwards come up to help out to gain possession by weight of numbers, but then you've go no one to kick to if you do win possession.
It's easy to beat the Swans. If you're fit enough and put pressure on us, we will turn over the ball repeatedly. Our skills are mediocre, at best.
We've often fallen back on Macca to provide that important precise kick, but he's been off so far this year, and it's hurt us.
It is an awful ground, and we don't draw crowds (bar in finals time) to justify playing there anymore. Once the contract is up, hopefully we tell them to go shove it and we play all our games at the SCG. But I'd expect they will throw good $$$ at the club to extend the deal out there and it'll be hard to turn them down. A turgid place to watch footy though, you end up spending half the game watching the screen as the play at the other end seems so far away.
"You get the feeling that like Monty Python's Black Knight, the Swans would regard amputation as merely a flesh wound."
I agree with others that our forward structure was terrible last night. I think what we need to do to remedy that over the next 1 to 2 years is to go out and recruit 1 or 2 of the very best key forwards in the competition, regardless of the cost.....
LOL - sounds a bit like the old VFL park - you needed a telescope to see what was happening at that ground. Unless the Swans get offered a million plus a year I'd play all games at the SCG - great surface and heaps of atmosphere - and as a bonus we get to see Kenny on the TV.
ANZ is a great ground. Its actually a great shape for AFL being long and skinny. While we cant beat Collingwood, we can beat almost everyone else there, and the variety of homegrounds makes us a much better team.
I do not want to see us revert to an SCG -only style like we had under rocket eade.
I think we have been on a slide since the spilt round last year.. We smashed Adelaide in a skillful and ruthless performance.. Then had a weeks break and came back looking like a different team.. We haven't beaten anyone of note since (that I can remember ?).. Then all of a sudden with the recruitment of Buddy we are supposed to be the top of the heap again.. I wish I knew what was wrong. I suspect Horse does too. He is coaching like everything is OK. So many players looking really ordinary is a real worry. My point is that it has been a problem for longer than most seem to realise..
Last year it was easy to say it was due to the high injury toll. And this year you could say that a number of those injured players are still not match hardened after only recently coming back from their injuries and a number of operations over the off season. Though I fear you may actually be right, maybe there is something else underlying it. I hope not. Still gotta keep supporting our bloods
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