I find it weird watching a Swans team with good disposal....it's been so long!
I find it weird watching a Swans team with good disposal....it's been so long!
The eternal connundrum "what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object" was finally solved when David Hasselhoff punched himself in the face.
Florent was indeed very very good from what I saw on the Livestream. Class above every other player. He will come in for the unfortunate Cunningham who was having a good run of form.
Did you notice that Reid went back to the last line of defence for the last 5 minutes of the first 3 quarters? I reckon he did last week also. Clearly playing the best footy of his career.
Hewett has now strung a few very good games together. Leading up, finding space and not playing for a free. Could just about say he has arrived.
Newman gives us a new dimension that I don't think we have had since John Pitura. His kicking is superb and what I like is he waits until he is in the right position before he delivers. His goal from the 50 was a delight. For a bloke who was short of a run, Rampe really topped off our backline.
Reg gone; ease up Ludwig.
Melican might not be flashy but he sure plays his man close, just like the human glove Smithy. Another one relegated to the scrap heap by a few. Melican's style makes him look a little slow but he gets back to support really well.
Papley adds that bite to the forward line that worries defences, in the Eddie Betts mould.
The ferocity of the team made the Saints fumble all day.
The mids are kicking goals again and Longmire is mixing things up a lot by rotating the likes of Papley and Hewett through the midfield, and Hanners coming off the wing at centre bounces is mastermind coaching.
Last but not least; when we started getting it out of the centre we smashed them big time. That quick, clean kick into our forward line creates real anxiety to defences. Loved Parker's kick out of the air for Tippett to mark and goal. Flair and the unexpected creates opportunities.
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Did you notice that Reid went back to the last line of defence for the last 5 minutes of the first 3 quarters? I reckon he did last week also. Clearly playing the best footy of his career.
Hewett has now strung a few very good games together. Leading up, finding space and not playing for a free. Could just about say he has arrived.
Newman gives us a new dimension that I don't think we have had since John Pitura. His kicking is superb and what I like is he waits until he is in the right position before he delivers. His goal from the 50 was a delight. For a bloke who was short of a run, Rampe really topped off our backline.
Reg gone; ease up Ludwig.
Melican might not be flashy but he sure plays his man close, just like the human glove Smithy. Another one relegated to the scrap heap by a few. Melican's style makes him look a little slow but he gets back to support really well.
Papley adds that bite to the forward line that worries defences, in the Eddie Betts mould.
The ferocity of the team made the Saints fumble all day.
The mids are kicking goals again and Longmire is mixing things up a lot by rotating the likes of Papley and Hewett through the midfield, and Hanners coming off the wing at centre bounces is mastermind coaching.
Last but not least; when we started getting it out of the centre we smashed them big time. That quick, clean kick into our forward line creates real anxiety to defences. Loved Parker's kick out of the air for Tippett to mark and goal. Flair and the unexpected creates opportunities.
What we need now more than anything is four points every game and Reid back helps us do that.
Rohan, Tippett and Towers are unholy enigmas - all 3 had moments of fabulousness on the weekend. But would I be comfortable watching them line up in a finals team? Well, may not matter this year at least...
The forward setup is terrific, from the Lion King (Buddy) to the giraffe (Tippo) to the greyhound (Towers) to the Doberman (Rohan) to the Jack Russell (Paps) and everyone who rotated through and kept the opposition guessing. Fantastic to watch.
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)
Papley is very quickly becoming my favorite Swan
Hayward once again showed his class and footy nous and he's still just 18 and slightly built. Got pace too and loves a chase and tackle/harass. Think we have a potential gun on our hands within a couple of years.
Our forwards are now suddenly amongst the quickest in the league which creates pressure on the opposition as they try to clear it out resulting as we saw at the weekend in turnovers and repeat entries.
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Hayward once again showed his class and footy nous and he's still just 18 and slightly built. Got pace too and loves a chase and tackle/harass. Think we have a potential gun on our hands within a couple of years.
Our forwards are now suddenly amongst the quickest in the league which creates pressure on the opposition as they try to clear it out resulting as we saw at the weekend in turnovers and repeat entries.
My highlight. Mark of the Week: Sinclair - Rd 9 - sydneyswans.com.au
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My highlight. http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/video/2017-05-22/mark-of-the-week-sinclair-rd-9
Old impressions take a long time to die. Even before the game, I was perplexed to hear the commentators talking about how the Saints just had to match the Swans on the inside and that they would then "get us" on the outside with their leg speed. Sure, our main trio of onballers are as slow as those of most other clubs, but Sydney's addition of outside speed continues to be ignored. Certainly, I saw nothing in the Saints' outfit to suggest they could match the combination of Rohan, Towers, Cunningham, Jones, Papley, Hayward - not to mention Buddy.
It was a great game on the weekend. It wasn't just that we won but how and by how much. That's the kind of form that makes me think we can still be a sneaky chance of playing finals. Based on our current form there is almost no team I'm afraid of - the Giants on a good day are a massive challenge and the game against the Bulldogs in two weeks will be a litmus test.
Also, I caught snippets of other footy games recently and it made me think we pull our hair out about stupid turnovers/poor disposal. The other teams are no better. I would hate being a Dees fan - I was pulling my hair out watching them (against Norf) and they are not even my side.
Against the Saints what was so pleasing was that not only did our midfield guns all stand up again for the second week running but a lot of our fringe players played well too: Towers, Hayward, Sinclair, Harry C, Newman and Hewett (if you would call him a fringe player - I wouldn't but I know others have). When our good players play well (and now that we have had missing players return from injury) suddenly it looks like we've got a young side (with good experience too) and with great depth. There are so many outside the 22 that are really pushing for a spot: Florent, Dawson, Aliir, Marsh as well as the likes of Cameron, Talia, Maibaum, Fox, Fisher, Murray, Robinson, Naismith, O'Riordan. Looks dire for BJ, Rose and Leonardis who I think are all pushing up hill to get contract renewals.
Incidentally was I the only one that was filthy with the umps during the first quarter? I thought they really spoiled our momentum when we were up about 21-1 and they engineered a couple of goals for the saints including the free and then the 50m penalty against Buddy that was pretty soft as far as I could tell. I'm sure I'm not alone because posters here howl about the umpiring every week but I usually don't.
Anyway, I'm fired up and I can't wait to beat the living daylights out of the Hawks. I hope we frag them!
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It was a great game on the weekend. It wasn't just that we won but how and by how much. That's the kind of form that makes me think we can still be a sneaky chance of playing finals. Based on our current form there is almost no team I'm afraid of - the Giants on a good day are a massive challenge and the game against the Bulldogs in two weeks will be a litmus test.
Also, I caught snippets of other footy games recently and it made me think we pull our hair out about stupid turnovers/poor disposal. The other teams are no better. I would hate being a Dees fan - I was pulling my hair out watching them (against Norf) and they are not even my side.
Against the Saints what was so pleasing was that not only did our midfield guns all stand up again for the second week running but a lot of our fringe players played well too: Towers, Hayward, Sinclair, Harry C, Newman and Hewett (if you would call him a fringe player - I wouldn't but I know others have). When our good players play well (and now that we have had missing players return from injury) suddenly it looks like we've got a young side (with good experience too) and with great depth. There are so many outside the 22 that are really pushing for a spot: Florent, Dawson, Aliir, Marsh as well as the likes of Cameron, Talia, Maibaum, Fox, Fisher, Murray, Robinson, Naismith, O'Riordan. Looks dire for BJ, Rose and Leonardis who I think are all pushing up hill to get contract renewals.
Incidentally was I the only one that was filthy with the umps during the first quarter? I thought they really spoiled our momentum when we were up about 21-1 and they engineered a couple of goals for the saints including the free and then the 50m penalty against Buddy that was pretty soft as far as I could tell. I'm sure I'm not alone because posters here howl about the umpiring every week but I usually don't.
Anyway, I'm fired up and I can't wait to beat the living daylights out of the Hawks. I hope we frag them!
I agree that the umpires seemed to want to keep St Kilda in the game in the first quarter. After that, I think they gave up and realised it was beyond even their powers. The 50m penalty against Buddy was pulled from thin air.
Agree about some of the decisions against us in the first quarter being perplexing. As for the Buddy one, I didn't see anything watching at the ground, nor on the replay shown on the screen; back home I read or heard he'd pushed over an opponent after the whistle. I didn't see it. Did he?
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707's comment is spot on. I too enjoyed not only what he did, but the footy nous. One to watch.
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