Just had a look at the NEAFL app, it seems that they've found the missing two goal kickers, which means that we did kick 22. They found one for Leonardis and another for Dawson. That means that Dawson ended up with 4 goals, 35 possessions and 171 dream team points. Which might make one or two players a bit nervous, in regards to keeping their spot for the Essendon game.
ASPLEY
Goal Kickers: B. Warren 3, N. Jackson 2, B. Nelis, R. Toye, C. French
Best Players: G. Grose, D. Joseph, R. Toye, E. Barlow, B. Warren, G. Dickson
SYDNEY
Goal Kickers: O. Florent 4, J. Dawson 4, B. Jack 3, D. Robinson 2, T. Leonardis, S. Murray, J. Osborne, T. Pink, B. Ronke, J. Rose, A. Aliir, S. Fisher, R. Fox
Best Players: J. Dawson, O. Florent, B. Jack, S. Murray, D. Robinson, K. Tippett
I realise it's dangerous to comment on a game that you've not watched, but I did raise an eyebrow at the free kick count. While I agree with Beerman's "rant" re umpiring at senior level (or rather, our biased perceptions of it), in the NEAFL games I've watched this year, the umpiring has overwhelmingly favoured the opposition in the majority of games. In the game against NT, even the commentators (themselves barracking for the Thunder) seemed somewhat embarrassed by the one sided nature of the umpiring.
Thanks ugg - terrific input from go to whoa.
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)
Looks like Rose, Foote and Laidler had plenty of the ball too though not featuring in the best players while the defenders were starved of opportunities.
The free kick count shows that we are either
a. A dirty team
b. Second to the ball
c. Not liked by the umpires who are biased against the Swans
d. Winning so easily that the umpires are taking pity on the opposition and giving frees to even the game up
Take you pick
Ugg's observation re the Brisbane game suggests it's not a bias against the Swans but maybe (unconscious) bias against the AFL sides. I don't recall uneven umpiring in the two games against the Lions that I've watched live.
Other than that, there are possibly a couple of factors that contribute to it. The Swans (and other AFL teams) tend to be more physical. While that sometimes translates into overly aggressive tackling (including head high tackles) I think the umpires do tend to provide a little more protection to the non-AFL players. But more than the Swans having unfair free kicks paid against them, I think it is that transgressions (including high contact) against Swans players tend not to be paid as free kicks.
I also think the Swans players try to take on tacklers a bit more than many of their opponents, and quite often get pinged for HTB as a result. (And even more often, do break through tackles.) But I also think that Swans players are often pinged for HTB with no prior opportunity, and don't win their share of frees from tackles where the opposition has had prior opportunity and dropped the ball.
(And in all these comments, you can substitute "Swans players" for "Lions/Giants/Suns" players. )
Because Rohan needs the confidence of some stellar games in the 2nd's.
Towers has been very good this year so has some credits and when I watched the game I didnt see him do anything wrong, and obviously not in picture much at all. So I'm thinking he had a role, and Longmire will judge him on that role rather than possies.
Obviously, if Towers puts in another low stat performance then he can be dropped, but the richmond game seemed so out of the ordinary for him this year he was either doing a job, or was sick/injured.
We need Rohan getting 20 possessions a game. He is just a list clogger at 16 possies, and a game loser if less than 10.
The Swans have just 7 players averaging over 20 disposals a game, and none of them are forwards. 20 disposals a game seems a relatively high and rather arbitrary standard set for Rohan to stay in the team.
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