The most effective pressure is scoreboard pressure. Having a game plan that doesn't help you to score freely is counter productive. I hope Horse changes it next year.
The most effective pressure is scoreboard pressure. Having a game plan that doesn't help you to score freely is counter productive. I hope Horse changes it next year.
I find it strange that yet again we lost at home. It seems weird to me that away teams play the ground better than we do. I think this is the real issue with the game plan.
We play poorly at home I feel because our ability to execute on a more congested ground a successful game plan (noting its not really that much more congested than other grounds) seems to have fallen away substantially. Possibly because our overall midfield group isn't once what it was, and isn't able to lock down the game as much as it once could, and use that as a mechanism to wrestle back control.
The GWS was a perfect example - a Swans team of 3, even 4 years ago, when GWS got 3 or 4 goals up, would of most likely looked to really shut the game drown, turn it into a massive 1 on 1 battle in the midfield, full of stoppages, as a way to wrestle momentum and find a way into the game. We used to be masters at that style of tactic - but we are not anymore. Add to that the fact we just weren't a heavily scoring team this season, and it meant in games we weren't well in control of for most of the time, we struggled big time.
"You get the feeling that like Monty Python's Black Knight, the Swans would regard amputation as merely a flesh wound."
Slightly off topic, but on AFL360 tonight Dunstall & Brereton had an intense discussion about Longmire's game plan. No secret Brereton has long been critical of Longmire's game plan particularly how it doesn't suit Buddy against good teams. Dunstall was in strong disagreement with Brereton, making the point the Swans would have not made top four & play in 2 GF's without Buddy. He was also strong against the notion the Swans need to win a premiership to justify his signing. Dunstall thought Brereton was too harsh on the Swans/Longmire game plan, adding all teams review their game plans each year & make necessary adjustments which the Swans were forced to with their injuries & playing their young batch.
Apart from Brereton, Mark Robinson is very harsh on his criticism of the Franklin deal insisting that it has a been a failure because they haven't won a premiership with him. Buddy has been an absolute success and when they win a premiership with him it would be a real bonus. As has been well discussed the 2016 grand final was stolen from the Swans, but alas history can't be changed.
I read that next season runners will only be allowed to relay messages after a goal. So Longmire better make sure we start kicking more goals 😉.
I think his time is up - too many teams have gone past us and frankly too many coaches getting the better of Longmire too - our game plan has not evolved enough and we simply have not delivered enough for the quality of list we have had last 5 or 6 years - losing Mitchell and Nankervis has killed us too
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