Rd 2 vs Geelong Cats @ SCG - Match Thread

[bloodspirit]

He was the very model of a modern major "gut running on the wing that might not earn you a stat but will get a lot of love from the coaches and his teammate" general.

It was only the second time I've had a chance to see him live, he really does cover a lot of ground out there but I was most impressed with his footy IQ. I was watching him closely in the lead up to Isaac's first goal, he didn't touch the ball in the passage (at about 1:30 in the link below, you can't quite see it from that camera angle but we had a great view of it at the ground) but my reading of his role in the play was;

• Harry has the ball wide in the back half, Geelong are zoning off to eat up space- a Geelong player (I think Dylan's man) is covering an area about 30 metres from Harry along the wing that has Stephens and another Swan
• Dylan starts to move a little wider to create a bit more space between him and the other Swan- the Geelong player mirrors his movement to cover
• Harry kicks to Dane at HBF on the square, Stephens goes even wider and starts to move a little up the ground towards our forward half hugging the boundary line- the Geelong player starts to go with him
• Harry runs on for the handball receive from Dane, he can not only run into space (as the Geelong player has stayed with Dylan) but because Dylan has gone wide he can go along the edge of the square instead of wide, offering up more of the ground upfield for our forwards
• Isaac gets to a marking contest, gets a free and goes back and slots it

Only one play, and again you can't really see it in the footage but at the ground it was quite clear. He read the play and used the space perfectly, and was extremely disciplined. It's not just his athleticism, it's having the brain to know how to put to use- he was constantly moving through the game and either presenting as an option or creating space for his teammates to work in.

Mini Match: Sydney v Geelong

Great post!

Ludwig has informed the thread that Ladhams played well in the VFL. I’m ready to change my opinion on Ladhams based on Ludwigs recommendation. Ludwig has great knowledge of the ruck craft.

Don't be absurd! I don't think you know Ludwig very well yet. Ludwig is arguably our star poster and has produced many of my all time favourite posts but a lot of the time I wouldn't take him too seriously (with the possible exception of when he's talking about trading and drafting).

[barry]

Great post!

Don't be absurd! I don't think you know Ludwig very well yet. Ludwig is arguably our star poster and has produced many of my all time favourite posts but a lot of the time I wouldn't take him too seriously (with the possible exception of when he's talking about trading and drafting).

Unless he's talking about trading and drafting ruckmen.

[Ludwig]

I know less about ruckwork than I do about childbirth.

In fact, I know very little about anything that contains the word 'work'.

[bloodspirit]

I've been wanting to make a comment about Paddy McCartin's game. I was impressed by his 5 intercepts in the first quarter too but am not talking him up as much as others. The reason for this is that people seem to be overlooking that he was played in the spare defender/intercepting role and wasn't given much of an accountable role. Tom McCartin mostly played on Hawkins, and Rampe mostly played on Cameron. But in that first quarter in particular when he took all those intercepts, Paddy was not manning up on anyone: instead he was standing in the middle of the defence but between all the other defenders and attackers waiting and watching for the ball to come in and to pick it off without worrying about any direct opponent. That no doubt contributed significantly to his success in intercepting so many kicks. I know because I was sitting right behind Paddy and the goals in Bay 245 of the Noble Stand (somewhere near Mel by the sounds of it) while this was happening. After that quarter I didn't notice or pay as much attention to McCartin but I am confident about that time period because I was watching him closely and counting the intercepts as they happened.

So, in short: yes, good effort - but less spectacular when you consider that that was clearly exactly the role he was given and he didn't have to keep an attacker accountable.

[i'm-uninformed2]

Looks like the coaches agree with you on Paddy, and his brother.

Heeney's five earns full votes from coaches

[bloodspirit]

Looks like the coaches agree with you on Paddy, and his brother.

Heeney's five earns full votes from coaches

Very interesting votes - each coach gave two votes to a different McCartin brother. I'd be surprised if Chris Scott was commending Tom McCartin's work - it's more likely that he was impressed by the many intercepts that Paddy took early and that probably led to a change in tactics by the Cats so that he had less influence on the rest of the game. So, I think it was the inside knowledge of the role Tom was playing that has led the Swans to give Tom two votes. But I'm not completely confident. Again, I tend to think we were more likely to have given a vote to Errol than to Warner because Warner's contribution was flashier and more apparent. Still the opposing coaches also have a penetrating analysis I'm sure, so it could be the other way around.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Ludwig has great knowledge of the ruck craft.

Yes, I think of Ludwig as the penultimate ruck authority on RWO.

- - - Updated - - -

Heeney had a go in the leadership group, but as I understand it, was apparently happier being an informal leader.

I suspect Isaac will appeal to the marketing department when the Swans finally go post Buddy.

[Markwebbos]

Ludwig = Ruckstradamus

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Maybe within RWO 2022 (there are some funny opinions in situ) but until the Sydney Morning Herald quotes your opinion on the Swans rucks, that's the extent.

[Bexl]

LeSwan James
@CheerCheer37
James Rowbottom after two games is ranked sixth in the league for tackles (14), third for pressure acts (57) and LEADS THE LEAGUE for defensive half pressure acts (32)💪

I saw this on twitter and thought some people ( 1 in particular ) might find it interesting and informative.

[Mark26]

Ludwig = Ruckstradamus

Also known as the former legend of the leap, the tower of taps, Mr Derickx.

[Ludwig]

The CBAs are in for the game:

CBA’s – Round 2 Game 2 – Sydney 31 – Tom Hickey 24, Callum Mills 19, James Rowbottom 17, Oliver Florent 16, Chad Warner 15, Luke Parker 14, Hayden McLean 7, Isaac Heeney 6, Errol Gulden 6

It appears that we are going with a main rotation of 5 midfielders. Surprised that JPK didn't attend a single CB. I'm sure Longmire loves him, and is trying his best to keep him in the side, but is struggling to find a place for him in the current game plan.