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Thread: Swans' flighty win leads to September doubts

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    fat-arsed midfielder dendol's Avatar
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    Swans' flighty win leads to September doubts

    http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/r...488202397.html

    Does anyone think this article by Rohan Connolly has any merit? Is the game plan we have going to be a problem in September?

    Its clear that when teams play one-on-one, we struggle. And our style isnt conducive to wet/windy conditions. Against better opposition, we may have lost yesterday.

    And I dont agree with him saying it was talent (swans) vs. effort (blues). We may have had Bazza win that game for us yesterday, but our team is as hard-working as any.

  2. #2
    Peyow Peyow Mike_B's Avatar
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    Agree that the effort/talent thing is a bit off the mark, but his general theme is pretty spot on. We don't have a plan B when conditions/opponents dictate that we are unable to play a running game. Againts a team that had a few more options up forward we may well have come off 5 goal losers considering the number of turnovers.

    Unfortunately we aren't of the quality where we can have one plan only and execute it no matter the opposition/conditions. We've seen this already this season, and really, if opponents aren't wise to this and trying to exploit it, they aren;t doing a good job.

    I'm on the Chandwagon!!!

    If you cannot compete for the premiership, it's better to be young and exciting than middle-aged and dowdy.


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    I see it the other way. Everyone knows the Swans can win open games. But we just showed that we can win in-close scraps, too. That's a very positive development - we have more than one plan! I reckon Geelong will be having a rethink on tactics for two weeks from now.

    And we were the more skilled team? I didn't see too many signs of it today. Some hopeless passing. But we played with more heart when it counted - against a team playing its heart out.

    AND don't overlook the fact that we played last weekend and finished the stronger team. They had two weeks off and couldn't go the distance. All good signs. We have to win the tough games and the last few weeks we've shown we can. Right now we seem to be playing with finals-like intensity and it's working. If it doesn't leave us with more injuries then toughening up at this stage of the season will stand us in good stead. No team seems above the others right now and we're doing alright in the run to the finish line.

  4. #4
    Worried??? No

    Why? Because while we aren't winning pretty at the moment, at least we are winning. I don't think our gameplan will have any bearing on our results in September because no matter what, it will come down to how the team "feels" on the day.

    Would Connolly of written such tripe after we beat St Kilda in the manner we did or for that matter if we wiped the floor with Carlton yesterday??? No, because that wouldn't make the few Victorian readers The Age gets unhappy.

    While I'm on this subject I'm starting to get fed up with all the "If Carlton or Collingwood had their best forward lines they would of won" crap. What if the Swans had LRT and Ball at full fitness yesterday, or what if the Swans defence had Schauble and Saddo?? What if the Swans had been at full strength all season long, would we still be 8-6??? Memo to Victorian: Stop with the "What if's", you don't hear us crying over what might have been now do you

    Its easy to write us off, but we are still winning and have won now 5 out of 6 and are moving up the ladder. The Victorians are worried.
    Once was, now elsewhere

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    Taking Refuge!! NMWBloods's Avatar
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    Given that the Swans can do anything, I certainly wouldn't write us off, but we've barely managed to scrape out a couple of wins against sides that will not play finals, so I don't think it's quite finals intensity stuff. We've really only played 2 good games this year.
    Captain Logic is not steering this tugboat.

    "[T]here are things that matter more and he's reading and thinking about them: heaven, reincarnation. Life and death are the only things that are truly a matter of life and death. Not football."

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    Originally posted by NMWBloods
    Given that the Swans can do anything, I certainly wouldn't write us off, but we've barely managed to scrape out a couple of wins against sides that will not play finals, so I don't think it's quite finals intensity stuff. We've really only played 2 good games this year.
    I don't agree. But it's still all conjecture at this stage. But we keep winning as our team comes back together. I bet if we had gone as close to losing to the Tigers as the Lions did we would be completely discounted as premiership contenders by now. But I've yet to see a "Lions aren't the real deal" as a headline yet.

    I expect that the team that toughs it out best this year will take the flag. And the Swans seem to be in transition from a very pretty team to watch (and I don't just mean Jude!) to gritty battlers. I used to fret when we played the very physical teams (Bombers, Pies, etc) but now we seeme to stand up well to anyone - as long as we have most of our best players on the ground.

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    I reckon our game plan has been shifting all year - or maybe just the execution of it. Sometimes its hard to say.

    I certainly don't think that the game plan executed last week against the Pies was the same as the one we saw play out yesterday. Nor was the St Kilda game the same, partly because we were the hunters, rather than the hunted. And certainly the game plan against Brisbane early in the season was different again.

    I think yesterday was a poor execution of the preferred game plan. I think they believed that Carlton would try to play man on man pressured football (correctly) and had been drilled to keep moving the ball sideways and forwards with handball until they were close to the forward 50. They looked like they were so well drilled to do this that they did it even when they were in the clear.

    Against the Pies last week the aim seemed to be just to get the ball moving forward by foot as quickly as possible, and trust the midfield and then the forwards to do the work when they got the ball there.

    Against the Lions it was all about keeping safe possession through a series of chip kicks but slowing the ball movement forward.

    Against St Kilda, we were the instigators of the pressure and crowding created in the midfield, aiming to punish the Saints when they turned the ball over under the pressure. The reason why this worked is partly because the Saints didn't respond well to the pressure, but also because the Swans skills were top notch that day. That can partly be put down to the Saints applying much less pressure to the ball carriers than either the Blues or Pies but that doesn't totally explain yesterday's ordinary use when they were in space. It is probable that they weren't as mentally switched on as they were against the Saints.

    One flaw in Connolly's article is that the Swans have already proved that they can execute an effective game plan under high pressured conditions. While the team has yet to capture the fluency that it did last, I reckon they have been gradually learning through the trials and tribulations of this season. If they get to play in September, they may well be beaten by a more consistently skilful team but I highly doubt that they will be beaten by pressure.

  8. #8
    Taking Refuge!! NMWBloods's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Go Swannies
    I don't agree. But it's still all conjecture at this stage. But we keep winning as our team comes back together. I bet if we had gone as close to losing to the Tigers as the Lions did we would be completely discounted as premiership contenders by now. But I've yet to see a "Lions aren't the real deal" as a headline yet.

    I expect that the team that toughs it out best this year will take the flag. And the Swans seem to be in transition from a very pretty team to watch (and I don't just mean Jude!) to gritty battlers. I used to fret when we played the very physical teams (Bombers, Pies, etc) but now we seeme to stand up well to anyone - as long as we have most of our best players on the ground.
    Um... we actually lost to the Tigers. And we went damn close to losing to the Hawks!!

    I still don't think we've show we can stand up particularly well to real pressure.
    Captain Logic is not steering this tugboat.

    "[T]here are things that matter more and he's reading and thinking about them: heaven, reincarnation. Life and death are the only things that are truly a matter of life and death. Not football."

  9. #9
    Footy Mother Big Time anniswan's Avatar
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    I read the article and actually found it pretty spot on for a change

  10. #10
    Taking Refuge!! NMWBloods's Avatar
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    I think these are the critical points:

    "By rights, Carlton, its goalkicking stocks decimated by the absence of Brendan Fevola and Lance Whitnall, and without the same spread of talent as its opponent, had no business even making this a contest. Not only did the Blues accomplish that, but with a three-goal lead nearly 10 minutes into the final term, they looked as good as over the line."

    "But Paul Roos's side diced with death yesterday, that final 20-minute burst and a 10-minute period at the end of the second quarter the only times all day the Swans looked the cut above Carlton they should have been. They overused the ball, took too many risks with "clever" handballs in attempts to get their running game going, and only just got away with it."

    "[Y]ou can't help wondering if they have a touch of Port Adelaide about them"
    Captain Logic is not steering this tugboat.

    "[T]here are things that matter more and he's reading and thinking about them: heaven, reincarnation. Life and death are the only things that are truly a matter of life and death. Not football."

  11. #11
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    Originally posted by NMWBloods

    "[Y]ou can't help wondering if they have a touch of Port Adelaide about them"
    This shows how far out of touch the article is. The Saints may have a touch of Port about them but certainly not us. Both these teams have the highest skills levels in the competition. If you think the Swans are in the same class you're dreaming. But Port has a track record of folding under finals mental pressure and the Saints appear to be tiring very early The Swans use teamwork and mental toughness to make up for lack of skill. It's a good approach - look at the Lions. They have more skill than us (and less than some others, I think) but by far the best toughness in the competition.

  12. #12
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    I think this intro to a Hun story is closer than Connolly:

    "Swans ride out storm
    05 July 2004___Herald Sun
    Bruce Matthews


    AS SYDNEY coach Paul Roos observed, all games have momentum shifts, such is the evenness of the AFL.

    It's how you minimise the damage after temporarily losing control which defines a team's destiny.

    The Swans had a calmness that contained collective belief when Carlton threatened to steal the contest at Optus Oval on Saturday.

    It was a contrast to Essendon's effort on Friday night when it had no Plan B and no confidence when the Kangaroos challenged in the second half.

    To kick the last five goals after conceding six straight, underlined that Sydney is a genuine finalist with fighting spirit. And it will get stronger once Andrew Schauble, who started his comeback yesterday, reclaims his key defence role."

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