First of all, Horse doesn't actually play, so stop asking for his head on a pillow.
I've said it a million times... what doesn't win you games is handballing into traffic, kicking to a two or three on one, dropping easy marks and just kicking it for the hell of kicking it.
They gave up towards the end of the second quarter, and once the ball got a bit slippery, it showed. (I'm using the "slippery ball" as an excuse here... Port seemed to handle it a lot better.)
We've gone back to the first six weeks of last season. Last week was a fluke.
Not very impressed.
Wild speculation, unsubstantiated rumours, silly jokes and opposition delight in another's failures is what makes an internet forum fun.
Blessed are the cracked for they are the ones who let in the light.
The downfield free, for what it's worth, was for a push in the back by the chasing Swans player, who pushed the Port player into the Swans player. I went back and had a look at it at the time as I was confused by where it came from. It was there, albeit soft.
C'mon Chels!
Thanks penga. Saw the onscreen replay and couldn�t work it out at the ground.
Still think the ground was heavily watered before the game - very damp surface, more than surface dew.
I haven't read the whole thread but I wondered if any explanation had been provided (on the TV commentary) about the conditions. There couldn't have been any dew in the first half - it was a blazing hot afternoon and the sun was up for the entire first half. And it's hardly rained in Sydney for the last fortnight. Even after half-time, it is hard to imagine there was much dew. The temperature didn't drop much.
It was bizarre watching the game from the stands, wondering why the players couldn't hold simple marks or handle the ball cleanly.
I walked onto the ground for kick to kick and it was damp. I walk through other ovals to get home and didn�t pick up any real moisture.
I don�t remember a game with so many dropped chest marks and hand passes that weren�t in a deluge.
A new groundskeeper for the scg this year too apparently.
The players should know this Ground better than anyone and what happens to it after dusk.
The Swans just got sloppier (Horses term) and the Power sharper and nailed snaps from out of you know where.
Without Buddy, it was how to out fumble each other.
Port played like the Swans can often play which they will on Sat.
Maybe I'm wrong, but it seemed that we were just employing the same tactic we developed in the off-season (Handball through the middle and pass long to Buddy in a one-off), because it worked well last week with Buddy kicking 8.
Port knew we were doing this and were countering our counter way too easily. And we had no plan B. I think this inaction cost us the match.
That's been really typical of our team under Longmires reign. No plan B's. Just playing out the same strategy until the final siren. No big in-game changes. It often works, but I think it exhausts out team.
Coaches votes
SYDNEY v PORT ADELAIDE
9 Ollie Wines (PA)
8 Charlie Dixon (PA)
6 Robbie Gray (PA)
5 Lance Franklin (Syd)
1 Travis Boak (PA)
1 Justin Westhoff (PA)
Breakdown
Wines 5-4
Dixon 5-3
Gray 4-2
Franklin 3-2
Boak 1-0
Westhoff 1-0
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