Dockers matchday thread

[SwansFan1972]

Both sides put in a big effort to show why neither will trouble the pies (or any of the other top sides) this year.

Regrettably, we knew this for us already (idealistically, we always hope for more, but reality against top four sides is there for all to see), but I think Freo still harbour some delusions of grandeur (further bloated by today's theft). They will get their comeuppance - the footy gods were clearly diverted today, but will square them up soon enough (probably next week!!)

For the swans, this year has to be about adapting to a new era, blooding a few kids and seeing what the list is capable of. Making the finals would be useful for development and would be a tick overall and winning one would be bloody awesome! Getting there looks a lot harder now than it did three weeks ago, but 11.5 wins should just about do it.

[mcs]

I think the umpire was right to call it a throw because it was. But if Tadgh didn't give away the penalty then the 50 then the ump decides 50 isn't enough let's make it 80 it wouldn't have been down that end. Thats a lot of if's though.

It was certainly a throw, however its not the decision there that riles me, its the 1,365 instances of exactly the same thing happening in a game that don't get pulled up that annoy me. Every 2nd player throws the ball in tight contested footy like that, and imo it either should be pinged every time, or not at all (I prefer the second for the reason that at least the players would decide the result not the umpires). Tadgh was stupid to give away the 50, but it was a ridiculously harsh call , and as everyone has said it was more like an '80'. The other call that really riled me amongst others was the Teddy dragging the ball in free. Sure by the letter of the law it was a free kick- but what else is Teddy suppose to do but try and gain possession. There was no way he could kick it out in that pack or get a legal handball away, and if he had of left it there was a good possibility of a freo goal from it- so what exactly is Teddy suppose to do. Very harsh call and to a point a stupid rule.

[mcs]

Even 2 hours after the 3 hour drive back to Canberra I'm still angry by what happened today. I thought the umpiring was absolutely diabolical today. Razor Ray is a disgrace and should be stood down after today- his two yellow maggoty friends can go with him.

However, while the umpires really hurt us today (including that one against Grundy for the 12 point goal which while technically a free kick, would never have been given by a non attention seeking umpire) we again only have ourselves to blame for not really putting in until it was too late. A shocking 3rd quarter again really hurt us, and our complete lack of a functioning, coherent forward line didn't help. Our midfield really struggled to control Freo's runners, and too often they got easy routes to our forward 50 by simply running harder than us. It was only when we got desperate in the last quarter and put in that extra 10% that we ever got on top of the game - only for Razor Ray to pull the emergency break to get the Dockers home.

Oh and Ballatyne is an absolute tool - right up there in the Didak class! Grubs like him are only encouraged by woeful umpiring like that.

[Dan]

I think the umpire was right to call it a throw because it was. But if Tadgh didn't give away the penalty then the 50 then the ump decides 50 isn't enough let's make it 80 it wouldn't have been down that end. Thats a lot of if's though.

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

It was a throw....

So how many other tap outs were let go today?

It was raining. Give the players a break & only pick out free-kicks that are really obvious.

JF

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Watched it on tv where the commentators answered a tweet regarding the umpiring. They all seemed to agree it was fair and favouring neither side. @@@@ing morons.

Maybe the AFL are tell them to say that mate?

You know how 'protective' the AFL are of anyone criticising their 'brand'.

JF

[Ratna]

It was a hard game to watch today, not helped by the umpiring. I agree with others that Horse and the club should be asking for an investigation from the AFL.

Despite this we were not good enough, perhaps on an equal playing field (ie. without the effect of umpires), the teams were equally bad today.

On the last quarter which has been seen as a positive by many here, IMO two things happened, Freo went overly defensive but we became more attacking and worried about winning the game rather than tagging. It happens often in our losses that when we actually start trying to win the game instead of trying to stop the opposition we look a lot better. I would love for the swans to take a more offensive approach from the start of a game.

Maybe I am ever the optimist but despite the frustration of today I thought there was lots to look forward to in todays performance and for me the glass is still half full.

Final thought is that I have always been on the side of keeping White and playing him, often against the tide of opinion here. Finally I have recognised the wisdom of other R & W onliners and agree it is time for him to go. Just can't keep being soft as that and keep getting a spot. If Jude is Plays like Tarzan looks like Jane, Jesse has to be the opposite.

[Lucky Knickers]

[QUOTE=Nico;539281]And another thing...why does it take a 40 point deficit to start using the corridor. /QUOTE]
This

[Nico]

And another thing...why does it take a 40 point deficit to start using the corridor. Our best footy this year has been when we have kicked the ball to a spot between the square and 30 metres, yet we have this bent to go sideways when running with a full head of steam through the guts. It is not as if they are kicking to a player on their own, it is usually to a contest. Better to have a contest in the teeth of goal than the HBF. Kennedy is a main offender.

[Nico]

Not sure you can fault Benny's attack on the ball

But his disposal is deplorable. No point getting the footy if you slaughter it most of the time.

[Nico]

How many goals from frees to Freo? Absolutely pathetic performance from the umps. For a senior player, Kennelly's brain fade is unforgiveable as well

How many times has he done this in close games this year? Over the hill?

[Nico]

Screw being politically correct. Ray robbed us. I've only ever directly blamed the umps for a loss twice, first against the Dons in 07 (that famous McPhee incident), and this game. The other umpires were fine, quite good in fact, but Ray... Inexcusable. Simply inexcusable.

@@@@ saying the Dockers were a better side. They weren't. We were better in the first quarter, we were better in the second quarter, we were a little worse in the third and we shat all over them in the last. The better team lost today because Ray Chamberlain is a self-important, officious little @@@@@ who probably got beaten up by the footy players at school and can't stand the game.

Longmire should make an official complaint to the AFL, and use the Grundy vs Ballantyne incident as an example. Ballantyne is taking full-blooded swings at Grundy who is simply holding him off, and Chamberlain is just waiting, waiting for Ballantyne's cheek to graze Grundy's fist as he was thashing about. Unbelievable. Not to mention the free paid to Ballantyne in the first for tripping over.

Anyway, positives: we actually played pretty well. Our handpassing and spread was really good. We linked up well, we found targets with the ball. We still lacked that forward structure, but that's fine, we don't have the forwards to build a structure around. That's not a coaching problem, it's not an effort problem, it's a list issue. We were more functional than normal anyway.

McVeigh played a real captain's game. Goodes was good. Jack was great. Parker was good. Smith was great. Shane Mumford mighty. We had a lot of great players that deserved better today.

On the game BSA; I must have been watching another game. McVeigh went missing for the middle quarters and Freo kicked 6 on the trot in the third quarter. It is time to sack the centre clearance coach. In most cases the frees in front of goal were there and it came about because of easy centre clearances and we didn't put enough pressure on the ball carriers and the footy seemed to be in their 30 metre zone for most of the quarter.

I continue to be stunned by our weekly ineptitude when we have the footy, both in front of goals and in general play, particularly when we are free and in the clear. Some of that rubbish from Malceski in the first quarter was laughable. Reid, McGlynn and ROK missed goals from set shots with little or no angle and Goodes runs into the 50 and kicks it out of bounds. The commentators couldn't quite work out what he was trying to achieve. Was he trying to kick to a non existent player or trying to kick a goal? Bloody awful to say tthe least. But we do this every week. Miss set shots and the Goodes obligatory miss on the run by a long way. It is indefensible. Hanners and Rok bemoaned the lack of discipline. This has been going on for weeks. They should have added lack of commitment at the contest. Pity ROK didn't add that his own disposal has been woeful this year.

The real problem is this stuff is so ingrained in how we play and our skill set that it aint going to change in the short term.

[Xie Shan]

I have just listened to interviews of Hanners and ROK after the game. They are shattered, not by the umpiring decisions but by the lack of a 4 quarter effort and ill-discipline of some of the team members. They are in no doubt as to reasons for the defeat and seem at a loss to understand the lack of intensity shown when it was needed, in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. I was almost in tears as they expressed their great disappointment.

For me it is not so much the players but the totally predictable game plan, the lack of or inability of runners to break the lines (Micky O's comment), and of course a forward line that is structurally deficient. The players can play their hearts out but are at such a disadvantage. When an opposing team has more runners than can be shut down, the Swans are exposed. Especially when the few Swans runners seem to be too easily shut down.

Bigger picture, I fear that we are going to struggle bigtime to get past mediocre despite the young guns coming through.

I think we have missed Kirky big time this year. His meditation and Buddhist philosophy brought a steadying influence to the side. And when you take out Jude from a team already missing THE most influential leader of the last few seasons, it is no wonder that the team that took the field out there today lacked discipline and intensity. This is why I am very reluctant to blame Longmire for our problems just yet. We had plenty of ordinary performances in the Roos/Kirk era but I always felt we would get through the rough patches as there was a steady hand guiding the ship. It remains to be seen who will put their hand up to lead the team through this period. I was encouraged by the last quarter, perhaps McVeigh is finally starting to learn what it means to be captain. I think we do have some good leaders coming through in Jack, Hannebery and Kennedy. We will probably muddle through the last few weeks of the season and may still grab sixth spot, the older heads like Goodes and O'Keefe need to hold the guys together.

[Lucky Knickers]

I commented at half time that we were going to get smashed based on the total lack of effort and commitment for the contested ball. Gees we missed Jude.
You can't play 1 decent quarter or footy and expect to win. The attack on the ball reminded me of the game against Adelaide - there wasn't any.
We have a lot of young kids and we are still way too reliant on the likes of Goodes to drag our arses back into a game. The next crop need to grow and step up a bit more IMO.

[top40]

What makes me really angry is that the media/press will not mention the umpiring in their reports. Surely the umpiring should be assessed. Personally I vow never to watch another AFL game where Ray Chamberlain is officiating.