Gameday!

[SwansFan1972]

Just a note from the match report on AFL.com.au:



It's been said we probably have had the toughest run home of the main contenders, facing the three most recent premiers in the last four rounds. Tonight was like a final, I wonder if our draw may prove a blessing in disguise. To play in two games like the recent clashes with the Hawks and Pies, and Geelong to come next week who are always tough to beat, it's virtually an extended dress rehearsal for the real thing.

+1

On any objective measure, we are in the flag race up to our necks. We've let winning positions slip in two tough matches (of course, would have been really nice to win one or both of them), but with a little bit more good fortune in the finals, and the sting of these two results burning the boys, who knows what could happen!!

[SwansFan1972]

UMPIRES bloody deplorable. Free kick and goal to duo and non 50 metres to sam. What a farce. Buddy in 3rd tried to push his way thru was held up but play on. Disgusting what will gesh say probable both were right.

Classic Victorian umpiring to achieve a desired result. Pay 25 free kicks to the home side (barely any of which were outside our defence) to hopefully hoodwink the widely acknowledged 'know nothing' Sydney crowd that they were getting a good run from the three blind mice, then pay rubbish frees (and an imaginary one) a hankies throw from goal to the AFL's best Victorian hope to host a prelim.

It probably sounds ridiculous and far fetched (and up there with the best X files nut job conspiracy theory), but it did seem that the Hawks got a cart back into the match and found their mojo on the back of a few critically timed free kicks. Then two gift goals (and a further non call on a blatant 50m penalty against them) sealed the deal. Even with all that, our boys nearly spoiled the party! Pity - the AFL executives would have been turning purple at the prospect of both prelims being outside Victoria if the Swans and Crows filled positions 1 and 2 on the ladder!

With the pies imploding the AFL has a rather strong motive to see the Hawks seeded to have the best chance of a home prelim. As a sideline, the pies implosion has been happening for the past month, but lucky escapes against the Saints and Swans allowed them to paper over their clokes (oops, sorry, typo - I meant to say cracks) for a few weeks. They are barely going and with West Coast in better shape now than they've been in weeks, it is no gimme that the Pies will routinely take back fourth by beating the Bombers next week.

[hot potato]

Buddy had amazing touch after 6 weeks out, he's got arrogant skills.

[Xie Shan]

Just a note from the match report on AFL.com.au:

Swan Ryan O'Keefe said that the ferocious, finals-like contest against the Hawks was ideal as both teams prepared for September.

"A lot of guys that probably haven't played a lot of finals, it just gives them that experience, that taste, so that when it comes to the crunch it is not a huge jump in intensity," O'Keefe said.

It's been said we probably have had the toughest run home of the main contenders, facing the three most recent premiers in the last four rounds. Tonight was like a final, I wonder if our draw may prove a blessing in disguise. To play in two games like the recent clashes with the Hawks and Pies, and Geelong to come next week who are always tough to beat, it's virtually an extended dress rehearsal for the real thing.

[SwansFan1972]

I'm just sad!!!

Me too.

But there are things to brighten your day:
- Pies lost.
- Suns eclipsed Carlton (must be a Pakistani bookmaker featuring here somewhere me thinks)! In the process knocking them completely out of the finals race
- it's possible there could be a first final at home for the Swans v West Coast (who wouldn't like to see that)?!?! If we won tonight, that scenario would have been practically impossible (since Hawks would have fallen behind them on wins in the event the Weagles win next Friday). I think (hope) perhaps the footy gods are at work . . .
- Pies lost
- we matched the Hawks in most respects (apart from the obvious issue with the scoreboard). Better things to come (fingers crossed)!
- Pies lost.

So, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again! Win against the Cats next week and the train is back on track.

Did I mention the pies lost? Schadenfreude is a dish best served with black and white feathers in it!

[SwansFan1972]

Neutrals will point to a 25-12 free kick count in our favour and wonder what we're on about. But, as we all know, it is where you get them that counts. And if you get ones that aren't even there, in front of goal, then I'd take two of them against the other 25 free kicks in any game decided by less than two kicks . . .

I guess the bright side about tonight (and also the Pies game) is that both matches were more about 'us' than 'them'. Some of the Hawk's kicking tonight was ridiculous, and the guy (don't know who it was) who sat on his bum was hysterial! The ball seemed to be with them though, wobbling and bouncing like it was under their spell at some crucial times. Surely these harsh results will stand the boys in good stead for the tougher matches ahead. And the footy gods may choose to smile on us at a more fortuitous time and deliver more appropriate rewards for the boys efforts!

[SwansFan1972]

Sucks to lose tonight. Did well in pretty much everything except on the final scoreboard. Definitely another one that got away - twice in three weeks really stinks, but oh well, moving on. Hopefully the sting of knowing two wins have been burned will stand the boys in good stead.

And maybe it is just the planets trying to align and the footy gods wanting to see a rerun of some rippers finals from a few short years ago . . .

A Swans win at Kardinia Park and a Weagles win over the Hawks could see a first up Sydney/Weagles final (1v4, assuming crows beat dees and suns, which should happen). Since we've banana skinned against the other top 4 hopefuls, would be a nice way to open a finals campaign, and save the hoodoo beating for the prelim and grannie! Presumes also that the Crows win both their remaining matches (which should happen).

Only flaw to this plan is that the Weagles appear to be back in business now, and if they do the Hawks over they will be brimming with confidence!

How good is this time of year?!?!?

[satchmopugdog]

I hate Hawthorn. That is all i can say. Vomit vomit vomit

[erica]

Great experience in pressure football for the less experienced members of our team, which should benefit us in the finals. I don't think there's anything players can do in training that will prepare them for this sort of pressure.

Looking forward to next week.

[SCGonasunnyday]

happy enough as you can be with a loss. Collingwood losing makes things better. Next week seems to be just about whether we play Crows at home or in SA - eitherway think we can beat them and prefer that to a visit to the MCG.

Just watched highlights - what was with that puopolo free kick?? Should have been ball but even not, couldn't see the high contact.

[Wardy]

I know that WC are doing moved the pies but what about gold coast doing over Carlton at the mo - they will really be calling for Rattens head now. Well we really must beat the cats now. Over it now - moving on.

[Southern Swan15]

Can anybody tell me has goodes ever had a left foot? I find it hard to belive that a bloke of his skill and experience has no confidence on his left, 2 times tonight it was so clear he has no left. After watching that game, I would be surprised if either side win next week, that was a brutal game and I am sure there will be some sore and sorry boys tomoz.

with the pies looking like going down tonight, it looks likely we will have to play ADL either in Syd or AAMI in week one.

Cant believe that I will be supporting WC next week, well there is a first for everything.

[Goal Sneak]

Don't know about would have won but I also think probobly would have won, and both of those were disgracfull. How the 50 was not paid when they pay it for FAR less and the holding the ball that they got the free, no way.

In the context of the game, combined with the position on the ground, the free to Puopolo was both disgraceful and costly. A soft free in a tough match at a crucial point.

We have to play our best footy to beat the other contenders. Unfortunatley, we had a 10 minute lapse and paid the price.

[Nico]

That non-50m call was bizarre. It wasn't even the Hawks' first disposal after the whistle was blown. Everyone in the stands knew a free had been paid. Most of the players had stopped. The umpire had his hand in the air. Players regularly get pinged when they get the first possession away when they can't be expected to know whether a free has been paid. Just odd that that one was let pass.

Boils down to the fact that he didn't have the guts to make the decision in a tight finish. I am not suggesting any favouritism but you have to wonder how that is paid as a 50 metre penalty 999 times out of a 1000, and this time is the 1/1000th time. I suspect if it happened in our backline it would have been paid. If that was a GF would it have been paid? There was one earlier in the last Q when Reid was clearly pushed in the back around HFF. If that was Buddy it would have been paid?

[neilfws]

The sad thing is that we finally got a massive crowd at the SCG and we blew it.

"50,000 screaming fans" according to ABC Sport. May as well admit they just make up their facts these days...

Disappointed (that we could not continue on after the great start), but not gutted - they were always likely to come back. We do seem to get into a lot of these "whoever gets just over a goal up near the end will win" situations - and lose them.

Time to move on quickly, deal with the Cats next week and then get into the finals mentality.