Swans v Power

[giant]

1 watch it
2 learn the rules

Really????

http://www.afl.com.au/video/2014-08-09/buddy-pushes-his-luck

[Doctor]

I agree with a few on here. I thought it was a good grafting win against an opposition that may be down on form but was definitely up for the game. They also had most of their injured guys back, and their loss was really when the poor run started. It was also a bit wet and greasy and we know our track record in those conditions.

On the plus side, we won without Smith and got through it with no injuries. I thought some of our "lesser lights" like Harry and Gary were excellent. Benny had another superb game, other than some of his kicking for goal. Goodesy looked more mobile than he has in a while and Ted did a superb job on Jay Schultz.

In terms of negatives, I think our mids are still kicking it inside 50 looking for Franklin or Tippett too often. Macca spotted up Buddy perfectly once and showed when it's the right time to do it. Other times the midfielder in question would be clear with noone near him and kicked it forward to a contest rather than running on or holding up and waiting for an option to arrive. Defensively we still look pretty good although I was concerned about Port's ability to keep us locked inside our defensive 50 for long periods a couple of times.

I'm looking forward to us hopefully flexing our offensive muscle a bit in the next 3 matches, without taking our opposition lightly.

[aguy]

I thought Jetta's game was quite good. Can now get his own ball and uses it well on most occasions. I've been disappointed with Craig bird over the last 2 weeks. Gets a lot of the ball, but turns it over too often. Just doesn't have any penetration in kicking or hand balling at the moment.

I think it's mostly his disposals by foot that have led to turnovers. But still these are not every time. We just notice them more because we are highly critical audience.

I still think he is a very valuable player because the possessions he gathers are Invaluable. Think about it this way. If he is substituted for a player who gets less possessions what happens to those possessions. You may think they go to other swans but I suspect alot of them would become opposition possessions which changes the balance of pressure and potentially leads to more scores against us thereby scoreboard pressure.

He's just gotta work on the disposals

[Chilcott]

I thought Jetta's game was quite good. Can now get his own ball and uses it well on most occasions. I've been disappointed with Craig bird over the last 2 weeks. Gets a lot of the ball, but turns it over too often. Just doesn't have any penetration in kicking or hand balling at the moment.

[shaun..]

Agree about Franklin but what about the Neade goal late? I'm sick of players dropping the ball in a tackle and then bouncing back up and kicking a goal. Two weeks in a row our tackle pressure close to goal has gone unrewarded.

Yep. And (then) getting a free for "holding on" when they have dropped the ball as an incorrect or illegal disposal..

Apart from that, the umpiring was fairly solid. They didn't fall for the baiting and boos from the crowd. And it was a great crowd too.. much louder than any I've been to at home.

[liz]

Given how readily the umpire paid a 50m penalty against the Swans when someone (Bird?) played on in the midfield when the team legitimately thought it had won the ball, not realising that Boak had been given a free, I don't think too much can be read into Buddy looking back to check. He had clearly been involved in a contest that could have been adjudicated differently.

They replayed the contest several times on the big screen at the ground, raising the ire of the home crowd. It still wasn't entirely clear to me whether Buddy's arms' were involved in a push or whether his opponent backed into him and then went down like a sack of potatoes when he felt contact. I will need to watch the replay on my own TV screen. Whether or not this one should have been a free against Buddy, I am glad that the umpires have stopped automatically assuming that when a defender losses a one-on-one contest and goes to ground, that the forward should be penalised. That's definitely an improvement on years gone by.

Jetta did some wonderful stuff last night but his kicking - normally a strength, did let him down a few times. He's certainly becoming a more complete (and thus more valuable) player and has plenty of improvement left in him I reckon.

And Harry must have a thing about the Adelaide Oval. That's six goals he's now kicked at the ground this season. Let's hope he doesn't ask for a trade to one of the two Adelaide sides!

[joemoore12]

+1.
wonderful, high pressure football in front of 50,000, in wet conditions, and against a team that was up for it. A fantastic win. Soaked up that first 11 minutes of intense pressure, then never looked like going down. Bird is a beauty in and under; there are mistakes, but in the context . . . People also talking down Malceski, but he kept bobbing up in the right place, and I know that whenever he did my hands unclenched on the whiskey glass. Jetta is doing great things?he scrubbed a couple, but overall, what a contributor. And the run is outstanding?Cunningham, Rohan, even Goodes showing a clean set of heels. Hannerbery had his run on, too, and Parker and Kennedy gave the lie to those who talk them down as trundlers. Our boys simply outran and out-tackled Port (yes, Matt80). Let's get behind this mob. 14 wins from 15, a healthy list, and a full head of steam. What a team. What a season.

Agree 100%!!!

[barry]

Laidler is a very strong mark but slow.
Rohan is fast but a fumble fingers.

Can we combine them?

[Swanny40519]

I know we are all watching the same game lol. What is happening is we are watching different aspects. My opinion is that bird has been terrific gathering possessions and tackling etc through the midfield. But I think his disposal has been a bit wayward. It's those two aspects that give rise to those opposing opinions.

In fact I think generally swans disposal isn't as good as other elite teams. Not the quality of hawks or Geelong. We make up for it with immense pressure. If our disposal improved we would be awesomely formidable

+1.

Bird get a lot of possessions and he is good at that aspect of the game. However is disposal lets him down and the past 2 weeks he has turned the ball over many times.

If we are to get through the final games and on to the GF and most probably play the Hawks, our overall disposal by foot and hands has to get a lot better - up to Hawks standard otherwise we will struggle to get the win.

[dimelb]

Generally, I thought is was an excellent grafting win, against a highly motivated opposition...Same as last week.

Both games were played in a finals type manner, hard and tight, with loads of pressure.

IMO, it was a really good win and shouldn't be undervalued.

Some fine tuning over the next few weeks, hopefully not to many injuries, and we should be cherry ripe for September.

About how I saw it too.

[Melbourne_Blood]

Jetta was epic in the last quarter , about 5 one per centers in a 3 minute period !

[ernie koala]

Generally, I thought is was an excellent grafting win, against a highly motivated opposition...Same as last week.

Both games were played in a finals type manner, hard and tight, with loads of pressure.

IMO, it was a really good win and shouldn't be undervalued.

Some fine tuning over the next few weeks, hopefully not to many injuries, and we should be cherry ripe for September.

[Nico]

I was really puzzled by Jetta's game. He did some great tackles and chases, but then I think during the second Qtr, had the ball clear in the centre and dribbled the ball forward straight to Port players, miles from Franklin or Tippett. At the end of last weeks game he was limping badly so not sure if he is carrying an injury. May be time for a rest before next month?

What he did in that instance was to have a second look. By that time he had 2 players about to smother his kick. Otherweise I thought his game was very good. Have a look at the replay and see his 1%ers. Does he have to do 10 long runs a game bouncing 4 times to get any recognition? Didn't look injured to me. I think he has been very consistent. Kept up his numbers again: 16 kicks 4 handpasses.

[Nico]

For the past couple of weeks some on RWO have mentioned Bird playing an ordinary game but for both of those games he has been listed in the best players. Maybe everyone is watching different games. I'm on Bird's side!

We all seem to see things a little differently. In the first half Jetta had his distractors. My brother has just lobbed home from the game and thought Jetta was terrific. I thought his pressure and running to space was excellent. I said of Cunningham that he seems top give up the chase if he loses the contest when it comes to him as a one on one. Doesn't mean I think he is a crap player and doesn't deserve his place in the team. Just an area I think he can improve on.

[stellation]

judging by Buddy's response?he looked like a batsman who'd just feathered one through to the keeper and getting whiplash as he turns to see whether the keeper's taken it?he had his doubts. Then again, Buddy must be so used to any decision going against him that he anticipates the worst.

On the McGlynn 50?the late contact was clearly there. The frustration is that those don't always get paid.
On umpires and decisions, as someone who grew up playing rugby, where the referees take zero crap from players, I was amazed at the ump's tolerance for Firrito's histrionics yesterday.

I definitely don't think the Buddy no call was an open and shut case, I think it was a 50/50 call and I can see why it wasn't called (which is where my frustration lies with the commentary team, because in their eyes it was absolutely open and shut)- given it was a 50/50 call I was pleased to see Buddy's head swiveling around to ensure he was called play on before thumping it (I'm assuming that was why, he might have just been checking to see if anyone else was nearby).

Firrito was insane yesterday, I'll concede I thought it was funny to watch, but it genuinely was bizarre and ultimately just childish. I prefer having colourful characters in the game, and love players who just speak their mind- but I did think Firrito got away with too much and was able to tip toe around it by not swearing. The first time I don't think Boyd marked it, Firrito was probably right- but for that level of ongoing abuse it should have been 50. That he then argued at length over a 50 that moved Patton all of about 3 metres to the goal line and there was nothing further the umpire could do honestly left me thinking they should be able to slap someone with a fine following a review of just generally being a jerk to the umpires all game.