NAB Challenge v Lions

[O'Reilly Boy]

Missing players department: who is going to do ROK's job on Hodge? He didn't have much room to move there.

Zac Jones

[dimelb]

Well modern day coaches seem to want or feel they need athletes who can kick a ball.

Hodge just floats across half back and just finds his speedy mids with pin point accuracy.

Missing players department: who is going to do ROK's job on Hodge? He didn't have much room to move there.

[jono2707]

Well modern day coaches seem to want or feel they need athletes who can kick a ball.

We have Jetts - one of the quickest around and a sublime kick with the ball when at his best.

The problem is there aren't that many players that are both top line athletes and footballers around, and most are taken very high up in the draft, so we've had few chances to pick many up in the last number of years.

Tell you what though, I'm glad we picked up the likes of Luke Parker when we did a few years ago - what he lacks in sheer pace, he makes up for in hardness, footy nous and smarts. Give me more Lukes over 'athletes' any day

[The Big Cat]

Well modern day coaches seem to want or feel they need athletes who can kick a ball.

Hodge just floats across half back and just finds his speedy mids with pin point accuracy.

I presume you are talking about speedy mids like Hill and Smith. Where are the others, certainly not Mitchell, Lewis and Burgoyne. So far we have identified a ratio of 4:2. in terms of footballers and speed.

[JPK12]

That people like Hodge are better than a hundred Cheese Barlows, or Patrick Mitchells. Who murdered us in the Grand Final? - It was Hodge, Mitchell and Lewis. ALL FOOTBALLERS rather than athletes!

Well modern day coaches seem to want or feel they need athletes who can kick a ball.

Hodge just floats across half back and just finds his speedy mids with pin point accuracy.

[Doctor]

That people like Hodge are better than a hundred Cheese Barlows, or Patrick Mitchells. Who murdered us in the Grand Final? - It was Hodge, Mitchell and Lewis. ALL FOOTBALLERS rather than athletes!

That's not in dispute, but a little speed from a couple of runners is handy too for the occasions those footballers you speak of are good enough to get the ball to the speedsters.

[The Big Cat]

And your point is?

That people like Hodge are better than a hundred Cheese Barlows, or Patrick Mitchells. Who murdered us in the Grand Final? - It was Hodge, Mitchell and Lewis. ALL FOOTBALLERS rather than athletes!

[JPK12]

And your point is?

[S.S. Bleeder]

I agree Bird might be a footballer first and athlete second but in modern day footy you need the second to be the first.

The way fast teams open us up in the middle with ease is a massive concern when we have too many Bird type players.

Athlete first and footballer second? You mean the opposite of Hodge? Yes, who would want him.

[magic.merkin]

and to roll off the back of the ballups to a loose man....

lets not go down this path... again...

[JPK12]

I cant believe we allowed hawthorn to do that all day.

[Melbournehammer]

I have this GF vision in my head that I can't shake. It was Brad Hill in the first quarter with miles of space at half forward with only Parker chasing 20m away. He was cantering towards Brad Hill as Hill kept pulling further away.

The only people on the Swans list with a hope of keeping up with Hill are Cunningham, Brandon Jack and Hiscox. Hiscox and Brandon may disappoint on occasions but they are electrifying and have huge upside. They must be given more time than most.

as an aside it was in the third quarter.

hanners ran with him and then they switched at chf when hill kept going towards parker.

This was an indication of how much better their coaching/players thinking was on the day. We simply should not have been letting parker switch onto hill - it was an obvious mismatch if the ball went into space - and all day the ball went into space because we couldnt corral the ball back into the contest. They just knew to handball wide of the contest - all of our players were sucked (like auskickers) to the ball and they just ran off to the outside.

[magic.merkin]

seemed same maybe a smidge bigger than 2014? But that's plenty beers and tears ago.

i think he looked a good balance

[JPK12]

Am i the only one who thinks that Jetta has lost some bulk in the off season? He has gone back to being skinnier..i remember last year he looked like he was bulking up which i thought was one of the reasons why he lost some pace.

[jono2707]

I'm pretty comfortable with where we are at at this stage of the year. It would be particularly unSwans-like to be winning games and looking good in March.

It's good to give a few youngsters a run, but as a result there is a lack of cohesion evident in the way we play. Bring the regulars back and we'll be much more settled and we'll play much more as expected.

Just a few points at this stage:

* Jetts is looking good to replace Mal in the rebounding halfback role.

* Parker, Rampe & Grundy are looking to be in very good touch at this stage.

* Heeney does look the goods but his disposal does have room for improvement. This will come with more top-line experience, which he will get.

* I think Birdy has trimmed down a bit and is looking fitter than ever. People too easily forget that although he doesn't have top-line pace, he has a great sidestep and is very elusive. He is also very smart and is an integral part of our lineup.

* Without Tippett on the field our ruck stocks are thin.

* Towers should be better with last years experience and should improve this year - he might not yet be in the best 22 but he'll get games this year.

* Mitchell is a lock - no more injuries please.

* it seems like Gazza is yet to find his mojo yet - it doesn't seem like a clear role has been found for him - it'd be interesting to hear the coaches' plans for him this year.

I can't see a vastly different lineup for the first few rounds of the season (injuries permitting) and Heeney is the only first year player with any real chance of getting a game early in the year. I expect a stronger start from us this year.