NAB Challenge game Rnd 2. Sydney V GWS at Drummoyne Oval.

[Bexl]

Just had a look at the stats.
Tackles Jack 7
Mitchell 6
Papley 6
Mills 5


The rest 4 or less. Not bad from Papley in his first hit out. I hope he gets elevated. Seams he goes in pretty hard.
Mills ok too.

[wolftone57]

Gee, a lot of over reaction on here to a round 2 pre season game.
Given we play GWS for points in round 3, we were never give them a look at how we will structure up.
There was plenty of vanilla on show from the Swans. IMO, on purpose.
The continual 'throw it on the boot to move it forward' scenario, was supposed to set up contested footy and stoppages.
Horse alluded to his mind set in his pre game interview..."It's a small ground, the game will be congested."
He talked about getting plenty of body on body work, getting back into the groove of hits and bruises.
I reckon he was pissed off because GWS went harder, and pressured better, which was what he wanted from our boys.
I think you can all but guarantee a vast improvement in this area next week...
But again, we play Carlton in round 2, so it will be more vanilla in terms of game plan.
Come round 1, I expect to see Buddy and Tippo or Sinclair, lining up in the forward line.
The strugglers for me were...Towers, Robinson, B Jack...All pressure forwards, so that's a worry given we are without the services of McGlynn and Rohan.

There is an old saying if you play ducks and drakes you will end up with egg on your face. I don't think anyone is laying low to hide a game plan from opposition. I think we are sadly underdone and our skills are crap. The game plan is sadly outdated. The skill level is very low, that seems to happen after 2 years at Sydney lol.

[Ludwig]

It's not our NAB Challenge form that has me worried, it's our lack of depth and that's not easily fixed unless some ressie players really start to lift and to date none of them have.

Unless we have a golden injury run, with the number of teams genuinely improving this year we could miss the 8!

As for GWS, they have 19, yes that's nineteen top 10 draft picks on their list! Plus another 7 picks 11-20. This not only makes them scarily good for the next 6-10 years, their domination will continue well past that because they can keep trading out talented kids not getting a game for more high draft picks and the cheap top end talent out of the Riverina. Eddie needs to change his anger focus from us to the VFL's love child GWS.

Everyone knows that the AFL wants GWS to win a premiership. It's a business decision and it's important for the future of the game if it wants to be a national competition. Let them win a premiership first before we start criticizing the method used to get them to the top. Personally, I think it will be good for footy and especially for footy in NSW. They already have plenty of critics in Melbourne.

The Swans have dropped down to 10th in experience based on games played, so of course that means we lack experienced depth. These are just the facts. As you say, there is no quick fix except to get game time into these young players and hope they continue to improve. Some will and others won't. Yes, and we are certainly a chance to miss the 8. But why worry about it? It's just the state of affairs that we find ourselves at this point in time. We've had a fantastic run with finals footy and even if we drop off this year we should bounce back quickly. We have some good young talent.

Isn't it funny. Give players two years in our system and no matter how good their skills were when they come after that amount of time they are crap. Dawson, Papley, Mills and Talia will learn how to not hit targets if they stay long enough.

It's just awful how we ruin players careers. Take Tom Derickx for example. He was an absolute gun before coming to the Swans and now he has to suck up to Buddy and Jesinta just to get a modelling gig.

[wolftone57]

Isn't it funny. Give players two years in our system and no matter how good their skills were when they come after that amount of time they are crap. Dawson, Papley, Mills and Talia will learn how to not hit targets if they stay long enough.

[707]

For those unimpressed with our form NAB-Challenge-v-Lions/page4

It's not our NAB Challenge form that has me worried, it's our lack of depth and that's not easily fixed unless some ressie players really start to lift and to date none of them have.

Unless we have a golden injury run, with the number of teams genuinely improving this year we could miss the 8!

As for GWS, they have 19, yes that's nineteen top 10 draft picks on their list! Plus another 7 picks 11-20. This not only makes them scarily good for the next 6-10 years, their domination will continue well past that because they can keep trading out talented kids not getting a game for more high draft picks and the cheap top end talent out of the Riverina. Eddie needs to change his anger focus from us to the VFL's love child GWS.

[RogueSwan]

For those unimpressed with our form NAB-Challenge-v-Lions/page4

[aardvark]

Now that Tippett is a ruckman and Franklin a midfielder maybe we should recruit a power forward. I hear Jesse White may be available!

[barry]

The rest of the comp will be fully aware of the depth of GWS by the end of the year, their potential is frightening as is the possibility of having a team that goes three-peating with about 300 fans....

Same (300 fans) could have been said about the swans early days.

The swans are probably 2 weeks behind the giants in terms of prep, but this could be the year that the team that represents all that is west of Anzac bridge moves past the swans.

Swans are giving off the impression of a team in slow decline.

[Auntie.Gerald]

?

hhhmmmm

[Ludwig]

The Future

"GSW are now playing in their 13th consecutive Grand Final. Their members have packed the MCG and can hardly contain their excitement."

[Mug Punter]

Agree with this because they have like 25? first round picks

The rest of the comp will be fully aware of the depth of GWS by the end of the year, their potential is frightening as is the possibility of having a team that goes three-peating with about 300 fans....

[liz]

I can't see how Cunningham, Lloyd or Robinson are anywhere near the quality of Craig Bird.

For a start, they are on a lot less money than Bird was. That has to be a key reason he was off-loaded. If the club wants to sign up the likes of Hanners and Parker to lucrative long-term contracts, on top of the money Tippett and Buddy are on, something has to give.

I agree with you on Robinson. To me he's always seemed like a solid, hardworking NEAFL level player, without an outstanding attribute that was likely to equip him to be more than a bit part player at senior AFL level. Lloyd I'm still agnostic on. I prefer him to Robinson as he usually runs harder, his disposal is usually better, and he seems to have more of a sense of where to run to provide a useful option. But I am doubtful whether he has much improvement left in him.

I know you've never been a Cunningham fan. I like him more, and his pace and goal sense are valuable attributes at senior level, especially in a side that has lost so much pace in the off-season. I thought his first half of last season was very ordinary, but his second half was promising. He is one player who needs to elevate his involvement significantly again if the Swans are to become a good side this year. (The other, in my mind, is Towers.) I liked him in the intra-club game - he unleashed one gem of a pass into the forward 50, one that Jetta would have been proud of. But his two NAB Cup outings this year haven't been especially encouraging.

[Bexl]

We have 2 spots open to elevate a rookie. Johnson and Rohan. Am I right?

[Nico]

I can't see how Cunningham, Lloyd or Robinson are anywhere near the quality of Craig Bird.

[Nico]

A major difference between Papley and McGlynn is that Papley is an excellent kick on either side.

And for goal.