Round 18: Swans v Cats

[stevoswan]

Geelong v Sydney - The Mongrel Review - The Mongrel Punt

The kinda alarming bit that stuck out at me was calling Will Hayward the new Gary Rohan! I love Gazza but I have higher hopes for Will.

Good article by a journo/blogger that seems to actually do some research on interstate teams.....and observes and assesses the game sensibly.

[bloodspirit]

Thanks for that bloodspirit - never seen this bloke but he's a decent commentator.

It's a great website - much better content than most others, more in depth and better informed. A big chunk of it is behind a pay wall. I don't subscribe but I reckon it's money well spent if you're into reading about footy (chances are that most of us are).

[dimelb]

Thanks for that bloodspirit - never seen this bloke but he's a decent commentator.

[bloodspirit]

Geelong v Sydney - The Mongrel Review - The Mongrel Punt

The kinda alarming bit that stuck out at me was calling Will Hayward the new Gary Rohan! I love Gazza but I have higher hopes for Will.

[crackedactor 01]

For some reason my son chose this game for his first "distraught and in floods of tears after losing" experience. Maybe knowing it was the last for the year? Maybe after having his last Auskick of the season that morning? Maybe just getting more emotionally invested? Definitely because we both dared to dream that we might steal it.

I told him given where the team is at, to take it up to a top 4 team and only lose by a goal, was pretty good. That they'll be better for the experience, and much better next year. And I do believe that!

Remember they were a top four team with a full team ! none of their regulars were missing. Unlike the Swans with Buddy, Rampe, Heeney, Hewitt all absent. On reflection it was a great effort by a young and upcoming team.

[bloodspirit]

For some reason my son chose this game for his first "distraught and in floods of tears after losing" experience. Maybe knowing it was the last for the year? Maybe after having his last Auskick of the season that morning? Maybe just getting more emotionally invested? Definitely because we both dared to dream that we might steal it.

I told him given where the team is at, to take it up to a top 4 team and only lose by a goal, was pretty good. That they'll be better for the experience, and much better next year. And I do believe that!

I had a similar experience. My youngest son has only recently started getting quite interested in footy and the Swans. He is an epic cheerer and barracked energetically and nearly indefatigably all game long, leading chants and claps and jumping around. He found it hard to understand why I wasn't more upset when we lost and I tried to avoid explaining that part of my consolation was getting pick 3.

Like you, I focused on explaining we are young and have a bright future. I certainly hope we do. I thought that last year and didn't expect us to finish so low this year. But I do think so. And if we're not playing finals by 2022 I'll be disappointed and think someone has some accounting to do.

[MattW]

For some reason my son chose this game for his first "distraught and in floods of tears after losing" experience. Maybe knowing it was the last for the year? Maybe after having his last Auskick of the season that morning? Maybe just getting more emotionally invested? Definitely because we both dared to dream that we might steal it.

I told him given where the team is at, to take it up to a top 4 team and only lose by a goal, was pretty good. That they'll be better for the experience, and much better next year. And I do believe that!

I believe that too, but it's a perspective wrought from bitter experience.

[neilfws]

For some reason my son chose this game for his first "distraught and in floods of tears after losing" experience. Maybe knowing it was the last for the year? Maybe after having his last Auskick of the season that morning? Maybe just getting more emotionally invested? Definitely because we both dared to dream that we might steal it.

I told him given where the team is at, to take it up to a top 4 team and only lose by a goal, was pretty good. That they'll be better for the experience, and much better next year. And I do believe that!

[Thunder Shaker]

And speaking of age, I just had to check, McCartin is still only 20. Another couple of years, and he should be one of comp's best key defenders. Probably had the better of today's duel, with the soon to be crowned Coleman Medallist.

McCartin will join the ranks of Swans players recruited as forwards who end up playing distinguished careers in defence. Grundy and Barry being recent examples.

[Markwebbos]

MW do you mean that the game stopped at half time?

we were very capable at sling shot footy and or counter punch back in the day.........ie teams might have thought they had us toasted in the first couple or 3 qtrs...........only to be iced when it mattered

thats sport when you can absorb then penetrate when it matters

not for us in 2020 but a willing contest which i thoroughly enjoyed despite not being the victor

I’m saying that we should have kicked 3 or 4 more goals in the second quarter and won the game. Geelong didn’t play clever football, they got lucky.

[Blood Fever]

That’s not how I saw it. We should have put the game away in the 2nd Q. We were clearly the better side on the day but not on the scoreboard. And they could not defend our ball movement.

Ignore gobblygook

[Thunder Shaker]

We've had some shocking performances thrown in, but compared to 2019, I think our 'better' footy has been of a far higher standing - yes we won 3 less games then last year (in a shorter season of course), but I think its been much clearer this year where we are trying to head.

8/22 = 36.4%
5/17 = 29.4%

6/17 = 35.3%, so this year is roughly one game worse than last year and we finished one place lower. We had five losses by less than 10 points and a couple of shockers.

Getting games into young players is always good, though it's more normal to have fewer young players playing than we were fielding in some games this year.

Imagine if these cygnets ended up maturing together, all peaking at the same time.

[Auntie.Gerald]

MW do you mean that the game stopped at half time?

we were very capable at sling shot footy and or counter punch back in the day.........ie teams might have thought they had us toasted in the first couple or 3 qtrs...........only to be iced when it mattered

thats sport when you can absorb then penetrate when it matters

not for us in 2020 but a willing contest which i thoroughly enjoyed despite not being the victor

[Velour&Ruffles]

So you think it’s OK to jump up and knee a guy in the head whilst the ball is only half way to the contest and then stand there waiting to take an uncontested mark? Somewhere between the obvious free I have outlined above and Warwick Capper is a line where it becomes illegal. “Too Early” the umpire said because the contact was NOT IN THE MARKING CONTEST. Hawkins was back down on the ground when the ball arrived. You could call it a “shove out” or “two actions” but whichever way it was a definite free kick.

Well said. 100% correct.

[Markwebbos]

good game to watch geelong vs the swans

judo at its best

Geelong absorbed our direct play

we took the game on direct

yet..........the cats redirected the push and redirected beautifully when it mattered !

elegant coaching by Scott and elegant absorption by the Cats with counter punch and no match at the siren by us

reminded me of the many 2-1 victories by many a soccer team that controls a game whether behind or in front during the game but nails iit in the final parts to win

That’s not how I saw it. We should have put the game away in the 2nd Q. We were clearly the better side on the day but not on the scoreboard. And they could not defend our ball movement.