#AFL Round 17 Swans v Blues Sat 13-Jul at SCG #AFLSwansBlues @sydneyswans

[Markwebbos]

Two weeks too late horse.
Maybe less time thinking about your millions and more time thinking about a ruckman.

Seriously. Have you read anything about the process Horse and the Swans went through before he signed?

I think he’s between a rock and a hard place with the ruck given Cameron just got injured again this week.

[Foreign Legion]

After the round 7 turnaround I said anything from here is a bonus, we won’t make finals and should see 2019 as a development year topped off by our highest draft pick in a decade.

Nothing has changed. We are a very young developing side

I watched most of the first half. We dominated but failed to put it on the scoreboard.

I think people underestimate the impact of no Buddy, no ruckman on the youngest side in the competition.

I think losing is better than winning in our current circumstances because I would prefer that the list managers face up to reality. We have holes in our list on every line.

There’s a lot of potential but it has yet to fully develop. It’s going to be an exciting time but also a frustrating one to be a supporter.

I also think people underestimate Carlton. Plus, hate to say it, they have a lot more to play for than we do. Wonder what the impact of not making finals has on the motivation of the players?

People underestimate Carlton? They are @@@@ at best. They have no more to play for than we do - they have been in the bottom half for 11/12 years. Nothing to do with it.

[stevoswan]

Two weeks too late horse.
Maybe less time thinking about your millions and more time thinking about a ruckman.

Typically childish assessment Barry.......

[Faunac8]

I taped the game and have just watched it. This would have to rank right up with there as one of our worst losses in the last decade. My opinion for what it’s worth is that we lacked any cohesion and lacked basic skills across our younger players and at this stage we don’t deserve to be there at he end of the season. Getting games into our young players will pay dividends and create the familiarity which will hopefully translate into winning. As one of our more positive supporters it hurts to admit this but it looks like tanking has commenced and this will be a season to reset and move forward. Nothing to compare with the horror of 93 but still not a season to celebrate.

[Ralph Dawg]

Not a great performance, but I'm in the not to panic camp. We have a good young list, excellent players to return from injury, likely decent draft picks and plenty of room in the cap. Carlton are only just starting to play to potential which is actually pretty high. Any team which has a midfield of Cripps, Murphy, Walsh etc can match it with anyone in the competition if playing well.
Unfortunately, as someone pointed out, our small forwards are playing without confidence. It certainly has highlighted an area on our list where we can improve. Hayward and Ronke just terrible and Jack just old. But who comes in? Maybe Wicks gets a run, Amartey comes in as another tall / ruck and Clarke in to tag. Hewett just seems to grow another leg when he doesn't have to mind a gun opposition mid. Stoddart needs to get a run too, maybe at the expense of Florent, who also looks down on confidence.

[Markwebbos]

Ralph Dawg, you are spot on re: our small forwards. Hayward passed perfectly to Jack for his one goal but missed from about 20m out in front. Presumably he goes fine in training.

Not sure dropping him will fix it.

But it is time for some new blood. Nothing to lose now.

[stevoswan]

Not a great performance, but I'm in the not to panic camp. We have a good young list, excellent players to return from injury, likely decent draft picks and plenty of room in the cap. Carlton are only just starting to play to potential which is actually pretty high. Any team which has a midfield of Cripps, Murphy, Walsh etc can match it with anyone in the competition if playing well.
Unfortunately, as someone pointed out, our small forwards are playing without confidence. It certainly has highlighted an area on our list where we can improve. Hayward and Ronke just terrible and Jack just old. But who comes in? Maybe Wicks gets a run, Amartey comes in as another tall / ruck and Clarke in to tag. Hewett just seems to grow another leg when he doesn't have to mind a gun opposition mid. Stoddart needs to get a run too, maybe at the expense of Florent, who also looks down on confidence.

Yes, in a lot of ways we've gone away from the formula that was winning us games.....Clarke tagging, Hewitt doing his own thing very well, no KJ and of course, playing a specialist ruckman. It's not working....time to reset.

[111431]

Time to act after that disgraceful performance.
Hayward must go back to NEAfl and can take Ollie, Ronke and Kiz with him.
Lloyd must be the most overrated player in the AFL. Rarely puts his disposals to advantage and I don’t care if he had 1km of metres gained - he may as well have been running down the Hume H’way.
Killed in the ruck, which was to be expected when you are playing against a seasoned ruck. Last week’s ruck decision was clever today was dumb. I hear Cameron is injured unlucky for him but he is not the answer- too slow and lumbering. Try Amartey- he seems athletic and will bring youth and enthusiasm.enough from me

[0918330512]

Two weeks too late horse.
Maybe less time thinking about your millions and more time thinking about a ruckman.

Oh FFS. If you think an untried Knoll or Amartey who are only solid at the NEAFL level are the solution to missing a seasoned Sink or Naismith who are expected to compete against AFL hardened genuine ruckmen ... :

Do you seriously think that Horse has been solely focused “about his millions”? And this is despite the wider football world talking constantly about his contract.

Longmire has been hampered by a lack of ruckmen to choose from, an experienced and miserly defence that has succumbed to broken bodies (Grundy, Smith, Macca), where our best KPD is all of 187cm and has to contend with opposition the monster forwards.

His forward line is missing on of the game’s greatest forwards (and when he does play, Bud is usually under an injury cloud) so the forward work is being share by the likes of Blakey, McCartin, Paps, Hayward - hardly a wealth of experience and still developing their bodies.

Then there has been the scrutiny and criticism over the past month whether he will or won’t sign.

How about supporting your coach during a difficult transition, and acknowledging his efforts (which have been lauded for the past month and a half) instead of posting impulsive reactionary criticism on the back of a loss?

[707]

The good - I noticed Carlton were $4.05 for the win and 24.5 pts for the line so I backed them both ways for a nice collect. Umpires, didn't notice them hoobloodyray for once! We are no longer in finals contention so we can now finally use the rest of the year to get game time into likely types stuck in the NEAFL

The bad - skills, a complete lack of on many occasions just killed us. Small forwards, KJ just no justification for him playing seniors, Ronke looking like a poor amateur footballer, Hayward just lost all impact and has the yips.

Not sure who we've got next week but we must pick someone, anyone to be first ruck, Aliir has been good but it's thrown our defence out of wack plus he more risks injury rucking. Maybe try Grassy or Armartey, please!

If Stoddart plays well today he must come in. Big opportunity for NEAFL likelies as I write this.

So not too concerned, use the rest of the year to help for 2020 and a high draft pick too.

[Hotpotato]

I didn’t go (had to work) and haven’t watched replay yet.
Are the Blues revitalised under their new (temporary) coach ?
And are SYDNEY unmotivated now they are out of finals for first time in ages?

[longmile]

Still miles better than the loss to GC last year