Round 10 v Carlton @ Marvel Stadium

[stevoswan]

Missed the game due to other commitments, but it sounds like the umps interfered a bit too much. I thought they over officiated last week too. It ruined the game, the continuous stop start and strange unexplained calls make it impossible to watch.

As for tonight. Is anybody really surprised that Carlton won? I mean c'mon, it's Carlton, they are one of the 'big' Vic teams, the umpires, commentators and AFL officials are all likely to be fans.

Oh yeah, it was very evident tonight!

[Agent 86]

Ruck pair was disappointing tonight - Hickey not near his best and Ladham really isn't offering much when he goes up forward either. Should really have monstered it more out of the centre then they did. We need patience with them as a pairing, but need more from them (especially Ladhams) around the ground. He didn't have a good night at all up forward - we didn't kick to much advantage, but he looks very easy to defend against too.

No point playing 2 rucks when both get outplayed by a kid who has looked ordinary in other games. He took some great marks tonight as well, too - so fair play.

[0918330512]

Effort is never a probelm with him. He just isn't quite at AFL standard for mine - I want him to make it, he is by all reports a great bloke around the club and its a serious effort to get to where he has got to .

By all reports old Kenny is a great bloke around the club too. Perhaps play Kenny instead of Bell. Couldn’t be much worse than Bell

[mcs]

Well mcs, on tonights showing Campbell should never not play or be on the bench if Bell is selected.

He has had enough chances. He is not going to improve.

I don't think Bell should be being selected in front of players like Campbell, Stephens and that level, unless his returns demand it. They don't at the moment. I can sympathise with the call from a balance angle in terms of the overall team - but I tend to agree. He is not going to make it in any world as a midfielder at AFL level for mine, and he isn't good enough as a small forward - not for lack of effort, just he isn't quite good enough. I think Wicks is relatively marginal potentially too - but he has more upside for mine then Bell. And at least Ronke does seem to be a relative threat around goal.

I really really like the kid, but I just don't think he will ever consistently reach the level he needs to to make it at AFL level.

[H2F]

We gave up 10 goals in the 2nd quarter with Carlton missing their best forward i cant imagine how many Mckay would of kicked with that level of dominance.

Margin in the end was absolutely flattening towards us.

[i'm-uninformed2]

In two or three years, De Koening will be one of the best rucks in the game. But he’s still young.

For our rucks to combine for 26 taps to his 23 tonight, and do nothing aerially when he was hauling them in, was crap.

[waswan]

Stephens 21yrs old 18 games
Bell 23yrs old 27 games
Wicks 22yrs old 33 games

Stephens probably having words with his agent

[Captain]

Bell should never have played another game for us after the final last year. Tonight comes us no surprise.

Ladhams isn’t what we hoped. Prefer Reid, McLean or Sinclair to him.

Logan is really coming along nicely. The boy will be a GUN!

[Foreign Legion]

Yes put the time in to Campbell and especially Stephens.

Give Stephens 5-6 weeks to prove himself. He either improves or doesnt at least we will know about a no.5 pick if my memory is correct.

But, once again our first half is @@@@. Horse needs to do something here as it has cost us a few games.

[mcs]

We gave up 10 goals in the 2nd quarter with Carlton missing their best forward i cant imagine how many Mckay would of kicked with that level of dominance.

Margin in the end was absolutely flattening towards us.

Nonsense.

The difference was they made their period of dominance count on the scoreboard, we didn't quite as much.

The margin flattered them if anything. First 15 minutes of the last quarter the ball was camped down their end and we only got one goal out of it. Most weeks that sort of dominance would result in 2,3,4 goals. We just weren't quite good enough in front of goal when it mattered at the end. But the margin was a fair reflection on the overall balance of the contest.

[Agent 86]

Stephens 21yrs old 18 games
Bell 23yrs old 27 games
Wicks 22yrs old 33 games

Stephens probably having words with his agent

I think he had those words last year. Hasn’t done much to help his cause thus far.

[stevoswan]

The only time the AFL is in a good place is when that scumbag club is at the bottom of the ladder. Swans fans should never forget what they tried to do to us in the darkest days of the club history. They were the parasite looking to to finish us off in our darkest days.

They can rot forever in hell.

This an oft repeated post from you mcs.....but I love it. Indeed, never let us forget.

Effort is never a probelm with him. He just isn't quite at AFL standard for mine - I want him to make it, he is by all reports a great bloke around the club and its a serious effort to get to where he has got to. But I just don't think he will be good enough, and certainly I'd prefer us to be playing someone like Stephens (or in tonight's case Campbell) over him (noting that would need some moving about elsewhere perhaps in terms of team balance) who have a much higher ceiling I suspect.

I wouldn't be surprised if Stephens looks elsewhere at season's end.....unless he gets a go over Bell soon. Seeing Bell get selected over him would irk. Mind you, Bell has it over Stephens in sheer effort and application......which the coaches obviously love and that area is up to Stephens to rectify.