I have long since stopped getting angry or disappointed when we lose this season as I accept it as a foregone conclusion at the start of every match. I could go on and on about all the things we do wrong week after week and the poor list management and recruitment decisions made, but what would be the point? Clearly the coaching staff or club management don't read these forums or listen to their supporters. They are obviously too busy with fluff twitter posts or patting themselves on the back for this, that or the other. 2002 was the worst season I have experienced with them only winning 3 games but I can see this one being worse. Until this team and management can act like they care then why should I?

Kerr is a star

Just got back from the game.

Swans supporters are downright uneducated in Aussie Rules footy. It is beyond a joke. Self-entitled clowns.

On the footy:

- O’Shea is a real liability. One kick in particular was a momentum killer. I sensed a dropping of the heads when he made the mistake. Option was right, execution abysmal. Marchbank for O’Shea cannot come quick enough.

- Cripps little impact. Could do with the break.

- Physically undermanned.

- Weitering started to get into a bit of form. His kicking was quite good.

- Silvagni our best in the first half. His possessions really hurt the Swans. Tried hard all night, work rate very good.

- Most need to work harder to create an option when we play the switch. Too often we switch and then end up bombing to a contest because there was no option.

- Too much over possessing of the footy inside the 50 and too much disposing to static players.

- Dow. For a first year player with no support in midfield just superb.

- Fisher. Can’t wait to see him in 2 years if his 2nd year is like this. Very nimble, doesn’t panic, wonderful player.

- O’Shea. No’Shea.

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"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky

Roos is correct.
We played two decent quarters of footy.
Last week we played four. Tonight was a backward step.
When we missed all those goals and then the Swans kicked a couple we panicked and forgot how we had stayed with them in the first half and just started bombing it to a contest again.
Our skills are not good enough under pressure. Simmo is a great warrior etc but his first two kicks were OOBOTF. Kerr is going to be OK but Levi is more reliable in front of goal. He, Wright, Silvagni, Curnow and Kerridge all missed absolute sitters from set shots. The swans looked dangerous every timne they went forward and we didn't. With 36 seconds to go and the ball and a turnover on our HB line I just knew they were going to get another goal.

Swans are bullies. They have amassed a group of mids who all look the same, nuggety hard runners who break tackles. They always make sure they give the opposition player a bit extra before he gets up. Our boys are more whippets than bull terriers and that is something we need to address in the gym.
They also bully the umpires. I have never seen so many players as I did tonight telling the umpires they had missed an obvios free (to themselves) or appealing for one after the event. The commentators laughed off the 'coffee with Gil' line as harmless banter and taken in isolation, it probably is but they just go on and on, intimidating the umpires at every opportunity.

The umpires are flogs of the first order. I am going to stay on this hobby horse of mine until someone from the press snooping throught TC reads it or one of you mentions it to someone who will bring it up. The distance for a mark is 15 metres. The Swans tactic several times at the kickout after a point was to pass it to someone less than twen metres from the end of the square and then clear it from there. It gives them extra time to set up the next kick. Now the ten yard square is called that for a reason. If the ball is kicked and travels less than the length of the ten yard square, it can not be a mark. It's a blatant tactic designed to assure that nobody can intercept the kick because the man on the mark for the kickout is too close to cover the angle. In the last quarter, Sydney got a goal, the lead up to which included a mark paid between the kicker and the man on the mark!

It is time to seriously look at whether Kreuzer can ruck all day and especially against whom. He was slaughtered again tonight by a ruckman not generally thought of as in the top echelon. Despite that, I think we won the clearances and despite that, Swans scored 6-2 from stoppages compared to our 2-5.

Cripps will end up crippled before the year is out.
There are definite signs we are improving and like all tough climbs, there are slips along the way. Tonight was one, not a serous one but Roos was correct.
I think Kingy and Dermott are correct as well inasmuch as there are positive signs.

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Let slip the Blues of war (with apologies to William Shakespeare) (and Sir Francis Bacon, just in case)

This.
Add Fisher to that list. That absolute howler of a decision with one minute to goal where he dodged and ducked and found himself clear withing range.... Kicked it backwards to the F50 arc, turnover, goal to end the game. A lob to the hotspot or a ping were his best two options.

I have posted before that the kids need to back themselves more. Their first instinct is to look for Cripps, Murphy, Kreuzer and then after that for the second tier of senior players.
Alternatively, the senior players have to give the kids more credit and let them play to their strengths.

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Let slip the Blues of war (with apologies to William Shakespeare) (and Sir Francis Bacon, just in case)

Apart from Levi, don’t see anyone else who has benefited from Sav Rocca’s Goal kicking coaching.
We re the only team who simultaneously haven’t got a decent kick out strategy, and haven’t got s decent strategy for entering our forward 50.

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James Hird and Essendon* FC - #FOREVERDRUGCHEATS

My Mexican wife suggested we needed a goal kicking coach.
I told he we have one....

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Let slip the Blues of war (with apologies to William Shakespeare) (and Sir Francis Bacon, just in case)

Pros:

Effort.
Ed, Jones, Plowman and Charlie.
Kerridge did a great job on Hannebery. But his ball use was absolutely diabolical.
SOJ's 1st half.
Thought Cuningham had a good 1st half as well.
Encouraging performance from Kerr. Good on the lead. Pity he didn't finish better. But if Harry got dropped for not contesting in the packs, Kerr might be in trouble as well.

Cons:

Too many of our players don't want to kick the ball at the moment. We've got senior players who can't kick. And young players who don't want to kick. I know they've butchered the ball a bit this year, but I want Dow and O'Brien to back themselves with ball in hand.
Missed shots in the 2nd half.
Daisy and Rowe were poor. Disappointing from senior players.
Sinclair being permitted to push out Kreuzer in nearly every marking contest.
Parker being rewarded for ducking his head.

Yeah, it's been happening too often the last few weeks.

Yeah, love seeing the ball in his hands. It's been really good seeing him look like he wants to be out there again.

it baffles me. we aren't a hard spread and hard running team, we don't play fast or physical at all. yet, like clockwork we fade strongly in the 2nd halves.

is it teams take us lightly then get fed a rocket at halftime and come out and destroy us? or are we so mentally fragile that we don't believe we can beat anyone and go on with the job we did in the first half?

bcos i don't believe we fade physically.

62 inside 50s for them, 41 for us. They ended up getting 28 shots at goal to our 18. The midfield needs to get the down our end more often.

Tackles inside 50 was 20-8, needs to be addressed.

This

I was a little surprised that he needed reminding that you can't play on after the siren.

Exactly.
At 3q time our 3 highest possession winners were Simmo, Kerridge and Ed, who apart from OShea, are our worst killers with disposal.

Yes Kerridge does a job but it's negated by his clangers

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If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you!

Was buddy playing? The commentary never mentioned him.

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"I had to eat"

Poor skills indeed

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

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Formerly: Ackland the Wonderkid / Army the Wonderkid / quivering mess / molsey / Tony Lynn Fan Club

Oh God, don't get me started on the commentators.
Basil and BT the worst commentating combo in Footy.
Barracking for Sydney and patronising against us all game.

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James Hird and Essendon* FC - #FOREVERDRUGCHEATS

TBH, I don't think he can help anyone else. Levi has an issue with his kicking style/ball drop etc. The rest of the team have issues with their heads.

Without pressure, they'd kick those goals 95/100. Add 'perceived pressure' and it'll drop to about 40/100 in some players.

These guys have kicked a footy since they were 4. The mind controls the heart which controls the muscles. Stress changes the way they move which affects their style. Most players simply need help controlling their minds to allow them to re-create the same result under pressure as they achieve without pressure.

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