Rod Spooky Galt wrote:
I can't think of a time where a team with three tall key forwards has performed at their expected level or above it on the SCG. Always gets too crowded. Even in the hey day of North in the 90s, Carey would always talk about it being the hardest ground to play CHF on as the ball just constantly goes over your head. Even post-extension in 07, it's still a very easy ground to score from the centre square.
They certainly didn't help things - all three had an off night to varying degrees. If Motlop could kick 35m+, might have been a different story. Owies tried hard. Durdin non existent.
You can go through my post history - I advocated for Silvagni/Curnow/Hollands to be dropped and didn't really specify who to bring in on the basis that it seemed irrelevant. I wouldn't have picked TDK for this game for that reason (and now saying he should probably stay in because of the Gawn/Grundy factor coming up). Malbi's idea about Cripps resting forward would have worked in the context of the third tall/relief ruckman and was something I brought up in general over the past week.
You could argue Lewis Young in hindsight alone, but I don't think it changes much, especially if we're arguing Sydney's capacity to run the footy out of our back half.
Swans work for each other.
If we played 2 talls, they would just put body on our 2 talls and allow a 3rd tall go over the top in their forwardline and backline.
Isnt it the smalls who should be providing forward pressure and not allow Swans easy exits from HB? If so, they arent doing it because theyve only done 1 serious preseason and are still developing. They are part of the reason we lack forward pressure imo.
Swans have played 3 tall forwards successfully, with buddy Reidy (when he was fit) and a resting ruckman...Sinclaie, Naismith etc etc
Who really knows. You may well be correct Galty. But I don't think we lost it from a lack of forward pressure on the night, nor because we were top heavy. Shit skills killed us, and injuries forced us to limp over the finish line. Those easy misses marks and kicks at goal may have got us over the line...just.