That Geel v Coll game was honestly one of the all time classics, great footy.

2 hours ago, binman said:

All good points.

I predicted a damp squib for these finals, with the lions tigers game being the only close one.

Could not have been more wrong.

The pressure the swans and pies brought is almost like a new style. I mean pressure is fundamental to finals footy obviously, but the pressure both teams bring to disrupt exit from stoppages is something different.

Curiously both teams had significantly less contested possessions than their opponents - the swans minus 25 and pies minus 21. 

On our sytem, I can't get my head around why we have changed it so much.

I had expected us to go hard and fast against the swans, which we did. We didn't get ant score board seperation in the first half, so cam out and played fast in the third.

But we never tried to control the tempo, which is a key part of our system. Well, it used to be.

Yes, that was in large part due to the smart way the swans stopped us doing so, for example by tagging langdon and Salem (who we use a lot to control tempo) and denying us time and space.

But we also fed into the pace of the game by going for high risk kicks into the corridor. Made more high risk by gawn and may trying them - and giving up three goals in doing so. 

So weird for us to be play such high risk, high reward footy. And we paid the price we normally make other teams pay.

I don't know what the numbers were at games end, but at half time I think I saw on the scoreboard we had scored maybe one goal from turnover and they had scored 4 or 5.

Such a perplexing game tactically. Yes, a big part of that was the great tactical work by the swans, but nonetheless we contributed to the tactical weirdness.

 

Yes, the Swans did prevent us moving the ball quickly and creating territory. The Metres Gained stat showed this perfectly. We only gained 5444m, our lowest of the season by some margin. They strangled us which is what we normally do to teams. Curiously MG for the Swans was a very modest 5887m which is their season's average. MG for all other finals teams was north of 6000m.

11 hours ago, John Demonic said:

You could almost call it a Blessing In Deesguise

Geelong couldn't play any worse but got it done??

Seriously?

If this weekend is your marker then we should be worried about the Lions.

The Pies would have run all over us on this week's showing.

Even May and Petty wouldn't hold them up.

At least Geelong didnt ship their daks and crumble onder the pressure like the Dees

This almost mythical "we're the best when we are at our best " is becoming a hilarious fantasy meme.

It's never happened. 

Last year we only  beat a crook Cats team and no one should consider beating Footscrsy a triumph .

That's not loyalty  it's delusional

1 minute ago, IRW said:

Geelong couldn't play any worse but got it done??

Seriously?

If this weekend is your marker then we should be worried about the Lions.

The Pies would have run all over us on this week's showing.

Even May and Petty wouldn't hold them up.

At least Geelong didnt ship their daks and crumble onder the pressure like the Dees

This almost mythical "we're the best when we are at our best " is becoming a hilarious fantasy meme.

It's never happened. 

Last year we only  beat a crook Cats team and no one should consider beating Footscrsy a triumph .

That's not loyalty  it's delusional

So we just beat a crook cats and beating the doggies was lucky. we pulverised both of those teams you numpty

 

Wish we were the swans who get handed a number 1 draft pick after finishing top 4.   No wonder they only ‘rebuild’ for one year

12 minutes ago, BDA said:

So we just beat a crook cats and beating the doggies was lucky. we pulverised both of those teams you numpty

 

That was thev " at our mythical best you all go on about" .

I didn't say we weren't contenders now or even that we wernt very good last finals.I did say beating Footscray was nothing to boast about because they arnt that good.

Bang Bang Bang was very very good.

You can't even see that we are off the pace and we cracked under pressure on Friday ?

Running old memes isn't analysis  it's what commentators say because they have run out of ideas ,you numpty

27 minutes ago, IRW said:

Geelong couldn't play any worse but got it done??

Seriously?

If this weekend is your marker then we should be worried about the Lions.

The Pies would have run all over us on this week's showing.

Even May and Petty wouldn't hold them up.

At least Geelong didnt ship their daks and crumble onder the pressure like the Dees

This almost mythical "we're the best when we are at our best " is becoming a hilarious fantasy meme.

It's never happened. 

Last year we only  beat a crook Cats team and no one should consider beating Footscrsy a triumph .

That's not loyalty  it's delusional

Take a walk mate. Tell that to Max Gawn’s Face. Look him in the eye….

9 minutes ago, IRW said:

That was thev " at our mythical best you all go on about" .

I didn't say we weren't contenders now or even that we wernt very good last finals.I did say beating Footscray was nothing to boast about because they arnt that good.

Bang Bang Bang was very very good.

You can't even see that we are off the pace and we cracked under pressure on Friday ?

Running old memes isn't analysis  it's what commentators say because they have run out of ideas ,you numpty

Tired old meme you reckon. Won a flag last year and finished second on the ladder this season. 

Geelong are much more beatable than Collingwood for us

Happy 18th

3 hours ago, DubDee said:

Wish we were the swans who get handed a number 1 draft pick after finishing top 4.   No wonder they only ‘rebuild’ for one year

Swans need to be treated as a special case as a Sydney team.

They HAVE to be competitive each year or the crowds drop off super fast.

I was in Sydney for 3 days a month ago and not 1 AFL/Swans article in the SMH on any of those days. Pages of Rugby.

Swans are a smoke and mirrors issue and when you look under the bonnet its not pretty AFL acceptance-wise up there. Try finding an AFL-shaped ground in western Sydney. None.

Brisbane is worse. High school age kids can't play AFL for the same reasons, only Vic immigrants or those with embedded AFL knowledge are interested. NRL or surfing.

The story of northern success by the AFL is based around TV income. But they love it when the swans perform well sustainably.

No wonder Eddie used to get upset .

14 minutes ago, Demon17 said:

Swans need to be treated as a special case as a Sydney team.

They HAVE to be competitive each year or the crowds drop off super fast.

I was in Sydney for 3 days a month ago and not 1 AFL/Swans article in the SMH on any of those days. Pages of Rugby.

Swans are a smoke and mirrors issue and when you look under the bonnet its not pretty AFL acceptance-wise up there. Try finding an AFL-shaped ground in western Sydney. None.

Brisbane is worse. High school age kids can't play AFL for the same reasons, only Vic immigrants or those with embedded AFL knowledge are interested. NRL or surfing.

The story of northern success by the AFL is based around TV income. But they love it when the swans perform well sustainably.

No wonder Eddie used to get upset .

I couldn’t give a rats how popular footy is in NSW. Treat all teams equally

Just now, DubDee said:

I couldn’t give a rats how popular footy is in NSW. Treat all teams equally

Fully agree DubDee.  I was meaning from the AFL's aspect . 

The AFL need a successful Swans ongoing  for ratings.

30 minutes ago, Demon17 said:

Fully agree DubDee.  I was meaning from the AFL's aspect . 

The AFL need a successful Swans ongoing  for ratings.

As I said the other day, the Swans constantly being in contention is very important commercially for the AFL. Making the prelim or beyond = $$$$$$$$. It is sports entertainment now. 

22 hours ago, Green Demon said:

Rory Lobb 

thought the same last night - top get by you.

 

3 minutes ago, Demonland said:

 

And we might just choke a 10-0 start ourselves....

4 hours ago, DubDee said:

I couldn’t give a rats how popular footy is in NSW. Treat all teams equally

As a former Victorian, I actually love seeing Swans and GWS winning here in NSW as it brings more spectators to our great game. Anything that detracts from NRL is a good thing, I also like the Sydney/Melbourne rivalry.

11 hours ago, binman said:

The pressure the swans and pies brought is almost like a new style. I mean pressure is fundamental to finals footy obviously, but the pressure both teams bring to disrupt exit from stoppages is something different.

Curiously both teams had significantly less contested possessions than their opponents - the swans minus 25 and pies minus 21. 

Not sure I agree. Richmond invented it. They won in 2017 with it and took it to extremes in 2018 where they were happy to concede clearances (ranked 17) as long as they were pressured (they backed their intercept and rebound like Collingwood do). It’s risky as was shown up in the 2018 prelim when a 7ft beanpole fluked 5 marks and it was game over.

It’s similarly risky now. Worked well on Friday night but I don’t think it works as well in dry warmer conditions. Think about our scores from centre clearance in the prelim and GF last year.  I’ll back us to beat Sydney or Collingwood comfortably in the GF if they get there :-). 

De Goey to have scans for a shoulder injury.

Unless it is mega serious I can't see them not playing him against Freo.

Really fancied the Dogs against the Pies much more than Freo. Will give them a go but gee wiz. 

On 9/3/2022 at 1:26 PM, The heart beats true said:

Why is Wayne Carey still a thing? I vote no.

Caught spilling powders onto the Crown gaming table... continues to be all class. Sure it will all be water off a duck's back though.

3 minutes ago, nedleg said:

Caught spilling powders onto the Crown gaming table... continues to be all class. Sure it will all be water off a duck's back though.

Just saw this 🤣

Some clubs never learn to keep Mad Monday 'celebrations' private:  zaine-cordy-mad-monday-photos-western-bulldogs-postseason-drinks

Given their off field issues over recent years the bulldogs could have done without this sort of publicity.