Once again the Sydney Swans followed the recipe for cooking Melbourne’s goose. Slowly with pressure, add some more pressure and surely the goose will be cooked.
And so it was in the 2022 Qualifying Final, when the same recipe that Carlton and Collingwood used was brought out again with success. Just put pressure on the Demons and the suspect players that perform when the team is running hot, just get cooked
The ability to operate, do the fundamentals and execute at these times is shown up, but in finals it matters. Alex Neal-Bullen, Jake Melksham and Jayden Hunt were unable to supply anything of value to the side when needed.
Be it delivering with a simple kick, converting from 20m or putting in a tackle for the whole game, these guys went missing again. This is finals football, and the same pressure will come again in the next game. Will the coach continue to reward this recurring theme
In the same manner, the recurring problem in the forward line continues to raise its ugly head. Once again Melbourne were unable to kick sufficient goals to win a match, despite 6 more i50’s than the opposition.
The resting ruck in the forward line theory should now have been exposed as a complete failure, with both Gawn and Jackson failing to take a mark in that area, and Gawn posting a major only after a free. They continue to block the path for Fritsch and Brown, and when the ball comes to ground are unable to provide any defensive pressure.
And it only compounds the lack of pressure from the forwards. Gawn is no racehorse, Melksham doesn’t chase, Fritsch isn’t fast, Brown can’t get out of a trot, ANB doesn’t know where the ball so it’s all left to Pickett. Small wonder the defence of Sydney held strong all game, and kept Melbourne goalless in the final quarter.
All along this game was going to be one of contest and defence. The Demons were hampered when Christian Petracca took a heavy knock in the first quarter which limited his output. That only opened up the gates for Parker in the middle with 25 touches and 9 clearances, with 8 touches alone in the 2ndquarter when the game was on the line. Clayton Oliver was the saviour for the Demons in and around the ground, but was also heavily banged up, and to be sure Sydney made sure of that.
The Swans’ game plan is about continuous support to their teammates. It doesn’t matter where you play it is essential to contribute. There is always another Swans player on the outside. It eliminated the role of defensive pressure which Melbourne employ. It is a reversion to one on one football, where you back your players against a system which employs role players who don’t have the skills.
Small wonder the Sydney goal kicking list includes backmen like Lloyd with two majors or a host of their mids.
The Demons rucks put in a completely sub-standard game. Jackson a solitary mark for the whole 100 minutes, a number which has been happening all too often in recent weeks. Max was soundly beaten by Hickey, both in the middle and around the ground, while his kicking when needed returned to the doldrums of years past.
The one shining light for the fans and the side was Stephen May in the backline, who gave Franklin a complete football lesson holding him scoreless, while amassing 23 touches 7 marks and 583 metres gained.
A couple of silly errors blotted his copybook, but overall it was a commanding performance and should have been the inspiration for those further up the field.
The forward problem has been mentioned around the resting ruck scenario, but it is more than that. Unless Fritsch or Pickett kick big bags, the side doesn’t kick a winning score since Tom McDonald went down. We simply need another target in front of goal, and cannot depend on opportunistic chances to score. Ben Brown is double teamed every week, and there is no leading, up the ground pair of hands that McDonald provided.
We simply need a true forward, and sadly that chance (“JVR”) should have been playing in the side weeks ago. Now we have to roll the dice in a do or die game, but chances are we won’t do that. And this will be in a game against Brisbane where goal kicking will be an absolute necessity.
If we continue to follow this same recipe using the same ingredients against the Lions, then Joe the Goose will come out smiling and our season will be well and truly cooked.
MELBOURNE 4.1.25 5.4.34 10.5.65 10.9.69
SYDNEY SWANS 2.3.15 6.4.40 12.5.77 14.7.91
GOALS
MELBOURNE Fritsch 3 Oliver 2 Brown Gawn Pickett Spargo Sparrow
SYDNEY SWANS Hayward Lloyd Papley Reid 2 Heeney, Hickey Mills Parker Rowbottom Stephens
BEST
MELBOURNE May Oliver Fritsch Viney Petracca Langdon
SYDNEY SWANS Parker Lloyd Rowbottom Mills Papley Fox
INJURIES
MELBOURNE Christian Petracca (leg)
SYDNEY SWANS Oliver Florent (ankle)
REPORTS
MELBOURNE Nil
SYDNEY SWANS Nil
SUBSTITUTES
MELBOURNE Joel Smith (unused)
SYDNEY SWANS Braeden Campbell (unused)
UMPIRES Matt Stevic Andrew Stephens Craig Fleer
CROWD 78,377 at the MCG
