Lil_red_fire_engine

I support our schedule fatigue and the day preparations of travelling from Maroochydore that morning would not help for the best output and are likely the reason our intensity and run was off. However you control the things you can like the players selected and the make up of the team. We clearly went in too tall and lacked run. We continued to persevere with players in Jones and Melksham who are clearly out of form and or had the game pass them by. We could have brought in some youthful energy or a player who might throw his all at a chance like Bedford, Baker or even C Wagner. Sometime you need to manufacture the energy. These were all choices for the coach coming into this game. We then fell for the oldest one in the book and did not know how to use a wind or defend a wind. That wasn’t lack of energy particulartly in the first half it was lack of the right type of play. Again mostly in the coaches control. I will give some credit to Goodwin in the second half that at least he threw the magnets about a bit to generate something. However this was more a game lost by the coach than things out of his control. I am hoping finally Goodwin takes the loss and the shortbreak as an opportunity to right some things, but it doesn’t seem to be his way. Our backline should be May, Lever, Tomlinson with running backs. Bring run and difference into our midfield with Baker at minimum on a wing and Melksham or Wagner or Bennell instead of Viney into the mix. Two tall forwards with proper smalls (Pickett and Bedford) that pressure inc Viney as a high half forward. We can only afford one of Fritsch, Melksham and Hannan and I would go Fritsch on notice. I think we can learn a lot from the Freo game and if we win then the Giants game becomes a final without officially being one. Let’s se what we learn but I don’t hold much hope.

Smith wasn’t bad. Papley with 0.2 you would take but our defence felt out of whack. It works better with May, Lever, Tomlinson as the talls.

The game was lost at selection going too tall and not bringing in run. The players were then clearly not on from the start fumbling, getting caught, not laying tackles. The coach and players then fell for the oldest trick in the book kicking with the wind and just blasted everything in selectively picking out their spare without fault. The players then looked gassed and lacked energy a quarter and a half in. Players did their usual individual efforts and not doing the team things. If I see Viney push our own players out of the way to try and get the ball again I will scream. Improved quality and a kick up the bum saw us increase our efforts in the second half but our inability to take chances under pressure saw us not take advantage. The best thing that can come from this is Finally accept some home truths and resolve them immediately. Oscar is a liability, Jones is finished, Melksham is lazy and Fritsch a down hill skier (I would play neither but you cant play both). We desperately need run and should be bringing Lockhart, Baker, Pickett, Bedford, Bennell in to get some speed on the game.

Out: OMac, Smith, Jones, Melksham, Fritsch, Weid In: Hibberd, Lockhart, Baker, Pickett, Bennell, TMac Give us run and some fresh legs please and finally accept that Oscar and Jones should have just played their last game.

Club effort. Poor selection. Poor game plan. Poor preparation. Poor effort. Poor execution. Port team work. Poor leadership.

Well at least we have a brand of football that is visible to our supporters. It’s just no good. What a bunch of lazy players who cant handle expectation and refuse to play for each other.

Oscar and Jones are both BOG for Swans. Liabilities that should never play for us again.

Too many players not playing team football. How about protecting your mate going for the ground ball or in the air? Swans play good grinding footy. We need to execute cleaner ball movement.

Outs all make sense. Ins are like for like. Feel like we are too tall down back for the Swans forward line. Would really like to see us try and bring in some extra speed. Maybe the second Cairns game on a short turnaround?

I had read on here that as part of his management Bennell would not be available and was planned for return against Freo. Until he is confident in his body to run flat out both ways then I would let him continue to gain that in the scratch sessions.

Jones has been a great champion and servant of the club but the game has passed him by. There are roles there for the taking for him but he is unable to execute them. We either choose to focus on putting the best team out there to make and impact finals or we play Nathan and try and get him to 300 or close as we can. He did not just have one bad game changing Clanger last night he had 5, the equal highest on the ground. Not only that but playing wing/high half forward he had the lowest of 44 players for metres gained with 33m and only 4 pressure acts. When the heat was on in the last and you could argue his experience would help he did not have a stat. Th right thing for Nathan is to have him remembered as the warrior who gave his all and stuck with us through thick and thin. Not the guy who played too long and was gifted a milestone.

I feel like you have contradicted your own question. Geelong have targeted players from other clubs who fill roles and are not superstars but proven role players ie: Thuoy, Henderson, Dalhaus, Stanley, Rohan Hawthorn targeted players who have shown promise but have lost their way through form, attitude to injury that fill their need but usually pay overs ie: Patton, Scully, OMeara, Ceglar, Winguard, Henderson. Atkins prior to this year since 2016 had played a minimum 20 games a year and averaged 20+ possessions and is only 26. He is actually the exact type of free agent that they would target if they had a need. I dont disagree with loading up on quality kids but I assume you have noted we dont have a pick inside 20 and I am unclear who you think we will trade out to get one let alone the 3 Port used to get Rozee, Butters and Duursma.

Maybe people feel they need to be softer on him but how the first out in every response here is not Jones is beyond me. He has been great for many years but he is cooked and is not even close to on the level the rest are playing at. Last night should be his last game barring deep injuries to our list. Consider these stats. Game high clangers with 5 with the most obvious one completely shifting the momentum and nearly costing us the game. Bottom quartile for pressure acts with 4. The lowest metres gained of any player on both sides with +33 (is that even possible as a wing/flanker). When the game was on the line in the last quarter did not register a possession. We know where he is at and just like we have done with Jetta we need to back others in to add to our dynamic ahead of him.

Omac (or Hibberd if injured) for Lockhart Pickett for ANB Hannan for Fritsch Jones for Harmes AVB for Baker

No way Brown goes for Tmac.

May saved it. Trac won it. Oliver rose when it mattered in the last. Unusual to see us win when we don’t have control of playing our way. That was a true grinding win.

6. May 5. Petracca 4. Langdon 3. Salem 2. Lever 1. Oliver

We ground that quarter our but sometime to need to make it ugly. We have been killed at the clearance but outside of that the ball has just pinged 50 to 50. Time for Trac and co to start bursting from the stoppage and for players to show composure and take our chances. Come on Dees show us whether we are as fit as we think.

Jones had 5 turnovers from 10 disposals. He is done Wagner other than a couple of early fumbles has been solid. AVB hardly spotted. Our midfielders needs to start getting their hands on the ball or their player if second to it.

Jones has had a great career but he should never play for us again. He is a liability. The biggest worry is I was not surprised by the stupidity of his decision making and his inability to execute. Then Gawn hits it to the open side next clearance and Viney doesn’t defend the back of it. These are allegedly leaders of this club. The last 6 minutes ruined a strong half performance. Time for some players to get angry get back to getting first hands on it and dictating the play.

I am worried about their ruck duo taking on a returning Gawn on his own. I am also worried about their run from half back and whether we have in a week learnt how to defend the rebound. Out backline should stand up well as long as our quality mids play with intensity and spread (both ways). Feel this will be a game of who wins the clearances and takes their chances.

Atkins as a free agent is the type of move we should be making. Has shown he can play high quality football with 2016-2019 playing 20+ games a year at 20+ possessions average. He is in the right age bracket and fits our need to add outside speed and carry on a wing or flank. Won’t cost us the earth. We have plenty of well tried mature players on our list and delisting one who will not suddenly become best 22 for one that may is exactly what FA should be for.

Harmes at half back was never going to work as he does not read the play naturally , does not appear to position in a zone well and is a poor kick. As per his tagging days he needs to be led to the ball and can be focussed in that role and use his strength and burst to also get possessions. I would have made him a defensive half forward with a small % mid rotation. There is no room in our midfield strategy for a tagger on a consistent basis. For those quoting his midfield exploits of 2018/2019 do you want him in there you are not considering that Trac played basically no time in there. I know who I’d prefer. My immediate reaction was I did not like the changes made. I cant say I like them but I have softened a touch. Leaving Gawn with no Preuss or even TMac against the best ruck duo in the league and not introducing any more run and carry area still concerns. However I wonder how much Fritsch not being available shifted initial thinking. Looking at the team their forward line is taller than I anticipated so the Omac move makes sense. Brown as a lead up goal kicker make sense with Frittata out and probably stole the opportunity to play Preuss as second tall if considered. I do see both Hannan and AVB as fortunate and would have liked Baker on a wing and Bedford for more pressure. I too would have retained Lockhart for Butler. I also wonder how much thinking had gone into this game and likelihood to win vs the further 2 in 9 days we need to play. As usual if we win Goodwins changes wont be the reason called and we lose there will be a lot of told you so and he’ll be classed a failure. In my view it will still come down to defensive effort and execution. Lets see the post match tomorrow.

I dont think you can carry his and Melksham lack of defensive pressure against the best sides. One yes but not both.

I think he like the Wagners and Bedford were ones that weren’t originally brought into the hub so has only recently become available.