Swans V Saints Results

[KT31]

I haven't caught much of today's game as had local footy commitments so I am hoping it was more a case of us having tired legs from last weeks game and players down from Clay's knee than being so far up at half time that we put the cue in the rack.
I realise we are a young side and its going to be a roller coaster ride but today's loss if not handled right could take a fair toll on our progress.
Just for a theoretical standpoint do Woofers think that it would have been better mentally for our kids to have had a honorable loss against the Swans last week and a win today against the Saints.

[josie]

Re: Swans V Saints Results

Interesting post KT. My thought are no.

I think the way it has panned out our players now know they are good enough to beat any team if they give our all. And if we are slightly off (and a few players down) that, in a year like this where almost all clubs are competitive, they can also lose - even if well ahead on score board at half time.

[AndrewP6]

Re: Swans V Saints Results

Right now, I think yes. I wouldn't have been as disappointed to lose last week as I was/still am today (tonight?)

[The Pie Man]

Re: Swans V Saints Results

Honorable loss last week would've still brought tired legs today

[josie]

Re: Swans V Saints Results

Right now, I think yes. I wouldn't have been as disappointed to lose last week as I was/still am today (tonight?)

From supporter perspective probably yes, from player perspective I'd think no.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Swans V Saints Results

If you offered me a narrow loss V the saints versus a narrow victory v Sydney on their hill, I'd take Sydney every time.
I know the way we lost today was disappointing, but the record book will forever show we toppled a full strength top 4 team
at home last week. Saving that in the pocket-book as an example of what we can do when we work together is priceless.
Saving today's loss as an example of what will happen if we don't organise better and contest for four quarters is also good as a lesson.

[comrade]

Re: Swans V Saints Results

If you offered me a narrow loss V the saints versus a narrow victory v Sydney on their hill, I'd take Sydney every time.
I know the way we lost today was disappointing, but the record book will forever show we toppled a full strength top 4 team
at home last week. Saving that in the pocket-book as an example of what we can do when we work together is priceless.
Saving today's loss as an example of what will happen if we don't organise better and contest for four quarters is also good as a lesson.

Exactly!

Both are massive learning opportunities for our young group and I include the coach in that.

Twice this year we've been hobbled by injuries and struggled to stem the tide. Our game plan is based around manic pressure which must be extremely taxing and when we lose a rotation, we struggle to maintain the rage.

With the remainder of this season run into their legs and another preseason, I hope we'll be better conditioned to adapt to an injury if it occurs.

Put it this way - if we lost 2 players at half time last week, we would have lost. If we didn't lost two players at half time yesterday, we would have won.

[SonofScray]

Re: Swans V Saints Results

The risk for this young side was that we'd put in honourable, competitive performances against Hawthorn, Adelaide and Sydney, then be cherry ripe to get picked off by St Kilda due to tired legs, emotional let down and personnel going down. That is pretty much what happened but with us getting over the line to varying degrees n done of those tougher games.

Today cancelled out last week. The good wasn't that good, that bad wasn't that bad.

[F'scary]

Re: Swans V Saints Results

I agree with others that we probably would have run out of legs anyway. Fears that we would not be able to sustain our game throughout the season materialised yesterday. We need a plan B where we know how to successfully put the cue in the rack or "ice the game" when we have a good lead but the opposition are not finished for the day.

[BulldogBelle]

Re: Swans V Saints Results

I agree with others that we probably would have run out of legs anyway. Fears that we would not be able to sustain our game throughout the season materialised yesterday. We need a plan B where we know how to successfully put the cue in the rack or "ice the game" when we have a good lead but the opposition are not finished for the day.

Was thinking the same.
When you have a good lead you need to be able to close the game down and make it very hard for the opposition to score - PLAN B

[F'scary]

Re: Swans V Saints Results

Was thinking the same.
When you have a good lead you need to be able to close the game down and make it very hard for the opposition to score - PLAN B

This is where having a CHF to support Toyd and a ruckman who can shape stoppages would help.

[ratsmac]

Re: Swans V Saints Results

This is where having a CHF to support Toyd and a ruckman who can shape stoppages would help.

Great point. This is not a slap to Cordy because I thought he was serviceable yesterday but had we had played Minson he can create stoppages by bringing the ball to ground and creating ball ups. We definitely needed some older heads around the ground to help control the tempo IMO.

Last week's win was much more important in the scheme of things going forward. Getting a interstate win against a last year's grand finalist in a close slog with a young team going in as extreme underdogs has a lot more positives than beating last year's wooden spooners where we were favourites to win. Lessons to be learned from both both give me the Sydney win any day.

[soupman]

Re: Swans V Saints Results

I'd much rather take a win against the Swans to prove that we are capable of performing against good sides in tough finals style matches no matter how much they throw at us, in combination with a St.Kilda loss that teaches us humility, not to read our own press and that we can't stop doing the non negotiables.

There is much more to take from our real last two results instead of the reverse results.