A Preseason Preview 2006- Part 14 of 16 - Sydney

[pahoffm]

Swans

Premiers in 2005. Does it get any sweeter for them? Does Sydney have what it takes to go back to back?
Port couldn't, but Port also lost a number of players that it couldn't replace. Alot will depend on Sydney being able to show stability and being able to retain the depth that it had last year.
Roos, with Lyon, Longmire & Jonas, is still there, but there is no mention of Brett Allison.

The list is as follows:
Stephen Doyle 204 105 24
Darren Jolly 200 104 24
Andrew Ericksen 204 93 20
Paul Chambers 196 100 24 new
Earl Shaw 199 97 19
James Wall 198 80 19 rookie
Sam Rowe 196 86 18 rookie
Barry Hall 194 102 29
Adam Goodes 194 98 26
Craig Bolton 190 89 26
Tadhg Kennelly 190 90 24
Luke Vogels 194 92 23
Lewis Roberts-Thomson 194 97 22
Ted Richards 192 95 22 new
Sean Dempster 191 87 22
Heath Grundy 192 97 20
Ed Barlow 194 92 19 rookie
Paul Currie 192 79 19 rookie
Michael O'Loughlin 189 92 29
Ryan O'Keefe 188 90 25
Nick Malceski 189 86 21
Matt Davis 189 80 20
Adam Prior 188 93 19 rookie
Matt Laidlaw 185 83 19 new
Brett Kirk 184 80 29
Leo Barry 184 91 28
Ben Matthews 181 86 27
Nick Davis 184 85 26
Jude Bolton 182 85 26
Luke Ablett 184 92 23
Jarrad McVeigh 184 81 21
Paul Bevan 183 82 21
Tim Schmidt 180 84 20
Ryan Brabazon 181 72 19 new
Kristin Thornton 183 74 18 new
Jonathan Simpkin 181 76 18 rookie
Paul Williams 177 83 33
Jared Crouch 173 81 28
Nic Fosdike 179 82 26
David Spriggs 175 76 25
Amon Buchanan 179 84 23
Adam Schneider 177 78 22
Jarred Moore 178 84 20
Josh Willoughby 176 78 20
Stefan Garrubba 179 78 19 rookie
Kieran Jack 176 76 19 rookie
Simon Phillips 173 65 19 rookie

47 on the list, no vets, but including 5 newies and 9, yes 9, rookies. No vets, so room for 9 rookies. Certainly a more financially frugal way to go. Why pay 60-90K per year for a kid that's too young, if you only need to pay a third of that?
Although the Sydney list has many of the same trends as others, it does have some extraordinary features about it. It has 18 of 47 players on or over 190cm, (38%), but 3 of those are over 200cm. 29 of the 47, (62%) are under 190cm, but the Swans have chosen 11 players that are under 180cm. I've always been an advocate of rovers, but 11 on a list???
14 of the 47, (30%), are 25yo or more, which seems about right. 33 of 47, (70%) are less than 25yo, 14 of 47, (30%), are less than 20yo, but 9 of these are rookies.
Think Sydney have cottoned onto a lot of what we've been talking about on PRE. Maximising and recruiting talls through the rookie draft. I must be careful about what I say to my friend Ricky when we watch the TAC together, I'm telling him too much. Maybe he's telling me, and I'm merely passing his thoughts onto PRE. Anyone got a hypnotist?

Twilight = 28+yo
Prime = 25-27yo
Development = 22-24yo
Junior = 18-21yo

<180 Small Runners
Twilight: Williams 33, Crouch 28
Prime: Fosdike 26, Spriggs 25
Development: Buchanan 23, Schneider 22
Junior: Moore 20, Willoughby 20, Garrubba 19, Jack 19, Phillips 19

180-184 Smaller Mediums
Twilight: Kirk 29, Barry 28
Prime: Matthews 27, Davis 26, Bolton 26
Development: Ablett 23
Junior: McVeigh 21, Bevan 21, Schmidt 20, Brabazon 19, Thornton 18, Simpkin 18

185-189 Taller Mediums
Twilight: O'Loughlin 29
Prime: O'Keefe 25
Development:
Junior: Malceski 21, Davis 20, Prior 19, Laidlaw 19

190-194 Mobile Key Position
Twilight: Hall 29
Prime: Goodes 26, Bolton 26, Kennelly 24
Development: Vogels 23, Roberts-Thomson 22, Richards 22, Dempster 22
Junior: Grundy 20, Barlow 19, Currie 19

195-199 Key Position/ Ruck
Twilight: 0
Prime: 0
Development: Chambers 24
Junior: Shaw 19, Wall 19, Rowe 18

200+ Ruck
Twilight: 0
Prime: 0
Development: Doyle 24, Jolly 24
Junior: Ericksen 20

The list looked almost perfect again, until I got to the taller players. There is a question mark as to whether the Swans can cover the loss of Ball. If so, then its spread looks almost as good as last year.
It cetainly seems to be still one of the most complete lists in the AFL. Maybe Geelong, so far, is the only one that matches it.

Their coverage of positions is as follows:
B: Crouch 28 Roberts-Thomson 22 C.Bolton 26
        Schmidt 20 Currie 19              Shaw 19



HB: Barry 28 Kennelly 24 Matthews 27
Thornton 18 Richards 22 Laidlaw 19
                Barlow 19


C: Malceski 21 J.Bolton 26 Fosdike 26
     Davis 20 Moore 20    Bevan 21
Garrubba 19 Brabazon 19 McVeigh 21


HF: O'Keefe 25 Hall 29 Davis 26
    Prior 19 Vogels 23 Ablett 23
                Wall 19 Simpkin 18

F: Doyle 24 O'Loughlin 29 Williams 33
Chambers 24 Dempster 22 Schneider 22
                Grundy 20


R: Jolly 24 Goodes 26 Buchanan 23
Ericksen 20 Kirk 29 Spriggs 25
Rowe 18                 Willoughby 20
                                 Jack 19
                                 Phillips 19

It appears that they have lost a little of their depth in defense, with Schauble, Fixter, James & Saddington gone. Time will tell how it bears up, but they have the luxury of dropping Goodes to CHB if they wish.
The loss of Jason Ball also needs to be covered too.
The Swans, or more so now the Cygnets, will be somewhere up there this year. Not as confident as last year, the list is almost, but quite as good, and the AFL fulfilled its agenda on Sydney last year. Unless that agenda has 3 consecutive premierships on it, like their agenda was once for Brisbane.
Time will tell.

 

[Tigers of Old]

Swannies will be thereabouts again. Still have a very good list and a coach the players want to play for. Top 4.

 

[mk33]

The premiers yet some are predicting will fall the same way as Essendon in 94 and Pies in 90

Barry Hall is with Brown the most imposing fwd in the game after him they have floating talls that dont really play kpp but then you dont need for SCG. O'Keefe emerged last year and Vogels may come on this year. Richards may spend time up fwd or back rather than on the bench like he did at Essendon. The smalls are creative and apart from davis are hard working with Buchanan and Schneider also able to play midfield. Buchanan especially after his 4q in Grand Final.

Jolly will be the main ruckman with support from Chambers and Doyle but Goodes may play ruck around the ground and Jolly go to CHF after centre bounce.

The midfield is hard working who will not stop at anything to get the ball and the two best players in tightv are Kirk and Bolton. Williams is not as explosive as once was. Youngsters Dempster, Willoughby and Malecski may also get roles here.

The defence looks small and LRT will need to keep playing like he did the grand final for the Swans to stay up there. Barry and Bolton have been great players when you consider they are nearly always an inch or so smaller than their opponent. The running defence is similar to the midfield with Ablett,Crouch and Matthews playing where the best match up is. Fosdike may be like he was in GF and Kenneally can play wing or hbf.

I think Swans will make top 4 but like a lot of teams cannot have too many injuries. There is a strong work ethic amongst the team they will keep pushing them right to the end.

On the Rise
Ryan O'Keefe expect further improvement from him and possible All auusie inclusion
Ted Richards - when on ground has shown a bit at CHF will be given chances HF/HB
Luke Vogels - bit similar to Richards with his height will be given chances.

On the Decline
Jarrad McVeigh - needs to step up and help midfield
David Spriggs - if good enough could be Williams replacement
Stephen Doyle - if can't support this year, never will

 

[Tigers of Old]

Interesting analysis re the Swans from our very own TW.
Surprised he makes this sort of information public, but it's an interesting read.

Hats off to Sydney stranglers
24 June 2006 Herald-Sun

THE talk in the footy world is that after Adelaide's demolition job of St Kilda last Friday night, the Crows appear unstoppable.

Their high-tech training regimen and game-day organisation makes them morals for this year's AFL flag. Right? Wrong. There is another team once again flying underneath the radar. The amazing thing about that statement is that it is the reigning premier, Sydney.

Anyone who doubts the champion team from the previous year is deluding themselves; to win a premiership you must be strong, determined, well organised and disciplined. Sydney is all these and has an abundance of talent.

The Swans play a unique brand of football that others have tried to copy but no one has yet mastered. Here are some of the key aspects of the Sydney game plan, as seen from the opposition coach's box.

HIGH HALF-FORWARDS

THE Swans' structure is based around getting numbers to the contest and blocking up the opposition's end of the ground while opening up their own end.

The Swans use players such as Amon Buchanan, Adam Schneider and Nick Davis as extra midfielders. They usually have at least two high up the ground and around the stoppages. The opposition coach then has one of two choices:

GO WITH the direct opponents, which leaves space for quality forwards such as Barry Hall and Michael O'Loughlin one-out against their opponents.

ZONE off and allow these high half-forwards up the ground. The problem with this is that it allows Sydney more numbers around the contest to win first use of the ball, plus it has more defensive numbers to prevent opposition teams from scoring.

Either way the Swans think they win. With extra numbers at the contest they will win first use and never give the ball back, or they will have a tough contest around the football where they pride themselves on hard one-on-one play, then have an open forward line for some of the most talented forwards in the AFL.

DENYING OPPONENTS THE BALL

The Swans strangle their opposition into submission. Their game style is based on stoppage football at ball-ups and throw-ins, which is why they have a major emphasis on ruckmen to give them first use of the ball _ and why I expect them to go hard after Peter Everitt at the end of the season.

Teams playing Sydney simply do not have the ball for long enough to kick high scores. The reasons why opposition players do not have the ball are:

HIGH half-forwards up the ground preventing clear passage inside 50.

EXTREME numbers at all stoppage situations on the defensive side of centre.

SYDNEY plays tempo football and slows the game down to keep possession. It also has a high skill level _ once it has the ball it never gives it back.

THE Swans put a lot of time and energy into cutting out the opposition's better performed players, especially those who have high goal-assist or inside-50 numbers. Once again, they strangle your team's ability to have its normal impact.

TEMPO FOOTBALL

The Swans, over the past two years, have been the No.1 team at changing the tempo. When an opposition has momentum, the Swans will get hold of the ball and wind down the gears. Simply put, when you are having your best run, they will get hold of the ball and not give it back until your momentum is lost. But if momentum is their way, they are happy to take you on in a free-flowing game.

The tempo, or possession, game is very similar to huddling on a kick-out. Supporters continue to scream out ``man up'', but players only need a 2-3m break and they can have the ball delivered on the lead. Anyone who has watched the Swans play will see that they can take the ball from one end of the ground to the other with set-up kicks to create a scoring opportunity (see diagram).

When in possession, the Swans always leave 30-50m behind the man on the mark as open space. If the opposition tries to zone to that space, Sydney will use the free man created by an opponent who has zoned off. If not, the Swans will block and lead straight at the kicker, so all he needs to do is chip it out in front for an easy mark. Once they have taken possession they set up the same play again and again until they are in a scoring position.

This is a very team-oriented play because most players are never going to win the ball but need to be involved by blocking to assist a teammate to get out on the break. If executed correctly it is extremely difficult to stop.

STOPPAGES AND SET PLAYS

THE Swans have statistically the No.2 defence in the competition (behind Adelaide). Their one-on-one midfield mentality makes them extremely difficult to shake, while they are organised in nearly every defensive aspect of the game, with their defensive zoning of kick-outs among the best in the AFL.

But, as we saw in last year's finals, Sydney's attacking moves off stoppages can be just as damaging as its defensive work.

The Swans have some outstanding set plays for attacking stoppages. They have pet names for these which will be called prior to set-up or which are drilled into players to use in certain situations.

Most good sides use isolation at boundary throw-ins and ball-ups in attack. The objective is to block to free up one or several players to charge goal-side of the pack.

The most effective isolation is at a boundary throw-in when an opposition player will always start between his man and the goals. The Swans ruckman will stand on the centre side of his ruck opponent and tap the ball away from goals to the point of his shoulder.

Sydney's small forwards will do a loop around the ruckman with their opponent chasing after them. The opponents start goal-side, but by the time they chase them around the loop the defender is running behind his Sydney opponent, who is running into an open goal.

Tsunami is my pet name for a stoppage tactic in which at first a wave of players go surging out then it comes crashing back with devastating effect.

A tsunami was what freed up Nick Davis in the final against Geelong last year. It works by having a group of players who are manned up around the stoppage, charge away from the stoppage (see diagram) and block for one of their teammates who has started off the contest and is charging directly towards goal. At times you may use your forwards to actually work away from the contest to release a midfielder towards goal.

If all this tactical play is not enough, then you need to compete with one of the most efficient goalkicking outfits over the past 10 years, one of the premier power forwards in the competition in Barry Hall, and a group of running backs who set up counter-attacking, fast-flowing play, such as Tadhg Kennelly, Jared Crouch and Leo Barry. Then throw in the Adam Goodes factor _ he can dismantle teams' structures by varying his playing position throughout a match, from half-forward to wing and through the midfield.


If you want to discount this group as a premiership threat, do it at your peril. For me the Swans are still the side the other teams need to knock off their throne.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,19566720%255E25877,00.html

 

[Dyer'ere]

Brilliant stuff from the Tanned One, ToO.

Maybe he's good at this caper. ;D

 

[Tigers of Old]

Brilliant stuff from the Tanned One, ToO.

Maybe he's good at this caper. ;D

There certainly is some "students" on this site Jack, yourself amoungst them, but there's little doubt Terry's one smart egg and doesn't get called too often by the posters here.

Can you imagine our former coach ever writing an in depth analysis such as that? :rotfl :rotfl

 

[Scoop]

Super stuff by TW.

That was one of the best analysis I have read.

But just becuase you know what the iother team are doing, doesn't mean you can stop it.

If AFL was like the MLB or NBA were a series of games decide a outcome things like that are so much more important. But still very comfortable having TW play the chess board for the RFC.