Alarm bells are certainly ringing for the Swans, who are staring down the barrel of a disastrous 0-3 start ahead of a trip to Adelaide to face the Crows on Saturday.
But before you mistake the tone of my mood and of this piece, I’m going to make a bold statement.
Despite what the media will almost certainly report tomorrow, Monday and, most probably, throughout the rest of the week, the Swans 20-point loss to Collingwood at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night wasn’t Buddy Franklin’s fault.
In fact, I’d go so far as to say that Buddy was one of the better players in red and white. Although that isn’t saying much based on the body of work the Swans produced on Saturday, it’s worth noting.
Buddy was pretty good. He kicked two timely goals and toiled hard, double-teamed for most of the night, and did so with little support from his team mates. You know, Buddy did what he could. He was good.
I caught a look at Franklin at the full-time siren, and the look on his face said it all. Etched there was a mixture of frustration and hapless resignation.
He knows that the reports aren’t going to be kind to him this week. Conversely, had the Swans won the game, then those bandwagon fans currently suggesting that he’s single-handedly responsible for the death of the Sydney Swans Football Club would be lauding his two nice goals and remarking about how much better he played this week.
That won’t matter to the media types. Listen closely…hear that sound? Yeah, that’s the Melbourne media sharpening their knives.
They’ll be absolutely loving this. They will be loving that Buddy, who apparently hated the suffocating fishbowl environment created by prying journalists, so much that he wanted to head north to Sydney to escape it.
Of late, the Sydney media seems to have picked up on this Buddy bashing. He seems to be their favourite target. So much rumour and innuendo. Most of it coming from Melbourne journalists and their unnamed sources.
It’s easy to shovel a steaming pile of you-know-what rumour and call it fact from sources that they can’t name. Even Buddy’s partner has been dragged into the firing line of late.
It’s getting to become disgraceful. Let’s get off the guy for his giant contract. He didn’t ask for such a figure – though you’d imagine he doesn’t hate getting paid what he’s getting paid.
This was a decision made by the Swans. If you want to blame anyone, blame the recruiters for tabling that contract.
Though, I’d be waiting at least a few more weeks before doing that. This might yet turn out to work well. I’m not prepared to give up.
Remember the last time the Swans started 0-2? No? Well, I do. It was 2006. The year the Swans made the grand final and very nearly made it back-to-back premierships.
The real issue is a deeper one than just the new kid on the block. Let’s face it: the Swans, as a unit, aren’t very good at the moment. In fact, tonight, they were pretty bad. Their basic skills and execution were sorely and notably and woefully missing on Saturday.
Of course, Buddy doesn’t play in defence, so the three goals to Jamie Elliot and the powerful effort, despite wayward kicking, from Travis Cloke can’t be blamed on him. Similarly, he isn’t a midfielder and a forward lives and dies on the footballs being stabbed his way by the mids.
As a whole, I don’t know that I’ve seen a worse combined effort in a decade.
Sydney prides itself on their midfield brigade. Most of those guys were horrible tonight. Keiran Jack, in his season debut looked sluggish. Jarrad McVeigh’s usual sharp decision making seemed to have deserted him. Luke Parker didn’t seem to want to tackle.
Josh Kennedy toiled hard, but with little support. In the ruck, Mike Pyke was (rather impressively) bested by Brodie Grundy.
It seems that Ted Richards’ bogey forward is Travis Cloke. Sitting in ANZ Stadium, I had the sinking feeling that I’d seen this move before.
Time and time again, Collingwood’s towering forward has gotten the better of the usually-dependable Swan. The problem with Cloke is his immense size.
If he gets in front of you at the outset of any given contest, you’ve got as much chance of moving him as you do of learning Japanese overnight. That’s where he gets the best of a lot of his opponents.
If Richards was bad down back, he wasn’t alone. Rhyce Shaw seemed a turnover machine. He coughed up the football to Collingwood on at least three occasions that led directly to a goal. Hard to win playing that sort of football.
So dire were things in the Sydney back half that Sam Reid had to push back to provide some defensive stability which, of course, meant he couldn’t give Franklin any support inside their attacking 50m. That will matter little to most journalists though.
You don’t need me to tell you that Buddy actually isn’t Superman. Even if he gets the better of his two opponents at the outset – they wore him like a glove most of the night – the sheer weight of numbers against him dictates that they’ll eventually get on top and make it difficult.
Push some other red and white jerseys forward to give him some assistance. He is trying hard. It must be supremely frustrating, given all the ancillary pressure heaped on him, and given how many people seem to want him to fail and fall.
I thought John Longmire was out-coached tonight, and that’s something I haven’t had cause to think about much during Horse’s tenure. Nathan Buckley definitely won the duel in the boxes. Longmire seemed slow to adapt his team to the changing tactics.
He must be frustrated, too, with his team’s inability to do the simple things right. They appeared unfit and devoid of both football smarts and, shockingly at times, interest in the contest.
It wasn’t the most spectacular game. More like a slog between two teams who might be okay, but don’t really look it at the moment. The ANZ Stadium turf appears to be as shoddy as ever, particularly on the wings, where the turf is covered by seats when the Olympic venue is in rugby league configuration.
My backyard looks better than the field out at ANZ at the moment. That isn’t saying much. The sheer amount of players going down and not being able to secure solid footing is an indictment on the condition of the ground. It also isn’t the first time we’ve noticed this. The AFL needs to do something. The on-field product is spoiled when players can’t hardly keep their feet.
So to, do the Swans. They need to do a lot of something’s before the trip to Adelaide Oval for next Saturday afternoon’s clash with the Crows, who have problems of their own, also staring down a 0-3 start. The Swans’ recent record at AAMI Park wasn’t great. Let’s hope the Adelaide Oval is a better hunting ground.
But, you know – buddy hell! It isn’t all his fault. He hasn’t destroyed the Bloods Culture. He didn’t single-handedly give up all those goals to Collingwood. He actually had a pretty good game, and will get better with Swans game experience.
We would do well to remember that.
calum
Guest
AFL in Sydney = niche market does it? good to know.
Andrew Kitchener
Roar Guru
If they are professional athletes they shouldn't be. Part of the game now. Guys on different salaries.
Martin
Guest
Perhaps Franklin's teammates are jealous that they are not being paid as much. Just a suspicion only, because I wouldn't know.
Andrew Graham
Roar Rookie
A very fair analysis. Hot tip is that Keiran Jack is sporting a much worse injury than the team are letting out (broken rib) and much of the rest of the team look undercooked. Tactically, the blind kicking to the forward 50 in a vain hope that someone (not Buddy when he has 2 guys hanging off him) will pick it up needs to stop immediately. The Swans tried the same tactic (kicking to full forward expecting it all to happen) when Tippett first arrived. It failed, Tippett moved around and things improved markedly. As a Swans member though I'm not worried - the swans famously start pre season later (particularly the seasoned players) and always look bad until round 3-4 (especially with Goodes and Tippett out).
Scuba
Guest
Anyone who thinks the Swans are looking down the barrel of 0-3 cannot have seen the Crows' capitulation in the Showdown.
Teo
Guest
That is a frightening thought to be honest! I don't think the club would tell us find regarding Tippo. horse said he will be starting lateral movement and skills work next week and that he is running very well.....we certainly need him....
Matt F
Roar Guru
Tippett averaged about 3 goals a game last season and, at times, held our forward line together last year. If he had played every game last season, while maintaining similar numbers, he would have kicked 60+ goals which is an excellent return in the modern game
Andrew Kitchener
Roar Guru
Thanks. And you're right, but 0-3 is quite a hole to dig out of!
Andrew Kitchener
Roar Guru
Perhaps it also signals why the Swans went so hard at Buddy.
Hanes
Guest
-- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Hanes
Guest
Without Mumford clearing the way will struggle , when he was injured weren't the same side, Pyke good second string lost when taken to defense.. -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Axle an the guru
Guest
Gee if Tippett dont make it onto the ground this year what a waist of money he will be. An i wish buddy would shave that horrible hair off his face. It certainly dont suit him. -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Michael huston
Guest
What's all this talk of Sydney's midfield not being what it used to be? Yeah, they haven't had a great start to the season but we all know that their midfield is the best in the comp. When players like Jack, McVeigh, Kennedy, Hannebery, O'Keefe and Mitchell are at their peak, we've all seen how damaging they can be. It became clear Sydney really need Tippett to accompany Buddy and alleviate the pressure off of each other. If Tippett and say, Goodes or Reid were in the forward last night, Collingwood would have been stretched to man us. There are some clear things that need improving: - What the hell was Bird doing as the sub? He's exactly the kind of player that could've minimalised Pendlebury's impact. - Young runners like Rohan and Jetta, they may be great to watch, but their disposals instantly land in the hands of the opposition because they lack a sense of composure. - Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. McVeigh and Shaw: I'm looking at you. For two experienced and skillful half-backs, these two - and many other players - looked like headless chooks whenever they had the ball and costed our team many times. The entry into the forward 50 was just as bad. Straight to a collingwood player because they were kicking and hoping. - The ruck; I think Pyke is one of the best in the league, but he hasn't quite shown that yet this year. He isn't exactly young, but he had the chance to take it up to Grundy (a clumsy, unskillful ruckman at the best of times) and failed. Derickx lost almost every hitout, too. Understandable that he needs experience, but hes costing us in the mean time. - Fitness and pressure. Is it just me or do the Swans look unfit? Like round one, they came out and looked switched on for the first half, only to look lethargic, unphased and exhausted in the second half. Their tackles weren't sticking, they couldn't chase the opponent and they couldn't stick with their man. The Sydney of 2012 would never relent a game like they have done the past two weeks. Some positives: - Hannebery clearly hasn't been affected by whatever the media is reporting about him. Even in a game where he often had little support from his team, he always fought for the ball, took some solid marks, showed some fast movement and even went forward and kicked a goal. - Buddy is improving. Anyone else see that moment after he bombed that goal from outside 50 where something just seemed to snap and he began going a little bit harder at the ball? He looked more comfortable than he'd ever been in the red and white, and if he can bring that attitude in the future, he may be a huge asset. And no, to say this loss was due to Buddy is downright ridiculous. - Malceski is as good as ever. If the Swans conducted their best and fairest right now, it would go to Nick Malceski. In both Swans games where they've struggled to get clean possessions and fast run, Malceski has performed above the rest. He's getting it out of defence, his kicking is as efficient as pre-knee-reco Malceskis ever was, and he even scored a vintage Malceski goal. Come on Swans fans, admit it: when he kicked that goal, we were all reminded of his two GF goals. It showed theres still some magic left in him. - Tippett could be close to returning. This will be huge. Imagine last night if the Swans had an extra target in their forward. It would have doubled their chances of scoring and really strained the oppositions defence. Having multiple options is always good. Best for Sydney 1 - Hannebery 2 - Kennedy 3 - Malceski 4 - Mitchell 5 - Rampe I think you could almost scratch out Sydney for 2014. They'll probably make it to the finals, but they're still getting their list back together so theres surely going to be more losses coming. The best we can hope for (besides a miraculous rise to the top end of the ladder) is that theyvsimply return to their top form just to prove the nay-sayers wrong. It would give the Swans fans all the hope they need. All i can say is, good luck Sydney! We all know you're better than this and we KNOW you'll get back to your best, it's just a matter of WHEN you'll get back to your best :)
sheek
Roar Guru
Excellent article Andrew, It's good to see some perspective regarding Buddy. The drivel that is being written says more about some people in the media than it does about him. I actually think the Swans will come good. Of course, if they're still negative on the win/loss board at the halfway mark, I might have to change my opinion. But I reckon the Swans will soon start firing. For heaven's sake, it's a 22 round home & away comp.
Andrew Kitchener
Roar Guru
Heard a pretty solid whisper today from someone well in the know regarding Tippett. No certainty that he's back at all this year. I hope it's not true, but that's what I heard. Damn near praying otherwise.
teo
Guest
I agree, they haven't looked that great since the late rounds last year, they played a good game against Carlton in the Final, the injury list really took it's toll last year. So there are a few ways to look at it I think. Players like LRT, Jetta, Reid and Rohan are down a fair bit of match practice because of last years injury and will take time. Buddy looks like he is building to full fitness. With this in mind and with what we have seen from these players it can be said they are 3-4 games off reaching an AFL level of skill. Rohan and Jetta competed well last night but faded and lacked polish in their finishing. Buddy will build and be an effective forward option with Tippo to play at full forward because of superior contested marking skills. With Goodes and Reid to roam and bolster the forward line as well it will be more structurally sound. One of the big issues last night was the lack of structure across the ground but particularly forward, it appeared to be a wasteland at times with players just bombing it in to nowhere or to an opposition player. Buddy needs help and was double teamed often, he definitely needs support to stop this from happening. If he is dragging 2 opponents with him it means someone is free, so where are they? To your point of age, I'll admit they looked tired and slow at times last night, especially ROK and I wonder if all those turnovers came because of fatigued legs and minds. I'm not sure age is a factor though as many players are at full potential in their mid-late 20's to early 30's.....What is clear is they have lost their mojo and they need to find it, if they don't they will be playing catch up all year and in the modern game it's very very difficult to compete from that point....
teo
Guest
Thanks Ian.....It's going to be an interesting few years...
The Big Fish
Guest
But lets you choose the form of misery you want.
Penster
Guest
Money doesn't buy happiness!
IanW
Guest
Teo, The contract is middle-loaded ... two cheap years at the start, then it escalates for the middle five, and then it drops down in the last two years.