The Swans may have just cost themselves a top four shot. John Longmire must be fuming.
As Jason Johannisen’s kick sailed through the big sticks with less than five seconds to run on the clock, Longmire must have been feeling a sense of deja vu. Back in Round 8, the Swans sensationally lost after the siren to the Tigers at the MCG, on the back of a brilliant kick from Sam Lloyd.
These close losses are becoming a concern, and may prove the difference in the Swans’ pursuit for a top-four position.
Much like Round 8, the Swans were unable to shut down the opposition streaming forward and holes were created in their defence. As much as Caleb Daniel’s vision was remarkable, the Swans still allowed a hole around 40 metres from goal.
Round 4 is another example of the Swans inability to close out games, squandering an opportunity to defeat Adelaide away from home, losing the match by only ten points. In this game, the Swans had a launching pad, gaining a lead in the last quarter, before conceding the last two goals of the game.
With the competition so even and every game like a mini final, this loss would have cut Longmire deep.
The Swans need to find more composure late in games. Dean Towers in Round 8 decided against using the short option to Lance Franklin with under a minute to go, instead choosing to kicking the ball long to a 50/50 contest, which ended in the hands of the Tigers defence.
An inability to lock the ball inside their attacking 50 proved costly against the Tigers, a game they should have won if not for errant goal kicking and a lack of defensive prowess. However against the Dogs the Swans were exposed on a structural level and were unable to tighten their defence and maintain possession of the ball.
Their star power exceeds that of most clubs, with the likes of Dan Hanneberry, Josh Kennedy, Luke Parker, Lance Franklin, Kieran Jack and Tom Mitchell continuously setting the benchmark for the competition
So why do the Swans keep squandering match-winning leads late in games?
The Swans face a tricky run home, facing the Cats at Simmonds Stadium, the Hawks at home, North Melbourne in Tasmania and a couple of danger games against Fremantle in Perth and St Kilda in Melbourne.
The Swans are simply too good not to finish in the top four, but sometimes football simply does not work like that. The team may have shot themselves in the foot.
Kurt Tippett is already proving to be a massive loss and the club’s medical staff need to work around the clock to ensure he becomes fit and the penultimate stage of the season.
Longmire needs to bring out the drawing board, analyse what has gone wrong in three costly losses and seek to rectify them before the most even finals series in recent memory.
The signs are indicating the coveted finals spot is in serious danger now.
Christo the Daddyo
Guest
I still remember the Swans beating the Cats in Geelong in 2011. First time the Cats had lost at home in four years.
swannys
Guest
Yep no chance for September eh Buzzard ?
Buzzard
Guest
They`re done.. 2 more losses coming up Cats and Hawks.. Bottom 8 finish for them..
Michael Huston
Guest
I think 2016 may be seen as a year of wasted opportunities for the Swans unfortunately. No doubt in my mind we should be top of the ladder right now, with a 12-2 record (our losses to Adelaide and GWS were genuine cases of us being beaten fairly and squarely.) Instead, we're now with the rest of the pack, chasing the one team that's ironically been able to have reverse fortunes to us in terms of close match results. I have a feeling we won't make top four. GWS and Adelaide have cushy draws, we will probably lose to Geelong this week, and the Hawks are a game clear. That's four teams already, not even withstanding Western Bulldogs and North, who shouldn't be discounted. As I said in another article, our issue is just getting the balance and consistency right. I trust that the best 25-28 players on our list can come in and fill any holes, perform their roles outstandingly and help us legitimately contend for a flag. Our depth is not the issue. It's been pretty well established now that we've got enough players to carry the load should injuries arise or what have you. The problem is getting the 22 blokes who take to the field every week to all be performing. On the weekend, Heeney, Sinclair, Rohan, McGlynn, Nankervis, Smith, Laidler and Hewett, amongst others, just weren't up to the level they usually are, and the level they needed to be. That's eight out of our best 22 that weren't up to scratch, and you're rarely going to win with a ratio like that. The fact that we very nearly did win (and absolutely should have) says a great deal about just how good guys like Franklin, Parker, Hannebery and Kennedy are. When almost all of our players are giving at least good games, we are very hard to beat. When the youngsters are performing their roles, and the experienced guys are leading the way, we're as good as anyone. Unfortunately, since about that period where we played Hawthorn and North, we've struggled to get that consistency across the board. It's to be expected, if you look at the players who aren't really in form. Like Isaac Heeney, George Hewett, Callum Sinclair, Ben McGlynn, Dean Towers etc. What do they all have in common? They haven't really had full seasons to build into that kind of form yet. As a Swans fan I sit and marvel at the ability of guys like JPK and Hanners and Rampe and Grundy and Franklin to perform almost week in, week out. But they are also our most consistent performers because they've had the most consistent run of football. Heeney's a second-year player. Hewett's in his first year. McGlynn's always struggled to get a decent stretch of games. Sinclair and Towers are pretty much second-year players. Of course they're going to be floating in and out of games at the minute. So yes, we will probably rue these close losses and coulda-shoulda-woulda moments come seasons end. But I'm also not losing perspective. The Swans have exceeded my expectations this year and the fact we've formed a half season consisting of only one poor performance (against GWS, even that could be argued was a solid effort though) out of fourteen games gives me a great deal of hope. We can use that as a base to build on something much greater once ALL of the Swans boys know what they're capable of. I'm also not giving up. We take on Geelong this week and I truly believe we can put in a cracking effort. We have a chance to win, even though it may not be as greater chance as Geelong. The positives to come from the post-bye unveiling was two things: Parker and Franklin. Both were just struggling to get their best football going despite still being solid contributors, but against the Bulldogs, they were both prolific and back to their best. If they can carry that over to Geelong - and get some more help from the rest of the team - we could beat Geelong. Point is, in 2014, when we had probably the best side in Sydney Swans history, we lost three of the first four games. That season we were riddled with complacency, show-business footy and even a touch of arrogance. I was regularly critical of that team despite them handing out 60 odd points thrashings pretty frequently. I look at this team John Longmire currently has and I find it difficult to be negative or critical of them at all. They've put in an extraordinary season if you look at their form and quality of footy, and I also see a list that Horse & co. can work with for several years to come and sustain success. I just can't see any reason to feel any sense of doom and gloom this year, regardless of what happens.