Shell-shocked Sydney skipper Josh Kennedy was left searching for answers after the Geelong onslaught that brought the Swans’ AFL season to a close.
Sydney’s much vaunted pressure was nowhere to be seen at the MCG as the Cats stormed to a 15.8 (98) to 5.9 (39) semi-final win on Friday night.
“I’m not too sure to be honest,” Kennedy replied when asked where his side fell down.
“I think the reality is they were just better than us in all facets of the game.
“At no stage were we able to get momentum. They were better inside and they used the ball better on the outside.
“They got what they deserved.”
The Swans won 15 of 17 games to make it to the sudden-death semi-final against the Cats, becoming the first team in history to make the finals after a 0-6 start.
“We did a lot of work to put ourselves in that position and we just didn’t show up, which is very disappointing,” Kennedy said.
“We’ve lost a final and it’s season over … it’s pretty painful. It’s going to be a long six months waiting for next year, but we can’t do anything about it now.”
The loss left Kennedy was unsure how he will ultimately come to view his side’s season.
“It’s pretty hard to answer right now but I’m certainly proud of the way that we were able to turn the season around,” he said.
“But I still had great confidence in the fact that our best was good enough.
“I’m just very disappointed in the way that we showed up as a team.”
Sugar coated itch
Guest
Longmire now have to change Sydney style of game plan. There is no plan B. Every team can beat Swans by learning from Hawthorn. Cats did the same. Longmire you must learn how to counter the "Hawthorn" game plan!
Eddy Jay
Guest
Jeez, did you think this last week? Everyone is an expert after the fact. Swans have been brilliant for 17 weeks, only two close losses to Hawthorn during that time. What do the Swans need to address that you don't think were being addressed during those 17 weeks? They had a bad game, most of the team was down at the same time. If a coach has the the answer to that, every team would remain undefeated. The Swans are in a good spot. One ultra bad game against a good team doesn't change that. They will learn from this.
Olivia Watts
Roar Guru
Eddy, believe it or not I an not being bitter nor speaking from pain. By far the better side on the day won, I am still proud of the boys and will be first in line for my forty-somethingth year of Membership next season. My issue is the idea that we don't know where we went wrong. We DO know and the rest of the league knows we know. Hawthorn showed us twice and other teams have sat up and taken notice. It is pointless to say we have 'x' months to review and reload. Be it a personnel issue, a game plan issue, a coaching issue or a combination of them all, there is a flaw in our structures which must be addressed and a solution agreed upon well before the draft silly season arrives. We need a clear future direction. "We don't know" is safe, simple throwaway fodder for the media but it is also patently untrue and both the media and the members are well aware of this, so why bother with it? No one expects the Club to come out and say 'this is what is wrong and this is how we fix it' tomorrow but they are aware already of the challenges they face. What I AM asking is they come out, say they are already reviewing every aspect of the season and the list and get on with it. We have a flag to win next year; planning for it should start now.
Eddy Jay
Guest
Time to lay off. Geelong were brilliant, Sydney had a poor game. This is sport, sometimes teams have an off game. Remember all the knives that were out for Geelong last week? They've been put back into the scabbards. Now all the stupid journalists are calling for an inquiry into what's wrong at Sydney, including whether Franklin's contract has been a success for the Swans. Remember, only one team can win the premiership and if it's not your team, it's not the end of the world.
Olivia Watts
Roar Guru
"I'm just very disappointed with the way we showed up as a team". Josh P Kennedy "............ or didn't show up, as the case may be." Dissapointed Sydney fan for life, still shellshocked and cat clawed I'm very proud of the boys for getting so far but really, no one could take any pride out of Friday's inept excuse for an effort. No excuses - the better team won and all credit to them - but we fans deserve a better explanation than "we don't know what happened". Bring on 2018. We'll be up there again and this time might even remember to play football when on the field
Harry Baker
Guest
To whoever came up with this headline, I have a simple question to ask. How many goals have you kicked in the AFL?