How We Won

SYDNEY SWANS 3.4 8.7 16.9 22.11 (143)
HAWTHORN 5.4 8.9 12.12 15.15 (105)

1. Nullified Franklin’s Impact – Craig Bolton gives up height to Franklin but matches him for pace and somehow manages to get a fist on the ball at most marking attempts. Franklin resorted to moving up the field to get some touches. Bolton allowed him to do this and stay back. After all, Franklin is good but he can’t get the ball in the centre and kick it to himself deep in the forward line.
2. Mitchell had nothing – Sam Mitchell is a gun midfielder. Yet he had no presence during the game. He was tagged well by Brett Kirk (I think).
3. Hodge had minimal effect – Hodge backs himself and becomes the third man up in marking contests to affect the spoil. He was successful at the beginning when he was playing loose. When someone was sent to keep him accountable for a player he would still back himself on the odd occasion and he left his man. Mostly it meant that Barry Hall was allowed to remain one on one with his opponent. Goodes was able to fly at marks unimpeded and Darren Jolly was able to be dangerous up forward.
4. Tackling Pressure – Hard tackling is what wins matches. We didn’t have it last week and we got done. We had it tonight. Good tackling frustrates players. Franklin was gang tackled as soon as he got the ball. He never was allowed a clean grab at the ball. Chance Bateman, Sam Mitchell and Co were never allowed to run free with the ball. This results in opposition players looking for the tackler instead of a team mate to pass it to.

AFL in Western Sydney

The Australian Football League wants a new team in the west of Sydney. It will never work say many. The AFL is being bold in this new venture and will make it work.

Some Victorian teams are on the verge of bankruptcy and can possibly see the writing on the wall: relocate or die. It is an unpopular notion. It was hard in 1981 when South Melbourne moved to Sydney and it will be just as hard today. But that’s the reality. No team wants to relocate to Sydney or the Gold Coast to guarantee their survival so the AFL will form new teams.

The new team on the Gold Coast appears well on track to join the competition in 2011. There is more conjecture about the proposed second team in Sydney. Most of the detractors come from south of the border. In the Inside Football magazine, respected journalist and football historian, Russell Holmesby (St Kilda fan), states “the AFL has to see sense and abandon the West Sydney concept.” Premiership player with North Melbourne, Peter ‘Crackers’ Keenan, in the same publication suggests that having a team in western Sydney is “getting further away for the AFL.”

Wait ten years is what I’m hearing from too many. The AFL is cashed up and Rugby League is in crisis with their own problems. Strike while we can. Think it will go down the drain? Then buy a membership when the club is launched to help it get off the ground, even if you are a devout Swans fan like myself.

It is the same Victorian clubs bagging the idea that will benefit hugely when a new TV rights deal is agreed upon in the near future. Kudos to Andrew Demetriou.