mikeh wrote:
swan42 wrote: What may well be the factor that settles 4th and 5th place is how many of the clubs in contention have to play Subiaco in the remaining games. For example, based on the games so far this season Swans will lose 10% as a consequence of having to play Subiaco for the third time this season. One hastened to add this is CONTRARY to what Gavin Taylor said would happen when the number of games were reduced to 18 games. Just another LIE emanating from Gavin Taylor and the WAFC.
All very true Swan42 but to be honest from what I saw yesterday, the fact that Swans play Subiaco for a 3rd time is irrelevant given the way they are playing at the moment. Perth would have won by 10 goals if they had kicked straight and this is a team that is below Swans on the ladder at the moment. This was their 4th loss in a row and yesterday apart from a few brief periods there was no energy or system and the skills were appalling. Hardly the stuff of a team challenging for the top 5. Positions 4 and 5 are irelevant anyway(apart from the extra home game for the 4th team). Teams 1 - 3 are so far ahead of the others that the winner of the 4 v 5 final will be slaughtered as Swans were last year. It is very sad that there are so many mediocre inconsistent teams in the competition.
mikeh I have said for many weeks that Subiaco won't lose a game this season. So it is a moot point if we make the 5 or not. Of course I am not happy with how we have gone for the past 4 games and Perth should have been at least 6 goals in front by quarter time yesterday. We are badly missing Blakely as it has forced us to play Gault in the ruck and upset the balance in our forward line. Add the loss of Blight's drive and Ugle etc hasn't helped either.
Exacerbating this is the appalling form of Taryce Stewart. Either he is injured and shouldn't be playing or should be dropped to the ressies as his efforts yesterday to call them woeful would be flattering in the extreme. I know you have called for Faulkner to return to the league; well how did you rate his performance yesterday? I have been critical of Warwick Wilson's efforts but I thought in that respect it was one of his better efforts yesterday
This may not go down well and I acknowledge the tremendous service over many years but what can one say about Tony Notte who had the ball in our half back line (and we were behind so we needed to kick goals to win) chooses to kick the ball backwards so it is someone else's responsibility instead of showing leadership and kick the ball forward so we have a chance of scoring?
I think the time has come when some tough selections need to be made not just for this season but ongoing. I admire Faulkner's attack on the ball but he has to learn that he needs to play within the parameters of his abilities and these do not include the ability to take on the player on the mark and get forced to try an overhead hand pass which is exactly what he did in our defensive 50 m arc yesterday. I think Clutterbuck should be playing reserves next week based on his performance yesterday. Stewart should be playing reserves if not injured for the next several weeks.