TOPIC:

Mike in the second half Subi loaded there high halfback line.And midfield backwards of the centre bounce.
Swans could run the ball fwd.And don't hit targets fwd by foot.
Our fitness is fine.We ran all over Subi in the last 10 minutes.
Next pre season our players need a footy in there hands,when sprinting.Hitting Targets by foot.

Wouldn't that sort of work be a part of any preseason? Swans skills have been poor for many years. They have got worse this year. This year they have forgotten how to win tight games which they were at least doing some of the time last season with a greater than 50 percent record. We will be lucky to win 5 or 6 games this season.

Read that book before - and I don't like the ending. The low percentage of success game plan of kicking to a guy ten to twenty metres out - even if he has three opponents on him - instead of banging for goal sees the ridiculous stat of 51 inside 50s for SD and 32 for S. Same as last year...and it does not work. Cipro a beautiful long kick, but boy, he picked out some Subi defenders today with precision short passes.

Is it wise to replace a coach with a coach from within the club already? It's not exactly a fresh voice and set of eyes. EP did the same they started the season well but have fallen away. I was just thinking of something Peter German said in his opening address at the first official meeting with all the players I was eves dropping on from the corridor.

He said I don't care about your reputation everyone starts with a clean slate under me. He's a fresh voice and set of eyes.

Yes excellent question DD and certainly one I have been pondering since the coaches appointment. Having a coach that is too close to the players can develop a level of comfort and familiarity and the team may be too relaxed and not challenge themselves. Also Pruen has pretty much followed Pickering's blueprint. I would have preferred the club to recruit an outsider to shake the place up a bit as Perth have done. Other teams such as East Fremantle have had a guy come in who had no link with the Sharks and look where they are now whereas Swans are still in the same place that they were 3 years ago

mikeh wrote:

Yes excellent question DD and certainly one I have been pondering since the coaches appointment. Having a coach that is too close to the players can develop a level of comfort and familiarity and the team may be too relaxed and not challenge themselves. Also Pruen has pretty much followed Pickering's blueprint. I would have preferred the club to recruit an outsider to shake the place up a bit as Perth have done. Other teams such as East Fremantle have had a guy come in who had no link with the Sharks and look where they are now whereas Swans are still in the same place that they were 3 years ago

I have no issues with someone inside the club - that applies to Dawson who was our last good coach and one of the club's best - but the same, flawed game plan from last year (and the year before) is the killer for me. Since 2010 we have had teams that look good on paper but just lack guidance from a good coach - Harding and Pickering substandard and held onto for too long.

Dawson was an outstanding communicator SH. Even though he was only head coach for 3 years, I would rate him only behind Bunton and Todd in the history of the club. I agree with you about Harding and Pickering and even though its a bit harsh to judge Pruen on only 7 games, the start has been underwhelming as he seems to be content to use the same game plan that has failed before.