Round 23 – Sydney v St Kilda: Back to old bad footy with inaccuracies and laziness

Sydney Swans v St Kilda Saints
Saturday 24 August 2019
1:45 pm
Sydney Cricket Ground

 

I was disappointed with the loss and having allowed the Blues to lead in the last minutes a week before.

 

Because of my work roster, I was able to follow the game live only in the last minutes. Due to weak wifi, I was unable to watch with Watch AFL. Then I have turned into the live radio coverage.

 

Tiredness from heat as summer (mostly I would say it was coming from the work kitchen) and crap weather were excuses not writing the weekly match report, but I was lazy at the end.

 

My apology for laziness including having not responded to comments made on previous my written pieces.

 

Before the match on Saturday afternoon, I hit the park to practise footy. The ground conditions were okay and better than I had thought as it had rained quite heavily on Friday afternoon and evening.

 

Unfortunately my kicking was inaccurate. Footy went too right or left. Sometimes I didn’t get much distance.

 

Inaccuracy could be caused from tiredness due to extreme overload at work on the previous day. It’s a good reminder I have to look after myself for the best physical conditions.

 

Then I rode a bike to a Starbucks cafe for watching the live footy coverage. That premise offers better wifi than the one where I watch the game against Fremantle a fortnight ago.

 

It was the milestone game for the star Swan, Buddy Franklin. His 100th and 200th games were both against us. The former was the losing game as a Hawk and the latter was his Swans winning. I hoped his 300th game was losing for him.

 

A minute after the first bounce, Bruce kicked a goal beautifully with his good form. I thought Saints would go marching in at SCG.

 

But inaccuracies in goal kicking were shown in the last match for the 2019 season. Watching missing opportunities was frustrating.

 

Dunstan and Hind hid their good form at the goal square in first quarter.

 

What I was really frustrated with was how Jack Newnes played the game. Not only he didn’t score a point with a set shot in third quarter, but also he didn’t handball properly. I wondered why he could get an opportunity to play every game.

 

Then I didn’t hesitate to share my thoughts on the social media. The first post was here:

 

“Send Jack Newnes off to the bench. Even he can’t handball properly…
#AFLSwansSaints”

 

Jake Carlisle is good at taking intercept marks but was lazy kicking to widen our opportunities. Then I expressed my second opinion on the social media:

 

“Jake Carlisle could have kicked better.
#AFLSwansSaints”

 

I was extremely disappointed with his lazy kicking. Or is he still worried of getting injury on his back?

 

But my boys bounced back well in the second quarter from once being 26-point behind and  levelled the score at half time.

 

“Once Saints were 26 points behind and now the score is level at half time. St Kilda still have a chance to win. Go the mighty Saints.
#AFLSwansSaints”

 

That was my high expectation on the last half.

 

However Newnes’ inaccurate kick was the beginning of the fall down.

 

“How come Jack Newnes missed an opportunity to score a goal? Ratts should send off him to the bench.
#AFLSwansSaints”

 

The above comment showed my frustration. If I were Brett, I would send him to the bench and never put him on field.

 

However Jack Steven showed his good skills that made me happy, although his forms were not best during the day.

 

“Good turn over and Jack Steven scored a goal. Brilliant!
#AFLSwansSaints”

 

That was the only positive note on my Facebook during the day.

 

The last break went on, but I still had a hope to win.

 

“Once again Saints missed opportunities and then are falling down again. Come on, bounce back!
#AFLSwansSaints”

 

Sadly my favourite Saint, Jack Billings made a mistake handpassing at our goal square. Not only he missed creating an opportunity to score a goal but also gave Swans away ‘free kicks’.

 

“Billings’ error in handpass is the sign of the end of the game??
#AFLSwansSaints”

 

I started worrying of losing the game.

 

My pains got bigger and bigger in the last quarter. While we struggled with kicking goals, Swans started partying for Franklin and retiring duo of Jarrad McVeigh and Kieren Jack. Both retiring players kicked a goal each to celebrate their brilliant career.

 

I was about to disconnect to avoid more pains, but as it was the last match for the season and instead I stayed to show loyalty and faithful to the beloved footy club.

 

“Terrible last quarter. I could have stopped watching but show loyalty and faithful to the club as the last game of the season.
#AFLSwansSaints”

 

Only bad form of footy were shown in Sydney. Once I believed we would do the same as the Western Bulldogs did at SCG in 2015, but my belief went opposite. We are suffering losses against Sydney Swans for years.

 

The loss to them in the final series in 2011 was the beginning of falling down for Sainters.

 

Ross Lyon left the club abruptly and controversially. He left a big mess for the club not having blooded young players.

 

Play list has not been good since then and the club chose to release BJ and Dal Santo that angers me now.

 

I believe we would go better if these champions stayed at the club for their entire career.

 

Now we don’t have an A-grade player at all.

 

We need a fresh start including changing play list.

 

Also I would suggest playing group to take responsibility. Players need to boost their strengths and also improve kicking skills.

 

Like Paul Roos has done at the Swans, players should do own trainings without relying on coaches to improve skills that they need to strengthen.

 

Also players could ask coaches what sort of training they want, but not their favourite ones.

 

No more laziness or inaccuracies on the footy field. Instead fast paced attacking footy should be demonstrated.

 

Jarryd Roughead is likely to land at Morrabbin. He would do brilliant jobs to boost skills on field and mentor off the field, but players need to take his advice and work hard.

 

I want my boys to play finals in 2020, but would need to get ready to have another disappointing season.

 

The last relevant post was:

 

“The game and the season are over for the red, white and black. Now I focus on the AFL Asia Championship in Thailand next weekend. I vow to play hard and enjoy footy over there.”

 

One of my footy is over, but my play is still going on. I am excited to participate the AFL Asia Championship in Pattaya, Thailand on Saturday next weekend.

Flying out Osaka around midnight on Thursday and arriving Bangkok in the early morning following day.I do the best and hope to play good footy with hungriness.

 

SYDNEY 6.2 6.3 11.4 17.7 (109)
ST KILDA 2.5 5.9 7.12 8.16 (64)

 

GOALS
Sydney: Franklin 4, McCartin 3, Kennedy 2, Papley 2, Parker 2, Blakey, Rowbottom, McVeigh, Jack
St Kilda: Bruce 2, Ross 2, Membrey, Long, Steven, Steele

 

BEST
Sydney: Kennedy, Parker, Dawson, Mills, Lloyd, Franklin
St Kilda: Hannebery, Dunstan, Ross, Marshall, Steele, Clarke

 

OUR VOTES
3. Parker (SYD); 2. Franklin (SYD); 1. Ross (STK)

 

Umpires: Dalgleish, Findlay, Gianfagna

 

Official crowd: 33,722

 

Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

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About Yoshihiro Imagawa

Love, passion and pride are seen on the footy that is the biggest part of my life. 1. St Kilda Club member: I am a passionate and crazy Sainter. Just hope we will win the second flag soon, especially after Dogs and Tigers having ended long premiership draughts. 2. The Osaka Dingoes Player and Public Relations Officer: Player number 44 that I chose to honour Stephen Milne with my wish being like a small forward like him. Lenny Hayes' hardworking attitudes are adopted on my trainings and practices. Nick Riewoldt's great plays are in my player audiobook too. 3. Writing: Here on the Almanac and also on the World Footy News. My skills utilise on great footy websites.

Comments

  1. Sorry for your disappointment, Yoshi. Hope you get a good coach and improve next year. Sure you will. All the best
    Jan

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