There were many positives to take from our win over Carlton last Sunday. Those lessons should hold us in good stead as the bar rises for our semi-final this weekend against the Bulldogs - another do-or-die encounter.
One of those positives was the performance of our younger players. Josh ‘Joey’ Kennedy was one of those who had an outstanding game. He has been a consistent performer all year, but really stood out on the weekend. Trent Dennis-Lane has been talked about all week after his great tackling effort in the dying minutes, and his efficiency certainly helped get us over the line. Add to that the performance of Lewis Jetta and Dan Hannebery, who both had an impact in their first taste of finals football. Shane Mumford was another with no finals experience, who despite an injury cloud, battled manfully throughout the entire game.
Heading into this week’s game against the Bulldogs, our young players have a better understanding of what to expect. They know that the intensity and the pressure is going to be red hot and they have now experienced the electric atmosphere of finals footy.
As a group, a lot can be learned from the second half of the match against Carlton. That we were able to absorb a huge surge from the Blues in the third quarter, yet regain control of the game and come out on top, was a really valuable experience. For our young players, the ability to respond under such intense pressure will have given them a great deal of self-belief. It was also fantastic for those players to experience first hand that our game plan and team rules stand up to the test of finals football. They will now have the confidence that no matter the circumstances, we can always work our way back into the game by concentrating on our fundamentals of contested ball, effort and commitment. That is a hugely important lesson to take into Saturday night’s game.
We head to the MCG this Saturday night which will be another experience, another challenge for our group of young players. There is nothing quite like finals footy at the MCG. It’s a very special place to be.
The Bulldogs have had an outstanding season and their key statistics show they are an incredibly talented side. They are a side that wins contested ball and then hurts the opposition with their exceptional skills.
On paper, they have very few weaknesses. Their defence led by Brian Lake and Tom Williams is difficult to penetrate and incredibly dangerous on the counter punch.
With Daniel Cross and Matthew Boyd leading the way, the Bulldogs are a strong contested ball side, and complemented by a good fleet of runners like Ryan Griffen, who showed just last weekend how dangerous he can be if given time and space.
Up forward, they have a man the Swans know all too well in Barry Hall, and a champion in Brad Johnson, who will be determined to ensure this game is not his last. Both players are capable of turning the game on its head and our defence will need to be right on top of its game.
Throw in Daniel Giansiracusa, Jarrod Harbrow and Robert Murphy, and even with a host of injured stars, you are looking at a very formidable opponent.
It is said every week in this column and it will be said every week that we continue in the finals series - the key to our chances are contested ball, commitment and intensity. The team with the greater will and commitment to work for and with each other will play in a preliminary final next week. For the other, a tough lesson will be learned.
