‘It happens every week’: Footage that proves the Swans aren’t to blame for ‘crap’ Tigers clash – Fox Sports

In a game described as crap and unwatchable by Brownlow medallist Gerard Healy, the Tigers and Swans combined for just seven goals, with Hardwick complaining of the oppositions foldback game style in his post-match press conference.
Sydney coach John Longmire on Monday called the criticism completely unnecessary and unwarranted and revealed Hardwick had apologised for the comments the day before.
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Round 7
On Monday nights edition of On the Couch, the team analysed several passages of play involving Callum Mills, who Hardwick pointed to as a frequent spare man that was clogging up the defensive 50.
But as Australian Football Hall of Fame member Brown showed, Mills – who finished with 29 disposals and 15 intercepts – was simply playing as the sixth defender and holding his position, while the Tigers pushed a man up the field. leaving Mills free.
WATCH THE ANALYSIS IN THE VIDEO BELOW
Snoozefest not Swans fault
3:40
Hes picking up a man here in a defensive 50 stoppage. Hes on (Marlion) Pickett, Brown said on Fox Footy.
He knows his role is to stay in the defensive 50. Pickett goes into the midfield goes kick-chasing – Mills instruction is to stay in defence. Hes got a high IQ, hes a classy defender, he knows how to play as the spare man really well, like a (Jeremy) Howe or a Nick Haynes from GWS.
Pickett gets the football, but Mills is blocking it up (the space in the defensive 50), and Pickett kicks it out on the full.
You cannot apportion any blame to the Sydney Swans.
An example from Sydney vs Richmond, where Callum Mills was left in defence as Marlion Pickett went up the ground following the ball, leaving the Swan as the free man.Source: FOX SPORTS
As St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt pointed out, this is a common situation.
Thats not unusual. Thats how most teams will play, and Richmond we know like to send a high half-forward up the ground, he said.
Teams have gotten wise to that, teams are parking the bus and making it a lot more difficult for them to score, and theres frustration in that.
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Brown continued: At the end of the day, Sydney were just playing the same structure theyve played for about the last 20 years, and Richmond were playing the same structure they do. They send an extra man up around the stoppages.
So to the untrained eye, or just watching on TV, you go hang on a minute, Sydneys loading up behind the ball, and Dimmas frustration comes out and the football world thinks oh bloody Johnny Longmires putting three extra defenders behind the ball, but that wasnt the actual case.
No-ones at fault, except Dimma blamed Horse for it, and it wasnt Horses fault. On reflection, Dimma wouldve looked at the tape and said you know Im wrong there, Ill put my hand up.
‘Rare’ pressure on Clarko
3:10
Brown also asked why the Tigers didnt make a strategic adjustment to counter Mills influence on the game.
Youve got to look at what your spare mans doing, he said.
If youve got an opposition spare man just sitting out in space on his own … if the extra man at the stoppage is not helping you, which it wasnt really helping Richmond, why didnt Richmond equalise and just play six forwards in the wet?
AFL in trouble, who to blame?
3:43
Melbourne great Garry Lyon questioned why Hardwick was so critical of the Swans now, when this would be a common sight given his sides style of play.
It happens every week – they had three goals at quarter-time and kicked one more, he said.
You cant tell me that just having a sixth, on his own, meant they only scored one more goal for three quarters.
Gerard Healy added: Its totally irrelevant (who was to blame). Its the style of the game that is too often producing these crap things that are unwatchable.

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