• Selected a very young team to play Sydney. Had six players 21 years old or younger (Bate, Sylvia, Chris Johnson, Dunn, Garland, and Petterd) as opposed to Sydney, which had just the one in that age bracket. We had two players making their debut - Colin Garland and Ricky Petterd - who were both taken in the 2006 National Draft.
• On Saturday morning at the hotel in Sydney before our team meeting, Trisha Broadbridge presented Col Garland with the No. 20 guernsey, which Troy last wore in 2004. James McDonald presented Ricky Petterd with the No. 15 guernsey.
• We made six changes to the team, including forced changes with Whelan (hamstring), Wheatley (shoulder), and Green (hamstring) being omitted, but we did get Johnstone, Rivers and Moloney back into the side.
• Had a good lead up to the game, travelling Friday afternoon to Sydney, and had a familiarisation training session on the SCG that evening.
During the Match:
• Had a poor start to the game, allowing Sydney to kick six goals to our one during the first quarter. We had been good starters this season, so it was disappointing to be five goals down at the first break.
• We were well beaten out of the middle in centre clearances in the first quarter.
• There were a lot of stopped plays, which there usually is in Sydney games, with a lot of players around the ball.
• We had an improved second quarter, kicking three goals to Sydney’s four, and could have been considered unlucky not to outscore them during the quarter, making the margin closer at half time.
• During the third quarter, we continued to win the ball and get it inside our forward 50 metres. We had some wasted opportunities, kicking five behinds for the quarter, and both teams kicked two goals each.
• It was encouraging, but at the same time disappointing to have more forward attacks without much reward. We didn’t use the ball efficiently in the second half when going inside 50. We had it there 32 times compared to Sydney’s 20, including 16 to 8 in the last quarter, when they kicked five goals straight, to our two goals and three behinds.
Post Match:
• We went inside our forward 50 on 49 occasions, giving our forwards an opportunity to score. This wasn’t a bad outcome, but we struggled to score. Sydney entered their forward 50 only a few more times – 53 occasions.
• We will be looking to take the positives into the Port Adelaide game, and make sure to keep our enthusiasm alive.
• We had 20 shots on goal as opposed to Sydney’s 24, our tackles were up 68 to Sydney’s 57, and we won the ‘contested possession’ and the ‘gets’ for the game.
• It was great to give Petterd and Garland the opportunity to play football at this early stage, with Petterd making a particularly impressive debut.
• Godfrey’s job on Goodes was outstanding, with Godfrey restricting Goodes to just eight touches, and collecting 18 possessions himself.
• Bruce and Moloney found plenty of the ball through the midfield, and Davey is back in good touch. Rivers and Carroll were very solid competitors in the backline.
