After Griff’s game, we need to secure his signature and get him presenting lectures down at Cockburn on adaptability. Time to Restump Podcast our tough to take loss to the Swans. 

Was there a game at Optus on Saturday night or a Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch concert? Marks everywhere! The Swannies racked up 138 marks for the game, largely with our assistance. After quarter time they took 64 more marks than us… over 20 more per quarter. 

The warning signs, or should that be Warner signs, started flashing in the second period and the resulting fears materialised over the second half. 

After quarter time, the mids copped a bath and that didn’t help the defenders. The wingers provided no outlet or run and the Swans walked the ball out of our 50 metre arc effortlessly. 

A young Chad Warner gave us a lesson and who does Errol Gulden think he is kicking goals like that, Disco Nathan?

We can all handle a loss, God knows we’ve had plenty of practise over the last 25 plus years, but it was the uncharacteristic manner in how we lost this one. 

So much on the line, so much to play for and disappointingly we fell down in what we stand for, team defence and offensive pressure. To be comprehensively beaten, yet kick the first two goals of the last quarter to go nine points up… an added effort needed to be raised. There was no such raised effort forthcoming. In fact there was little effort delivered, raised or otherwise.

The shining light was the swingman’s performance. Griffin Logue can hold his head up high as he blanketed Buddy Franklin. Had Griff not slipped on the Optus Stadium ice rink, Buddy would have turned in the duck eggs. 

But again, this is a successful season. Its far from over and we’ve shown enormous growth to date. As we always say, growth isn’t linear. 

The reality is we’re in the embryonic stage of a long period of sustained finals success. Sure, we need some tinkering here there and a bit more up forward, but we’re a solid unit on the up and, top four or otherwise, its highly unlikely we’re not playing finals this year.

So, join us as we put things in perspective, part the problems and pick out the purple positives. They’re few and far between in that game Saturday night but we’re not rolling over just yet. 

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