Swans coach stays grounded despite roaring start to the season

SOUTH Barwon only have one loss to their name, but head coach Mark Neeld is not ready to make big statements yet.

The Swans came back from an early deficit in Sunday’s Big Freeze game to secure a win over Newtown & Chilwell in blustery conditions.

Neeld said he anticipated the game being an arm wrestle and was pleased with how his side adjusted to the conditions.

With ten goals and ten goal scorers in the 10.12 (72) to 6.13 (49) win, there was plenty to be happy about.

 

“We’re really happy. It was a hard-fought game, an arm wrestle, all those cliches, but that’s exactly what it was,” he said.

“It was a really hard-contested brand of footy that we played in somewhat difficult conditions.”

Neeld said the spread of goal scorers had been particularly exciting to see.

He said it is emblematic of the ability of his squad to play different roles not just week-to-week, but during each game.

 

The football intelligence of the side this season and players’ ability to adjust their games in real time has also been a point of difference for the Swans.

Understanding the needs of each player has made those adjustments easier.

“It’s very simple to sit there and say, ‘Hey, I think we’re doing this and we should do that’, but that’s the simple bit,” Neeld said.

“The next bit is to work with the players to help them understand it.

 

“We all learn in different ways, so players will need those messages delivered in different formats and then it’s working with them over time.

“There’s no quick fix but we think at the moment we’ve got a reasonable blend of some players that have played together for three or four years, and we’ve got a few young kids that have come into the site too.”

Despite sitting third on the ladder – on percentage – with a 6–1 record, Neeld still believes his side has more to give.

 

Calling it a “work in progress”, he is reluctant to read too much into the standings just yet, especially with the Swans set to face their toughest test of the season against the undefeated St Mary’s in round 9.

“I still like to make sure everybody’s played everyone before making any statements about where we sit or other teams sit,” Neeld said.

“Newtown and St Mary’s, they’ve hit the ground running. St Mary’s have been the favourite in every game they’ve played for about a decade, and rightly so.

“You’ve also got Joeys, Colac, Bell Park, so let’s wait till everyone’s played everyone and then we can work out where we sit.”