The Sydney Swans entered their Sunday contest towards Collingwood on the MCG with a transparent plan in thoughts.
Golf equipment had regarded for methods to decelerate the stellar play of Magpies second yr star Nick Daicos, the Swans had a brand new tactic.
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Whereas deploying Ryan Clarke to run with the 20-year-old in a hard-tagging function, it was an all-out onslaught that noticed Swans gamers goal the teenager each probability they may.
From the opening bounce the fiery recreation plan was deployed with issues boiling over after Clarke kicked his facet’s opening purpose.
Tempers flared and resulted in a number of our bodies being slung to the turf because the umpires struggled to maintain issues underneath management.
Daicos had a quieter day on the workplace with Clarke sticking by his facet, ending with 25 disposals, his lowest output to this point in 2023.
Regardless of that the Swans fell aside within the second half as Collingwood flexed their muscle groups and pulled away to file a 29-point victory.
The end result noticed the Swans put within the gun for placing all their eggs into the Daicos basket and leaving different Pies stars free to drift.
“That is the Daicos conundrum for all coaches – do you tag him, how far do you go, what do you quit when it comes to the way you need to play vs holding true?” David King mentioned on Fox Footy’s First Crack.
“I believe it’s gone too far … I reckon it’s misplaced steadiness and turn out to be all consuming.
“Clarke is available in to try this job all day … He nonetheless finishes with 25!
“(Daicos) is calm sufficient, 30 video games in, to have the ability to deal with all of it day.
“It’s nearly on the stage the place all golf equipment simply say, ‘we simply must play’.
“At the moment, (the Daicos tag) blew up. You could defeat one, however you don’t defeat the 22.
“What this child’s doing is ridiculous.”
Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley mentioned a detrimental tag, just like the one utilized by Clarke, wasn’t the reply and groups ought to as a substitute take a look at what Brisbane deployed.
“There’s been a variety of speak about, , ‘When is somebody going to tag Daicos?’,” Buckley mentioned on SEN Breakfast.
“Now, what we noticed is what occurs if you tag Daicos.
“Perhaps (Ben) Keays was a run with and tried to run off him, which is strictly how Brisbane have been in a position to buffer his impression and make the most of the way in which that he positions himself as a excessive again.
“Brisbane have been the facet that have been in a position to do essentially the most harm.
“However only a fully detrimental tag shouldn’t be the reply.
“I reckon we’ll get everybody this week saying, ‘Oh, it doesn’t work tagging Daicos’, they usually’ll be the identical guys that have been asking for it for the final eight weeks.”
The shut consideration didn’t faze the star 20-year-old who mentioned he loves it when opponents tag him.
“We like it once I get a tag,” Daicos mentioned after the sport.
“We expect we will manipulate the opposition, get a one-versus-none, so it’s factor for us.
“I’ve at all times bought my teammates’ help, which I like. There was loads of banter, however all good enjoyable.”
Initially printed as Sydney Swans criticised for continued assaults on Nick Daicos
