My theory - Sr36
Posted Sunday 30 May, 10:12 pm (bigfooty.com.au)
Our game plan makes us very suscebtible if we are a little bit flat. We essentially play a basketball style full court press. When we are on we apply irresistable pressure that creates turnovers and then sprint forward manically once we have the ball. ??
It's a very physically demanding game plan and if our pressure is down the full court press gets broken through too easily and we are very susceptible at the back, as the opposition forwards have too much space. ??To me our pressure being down cost us the game against Brisbane and should have cost us the game against Melbourne. ??
The interesting thing for me is that against the Cats and Saints we seemed to divert a bit from this game plan. We were just as intense, but we had more numbers back and didn't apply as much of a full court press and thus were further back and not able to sprint forward as dangerously when the opposition turned the ball over. ??
I'm just curious as to whether my perception of our game plan and when and how it has been applied is similar to others. ??
Also if you agree with my perception of the game plan altering against the two big boys, do you think that we altered it due to fear of the opposition and their cleanness with the ball, or do you think that we altered it because MM didn't want to show them our real game, as we are confident that we will meet them in the finals, and he wanted to have something up his sleeve.
What are we lacking? - VVBD
Posted Sunday 30 May, 9:20 pm (Extreme Black 'n' White - Bullet In Board)??
After a loss, we all get on here to vent our collective frustration and express our disappointment. We blame MM, Eddie, the selection committee, the recruiting staff, and of course the usual whipping boys in the team... Cheesey, BJ, etc etc... hey I'm as guilty as the next fan.??
Now if we attempt to analyze as to why we have these unacceptable losses where can we actually pin-point the reason(s)???
The one tangible that I keep coming up with (and I begged the question some weeks back, perhaps even prior to the season proper) is that I wasn't sure as to whether it was a strength or weakness that we seem to lack one out and out champion or go-to man when games are in the balance.??
Even during our winning streak, commentators were asking who is our best or most important player, and there was no hard or fast answer to the question.??
When playing to our capacity, we look great, but as D9 (I think) has posted earlier, when looking player V player against the Cats we fall well short. We CAN team well together and beat most other sides when the stars and planets are aligned and we can force the play and make things happen.
However we are lacking the following IMO:??
1. A proven key forward capable of 60+ goals per season??.
2. A speedy, line breaking mid with dual-sided skills.??
3. A strong bodied "swingman" that can reliably do the job.
I am perhaps foolishly still thinking that L. Brown is that man at the moment, and perhaps therein lays the problem with our list quality. N.Brown has not shown anywhere near enough at this stage to be given that mantle.
4. Another in and under mid to assist Bally, who will not survive the season without some assistance.
5. Another quality tall defender to play on teams with 2 gorillas to assist the ageing Presti.??We have improved but we aren't A grade as yet.?
Do we have a tagger? - Big T?
Posted Sunday 30 May, 8:24 am (Nick’s Bulletin Board)??
While Mick celebrates the efforts of Luke Power in the second half in his post match press conference, especially his 13 possessions in the 3rd quarter which turned the game, I would be wondering is he at all concerned about how to prevent this? ??
I have wondered for a long time now why we are one of the only teams that does not have an easily identifiable tagger (or am I incorrect?). ??
Is Barham an option? Don't kick it son, just shut that knob down nand handball in close.??
Re: Do we have a tagger? - woftam?
Posted Sunday 30 May, 12:05 pm??
Sure do. Most teams have a tagger, we choose not to for some strange reason. I don't buy the we don't have one crap. Anyone can run with a player & not get a kick but stop the opposition from having one. You don't even need skills for it. Ling & Jones are not particularly skillful, neither is Picken for the dogs or Kirk for the Swans. It's a coaching decision and I believe a wrong one.
Re: Do we have a tagger? - Pied Piper?
Posted Monday 31 May, 12:27 am
Further to this though (and in anticipation of woftam's likely reply) ??I do think genuine taggers are valuable, and we haven't had a really good one since Licuria (though Holland was serviceable in the role, as well as a sniper, which lost him some respect IMO). ??
Alan Toovey could yet take this role in future, especially if he can develop a counter-attacking mindset to his game. At the moment he's a dour small defender who has hardly given away a goal all year. ??
His stats last night are telling: ??11 possessions, five contested, disposal efficiency 73 percent ?9 tackles, seven one percenters. If ever anyone's wondering why he's still in the team, there it is.
He works his butt off, and I think he's going to play many more games for this club, and get better, too.
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