View Full Version : So lets talk about "the fist"
leng jai
23 May 2010, 10:12
Was at the G last night and scratching my head a bit in the first quarter when we brought out "the fist" in time on when we were 5 goals up. I understand this is a tactic we've employed in an attempt to control the game, as there have been several times this year where we've been blown away in the space of 15 minutes. My question is, is this tactic now set in stone to happen every quarter no matter what the circumstance? It seems unnecessary to use it against Richmond when we're up buy 30 odd points. I would have liked to see us continue attacking and piling on the pressure, but that incorrect free kick against Hurley for a throw seemed to kill all our momentum.
Ben the Gooner
23 May 2010, 10:22
I reckon it was about practise tbh. Harsh on Richmond, for sure, but the game was won by that point.
Certainly needs practicing. Closing down and slowing the play is definitely not our speciality.
bipolarbeaR
23 May 2010, 11:56
Yeah, it's just signifying that the opposition is getting the momentum and to slow it down, developing a plan B will take time.
james_omahoney
23 May 2010, 12:02
It's probably a step in the right direction to understanding each other as a team, working together to effect changes in strategy and as has been said - practice and confidence to not panic.
Lance Uppercut
23 May 2010, 12:20
the other thing with it is that the umpires also see it, & I reckon from that moment on, they call play on much quicker after the short, dinky kicks.
I understand it's a means of controlling the tempo, & Knights is a bit damned if you do, damned if you don't.
I think it's ok, as long is it's intended to mean slow it up for, say, 30 seconds, break the zone, & go again
lamaros
23 May 2010, 12:24
Yeah, it's just signifying that the opposition is getting the momentum and to slow it down.
Absolutely.
nickh32
23 May 2010, 16:44
I love a good fisting...................
loopy_cam
23 May 2010, 16:48
no homo?
nickh32
23 May 2010, 16:50
no homo?
Sorry was i meant to stay in the closest?
loopy_cam
23 May 2010, 17:11
Sorry was i meant to stay in the closest?
And the fabric of our club is torn. :(
Call Me Cake
23 May 2010, 17:17
The problem is that the opposition can also see it.
And it's pretty damn obvious what it means now.
The problem is that the opposition can also see it.
And it's pretty damn obvious what it means now.
I think it's pretty damn obvious when any team tries to slow the game down.
Call Me Cake
23 May 2010, 18:59
I think it's pretty damn obvious when any team tries to slow the game down.
True, but not right off the bat like it is with us.
Frothies Mcveigh
23 May 2010, 19:05
Personally I dont have a problem with it if we are trying to slow their momentum. Just to reset, break through the zone and then attack again. It annoys me when we try and keep possesion for 2 or so minutes.
Tony Delaney
23 May 2010, 19:07
It was ridiculous slowing the game down last night. 7 goals up and dominating then that crap lost us the momentum, we started playing a different way than we had been (which was working) and as a result Richmond got back into the game.
If we had of continued the way we were going we quite easily could have gone in 10 or 11 goals up. How ridiculous Fletcher getting a handball on the wing and instead of going long to the top of the goal square he goes 50 metres sideways to the other wing.
The game style has it's place but not when dominating and leading like last night.
Donakebab
23 May 2010, 19:57
I would love for the team to come up with a new meaning for the fist or holding the ball up, or even to rotate the meaning from week to week. Maybe something like one week it means to use the corridor as much as possible, the next to encourage strong direct leads, then slow down play, next to work along the wings, etc... or just different sets of pre planned plays. That probably sounds stupid, but if it lull the opposition into thinking we are going to play one style over another then it could help the team get an edge over them.
*Probably just seems like a good idea because of the excess of drinks and the lack of sleep...
blitzer
23 May 2010, 21:05
We may have been doing it a bit because of being a man or two down in the last. I'm not sure if Melksham was still out on the ground at the end, but Fletcher definitely wasn't. I don't really have a problem with us 'practicing' our structures in that kind of position, it's no different than resting your guns at the end of the game and giving the kids a run in the last 5 mins when your up by a fair bit. Also we definitely needed something to slow down our gamestyle, so as to conserve energy and not get scored against for periods of time. Incidentally has anyone else noticed that we haven't been getting bags of goals kicked on us in a row lately like we were earlier in the season? I would suggest that part of that is because the team is slowly improving it's structures.
It's vitally essential for any future success that we figure out an effective way to arrest the momentum of our opponents. Also from what i've seen we've actually managed to delay play for a bit then turn it into an attacking opportunity later on, so it's not all negative. I'm not sure that the 'fist' is going to be the 'be all and end all' of our future slow-down strategies, but at the moment i think it plays a role. At least it's clear and obvious for all our players. The better we execute it, the less chance opposition will have to close it down regardless of whether they know about it. I've also thought of an alternative that we could use for carlton games - the finger! :D
twentington
24 May 2010, 11:10
I'm not 100% convinced that the fist is an entirely defensive move. It seems to almost lull the opposition in to a false sense of security and i reckon we seem to create an attacking option off the back of this play that can take the opponents a bit by surprise. Its not all about just controlling the ball in the back half for mine.
Would have liked to see the lads really put richmond to the sword but have a feeling that the fist isnt all about not scoring so prepared to cut a bit of slack
Slattery_20
24 May 2010, 11:16
We do it about 1.5 - 2 minutes out, waste a minute so we can go hell-for-leather forward for one last goal with 20-30seconds left and not too much risk of it going back.
lamaros
24 May 2010, 11:27
We just do it to slow the play down, catch our breath, and make sure we're not getting reckless.
I think we did it well against Richmond. You can't run flat out all game and we never let Richmond get too close because we slowed it and controlled the ball when they got a run on.
Valve Bounce
24 May 2010, 23:14
It was ridiculous slowing the game down last night. 7 goals up and dominating then that crap lost us the momentum, we started playing a different way than we had been (which was working) and as a result Richmond got back into the game.
If we had of continued the way we were going we quite easily could have gone in 10 or 11 goals up. How ridiculous Fletcher getting a handball on the wing and instead of going long to the top of the goal square he goes 50 metres sideways to the other wing.
The game style has it's place but not when dominating and leading like last night.
I agree. Like The Lemon Drop Kid said:"Never give a sucker an even break"
We just do it to slow the play down, catch our breath, and make sure we're not getting reckless.
I think we did it well against Richmond. You can't run flat out all game and we never let Richmond get too close because we slowed it and controlled the ball when they got a run on.
If doing it means we can run out 4 quarters, then it's ok by me.