Strategy The Phil Walsh gameplan

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Elder van Berlo

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Please, no arguments about the spare man in defence.

We have been told that we will know it when we see it. It's early days, and bearing in mind all the usual disclaimers about not being able to see structures on tv, what did we see? Here's what I noticed:

  • Highly organised and well drilled around stoppages and contested situations. There was a degree of what I will call "in-close spread", where guys were a few metres off the pack and available for a handball out of trouble. Our hands in close to find these guys tended to be very good - a noticeable change from last season.
  • On a related point, our instinct in the contest was to fire out quick handballs, often several in succession, to players on the outside. There were comparatively few blind kicks out of congestion. Rather, we tried to use hands to get the ball into at least a little bit of space before kicking.
  • When kicking, the general preference was to kick long to advantage, rather than precision short passing. Short kicks were only used when it was really on. When we did use the short kick, it tended to hit the target - there were very few clangers by foot (for 3 quarters at least).
  • Run from behind was a noticeable feature in a few different aspects. We tended to have guys hitting stoppages at pace. When we won the ball back at centre/half back, we usually had guys running past to receive handballs and we made an effort to use them and get the ball moving quickly. It stood out when this didn't happen (e.g. Wright in the back 50 in Q1) rather than when it did.
  • We looked to use the corridor when we had the chance. There also looked to be a concerted effort when we had the ball on the flanks to square it to a spot about 30m out straight in front, and a concerted effort for someone to get into that space to make an option. Lynch, Martin and Ramsey's goals all came from uncontested marks from this type of play.
  • We got heavy numbers back and forward. When we got numbers back, we tried to find Tex/Ramsey as an outnumbered outlet across wing/half-back, and use them to hold up the ballwhile runners got "over the back". When it worked it looked good. Walker's soccer to Lynch in space (although Lynch missed) and one of Eddie's goals where Ramsey was involved in the build up spring to mind.
  • Emphasis on keeping the ball inside 50. Not afraid to put put numbers in there and force repeat stoppages. This is a demanding style and I don't think we have seen the last 4th quarter fade out. It will take a while to get there physically.
  • Heavy pressure not only on the ball carrier but also on the receiver. Organised pressure. When they broke through it really opened up for them, but they had to execute 3-4 clean dosposals under pressure to do so. A world of difference to 3 guys diving into the contest and the opposition being away when they get a handball out of it.
  • A lot of 3rd man help in defensive contests in the air across wing/half-back.
  • No forward line structure to speak of. This might be because of personnel, but there was a fair bit of kick long and hope.. We did hit a couple of nice leading targets though - e.g. Laird to Tex and somebody to Ramsey in Q2 (although both shots missed).
  • Also our kick outs remain a shambles.
I thought it looked like a pretty good brand of footy. I wouldn't be surprised if there's some pain in the short term but once we start executing it for a full game, I reckon it could look very very good.
 
Mar 7, 2012
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Shhhhh. Don't make it easy for Rooch. Hehehehe.



You made some good points.

I was watching on my Samsung phone so I didn't get as good a view as I'd like of the shots at a distance or stuff in traffic. But some stuff stood out to me.

There were fluid passages of ball movement when there was a good work rate. This happened last year when we played good footy, so it is good to see we are working on making this a feature of our game style..... but backed up with good structure around the ground.


The workrate was clear in the defensive aspect as well. In the first 2 quarters it stood out clear as, we chased the opposition when they had the ball and help arrived so pressure was exerted on the ball carrier. I think this aspect of our game may have caught North out a little. I hope to see more of this accountable defense as the season progresses. Top 4 sides can't just say.... "don't worry if they score lots of goals, they'll just cough up the ball and well score more of the turnover".
 
Jan 31, 2009
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Hard to say, my feed dropped out at half time. Will need another game to be able to comment closer. But having said that, tackling and forward line ball movement (to a guy on the lead) was very poor again. Hopefully I see better next match in those areas.
 
Oct 15, 2012
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I was amazed at the number of smothers. We seemed to be in such a rush to move it on that we didn't get back off the mark enough. It got to the point where I was calling them before they happened !!

Also disappointed with the kick-ins. All well and good to say "Smithers will fix it" but we all want him to be receiving the possession after the kick-in ... can't do both. If Jaensch is our solution, he needs to work on his execution. Wigg might be being groomed for this role - but the bright lights got to him and he showed that he needs some real time experience to get anywhere near the level required to be the anointed one.
 

spexau

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All the points you make were things I noticed.

I was especially happy with the run from behind. VB executed this nicely and it was good to see Crouch and Lyons look for and execute the handball to that player.

Kickouts weren't much better but they were more varied. We went left instead of right at least half the time :D
 
Sep 10, 2004
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Main things I noticed were an isolation of 1-on-1's at ground level (basically avoiding having 2 or 3 blokes go at the same contest on the deck).

The other thing was the preference to kick instead of handball from half back.

Those two things killed us under Sando and looked better.
 

FantasticShirt

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The hard thing about the pre-season matches is working out what's a game plan, and what's a rookie players brain fart/nervousness. The kick-in situation seemed to go pear shaped once the ball was handed to Wigg, he was clearly really nervous. Had 2 in a row that both resulted in turn overs, then it was handed to Pods who didn't do much better. Given the fixed camera angle it was hard to work out what the issue was later in the game, were they trying to avoid Majak/Brown?

The in close fire out handball worked well a couple of times, Crouch excels at this. Lyon seemed to be doing it well also.

The run from behind was good to see. Be interesting to see how it goes with a full strength side when you include players like Smith.
 

Elder van Berlo

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Was the Port Lincoln ground narrower than what they're used to? I noticed both teams put the ball out OTF a few times when going long coming out of the kick-ins or back pocket.

I reckon the breeze was pushing the ball towards the near side a bit. Quite a few went out that way.
 

Legz

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I noticed on the first few centre bounces Sloane came in off the back of the square with pace. But then also remained in the contest whilst the ball was up forward. Given the camera angles it was hard to tell, but I'm guessing he was starting HFF but off the back of the square, oterwise he was pretty high for a HBF.

Interestingly this worked well early for us, but the very first bounce of the last qtr, Crouch had the ball running away from goal looking for that player coming off the back, had no one, and made an errant handball resulting in a shot on goal for North.
 
Feb 3, 2004
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The radio pointed out a set up we were doing at centre bounces with our forward set up. Kerridge and Betts deep at Full forward, then the two talls about 45 ms out from goal and then the rest of the players bunched on the centre square. The aim they thought was if there is a quick kick out of the centre, then it should be marked/contested by our talls in one on one contests.
 

Elder van Berlo

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The radio pointed out a set up we were doing at centre bounces with our forward set up. Kerridge and Betts deep at Full forward, then the two talls about 45 ms out from goal and then the rest of the players bunched on the centre square. The aim they thought was if there is a quick kick out of the centre, then it should be marked/contested by our talls in one on one contests.

This is the sort of stuff I'm interested in that you can't necessarily see on tv. Thanks Nikki
 

Carmo

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The radio pointed out a set up we were doing at centre bounces with our forward set up. Kerridge and Betts deep at Full forward, then the two talls about 45 ms out from goal and then the rest of the players bunched on the centre square. The aim they thought was if there is a quick kick out of the centre, then it should be marked/contested by our talls in one on one contests.

O thank god, I wrote in the GBU thread about my dislike of our forward setup at centre bounces last year. Was below amateur league stuff. Great to hear we are doing something different. Cant wait to see a crows game on good TV and/or live to check all this stuff out.
 
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Cant wait to see a crows game on good TV and/or live to check all this stuff out.

There is no such thing as 'good tv' in respect to camera work lately. I would have to say that I thought the camera work from the game on the weekend was better than a lot of the camera work I saw in the foxtel NAB cup games!
 

mattymac

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The kick-in situation seemed to go pear shaped once the ball was handed to Wigg, he was clearly really nervous. Had 2 in a row that both resulted in turn overs, then it was handed to Pods who didn't do much better.

This is the reason I vehemently oppose making a kid sub on their debut. Leaving them on the bench to stew in their nerve juices for three quarters then dropping them in cold when everyone is else is at full pace is counterproductive imo. Better to start them on the field and let them settle from the outset with everyone else. Just an opinion. It goes hand in glove with my other opinion that the sub rule is a bad joke and needs to be abandoned altogether and never spoken of again (with the possible exception of quiz questions about weird sporting rules from the forgotten past).
 
Oct 6, 2012
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This is the reason I vehemently oppose making a kid sub on their debut. Leaving them on the bench to stew in their nerve juices for three quarters then dropping them in cold when everyone is else is at full pace is counterproductive imo. Better to start them on the field and let them settle from the outset with everyone else. Just an opinion. It goes hand in glove with my other opinion that the sub rule is a bad joke and needs to be abandoned altogether and never spoken of again (with the possible exception of quiz questions about weird sporting rules from the forgotten past).
Agree on killing the sub rule. Hate it.
 

Pdub

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There is no such thing as 'good tv' in respect to camera work lately. I would have to say that I thought the camera work from the game on the weekend was better than a lot of the camera work I saw in the foxtel NAB cup games!

I'd pay for a subscription that gave access to all the down the ground camera angles from stationary cameras that the clubs get after each game, would be great to watch.
 
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Gill said that every coach has told him to get rid of it, he said he put it as the first item for the next rules of the game committee meeting, it will be gone next year, probably in combination with a smaller interchange cap.
We don't want an injury early in the game to decide a match though - that was the idea behind the sub.

Would it be 4 on the bench + 80 interchange cap? That could work.
 

Wright Away

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We don't want an injury early in the game to decide a match though - that was the idea behind the sub.

Would it be 4 on the bench + 80 interchange cap? That could work.

No the idea behind the sub wasn't in relation to injuries it was to slow the game down after the AFL changed the kick in rules. The smart thing would have been to just change the kick in rule back to the way it was where players had to wait longer before they could kick in.
 

Pdub

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We don't want an injury early in the game to decide a match though - that was the idea behind the sub.

Would it be 4 on the bench + 80 interchange cap? That could work.

I don't know what it will be but if there is a lower limit on interchange you would think the advantage from having one more player on the bench would be minimised. I think the sub is ending careers, blokes like stiffy and porplizia couldn't do enough as the sub to get in the 21 because they come on they get put in a random role and don't get enough fitness from the game to be the sub too many times in a row, so struggle with continuity until they get dumped. There's probably a couple blokes in every team who aren't paying as good football as they should be because they have been made the sub. It's lowering the quality of football being played.
 
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No the idea behind the sub wasn't in relation to injuries it was to slow the game down after the AFL changed the kick in rules. The smart thing would have been to just change the kick in rule back to the way it was where players had to wait longer before they could kick in.
I've tried to look back and see what the rule was brought in for, because in my mind there was definitely talk bout it being for the injured player being replaced - but you are right there were other reasons too:

The AFL Commission approved the introduction of the substitute rule in October last year based around three reasons for restricting the interchange - congestion, fairness and injuries. (http://www.sportal.com.au/afl/news/subs-rule-clarified/11cluo1u1w2it1fiqkomafhtwn)​

At the time there was a bit of over the top stuff from a few coaches, and a "don't change the game" call from lots of supporters:


I do find it funny that we played the game for an awful long time with 18 players and 2 reserves - and now using subs is considered ruining the game :)

I've often said that one way to fix the two-way flood would be to have no interchange - only have subs (or reserves) to cover injuries.
 

The Sloane Ranger

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Noticeable changes

less handballs
one tackler in with team mates providing cover defence
our spread from stoppages much better
 
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