Strategy The Phil Walsh gameplan

[Golumless]

Very happy to win in Melbourne but Collingwood aren't anything special. I wouldn't make too many assumptions based on saturdays game. If anything we can be happy Walsh's game style holds up pretty well at Etihad. Hopefully we can say the same for the MCG.

Big thing about the win was that we are 2-0... which means we are hopefully beginning to find consistency.

Arguably our Achilles heel for the past couple of years.

 

[Mattrox]

I'm interested in the way Walsh speaks of strategy. In an interview he talked about "making the ground bigger" and "shrinking the ground". It's an interesting way to think what effect of the spread and flood/press.

It made me wonder about Mackay's backline role. Have him spread out of defence to create space with the spread.
Perhaps it also showed him about how the ball comes out of a Phil Walsh defence and where he needs to be when he's on the wing. Where to position to create the right "shape".

It's going to be an interesting football lesson listening to Walsh's pressers. Not so much game plan, although that is intersting too, more so the way he thinks and talks about his strategy.

 

[Allefgib]

In some ways you wonder if he is ahead of the curve... or is he just revealing all of the 'magician' secrets?

 

[Wood_Duck]

In some ways you wonder if he is ahead of the curve... or is he just revealing all of the 'magician' secrets?

Either way I dont want to hear him talking strategy in the press anymore.

 

[spexau]

In some ways you wonder if he is ahead of the curve... or is he just revealing all of the 'magician' secrets?

He's not Mandrake

 

[Jack is Back]

I've seen the first 3 games live (unfortunately not this week) and the new game plan is starting to emerge. IMHO it is much more complex than the Sando plan and I'm sure there are a lot of things that I have missed. Some of the differences I have noticed are

1) Our centre square set-up is very different. We start with 7 players in defence but the extra man comes in towards the contest (e.g Eddie) leaving our backmen 1-on-1. (Spackler must be beside himself)

2) When there is a stoppage between the D50 and the F50 our "extra man" is not deep in defence.

3) We rotate more players through the centre square and Danger, Sloane and Douglas are often in the outer rim in a general clearance situations

4) Our kick-ins are more varied (and we take more risks). No more "kick it to Truck 30 metres from goal".

5) We are not handballing as much to get clear from a stoppage but we are not just blasting it down the ground like last year (Bernie was using our old game plan). I think it has something to do with where the players set-up around the stoppage. There is much talking and finger pointing at stoppages.

6) Our forward entries are more effective in isolating leading players. This has a lot to do with players creating space for the leading player.

7) When we are in the F50 we press much higher but we have had less total breakdowns of the press. I like the fact that we have a fast player as the last man in the press (unlike last year when it was often Truck, Talia or Reilly).

8) We still switch the ball in the D50 but we do it quickly (and as a result we sometimes give away easy goals).

9) Our outside midfielders/wingmen are expected to run hard into defence (shades of Neil) and then be involved in launching the attack if there is a turnover. We rotate players through these positions because it is very hard work.

10) Our defenders tend to defend an area rather than a specific opponent. This has caught us out a few times with poor match ups but we are keeping the opposition to low scores.

I look forward to seeing how these things work against Hawthorn, Sydney and Freo, it is clearly a work in progress but so far, so good.

 

[AFC979810]

6) Our forward entries are more effective in isolating leading players. This has a lot to do with players creating space for the leading player.

9) Our outside midfielders/wingmen are expected to run hard into defence (shades of Neil) and then be involved in launching the attack if there is a turnover. We rotate players through these positions because it is very hard work.

10) Our defenders tend to defend an area rather than a specific opponent. This has caught us out a few times with poor match ups but we are keeping the opposition to low scores.

Have noticed these three in particular. Quality post.

 

[azza77]

Walshy is a gun, he just knows his s**t

Kinda wish he would shut up though....

After being so secretive all pre-season, he's just come along and blurted out all these stats and things that he looks for in a matter of 2 weeks. Wont be the downfall of our club or the end of the world, but caught me a little off guard that he was so open about it

Keep it on the DL Phil, nobody needs to know. Don't care if your press conferences are as boring as bat s**t, just let the footy do the talking.

 

[Elder van Berlo]

Kinda wish he would shut up though....

After being so secretive all pre-season, he's just come along and blurted out all these stats and things that he looks for in a matter of 2 weeks. Wont be the downfall of our club or the end of the world, but caught me a little off guard that he was so open about it

Keep it on the DL Phil, nobody needs to know. Don't care if your press conferences are as boring as bat s**t, just let the footy do the talking.

I do wonder whether he's telling the world what he wants the world to know. I doubt he'd be so undisciplined as to let genuine trade secrets slip in a press conference.

 

[Tex Support]

Walsh is not revealing secret info unwittingly through his press conferences.

Ok?

 

[Glenno23]

I do wonder whether he's telling the world what he wants the world to know. I doubt he'd be so undisciplined as to let genuine trade secrets slip in a press conference.

Yep, he's smarter than that. I'm sure there are some things he's sharing, but there'll be a lot being kept secret

 

[azza77]

I do wonder whether he's telling the world what he wants the world to know. I doubt he'd be so undisciplined as to let genuine trade secrets slip in a press conference.

Nah I know and have full confidence in what Phil is doing, but his press conferences have changed a lot in recent weeks.

 

[smoovy]

4) Our kick-ins are more varied (and we take more risks). No more "kick it to Truck 30 metres from goal".

By simply providing an option B it has become more varied.

The kick-ins is where Sando lost me

 

[Bosley]

By simply providing an option B it has become more varied.

The kick-ins is where Sando lost me

We need to go back to the occasional huddle a la Ayersy.

 

[Rotayjay]

Dr. Phil's tough love is just the medicine our players needed . I'm so excited and curious about the runs of difficult games later in the season.

 

[Geoffa32]

I'm interested in the way Walsh speaks of strategy. In an interview he talked about "making the ground bigger" and "shrinking the ground". It's an interesting way to think what effect of the spread and flood/press.

It made me wonder about Mackay's backline role. Have him spread out of defence to create space with the spread.
Perhaps it also showed him about how the ball comes out of a Phil Walsh defence and where he needs to be when he's on the wing. Where to position to create the right "shape".

It's going to be an interesting football lesson listening to Walsh's pressers. Not so much game plan, although that is intersting too, more so the way he thinks and talks about his strategy.

Port would do this last year. Starting positions for some players were wider than normal on the wings and at times would.run wide to create space rather than run to the middle.

Have noticed in the Dees game our players did this at times.

Showdown will be interesting.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less.

 

[Schulzycrow]

Noticed at the first bounce of the game Betts and Danger started at the back of the square. Melbourne players were waving arms and trying to get organised...

 

[LiquidCrow]

It's hard to know what to make about Walsh's press conferences, although I wouldn't be surprised if there were some mind games at play. I'd never heard of Ground Ball Differential being talked about until Walsh mentioned it after the first NAB game; it was always contested possession under other coaches, and there's nothing on it even on the AFL's advance stats. Now we know that Ground Ball counts are in the Champion Data stats, so it's probably not a new thing meaning there's arguably no net loss from mentioning it. However, there is the potential to introduce an element of doubt and distract opposition coaches who may not have been paying the same amount of attention to that particular stat. It might leave them asking themselves, "Here's this new coach who's talking about Ground ball - should we be looking at that too?" and any time spent on this would be time taken away from other aspects of their game plan.

The same thing struck me about his comments about being happy with Mackay's game against Collingwood. I think this definitely would cause some coaches to have another look at the replay to try and work out exactly what DMac's role was and what he did well - I know a few fans sure have!

 

[AFC979810]

It's hard to know what to make about Walsh's press conferences, although I wouldn't be surprised if there were some mind games at play. I'd never heard of Ground Ball Differential being talked about until Walsh mentioned it after the first NAB game; it was always contested possession under other coaches, and there's nothing on it even on the AFL's advance stats. Now we know that Ground Ball counts are in the Champion Data stats, so it's probably not a new thing meaning there's arguably no net loss from mentioning it. However, there is the potential to introduce an element of doubt and distract opposition coaches who may not have been paying the same amount of attention to that particular stat.

Think its a legit stat and something he really does care about - although like you I hadn't heard about it before Walsh started mentioning it preseason.

This article was written at the end of the 2014 season and shows that West Coast led this stat for the 2014 season. I don't think that its a coincidence that Walsh was director of 'strategy and innovation' at West Coast from 2009-2013 and that they led the league in this particular stat in 2014.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-12-13/your-teams-best-attributes

It might leave them asking themselves, "Here's this new coach who's talking about Ground ball - should we be looking at that too?" and any time spent on this would be time taken away from other aspects of their game plan.

It would appear that this stat is something that all the Coaches have access to and to some extent use. Considering West Coast was #1 in the AFL in this stat and finished 9th last year - I hardly think its a major concern for opposition coaches. If we keep winning though, things might change.

 

[Mattrox]

Winning the ground ball is good. But what you do with it after is vital.

So far we have seen the spread, which enables players receiving the ball more time to dispose. Also clears congestion allowing better access to our forward 50. Once there we pressure and press to keep the ball in there as much as possible.

We have also seen the possession game to slow down the tempo.

And the way we structure the press to try and allow defenders to get back into position in case of a turnover or free against is important.

It starts with winning the ground ball. But the overall game plan is considerably more involved than winning the ground ball.

 

[Geoffa32]

The mere mention of the Ground Ball stat means nothing without context. He is giving away nothing in hus presser about it.

He is not telling the world how and why this is important as you can win a ground ball that results from different situations.

Walshy is not talking about how we create these situations to ensure we win a Ground Ball.

 

[Roo Lives Again]

Sounds like DMac has a more specific role than we realise. I think the great thing about Walshy is that he seeks to maximise each players role. Instead of just using Danger in the way he's been used before and been very successful in he's made positive changes to how he's used. Seems like he's done that for DMac as well which was clearly badly needed. I rate Walshy very very highly and can't believe our luck he was just sitting there and not drawing interest from other clubs all this time. Thank god for the Roovolution.

 

[Bay62]

Noticed at the first bounce of the game Betts and Danger started at the back of the square. Melbourne players were waving arms and trying to get organised...

On the radio they were saying that we had a loose man on the back of the square and Melbourne manned him up, so then we sent another one there to get the mis-match again and the Dees players were scrambling to match him up too.

Always got a plan B does our Phil

 

[Bay62]

I just hope there's someone at the club recording all this stuff from Phil for after he's gone. Not just the specific tactics but his way of thinking. Maybe the next coach will bring new ideas but we need to preserve these ideas