Strategy The Phil Walsh gameplan

[AFC979810]

Its one of the things with a young list. I think we will see some brilliant patches of play this year. We will also have some periods where we will want to absolutely pull our hair out.

Hopefully the so called renowned 'tactical genius' of Walsh can limit those bad patches.

Well it looks like Sunday was one of those times we wanted to pull our hair out.

I guess what is disappointing to me is that we lost so badly to a side that isn't that good. They are a middle of the road side (as are we).

Under Sando last year - we had 4 losses to teams by 40+ points. Those teams we were smashed by were Geelong, Freo, Port and Sydney (all finished in the top 5). As a middle of the road side you expect these kinds of losses. I don't think it would be as concerning in 2015 if we lost by 68 to one of those teams. Battle hardened sides that have been consistently in the finals over the past couple of years.

Our record against the teams we have faced so far in 2015 is 3-1. The record against those same teams in 2014 was 4-2.

There were many on here saying the only keeping us from being a top side in the competition was a change of coach. I still maintain as I have for the past few years is that we just don't have the cattle. Walsh knew it as well - thats why he said we won't be able to realistically challenge until 2017. The worry I have is how we get enough talent into the side over the next two years in order to challenge then. GWS, Bulldogs and Collingwood all have stockpiled top 20 draft picks over the past 3 years - we haven't. We are going to need some very shrewd drafting and trading over the next two years if we are to challenge.

 

[Sanders]

I would have more faith in Walsh's ability if he didn't constantly parrot everything that Ken has said for the past 2 years. I think Walsh has the goods to coach but he's not as confident as he wants everyone to believe and he will be under a lot of pressure to ensure the Roovolution happens quickly. The Crows Board will want some instant bang for their buck for luring him over on big $$$ , and rightly so.

I heard the only reason Phil went to you guys was to be closer to his idol Ken. would come up near him and inhale deeply to just breathe Ken's aura. Unconfirmed rumours suggest Phil also had a Japanese sex doll made in Ken's image.

Without Ken Phil is nothing, without Ken we are nothing.

Please keep him safe for all our sakes

 

[Doctor B]

I would have more faith in Walsh's ability if he didn't constantly parrot everything that Ken has said for the past 2 years. I think Walsh has the goods to coach but he's not as confident as he wants everyone to believe and he will be under a lot of pressure to ensure the Roovolution happens quickly. The Crows Board will want some instant bang for their buck for luring him over on big $$$ , and rightly so.

I would have more faith in Walsh if he came to us and we had multiple players that were high draft picks because we were useless for so many seasons and we could go out and spend ridiculous amounts of AFL hand out money on a fitness guru. Then once we start winning we could take the tarps off of our seats and our down hill skiing supporters that desert us when we are down can flock back in droves.
Your post is about as poor as a Port Adelaide dentist.

 

[Red mist]

I would have more faith in Walsh if he came to us and we had multiple players that were high draft picks because we were useless for so many seasons and we could go out and spend ridiculous amounts of AFL hand out money on a fitness guru. Then once we start winning we could take the tarps off of our seats and our down hill skiing supporters that desert us when we are down can flock back in droves.
Your post is about as poor as a Port Adelaide dentist.

That ones heaps insecure hey.

 

[footy4ever]

I would have more faith in Walsh's ability if he didn't constantly parrot everything that Ken has said for the past 2 years. I think Walsh has the goods to coach but he's not as confident as he wants everyone to believe and he will be under a lot of pressure to ensure the Roovolution happens quickly. The Crows Board will want some instant bang for their buck for luring him over on big $$$ , and rightly so.

LOL. Where do you think Kent actually got his squawkings from?

 

[Bicks]

Yep. Let's sack every coach after a terrible game.

Would you care to point our where I said sack the coach??

Sugar coat it all you like, Walsh failed his first test in what could be best described as a Brenton Sanderson Mark 2 effort in that just like Sando he was incapable of implementing a game day strategy to stem the opposition's total destruction of any semblance of an AFC game plan. If there was a Plan B implemented it mostly certainly wasn't obvious as we just kept delivering more of the same all day.

I hope your not suggesting we as AFC supporters should set different standards for Walsh than those we set for Sanderson and Craig??

I'll be most interested to see how Walsh and indeed the players react to Sundays totally unacceptable effort against a side that play a very similar game style to the Bulldogs.

 

[VSTone]

...
I'll be most interested to see how Walsh and indeed the players react to Sundays totally unacceptable effort against a side that play a very similar game style to the Bulldogs.

I reckon the reaction needs to be clearly evident in the first quarter... wobbly wheels otherwise.

 

[TheMetricSystem]

Rabble rabble rabble Plan B rabble rabble rabble

 

[Troy87]

I think people are forgetting this is Walsh's first 4 games with the players. You will remember him saying the players better get comfortable with being uncomfortable. My asumption on why he was so calm was he is learning a bit about the character of the team when challenged and I think on the weekend he learnt a bit more about this. I think he knows the guys still have alot of work to do and the result on the weekend just confirmed his thoughts, therefore he was not overly concerned. We need to be patient to see how they progress throughout the season. Last thing we want is a spike like 2012 and then back to old habits. He needs to get this right so the sucess is sustained.

 

[knobby]

I think people are forgetting this is Walsh's first 4 games with the players. You will remember him saying the players better get comfortable with being uncomfortable. My asumption on why he was so calm was he is learning a bit about the character of the team when challenged and I think on the weekend he learnt a bit more about this. I think he knows the guys still have alot of work to do and the result on the weekend just confirmed his thoughts, therefore he was not overly concerned. We need to be patient to see how they progress throughout the season. Last thing we want is a spike like 2012 and then back to old habits. He needs to get this right so the sucess is sustained.

well said

 

[TheLeftFist8]

Rabble rabble rabble Plan B rabble rabble rabble

Surely JL set for the 21 this week TMS?

To relate this q to the thread at hand, I would say Phil's attacking game plan centres upon moving the ball by foot…which necessitates lead-up targets.

Lyons is terrific overhead, can kick a goal, and of course he's a great clearance winner in the middle.

Yes, he's slow but I desperately want to see more targets presenting in the front half of the ground and JL would be a great addition to the puzzle (goodbye Wright).

 

[TheMetricSystem]

Surely JL set for the 21 this week TMS?

To relate this q to the thread at hand, I would say Phil's attacking game plan centres upon moving the ball by foot…which necessitates lead-up targets.

Lyons is terrific overhead, can kick a goal, and of course he's a great clearance winner in the middle.

Yes, he's slow but I desperately want to see more targets presenting in the front half of the ground and JL would be a great addition to the puzzle (goodbye Wright).

You would think he'd be unlucky to get dropped and should not be sub again. Agree that he would be handy rotating through the middle and forward where he has shown he can kick goals.

 

[AFC979810]

We need to be patient to see how they progress throughout the season. Last thing we want is a spike like 2012 and then back to old habits. He needs to get this right so the sucess is sustained.

I remember us getting pumped early in our year of the Sando Spike by Hawthorn to the tune of 56 points.

I get that people try and take the positive out of things - but its never a good thing to get beaten by over 50 points to a side that has 13 players with under 50 games of experience.

 

[TheMetricSystem]

I'll be most interested to see how Walsh and indeed the players react to Sundays totally unacceptable effort against a side that play a very similar game style to the Bulldogs.

Why dont you wait and see then instead of your usual bluster and exaggerations?

 

[MRB37]

I would have more faith in Walsh's ability if he didn't constantly parrot everything that Ken has said for the past 2 years. I think Walsh has the goods to coach but he's not as confident as he wants everyone to believe and he will be under a lot of pressure to ensure the Roovolution happens quickly. The Crows Board will want some instant bang for their buck for luring him over on big $$$ , and rightly so.

Yep. 20 years in coaching and he learnt everything from Hinkley.

 

[AFC979810]

Why was he played if he wasn't right?

You try telling Walker he isn't playing.

 

[DD#23]

I think people are forgetting this is Walsh's first 4 games with the players. You will remember him saying the players better get comfortable with being uncomfortable. My asumption on why he was so calm was he is learning a bit about the character of the team when challenged and I think on the weekend he learnt a bit more about this. I think he knows the guys still have alot of work to do and the result on the weekend just confirmed his thoughts, therefore he was not overly concerned. We need to be patient to see how they progress throughout the season. Last thing we want is a spike like 2012 and then back to old habits. He needs to get this right so the sucess is sustained.

painting over the cracks is great while it lasts though

 

[Mattrox]

Would you care to point our where I said sack the coach??

Sugar coat it all you like, Walsh failed his first test in what could be best described as a Brenton Sanderson Mark 2 effort in that just like Sando he was incapable of implementing a game day strategy to stem the opposition's total destruction of any semblance of an AFC game plan. If there was a Plan B implemented it mostly certainly wasn't obvious as we just kept delivering more of the same all day.

I hope your not suggesting we as AFC supporters should set different standards for Walsh than those we set for Sanderson and Craig??

I'll be most interested to see how Walsh and indeed the players react to Sundays totally unacceptable effort against a side that play a very similar game style to the Bulldogs.

Hey, I just thought that replying in hyperbole was clearly acceptable give the amount in the post I replied to.

It's not failure in a single match that concerns me. It is the response to that failure.

Standards need to be judged across a block of games. I'd say he passed his second test in winning a match where negative tactics were used, and game which we would have likely capitulated last year. He passed his 1st test when we saw more than one style of game play successfully used vs Collingwood.
I'm not even sure Walsh failed vs the Bulldogs, but I know the players sure did.

From the start I said, it's not the loss that is going to be the test, it is the character that the players and coaches display in response to this failure in a game.

Of course there is concern. Of course I am bitterly disappointed in the way the lads played as a team. They did not live up to the expected standards. But ranting about a coach 4 games in is pretty pointless. Every year teams lose games they should have won, and fail miserably in some games when you expect a better performance. It happens to sides which go on and play off in the GF and win premierships. Very rarely do we see sides give a complete performance over 22 games. The Geelong powerhouse a few years back comes to mind, but the point still stands. We are a side building towards top 4.

In our wildest dreams it is nice to think we may knock on the top 4 door, but we know were are not there yet.

Our list does need work, but the list itself isn't the cause. Our coach is new, but I seriously doubt a lack of competence is the cause. Progress has already been made. It appears the next thing that needs fixing is the grit and determination or mental toughness we lost under Sando. He knew it was an area that needed fixing during 2013, but had no answers in 2014 and we regressed in this area.

But that's all ok....... have a little tanty at the coach..... that promotes active and vigourous discussion and gives a true picture of were we are at.

 

[Damp Squarie]

We are going to need some very shrewd drafting and trading over the next two years if we are to challenge.

Bring back the white-man.

 

[Damp Squarie]

Lets not hang draw and quarter the coach or his ways until the end of the season. Even that's probably 2 years too early.
Take a cold shower and hang on for the opening bounce because this is a massive test for p dubyas players...don't worry about the coaching staff.
They are the insipid ones who can do something about it.

 

[Roo Lives Again]

Feeling a million times better after hearing Phil on 5aa this afternoon. He has it under control. Interestingly he said to expect the unexpected against Port. He will also push the guys to keep taking the high risk high reward kick which got us into trouble v the Dogs. You can just tell he has a Premiership masterplan and its not all about the week to week which we live as fans.

In regards to the Showdown it's actually better that we got flogged and Port played well. They'll be feeling good about themselves while we'll be desperate to atone. I'm also sure Walshy has a master plan of how to beat Port.

 

[headache1]

I heard the only reason Phil went to you guys was to be closer to his idol Ken. would come up near him and inhale deeply to just breathe Ken's aura. Unconfirmed rumours suggest Phil also had a Japanese sex doll made in Ken's image.

Without Ken Phil is nothing, without Ken we are nothing.

Please keep him safe for all our sakes

This post has caused me to generate some very disturbing mental images. Images I'm desperately, and unsuccessfully, trying to remove from my head right now.

 

[OneGreatClub]

Yep. 20 years in coaching and he learnt everything from Hinkley.

so why parrot then ?

 

[Mattrox]

so why parrot then ?

You are listening to different interviews to me then.

 

[Bosley]

I IQ'd Sunday's game and now have 4 days off. I am wondering if watching the game in the "cold light of day" would be worthwhile ... to try and identify just what our game plan may have been and where it broke down.

It probably will be of no use at all and we will play with a completely different system and attitude come the Showdown, which will just make me wonder all the more what our gameplan is. I guess they do have to be tweaked (at the very least after Sunday!) for different grounds / playing conditions and oppositions also.