Strategy 2015 Tactics and Strategy

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Jim Dixon

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Aug 5, 2013
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Happy New Year- only 3 months and a week till we get to play for Premiership Points!

So anyway, I wanted to see what people thought about our tactical options were in 2015. So I've created a thread for this purpose.

The main thing that came out of our 2014 season was our +1 in defence strategy. This was a resounding success. In the H & A season, we only conceded 243 goals. In comparison, our 2004 Premiership defence conceded 258 goals and our 2011 nadir season we conceded 390 goals.

The dilemma we face is that everyone knows how we're going to be going about things. There's no element of surprise in our defence anymore. Opponents can develop counter strategies. So, Ken and the "Teal Curtain" (thank you El_Scorcho ) have two options- tinker with their gameplan, or they can back themselves to be just too good for the opposition.

I personally think that they'll trust themselves to have improved enough over the off-season to defeat possible counter-measures, but I'm curious about Round 1 where we play Freo yet again, and Ross Lyon is a pretty canny operator who may come up with some interesting ideas to get his team scoring against us.

The other area where we will have new tactics is around Paddy Ryder. I think this will affect our forward setups more. We didn't get enough scoring power in our key games in 2014, and in our slump (which I consider to be the period between the two Sydney games inclusive) we defended okay but couldn't get enough scoring happening. My own two cents is that our key small forwards will actually play a greater role with the bigger men getting the attention so I'm looking for Angus Monfries and Jake Neade to be really key figures in scoring more goals.

This is the thing, I know Ken is a really defensive minded coach, but gee we need to score more goals....:footy:
 
Paddy Ryder will not only help us offensively but defensively. The one weakness with our +1 and even +2 set up was we could run the ball out of defence and then hit an opposition wall with tall defenders matching up on small forwards like Monfries and Neade who were the outlet transition receivers between half forward and half back. Lyon exploited that in the final and Freo kept winning the ball back and pumping it into their forward line. Luckily they didn't take their chances and once the petrol tickets were spent we ran over the top of them (but we also kept up good defensive pressure that didn't give them waltz in goals, credit due there).

A Ryder-type (not thinking we would get the real deal) was my wish from the beginning of the year and I was almost crying out for that type in the Freo final. A tall mobile forward who took a tall defender and gave us another outlet option who could win the contested ball. So defensively that helps because the ball is not coming back the other way and of course offensively we swarm forward and create scoring opportunities. It also makes it harder for the opposition coach to create mismatches with our forwards.

Overall I'm not expecting any big changes to our gameplan, the best teams turn up and generally play their way week in week out. That's something Ken would have brought from Geelong and has always been the Port way. Sure there will be tinkering to nullify opposition strengths but players that are certain about the way they play every week with a portable game plan build the most effective teams.
 

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I don't expect big changes to the game plan, other than having an extra tall up forward. Be that Ryder, Lobbe resting there, or Ryder pushed back occasionally to allow Jacko a cameo forward. As noted above this will give us the targets both when we win the centre clearances and when we rebound. I expect less of hitting opposition defensive walls this year.

One of our big strengths has been our fitness, running opposition sides off their feet. It's why I expect that although Moore is the 'obvious' choice of who to drop from the Prelim. side for Ryder, I expect it will be O'Shea, as a quasi-tall, so we don't lose a rotation and address a weakness by diluting a strength.
 
I don't think there will be many noticeable changes, it's always been about improved fitness and improved knowledge of the gameplan. There's going to be more angst and arguments at half time of games again this season, we'll still be known as a second half side.

As others have said, the biggest change will be structure thanks to the acquisition of Ryder.
 

ozph1870

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Mar 3, 2014
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win the midfield, kick the goals when opportunity arises, stay solid in defense. its just footy. lets not go overboard.
 
Nov 6, 2014
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Happy New Year- only 3 months and a week till we get to play for Premiership Points!

So anyway, I wanted to see what people thought about our tactical options were in 2015. So I've created a thread for this purpose.

The main thing that came out of our 2014 season was our +1 in defence strategy. This was a resounding success. In the H & A season, we only conceded 243 goals. In comparison, our 2004 Premiership defence conceded 258 goals and our 2011 nadir season we conceded 390 goals.

The dilemma we face is that everyone knows how we're going to be going about things. There's no element of surprise in our defence anymore. Opponents can develop counter strategies. So, Ken and the "Teal Curtain" (thank you El_Scorcho ) have two options- tinker with their gameplan, or they can back themselves to be just too good for the opposition.

I personally think that they'll trust themselves to have improved enough over the off-season to defeat possible counter-measures, but I'm curious about Round 1 where we play Freo yet again, and Ross Lyon is a pretty canny operator who may come up with some interesting ideas to get his team scoring against us.

The other area where we will have new tactics is around Paddy Ryder. I think this will affect our forward setups more. We didn't get enough scoring power in our key games in 2014, and in our slump (which I consider to be the period between the two Sydney games inclusive) we defended okay but couldn't get enough scoring happening. My own two cents is that our key small forwards will actually play a greater role with the bigger men getting the attention so I'm looking for Angus Monfries and Jake Neade to be really key figures in scoring more goals.

This is the thing, I know Ken is a really defensive minded coach, but gee we need to score more goals....:footy:
I suppose all teams have the same issue i.e. opposition teams working out their game plan, but we can't keep constantly changing it. My real concern is traitor Walsh knowing the inside info. I hope we somehow smash the enemy in the first showdown.
 

mic59

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I don't expect big changes to the game plan, other than having an extra tall up forward. Be that Ryder, Lobbe resting there, or Ryder pushed back occasionally to allow Jacko a cameo forward. As noted above this will give us the targets both when we win the centre clearances and when we rebound. I expect less of hitting opposition defensive walls this year.

One of our big strengths has been our fitness, running opposition sides off their feet. It's why I expect that although Moore is the 'obvious' choice of who to drop from the Prelim. side for Ryder, I expect it will be O'Shea, as a quasi-tall, so we don't lose a rotation and address a weakness by diluting a strength.
x2. I can't see why Ken would try to reinvent the wheel. After all we would have been in a GF if just a couple of things had gone our way, and who knows what could have happened then. Especially looking at how Sydney folded to Hawthorn. We've taken on Ryder to provide that extra support to Lobbe and we still have players who will improve from last year.
 

wharfietilidie

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Dec 13, 2012
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Agree with Ford that the link up we get with Ryder/Westhoff/Shultz through the middle of the ground will be crucial easing pressure on repeat entries on our defensive end. In terms of Stanley Park's point that teams might work our defence out doesn't really phase me because if it works it works even if you know what we are doing. Great thing about our attacking game plan is that it is so random and quick that even Port players might not know exactly what is going to transpire in the entry to the 50, so good luck for opposition defenders trying to stop it.
 

bacharach

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Oct 29, 2013
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This is the thing, I know Ken is a really defensive minded coach, but gee we need to score more goals....:footy:


Great thread.
Agree with your post but just want to make a point regarding this bit. Our problems is a) accuracy and b) better positioning for shots at goal. We actually had more scoring shots (although negligible) than the Hawks last year, who as you know were the leading goal kickers (and we were 2nd).

This is another reason why I'm looking forward to Vossy's influence as I'm really hoping he can improve our delivery inside 50. Last year it drove me nuts when we were leading along the boundary (not that it happened heaps). I recall reading that it was Walsh who was responsible for this set up. I'm sure there was good reason for this but **** it makes it difficult to score.... goals. Look at Hawthorn ... how many times was Roughead was hit on the chest at 40 out in front? answer, heaps. We need to be more like them.
 
Depends who steps up in the pre-season as to what we begin trying to improve on. Our tactics are adapted largely to what the available players can deliver.
Our clearances were based around Lobbe and whatever stop-gap was available on the day. If Ryder/Redden/whoever work out we will have a more attacking style, be less reliant on intercepting the ball in defence. Until/if that happens we will look like the 2014 team.
If we do get first look at the ball a bit more Ken may look at augmenting the forward line with another tall target besides Schulz. Quite possibly the resting ruckman.
 
The blokes that sit behind me are particularly astute with their tactical knowledge of Aussie Rules. Their commentary really gives fascinating insight into the mind of an AFL strategist. I'll try to give you guys the gist of it, but I'm hesitant to condense their eloquence as I don't want to misconstrue the meaning of their analysis. If any PAFC staff or players are reading this now, I implore you to let Ken know of this. It is groundbreaking and could reshape the AFL landscape forever and it's best we remain on the front foot. Basically though it revolves around two core ideas:

1) Just kick it!
2) Who was that to!?
 

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Nov 6, 2014
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The blokes that sit behind me are particularly astute with their tactical knowledge of Aussie Rules. Their commentary really gives fascinating insight into the mind of an AFL strategist. I'll try to give you guys the gist of it, but I'm hesitant to condense their eloquence as I don't want to misconstrue the meaning of their analysis. If any PAFC staff or players are reading this now, I implore you to let Ken know of this. It is groundbreaking and could reshape the AFL landscape forever and it's best we remain on the front foot. Basically though it revolves around two core ideas:

1) Just kick it!
2) Who was that to!?
hahaha
 
The blokes that sit behind me are particularly astute with their tactical knowledge of Aussie Rules. Their commentary really gives fascinating insight into the mind of an AFL strategist. I'll try to give you guys the gist of it, but I'm hesitant to condense their eloquence as I don't want to misconstrue the meaning of their analysis. If any PAFC staff or players are reading this now, I implore you to let Ken know of this. It is groundbreaking and could reshape the AFL landscape forever and it's best we remain on the front foot. Basically though it revolves around two core ideas:

1) Just kick it!
2) Who was that to!?

3) (opposition is kicking in) Man up!!!

And before anyone asks, no, this will never get old.
 

Tibbs

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Sep 9, 2013
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The dilemma we face is that everyone knows how we're going to be going about things. There's no element of surprise in our defence anymore. Opponents can develop counter strategies. So, Ken and the "Teal Curtain" (thank you El_Scorcho ) have two options- tinker with their gameplan, or they can back themselves to be just too good for the opposition.

I personally think that they'll trust themselves to have improved enough over the off-season to defeat possible counter-measures, but I'm curious about Round 1 where we play Freo yet again, and Ross Lyon is a pretty canny operator who may come up with some interesting ideas to get his team scoring against us.

The other area where we will have new tactics is around Paddy Ryder. I think this will affect our forward setups more. We didn't get enough scoring power in our key games in 2014, and in our slump (which I consider to be the period between the two Sydney games inclusive) we defended okay but couldn't get enough scoring happening. My own two cents is that our key small forwards will actually play a greater role with the bigger men getting the attention so I'm looking for Angus Monfries and Jake Neade to be really key figures in scoring more goals.

This is the thing, I know Ken is a really defensive minded coach, but gee we need to score more goals....:footy:
Funny thing, I thought the same at the beginning of 2014, and so did many in the media. Many saying that opposition sides will have worked out our tactics, and undo our running, fast play-on game ... Ten rounds into 2014 told a different story! It's one thing knowing what the opposition might do, it's another thing trying to stop it for FOUR quarters!
 
I expect us to see Westhoff in the sort of wingback role that Chad Cornes did so well in 04 - starting out of defense and pushing up the ground into attack. No forward line has an legitimate answer for him as a +1, and with Ryder in the side he can stay up forward with Schulz and provide an outlet and allow Westhoff to float down into the forward line at will. As an intercept mark with the athletic ability to run off his opponent, he has no peer. As a stay at home forward, his strength is somewhat mitigated. It also means that he can read the play from behind.

When you put Westhoff into defense 'permanently', it makes a player like O'Shea redundant to the team structure, because now you have Trengove, Jonas, Hombsch, Carlile as your standard defensive posts who attack on occasion, and Westhoff, Pittard and Broadbent as your intercept/attacking defenders who are more aggressive. So instead of O'Shea, put in Impey, who is a small defender who can lock down on dangerous non-key forwards.

The midfield is self-explanatory - Boak, Gray, Wines, Ebert, Hartlett, Cornes, Polec, White. One of the best mid-field groups in the competition. Natural progression should see these guys take their game to another level, and when you've got the likes of Ebert, Hartlett, Cornes or Wines coming on as first interchange, you know you're at an elite level.

Forward line is easy now we have Ryder. It should be a four man forward line, with space for Schulz to lead into, Westhoff to run into, and with Ryder parked in the goal square (or in that general area) with Wingard and Monfries crumbing off of him. Now our mids have three options: 1. Pass to a leading Schulz. 2. Pass to either Monfries or Wingard in the pocket. 3. Go long toward goal, knowing that they'll either make the distance or that Ryder will make a contest, marking the ball or spilling it to Angus or Chad.

So at a certain point in the game, the field might look something like this at the bounce:

2015tactic.jpg


Of course, that's only one of a myriad of options we have now that we have a guy like Ryder in the side. Switch Ryder and Westhoff if one is getting beaten. Put Gray up forward if he's getting tagged and bring Wingard in, losing very little. Injuries? Even if we lost both our key defenders like last season, it wouldn't be a problem - Westhoff goes permanent back, Ryder as well, O'Shea/Clurey comes in for the Westhoff roaming role...done.

Get on us for winning the flag this season. The only thing that will stop us is if Ryder is out for a long period of time.
 
The blokes that sit behind me are particularly astute with their tactical knowledge of Aussie Rules. Their commentary really gives fascinating insight into the mind of an AFL strategist. I'll try to give you guys the gist of it, but I'm hesitant to condense their eloquence as I don't want to misconstrue the meaning of their analysis. If any PAFC staff or players are reading this now, I implore you to let Ken know of this. It is groundbreaking and could reshape the AFL landscape forever and it's best we remain on the front foot. Basically though it revolves around two core ideas:

1) Just kick it!
2) Who was that to!?
You must sit near me.
 
The blokes that sit behind me are particularly astute with their tactical knowledge of Aussie Rules. Their commentary really gives fascinating insight into the mind of an AFL strategist. I'll try to give you guys the gist of it, but I'm hesitant to condense their eloquence as I don't want to misconstrue the meaning of their analysis. If any PAFC staff or players are reading this now, I implore you to let Ken know of this. It is groundbreaking and could reshape the AFL landscape forever and it's best we remain on the front foot. Basically though it revolves around two core ideas:

1) Just kick it!
2) Who was that to!?

I think they sat behind me at Footy Park. The 'Who was that to?" ... is it usually followed by 'Oh I didn't see him there'?
 

mic59

Brownlow Medallist
Jul 20, 2002
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Great thread.
Agree with your post but just want to make a point regarding this bit. Our problems is a) accuracy and b) better positioning for shots at goal. We actually had more scoring shots (although negligible) than the Hawks last year, who as you know were the leading goal kickers (and we were 2nd).

This is another reason why I'm looking forward to Vossy's influence as I'm really hoping he can improve our delivery inside 50. Last year it drove me nuts when we were leading along the boundary (not that it happened heaps). I recall reading that it was Walsh who was responsible for this set up. I'm sure there was good reason for this but **** it makes it difficult to score.... goals. Look at Hawthorn ... how many times was Roughead was hit on the chest at 40 out in front? answer, heaps. We need to be more like them.

Look at last year. We actually had more shots on goal than any other team except Hawthorn. And they only had 5 more and played 1 more game. But Hawthorn kicked 56 more goals than us. I would hope being able to use Ryder/Lobbe/Westhoff as the extra forward with Schulz will allow leads to be made in all directions. Having one tall leading forward makes it easier for the opposition to cut off the central lead and force the forwards out.
 
Apr 27, 2008
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The blokes that sit behind me are particularly astute with their tactical knowledge of Aussie Rules. Their commentary really gives fascinating insight into the mind of an AFL strategist. I'll try to give you guys the gist of it, but I'm hesitant to condense their eloquence as I don't want to misconstrue the meaning of their analysis. If any PAFC staff or players are reading this now, I implore you to let Ken know of this. It is groundbreaking and could reshape the AFL landscape forever and it's best we remain on the front foot. Basically though it revolves around two core ideas:

1) Just kick it!
2) Who was that to!?


Early contender for post of the year
 
Ken isn't a defence minded coach. Ken believes good defence is the foundation for everything else. There wouldn't be a side in the league that takes more risks and backs itself with the ball in hand more than Ken Hinkley Port.

yep

our defence is very attacking and starts.

strangely enough our defence starts in the forward line and our attack starts in our defence.
 
Apr 27, 2008
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And as I have said already, the freakish Wingard and reliable Schulz made our entries look much better because of their respective accuracy and something from nothing ability. We were relying a bit on skill and talent more than an effective system
 

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