Strategy Game plan, positioning and everything else.

[swansfan51]

This excellent piece of research shows that defensive teams fail far more often in Grand Finals than attacking teams. Are we too defensive? That's my biggest concern over our gameplan and it has been for a while. Please don't say "but but but 2012" without reading the below, which shows it was a rarity.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threa...squiggly-lines.1022679/page-125#post-39130571

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

This excellent piece of research shows that defensive teams fail far more often in Grand Finals than attacking teams. Are we too defensive? That's my biggest concern over our gameplan and it has been for a while. Please don't say "but but but 2012" without reading the below, which shows it was a rarity.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threa...squiggly-lines.1022679/page-125#post-39130571

Yer we dont score enough considering our dominance in games, if we win it again this year it will be a outliner.

 

[MarkP]

This excellent piece of research shows that defensive teams fail far more often in Grand Finals than attacking teams. Are we too defensive? That's my biggest concern over our gameplan and it has been for a while. Please don't say "but but but 2012" without reading the below, which shows it was a rarity.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threa...squiggly-lines.1022679/page-125#post-39130571

Can't possibly be a defensive team.

The fullback is cooked.

The other tall spuds it all the time.

The next tall isn't tall and kicks it to the opposition a lot.

The rebounder type guy should be retired or sacked, cant run, lost pace and can't kick.

Another of them couldn't get a game at Carlton LAWL

The small guy seems to get forgotten a lot and is spudding it up in sympathy with spud tall and the pretend tall.

Oh and the seventh guy points a lot and yells with a mean face.

He we do find some of fence. Defence looks like s**t.

 

[replicant]

This excellent piece of research shows that defensive teams fail far more often in Grand Finals than attacking teams. Are we too defensive? That's my biggest concern over our gameplan and it has been for a while. Please don't say "but but but 2012" without reading the below, which shows it was a rarity.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threa...squiggly-lines.1022679/page-125#post-39130571

We're the 5th highest scoring team so far, and a lot of our games have been in the wet. I think we're more attacking than we used to be.

 

[MF]

For total score, inside 50's, Marks inside 50 etc we're in the top 5 in the comp. We do have a poor goal kicking accuracy compared to many of the top teams though. Turn that around, and start burying poor teams instead of cruising in 2nd gear and we might start to see some upward movement on the squiggle.

 

[RW]

We're the 5th highest scoring team so far, and a lot of our games have been in the wet. I think we're more attacking than we used to be.

Yep. 2005 was a real outlier, we were ranked #14 in attack during the home and away season, and even the wooden spooners that year (Carlton) scored more points than us. In 2012 we were still defensive, but managed to score more points (thanks largely to Jetta). I do agree that we need to improve our attack though, we haven't gotten full reward for our inside 50 entries this year. I note that Freo's attack is currently worse than ours.

 

[The King!]

Team has tried to be more attacking, recruiting key forwards for instance.

I think after the dogs loss the side has looked to generate more run and create scoring options, i have seen enough to suggest to me the coaches are aware and working on it, but there is more to be done

Hawks are sitting there so dangerously and why because they are capable of such quick dominating scoring, they are still flag favs imo

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Team has tried to be more attacking, recruiting key forwards for instance.

I think after the dogs loss the side has looked to generate more run and create scoring options, i have seen enough to suggest to me the coaches are aware and working on it, but there is more to be done

Hawks are sitting there so dangerously and why because they are capable of such quick dominating scoring, they are still flag favs imo

It's due to that they are never out of a game, i mentioned on the MB even tho they have a weaker defence compared to say us and Freo it doesn't really matter if they keep kicking 100pts a game.

It's also much harder to be a defensive side than attacking as you cant afford to make defensive errors.

 

[Wayne Swan]

A few interesting tables in this mornings SA paper that shows ruck stats and clearances.

We have the third highest hitout differential this year at +124, WCE + 159, Freo +340!

A more meaningful stat is hitouts to advantage, we are fourth at +32, Hawks and WCE + 42, Freo +130!!

Clearances we are well down the table at -4, Freo top +105, Hawks +89, Adel +77, then a big drop to fourth at +23.

So this shows the Pyke/Tippett combo is doing a good job despite what we may think but what the hell is happening with clearances?? Is our much vaunted midfield not as good as everyone believes and it shows that despite losing clearances we do defend and counter attack well.

Also shows that when playing Freo, nullifying/taking out Sandilands is massively important.

 

[momentbymoment]

So this shows the Pyke/Tippett combo is doing a good job despite what we may think but what the hell is happening with clearances?? Is our much vaunted midfield not as good as everyone believes and it shows that despite losing clearances we do defend and counter attack well.

I think it's JPK.

He was the one that got us the first touch over the last few years but his dominance is down.

I blame the baby and hope it will come good as we desperately need him.

 

[Number37]

This excellent piece of research shows that defensive teams fail far more often in Grand Finals than attacking teams. Are we too defensive? That's my biggest concern over our gameplan and it has been for a while. Please don't say "but but but 2012" without reading the below, which shows it was a rarity.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threa...squiggly-lines.1022679/page-125#post-39130571

Research?
That is a bit of stretch.

Does that mean that bottom teams are s**t because they aren't attacking enough?
Maybe teams kick high scores because they are so good across the board, rather than being 'attacking'?

FWIW,
I don't believe our game plan is 'defensive' and I don't believe we are any less attacking than Hawthorn, they are just better at creating scores, I would say that is a result more of their disposal (kicking skills in particular) than being 'attacking'.
That kind of logic would also help explain why bottom teams are s**t, because their disposal is s**t.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Research?
That is a bit of stretch.

Does that mean that bottom teams are s**t because they aren't attacking enough?
Maybe teams kick high scores because they are so good across the board, rather than being 'attacking'?

FWIW,
I don't believe our game plan is 'defensive' and I don't believe we are any less attacking than Hawthorn, they are just better at creating scores, I would say that is a result more of their disposal (kicking skills in particular) than being 'attacking'.
That kind of logic would also help explain why bottom teams are s**t, because their disposal is s**t.

Hehehe you brought up Hawthorn again

 

[RUNVS]

Just checked and we are currently 16th in centre clearances, only ahead of Melbourne and Essendon. We are also 8th in clearances around the ground despite being 3rd in stoppages.

We also have the dubious honour of being 2nd in the AFL in clangers, with only Gold Coast beating us.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Just checked and we are currently 16th in centre clearances, only ahead of Melbourne and Essendon. We are also 8th in clearances around the ground despite being 3rd in stoppages.

We also have the dubious honour of being 2nd in the AFL in clangers, with only Gold Coast beating us.

Yes we are in a weird position for certain stats

 

[Number37]

Just checked and we are currently 16th in centre clearances, only ahead of Melbourne and Essendon. We are also 8th in clearances around the ground despite being 3rd in stoppages.

We also have the dubious honour of being 2nd in the AFL in clangers, with only Gold Coast beating us.

I wonder what percentage of our clangers come from delivery to I50?

 

[The King!]

Just checked and we are currently 16th in centre clearances, only ahead of Melbourne and Essendon. We are also 8th in clearances around the ground despite being 3rd in stoppages.

We also have the dubious honour of being 2nd in the AFL in clangers, with only Gold Coast beating us.

The only stat that ultimately matters is ladder position and we look good there

 

[RUNVS]

The only stat that ultimately matters is ladder position and we look good there

Maybe so but the stats I listed still worry me and could really hurt us in the finals.

 

[The King!]

Maybe so but the stats I listed still worry me and could really hurt us in the finals.

Nah dont worry about em

 

[RUNVS]

Nah dont worry about em

With Hawthorn winning most of the centre clearances and the defence gifting Hawthorn a couple of goals every game through some shocking kicks it could get ugly again.

Winning the ball first is crucial as it means when we have the ball we do not need to defend and it puts pressure on Hawthorn. Having them take the ball out of the centre clearances so easily puts our defence under so much pressure.

I know I have been banging on about the clearances for a few years now but it is an area we really have not seemed to of improved at all.

 

[The King!]

With Hawthorn winning most of the centre clearances and the defence gifting Hawthorn a couple of goals every game through some shocking kicks it could get ugly again.

Winning the ball first is crucial as it means when we have the ball we do not need to defend and it puts pressure on Hawthorn. Having them take the ball out of the centre clearances so easily puts our defence under so much pressure.

Defensive ball use is my biggest concern, including kick ins

 

[swansfan51]

The only stat that ultimately matters is ladder position and we look good there

We must have won the premiership last year then, we were on top on the only stat that matters?

 

[The King!]

We must have won the premiership last year then, we were on top on the only stat that matters?

Im talking right now

Last year means f all right now anyway

 

[momentbymoment]

Maybe so but the stats I listed still worry me and could really hurt us in the finals.

It also gives us an opportunity for massive improvement. The question is how? What can we do to reverse the situation?

 

[FreeAgent1]

We used the slingshot against the hawks only this year.... clarko even said it in his post review. More effective for our gameplan against them as you dont need to be good by foot just leave rohan/jetta on the outside and boot it downfield. The strategy is brought undone by dropping one back in space, but if then he is matched up, it continues to work until a man is free..... just think we should really use this against hawks until we learn to use the ball in the corridor like them, and actually hit targets.

 

[Lakeside Swan]

Ken Hinkley was interviewed on 3AW this arvo. He was asked what traits and skills are the most important to him when looking at recruits. He answered;
1. Their character - because if they have strong character they will get the most out of their ability once they get into the AFL system, and
2. Foot skills - because they can move the ball quickly and hit their targets. Foot speed isn't as important as the ball moves quicker with accurate kicking.

Hawthorn seem to have many players who fit these criteria.