Has there ever been a side in this competition fiddle around with the ball as much as the Falcons?
On the weekend they had 400 possessions (201 kicks and 199 handballs), 92 marks (only 10 of them were contested), and a whopping 146 handball receives. In a game which they only won by three points - somewhat fortunately in the end.
The average possessions per team in a TAC Cup game is around the 300 mark.
If we look at other teams from the weekend, total possessions:
Dandenong 311
Murray 253
Calder 268
Gippsland 383 (and have also been high during the season)
Northern 308
North Ballarat 263
Oakleigh 319
Bendigo 275
Sandringham 349
Western 329
Eastern 275
Average (excluding Geelong) 303
Geelong's overuse isn't isolated to one game....
The week before against Northern they had 395 possessions (215 kicks and 180 handballs), 145 handball receives and 99 marks (only 9 of them were contested).
Round 8 they had 206 kicks and 192 handballs (total of 398 possessions). 150 handball receives. 111 marks (only 5 marks were contested).
Chipping the ball around sideways and backwards isn't really the style of footy I want to see in the TAC Cup. It seems to be a "keepings off" mentality - similar to the type of footy the Hawks are trying to play in the AFL.
Good luck to them, they have been winning. But it's no wonder a few of their players looked soft and unable to be physically imposing when they wore a Vic Country jumper over the carnival - clearly used to getting the easy kicks, and not getting much practice at taking contested marks!
On the weekend they had 400 possessions (201 kicks and 199 handballs), 92 marks (only 10 of them were contested), and a whopping 146 handball receives. In a game which they only won by three points - somewhat fortunately in the end.
The average possessions per team in a TAC Cup game is around the 300 mark.
If we look at other teams from the weekend, total possessions:
Dandenong 311
Murray 253
Calder 268
Gippsland 383 (and have also been high during the season)
Northern 308
North Ballarat 263
Oakleigh 319
Bendigo 275
Sandringham 349
Western 329
Eastern 275
Average (excluding Geelong) 303
Geelong's overuse isn't isolated to one game....
The week before against Northern they had 395 possessions (215 kicks and 180 handballs), 145 handball receives and 99 marks (only 9 of them were contested).
Round 8 they had 206 kicks and 192 handballs (total of 398 possessions). 150 handball receives. 111 marks (only 5 marks were contested).
Chipping the ball around sideways and backwards isn't really the style of footy I want to see in the TAC Cup. It seems to be a "keepings off" mentality - similar to the type of footy the Hawks are trying to play in the AFL.
Good luck to them, they have been winning. But it's no wonder a few of their players looked soft and unable to be physically imposing when they wore a Vic Country jumper over the carnival - clearly used to getting the easy kicks, and not getting much practice at taking contested marks!