Roast Grant Birchall's Tackling

[go hawks!!!]

We as a team have a low tackle count - our focus is not to tackle but stay of the man as a team we are last in tackles in the AFL.

If you think Birch is weak, refer to the bump in prelim final - got us back into the game.

Birch is playing injured and has for the last two weeks - thats why his run is down.

If you think he is s**t, you may be suffering from short term memory loss. He is AA and has been a consistent runner and ball winner for a number of years, his performance should not be measured on tackles, more his run and carry of which opposition coaches now tag him and we don't have another runner from the back. If he is carrying an injury this week please leave him out.

 

[Brishawk]

I personally believe most defenders would have less tackles on average than any other position.

I'm more worried about Birchall, and a few other of our players, inability to inject themselves into a game.

Quoted for accuracy. His whole career he has averaged low tackle numbers because his role is to peal of his man and either win the lose ball or make himself an option. He isn't in position to tackle anywhere near as often as other players.

 

[flinchfree]

If your forwards don't tackle they get pounded for not keeping the ball in scoring areas and allowing simple rebound footy.
If your mids don't tackle they're considered 'one way' players, ala the detritus heaped at Ablett's feet in other threads.
But if your backs don't tackle, well hey, why should they because their role is to peel off and provide a run option.....
What a load of bollocks!
So their job is to rely on poor delivery by their opponents mids, feed on mistakes, and spoil as a last resort?????
Give me Ayres'ys tackles, or Hodgey's, or Silks and I'll be good with some of their own shortcomings.
But Birch gets a free ride and can't be called to question? No one's asked for him to be traded in this thread! It's all good when we're downhill skiing because of the pressure our other players are putting all over the field before it gets to him, but you know sometimes that's not going to work for us. Not for a week, or a month, or however long. And when that happens, your backs have to sacrifice their bodies and wrap up and get the ball turned over our way.
Including said Birch.

 

[Davo23]

If your forwards don't tackle they get pounded for not keeping the ball in scoring areas and allowing simple rebound footy.
If your mids don't tackle they're considered 'one way' players, ala the detritus heaped at Ablett's feet in other threads.
But if your backs don't tackle, well hey, why should they because their role is to peel off and provide a run option.....
What a load of bollocks!
So their job is to rely on poor delivery by their opponents mids, feed on mistakes, and spoil as a last resort?????
Give me Ayres'ys tackles, or Hodgey's, or Silks and I'll be good with some of their own shortcomings.
But Birch gets a free ride and can't be called to question? No one's asked for him to be traded in this thread! It's all good when we're downhill skiing because of the pressure our other players are putting all over the field before it gets to him, but you know sometimes that's not going to work for us. Not for a week, or a month, or however long. And when that happens, your backs have to sacrifice their bodies and wrap up and get the ball turned over our way.
Including said Birch.

The game has changed, mate.
The forwards do more defence than defenders do. Cyril, Poppy and the others chase and tackle to create pressure to force them into mistakes or poor disposals.

The main role of the defence is to turn the ball over and use run and accurate kicking to set up goals. Sure they have to tackle, but they do more corralling than tackling.

If you want to watch tackling, have a look at the dross served up by Freo and $ydney, scrums of 12-14 players round every contest, dull, boring crap served up as footy.

Birchall is overrated?
What a load of toss!

 

[kolchak]

Birchall is incredibly important to our game plan with his rebounding, and he is the one player if I was the opposition coach I'd tell my players to go the knuckle on. If you can beat him you go a long way to beating the Hawks. He's not really a defender in the traditional sense. I'd rate him in he top 5 for his importance to the team, maybe not the complete footballer but elite in everythng we need him to be.

 

[Gralin]

Our game plan when the ball is outside our 50 and an opponent has it in space seems to be to coral and pressure the disposal in the hopes of creating a turn over more than tackle.
Funny that we are the lowest tackling side this year but most of the team are at or above their career averages for tackling.

I think Birch is better defensively that he used to be but his games isn't built on negating an opponent, it's intercepting the ball coming out of our 50 and setting up scoring chains, when he isn't able to do that he looks bad and the difference it makes to our performance shows how important he is.

Lets hope he plays better this week

 

[flinchfree]

The game has changed, mate.
The forwards do more defence than defenders do. Cyril, Poppy and the others chase and tackle to create pressure to force them into mistakes or poor disposals.

The main role of the defence is to turn the ball over and use run and accurate kicking to set up goals. Sure they have to tackle, but they do more corralling than tackling.

If you want to watch tackling, have a look at the dross served up by Freo and $ydney, scrums of 12-14 players round every contest, dull, boring crap served up as footy.

Birchall is overrated?
What a load of toss!

I hear you and I'm not into rolling scrums either, but geez - if you are a defender and the opposition forwards have the ball....I don't know how much corralling I want to watch. I want to see tackles that stick and make the ball come loose!

 

[Honeymoon Hawk]

Just missed an important one on big tex just then, he can fend off though

 

[Brishawk]

Yeah it was a tired effort but he was very important tonight.

 

[Hawkas1988]

The guy is a hawks champ, playing sore and produces a usual high standard Birchall game. He has had about 2 bad games this year and they were his previous 2 b4 tonight. Short memories on here it seems. As for the tackling issue, it seems the whole club got a wake up call on pressure and tackling this week. Being 18th in this area is an issue when we aren't dominating games of footy.

 

[m1kest4r]

Moved a bit more freely last night than the previous few rounds, hopefully his niggle is starting to go away.