Autopsy RTB’s Whiteboard - Sunday 14 Sept 2014 – “Areas for Improvement”

[Mr Peabody]

Now that we’ve seen the preseason unfold, in retrospect, I’ve indulged and asked myself what the Boss would have wrote up as ‘areas for improvement’ after the abrupt end to last season.

Pull up a pew and let me know your thoughts too….

Heightened Fitness
On the back of our straight sets exit, our endurance and inability to run out games were exposed and clearly identified as weaknesses. In response, the coach talked up a challenging preseason program at the B&F and in his own words he is confident that his fitness staff have delivered:-

“40% more football and running work which is massive. It’s not guesswork, it’s data dominated. We know we’re ready. And we’re playing a very good running team but we consider ourselves an elite running team. And we’ll be ready to go. “

A total of 21 players set new personal bests during this summer's three-kilometre time trials.
http://www.watoday.com.au/afl/fremantle-dockers/season-preview-fremantle-dockers-in-last-hurrah-for-afl-flag-20150320-1m3wso.html

RTB is backing us to outgun Port- they're very good but we're elite.

Can’t wait to see how we face off in this respect in a couple of weeks’ time.

Skills and Precision
RTB has spoken during the preseason of the Hawks as the team to catch and we’re trying to replicate their ball movement and control as evidenced with the increased amount of ball work this preseason. There has been a concerted focus on improving our foot skills, precision and decision making to support assertive ball movement – be it, rapidly or in restraint depending on the tempo of the game.

“It’s retention. I think Hawthorn are very good at going slow. There’s time to go slow and there’s times to go quick. It’s harder than you think for teams to go quickly all the time. I think what’s been promoted from some analysts, is that its run-and-gun. But the reality is you need to go fast at certain times and you go slow, depending on what the opposition is doing. I certainly think it’s about decision making and that’s where experience comes in. Players understand where we go quick and where we go slow. We’ve got to get better at decisions.” http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/afl/ross-lyon-answers-all-the-big-questions-ahead-of-2015/story-fniv64vs-1227243027901

Increased Goal Scoring
We’ve heard of the focus on goal kicking accuracy and the involvement of biomechanics at training – I hope the benefits of that kick in soon as it wasn’t really apparent on Sunday.

Equally important is creating more goal scoring opportunities and the focus on heightened fitness and improved skills / precision is aimed at delivering more offense.

I reckon the message has been if we up the fitness, hone the skills and get more smarts, the scoring will look after itself……as long as we kick straight……

The Game Plan
RTB is clearly sold on a need for more height up forward. In hindsight he alluded to making a mistake in not persevering with Taberner more often early last season. We played Hannath yesterday as well as the 2 rucks so he’s pursuing it. We’re also mixing it up with the likes of Mayne, Mundy and even Sherro yesterday in different positions to provide cover but also keep the opposition guessing.

The defensive pressure was switched on yesterday and WCE struggled with it. The heightened fitness should reinforce our defensive intensity – hopefully back to 2013 levels.

Improvements in Personnel
The Hawks (Frawley, O’Rourke) and Port (Ryder) have traded for immediate impact.

We obviously did not and are relying on organic growth:-

Young Guys to take the next step
Sheridan, Crozier and Taberner.

Regaining their mojo
Mayne, Ibbo, Spurr and possibly Clarke are positioned to at least start this year off better than the last. Same with Son Son. Clancee offers at least good depth and looks to be groomed to be the Crowley replacement so is probably more than that – looks bloody fit to me and ready to inflict some damage.

Potential “A” Graders
Sutty and Neale improved last year – if they take the next step, they’ll be a cut above many.

The Elite
Hilly has had a great preseason and stood out in a couple of preseason hit outs. He will take it to another level.

The West is Fyfe’s….

 

[beetz]

Great read.

 

[blue shark]

I would rather look at Freo over a five year period, which gives you time to improve the list, manage
retirements, long term injury, coaches, etc.
This year I think it has been four years since Lyon took over, and his track record speaks for itself.
We should be a chance this year and next, then we will have to do a mini-rebuild, with some Huge
retirements to try and cover for.
Sylvia, Crowley, may have already played their last games in purple, add Moro, Griffen who both need to
show something this year.
But I think we are on the right track, with some exciting young talent added to the squad, and the age of
our list, the midfield engine will remain first class, key position needs time though.

 

[beetz]

I would rather look at Freo over a five year period, which gives you time to improve the list, manage
retirements, long term injury, coaches, etc.
This year I think it has been four years since Lyon took over, and his track record speaks for itself.
We should be a chance this year and next, then we will have to do a mini-rebuild, with some Huge
retirements to try and cover for.
Sylvia, Crowley, may have already played their last games in purple, add Moro, Griffen who both need to
show something this year.
But I think we are on the right track, with some exciting young talent added to the squad, and the age of
our list, the midfield engine will remain first class, key position needs time though.

Yep, Freo will have one of the best midfields in the comp for a fair few years to come. Key position wise, there will be a lot of hope going in to the likes of Apeness, Taberner, Pearce, Smith, Hannath etc. to come along in leaps and bounds and transition in to the large holes left by Sandi, Pav, McPharlin.

 

[clogged]

Improvements in Personnel
The Hawks (Frawley, O’Rourke) and Port (Ryder) have traded for immediate impact.

We obviously did not and are relying on organic growth:-

Young Guys to take the next step
Sheridan, Crozier and Taberner.

Regaining their mojo
Mayne, Ibbo, Spurr and possibly Clarke are positioned to at least start this year off better than the last. Same with Son Son. Clancee offers at least good depth and looks to be groomed to be the Crowley replacement so is probably more than that – looks bloody fit to me and ready to inflict some damage.

Potential “A” Graders
Sutty and Neale improved last year – if they take the next step, they’ll be a cut above many.

The Elite
Hilly has had a great preseason and stood out in a couple of preseason hit outs. He will take it to another level.

The West is Fyfe’s….

Agree with this. There's enough evidence of improvement from the players you've listed to give cause for optimism. Players who are normally best 22 have barely featured and the side has still played according to the Lyon ethos. That means we can expect consistency through the year regardless of injuries or player form.

 

[Mr Peabody]

Agree with this. There's enough evidence of improvement from the players you've listed to give cause for optimism. Players who are normally best 22 have barely featured and the side has still played according to the Lyon ethos. That means we can expect consistency through the year regardless of injuries or player form.

It's only the one hit out but you also noticed the increased propensity to score and the signs of improved fitness levels on the weekend right? The latter might well be common across the competition as all teams have had more prep time this year, but there is more intent in the manner in which we're moving the ball this preseason and when there has been hesitation, the coach has been on to them at training during match sims and also made comment of the same in his pressers after the scratchies. By no means perfect but it's a focus.

 

[Quinz]

RTB is backing us to outgun Port- they're very good but we're elite.

Can’t wait to see how we face off in this respect in a couple of weeks’ time.

That's going to be a phenomenal match.

The ability of the Dockers to switch on the pressure was really evident in the game on the weekend, and the forward line looked quite potent, taking advantage of turnovers on the quick break.

 

[pavsbootlace]

That's going to be a phenomenal match.

The ability of the Dockers to switch on the pressure was really evident in the game on the weekend, and the forward line looked quite potent, taking advantage of turnovers on the quick break.

I call this "The Chris Mayne Effect".

 

[Okinakashi]

The West is Fyfe’s….

Not according to the E-girls bumper stickers...

 

[freo84]

I have a feeling that having Clancee Pearce, a fit Walters and Ibbo will make a difference. Not to mention Zack Clarke as well.

There is a lot to like about the list and it's a real shame that Freo and Ross Lyon are being portrayed as old, and that no youth ever get played.

Getting another preseaon into Sutty, Neale, Sheridan and Tabs will have to have helped them a fair bit.

Fyfe looked unstoppable in his 2 games completely owning the ball. Hilly was a beast in a few games and looks cherry ripe to start ripping games apart.

I'm really optimistic about the season as you can tell and cannot wait for it to start. We are right up to our eyeballs in this.

 

[beetz]

I have a feeling that having Clancee Pearce, a fit Walters and Ibbo will make a difference. Not to mention Zack Clarke as well.

There is a lot to like about the list and it's a real shame that Freo and Ross Lyon are being portrayed as old, and that no youth ever get played.

Getting another preseaon into Sutty, Neale, Sheridan and Tabs will have to have helped them a fair bit.

Fyfe looked unstoppable in his 2 games completely owning the ball. Hilly was a beast in a few games and looks cherry ripe to start ripping games apart.

I'm really optimistic about the season as you can tell and cannot wait for it to start. We are right up to our eyeballs in this.

Not to mention a fit Mayne, McPharlin and Johnson.

 

[george2]

I think the inclusion of Frawley might cause a bit of disruption to the settled Hawks backline. There is no way they can play Lake, Gibson, Stratton and Frawley in the same backline. Then there is also the cult figure of Spangher as well. It will probably be Lake's last year you would think but that is going to be one seriously top heavy backline so I don't know whether it will improve there backline or not. If you look at it both Gibson and Lake like to play that third man up and intercept role, that leaves Frawley to take on the number 1 forward and I know who I would back if he was playing on a Franklin or Hawkins. Then O'Rourke is a bit of an unknown commodity but he also has a lot of competition for a spot. All in all I don't know if there recruits are going to improve there team this year or hinder it. We have a much more settled line up

 

[blue shark]

Short term injury last year to hawks definitely helped their cause, due to quality of depth in the list, and
giving older players a chance to fully recover, rest.
I believe we are in the same boat this year, and will have a different feel to previous years, becoming less
predictable, and have the players to cover for injury, and maybe actually increase our scoring ability,
especially the midfield.

 

[Boppo]

Ball handling. We were no where near the Swans.

 

[blue shark]

Ball handling. We were no where near the Swans.

New year, new players, fitness program, hopefully less injuries than last year. Players to come under
scrutiny, MDB, D Pearce, Suban. Crowley, Sylvia only have themselves to blame.
MDB, and Suban be all the reports have felt the pressure and responded, but the lift in quality of the
kids, and preseason program shows we wont accept slow ball movement, decisions, turnovers.