Training Pre-Season 2015-16

[Sir_Loin]

Yeah our best players didn't have a good day on the field. However, I think North Melbourne simply have the upper hand against us. We won the contested possessions against them in the Round 6 game, but still lost.

I have mentioned this before, but outside of Round 23 last year (where North played their VFL side), North Melbourne have not scored any less than 100 points against us in a match since 2009. That covers the entire reigns of Damien Hardwick and Brad Scott at Richmond and North Melbourne respectively. In contrast, we have conceded less than a 100 against every side at some point in 2015, let alone the last 6 years. They just match up really well against our defence.

Therefore, the problem may not have been the EF in of itself this time around unlike the past. It may have just been our strategy going into games against North Melbourne altogether. What the problem is though, I can't tell you.

Great post. I remember the game in Tassie earlier in the year and they just waited for us to turn the footy over, then surged forward with the pill and slaughtered us. Then when we slowed the ball down and made it contest they pressured us, made us kick to contest and won the footy back and hurt us on the turnover. When it was up for grabs, too big, pushed us off the ball and moved it quickly. They use a lot of handball off half back which hurts us. Like others have said, they match up well on us. They also have a much older, seasoned side. This is really they're last crack at it I reckon, we turned over another 9 players this year. I'd rather be in our shoes than theirs in terms of the development cycle.

 

[JAKLAUGHING]

NOrff beat us in the EF because the week before they rested their guns...
We didn't...
End of story....

 

[SumTingWong]

NOrff beat us in the EF because the week before they rested their guns...
We didn't...
End of story....

They always beat us

 

[Valixir]

aaaaaaahhhhhhh. OK I know the NAB is considered no big deal in the scheme of things but I soooooo want to see some 2016 footy.

I've watched all last season again, gnawed on the tidbits of training videos, read all the opinions re 2016 here until they go on repeat and now I am READY.

Sigh. Sorry. Just want the season to start.

Get back to me when you've re-watched EVERY roar vision video from the past 3 years and ALL of the shitty montage slideshows on YouTube. I've even sunk to memorising all the player profile Q&A's.

 

[RobsJourney]

Geez looking at today's mic'd up video of Lloyd... Lennon is a specimen. He has grown taller and really filled out. Quite the athlete. Hoping he is building a decent tank but either way, absolute lock for round 1. If Lloyd gets picked ahead of him it's a disaster.

 

[Squibbs]

In a few years I fully expect Lennon and Corey Ellis to be our best players. I like some of our other youth but these guys are just worth frothing over.

 

[Lsta062]

NOrff beat us in the EF because the week before they rested their guns...
We didn't...
End of story....

I wouldn't be shocked if they rested players to ensure they played us as well as getting a rest. They beat us at the MCG, Etihad, Tasmania, pre-season or H&A season regardless of whether they rest players the week before or not. It is not surprising finals went the same way. If they didn't rest players the week before, they would have probably won Round 23 and play someone else in the finals.

I would rest players too if we could make sure we got our bunnies in the final.

 

[tunksy]

Re game style, didn't we go into 2015 with grand plans to be more attacking only to ditch it at about round 4 for the more slow/deliberate style. At the end of the day we didn't have enough attacking and quick players to pull it off. That can change with the new crop of recruits from 2014/15 who have genuine leg speed and disposal skills but will still take a year or 2 or 3 to happen imo.

Probably pretty smart we ditched it.. the power didnt ditch ot and had a shit house year

 

[theflea]

Great post. I remember the game in Tassie earlier in the year and they just waited for us to turn the footy over, then surged forward with the pill and slaughtered us. Then when we slowed the ball down and made it contest they pressured us, made us kick to contest and won the footy back and hurt us on the turnover. When it was up for grabs, too big, pushed us off the ball and moved it quickly. They use a lot of handball off half back which hurts us. Like others have said, they match up well on us. They also have a much older, seasoned side. This is really they're last crack at it I reckon, we turned over another 9 players this year. I'd rather be in our shoes than theirs in terms of the development cycle.

Our issue is still trying to maintain possession while doing so at speed. This is why we tried to slow down our exits. North do have a problem with fast defending, which is why we struggle against them. Hopefully this will change this year.

 

[Lukey D]

In a few years I fully expect Lennon and Corey Ellis to be our best players. I like some of our other youth but these guys are just worth frothing over.

110% agree.

I think Lennon is something extremely special.

 

[jreesosb]

Our issue is still trying to maintain possession while doing so at speed. This is why we tried to slow down our exits. North do have a problem with fast defending, which is why we struggle against them. Hopefully this will change this year.

What do you mean by exits flea?

 

[Calcium Man]

NOrff beat us in the EF because the week before they rested their guns...
We didn't...
End of story....

Norf just match up perfectly against us to exploit our weaknesses.

3 tall forwards (two of who always play well against us) exploits Chaplin and our third tall back. Chappy gets no help and can't help others while Batch was left one out with Waite too much.

Dominate athletic ruck negates Maric at ruck contests and around the ground.

Plethora of hard inside nuts exposes Cotchin and Miles as our only two genuine inside players. Further killed by Goldstein tapping it down the throats.

Our 7 man defense means we are one short in attack. Hansen thrives as a loose tall and picked off our long bombs constantly. Our poor awarness when going into f50 doesn't work against a team with a dominate tall loose defender.

Our poor to average pressure in attack is exploited by Norf who love to attack from the HB line.

A small, skillful and fast player like Brett Harvey constantly cuts us up.

Overall I'm not sure any team in the league matches up as well against us as Norf. That is further highlighted by the stat they never score below 100 points against us yet we've pretty much held every other team below that threshold in last 2 years.

 

[JAKLAUGHING]

Yeah...that's how they won with freshened players...

 

[RobsJourney]

Rioli looked good in that brief snippet too.
Cannot WAIT to see him in nab.
Looks to have already put on a little muscle.

 

[theflea]

What do you mean by exits flea?

As in our exit from our back 50.

 

[jreesosb]

As in our exit from our back 50.

Aah. the speed of wet cement rolling downhill

 

[Charlie Pannam]

In a few years I fully expect Lennon and Corey Ellis to be our best players. I like some of our other youth but these guys are just worth frothing over.

Good call, these 2 have sublime footskills, you try and get the ball into their hands at every opportunity.

 

[Sir_Loin]

Good call, these 2 have sublime footskills, you try and get the ball into their hands at every opportunity.

Lennon is a bit of a mystery. I wonder if the tigers rate him as much. Could be anything but dropped for the EF after a few good showings and the contract issues over the post season. Needs a good year

 

[CotchNCo]

I was really impressed by Lennon's marking in the games he played last season. Really took some of the pressure of the side with his contested marking.

 

[guruisatiger]

Fahour?

as an Australian post employee please don't mention that name

 

[Charlie Pannam]

Lennon is a bit of a mystery. I wonder if the tigers rate him as much. Could be anything but dropped for the EF after a few good showings and the contract issues over the post season. Needs a good year

I think the penny dropped last year for Lennon re how hard he has to work to play regular senior football. Maybe up until then he was expecting talent alone to do it for him. As long as he doesn't get ahead of himself I reckon he'll be an absolute gun.

 

[Sir_Loin]

I think the penny dropped last year for Lennon re how hard he has to work to play regular senior football. Maybe up until then he was expecting talent alone to do it for him. As long as he doesn't get ahead of himself I reckon he'll be an absolute gun.

Hope so, can be if he wants it

 

[Magic17]

110% agree.

I think Lennon is something extremely special.

Really... hope I'm wrong but he would need to show a bit more than what I've seen so far... needs intensity more than he needs muscle.

 

[Dunger]

I think the penny dropped last year for Lennon re how hard he has to work to play regular senior football. Maybe up until then he was expecting talent alone to do it for him. As long as he doesn't get ahead of himself I reckon he'll be an absolute gun.

Spot on, the kid can take a great contested mark for his size. Knows where the sticks are too. I cant wait to see how he has improved come round 1

 

[Livonski]

He's got it. Don't worry about that.
Intensity? No probs.
his biggest issue is overconfidence at this early stage. That will get smacked out of him soon enough, if not already by missing the final.