- Mar 4, 2015
- 2,237
- 2,716
- AFL Club
- Port Adelaide
- Other Teams
- Central Districts
What?
The Taylor thing broke down THEN succeeded. His first seven games produced 2 goals. His next 12 produced 18.
In the PF Dangerfield had 3 shots on goal in the first 40 minutes of the game. Guess what happened a week earlier against Sydney? Yep. 3 shots in the first 40 minutes.
For years Scott has had this stupid ‘no plan b’ thing hanging around his neck, yet if anything it’s a strength. While we get jumped as much as the next team, I can’t remember ever watching an afl team find ways with the regularity that we do, to stop whatever it is that’s going wrong. The knock on him is that in some cases either a) we absorb so much damage when plan A isn’t working that we literally are too far behind to work our way back, or b) he’s too reluctant to put plan B into action.
It’s evidenced by 5 losses over 50 points in 7 years (two of them by 50 and 51 I might add). That tells you that when we are losing, we at least find a way to stem the tide, a fairly good mark of a coach who can find alternative game plans.
If you go into any game with a plan of how you were going to win you aren't giving enough credit to the opposition, how can game plan a work if the opposition don't let you play it.
The key is to go in with a basic defensive mindset and adapt to the oppositions moves, a reactive approach.
Look at Ports last qtr in the 2014 PF, Clarko didn't expect Port to charge from the back of the square as it isn't something that is done regularly, we didn't just do it from the first kick, we did it when we knew Hawthorn weren't expecting it and it almost worked.
Phil Walsh was a master tactician much like Clarko.
With all the talk of Danger starting forward or centre in the lead up to that game I would have played him in defence to A, throw a curve ball at Pyke and B, to nullify Adelaide's attack like Rance did on GF day, the man can take contested marks flat footed and has the speed and reach to spoil leads, then when things weren't working for Adelaide, throw him in the middle to get the ball moving the other way.
You don't win finals in the first 10 minutes as Adelaide discovered on Saturday.
Richmond didn't win the GF because they're a better side, they won because they weathered the storm.
Last edited: