Hi all,
I think this is the area whereby we can improve most in 2019. The talent is there (injuries have played a role) but i think the game style is what is holding us back. We were most effective in 2016 when we were really attacking and scored a lot of points. Since then we have worked on our defensive structures to try and find a more finals like brand of football.
The touted orange tsunami from a few years ago got found out and we had to adapt. In 2018 we played a game style that focused on counter punching and winning the stoppage/contested game. If the ball as in the middle of the ground/ forward half we worked on a stoppage and backed our contested work to score. This meant fairly slow ball movement as in both of those situations teams had plenty of time to set up.
We still set up the counter attack out of defence quite well in 2018 and whitfield led the way there. I think with williams and kennedy running the ball out of the D50 in 2019 all year we will still be formidable if whitfield spends more time in the middle like he has done most of his career.
Personally I want the best of both worlds- I don't want to lose the focus of our strength (contested ball) but at the same time don't want to have to rely on the counter attack to get fast entries into the forward line. Maybe a move to a more open forward line (like richmond) with one tall and a small in support more often can give us an option whereby we can avoid the congestion we have seen and the long kicks (bombs) which have been a frustration for many.. I can see Green/ Harry playing as the tall and daniels/langdon as the small.
Its a tough call, but i think game plan wise something needs to change for us to open up more scoring lanes than what we currently have
What are your thoughts?
I think this is the area whereby we can improve most in 2019. The talent is there (injuries have played a role) but i think the game style is what is holding us back. We were most effective in 2016 when we were really attacking and scored a lot of points. Since then we have worked on our defensive structures to try and find a more finals like brand of football.
The touted orange tsunami from a few years ago got found out and we had to adapt. In 2018 we played a game style that focused on counter punching and winning the stoppage/contested game. If the ball as in the middle of the ground/ forward half we worked on a stoppage and backed our contested work to score. This meant fairly slow ball movement as in both of those situations teams had plenty of time to set up.
We still set up the counter attack out of defence quite well in 2018 and whitfield led the way there. I think with williams and kennedy running the ball out of the D50 in 2019 all year we will still be formidable if whitfield spends more time in the middle like he has done most of his career.
Personally I want the best of both worlds- I don't want to lose the focus of our strength (contested ball) but at the same time don't want to have to rely on the counter attack to get fast entries into the forward line. Maybe a move to a more open forward line (like richmond) with one tall and a small in support more often can give us an option whereby we can avoid the congestion we have seen and the long kicks (bombs) which have been a frustration for many.. I can see Green/ Harry playing as the tall and daniels/langdon as the small.
Its a tough call, but i think game plan wise something needs to change for us to open up more scoring lanes than what we currently have
What are your thoughts?