Analysis Game plan

[JayJ20]

So, what was the difference between the first half v Hawks and the second? Was it just execution or was it modification to the game plan? Seemed like we kicked a lot more and handballed less in the second half. I find it so hard to figure this team out.

Hope it's not a case of at half time we threw away the game plan we'd been working on all year and we've just been wasting time.

It was execution.

We still handballed quite a bit in the second half, but our handballing was with purpose instead of handballing 1m to stationary targets like we did in the first. Our pressure was much better as well.

We also dominated the air in the second half, something we've rarely done this year. Taking marks around the ground helps us break the game open.

 

[Howard Moon]

So was that the big click moment they all speak of?, or one of many spurts along the way?

 

[JayJ20]

So was that the big click moment they all speak of?, or one of many spurts along the way?

I'm hoping it is, but I remember thinking that after the big comeback vs Adelaide (funnily enough also at Adelaide Oval) late last year before the wheels fell off.

 

[Mercurial89]

So was that the big click moment they all speak of?, or one of many spurts along the way?

Id suggest spurt, the opposition wasn't exactly premiership calibre. It was the perfect game for teaching though, one that they will get loads of footage of, and the good thing was it had a large majority of our 22 in it, so our best team knows the feeling of it all clicking and starting to work.

Id like a similar 'style' on show against the eagles but they are an incredibly well drilled team they will make it hard for us to play that way.

 

[Howard Moon]

Id suggest spurt, the opposition wasn't exactly premiership calibre. It was the perfect game for teaching though, one that they will get loads of footage of, and the good thing was it had a large majority of our 22 in it, so our best team knows the feeling of it all clicking and starting to work.

Id like a similar 'style' on show against the eagles but they are an incredibly well drilled team they will make it hard for us to play that way.

It must be said clarko made little effort to make changes to negate anything, not even move his #1 ruck from full back.

Already banked their top pick

 

[Mercurial89]

It must be said clarko made little effort to make changes to negate anything, not even move his #1 ruck from full back.

Already banked their top pick

McCevoy did actually try to attend a centre bounce, he got kicked out of the centre circle though because they had too many in there, though i think it was late.

That is why i think this game was very beneficial. The boys started to get going and it was a soft enemy that didnt slow them up so we got an entire half of "the way we want to play" which would have been very important as a teaching tool to get some reward for effort, for the coaches to show vision and just the belief that when it works it does work.

Obviously challenges will come but I just keep coming back to feeling this was such an important game for so many parties.

Joe gets back and may have saved his career.
The coaches finally have something to build on, to show the players and say see!
Andy finally realised that his hands are where the ball needs to be, not quickly dished out to a player under pressure.
The fans, to see that there is a bit of hope.

It could all fall in a heap and we never see that form again, but its at least something.

 

[ant555]

So, what was the difference between the first half v Hawks and the second? Was it just execution or was it modification to the game plan? Seemed like we kicked a lot more and handballed less in the second half. I find it so hard to figure this team out.

Hope it's not a case of at half time we threw away the game plan we'd been working on all year and we've just been wasting time.

Clearly how we executed. It is just dumb footy when you keep hand balling to stationary targets. All we did in the second half was not to hand ball to blokes in a dumb position and kick the ball instead.They scored 50 plus points from turnover in the first half and none in the second half. There was still a lot of forward handball but it was to blokes on the move and we actually hit our blokes more often. The second half is exactly how we want to play.
Having three marking targets forward of the ball helped. McEvoy could not zone off like he did in the first half.
I found it easy to work out. Poor skills and dumb play killed us in the first half. Better skills and an adjustment of Hooker going forward put us back in the game.

 

[bombadeer]

Having three strong marking targets in the forward half of the ground seemingly materialise out of nowhere (Daniher, Hooker - Stewart has been building nicely for a few weeks) is certainly transformative to any game plan.

 

[Bjchan13]

Having three strong marking targets in the forward half of the ground seemingly materialise out of nowhere (Daniher, Hooker - Stewart has been building nicely for a few weeks) is certainly transformative to any game plan.

100 percent. You have to have the marking power to execute a successful game plan. Richmond wouldn't have won another flag without the addition of Tom Lynch. West Coast beat Collingwood in the air in 18. Joe, Stew and Chook is a capable aerial attack but everyones been injured. If we got full seasons out of them we'd be in the mix

 

[ghostdog]

One thing I mentioned in the match thread that needs to be here is why are we not running the footy as much as we have ? There is obviously been a partial change to what we have been doing but I think it is really a personal issue. With McKenna and to a lesser extent Redman not really matching the form they have shown previously it has been pretty much left to Saad to provide the run. It is a lot easier to shut down one man.
I noticed we did attempt to pin point a few kicks into the corridor on the weekend but most got tuned over as we where kicking to a out number all the time.
The loss of output from McKenna has not been replaced or replicated this year. Raz was used at half back before he got injured to try and give us some more zip but recently we have not had the dual speed of Saad and McKenna running the footy from defense.

Didn't get to watch the game last night. I get the impression Dev played on hb? McKenna's role?

 

[Towno78]

Clearly how we executed. It is just dumb footy when you keep hand balling to stationary targets. All we did in the second half was not to hand ball to blokes in a dumb position and kick the ball instead.They scored 50 plus points from turnover in the first half and none in the second half. There was still a lot of forward handball but it was to blokes on the move and we actually hit our blokes more often. The second half is exactly how we want to play.
Having three marking targets forward of the ball helped. McEvoy could not zone off like he did in the first half.
I found it easy to work out. Poor skills and dumb play killed us in the first half. Better skills and an adjustment of Hooker going forward put us back in the game.

McGrath streaming out of a centre bounce in the 2nd was a peak example. No one near him other than a defender approaching from in front on his left.

A ton of time to hit a forward option by foot, or draw the defender and release Merrett to an open 50, or draw the defender and dance around him to an open 50. Instead telegraphs a handball 1m to his right, to arrive to Merrett immediately under pressure.
Hope he watches the replay of that 20 times this week, so we never see that again.

 

[ant555]

Didn't get to watch the game last night. I get the impression Dev played on hb? McKenna's role?

Yep and was pretty good with his run and kicking from half back. Not McKenna quick but still breaking the lines.

 

[ghostdog]

There's an article on the ABC news webpage this morning about our game plan and its failures. I can't post it unfortunately. It features video of what we do with an extra on the defensive side of a stoppage and talks about our apparent unwillingness to roll an extra back with the defenders.

 

[owen87]

There's an article on the ABC news webpage this morning about our game plan and its failures. I can't post it unfortunately. It features video of what we do with an extra on the defensive side of a stoppage and talks about our apparent unwillingness to roll an extra back with the defenders.

This the one?

They're good on paper, but the Bombers are missing the mark

Essendon had a hot start to the AFL season, but have since veered off track for the finals. Cody Atkinson and Sean Lawson take a look at how, why and what it means.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Bjchan13]

This the one?

They're good on paper, but the Bombers are missing the mark

Essendon had a hot start to the AFL season, but have since veered off track for the finals. Cody Atkinson and Sean Lawson take a look at how, why and what it means.

www.abc.net.au

In the video showing when the extra at the contest goes wrong you can see its 13vs 12 on screen our way at the throw in. Langford is the spare. Draper wins the tap easily to Merrett. Merretts kick was smothered but you can bet his kick was headed to a contest where Geelong had their spare so id assume they wouldve been a good chance to win it straight back considering we struggle to mark the ball. Langford is pretty much useless as the spare at the contest. If we wanted to be attacking why not have him forward so when Merrett kick isn't smothered its going to an even numbers contest forward? Or utilise our interceptors in Francis and Ridley and have the spare standing in front of Hurley and Hawkins?

 

[Lore]

This the one?

They're good on paper, but the Bombers are missing the mark

Essendon had a hot start to the AFL season, but have since veered off track for the finals. Cody Atkinson and Sean Lawson take a look at how, why and what it means.

www.abc.net.au

I'm beginning to like the ABC's AFL coverage more and more. Catherine Murphy is from the ABC too.

 

[Squeaky]

That's a good find and a good piece.

 

[ant555]

This the one?

They're good on paper, but the Bombers are missing the mark

Essendon had a hot start to the AFL season, but have since veered off track for the finals. Cody Atkinson and Sean Lawson take a look at how, why and what it means.

www.abc.net.au

Exactly why I have not been a fan of our extra at the stoppage.

 

[Bjchan13]

Exactly why I have not been a fan of our extra at the stoppage.

I can't think of a good reason to be setting up how we are. The coaching staff must see a reason, what do you think it is?

 

[eth-dog]

I can't think of a good reason to be setting up how we are. The coaching staff must see a reason, what do you think it is?

Two reasons I reckon, we're too small and a lack of defensive intent from Merrett, Parish.

 

[ghostdog]

In the video showing when the extra at the contest goes wrong you can see its 13vs 12 on screen our way at the throw in. Langford is the spare. Draper wins the tap easily to Merrett. Merretts kick was smothered but you can bet his kick was headed to a contest where Geelong had their spare so id assume they wouldve been a good chance to win it straight back considering we struggle to mark the ball. Langford is pretty much useless as the spare at the contest. If we wanted to be attacking why not have him forward so when Merrett kick isn't smothered its going to an even numbers contest forward? Or utilise our interceptors in Francis and Ridley and have the spare standing in front of Hurley and Hawkins?

Isn't that where we should, according to how the current 'plan' looks, handball quickly out of the stoppage with overlap run and handball before then looking for a forward target?

 

[ant555]

I can't think of a good reason to be setting up how we are. The coaching staff must see a reason, what do you think it is?

A bit of what eth has said and trying to have more presence at the stoppage. Oddly enough it has been something we have done since 2012 over a few coaches. I think it fails as the extra we send up do not have great midfield craft and get caught out of position.

 

[Bjchan13]

Isn't that where we should, according to how the current 'plan' looks, handball quickly out of the stoppage with overlap run and handball before then looking for a forward target?

Maybe? But I cant see how that would've worked with all those geelong mids closing in on Merrett and a flatfooted Langford standing right next to him. Maybe that explains all of the 1m handballs we see.

 

[Bjchan13]

A bit of what eth has said and trying to have more presence at the stoppage. Oddly enough it has been something we have done since 2012 over a few coaches. I think it fails as the extra we send up do not have great midfield craft and get caught out of position.

Is it something that you think we will stick with and try and teach to do better? Do Rutten/Cara swear by having that stoppage sweeper? Or can you see them canning that and trying to win and move the ball another way?

 

[ant555]

Is it something that you think we will stick with and try and teach to do better? Do Rutten/Cara swear by having that stoppage sweeper? Or can you see them canning that and trying to win and move the ball another way?

I do not know. Personally I think we are better suited to playing an extra in defence or just 6 forwards.