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You are correct in what you say about the Pies and the Tigers but we are not going after their exact plan.
We just want the pressure and the team defence aspect which we have been very poor at. It is not about playing small forward lines. It is about not allowing sides to march the ball up the ground and get easy possession inside 50 and exposing the defenders. We need to be able to play team defence if we are to release the running power of McKenna and Saad out of half back. In games like Sunday they get stuck in the back half defending because the pressure through the middle of the ground is non existent. Take the first goal. GWS simply chipped forward along the edge of the zone. We did not slide so they had 3 x 25m kicks forward down the wing and then kicked it to the pocket where Hurley was stuck defending 3.
Our biggest issue is the lack of ability in the marking department. No one takes a telling mark coming out of defence so the ball is always in a contest. IF we could take a mark we could move the ball quicker and bring the running players into the game.
Worsfold is not a great in the tactic department but has always been a team defence man which is why he won a flag with the Eagles.
Clarkson is considered the best coach but his tactics are not radical. Find skilled players who limit turn overs. Demand players play their role and sacrifice for the team. Team defence and players who can play at both ends.
We have some players I suspect would get moved on in his game plan.
Bucks actually took a lot out of his game plan to make it more a simple pressure and defend game. With the help of his captain he managed to get most of the down hill skiers to defend and went back to Mayne who was not flashy but was prepared to play the team game and give a bit more defence.
I am not going to say Woosha is the man because the jury is out on his ability to be able to get the buy in. He has to be able to sell the message. If he can not then he has to go. I will say his wanting team defence is the right way to go and anyone else who comes in will be asking the same thing. Question the coach for sure but also question our club culture and the fact leading players like Zaharakis and Merritt do not seem to be on board with team defending. Richmond, West Coast , Collingwood and the Bulldogs all went forward on the back of team first buy in various forms.
I agree with Bruno that despite how ordinary we looked for most of the game last week, we did hold good field position for the first quarter. However, obsession with the structure behind that seems to reduce the focus the players have on pressure around the ball. It also seems to effect how they move the ball forward. I believe those two negative consequences far outweigh the positives in field position. In fact, I would say we're better off having shitty field position so that we can break into a fairly open forward line. This takes advantage of the speed we have off half back and the marking ability of McKernan as well as the chaos ability of Tippa and Stringer.



