2017 Game Plan

[Jakksynn]

So many aspects of our game were terrible. Transition from defense in particular. I can think of maybe a handful of times when we successfully managed to turn q kick in, into an offensive thrust. We were forced to defend so many repeat entries, and with our makeshift, young backline that was never going to work.

Our gameplan should not rely on skills, because every man and his dog knows that's our weakness. Tackling is probably the only aspect of our game this year that was consistently good.

If we're to improve, we need more direction in the forward line. Bombing it on Dixons head repeatedly isn't very effective. Especially considering half the time we were bombing it in to him, he wasn't even there.

 

[PepeSilvia]

He certainly catches the ball better than big Dix

I really like your signature.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Our game plan philosophy should be - don't try and reinvent the wheel, put some bloody quality air in the tyres.

Set a game plan for the players you have and their skill abilities and their decision making prowess, not the ones the coaches would like them to be.

We moved on from the 2013 and 2014 game plan thinking we were good enough to outsmart and get ahead of everyone when we hadn't even mastered 100% the 2013 and 2014 game plan. lets not get ahead of ourselves again.

 

[Ando39]

He certainly catches the ball better than big Dix

Our game plan philosophy should be - don't try and reinvent the wheel, put some bloody quality air in the tyres.

Set a game plan for the players you have and their skill abilities and their decision making prowess, not the ones the coaches would like them to be.

We moved on from the 2013 and 2014 game plan thinking we were good enough to outsmart and get ahead of everyone when we hadn't even mastered 100% the 2013 and 2014 game plan. lets not get ahead of ourselves again.

Hinkley's mantra in 13/14 was "we're just gonna let them play footy, they know how". How many times have you heard that from him in the last 18 months? Zero is the answer.

 

[TheFVK]

I just hope there is one..

 

[Doctor Feel]

Where is HugeJohnson to talk about aerial hyper thrusts and offensive ultra rebounds.

 

[badbeats]

Our forward structure is going worse than last year.

But that have to get rid of "kick it long to Dixon and if he doesn't mark it, someone will crumb". It's time to start hitting people on leads.

 

[Established1870]

But that have to get rid of "kick it long to Dixon and if he doesn't mark it, someone will crumb". It's time to start hitting people on leads.

Modern coaching has seen that you won't see much of that any more. Defences are set up to ensure that players don't get the space to make those leads. And when they do, it's why coaches blow up. It's also why you actually see players getting it bombed to them a fair bit more rather than precise passing (unless you're Hawthorn).

 

[agmsy]

In no particular order:

• Empty D50.
• Kick it on Dixon's head.
• Kick directly to opponents.
• Force stoppages, but allow opponent to get numbers behind the stoppage.
• Run the ball in waves out of defence, but with an empty F50.
• Lobbe 70% in ruck, 30% at CHF. NOT in the Magpies.
• If you are kicking to a player 30m away and he is 20m in the clear, make sure your kick is 30m high - we love contested footy so create as many contests as you can.
  
• If you mark the ball and there are targets and runners free downfield, turn and face away from them for at least three seconds so that opponents have time to man-up or zone-off.
  
• If you are under pressure and handball to a teammate, slow and steady is the name of the game. The intended handball recipient should be under pressure (preferably from the player who was pressuring you) long before the ball gets to him.

 

[MrPlow]

Modern coaching has seen that you won't see much of that any more. Defences are set up to ensure that players don't get the space to make those leads. And when they do, it's why coaches blow up. It's also why you actually see players getting it bombed to them a fair bit more rather than precise passing (unless you're Hawthorn).

Did you not watch the Bulldogs at all this year? At least against Port?...so many marks inside 50 on leads

 

[Steve Dore]

KICK IIIT!!!!

......

JUST KICK IT !

I heartily endorse this proposal

 

[Shaucob_Burjan]

Need to be less defensive and more attacking. Stop overloading the team with half back flankers. It's why I want Broadband and Hartlett out of the neckline.

Getting Ryder (assuming there is no drop off with a year gone) will help with some of that.

Need to draft/find better inside mids. Gray is a year older, Boak is probably close to if not finished as an inside mid or if anything is too small to play that position. Gray and Wines are an okay starting point, if we can find another 1 or 2 capable clearance winners then we'd be better.

Skills also need a big jump. We were last in DE%. Every gameplan will crumble like that.

 

[PatientMental]

I love that he mentioned the 4th quarter blitz. When the players had that up and rolling over 2013/14 it was just so exciting to watch.

I really hope they can recapture that confidence/audacity and make themselves dangerous again.

Nah, stuff looking backwards, I want them to reconfigure our game style so it actually works and has significant longevity and success. None of this just playing in finals business.

 

[Lagooner]

Nah, stuff looking backwards, I want them to reconfigure our game style so it actually works and has significant longevity and success. None of this just playing in finals business.

I don't think that's looking backwards at all. We had a real psychological edge over our opposition and it often paid dividends.

It didn't just help us to play in finals a la Richmond, we were winning finals and arguably should've made a Grand Final.

 

[PatientMental]

I don't think that's looking backwards at all. We had a real psychological edge over our opposition and it often paid dividends.

It didn't just help us to play in finals a la Richmond, we were winning finals and arguably should've made a Grand Final.

Except that game plan doesn't work anymore because it was worked out in 2015 and became very ineffective and redundant.

 

[Janus]

Except that game plan doesn't work anymore because it was worked out in 2015 and became very ineffective and redundant.

It worked fine against Melbourne and Collingwood this year. Those games were vintage 2014 Port, and it came about because those sides thought they were good enough to beat us without exploiting the glitch that everyone else uses.

You don't toss the entire code because of a couple of bugs. The foundation of the game plan - run and spread - is solid. All we need to do is add the skill of short passing to our existing method and suddenly space will open up again and we'll be able to run the ball effortlessly.

 

[OneGreatClub]

It worked fine against Melbourne and Collingwood this year. Those games were vintage 2014 Port, and it came about because those sides thought they were good enough to beat us without exploiting the glitch that everyone else uses.

You don't toss the entire code because of a couple of bugs. The foundation of the game plan - run and spread - is solid. All we need to do is add the skill of short passing to our existing method and suddenly space will open up again and we'll be able to run the ball effortlessly.

What is this 'glitch'?

 

[Lagooner]

Except that game plan doesn't work anymore because it was worked out in 2015 and became very ineffective and redundant.

What Janus said basically!

Also in 2015 we made a few tweaks that didn't complement the gameplan. For example we tried to do it with both Ryder and Lobbe but it was pants because the extra ruck pushed out one of the running players through the middle.

I agree that we shouldn't put all our eggs in one basket, but adding this particular string to our bow again will make it a hell of a lot more powerful overall.

 

[OneGreatClub]

What Janus said basically!

Also in 2015 we made a few tweaks that didn't complement the gameplan. For example we tried to do it with both Ryder and Lobbe but it was pants because the extra ruck pushed out one of the running players through the middle.

I agree that we shouldn't put all our eggs in one basket, but adding this particular string to our bow again will make it a hell of a lot more powerful overall.

Haha like Hinkleylocks and the three rucks:
2015 one too many
2016 one too few
2017 just right....

 

[Janus]

What is this 'glitch'?

A complete lack of a short passing, uncontested possession game that forces opposition defenses that are sitting back on our forwards to move their zone up to press passing outlets.

Going back to the NFL as an example: the best team in the NFC, the Dallas Cowboys, know the importance of playing an offense that not only uses rushing (running the ball), which is their strength...but they also know the importance of adding a short passing game to the offense to 'keep the chains moving' and continually get first downs. That's why although they are only 23rd for passing yards, they are 4th for first downs.

That's what we need to add - that short game - the 20m sideways kick to runners out of a stoppage that you constantly see West Coast pull against us and you wonder 'How the **** did that guy get free?!' I don't have an issue with lateral movement as long as it's done with purpose and not hesitation. As soon as you hesitate, the option gets closed and you end up with that stop start football we've seen over the past two years.

It's rock-paper-scissors. Running beats short passing (hence why we consistently dominate Hawthorn), short passing beats contested possession (hence why Hawthorn won three premierships in a row) and contested possession beats running (hence why we struggle against pretty much any side that pressures us, but especially Sydney).

Contested possession game is easy to add. That's literally intent and will to win the ball. It's the rock of our game (and everyone throws rock first...which is probably why Hawthorn did so well).

Scissors, naturally, is the cutting through defense that a running game brings to the table. Sharp, quick, but also fragile.

Paper - that's the blanket, across the ground short passing game that makes it seem like there are 30 players on the field instead of 18, because there's always someone open.

At the moment, it's like we have carpal tunnel syndrome. But we're fixing it.

 

[Powerage]

It's rock-paper-scissors...At the moment, it's like we have carpal tunnel syndrome. But we're fixing it.

With respect, I feel like a 3 year old. But one that had a great teacher. Great post.

 

[El_Scorcho]

Wow I basically totally agree with Janus. That never happens.

The only time we've showed any inkling of trying to change the way we move the ball was in late 2015 when our season was over. Teams did the usual, and marched 2 loose talls into our forward 50 which is our kryptonite, and we responded by moving the ball in a more methodical way and stretching that defensive setup with a genuine overhead pack marking tall in Butcher. It worked so well with Butcher that we traded for Dixon, which should have been a complete erradication of our problem.

However, in 2016, we seemed to be really mixed up as to what to go to. When we won the ball quickly from stoppages our spread and speed of ball movement looked really good, but trying to get out of defence we seemed to slip back into that blaze away style which is so easily countered when it's the only thing you ever do.

Poor predictable Port, always takes rock.

Good ol' rock, nothing beats that.

My concern this year is that switching from rock to paper or scissors means you need to be flexible. You need to have the pieces on the board to move around, and a big part of our inability to adjust over the past couple of years has been a distinct lack of that. We're ALWAYS too short up forward, which means when we inevitably switch Westhoff back, we play right into the hands of the opposition who already know what we're going to do and set up for exactly that. If we want to be flexible, we need to pick appropriate talls so that we can change gear and still have all the right components to be successful in that different gear.

 

[OneGreatClub]

Wow I basically totally agree with Janus. That never happens.

The only time we've showed any inkling of trying to change the way we move the ball was in late 2015 when our season was over. Teams did the usual, and marched 2 loose talls into our forward 50 which is our kryptonite, and we responded by moving the ball in a more methodical way and stretching that defensive setup with a genuine overhead pack marking tall in Butcher. It worked so well with Butcher that we traded for Dixon, which should have been a complete erradication of our problem.

However, in 2016, we seemed to be really mixed up as to what to go to. When we won the ball quickly from stoppages our spread and speed of ball movement looked really good, but trying to get out of defence we seemed to slip back into that blaze away style which is so easily countered when it's the only thing you ever do.

Poor predictable Port, always takes rock.

Good ol' rock, nothing beats that.

My concern this year is that switching from rock to paper or scissors means you need to be flexible. You need to have the pieces on the board to move around, and a big part of our inability to adjust over the past couple of years has been a distinct lack of that. We're ALWAYS too short up forward, which means when we inevitably switch Westhoff back, we play right into the hands of the opposition who already know what we're going to do and set up for exactly that. If we want to be flexible, we need to pick appropriate talls so that we can change gear and still have all the right components to be successful in that different gear.

Well, we have Lade now. Included in the four players that Phil Walsh claimed had made him a better coach, were Travis Boak and B. Lade.
I am hoping that Lade somehow has some really positive impact going forward.

 

[Forzaport]

The only time we've showed any inkling of trying to change the way we move the ball was in late 2015 when our season was over. Teams did the usual, and marched 2 loose talls into our forward 50 which is our kryptonite, and we responded by moving the ball in a more methodical way and stretching that defensive setup with a genuine overhead pack marking tall in Butcher. It worked so well with Butcher that we traded for Dixon, which should have been a complete erradication of our problem.

"It worked so well with Butcher that we traded for Dixon".

Butcher's round 20-23 games in 2015 had zero impact on our decision to trade in Dixon. Revisionist history at its finest.

 

[Janus]

"It worked so well with Butcher that we traded for Dixon".

Butcher's round 20-23 games in 2015 had zero impact on our decision to trade in Dixon. Revisionist history at its finest.

Also doesn't give credit for the fact that Ryder was first ruck in those games instead of Lobbe. Which might have had a little bit more to do with the methodical, decisive ball movement through winning clean clearances then the playing of another tall in the forward line. And why when we didn't have Ryder rucking in 2016 it turned back to shit again.