Remove this Banner Ad

Strategy 2018 Tactics and game plan thread

  • Thread starter Thread starter Eaglespur
  • Start date Start date
  • Tagged users Tagged users None

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Sure, thats great for the dogs.

My point is why can't we try extract a little more from the players that we have got. Cripps could get back to his 2015 manic pressure, Shep has dropped off a bit and has another level, Cole could announce himself ect

The problem is that if Cripps did return to his manic pressure form as you put it his skills when he gets it are terrible, his decision making is poor and it is not going to change. Ordinary footballers are ordinary footballers.
Players are picked for their ability with the ball first and foremost, the tackling, the pressure acts etc etc are something you are just expected to do. They are not a skill they are a mindset.
I hear what you are saying but I think you are asking for something this group has shown they will not deliver on as it is not in their makeup.
 
Sure, thats great for the dogs.

My point is why can't we try extract a little more from the players that we have got. Cripps could get back to his 2015 manic pressure, Shep has dropped off a bit and has another level, Cole could announce himself ect

I think Simpson did try to play a more defensive style this year, knowing we would be under pressure through the middle of the ground. Early in the season it seemed like he got his more senior defenders in Hurn and Shepherd to play a lot more defensively and tried to let Nelson, Duggan and Yeo take the responsibility for transitioning the ball into attack. Late in the season Shep seemed to get a bit more license to attack and he looked good at it.

I think it was more coaching directive than lack of form on Sheps behalf. We really had a lot of players forced to play a role that didn't let them show their best in order to try and cover for our personnel issues.

The big positive in our recruiting since Simpson is that our medium sized recruits are not shy of a contest. Duggan, Nelson, Cole and even Mutimer in his short stint showed a willingness to crack in at the footy. Even if some of them don't make it as mids they will be much more useful contributors when they rotate onto the ball from a flank, just for the fact they will contest and give the Shuey/Sheed/Redden group a proper spell.
 
The problem is that if Cripps did return to his manic pressure form as you put it his skills when he gets it are terrible, his decision making is poor and it is not going to change. Ordinary footballers are ordinary footballers.
Players are picked for their ability with the ball first and foremost, the tackling, the pressure acts etc etc are something you are just expected to do. They are not a skill they are a mindset.
I hear what you are saying but I think you are asking for something this group has shown they will not deliver on as it is not in their makeup.
Maybe you are right and im am trying to just be optimistic. But you would have said the same thing about Richmond the for last 3 seasons right? then all of a sudden it clicks
 
Maybe you are right and im am trying to just be optimistic. But you would have said the same thing about Richmond the for last 3 seasons right? then all of a sudden it clicks

Make no mistake mate I think it is very possible, the coach needs to sell it to them and then they need to invest in it. To do what Richmond did and the bulldogs the year before requires a team first ethos and the need for personal achievements to be thrown out the door, sacrifices for the team are everything and it has been shown time after time at all levels in all sports what can happen when you find this magic formula.
The one problem it has though is that if just one key player in this does not comply then it all falls over.
You still need talent and I think we have some of that, coach must lay it out and the players must have some input into it. The players must always feel like they own their destiny. But bare minimum non negotiables are required and its up to the coaching staff to set them.
I just have not seen that type of character across the board in our group, love them to show me they have it though.
 

Log in to remove this Banner Ad

Make no mistake mate I think it is very possible, the coach needs to sell it to them and then they need to invest in it. To do what Richmond did and the bulldogs the year before requires a team first ethos and the need for personal achievements to be thrown out the door, sacrifices for the team are everything and it has been shown time after time at all levels in all sports what can happen when you find this magic formula.
The one problem it has though is that if just one key player in this does not comply then it all falls over.
You still need talent and I think we have some of that, coach must lay it out and the players must have some input into it. The players must always feel like they own their destiny. But bare minimum non negotiables are required and its up to the coaching staff to set them.
I just have not seen that type of character across the board in our group, love them to show me they have it though.
Agreed.

Make Shuey skipper and have him rub some players faces in the ground pre season and set the tone for the rest of the boys
 
Go with 1x proper ruckman, the back up can be darling, gov ....hell even yeo or another mid.

2x rucks exposes us for pace more than ever.

The reason why the Eagles have to go with 2 genuine rucks is because our midfield is so pissweak.

Bit late into the thread, but I think this is a key point.
Choko Williams was on the radio yesterday saying just that. No clubs play two ruckmen anymore, it's not suited to the current game. We're robbing ourselves of flexibility by insisting on two rucks.

NN or Lycett with Vardy at CHF is fine, as Vardy is a forward who can play in the ruck.
NN and Lycett isn't fine, cause they're both rucks who rest in the forward line.
 
Bit late into the thread, but I think this is a key point.
Choko Williams was on the radio yesterday saying just that. No clubs play two ruckmen anymore, it's not suited to the current game. We're robbing ourselves of flexibility by insisting on two rucks.

NN or Lycett with Vardy at CHF is fine, as Vardy is a forward who can play in the ruck.
NN and Lycett isn't fine, cause they're both rucks who rest in the forward line.
Whilst I agree with the sentiment, Lycett probably has better exposed form forward than Vardy at this stage. That said, the team does seem more balanced with NN and Vardy than NN and Lycett (even if Lycett is the better player).
 
Whilst I agree with the sentiment, Lycett probably has better exposed form forward than Vardy at this stage. That said, the team does seem more balanced with NN and Vardy than NN and Lycett (even if Lycett is the better player).

How can you possibly know this? NN and Vardy have never played together at all??
 
How can you possibly know this? NN and Vardy have never played together at all??
I don't know this and never claimed to. I simply said "seem" more balanced. That is "seem" more balanced to me hypothetically. I won't know until I see them play together, if they do. I just have a view that the two genuine 1st rucks makes us a little inflexible.
 
I don't know this and never claimed to. I simply said "seem" more balanced. That is "seem" more balanced to me hypothetically. I won't know until I see them play together, if they do. I just have a view that the two genuine 1st rucks makes us a little inflexible.

Fair enough.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

I know there's a lot of talk about us having an ordinary list with a few genuine stars (sound like the last couple of premiers perhaps?) which may be true. However i believe with some improved coaching/coaching staff, game day tactics and a new or revamped game plan we can still do some damage. If the last couple of years has proved anything i think it is that a superior game plan and intent trumps pure talent and ability.

So let's throw around some ideas using the weapons and squad we have. Keep any potential inclusions realistic (Ah Chee).

We all know Simo and the crew get on here for amazing insight and tactical analysis so let's give them a hand :). I will post mine later.

Ps. love you all

The last 2 premiers have had 2 awesome midfielders that are great one on one players when moved forward as well. Bont last year and Dusty's year this year were great. The rest of their team have been fast running tacklers who at best are scrappers and good at keeping pressure up all over the ground.

We have too many midfielders with individual strengths and glaring weaknesses i.e. foot speed, skill or tackling and pressure that hold us back from being one of those pressure teams. Our Forward line and Defence are up their with the best in the league we just need break even or at least not be a revolving door defensively through the middle and we will see improvement. A fit NN able to be anywhere near his peak covers a lot of this. As we saw with how bad our midfield is without him after adding one of the games most dominant mids.
We need quick foot soldiers who can kick a footy (don't have to be great just not helicoptering floaters that don't reach their target), tackle like there is no tomorrow and have some sort awareness. But most importantly don't have a bad weakness that undoes any strength they can bring.
 
Make no mistake mate I think it is very possible, the coach needs to sell it to them and then they need to invest in it. To do what Richmond did and the bulldogs the year before requires a team first ethos and the need for personal achievements to be thrown out the door, sacrifices for the team are everything and it has been shown time after time at all levels in all sports what can happen when you find this magic formula.
The one problem it has though is that if just one key player in this does not comply then it all falls over.
You still need talent and I think we have some of that, coach must lay it out and the players must have some input into it. The players must always feel like they own their destiny. But bare minimum non negotiables are required and its up to the coaching staff to set them.
I just have not seen that type of character across the board in our group, love them to show me they have it though.

Mark LeCras.
 
The problem is that if Cripps did return to his manic pressure form as you put it his skills when he gets it are terrible, his decision making is poor and it is not going to change. Ordinary footballers are ordinary footballers.
Players are picked for their ability with the ball first and foremost, the tackling, the pressure acts etc etc are something you are just expected to do. They are not a skill they are a mindset.
I hear what you are saying but I think you are asking for something this group has shown they will not deliver on as it is not in their makeup.
Our whole club as a whole have lamentable skills

We seem to prioritise time trial over kicking
Even sam mitchell went backwards in his kicking

Gaff used to be a good kick and now is ordinary.

Mcgov in his first two seasons had a laser kick and now stuffs up a few times a game.

Our skills coaching is shiite.
 

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Our whole club as a whole have lamentable skills

We seem to prioritise time trial over kicking
Even sam mitchell went backwards in his kicking

Gaff used to be a good kick and now is ordinary.

Mcgov in his first two seasons had a laser kick and now stuffs up a few times a game.

Our skills coaching is shiite.

But in 2015 we were clean af. What happened?
 
My key thoughts have all been said:
1. Shuey skipper
2. Put a cap on playing rucks. I would like to say cap it at 1 (NN) but I'd take us limiting it to two at this point (its laughable the number of times we've played 3 and been belted due to lack of legs.
3. I'd like to see it go forward quicker. Particularly in the latter half of the season we seemed to overuse the ball a bit. Surely Richmond showed it's a game of yardage. By injecting youth into our side we need to simplify our gameplan. We've got the best forward in the comp... back him in and get it in there hot.
4. Only play LeCras in Perth. Drop him for away games.
5. Injection of youth. Partington was a breath of fresh air in the 2nd half of the season.
6. Cull the weak - I wouldn't lose sleep over Hill/Wellingham being delisted but unfortunately I think we'll hold both another year as security (probably the right call tbh).
7. Greater rotation of players through the HA season. Don't really care if they're 'spuds' coming in. Our depth is horrible and at this point needs to be forced. Amoung other things, our players look to struggle with flying. We get smashed every time we go in 'unchanged' in Victoria. Particularly when hindsight shows we continue to go in too tall. This might be where Wellingham/Hill/Masten could still have some use? ie keep fresh and come in for us over East every so often. Even fly them over earlier in the week so they're fresh for match day? I really don't know.

If nothing else, the Richmond premiership does fill me with a bit of optimism for our list. I bet my mate $100 we'd do better in the 2018 H/A season (ie better than 8th). With our home ground advantage I think we'll always be thereabouts in the HA season.
 
upload_2017-10-11_13-23-19.png

upload_2017-10-11_13-23-31.png

giphy.gif
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Remove this Banner Ad

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Back
Top Bottom