Strategy Clarko unlocking the opposition's congested game plans?

[Davo23]

Is it let Sydney have some of our less effective kickers and let them look good and get a lot of the ball to get there team to move forward to create space for the rebound were we use our very effective kickers.

The good thing is Clarko is probably setting everyone up for his next plan.

A cunning plan?

As cunning as a fox who's just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University?

 

[Pessimistic]

I thought it looked a bit different and wondered if circumstances had caused us to reveal a little too much too early.

I suppose opponents wong have a chance to try and counter it (by testing in actual games) at this late stage

No doubt those syd will behave as before and be all over our closed training sessions

 

[Pessimistic]

And this would be the reason why Kennedy was allowed 16 kicks and only 9 handballs. Clarko is happy for Kennedy to kick it.

Im personally hoping joey gets the brownlow and the resulting hoo ha destabilises the syds

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Hopefully we try a few new things over the next two weeks to rest our stars a bit across half back and give a few others some time in the guts.

 

[IdiotBox]

Hopefully we try a few new things over the next two weeks to rest our stars a bit across half back and give a few others some time in the guts.

6 of our players have played every game this year. Another 6 have missed just the one or two. A couple in there could possibly be due (or benefit from) a freshen-up at some stage.
We've used 35 players in total so far this year.


Birchall, Grant 17
Smith, Isaac 17
Burgoyne, Shaun 17
Suckling, Matt 17
Puopolo, Paul 17
Breust, Luke 17
Lewis, Jordan 16
Gunston, Jack 16
Roughead, Jarryd 16
Duryea, Taylor 16
Hodge, Luke 15
Hill, Bradley 15
Hale, David 14
Shiels, Liam 13
Simpkin, Jonathan 11
Langford, Will 11
Rioli, Cyril 11
Schoenmakers, Ryan 11
Ceglar, Jonathon 11
Litherland, Angus 11
Mitchell, Sam 9
Gibson, Josh 9
Cheney, Kyle 9
McEvoy, Ben 9
Spangher, Matthew 8
Stratton, Ben 8
Sewell, Brad 7
Hallahan, Mitch 6
Lake, Brian 5
Hartung, Billy 5
Ross, Ben 4
OBrien, Tim 3
Lowden, Luke 1
Wanganeen, Derick 1
Woodward, Alex 1

 

[Pessimistic]

Media has made a lot of our having the most over 30s. Seven in all. Mind you the three other top teams have a few themselves.
One aspect of this is experience can be rested but still have other experienced guys playing

 

[threesixpio]

Cheers guys, one of the best threads of the season. Love getting into the nitty gritty tactical stuff.

A boxer absorbing pressure is one good analogy for our magnificent team; another was referred to by (I think) Jake Niall in his post-game report: he compared us to a sapling that might bend in the wind but does not break. I'd like to take that analogy one step further - a sapling that bend, bends, bends and then too late - it's a trap! - and WHAM it comes whipping back at speed.

On Grandstand last week they said Hawthorn and Geelong can leave the door open but that they slam it shut some time during the game.

 

[Maybloomer]

I'll say one thing about this. Sydney are vulnerable when you get the footy even slightly out of congestion, as quick as possible. Geelong did this brilliantly last season when they won up there. Same in the second half of the QF and second half Saturday night.

1. Do not necessarily take possession of the ball, because there is always a seagull waiting behind you to get his tackle numbers up.
2. Kick the ball off the ground or out of the air to clear the congestion.
3. When they have the ball, concentrate on deflecting the handball or knocking the ball out of the hands, instead of grappling or tackling them.
4. Allow them their release players, as long as they in the least dangerous spot.
5. Do not allow Mcveigh or Malceski to be this release.

I'll say one thing about this. Sydney are vulnerable when you get the footy even slightly out of congestion, as quick as possible. Geelong did this brilliantly last season when they won up there. Same in the second half of the QF and second half Saturday night.

1. Do not necessarily take possession of the ball, because there is always a seagull waiting behind you to get his tackle numbers up.
2. Kick the ball off the ground or out of the air to clear the congestion.
3. When they have the ball, concentrate on deflecting the handball or knocking the ball out of the hands, instead of grappling or tackling them.
4. Allow them their release players, as long as they in the least dangerous spot.
5. Do not allow Mcveigh or Malceski to be this release.

Point 3 is interesting. With HTB and Incorrect Disposal fast approaching extinction, is it worth committing a player (or two ) to a tackle unless that player is Poppy or Cyril? . A tackle stops the player but doesn't stop the ball and many clearances have started from a handball under tackle.
The risks to a tackler are many - chance of injury, good chance of getting the opponent high or in the back and basically being removed from the next bit of play.
The rewards aren't high- very slim chance of a HTB free or maybe a stoppage which the AFL want to reduce. How? By paying free kicks. To whom? More likely the ball carrier via a high tackle or ITB free kick. Much easier to justify than a HTB free.

Tackles have a time and place but the tackle count doesn't always reflect the state of play. If the Hawks get tackled 50 more times then they've had the ball 50 more times and that can't be bad.

 

[Davo23]

Point 3 is interesting. With HTB and Incorrect Disposal fast approaching extinction, is it worth committing a player (or two ) to a tackle unless that player is Poppy or Cyril? . A tackle stops the player but doesn't stop the ball and many clearances have started from a handball under tackle.
The risks to a tackler are many - chance of injury, good chance of getting the opponent high or in the back and basically being removed from the next bit of play.
The rewards aren't high- very slim chance of a HTB free or maybe a stoppage which the AFL want to reduce. How? By paying free kicks. To whom? More likely the ball carrier via a high tackle or ITB free kick. Much easier to justify than a HTB free.

Tackles have a time and place but the tackle count doesn't always reflect the state of play. If the Hawks get tackled 50 more times then they've had the ball 50 more times and that can't be bad.

That's right, it's all about corralling the opponent.
Once you commit to the tackle, you are out of the play and they can have a loose player.

A good example is that incident in the last quarter, where Gibbo corralled Buddy, forced him into error, and we got the turnover. Gibbo is ready for it, as he's not committed.
If Gibbo had lunged at Buddy to tackle, Buddy could have got loose.

 

[MrFujiMoto]

Farting works

If that worked I would be a 10 time All Australian. Ask anyone that's ever been within 3 meters of me when I let fluffy off the chain.

 

[IdiotBox]

That's right, it's all about corralling the opponent.
Once you commit to the tackle, you are out of the play and they can have a loose player.

A good example is that incident in the last quarter, where Gibbo corralled Buddy, forced him into error, and we got the turnover. Gibbo is ready for it, as he's not committed.
If Gibbo had lunged at Buddy to tackle, Buddy could have got loose.

This was one of the pivotal moments of the game. Gibbo knew not to let Bud get onto his left and wasn't fooled by the dummy attempt.

 

[Whistling Hawk]

Since this has turned into a bit of a best 22 thread I'll add my two cents.

The biggest improvements I think we could make from Saturday night is in contested marking. Both stopping the opposition from marks in their forward 50 and getting marks in ours.

This is why I think Lake is so important for us. He may get roughly the same amount of goals kicked on him as Schoey as others have pointed out but he most of the time he just marks it himself. The difference being Schoey brings it to ground (this is not an opportunity to knock Schoey by the way, very few in the AFL are as good as lake at this). Effectively you are taking any crumbers out of the equation.

Hale has been out of form but gee we could have used a contested mark or two up forward as well. There were many long bombs which were often just marked by Sydney players. If Hale was in the side and could take a couple of these it would be a huge plus. Maybe Schoey could do this too but I really have no idea seeing as we haven't really seen him up forward.

I really think it we need to experiment with lake in and Schoey/Hale up forward in the last 3 rounds to have a better idea. It may also be the case that Ceglars ruck work offers more than having Hale up forward? I guess ultimately the competition for spots is a good problem to have.

 

[B&GBlood]

Ceglar and Hale roaming the forward half offer similar things, Ceglar is a little more mobile and Hale is a little stringer overhead. Until Cyril is back we have to be careful not to be too slow in the front half. Forward pressure, slowing the exit by defenders is essential to winning modern footy.

 

[killerspud]

Over the past few years we have gone from recruiting the elite kicking players to the elite running types (Smith, Hill and Hartung all do a scary beep test)

We also knock the ball on, kick off the ground etc.

just saying

 

[Noneedforaname]

All this talk of boxers, our dope on the rope plan yadda yadda yadda. Forgetaboutit. We're bigger than that. I'm talkin Stalingrad here. Watch the movie, read a book, learn the history. Ain't no second prizes. Suckem in, crush them, destroy them on the counter.

Sorry, I'm just gearing up for our final offensive.

 

[Ordovician]

Operation Uranus.

 

[MinerBoy]

A cunning plan?

As cunning as a fox who's just been appointed Professor of Cunning at FOXford University?

Fixed.

 

[detox]

Over the past few years we have gone from recruiting the elite kicking players to the elite running types (Smith, Hill and Hartung all do a scary beep test)

We also knock the ball on, kick off the ground etc.

just saying

The recruiting point you made I have always thought interesting.

Not a coincidence that we have picked up speedy players with elite endurance recently, including drafting a beep test record holder, who got the record from the bloke we drafted earlier.

We have gone from a slow side in 09-11, to having easily the best outside run in the comp. I imagine Clarko being very excited to get Hartung out there.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

It's simple
Switch play 2-3 times to tire zoning players
Run through zone
Kick long once inside the zone

Avoids the flooding back, prevents teams swarming

 

[Agent Smith]

Someone posted this on the Sydney board:

Smashed in the clearances, stats say it was close but most the meaningful ones went their way. Too many times they had a free player or two on the outside of the pack that they were able to flick the ball to, generally a Smith who broke lines for them

Sounds way too intelligent for a Syd supporter.

Was it a lurker?