Dear Crows, Please stop ****ing handballing sideways and backwards!!

[King Elvis]

This can't be a directive from the Coaches Box.

They're handballing constantlly to players who are flat-footed or facing the wrong direct - or who are under the pump more than they are.

MOVE THE BALL FORWARD FOR CHRIST SAKES!

 

[Smoooothy]

^^^ this ^^^

 

[crowsarethebest]

I think its just the players. We are a side that lacks composure, we seem to panic so ****ing easily. Only Dangerfield backs himself and breaks free from a sticky situation- everyone else just shits their pants.

 

[Rave Slave]

We've always been a side that handballs far more than it kicks and for some reason this year it's failing diabolically. Our season is already over (no side ever made the 8 in the new finals format with an 0-4 start). We may as well scrap the handball game and at least direct the players to move the ball more by foot.

I'm flabbergasted by our shitness.

 

[WALL-e]

May help.

 

[agentofdoom]

try kicking the ball.

 

[Vader]

try kicking the ball.

Try kicking it forward. Marvelous what can happen when they do that.

 

[DirrtyBee]

The infamous "BALL" call from the crowd is slowing being replaced with "KICK IT!!!"

 

[Cap]

This can't be a directive from the Coaches Box.

They're handballing constantlly to players who are flat-footed or facing the wrong direct - or who are under the pump more than they are.

MOVE THE BALL FORWARD FOR CHRIST SAKES!

when there is no one to kick too, there is not much point kicking it forward.

 

[smoovy]

when there is no one to kick to there is not much point kicking it forward.

spot on

 

[Vader]

For all the calls to "kick it", I'd love to know why the Crows players keep playing on after marking 80m out with not a single teammate forward of them. Burton, I'm looking at you in particular.

 

[The Karma Bus]

Its obvious why our skills are down and turnovers are up. Yes we are making some basic errors, but how many turnovers today again came from players winning the ball on half back or thereabouts, breaking forward and having not 1 person to kick to in our forward half due to this ridiculous instruction the forwards are getting to not just get on the defensive side of the ground, but inside the defensive 50!

The player breaking with the ball has to find someone to handball to or has to "u turn" straight back at players that were chasing him.

We were done holding the ball so many times by a player having to turn back like that.

 

[WALL-e]

For all the calls to "kick it", I'd love to know why the Crows players keep playing on after marking 80m out with not a single teammate forward of them. Burton, I'm looking at you in particular.

Because it's the perfect play.....when there's a team mate to kick to

 

[The Sloane Ranger]

Our use of the handball is as poor as I have seen from any side in recent times, I was always coached to use the forward handball as a weapon to release a player, I have no idea what the hell we are doing

Carlton sliced through our zone with ease by using the forward handball

 

[cmndstab]

For all the calls to "kick it", I'd love to know why the Crows players keep playing on after marking 80m out with not a single teammate forward of them. Burton, I'm looking at you in particular.

Maric's mistake today was abominable, when he was the only player forward, took a mark about 60m out, then handballed straight to Petrenko who took one look ahead, saw only Carlton players, balked and was immediately caught by the same players that had contested the mark with Maric. You just have to be smarter than that, Ivan!!

I've touched on this issue in other threads, but for mine the problem is not the handballing sideways and backwards - that's more of a symptom rather than a cause. The problem is that our first instinct is either incorrect or is being ignored in almost every case. I lost count of the number of times today a player got the ball, looked to kick or handball one direction and then changed their mind. Was it because the option had dried up (in which case, either the instinct was wrong, or the other players weren't working hard enough to get into space), or was it simply a case of not backing your skills and wanting to pass the buck? By the time you've hesitated for a second, it's too late - you now need to go sideways unless you want to risk the 50/50 forward kick, and in the end the sideways handball generally turns out not to be that much better anyway.

Of course, once it happens a few times, the mental effect is immense - the opposition side knows that if they work their ass off to stick to their players and get into the right spots, there's a good chance they'll be rewarded, so they keep doing it. Meanwhile, the Crows players have no confidence that their teammates will be able to hold on to the ball and feel like they can't run off their players and move upfield because a turnover could occur at any moment and they'll get smashed the other way.

And so we end up with the farcical situation where the only free Crows players are sideways or backwards from the ball carrier who looks ahead and has nothing to go to - because of the sins earlier in the match!


I'm not sure if it's a lack of confidence from the ball carrier, or simply a lack of work rate to get in space to give the ball carrier options, but either way it needs to be sorted out quick smart, or else the sideways and backwards handballs are going to keep happening. It's not a coaching directive - it's simply a survival mechanism being used by a side that's already defeated itself before the handball becomes necessary.

 

[Nige_Bix]

Its obvious why our skills are down and turnovers are up. Yes we are making some basic errors, but how many turnovers today again came from players winning the ball on half back or thereabouts, breaking forward and having not 1 person to kick to in our forward half due to this ridiculous instruction the forwards are getting to not just get on the defensive side of the ground, but inside the defensive 50!

The player breaking with the ball has to find someone to handball to or has to "u turn" straight back at players that were chasing him.

We were done holding the ball so many times by a player having to turn back like that.

So so true - very painful to watch that.

I was concerned when Craig said tonight that the players go up the ground to create pressure at the stoppages - and it seems that its (emptying the forward line) a VERY important tactic to him - so its an instruction - (maybe even a team rule!!) - but then indicated that they were failing to get back and were perhaps going too far up the ground!!

I'd say to tell the players to make sure we have at least 2 players forward of centre at all times - and one of them MUST be Walker - get him out of the half back/wing area.

emptying the forward line = emptying premiership points from the cupboard!!

(Havent posted or even been online much for a long time in case some are wondering who this dude is!!)

 

[smoovy]

Maric's mistake today was abominable, when he was the only player forward, took a mark about 60m out, then handballed straight to Petrenko who took one look ahead, saw only Carlton players, balked and was immediately caught by the same players that had contested the mark with Maric. You just have to be smarter than that, Ivan!!

Petrenko is equally at fault if he called for it.

 

[cmndstab]

Petrenko is equally at fault if he called for it.

Fair call, I didn't consider that option. It looked to me that he was as surprised as the rest of us supporters when he received it, but if he did call for it then yes, Petrenko is the one to blame.

Either way, someone is to blame for that monumental mistake, which came right when we were looking, well, not miserable for the first time in a while.

 

[smoovy]

Fair call, I didn't consider that option. It looked to me that he was as surprised as the rest of us supporters when he received it, but if he did call for it then yes, Petrenko is the one to blame.

Either way, someone is to blame for that monumental mistake, which came right when we were looking, well, not miserable for the first time in a while.

It was the most painful moment of the game. At the time I went off and blamed Neil Craig for having no forward line. I think I will stick to that.

Although on reflection of have to give kudos to the way the Carlton players worked back and filled the space as well.

 

[The Sloane Ranger]

It was the most painful moment of the game. At the time I went off and blamed Neil Craig for having no forward line. I think I will stick to that.

Although on reflection of have to give kudos to the way the Carlton players worked back and filled the space as well.

they were able to work back because we were playing ring-a-ring=-a-rosey with handball in the middle

 

[Nige_Bix]

It was the most painful moment of the game. At the time I went off and blamed Neil Craig for having no forward line. I think I will stick to that.

Although on reflection of have to give kudos to the way the Carlton players worked back and filled the space as well.

I think we can debate the most painful moments in the game - sadly there were many!!

There was that one for sure, the Rutten holding the ball, the Doughty handpass in the last 1/4, the Riley cough up in the 3rd 1/4 after getting it from Davis, some easy set shots missed etc etc - (waits for more to come....)