News Defence is the best form of attack

[Pamam]

Defence is the best form of attack

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rf...-form-of-attack/2009/04/01/1238261648996.html

MITCH Robinson and Jeff Garlett played their first games for Carlton last Thursday. They were among the Blues' best defenders. They played forward.

The heralding of debutants at Carlton in recent years has been a moment to plead for the future, a statement of hope. The arrival of Garlett and Robinson, however, provides a comment not on how Carlton will play tomorrow but today.

One game of football, one round of matches, is insufficient to accurately read form and predict fortunes, but it is sufficient to interpret intent.

One statistic should not go unappreciated from last week's match against Richmond: the Blues laid 20 tackles inside their forward 50-metre arc out of 84 they applied across the ground.

"The four new boys (Garlett, Robinson, Sam Jacobs and Aaron Joseph) all put themselves into the game physically. They were nearly the benchmark," coach Brett Ratten said.

"I think that contest Robinson had with (Troy) Simmonds early in the game really set the tone for the whole team … I thought it was a super effort.

"What we brought to the table last week, and that attitude, is what is expected now, so we have set a personal benchmark for us so we can repeat those efforts."

Eddie Betts has been this type of run-down tackling player at Carlton, but he has been something of a lone hand. Tackling has not been a priority for Brendan Fevola.

Brad Fisher was left out of the side, while Ryan Houlihan has been told that the six tackles he laid on Thursday is a benchmark if he wants to remain in the side.

It is not just about an appetite for the tackle; it is having the pace and lateral movement to be able to do it. Robinson has it. Lindsay Thomas and Matt Campbell at North Melbourne have it.

Carlton is not alone in asking forwards to play the game the rest of the team plays, but it was evident that it had been in focus at Princes Park during the summer.

The effectiveness of defenders is often quantified by the goals they concede, but not measured against the number of inside-50s they have been asked to repel.

Carlton observed that last year's grand finalists only allowed opposition sides to enter their defensive 50 arc about 44 times a game, while they went inside their forward 50 about 55 times.

It is also not only about winning the ball back from defenders; it is also about implied pressure, which was something Garlett was so impressive at in the season-opener.

He only registered two tackles, compared with Robinson's six, but his is an inadequate statistic because it only records the moment when a hand is laid on a player, some jumper tugged.

It does not not tell of the dozen more occasions he hunted out Richmond players and the fear he and the rest of the Carlton forwards instilled in Richmond players — that they were only a second from being caught. Even when they were not.

It was the panic Aaron Davey so dramatically brought to Melbourne's opponents when he emerged. It is about creating the apprehension of imminent danger.

When sides increasingly adopt quarterbacks to set up their attack from defence, shutting down the time allowed to consider and place a kick is increasingly important.

Similarly, with more teams opting to carry the ball and move it with handball, keeping pressure on the ball-carrier reduces the options he has going into attack.

The concern that attack is not mustered from defence has also meant sides have changed how they attack. Where once a midfielder spying a three-on-two contest would kick to his colours and hope his teammates could prevail, teams are kicking to space instead. They are almost conceding they will not score and, instead, choosing to kick to a designated, more defensive, area.

There they might be able to cause a dead ball — a boundary throw-in or ball-up — and even if the opposition wins possession, your side will at least be defending from a preferred position.

"Forward pressure and tackling is a big key indicator for us as a side," Ratten said. "The focus for us has been how we can reduce the opposition's impact with our backline.

"If (Brisbane Lion defender) Josh Drummond this week is allowed to waltz out of the half-back line, I think (key forwards Daniel) Bradshaw or (Jonathan) Brown will get it on a platter and no one will defend it, it doesn't matter if you've got (Matthew) Scarlett down there."

 

[ThePine]

I think its safe to say that Drummond will get a hard tag on the HB line.

Maybe Grigg if he comes in like he did on Shaw last year?

 

[Weiterbot23]

I might be putting the drum show on the pine this week in SC.

Is Ratts giving away a little too much here? Surely making it clear that forward line pressure is our main focus will give Vossy some hints on how to approch the game.

I don't know what but you know......

 

[mediumsizered]

I might be putting the drum show on the pine this week in SC.

Is Ratts giving away a little too much here? Surely making it clear that forward line pressure is our main focus will give Vossy some hints on how to approch the game.

I don't know what but you know......

I think you will find Vossy saw the game on Thursday night & he & his assistants have made copious notes about what we do. It is one thing to know what a team does, it is another thing to be able to do something about it.

 

[Faz 2000]

Heh. Photo caption says "Matthew Richardson can't escape Brendan Fevola", whilst clearly showing Mitch Robinson clinging onto Will Thursfield. Well done everyone.

I don't think "applying pressure", whether in the forward line or anywhere, is a tactic that can be countered. It comes down to hard work and tenacity and the willingness to do it. You could write a letter to Voss explaining exactly how Garlett, Betts and co are going to hound his guys, and it doesn't really matter. It comes down to can we work hard enough to do it, and can the Brisbane defenders get away from it.

It's not big secret. Every team in the league is employing forwards in defensive roles, which has been directly in response to the rise of the HBF quarterback.

I think it's great that Carlton is up with the times in this regard, and not accepting Hoops, Fev and Fish standing around with their hands on their hips (as they perhaps once might have) whilst the opposition runs the ball out.

 

[Cruiser23]

Heh. Photo caption says "Matthew Richardson can't escape Brendan Fevola", whilst clearly showing Mitch Robinson clinging onto Will Thursfield. Well done everyone.

I don't think "applying pressure", whether in the forward line or anywhere, is a tactic that can be countered. It comes down to hard work and tenacity and the willingness to do it. You could write a letter to Voss explaining exactly how Garlett, Betts and co are going to hound his guys, and it doesn't really matter. It comes down to can we work hard enough to do it, and can the Brisbane defenders get away from it.

It's not big secret. Every team in the league is employing forwards in defensive roles, which has been directly in response to the rise of the HBF quarterback.

I think it's great that Carlton is up with the times in this regard, and not accepting Hoops, Fev and Fish standing around with their hands on their hips (as they perhaps once might have) whilst the opposition runs the ball out.

It is the way games are being won nowadays, pressure the footy for 4 quarters and you'll win or have a hell of a chance to win. If we do the same as we did against the Tigers i would bet the Lions will crumble just the same. They were one of the worst teams disposal wise last year, apply pressure and that side of their game will come out again.

They seem to like to posses the ball under Voss a much higher margin for error. Force turnovers and we win this game comfortably. I'm sure TG will be screaming out for the Blues to let Dalziell have the ball more often than not.

 

[40yearBLUE]

Any of the doubters that have been desperately searching for a reason why JR gets a game each week, here is your answer. Study it. Memorise it and perhaps grow to see the value he has been bringing to the team. He is being coached into a role, a role that he has fulfilled well enough now to only miss once in the past 25 outings for the club. If this does not close that case I really dont know what else you will need to convince you other than a stat dec from the MC.

 

[Jeremias]

Any of the doubters that have been desperately searching for a reason why JR gets a game each week, here is your answer. Study it. Memorise it and perhaps grow to see the value he has been bringing to the team. He is being coached into a role, a role that he has fulfilled well enough now to only miss once in the past 25 outings for the club. If this does not close that case I really dont know what else you will need to convince you other than a stat dec from the MC.

Defensive pressure was a real feature of our game, particularly from the forward line. Fev was great, as were Garlett, Robbo, Houla and Eddie. But people conveniently forget JR and prefer to gauge his performance by the number of possessions he had at the end of the night.

JR has been performing solidly as a defensive forward for a while now. The sooner some of the nay-sayers wake up and realise it the better, because he's going to be around for a while yet if he keeps doing the largely unheralded stuff he has been.