Defence issues and solutions

[Dk007]

I know the Horse is a big time lurker on these forum, so I thought we can give him so notes to fixing our defence. The main thing I have noticed is the miscommunication between our defender where instead of one holding the other defender off they will both go for the ball, which will cause the ball spill to the free man. The other issue I have notice is that we are too tall down back and we don't have the best hand. So whenever the ball is kick long and it spills down, the opposition small forwards carve us up as they are just too quick. We really miss a guy like Dawson or Nick Smith.

The one of the changes I was thinking was Fox for Lloyd.

Fox, COR and Blakely
Rampe P.Mccartin T .McCartin

Any other suggestion?

 

[Bloods86]

I know the Horse is a big time lurker on these forum, so I thought we can give him so notes to fixing our defence. The main thing I have noticed is the miscommunication between our defender where instead of one holding the other defender off they will both go for the ball, which will cause the ball spill to the free man. The other issue I have notice is that we are too tall down back and we don't have the best hand. So whenever the ball is kick long and it spills down, the opposition small forwards carve us up as they are just too quick. We really miss a guy like Dawson or Nick Smith.

The one of the changes I was thinking was Fox for Lloyd.

Fox, COR and Blakely
Rampe P.Mccartin T .McCartin

Any other suggestion?

Well, when Cunningham is fit after the bye, he will get another chance to recapture his form of last year and part of 2020. He's the small defender with pace. Neither Dawson nor Smith were what you'd call super quick (Smith relied on positioning, guile), at least not in Cunningham's class, nor was Dawson even a one-on-one defender like Smith, Cunners, Fox, COR etc. Lloyd isn't either (a one on one defender), so Fox in isn't a like for like.

For me, a defence will roughly be (or should be) a 7 man unit on any given gameday. 5 actual defenders (3 tall, 2 small), and 2 half backs. That looks like:

P McCartin T McCartin Cunningham
(COR or Fox) Rampe Blakey

The other half back would be one of JMac, Lloyd, Florent etc, or a rotation. They either push up from the wing, or you may not have all 6 of the above on the field at a given time, so the other half back would start in defence at bounces etc.

The other thing to remember is that it's not even necessarily our defence that's the main problem. If we get pumped in the middle our defence will struggle. We may not be able to replicate a few of our defences of old with who we have, or who we might have in the near future (a developing Rankin, Sheather or further draftees/trades). It relies on our mids winning/keeping the ball or failing that, putting enough pressure on the entries to make them high or wide, and defensible. When our defence has "looked bad" this year, it's when that isn't happening (from the mids), or from kickouts, where players aren't working hard enough to provide run and/or options at or outside the 50.

 

[robbieando]

Complains that our defence is too tall, and then proceeds to suggest dropping the smallest member of the current defensive group for someone taller.

Big Footy Logic

 

[Punts]

Headleads chooks when the ball comes to ground

You just know the opposition will score

 

[Kirkswan]

Well, when Cunningham is fit after the bye, he will get another chance to recapture his form of last year and part of 2020. He's the small defender with pace. Neither Dawson nor Smith were what you'd call super quick (Smith relied on positioning, guile), at least not in Cunningham's class, nor was Dawson even a one-on-one defender like Smith, Cunners, Fox, COR etc. Lloyd isn't either (a one on one defender), so Fox in isn't a like for like.

For me, a defence will roughly be (or should be) a 7 man unit on any given gameday. 5 actual defenders (3 tall, 2 small), and 2 half backs. That looks like:

P McCartin T McCartin Cunningham
(COR or Fox) Rampe Blakey

The other half back would be one of JMac, Lloyd, Florent etc, or a rotation. They either push up from the wing, or you may not have all 6 of the above on the field at a given time, so the other half back would start in defence at bounces etc.

The other thing to remember is that it's not even necessarily our defence that's the main problem. If we get pumped in the middle our defence will struggle. We may not be able to replicate a few of our defences of old with who we have, or who we might have in the near future (a developing Rankin, Sheather or further draftees/trades). It relies on our mids winning/keeping the ball or failing that, putting enough pressure on the entries to make them high or wide, and defensible. When our defence has "looked bad" this year, it's when that isn't happening (from the mids), or from kickouts, where players aren't working hard enough to provide run and/or options at or outside the 50.

Great post!

 

[Dan87]

I still really like Mills back there. Swinging wing to defence looked good last night.

Similar role for him this week I imagine

 

[mtooler]

I think Longmire made the move before round 1 and it was only a late out that saw Cunningham in. Out were Fox and Cunningham before injuries.

Back 6 is:
Rampe Mccartin Campbell
Blakey Mccartin Lloyd

Failed experiment is JPK.

New experiment is Florent.

Rotating player in there and the wing is Mcinerney.

Rotating swingmen or final 5 minutes of a quarter Heeney/Reid when playing.

 

[The King!]

Campbell out of defence, forget the mids down there

blakey kick ins missed last night, lloyd played ok though

We need to win the middle, we go through massive patches of opposition basically scoring everytime they enter the 50

 

[Kiama Chris]

I like a back 7 with 2 keys, one or two GDs, one or two smalls (3 in total) and two flanker/line breakers.
With our current cattle we still have a bit of a problem.
Keys McCartin x 2
Small Cunningham
Linebreakers Blakey McInerney
GD Rampe Lloyd
We may have Sheather or Rankin coming up behind Harry and happy enough for Ollie to fill in. Ollie could also play on a wing and drop back to make a 7th like Mills did.
I reckon McInerney is wasted at HB. Ollie? Not at the moment. Fox? My pick but arguable. Like COR better in the pocket.
Rampe is fading but still our best GD outside Mills. NO!
Lloyd. He's a favourite and deserves a lot of loyalty but in management parlance he's a "blocker" preventing a better player coming through. Gould? O'Connor? COR?
Harry's injury has forced our hand some with Ollie but I'm glad to see COR getting game time.
You'll note I haven't mentioned Campbell. He could be the second Linebreakers.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Not much can be done this season defence will be as is most likely.

We will concede a lot of points so our attack has to be on point and accurate to keep us in games.

Temptation will be now to put Mills back and let Rowbottom and Warner compete in the middle.

 

[Ticky009]

The McCartins are improving as the season rolls on.

Everyone else I think can be challenged for their current positions.

That's not saying Blakey & McInerney are horrible off halfback. I think Jezzy can move further up on the midfield. And Blakey is still learning his craft down at halfback.

 

[Punts]

Blakey I’s fantastic with ball in hand but his defensive game especially when ball hits deck is shocking

 

[Ticky009]

The question is can Blakey be taught to defend once the ball hits the deck?

The overall problem is half our backline or more aren't natural defenders.