Opinion Did Hardwick stuff up team selection this week?

[Livonski]

IMHO we all think we know footy pretty well, but only the truly arrogant think they know more than the professionals (considering all of the reviews are in hindsight) and have no bearing on the decisions that have to be made on the inner sanctum with the information at hand., at the time.

Exactly.
The number of times I read posters spouting, for example, about our game plan just astonishes me. They would not know the game plan if it jumped up and bit them on the arse.
We play slow, hesitant footy = game plan? No it's not, it's poor execution.
Too easy to blame the game plan (really just blaming the coach) rather than seriously analysing what is not working. Also think a lot of posters must watch on TV rather than live at the game. TV tells you nothing about the flow of play, set ups, what's ahead of the ball etc but I digress.

 

[Tigerland]

Exactly.
The number of times I read posters spouting, for example, about our game plan just astonishes me. They would not know the game plan if it jumped up and bit them on the arse.
We play slow, hesitant footy = game plan? No it's not, it's poor execution.
Too easy to blame the game plan (really just blaming the coach) rather than seriously analysing what is not working. Also think a lot of posters must watch on TV rather than live at the game. TV tells you nothing about the flow of play, set ups, what's ahead of the ball etc but I digress.

I'm calling Bullsh*t on that.

If you call a player taking a mark/free kick, going back behind the mark, then taking 15 seconds to decide where to kick it to = not hesitant footy then I'm not sure exactly what is.

No other team does this and there is a very good reason for that.

Take your head out of the sand.

 

[cairo tiger]

dont get me started about this coaching pygmy.

 

[TiggerMan22]

i understand where you are going, but Vick has played 100% of time in the forward 50, whereas Griff has been more a CHF/2nd ruck, meaning he hasn't spend as much time in the forward 50 as Vick. Had griff spent as much time in the forward 50 as Vick, i feel he would have more marks inside 50 and goals.

Even if he spends half his time inside 50 he should be able to have one shot at goal in 3 games

 

[Livonski]

I'm calling Bullsh*t on that.

If you call a player taking a mark/free kick, going back behind the mark, then taking 15 seconds to decide where to kick it to = not hesitant footy then I'm not sure exactly what is.

No other team does this and there is a very good reason for that.

Take your head out of the sand.

It IS hesitant footy, obviously hesitant footy. But it's NOT the game plan.
I think you miss my point.

 

[theflea]

Exactly.
The number of times I read posters spouting, for example, about our game plan just astonishes me. They would not know the game plan if it jumped up and bit them on the arse.
We play slow, hesitant footy = game plan? No it's not, it's poor execution.
Too easy to blame the game plan (really just blaming the coach) rather than seriously analysing what is not working. Also think a lot of posters must watch on TV rather than live at the game. TV tells you nothing about the flow of play, set ups, what's ahead of the ball etc but I digress.

Tw said on the radio the other day that he really got peeved when assistant coaches would state the obvious more than once ie judd is getting to much ball. What he wanted to hear was solutions to said problem.

 

[Tigerdome]

until the season is well and truly dusted, we need to be playing our best 22... play the kids over the established players when we are out of the race

 

[nobulltiger]

Hardwick has the selecting efficiency of Trent cotchins disposal

 

[Tigerland]

It IS hesitant footy, obviously hesitant footy. But it's NOT the game plan.
I think you miss my point.

I probably am missing your point.

I'm no expert and only get to a couple of games a year because I'm interstate, but to me our game plan involves:

1. Hold possession of the ball as much as possible.
2. Use short passes if required but avoid kicking to contests if possible.
3. Do this as fast as possible without turning it over.
4. Zone defence rather than man on man.
5. Kick wide from defence near the boundary line if kicking to a contest.
6. When kicking inside 50m kick to a lead or to a contest if it appears in our favour.

Now I may well be seeing it wrongly but to me that is what we are trying to do.

The problem as I see it is that we are getting to point 2 a lot and then stagnating, taking a long time to make the decision and stuffing it up.
As a result point 3 isn't working.

It appears to me that last year we had point 3A - Other than inside 50, play on at every opportunity.

This year it looks as if either the coaches have instructed the players not to do point 3A or the players have forgotten it.

If you see it differently I'd like to see your take on it.

 

[Livonski]

I probably am missing your point.

I'm no expert and only get to a couple of games a year because I'm interstate, but to me our game plan involves:

1. Hold possession of the ball as much as possible.
2. Use short passes if required but avoid kicking to contests if possible.
3. Do this as fast as possible without turning it over.
4. Zone defence rather than man on man.
5. Kick wide from defence near the boundary line if kicking to a contest.
6. When kicking inside 50m kick to a lead or to a contest if it appears in our favour.

Now I may well be seeing it wrongly but to me that is what we are trying to do.

The problem as I see it is that we are getting to point 2 a lot and then stagnating, taking a long time to make the decision and stuffing it up.
As a result point 3 isn't working.

It appears to me that last year we had point 3A - Other than inside 50, play on at every opportunity.

This year it looks as if either the coaches have instructed the players not to do point 3A or the players have forgotten it.

If you see it differently I'd like to see your take on it.

I don't disagree with your summary at all, not that I'm privy to the game plan detail either, but...

the glue that you need to execute the plan is initiative, risk taking, work rate and run.

Ball security is crucial. Turnovers=goals.
So when confidence is low the mindset focusses on security rather than dare, which halts momentum. And ends up in stoppages at best when the ball is delivered.

What I do know is that coaches do not instruct the player to stop and wait. The problem is that when a mark is taken and the player looks to go forward there is nothing there except a risky match up or a 1on2. Often not visible on TV.

So if we can get risk taking back in, get players not thinking about the "what if I **** it up" then you'll see more run and carry and chaos in our forward line to create scoring opportunities.

My point is that the tenor of analysis on this forum (not yours) tends to focus on the "game plan" like the way we are playing is a deliberate strategy. Just not true.