Do the Dees have a travel problem?

[heartbeatstrue]

In the past few seasons I have gone to AAMI Stadium to watch my beloved D's take on the Crows or Power, but we never seem to have much success. I'm not up to speed with other away games we have played outside of Victoria. Do we have a travel problem? Jut a thought...what do you think?

 

[raikkonen64]

Re: Do the D's have a travel problem?

I wouldnt say we have that much of a traveling problem... We only do when it come to playing in SA. we could be 1st playing last there and no doubt we would get belted, just a hole of a place lol...

 

[demonfan9]

Re: Do the D's have a travel problem?

We have an abysmal record at AAMI Stadium over the last 5 years. Worst I can remember from a single club.

We are pretty shocking at Subiaco as well. We have a good record in Sydney, and a decent one at the Gabba (although when we lose, we lose bad).

 

[Bartram_Class]

Re: Do the D's have a travel problem?

Not a travel problem.

Its a player problem.

 

[CowboyFromHell]

Re: Do the D's have a travel problem?

Not a travel problem.

Its a player problem.

Agree 100%. I think it's all about how you prepare yourself. I'll be interested to see how we fare interstate with Bailey at the helm next year.

 

[w00dy]

Re: Do the D's have a travel problem?

i don't think the problem is travelling, but the shape of the grounds... the way we move the ball suits the MCG and the SCG, as those grounds have the widest wings...

instead of our players leading toward the ball holder, we tend to lead wide out to the wing where the ball is icked into space... on subiaco and footy park, there isn't this space on the wings, and we have trouble moving the ball forward...

i really hope Bailey can correct this problem in our game plan, it's one of the most important things he needs to do in my opinion...

 

[Supermercado]

Re: Do the D's have a travel problem?

Agree 100%. I think it's all about how you prepare yourself. I'll be interested to see how we fare interstate with Bailey at the helm next year.

I'm worried about winning games in Melbourne next year let alone interstate.

 

[davey_magik]

Re: Do the D's have a travel problem?

i don't think the problem is travelling, but the shape of the grounds... the way we move the ball suits the MCG and the SCG, as those grounds have the widest wings...

instead of our players leading toward the ball holder, we tend to lead wide out to the wing where the ball is icked into space... on subiaco and footy park, there isn't this space on the wings, and we have trouble moving the ball forward...

i really hope Bailey can correct this problem in our game plan, it's one of the most important things he needs to do in my opinion...

Dude, Subiaco IIRC is bigger than the MCG. With our game style, we should play very well on it. Ans the SCG's wings are not big at all.
It's more we've had a decent record at the SCG in recent times but generally at other grounds we've come up against quality sides (Adelaide, WCE etc) and just got beaten by the better team.

Like Geelong this year, if you ever want to even get near a top 4 spot let alone flag you have to win interstate. With 6 interstate games next year, I'd like to win a couple.

 

[w00dy]

Re: Do the D's have a travel problem?

Dude, Subiaco IIRC is bigger than the MCG. With our game style, we should play very well on it. Ans the SCG's wings are not big at all.

subiaco is longer than the MCG, but much narrower... this is where our problem comes from... and the SCG has the widest wings in the AFL, it's almost a circle, therefore really suits the way we move the ball... below are the dimensions for the main AFL grounds...

Dimensions of main AFL Grounds:

MCG: 174 x 149 metres
Telstra Dome: 170 x 140 metres
SCG: 159 x 155 metres
GABBA: 170 x 150 metres
Subiaco: 175 x 122 metres
AAMI: 170m x 135 metres

we traditionally do well at the wider grounds (MCG, SCG, GABBA) and not so well at the thinner grounds (TD, AAMI, Subiaco)...

i've seen it that many times, when we play at the MCG... when we're playing well and in control of the game, and our midfielders are working hard and leading out to the wing, providing options, we don't have any trouble moving the ball... when we're not playing well the midfield are stagnant, not giving those options down the wings...

when we play on skinny grounds like subi or footy park, we don't have the space to lead into and get smashed...

i was overseas, so I missed the first half of this season, but i saw every game in 2006, and this was something that i noticed...

 

[Flashhh]

...i think its just South Australia we seem to be belted by 10 goals every time we go there. We arnt too bad in the west, no one has beaten the Eagles over there really and we have put in OK performances against Fremantle. We play well in Brisbane and very well in Sydney.

 

[melbournemartin]

We've done well down in Geelong recently though and they have what I thought was the thinest ground.

 

[master bate]

Wide ground, skinny ground, its all a load of shit, the players have to be mentally strong enough to get the job done when on the road, they dont have to win every game but at the moment we are usually a 5 goal worse side when we travel and a 10 goal worse side when its to Adelaide (could be something in the water). Even if Bailey can't coach to save himself he should be able to set some players right and get them switched on when playing away.

 

[w00dy]

We've done well down in Geelong recently though and they have what I thought was the thinest ground.

yes, it is the thinnest ground at only 115 metres wide...

didn't play there this season... last season we tied when geelong had a poor year, the year before we won by 2 points when geelong missed a shot after the siren... i'd hardly call that doing well...

Wide ground, skinny ground, its all a load of shit, the players have to be mentally strong enough to get the job done when on the road, they dont have to win every game but at the moment we are usually a 5 goal worse side when we travel and a 10 goal worse side when its to Adelaide (could be something in the water). Even if Bailey can't coach to save himself he should be able to set some players right and get them switched on when playing away.

that's just a cop out... why do we always get smashed when we play at footy park or subiaco? why do we always do reasonably well at sydney? we've been cruising playing really good footy, up near the top of the ladder, we go and head over to footy park and get smashed... and you're telling me that's mental, and that there's no other possible explaination?

we had a game plan that was suited to the MCG, and it didn't translate well to other grounds... IIRC we won 11 from 12 at the G last year... i just hope Dean Bailey realises this and changes our game plan, and doesn't take your attitude that it's a mental problem...

 

[melbournemartin]

And the year before that we came within a couple of goals. That's easily our best non-MCG record bar maybe Sydney.

 

[davey_magik]

yes, it is the thinnest ground at only 115 metres wide...

didn't play there this season... last season we tied when geelong had a poor year, the year before we won by 2 points when geelong missed a shot after the siren... i'd hardly call that doing well...



that's just a cop out... why do we always get smashed when we play at footy park or subiaco? why do we always do reasonably well at sydney? we've been cruising playing really good footy, up near the top of the ladder, we go and head over to footy park and get smashed... and you're telling me that's mental, and that there's no other possible explaination?

we had a game plan that was suited to the MCG, and it didn't translate well to other grounds... IIRC we won 11 from 12 at the G last year... i just hope Dean Bailey realises this and changes our game plan, and doesn't take your attitude that it's a mental problem...

No that is a cop out. Good sides win at all grounds, and if we struggle on a thinner ground (By a few meters, it isn't like it is a 20 metre difference) we should have a different game plan.

I hate to say it, but the reason we've been up near the top of the ladder in 04,05 and 06 was we played all the crap sides twice and rarely played a top 4 side twice, and when we get to the end of the year when the best sides hit their straps we crumbled. I didn't think that, but looking back we were always just a good side, not a very good side.

 

[CowboyFromHell]

Re: Do the D's have a travel problem?

I'm worried about winning games in Melbourne next year let alone interstate.

Just get on the Cougar - you'll be fine.

 

[Flashhh]

didn't play there this season... last season we tied when geelong had a poor year, the year before we won by 2 points when geelong missed a shot after the siren... i'd hardly call that doing well...

after not winning there since 1988 its a bit of an improvement