Analysis Game plan

Apr 23, 2016
30,510
42,668
AFL Club
Essendon
Is it something that you think we will stick with and try and teach to do better? Do Rutten/Cara swear by having that stoppage sweeper? Or can you see them canning that and trying to win and move the ball another way?

I do not know. Personally I think we are better suited to playing an extra in defence or just 6 forwards.

Is it a function of personnel? Richmond play the sweeper because they don't have a strong clearance group, whereas if they were working with a Geelong, Collingwood or Bulldogs midfield group, would they persist with that structure?
 
Is it a function of personnel? Richmond play the sweeper because they don't have a strong clearance group, whereas if they were working with a Geelong, Collingwood or Bulldogs midfield group, would they persist with that structure?
Personal for us. You need a defensive midfielder. I suspect they will stick with it but given our forward pressure issues and the fact we leave our forwards out numbered I would rather see a six man forward line.
 
Apr 23, 2016
30,510
42,668
AFL Club
Essendon
Personal for us. You need a defensive midfielder. I suspect they will stick with it but given our forward pressure issues and the fact we leave our forwards out numbered I would rather see a six man forward line.

Having a fit Daniher changes it a lot; he forces multiple defenders to remain aware of him when he's up and running. But yes given the way we tend to use the ball I don't think running a 5 man forwardline works. If we had guys like Whitfield or Ablett delivering the ball to our forwards advantage it might work, instead it's a long-high dump kick to Howe / McGovern / <insert favourite intercept defender>
 
Jul 23, 2018
6,479
7,553
AFL Club
Essendon
I do not know. Personally I think we are better suited to playing an extra in defence or just 6 forwards.
An extra in defence seems like it would help our natural interceptors like Francis, Ridley, Gleeson etc. Instead we have 2 of our guys standing next to each other, both without an opponent at a ball up. If they do get it they just seem to get in each others way and handball to each other inviting pressure. The 1m hospital handpass has been one of the only consistent features of our style this year.
 

Liberator

Club Legend
Oct 24, 2014
1,679
2,334
AFL Club
Essendon
I would say the first is every bit as big a problem, if not the biggest. Essendon's movement forward of the ball has been terrible for years, with maybe a brief window of competence in 2017. A fair chunk of what looks like poor decisions and disposal in midfield comes from a lack of good options to kick to.
I strongly agree with this.
 
After watching Richmond tonight I can't imagine how they think these lazy arse players will implement anywhere near the same kind of intensity and effort. Might as well start over at this point.
 

Don35

Team Captain
Aug 21, 2015
509
394
AFL Club
Essendon
This whole outnumbering discussion is. Nonsense.

1. we don’t do it.
2. We aren’t fit enough not have the desire to do it
3. I assume we are talking about outnumbering at stoppages (which we don’t do) which would just mean they have an extra number somewhere else.
4. Can’t really count players like ham and cutler as being one of the numbers as the just run past the contest into ridiculous positions anyway.
5. All good having extra numbers but as is the case with us, when half of them are staring behind their players or just standing next to the other red and black bloke looking on, outnumbering is pointless.
6 u can’t Truly outnumber when u never have control of the ball and are therefore spending most the night running around chasing tails
 
This whole outnumbering discussion is. Nonsense.

1. we don’t do it.
2. We aren’t fit enough not have the desire to do it
3. I assume we are talking about outnumbering at stoppages (which we don’t do) which would just mean they have an extra number somewhere else.
4. Can’t really count players like ham and cutler as being one of the numbers as the just run past the contest into ridiculous positions anyway.
5. All good having extra numbers but as is the case with us, when half of them are staring behind their players or just standing next to the other red and black bloke looking on, outnumbering is pointless.
6 u can’t Truly outnumber when u never have control of the ball and are therefore spending most the night running around chasing tails

You have just outlined why the discussion it is not a nonsense. We do it so badly that it is an abject failure which is why I have continually questioned why we do it.
Just on number 6. It would be handy if we could actually hit a target by hand or foot. Right now it is our inability to hit a team mate on the chest that is doing the most damage.
 
Dec 14, 2008
19,796
32,193
AFL Club
Essendon
Good nuggets from the AFL . Com article

"Inside the club the Bombers will admit it has taken them longer than they would have hoped to bed down the new style.

After starting the season with a Richmond model of forward handballing and defensive set ups, the Bombers remain susceptible to full-ground turnovers and still fold back defensively instead of pushing up the ground and squeezing space.

When they go slow, and try to switch the ball and work it around the boundary, the Bombers have lacked the foot skills to execute this method.

After a number of first-half failures this year, they have also resorted to old plans after the main break. They have started games playing a 'plus one' at the stoppages, sending an extra forward up the ground. It has left them one short in attack, where opposition sides have kickstarted their scoring chains.

In a number of games, including against St Kilda in round 12, the Bombers scrapped that plan and went back to a six-six-six format of even numbers across the field after half-time and performed better for it.

The chopping and changing has seen a shuffling of focuses for some assistant coaches during the season, and also led to frustration on the field, with the Bombers gaining a reputation from rivals about on-field bickering around who should be where. "
 

CBombers17

Premium Platinum
Jul 7, 2014
4,611
5,303
AFL Club
Essendon
There's "longer than they would have hoped to bed down the new style" - and then there's can't play the new style...which is more accurately represents our reality this season?

To me bedding down infers we are occasionally falling back into old habits. We are further away than that surely.
 
There's "longer than they would have hoped to bed down the new style" - and then there's can't play the new style...which is more accurately represents our reality this season?

To me bedding down infers we are occasionally falling back into old habits. We are further away than that surely.

It is an inability to play it right now but it was never going to be a year to try an implement a new style of attack when for most of the year you are unable to train in groups larger than 6. It is a bit of a convenient excuse and despite this we should have been better in games than we have overall but it is a legit excuse. I can draw on my assistant coaching days and the struggle in pre season to find a decent size ground in January and February to implement any full ground stuff we wanted to set up. There is nothing like actually having a full group on the ground with the coaches in the middle of it all and bale to stop things and rewind on the go. We used to do 40 minutes of game sim every session with the 3 coaches in the vests as token opposition along with a rotating bunch of 8 players in vests. This allowed us to games of 18 v 11 and work on game style. Very hard to do without the space or training in groups of 6.
 

CBombers17

Premium Platinum
Jul 7, 2014
4,611
5,303
AFL Club
Essendon
It is an inability to play it right now but it was never going to be a year to try an implement a new style of attack when for most of the year you are unable to train in groups larger than 6. It is a bit of a convenient excuse and despite this we should have been better in games than we have overall but it is a legit excuse. I can draw on my assistant coaching days and the struggle in pre season to find a decent size ground in January and February to implement any full ground stuff we wanted to set up. There is nothing like actually having a full group on the ground with the coaches in the middle of it all and bale to stop things and rewind on the go. We used to do 40 minutes of game sim every session with the 3 coaches in the vests as token opposition along with a rotating bunch of 8 players in vests. This allowed us to games of 18 v 11 and work on game style. Very hard to do without the space or training in groups of 6.
I thought they would have been all training together since they left Melbourne?

Either way your points raise two questions. Firstly, do you think this list could have implemented this game style under normal training conditions?

And secondly, if not, should they have phased the new plan in rather than serve up a group that isn't up for it (has this been the best way to imbed the learnings in your opinion)?
 
I thought they would have been all training together since they left Melbourne?

Either way your points raise two questions. Firstly, do you think this list could have implemented this game style under normal training conditions?

And secondly, if not, should they have phased the new plan in rather than serve up a group that isn't up for it (has this been the best way to imbed the learnings in your opinion)?

Would have been a work in progress but it would have been better than it was. They have actually abandoned a lot of the number one plan they wanted to play with the forward handball and worked more on some game B stuff where kicking and possession was used but our skill level has been bloody horrible as well. at the end of the day the side that executes its plan the best no matter what that may be is the side that can control the ball the best and limit the number of costly turnovers.

When the hubs first kicked off there where still limits on how many in groups. It has really only been the last 6 weeks or so where there has been full training in groups.
 
Nov 5, 2010
5,009
6,283
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Packers, Bucks, Pens, M's, Chelsea
"longer than they would have hoped to bed down the new style"
12173510-3x4-xlarge.jpg
 
Dec 14, 2008
19,796
32,193
AFL Club
Essendon
Pretty sure I saw a moment today that encapsulated how easy it is for the game plan to fail if every one hasn't bought in

It was over on the back flank, a Melbourne player took a mark and our player was on the mark, another Melbourne player was streaming forward into space, his trailing man motioned for the man on the mark to fold back to him while he took over the mom duties

In the end the mom stayed put, the other bloke stopped next to him and the free Melbourne player marked in an acre of space

Doseht sound like much, but if every single call in a game is based on the other bloke moving to the right spot and he doseht.... We have much work to do
 
Pretty sure I saw a moment today that encapsulated how easy it is for the game plan to fail if every one hasn't bought in

It was over on the back flank, a Melbourne player took a mark and our player was on the mark, another Melbourne player was streaming forward into space, his trailing man motioned for the man on the mark to fold back to him while he took over the mom duties

In the end the mom stayed put, the other bloke stopped next to him and the free Melbourne player marked in an acre of space

Doseht sound like much, but if every single call in a game is based on the other bloke moving to the right spot and he doseht.... We have much work to do
Saw something similar on the near side HFF, Hurley and Daniher were manning the mark on their respective defenders early in the game and Melbourne was picking through the zones
 

fairbump_playon

Premiership Player
Jun 27, 2014
4,757
7,607
AFL Club
Essendon
To be honest I’m sick of talking about and thinking about our game plan when the real issue is will, effort and commitment.

Collingwood, second half Hawthorn, last quarter today. When we show up the game plan looks ok.

But what game plan will work when we wander around the field making half arsed efforts?
 
Pretty sure I saw a moment today that encapsulated how easy it is for the game plan to fail if every one hasn't bought in

It was over on the back flank, a Melbourne player took a mark and our player was on the mark, another Melbourne player was streaming forward into space, his trailing man motioned for the man on the mark to fold back to him while he took over the mom duties

In the end the mom stayed put, the other bloke stopped next to him and the free Melbourne player marked in an acre of space

Doseht sound like much, but if every single call in a game is based on the other bloke moving to the right spot and he doseht.... We have much work to do
There was on in the second quarter where Melbourne went coast to coast after a point. Sheil zoning grass 30 meters out. Essendon player further across lets a player run through his zone. Kick goes to the player behind Sheil who marks handballs to the player who ran past one of our guys. Into the forward line it goes in two kicks. Meanwhile our blokes are still looking on from half forward.
 
Back