Handballing. Why do we have so many who are poor at it?

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Generally easier to hit a target with one than a kick. An absolute basic of the game that is so much easier to master than kicking.

I don't expect everyone can be Greg Williams but Geelong seem to have so many poor exponents of the basic skill. Suprisingly, a lot of the main culprits I see are our supposed, top liners.

Hawkins is horrible.

Taylor is horrible. Does he even handball, he half shovels/throws them.

Dangerfield, continually misses targets or puts it at their feet.

Blicavs, see Taylor.

Zac Smith is another shoveller.

Murchoch is s**t at most basics.

Motlop, throw him in this lot too.

Feel free to add.

 

[Willo_]

Annoys me more than anything when people miss targets by hand... but I tell you what annoys me the most, when people can't handball on their opposite hand.

I think at the moment though they are so caught up in trying to get it out and flowing (doggies style last year) that they are favouring slick moment over the actual skill and ability to handball

And it's crap as a well timed handball delivered right can peel open a side

 

[Ricky Vaughn]

We don't have many blokes who can actually create play using handballs

Parfitt, Joel Selwood, Duncan and sometimes Menegola and Henderson. That's about it.

 

[Danger!Selwood]

Also noticed the past few weeks we are handpassing to players in terrible position, I think about three times last week we handballed to Zac Smith who was under pressure and standing still. Some players just seem happy to get rid of the ball to anyone, save themselves copping the pressure or the tackle.

 

[Cataholic]

Also noticed the past few weeks we are handpassing to players in terrible position, I think about three times last week we handballed to Zac Smith who was under pressure and standing still. Some players just seem happy to get rid of the ball to anyone, save themselves copping the pressure or the tackle.

I think you're being very kind - it's been a long term gripe of mine because we've done it for so long.

We frantically pass the ball off like it's a handgrenade to others standing still, flat footed and with their opponent in their back pocket, or at best, fire off the slowest, highest loopiest handballs ever to give our opponents plenty of time to shut it down.

Why? NFI.

 

[Catsace]

We seem to not have the ability of other sides who despite what looks to be a solid tackle by a Geelong player, they are able to still dispose of the ball almost wily-nilly yet seem to find loose players outside the packs. Whereas we seem to have our arms pinned more, and either get pinged for holding the ball or a kind of lame drop/throw which is pinged as well. And if it's not, the ball is worked loose and often taken away by the opposition.

Sadly when Geelong's under pressure too the recipient is a Lonergan, Smith, Stanley or someone else who's not all that agile. I think the Dogs did kind of redefined handball last year with any old disposal type being deemed a handball, and they had the manic running pressure to always be around contests, this sort of shovelling and pushing the ball forward even if it was by tap-ons and forced forward type rushes of the ball, some of which are probably not even disposals. Certainly though the arms of Geelong players seem to be caught up a lot easier than those of other sides, Cam Guthrie is a serious HTB magnet, he just gets caught and almost cannot make any legal disposal by any means once he's tackled.

Taylor does get some unwelcome loft with his handballs, like his kicks to some extent...although they were all straight last weekend! So the question is....does our tackling need to be better around other players' arms...or one arm particularly this creating a throw, or does the Geelong side as players need to work on stronger at disposal when riding a tackle? Would love a Greg Williams at the club now.

 

[Vdubs]

We don't have many blokes who can actually create play using handballs

Parfitt, Joel Selwood, Duncan and sometimes Menegola and Henderson. That's about it.

PARSONS.

 

[you pick one]

I think you're being very kind - it's been a long term gripe of mine because we've done it for so long.

We frantically pass the ball off like it's a handgrenade to others standing still, flat footed and with their opponent in their back pocket, or at best, fire off the slowest, highest loopiest handballs ever to give our opponents plenty of time to shut it down.

Why? NFI.

You play as you train,I was at the Geelong v Freo game a few week back and in the warm up Scarlo had the backs doing exactly what I have highlighted in your post,I made comment to those I was with "I now know where this s**t comes from".

 

[Cataholic]

You play as you train,I was at the Geelong v Freo game a few week back and in the warm up Scarlo had the backs doing exactly what I have highlighted in your post,I made comment to those I was with "I now know where this s**t comes from".

Scarlo......really??

 

[you pick one]

Scarlo......really??

love Scarlo but he was the one taking the drill.

 

[Cataholic]

love Scarlo but he was the one taking the drill.

That surprises me.

He was always one to move the ball on quickly, accurately, so why would he be coaching that??

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

We seem to not have the ability of other sides who despite what looks to be a solid tackle by a Geelong player, they are able to still dispose of the ball almost wily-nilly yet seem to find loose players outside the packs. Whereas we seem to have our arms pinned more, and either get pinged for holding the ball or a kind of lame drop/throw which is pinged as well. And if it's not, the ball is worked loose and often taken away by the opposition.

Sadly when Geelong's under pressure too the recipient is a Lonergan, Smith, Stanley or someone else who's not all that agile. I think the Dogs did kind of redefined handball last year with any old disposal type being deemed a handball, and they had the manic running pressure to always be around contests, this sort of shovelling and pushing the ball forward even if it was by tap-ons and forced forward type rushes of the ball, some of which are probably not even disposals. Certainly though the arms of Geelong players seem to be caught up a lot easier than those of other sides, Cam Guthrie is a serious HTB magnet, he just gets caught and almost cannot make any legal disposal by any means once he's tackled.

Taylor does get some unwelcome loft with his handballs, like his kicks to some extent...although they were all straight last weekend! So the question is....does our tackling need to be better around other players' arms...or one arm particularly this creating a throw, or does the Geelong side as players need to work on stronger at disposal when riding a tackle? Would love a Greg Williams at the club now.

Is it the Joel Selwood effect?

In all the threads on Joel, of which there are many, saying that he ducks and whatnot, all the Geelong supporters get in there to defend him and one of the common themes is that opposition players need to be either stronger if they're going to start their tackles up so high on him, trying to pin the arms, or they need to go back to old school tackling and get him around the hips.

Are the players being instructed to go lower to avoid an opponent employing Selwood, tackle evasion tactics or to combat straight out duckers like McLean, Mathieson and Christensen have been?

I mentioned this same thing in a thread on here somewhere a few weeks ago. It was very noticeable that Geelong players were tackling lower than their opponents were.

 

[cats_09]

Do we need to change the role that Enright is currently employed in and make him a full time handball coach?

 

[UnitedWarrior93]

Hand balling is such an underused skill. It can really break games open and tear teams apart if used and executed the right way.

Loopy handballs, Hospital balls, handballs to players standing still or 2-4m away from the person with the ball are all absolute pointless handballs that we seem to do far to often.

 

[Mr Meow]

There's been a decline in the team's ability to execute the basics as the majority of our flag winning champions retired or aged. We haven't been a consistently clean and skillful team for a while. Don't me wrong, the team still has plenty going for it to remain quite high on the ladder. But I think it is one factor as to why under immense pressure such as in finals, those weaknesses in executing the fundamentals can be quite badly exposed.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

Harry Taylor been a tremendous player for Geelong - but i agree with the opening post in that he is nearly the worst exponet handpass whose ever played the game

Its like some open hand Teddy Whitten flick pass of the 60s - Harry looks like he has had 3 of his fingers amputated and it hurts like hell when he does a handpass

Apparently Polly Farmer ( who basically brought in handballing ) he used to be a car salesman - and in between selling motors - hed wind down both front windows and handball the ball through both windows - in one and out the other - blooody Taylor he couldnt even hit the car .

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Harry Taylor been a tremendous player for Geelong - but i agree with the opening post in that he is nearly the worst exponet handpass whose ever played the game

Its like some open hand Teddy Whitten flick pass of the 60s - Harry looks like he has had 3 of his fingers amputated and it hurts like hell when he does a handpass

Apparently Polly Farmer ( who basically brought in handballing ) he used to be a car salesman - and in between selling motors - hed wind down both front windows and handball the ball through both windows - in one and out the other - blooody Taylor he couldnt even hit the car .

Shannon Byrnes for mine. For someone that used to run himself into trouble so many times because he absolutely only had a left foot, you'd have thought he would have been a better handballer to get himself out of trouble. Not on your nelly, he was bloody terrible.

 

[Cataholic]

Do we need to change the role that Enright is currently employed in and make him a full time handball coach?

Well, it needs to be addressed, and fast

 

[Cataholic]

Hand balling is such an underused skill. It can really break games open and tear teams apart if used and executed the right way.

Loopy handballs, Hospital balls, handballs to players standing still or 2-4m away from the person with the ball are all absolute pointless handballs that we seem to do far to often.

They do it repeatedly.

I've feared for my tv, and continue to do so.

It behooves the GFC to improve this skill, and quickly, so the integrity of my tv isn't compromised.

 

[Shell]

Also noticed the past few weeks we are handpassing to players in terrible position, I think about three times last week we handballed to Zac Smith who was under pressure and standing still. Some players just seem happy to get rid of the ball to anyone, save themselves copping the pressure or the tackle.

This. Is becoming much more prevalent imo, and it's not just us, it's other teams as well. Shits me to tears.

 

[Ricky Vaughn]

PARSONS.

True, he uses it well by hand and foot, and makes good decisions.

 

[Vdubs]

True, he uses it well by hand and foot, and makes good decisions.

Might not get it a lot, but you can see the signs, no panic, good quick decisions as you say.

 

[The Casey Cat]

Also noticed the past few weeks we are handpassing to players in terrible position, I think about three times last week we handballed to Zac Smith who was under pressure and standing still. Some players just seem happy to get rid of the ball to anyone, save themselves copping the pressure or the tackle.

This is the main problem. Lack of run and spark causing lack of space. It's just hot potato here you have it type bull s**t rather than handballs to set something up. Like our ball movement in general it is absolutely sub standard and it's a joke that is wasn't addressed after our prelim loss last year.

And yes agree Taylor has ALWAYS been an infuriatingly poor handball no matter what situation or how much time and space he and or the receiver has. Much better raking it down the line.

 

[The Casey Cat]

That surprises me.

He was always one to move the ball on quickly, accurately, so why would he be coaching that??

With decisive run and kicking forward. Handballing not a strength. Enright a miles better handball in defense in fact probably best in our club's history.

 

[Pollywaffle]

We are down on football 'smarts' across the board. Many players get hot potato syndrome particularly when pressure is on, but I also suspect too many of them don't 'see' the game as well as they should.
Just an addition : I have noticed Motlop running in front of players with the ball demanding it in when in a much worse position, often with an opposition player breathing down his neck. Danger does this a bit too too, and the weaker minded players get sucked in to handballing to them instead of taking more intelligent options.