Dr Tigris
Brownlow Medallist
In the absence of a preview thread I though I'd post this article (link) as I reckon there's some fairly good analysis in it on how the game is likely to be played.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/sp...coach-find-a-master-plan-20180902-p5019d.html
Logically, Richmond wins. Not just this week, but the two or three finals afterwards.
Hawthorn lost to the reigning premier in their past two meetings, but finished fourth on the ladder. So what does the master coach Alastair Clarkson do against such odds?
..
The choice when playing Richmond is either to play them at their game or play them at yours.
…
All games rely on an ability to be competitive in the initial contest, that is a given. Finals teams are normally all good contested-ball outfits, but there are degrees of good. Richmond has been better at the contest than everyone, Hawthorn included (though Tom Mitchell’s numbers present a case for the defence).
Richmond commit numbers to the contest to win it, and defensively set up outside the contest to give the appearance of nowhere to go for the opposition when or if they win the ball. It helps them channel the opposition to the parts of the ground they want them to be.
When Richmond win the ball they surge towards it, and turn up to the next contest in numbers and win that. There is an essential simplicity to it that is redolent of Leigh Matthews’ Lions team in style if not structure.
“If you can win that ball and forward handball from the congestion you will find you have players out the other side of it because they (Richmond) invest heavily where the ball is, so if you can get it clear you can open them up,” a coach said.
If you don’t take Richmond on at their frenetic game you have to be able to take a mark behind the ball to allow some time to get composed, and to make the decision on where to go next. You have to have runners on the outside with pace prepared to work to space to open the ground up, and allow the next kick to go to the open space or bravely at a 45-degree angle into the corridor.
Richmond sets up well defensively to corral teams into playing down the line, so the mark in the backline can open up the option to widen the ground and stretch the Richmond defenders and midfielders.
“That is why Hawthorn's [James] Sicily is critical, because he is that intercept marking player,” a coach said.
“You need to hold your structure against Richmond and not let your defenders get drawn up at the ball. Richmond hold their defenders back behind the ball and don’t get drawn up.
“So when you go forward you have to run it or kick 35-metre kicks to possession. If you go long you have to go long to a pocket and force a stoppage. Normally if you go long you are feeding [Alex] Rance and [Nick] Vlastuin, you just give them too much time to get over in numbers, and they block forwards [getting to marking contests] as well as anyone.
“Rance’s player has to stay relevant to the play, you don’t necessarily play through him, but he has to be relevant or Rance looks at him and says ‘you aren’t getting it’ and rolls over and gets it himself.”
Richmond’s small forwards like to push up the ground to the contest and beat their opponent in a foot race back into space when they win the ball.
“You have to keep your structure behind the ball and be prepared not to follow them up to the contest. There is a risk in that if they get it and run it in, but there is a bigger risk giving them grass to goal,” a coach said.
Hawthorn’s problem is Richmond will be looking at them the same way. To beat Hawthorn other teams have focused on stopping their switch kick out of defence and in particular trying to shut down Luke Breust and Jack Gunston.
They have 100 goals between them so if you shut them down it makes it very hard for Hawthorn to kick a score. Of course, the fact that they have kicked 100 goals between them also proves that shutting them down is harder than it sounds.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/sp...coach-find-a-master-plan-20180902-p5019d.html
Logically, Richmond wins. Not just this week, but the two or three finals afterwards.
Hawthorn lost to the reigning premier in their past two meetings, but finished fourth on the ladder. So what does the master coach Alastair Clarkson do against such odds?
..
The choice when playing Richmond is either to play them at their game or play them at yours.
…
All games rely on an ability to be competitive in the initial contest, that is a given. Finals teams are normally all good contested-ball outfits, but there are degrees of good. Richmond has been better at the contest than everyone, Hawthorn included (though Tom Mitchell’s numbers present a case for the defence).
Richmond commit numbers to the contest to win it, and defensively set up outside the contest to give the appearance of nowhere to go for the opposition when or if they win the ball. It helps them channel the opposition to the parts of the ground they want them to be.
When Richmond win the ball they surge towards it, and turn up to the next contest in numbers and win that. There is an essential simplicity to it that is redolent of Leigh Matthews’ Lions team in style if not structure.
“If you can win that ball and forward handball from the congestion you will find you have players out the other side of it because they (Richmond) invest heavily where the ball is, so if you can get it clear you can open them up,” a coach said.
If you don’t take Richmond on at their frenetic game you have to be able to take a mark behind the ball to allow some time to get composed, and to make the decision on where to go next. You have to have runners on the outside with pace prepared to work to space to open the ground up, and allow the next kick to go to the open space or bravely at a 45-degree angle into the corridor.
Richmond sets up well defensively to corral teams into playing down the line, so the mark in the backline can open up the option to widen the ground and stretch the Richmond defenders and midfielders.
“That is why Hawthorn's [James] Sicily is critical, because he is that intercept marking player,” a coach said.
“You need to hold your structure against Richmond and not let your defenders get drawn up at the ball. Richmond hold their defenders back behind the ball and don’t get drawn up.
“So when you go forward you have to run it or kick 35-metre kicks to possession. If you go long you have to go long to a pocket and force a stoppage. Normally if you go long you are feeding [Alex] Rance and [Nick] Vlastuin, you just give them too much time to get over in numbers, and they block forwards [getting to marking contests] as well as anyone.
“Rance’s player has to stay relevant to the play, you don’t necessarily play through him, but he has to be relevant or Rance looks at him and says ‘you aren’t getting it’ and rolls over and gets it himself.”
Richmond’s small forwards like to push up the ground to the contest and beat their opponent in a foot race back into space when they win the ball.
“You have to keep your structure behind the ball and be prepared not to follow them up to the contest. There is a risk in that if they get it and run it in, but there is a bigger risk giving them grass to goal,” a coach said.
Hawthorn’s problem is Richmond will be looking at them the same way. To beat Hawthorn other teams have focused on stopping their switch kick out of defence and in particular trying to shut down Luke Breust and Jack Gunston.
They have 100 goals between them so if you shut them down it makes it very hard for Hawthorn to kick a score. Of course, the fact that they have kicked 100 goals between them also proves that shutting them down is harder than it sounds.
