How do we combat a flood?

[cat in sydney]

We played well against Carlton on the weekend, because they basically allowed us to run free and play man on man.
Previously, we have struggled with the flood as everyone knows.
And many people have suggested that this is Bombers weakness, having the tactical nous to come up with a game plan that works to combat this.

So, play coach... what is your recipe (with the team we have) to overcome a flooding/defensive opposition?

 

[CF]

his game plan is obvious, move the ball quickly out of half back so the players don't have time to flood back and give our forwards a chance to mark the ball. I noticed also in the Carlton game that when we get the ball all our midfielder's and center players run forward immediately. This works ok if our passing is good, but if we cause a turnover a good opposition would be in a position to make us pay for it as they would have some loose players back on or near their forward line

The other thing is if the opposition is able to flood back then the only thing you can do is pass it around and get your leading forwards to try and create space so you can pass into the forward 50 to a player, or you kick it long for a goal.

They also need some set plays in the forward 50 for throw ins and ball bounces to try and generate some goals that way.

that's about all I can think of.

 

[piesflag07]

Not much chance of a flood. We cant even get any rain. Soon we will be on the same water restrictions as QLD. Geelong are Ok. You will probably come second this year I think. Hot pies.

 

[WE Are Geelong]

This is an excellent question because it will basically decide where we finish this season. Nobody questions that when the cats are given their natural flow of play through the middle without the opposition dropping players back we would probably be back close to premiership favourites again in Victoria anyway...

If you look at West Coast and Sydney matches...particularly the GFs, they arent incredibly high scoring. The point of this being no one really handles the flood all that well. The challenge for Geelong is to find more scoring options than they have and not to lose their concentration and focus when the flood is going on. I think mental discipline is a big issue. We seem to lose sight of the fact we also have to defend when the flood is going on. Soon as we lose the pill in this situation we seem to lose the plot at the same time. So I think staying focused is a huge factor.

Moving the ball through the middle with greater urgency and speed as already mentioned will no doubt help and since we are actually trained and match fit to do that this year we are in much better shape already.

I think allowing Nathan and even Tom now to take shots from outside 50 is a great idea. Getting guys to take more running shots from outside 50 is something that needs developing also. Significantly a mobile forward structure is critical...when Ottens was moved out of the forward line what a difference I felt. He will still be handy as a resting ruckman but if we want to compete at the top level he should not be our FF. You need guys who can really chase hard out of their forward 50 whether they are big or small doesnt matter. Ottens will never be able to apply that sort of defensive pressure when the game is hot. Varcoe, Djerrkura and Stokes are crucial guys to develop.

Not turning the ball over as much is also a clear concern. Disposal is an issue. If we can maintain possession as we travel down the field more times than we have in the past...even if we get held up along the way...it puts pressure on the opposition as the game goes on and eventually you will always get your chances to score.

The reality is no one has really blown the flood out of the water yet, pardon the pun, some sides are just much better at handling it than others. The amount we improve against it will tell the tale this season.

 

[Inferno]

Even at the end of the second quarter against Carlton basically flooded and we just chiped it around until we turned it over. Glad they didn't try it for the entire match.

 

[piesflag07]

This is an excellent question because it will basically decide where we finish this season. Nobody questions that when the cats are given their natural flow of play through the middle without the opposition dropping players back we would probably be back close to premiership favourites again in Victoria anyway...

If you look at West Coast and Sydney matches...particularly the GFs, they arent incredibly high scoring. The point of this being no one really handles the flood all that well. The challenge for Geelong is to find more scoring options than they have and not to lose their concentration and focus when the flood is going on. I think mental discipline is a big issue. We seem to lose sight of the fact we also have to defend when the flood is going on. Soon as we lose the pill in this situation we seem to lose the plot at the same time. So I think staying focused is a huge factor.

Moving the ball through the middle with greater urgency and speed as already mentioned will no doubt help and since we are actually trained and match fit to do that this year we are in much better shape already.

I think allowing Nathan and even Tom now to take shots from outside 50 is a great idea. Getting guys to take more running shots from outside 50 is something that needs developing also. Significantly a mobile forward structure is critical...when Ottens was moved out of the forward line what a difference I felt. He will still be handy as a resting ruckman but if we want to compete at the top level he should not be our FF.

Not turning the ball over as much is also a clear concern. Disposal is an issue. If we can maintain possession as we travel down the field more times than we have in the past...even if we get held up along the way...it puts pressure on the opposition as the game goes on and eventually you will always get your chances to score.

The reality is no one has really blown the flood out of the water yet, some sides are just much better at handling it than others. The amount we improve against it will tell the tale this season.

All your posts are epic.

 

[Lunchlady Doris]

Not much chance of a flood. We cant even get any rain. Soon we will be on the same water restrictions as QLD. Geelong are Ok. You will probably come second this year I think. Hot pies.

Geelong will win the spoon.

please stop posting

 

[CatFan79]

Surely Melbourne will play a heavy flood, holding the game up in stoppages and relying on beating us in clearances. This would be the best plan of attack against us for sure. Question is if they're fit and hard enough to be effective at it..

The flood will always screw us because we don't win enough of the ball from center clearances (and clearances in general).

We rely so heavily on rebounding from the backline as our attack so the flood is more effective against us than probably many other teams.

You have to be able to consistanly hit targets to combat a flood, something most of our guys struggle with.

 

[WE Are Geelong]

All your posts are epic.

Now tell me how is it spelt as you would know...

ADD or ADHD?...which do you prefer?

 

[Rockford]

An idea I've had to combat the flood is to get every one of our forwards outside of our forward 50 when we're chipping the ball around in midfield. If the defenders don't go with them we have numbers to work the ball around, if they do it leaves room to kick for goal on the run from outside the 50. Flooding is an extreme defensive tactic, I feel like it'll take an equally extreme tactic to overcome it. Comments?

 

[winty]

An idea I've had to combat the flood is to get every one of our forwards outside of our forward 50 when we're chipping the ball around in midfield. If the defenders don't go with them we have numbers to work the ball around, if they do it leaves room to kick for goal on the run from outside the 50. Flooding is an extreme defensive tactic, I feel like it'll take an equally extreme tactic to overcome it. Comments?

I was thinking something similar. Move forwards out of the 50. Not only does it open up the forward 50 for the likes of Moons, Nathan and Hawk to have space to lead into, but if the defenders don't go with the forwards, then the midfield will be flooded so they won't be able to rebound quickly.

But as mentioned before, the best way to beat a flood is go quick and direct so the opposition don't have the time to set the flood up in the first place.

 

[sarah.13]

Hope for lots of Sunshine !!

 

[crosby123]

If they start a serious flood perhaps leave only Mooney and Nablett as tall forwards. Otto and Hawkins aren't agile enough to really cause damage in a crowded backline.

 

[thegerman]

Well it isn't easy, but here goes.

Move most forwards out of the 50m arc. Leave only one or two inside the 50, the rest form a zone defence about 40-50 metres out.

This sort of ensures that we will have a flood (sort of), in place at about the 60-80 metres out from the goal line.

Deliver the ball to the two forwards, and have running players attacking the ball if dropped, from the zone. These could either be just the midfielders or just two of the HFF.

Not too sure if this would actually work, but most believe the only way to beat it is to create more space for your running players to run into. Also it gives forwards a greater chance of getting in front of the opposition for easier delivery.

My two cents anyway.

 

[Sean Sheep]

I thought perhaps we could play our forwards very deep and encourage our midfield to kick goals on the run? I actually agree with Thompson's comments after the Brisbane game about watching how we coped and allowing it to unfold... a good opportunity to learn. I think we can match up very well on most teams playing a one on one style of footy, we just need some good balance in our forward 50 (not too many talls) so that we can apply good defensive pressure on the opposition as they try and run it out.

We generally got worse at combatting the flood because we have tried to play a more free flowing brand of football and tried to not get sucked in to the other team's tactic. However if we need to play ugly football I believe we can match it with anyone... thats why I think if we can get into the finals I wouldn't completely write off our chances, we can play that defensive style as good as anyone.

 

[tin can sam]

Not a 100% solution, but I reckon we should just sit a couple of hospital passes on the heads of the flooders, and allow Mooney to just jump striaght into them, knees up, just to put fear into the others dropping back.

 

[Mooney_d'King]

I thought perhaps we could play our forwards very deep and encourage our midfield to kick goals on the run? I actually agree with Thompson's comments after the Brisbane game about watching how we coped and allowing it to unfold... a good opportunity to learn. I think we can match up very well on most teams playing a one on one style of footy, we just need some good balance in our forward 50 (not too many talls) so that we can apply good defensive pressure on the opposition as they try and run it out.

We generally got worse at combatting the flood because we have tried to play a more free flowing brand of football and tried to not get sucked in to the other team's tactic. However if we need to play ugly football I believe we can match it with anyone... thats why I think if we can get into the finals I wouldn't completely write off our chances, we can play that defensive style as good as anyone.

We know how to play the flood (look at the first Saints game last year) but we've not yet been good at combatting it. If we can beat Hawthorn in Round 4, who play a LOT of blokes following the ball, then we'll be able to defeat whenever it's used. That's my benchmark for this season in terms of beating the flood.

 

[Go_Ramjet!]

Hope for lots of Sunshine !!

and lots of sand-bags also help...

perhaps the NAB cup might introduce netball style rules where particular players can only operate in particular areas.

i don't mind the flood - it just promotes quick movement of the play to avoid the situation altogether

 

[winty]

I'm amazed Gunnar Longshanks hasn't posted in this thread. He seems to have an opinion about everything else to do with Geelong.

 

[cat in sydney]

I'm amazed Gunnar Longshanks hasn't posted in this thread. He seems to have an opinion about everything else to do with Geelong.

You may well have just brought it to his attention by bumping it back up to the top of the page!

 

[cats2rise]

Assault Rifle and a shot gun. Works for me on Halo anyway.

 

[DanA]

IMO there are two main approches teams use to combate the flood. The Bulldogs fast ball movement methood and Sydney Basketball method.

Bulldogs:
1)They move the ball quickly not allowing the flood to develop. Most of there goals are launched from the backline use Gilbee as a quaterback. It makes a massive difference having a reliable forward that will beat his man more often than not.

Sydney:
2) They keep posession playing a basketball style game moving the ball around outside the forward 50. This gives them three options, the can take shots from outside 50 (3 point shot), waiting for someone to penetrate the 50 and kick a goal (drive), Hit a player ussually dropping into space behind a Barry Hall lead (Post up). These three options need players midfeilders with a long penetrating kick and precise passes by foot.

Option 1 requires your to run the ball from the backline. Geelong has a relatively high % of its goals starting from the backline indicating a preferance (Bulldogs are the highest in the league). This requires a high level of fitness and good contested marking and playmakers in the backline. We are No.2 in the league for contested marks. J.Hunt, Scarlett, Milburn, Wojak are all good playmakers, poor fitness let us down last year.

Option 2 requires your side to be good at stoppages because it creates so many and midfeilders capable of kicking/setting up goals. Sydney are the most effective team in the league at stoppages and its midfeilders are very effective at setting up/kicking goals (Okeefe, Goodes, Malceski, Buchanan). It requires a good tap ruckmen & a few midfeilders with penetrating kick.

 

[Generalissimo]

How do we combat a flood?
Build a big boat and fill it with two of every animal.

Seriously though, I like tin can sam's hospital pass idea. Another thing you could try is have our long kickers like Josh Hunt and Wojcinski running off HBF and going for goal from outside 50.

 

[winty]

I guess we'll find out in 3 weeks whether Thompson's found a way to get past the flood, since we play the 3 worst users of the flood in the next 3 weeks (Hawks, Roos, Tigers).

 

[martyk]

I guess we'll find out in 3 weeks whether Thompson's found a way to get past the flood, since we play the 3 worst users of the flood in the next 3 weeks (Hawks, Roos, Tigers).

You think? I reckon Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Collingwood are the worst. When we played Richmond in NAB cup they played a very open game.

From what I've seen, other teams vary depending on the team their playing. Every team should flood Geelong and Western Bulldogs.