I think Craig has got this wrong

[ok.crows]

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,21723607-21543,00.html

But, with its 13-player injury list expected to be trimmed significantly in the next two weeks, there remains one burning issue for coach Neil Craig - his side's damning free kick count.

Before the weekend's round, Adelaide had the second-worst free kick differential (behind the Western Bulldogs' six) in the AFL, conceding four more free kicks per game than it received.

That highlighted to Craig that his team had a problem.

That problem reached alarming proportions against the Lions after the Crows recorded their worst free kick differential of the season - 11 for, 24 against.

And Craig was laying the blame totally on his players - not the umpires.

At issue is the high amount of free kicks Adelaide is giving away for head-high tackles. "We're not at the level we need to be (with tackling)," Craig said.

Sorry Neil, but the facts just don't back you up here.

This is the "ladder" sorted by frees against. Crows are mid-table.
http://finalsiren.com/TeamStatsSummary.asp?SeasonID=2007&Sort=FreesAgainst Desc

This is the "ladder" sorted by frees for. Crows are bottom.
http://finalsiren.com/TeamStatsSummary.asp?SeasonID=2007&Sort=FreesFor Desc

That, Neil, is the source of the free-kick differential. Nothing else.

 

[- PC -]

Not sure I understand where you are coming from? Neil responded by saying ''head high'' tackles need to be better executed. If the players are tackling poorly the umpires must pay the free

I also think he is not going anywhere near criticism of umpires

 

[writeoff]

I agree with what PC said ^^^^.
Craig is not going to be drawn into criticising the umpires and would probably have a break down of the free kicks against. If the number resulting from headhigh tackles is higher than for other infringements he can lay the blame on the players and an area that needs improvement.

 

[crowugoodthing]

Who has it wrong?

 

[rayven]

Well on saturday there was a few lazy tackles.

But the figure blew out with the brisbane tactic of ducking and getting rewarded.

 

[NikkiNoo]

NC is focusing on what he can actually change in respect to the discrepencies and what he can change is his players, especially in respect to tackling. We did give away too many head highs (Bernie, I'm looking at you) that could have been prevented.

The club stated last week (or the week before I think) that they are no longer asking for information back from the umpiring department as they are not satisfied with the responses that they have been receiving.

Also on the tackling there is an interview with Stephen Schwerdt from the age here. This quote I found interesting

"Not a lot has changed, apart from perhaps altering or omitting a few of the higher risk drills involving collisions and contact."

If you take that quote from Schwerdt with what Craig says later in the article above then it seems that we are no longer doing our hard tackling drills that made us such a great tackling side for the last two years.

I have noticed since the start of this year that our tackles have not been sticking and in fact we are missing tackles that normally would stop the opposition in it's tracks.

 

[jenny61_99]

The damning statistic that you won't find anywhere is the number of frees NOT paid to us so far this season.

 

[- PC -]

This quote I found interesting If you take that quote from Schwerdt with what Craig says later in the article above then it seems that we are no longer doing our hard tackling drills that made us such a great tackling side for the last two years.

I have noticed since the start of this year that our tackles have not been sticking and in fact we are missing tackles that normally would stop the opposition in it's tracks.

You mean they did an internal investigation and changed something? Tell me it isnt so



(love stirring)

 

[ok.crows]

Not sure I understand where you are coming from?

Stating the obvious: frees against are where your team gives away a free, frees for are where your team gets a free.

Stating the not-so-obvious: Most frees are "given away" rather than "earned". Just about the only way to actively earn a free is to effect a holding-the-ball ... holding-the-ball decisions are a distinct minority of free kicks paid.

Ergo, the only thing a team can actively do to improve its "free kick differential" is to improve on giving away less free kicks. The Crows are not actually too bad in this area ... they are mid-table.

Teams can't actively do much to improve their rate of free kicks for ... that is up to the umpires to get that right. This is the area were the Crows need to improve, and the Crows cannot actually do anything much about it.

Ergo, Craig has got it wrong. He is barking up the wrong tree.

Mind you, barking up the right tree probably still won't have any effect, and it could prove quite costly ...

PS: This is probably the only thing that Craig can get wrong and yet Rucci won't criticise him about ... draw your own conclusions.

 

[- PC -]

Ergo, the only thing a team can actively do to improve its "free kick differential" is to improve on giving away less free kicks. .

Which is what NC said.

 

[ok.crows]

Which is what NC said.

Yes, but he also said:

there remains one burning issue for coach Neil Craig - his side's damning free kick count.

He then blames (using the word 'damning') the wrong party for this issue.

 

[ok.crows]

The club stated last week (or the week before I think) that they are no longer asking for information back from the umpiring department as they are not satisfied with the responses that they have been receiving.

Wimps.

The AFL is in an extremely weak position here. The club should hammer this point home as hard and as persistently as they possibly can.

 

[just maybe]

You mean they did an internal investigation and changed something? Tell me it isnt so



(love stirring)

1. Try reading the whole article

2. Try reading the first phrase in the quoted sentence

3. Robbing Peter to pay Paul?

I love putting down stirrings.

 

[- PC -]

I love putting down stirrings.

Thats because you have no sense of humour

 

[just maybe]

Thats because you have no sense of humour

I got your humour, just thought it wasn't particularly funny.

 

[RoosterLad]

Well this thread was worth opening.

 

[ok.crows]

Wimps.

The AFL is in an extremely weak position here. The club should hammer this point home as hard and as persistently as they possibly can.

Just a further point on this topic, perhaps the club should point out to the AFL that abuse towards umpires is becoming a significant issue.

The club should suggest that the way to fix that issue is not to censor people, but rather to correct the obvious bias that umpires exhibit towards certain sides.

The umpires never answer when this clear bias is pointed out to them. The umpires therefore utterly fail to make any effort to improve their own lot.

 

[relapse]

The only problem I have is that by trying to change things around then what is happening is that you're making players second guess their instincts. I have seen nothing any less disciplined than other sides.

We need to focus why we dont get as many as the opposition moreso than us giving them away.

 

[ok.crows]

The only problem I have is that by trying to change things around then what is happening is that you're making players second guess their instincts. I have seen nothing any less disciplined than other sides.

We need to focus why we dont get as many as the opposition moreso than us giving them away.

Agreed.

Please note, however, that the reason "why we dont get as many as the opposition" doesn't really have anything much to do with the Crows or the way that they play.

 

[chopper55555]

The AFL is in an extremely weak position here. The club should hammer this point home as hard and as persistently as they possibly can.

Tried, and rejected unashamedly by the white/blue/green dunces chief who should be ashamed. I wonder if the club would suffer further - both officially (fines) and unofficially (unprovably, of course).

Grit Teeth. Move On. Hope Media exercises powers of observation and journalistic research and the "mightier than the sword" (a vain hope of one "chief" journalist). Another vain hope - Demetriou exercises influence to get them back on track.

 

[Damp Squarie]

Well on saturday there was a few lazy tackles.

But the figure blew out with the brisbane tactic of ducking and getting rewarded.

Theres no rule saying you cant duck.
The umpires should call play on.

 

[n4sir]

NC is focusing on what he can actually change in respect to the discrepencies and what he can change is his players, especially in respect to tackling. We did give away too many head highs (Bernie, I'm looking at you) that could have been prevented.

The club stated last week (or the week before I think) that they are no longer asking for information back from the umpiring department as they are not satisfied with the responses that they have been receiving.

Also on the tackling there is an interview with Stephen Schwerdt from the age here. This quote I found interesting If you take that quote from Schwerdt with what Craig says later in the article above then it seems that we are no longer doing our hard tackling drills that made us such a great tackling side for the last two years.

I have noticed since the start of this year that our tackles have not been sticking and in fact we are missing tackles that normally would stop the opposition in it's tracks.

I think Nikki's pretty much nailed it first go - the Crows have always copped the rough end of the pineapple when it comes to free kicks, and numerous please-explains in the past that have crossed the AFL have resulted in absolutely nothing.

In this situation the only realistic thing the Crows can do is examine where they are giving away free kicks and attempt to minimise them if possible by altering player techniques/interpretations/behaviour, and more consultation with the AFL/umpires for further clarifications - it mightn't amount to a heck of a lot of difference, but it's all they can really do.

 

[maccas_no1]

The damning statistic that you won't find anywhere is the number of frees NOT paid to us so far this season.

Agree and I honestly dont believe we are as undiciplined as what it is being made look like.......that free kick count F&A of 11-24 against Brisbane is absurd

 

[macca23]

Agree and I honestly dont believe we are as undiciplined as what it is being made look like.......that free kick count F&A of 11-24 against Brisbane is absurd

Have to agree with you maccas because those stats don't show the omes that we should have got but didn't.

Also included in the frees to Brisbane are some imaginary holding the ball frees, but the club has given up on that issue after realizing that the umpires review panel has got less idea than the umpires.

Basically IMO it boils down to the club hoping that silence might result in a more equitable situation than whinging.

Given that we seem to be the white/blue/red/green/yellow maggots' favourite whipping boys, I've given up hope on that score.

 

[- PC -]

Basically IMO it boils down to the club hoping that silence might result in a more equitable situation than whinging.

Given that we seem to be the white/blue/red/green/yellow maggots' favourite whipping boys, I've given up hope on that score.

I think this is the wrong way to go about it...but who do we complain to? Rucci?

Can you imagine the article? We saw the '' Judd and Kerr dont get holding the ball'' articles and what happened at Geelong on Sunday? Judd gets done

Sheedy has been using this tactic for years..but once again will Rucci help?