Opinion Increasing our goal scoring spread?

[free at last]

Well after watching us get completely destroyed by a team who were missing their biggest and most important forward player(Roughead) not playing and their next so called tall(gunston) failing to hit the scoreboard.To me it just shows the reliance of having a monster key forward in the modern is some what diminished.
A good spread of goal scorers is the key,which we all know.

I hope RTB sat back once he knew we were rooted and learned from this.And finally realised that his game plan/style is not going to win his and freos first flag.

 

[jedi mind tricks]

Play Tabs to free up Pav. Drop out of form forwards and replace with players who are our future. Eg Weller Crozier Blakely and Langdon.

 

[Lost_Deputy]

Go full Swans 2012. Populate the front half with peeps that love to be involved with goals. Tall or not it doesn't matter. If they love 6 points the'ye in!

 

[DudleyDocker]

I used to play a lot of chess back in the day, and while it is a slightly different game to AFL, the general principles (of any battle) apply. Some of these things are self-evident, but I think worth looking at in terms of how we are playing the game at the moment:

1. Control the centre. The centre is the most important part of the baord, and control of the centre allows more mobility for the pieces, as well as easy access to all parts of the board. Attacks from the center also tend to be the most effective. (We are too easily bullied out of the centre corridor an out to the flanks - we should fight tooth and nail to control the corridor and particularly the centre square).
2. Develop (bring into the game) as many pieces as possible. A piece which is not influencing the play is ineffective and leaves you undermanned against your opposition. (Having 18 players pinned in our defensive area means we have NO attacking players and the majority of the 18 are just taking up space, not impacting the game)
3. Don't overuse the queen early. Moving the queen around early in the game is often a mistake. While the queen is valuable, this also makes it vulnerable; every time it is attacked by a weaker piece, it must move to avoid capture. After all, trading a queen for a knight or bishop isn't a good idea. (The queen is the most powerful attacking piece, so in terms of our team would relate to Pav. Relying too heavily on him means he is easily countered by lesser players)
   
4. Don't move the same piece multiple times unless necessary. It is more important to bring many pieces into play, and attacks using only one or two pieces are rarely successful. (We are relying on a small number of "stars" instead of having a game plan that brings more players into the game - e.g. moving Pav to the centre to fix problems here, moving Fyfe forward to fix problems there)
5. Develop with threats. Threatening the opponent's pieces will force him to take defensive action, rather than continuing his own development. (For me this is the biggest weakness with Ross's defensive game plan. When we become overly defensive and the opposition is not afraid of us scoring, they can bring ALL their players into attacking positions, which is what Hawthorn did on the weekend. We have proven we can score, but have lost the will to do it. Re-watch the derby from earlier in the year and see how much better the Eagles looked once we got comfortable and stopped attacking)

For me, the other huge downside of the current game plan is the effect it has on player morale. We all love to win, but winning ugly is not really what players want to do - watch them in their free time and they don't practice tackling or guarding space, they practice kicking at goal and marking and doing the things that are FUN. I have watched our boys trudge off after the last few (6?) games and there is no sense of victory or jubilation on their faces, more relief when we win and despair when we lose. Compare the singing of the song to what it was early in the year and it's almost a dirge at times.

It's time to change the game plan up and give the guys something to look forward to. Players LOVE scoring goals and LOVE thrashing teams, they don't love grinding out close victories, particularly against teams they know they SHOULD thrash.

Do this small thing for us for us Ross, against all opposition - anywhere, anytime. It seems really obvious that we are not going to beat the really good sides with the current plan, but it then becomes a fallback for the odd occasions where an opposition gets a run on and we need to stop it to change momentum.

 

[clogged]

Fix whatever is breaking down between clearance dominance and going inside 50.

Things like better spread from the clearance, better ball use. Stamp those who can't kick "never to return".

 

[TheMcManusNose]

Fix whatever is breaking down between clearance dominance and going inside 50.

Things like better spread from the clearance, better ball use. Stamp those who can't kick "never to return".

Yeah, that's the main issue I reckon. Our half forward line is ****ed, and our use coming out of the middle is ****ed which makes the forward line more ****ed.

How many times do you see the ball smashed to the top of the 50, bounce over two of our talls heads, get collected by the opposition spare and worked out around the boundary.

 

[Lost_Deputy]

Fyfe to CHF. The time has come.

 

[Taylor]

We have a serious problem with the half forward line not being able to take a mark.

It's the most spread out part of the forward fifty and it is always congested.

If we had either a contested mark at this point, and then later the same structure coming out of defense between HBF and wing, we immediately gain.

**This applies to centre bounce set ups

 

[mad4freo]

I think the problem is our half forward line, we keep Walters and Pav deep forward (as our major goalkickers) and have Ballas, Mayne and De Boer push forward because of the defensive pressure they apply. However when we want to move it in quickly we have no delivery man, as Ballas, Mayne and De Boer aren't good enough field kickers and aren't creative enough. We need to have someone like a Dahlhaus, Deledio or Bennel who have quality kicks going i50 who can still kick a goal and get 20+ touches a game, in the team.

 

[calaisking]

Fyfe to CHF. The time has come.

I like this but we are taking away the league leader in clearances in doing so.

Our mids need to step up if Ross goes with this approach.

 

[ImperialPurple]

Our midfielders were hitting the scoreboard regularly in rounds 1-8, but that has almost completely dried up now. I haven't broken it down, but I'd hazard a guess that most of the goals / game for our midfielders came in those rounds, but have since then dropped right off:

Barlow: 10 goals / 14 games
de Boer: 1/9
Fyfe: 15/14
Hill: 9/14
Mundy: 6/14
Neale: 12/14
DPearce: 9/14
Suban: 5/14

Only Fyfe and Neale are at, or around, the goal per game average - you'd ideally want a couple more midfielders hitting the scoreboard a bit more regularly than what we have. Occasionally backing themselves and having a shot, rather than always centering the ball and bombing it to Pav in a 1 on 3, hoping if he doesn't mark it a hopelessly out of form Ballas and/or Mayne might actually do what a forward does and gather the crumb to have a shot.

Just FYI - other goals/game:
Walters: 27/14
Pav: 25/14
Mayne: 14/13
Tabs: 11/11
Ballas: 10/12
Crozier: 3/4
Clarke: 6/12
Sandi: 3/14

 

[Lost_Deputy]

I like this but we are taking away the league leader in clearances in doing so.

Our mids need to step up if Ross goes with this approach.

They will need to step up but they are no mugs. Spreading the load around instead of our 1 demensional "tap it to Fyfe" might be the best thing anyway. What we lose in clearence domination we would make up offensivly.

 

[Taylor]

Fyfe is at the top of the list of players currently spending the most time on ground for us, he is already floating forward.

 

[Lost_Deputy]

Fyfe is at the top of the list of players currently spending the most time on ground for us, he is already floating forward.

When he floats fwd it is often really deep tho. We want him stalking the top of the arch to the square.

 

[Taylor]

When he floats fwd it is often really deep tho. We want him stalking the top of the arch to the square.

As long as he can get a run at the ball, otherwise he isn't quite so good at marking.

 

[StingBitten]

Mayne puts all his effort into becoming a forward. No more selfless off-the-ballism, just kicking and marking.

If it fails drop him. We've got enough role players already.

 

[UFO Tatsu]

Play Tabs to free up Pav. Drop out of form forwards and replace with players who are our future. Eg Weller Crozier Blakely and Langdon.

What happens when Tabs is a out of form forward?

 

[Lost_Deputy]

As long as he can get a run at the ball, otherwise he isn't quite so good at marking.

Agreed. That's why CHF suits him so much. He can use his mobility much more than sitting under them at FF. It's what made Carey so great. A turnover in the HB line and Fyfe becomes the immediate focal point. It provides the opportunity to use the corridor when usually it would be considered suicide. That then frees up the outside run.

 

[UFO Tatsu]

Fyfe to CHF. The time has come.

After our worst performance in the middle for a while?

 

[Lost_Deputy]

After our worst performance in the middle for a while?

More to do with him finding his most damaging position. Many think that, with his qualities, he could be GOAT at CHF.

 

[UFO Tatsu]

More to do with him finding his most damaging position. Many think that, with his qualities, he could be GOAT at CHF.

I hope not. Too many guys in the forward line already just eating grass.

 

[Mytjoe1]

Correct me if I am wrong...But from what i see , Alex Pearce is holding on to his spot to the best of his ability based on the few games he's played at senior level.In the meantime we have 3 Tall , Mature and experienced defender who will all be ready to go by round 20 hopefully.Obviously we can't fit them all in the back line.What are the possibility of shifting one to the forward line as a tall target to take the pressure off Pavlich and Co.
Would you entertain the idea of sending McPharlin there once Johnson , Dawson and Silvaghni are Back?At the end of the day,this is very likely Luke's last season and the back line need to adjust to life without him....Thoughts!!

 

[Sweetback]

After our worst performance in the middle for a while?

It's a bit of a catch-22. We've become to predictable with Fyfe in the middle. So do we keep him in there, remaining predictable, and with shitful avenues for goal, or do we get him out of there, challenge the midfield group to contribute and put Fyfe at CHF to straighten us up, and to hopefully create more goals.

 

[Jones_3_16]

It's a bit of a catch-22. We've become to predictable with Fyfe in the middle. So do we keep him in there, remaining predictable, and with shitful avenues for goal, or do we get him out of there, challenge the midfield group to contribute and put Fyfe at CHF to straighten us up, and to hopefully create more goals.

The other possibility that no one on this board is canvassing is to dust off an old move from FFC's "pre-Ross" play book: When we get our defenders back later in the year we will actually have a dearth of key position defenders. We could throw McPharlin forward - he has proven himself very capable of taking a good grab playing forward in past eras at the club. I think it is worth RTB looking into this if he hasn't already.

 

[youmewe]

Our midfielders were hitting the scoreboard regularly in rounds 1-8, but that has almost completely dried up now. I haven't broken it down, but I'd hazard a guess that most of the goals / game for our midfielders came in those rounds, but have since then dropped right off:

Barlow: 10 goals / 14 games
de Boer: 1/9
Fyfe: 15/14
Hill: 9/14
Mundy: 6/14
Neale: 12/14
DPearce: 9/14
Suban: 5/14

Only Fyfe and Neale are at, or around, the goal per game average - you'd ideally want a couple more midfielders hitting the scoreboard a bit more regularly than what we have. Occasionally backing themselves and having a shot, rather than always centering the ball and bombing it to Pav in a 1 on 3, hoping if he doesn't mark it a hopelessly out of form Ballas and/or Mayne might actually do what a forward does and gather the crumb to have a shot.

Just FYI - other goals/game:
Walters: 27/14
Pav: 25/14
Mayne: 14/13
Tabs: 11/11
Ballas: 10/12
Crozier: 3/4
Clarke: 6/12
Sandi: 3/14

The breakdown of goals kicked this season (min. 3 goals).

Player (goals/games) Rds 1-8 (8 games) Rds 9-15 (6 games)

Walters (27/14) 12 15

Pavlich (25/14) 19 6

Fyfe (15/14) 9 6

Mayne (14/13) 13 1 (5 games)

Neale (12/14) 8 4

Taberner (11/11) 10 (7 games - subbed 3x late) 1 (4 – subbed 3x early)

Ballas (10/12) 6 (6) 6

Barlow (10/14) 5 5

Hill (9/14) 7 2 (2 v Coll - only goals in last 8 games)

D. Pearce (9/14) 7 2 (2 v Bris - only goals in last 7 games)

Clarke (6/12) 5 1 (4)

Mundy (6/14) 4 2

Suban (5/14) 3 2

C. Pearce (4/14) 3 1

Crozier (3/4) 0 (1) 3 (3)

Sandi (3/14) 2 1

(Sutcliffe, Sheridan, De Boer and Hannath - 1 goal each)


Freo (173/14) 116 57