Is It Really This Simple?

[_RT_]

It appears that one of our main problems at the moments revolves around the use of zoning as a tactic. Perhaps it is time we went back to basics. Here is a few points:

1. First thing Saturday night against the Roos every player at the start of the game gets the number of his opponent and simply says where this bloke goes I go. Play simple 1-1 football and forget about minding grass.

2. Tackle, tackle and tackle some more. If a Roos player has the ball watch his hips and run at them. Lay the tackle and make it stick, if you miss the tackle don't think you're out of the play turn around and go again.

3. Handball it once and then kick it long. Again simple football is more often than not the most effective way to go about it. First option football. If you have to go short, then do so but it has to be quick movement of the ball to follow. No more switching the ball and then holding it because they aren't sure what to do next. Grab it and go. Make your teammate up the ground work for you, not the other way around. As a further benefit it stops the opposition from getting their zone/flood back quickly and you might actually get 1-1 contests down forward where defenders arses become a little tighter as they realise they have no help down there to rely on.

4. Shepard, spoil, chase and harrass. Little things like this make the harder things that much easier to do. When your mate has the ball don't just jog behind him and think that your job is done. Support your mate and provide him some cover while he disposes of the ball. When the ball comes into the forward line remember the old rule one up one down. We don't all have to fly for the spoil. Understand that its a split second decision but it seems all too often in our backline everyone goes up the opposition stays down and gets the easy goal. When an opponent has the ball, chase and harrass them, sure you might not catch him but if you can put a bit of pressure on him you never know he might make an error or rush his disposal and it forces a turnover.

So far this season was only one quarter where we have done the above and that was against the Cats in the third quarter. We forgot about zoning, we took the Cats on 1-1 and low and behold we put 8 goals on the board against the best side going around. Yet when we're reverted to the zoning, handball happy bullshit we've been belted left right and centre.

Surely the answers to our problems aren't this bloody simple.

 

[Madtiger2006]

We should just play the way we did for most of last year. Just as you mentioned above

 

[YellowandBlackBlood]

Bring back Hafey!

Kick it looooooooong!

 

[JSFish]

How can you be so adamant that we are a shit team RT, and then come out and say that if we tackle and kick a bit we'll be right?

 

[RichosGuns]

You guys don't know what you're talking about. Get with the times

We implement the zone very well defensivly. This is one of the few things Terry has done well at the club. We were won of the first teams to start doing it mid last year and it paid of in spades (beat Hawthorn at their own game).

Simply why we can defend quite well with the zone, our players cannot penetrate it because of our shit kicking skills and decision making. Kicking long bombs into the foward line is the worst mistake in footy. Check out the 2nd half yesterday. Richo was 1-on-3 almost everytime.

Our biggest problem is our players don't work hard enough to get foward or back. They expect someone else to do the grunt work.

 

[_RT_]

How can you be so adamant that we are a shit team RT, and then come out and say that if we tackle and kick a bit we'll be right?

Where did I say we'll be right? Please show me.

 

[getthefooty]

"Surely the answers to to our problems aren't this bloody simple" would seem to imply that.

 

[Barnzy]

Tackling, chasing and constantly putting on pressure takes a lot out of you. When a team is dominating that area such as StKilda people say, can they keep this up for the 4 quarters? Personally I think we either aren't fit enough or just aren't working hard enough as a team to do this.

One other area that concerns me is still kicking and decision making skills. Wallace after each game this year in his press conferences has mentioned contested footy and how we lost it and that's why we lost the match. "Didn't win the contested footy". He probably continues to refer back to this as we were very good at that area last year but If blokes can't kick or can't make decisions, winning contested balls means zip. It has showed in all our games this season, we have had the footy as much as our opponents but we just butcher the footy. Would like to know how many goals in total we have conceded through turnovers. Would be very high and it's just unacceptable.

 

[Gman]

Richmond should play a 1-1 game every game.

When that doesnt work and it is apparent opposition is flooding or using a different tactic and we cant get into a winning position, then switch to a different game plan, if its zone then zone.

I just want to see Richmond go out there play hard one on one footy from on set. Be liable for an opponent, make them earn their kicks...basic footy

I just feel the Richmond players arent allowed to play to their natural instinct and is instilled in to them to play a style that is not getting the best out of them

Let Foley play the midfielder role, let Tuck play 1-1 he wont lose too many...Let Simmonds ruck and roam around at will, let them just play FOOTY! Not freakin' zone netball or basketball!!!!

 

[_RT_]

You guys don't know what you're talking about. Get with the times

We implement the zone very well defensivly. This is one of the few things Terry has done well at the club. We were won of the first teams to start doing it mid last year and it paid of in spades (beat Hawthorn at their own game).

Simply why we can defend quite well with the zone, our players cannot penetrate it because of our shit kicking skills and decision making. Kicking long bombs into the foward line is the worst mistake in footy. Check out the 2nd half yesterday. Richo was 1-on-3 almost everytime.

Our biggest problem is our players don't work hard enough to get foward or back. They expect someone else to do the grunt work.

In my opinion I don't think we implement the zone that well at all at the moment, especially after having been to 3 of the 4 games. It is clear to me that our zone is too easily broken down. Countless times teams have been able to stream through the middle of the ground because our players are busy protecting space rather than sitting on their opponents.

When we beat the Hawks last year, I believe we beat them by taking the game to them when we had the ball. Moving it quickly, getting into our forward line before they were able to get back into defence and set up. What I've seen this year is we get the ball on the HB line/wing and instead of moving it quickly and giving it to the first option we hold on and look around and then are forced to kick it to a contest or go ever wider in the search for open space. By time we do get the ball moving back into the corridor we've got 15 or so opposition players back in our F50 waiting for the ball.

Wallace himself has said that the list he has been building is designed around quick ball movement where they can get the ball into attack before our opposition can get back and defend. So why is it that we are now playing a stop start chip around style of football?

So why not try something different to what everyone else is doing, rather than copying what they are doing. Just because it works for one side doesn't necessarily mean it will work for us.

 

[_RT_]

"Surely the answers to to our problems aren't this bloody simple" would seem to imply that.

IMO the current gameplan isn't working so I'm suggesting that maybe reverting back to the basics of footy might produce a more competitive effort. It doesn't mean that I think we'll be right and will be able to make the finals or anything like that. Just throwing an idea out there.

 

[JSFish]

Maybe be a little more careful with your word choice in future RT.

 

[Mario Speedwagon]

I just feel the Richmond players arent allowed to play to their natural instinct and is instilled in to them to play a style that is not getting the best out of them

BINGO!

...and it's all down to being overcoached by Wallace...messes with their heads...

 

[Jisha]

The thing I don't understand is we have some great marking talent and some great people to get the ball if it falls to the ground.

KICK IT LONG, GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO MARK IT

Lets face it, 90% of our team have poor foot skills, I wish they would stop proving this point to us week after week with poor kicks across the field, kicking backwards and all this pathetic chip kicking.

The next problem is they should only be handballing when it is a clear advantage. The amount of intercepted handballs was disgraceful yesterday. Poor decision making will lead to an easy turn over of the ball and we are stuck with the ball going back into our defense.

I agree with you RT, we need to go back to basics.

 

[_RT_]

Tackling, chasing and constantly putting on pressure takes a lot out of you. When a team is dominating that area such as StKilda people say, can they keep this up for the 4 quarters? Personally I think we either aren't fit enough or just aren't working hard enough as a team to do this.

I believe it is the latter, I've read over and over that the players believe that they are as fit as their opponents so its not fitness that is letting them down.

One other area that concerns me is still kicking and decision making skills. Wallace after each game this year in his press conferences has mentioned contested footy and how we lost it and that's why we lost the match. "Didn't win the contested footy". He probably continues to refer back to this as we were very good at that area last year but If blokes can't kick or can't make decisions, winning contested balls means zip. It has showed in all our games this season, we have had the footy as much as our opponents but we just butcher the footy. Would like to know how many goals in total we have conceded through turnovers. Would be very high and it's just unacceptable.

Looking back at when we have play our best footy it seems that it is always when we take the game on. Last year I saw it in games against Freo, WC, Hawks(first half), Port (2nd quarter), Dogs (3rd quarter) & Essendon (first half Dreamtime game), the one common theme in each of those is the way we took the game on and ran at the opposition and put them on the back foot. Yet in those games where only quarters are mentioned it was clear when we went back into a more defensive mindset our opposition were able to get themselves back into the games.

The problem with this year is instead of moving forwards we tend to be spending more time going around in circles and as a consequence we get ourselves into trouble, players who have ran to make position are invaribaly caught out and we end up having easy goals scored against us because opponents are left unguarded.

Thats why I'm suggesting a 1-1 approach, where you man goes you go. At least then we've got a decent chance of having a contested situation rather than an opponent being in a heap of space where they can take their time and hit up a teammate who is also in a heap of space.

 

[_RT_]

Maybe be a little more careful with your word choice in future RT.

I could say the same thing to you.

BTW, how is your assessment going?