Coach Justin Longmuir

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meesy

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Apr 14, 2012
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Our forward line is leaky as. Richmond swept it up to the fat side once they gained possession and it usually resulted in an I50. I only watch on TV so it's hard to really see what the issue is. I think Walters might try to be too much of a playmaker and just hunts the ball, while Crowden is okay and Shultz is probably too slow. Matera is done, Henry & Frederick need time, Sturt & Switta are too injury prone. You never know Western might be a jet at AFL level. In general play Taberner and Lobb are average (you ever seen them crumb the ball the way Kennedy does every week?) but aerially are extremely dominant. Perhaps when these blokes get to around 30 they might be a bit more settled at AFL and more confident in their kicking. For some reason when one bloke misses a set shot it just seems like it puts a whole lot of pressure on the next kick. We need to get into consistent final series ASAP for continuity and experience.
 

fnerd

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I seem to remember towards the end of 2003 having Pavlich, Longmuire, Croad, Farmer and Medhurst up there, not too bad on paper!
You missed the best of the lot..
1599351010000.jpeg
 

FreoStillNil

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I seem to remember towards the end of 2003 having Pavlich, Longmuire, Croad, Farmer and Medhurst up there, not too bad on paper!

Yeah, when they fired they really did kick some big scores.

2003, you just reminded me of the final against Essendon. I had such high hopes. :cry:
 
Nov 30, 2018
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I think we are still struggling to score because the emphasis has been on allowing the team to set up defensively behind the ball carrier. To me this is perfectly fine as we were massacred week in week out on turnovers last year and the year before. There was so much noise around our below-AFL standard skill level that it makes sense for a new coach to have come in and addressed defending the whole ground first.
Once we get more confidence in our skill level I expect to see quicker ball movement and more scoring shots as we become less risk averse.
 
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ignoramus

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If you can explain to me how a forward ends up with a turnover on their stats sheet because of a mid not doing the right thing I am all ears.
I've been enjoying this discussion, so thanks all, especially wayToGo_ and Daddoo

If I can say this without looking like I've picked a side, here's a couple of hypotheses on the question of forwards' turnover stats:

One revolves around forwards inside 50 trying to pass to players in better positions (shot-percentage speaking) in very crowded F50s, rather than backing themselves in to take the shot. Whether the urge to pass off is owing to selflessness, lack of confidence or coaching is open to debate, as is whether or not the relative inferiority of the point of entry has to do with poor decision making on the mid's part.

The second theory relates to I50s that result in a contest and/or pressured possession (spilled mark / halved marking contest, or groundball / half-volley pick ups from a low dirty entry, etc.) and has to do with set up around the contest, the chain of rushed handballs that don't clear the pressure and eventually lead to a turnover as often as not. (A related thought is that it feels like it's been years (since Ballas in 2014, really) since we've had a small forward who can get himself in the right spot for the crumb. Regardless, you would think that a basic set up on the telegraphed bomb I50 would include a small at the front, and a small moving from the side towards goal to get whatever spills over the back. Not sure I see that happening as much as I would imagine it should. Then again, I don't know much about football, so pay me no mind.)

Also worth keeping in mind that kicks on goal that go OOBOTF (whether from shanked set shot, or from desperate snap under pressure) also result in a turnover. Feels like there have been more than enough of those this season.
 

Troy Cooked It

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I think we are still struggling to score because the emphasis has been on allowing the team to set up defensively behind the ball carrier. To me this is perfectly fine as we were massacred week in week out on turnovers last year and the year before. There was so much noise around our below-AFL standard skill level that it makes sense for a new coach to have come in and addressed defending the whole ground first.
Once we get more confidence in our skill level I expect to see quicker ball movement and more scoring shots as we become less risk averse.
Could not put it any better, we are playing slow and deliberate, we are not committing numbers forward and we are making sure our defence is set and ready to react to any counter attack if make a mistake.

We saw earlier in the year in all of our losses that we tried more corridor ball movement and faster attacking play and we got burnt for it. JLo has made the switch to keep us very deliberate and to really bed down the systems behind the play so it becomes second nature before moving to a quick more direct movement with those team defence systems in place as go forward. Just remember Collingwood's development over the last 5 odd years, people were raving about their defence long before they became a top 4 side.

This is just all my opinion and it could be the forward plan never comes and Longy isn't much chop but there is just a certain aura about his standing among other coaches and how some talk about him ie Buckley and the Pies team that just have you feeling confident about what we can achieve going forward. It has no comparison to Ross and his stick to contest+effort based footy.
 

Gimme the Fyfe

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I was as frustrated as anyone when Ross' rebuild wasn't delivering results quicker, nevertheless I believe he was on the right path and there was enough to suggest we were very close to clicking in the way Ross would have liked.

Having said that

Longmuir's positive attitude that seems to build on the strengths of individuals and rewarding them accordingly has been absolutely bloody refreshing. Look at the way he reacts in the coaches box; completely thrilled in the smallest of improvements when seeing players backing themselves but then quick to call out any complacency, as he did during the presser when he wouldn't accept that we fell short of getting over Richmond solely based on them being more established. The guy clearly has a high footy IQ and knows where he wants the club to go. I'm glad that the tough decisions in personnel changes are being made now, in the latter part of the season, which shows we are going all in and not half arsed and that there is a plan which is being followed through.

[Edit]
I reckon we will see changes to follow suit based on the club's plan in the off season after seeing what works and trading, drafting accordingly. The results will show next year, no doubt about it.
 

Walshy1

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Would love to see the revamped forward line that he talked about during the week. Hopefully its on display tonight
 
Nov 7, 2018
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I'm not sure if this is the right thread, but I'm going to give JL the credit for now.

It seems like the collective footy IQ of this team has increased significantly as the season has gone on. It could be that we are just understanding the game plan better or it could just be the natural improvement curve we would see as young players develop.

My personal opinion is while the points raised above are relevant, the core reason for the improvement is that the players and the coach are 100% on the same page. JL seems to have them all working in the same direction and with a common purpose. When this happens, we are making better decisions and cutting down on the stupid mistakes, which allows us to build greater consistency within a match and build greater momentum as the game goes on.

Talk of JL being the coach of the year, while maybe not obvious, is very astute. His ability to bring a bunch of young guys on board and combine them with some older heads who had been drilled to play a different style of football, and make it look like they have been playing together for a few seasons, is quite remarkable.

Throw in a complete breakdown in how teams traditionally train, due to a once in a lifetime pandemic and it's almost a ******* miracle!
 
Mar 18, 2012
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He said there was a focus on taking some more risks and playing with more attacking flair which clearly showed last night, even if we weren't able to finish off.

I'm finding that any tweaks he makes to the gamestyle and method of play either in game or between games is very noticeable, compared to previous years where we usually saw the same style rolled out week after week despite talks of changes.

The fact that the media have picked up on a very clear gameplan so early into his career, while many other clubs don't have a clear style of play is telling. And that's with the difficulty of individual training groups due to COVID. I'm really looking forward to seeing our progression with another preseason under JL.
 
I’m trying to put a finger on why I rate him so highly. Plenty have pointed out our record isn’t that good and we still struggle to score. The last couple of weeks we aren’t even that young.

The biggest thing for me is that we have a clear direction and brand now. That brand is also a gameplan that is structural and something that can be relied on week in and out as opposed to the more effort based approach of prior years. All the good teams have this and JL has managed to implement his vision in a season where you can only train in groups of 6

Bring on 2021
 
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Scham

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I'm not sure if this is the right thread, but I'm going to give JL the credit for now.

It seems like the collective footy IQ of this team has increased significantly as the season has gone on. It could be that we are just understanding the game plan better or it could just be the natural improvement curve we would see as young players develop.

My personal opinion is while the points raised above are relevant, the core reason for the improvement is that the players and the coach are 100% on the same page. JL seems to have them all working in the same direction and with a common purpose. When this happens, we are making better decisions and cutting down on the stupid mistakes, which allows us to build greater consistency within a match and build greater momentum as the game goes on.

Talk of JL being the coach of the year, while maybe not obvious, is very astute. His ability to bring a bunch of young guys on board and combine them with some older heads who had been drilled to play a different style of football, and make it look like they have been playing together for a few seasons, is quite remarkable.

Throw in a complete breakdown in how teams traditionally train, due to a once in a lifetime pandemic and it's almost a ******* miracle!


Good post. I'll also add to your possible reasons for us looking more footy intelligent and that is perhaps the instructions are simpler. The less a player needs to think about in the small amount of time when they've got the ball, the better.
 
Jun 25, 2006
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I’m trying to put a finger on why I rate him so highly. Plenty have pointed out our record isn’t that good and we still struggle to score. The last couple of weeks we aren’t even that young.

The biggest thing for me is that we have a clear direction and brand now. That brand is also a gameplan that is structural and something that can be relied on week in and out as opposed to the more effort based approach of prior years. All the good teams have this and JL has managed to implement his vision in a season where you can only train in groups of 6

Bring on 2021
I figured it out last night. He watches the footy same way I do, standing up pacing. Just needs a beer in hand.
 
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