Observations after watching replay

[Snoop Dog]

Just sat down and watched the whole thing through and I would make the following comments;

1. Hawthorn were exceptional. Their skill and composure around the stoppages and contested ball were very good. They were just so clean. Most of their mistakes were committed in the fwd half.

2. I never really think the bounce of the ball is all that important but the ball just never seemed to bounce the right way for our fellas it was always just going the Hawks way. Lost count of the number of times.

3. Hawks were very good sitting behind the ball. Their first movement was usually backwards to create space from a contest. I think thats why we didnt feel like we won the CP. Because we won it was usually fwd and hurried. When they won it - it was backwards or sidewards first and then fwd.

4. We missed a lot of tackles and their were some big name players who you wouldnt expect it from like Swan, Tarrant, Pendles etc. Tackles just werent sticking. They did in the last qtr.

5. Burgoyne was a far more effective spare than Maxwell for 3 qtrs but Maxwell absolutely dominated that 3rd qtr.

6. Thomas 1% all night were v v good. His use of it wasnt super but geez he was in some important contests. The kick over his head in the last was just insane.

7 . Ball was our best player save for the error on Hodge in the last he didnt put a foot wrong. Cloke was equally as good. Just blew Gibson up in the last. YOu could see Gibson, Bateman, Lewis and Sewell were just stuffed.

8. Reid has said he felt better as game went on and I would have to say watching his movement as the game went on it appeared that way. I would say he plays. Jolly did go back on and I know Richo reckons he was terrible but he was ok in the last couple of minutes. If they can isolate the pain he may be ok with a jab. Maxwell and Johnson I think would play.

9. Beams - 1 goal in 7 finals I think they said! Has played well vs Cats before though!

 

[Swooop]

Thanks Snoop, great observations there.

Haven't seen a replay yet, but their chip chip game did seem to be very good for the most part, and time and again, they JUST evaded our tackling attempts.

On tackling...last year we seemed to stick our tackles most of the time. But seemingly less so this year, and by a significantly reduced amount IMO.

Has anyone else noticed this, and if so , wonder what the reason?

 

[HFF]

Nailed it snoop.

Another thing where I feel we need to get better or at least be careful is the amount of space we have been leaving open of late in our own defensive 50. Too many times Tarrant had to defend crucial situations one-out with Franklin. (even Davis found himself one-out with Puopolo at times, Harry v Cyril etc) Now, Taz was brilliant and just about won them all but down the other end it was frustrating having to see the lack of space in our forward line for guys like Cloke and Dawes which then rendered our little guys useless as we were outnumbered at the drop of the ball every time.

The opposition/s are trying to play fast break footy against us. We need to ensure our half-back line doesn't get sucked into the swarm and just stays put creating a screen for the opposition if they want to pretty much massively flood their defenses to protect them and then try to run it out once they win it.

Also, the most important thing you said snoop and we must get right is our tackling because it was off and it is something we place a huge emphasis on. The opposition have been nailing us with massive numbers of tackles and pressure acts whereas we aren't hitting them back as hard the other way. Too many broken tackles or chains or pressure acts which has made it easy to rebound from our forward 50 or from the midfield setting up uncontested ball use coming into our defensive 50.

Overall, we played "safe" footy vs the Hawks. We barely broke the lines and we didn't run hard to make it happen or create it up until the last term. We don't have a "corridor mentality" either but Mick said after the game that we certainly aren't afraid to use it and we needed to do so when there were clear options inboard to take. He also said the shackles will be off this week so the licence to take the risks and play the way we want to play should hold us in good stead. We have been dictated to over the last month- we need to get it back on our terms.

 

[TradeDraft]

We have been dictated to over the last month- we need to get it back on our terms.

Could not of said Better Myself.

When I read MM said we should use the Corridor - My Mouth Dropped

 

[blaze036]

Yea buddy twice got bullshit bounces to set up goals, the 1st 3 quarters the rub of the green went hawthorns way no doubt

 

[Shellz]

How good was Taz!!!!!?

 

[Somebody]

Hasn't been much mention of Blare but on replay I thought he was close to best on ground. One of the few that was able to pin point multiple passes into F50, also just played super well in close, pretty much as clever and quick as Burgoyne and anyone else on the ground.
Would have lost by quite a few goals if he hadn't been playing IMO.

I think it was a bad idea having Didak as sub, he needed the match time to run into form. I just hope he gets a full GF. In his case the cream rises to the top in big games, he was instrumental in last year's finals even with one arm.
Maybe Beams will be sub next week? I'd give Fasolo a game though, maybe as sub as he seems to do well in the role.
thomas will be back near his best next week, and hopefully Wello will be back as well as his pace is v important, and Krakouer will sneak a few.

Both Hawks and Geelong have figured out how to stifle our attacking game, so we need to instigate some innovative counter tactics this week.

 

[Wooljay]

The number 1 and biggest thing for me: where the f*ck was our intensity for 3 quarters? I think it got to the 4th quarter and they realised, "shit, we might actually have to start trying", because we were flat as tacks for an hour and a half of football. That is just not acceptable.

 

[Ninja Please!!]

[youtube]r9kCJzTMzJY[/youtube]

Here is the whole game. Cheers to whoever uploaded it on youtube

 

[Kirby]

The number 1 and biggest thing for me: where the f*ck was our intensity for 3 quarters? I think it got to the 4th quarter and they realised, "shit, we might actually have to start trying", because we were flat as tacks for an hour and a half of football. That is just not acceptable.

I don't think we lacked intensity at all. We lacked some daring and belief to take a chance, so we were always chasing tail.

In the last we just had to open up and take a chance, then look what happened.

 

[rhys_22]

Could not of said Better Myself.

When I read MM said we should use the Corridor - My Mouth Dropped

When did mm say that??I am in shock

 

[Tippy78]

Sensational post Snoop.

Its really funny watching a game live vs on TV. I texted during the game about how poor I thought the game was. On TV the in-close pressure that the hawks put on was a lot more evident.

As for the bounce, I noticed it live and couldn't believe it. Normally when the ball bounces like that, its game over.

 

[Tippy78]

Hasn't been much mention of Blare but on replay I thought he was close to best on ground. One of the few that was able to pin point multiple passes into F50, also just played super well in close, pretty much as clever and quick as Burgoyne and anyone else on the ground.
Would have lost by quite a few goals if he hadn't been playing IMO.

I think it was a bad idea having Didak as sub, he needed the match time to run into form. I just hope he gets a full GF. In his case the cream rises to the top in big games, he was instrumental in last year's finals even with one arm.
Maybe Beams will be sub next week? I'd give Fasolo a game though, maybe as sub as he seems to do well in the role.
thomas will be back near his best next week, and hopefully Wello will be back as well as his pace is v important, and Krakouer will sneak a few.

Both Hawks and Geelong have figured out how to stifle our attacking game, so we need to instigate some innovative counter tactics this week.

Due to the constant Blair bagging on this site for the last quarter of this year I watched his game very closely Friday night and I agree he was a crucial player. I gave him some well deserved votes this week and I just hope that the people who have had him as 22nd/23rd player all year really watched him on Friday night.

 

[rose jam]

When did mm say that??I am in shock

Said in the press conference (or was it on SEN). What he meant was using the player that's about 30m inside the boundary which we normally use to give ourselves a bit of width going up the field and to open up the zone patterns of the defense. But we played all wide and the zone just contained us in.

 

[daics_35]

Just watched the 4rth and I am confident for next week, the tough thing for a footy team to do is come back when they are under enormious preasure in a final. We did it, we killed them in the 4rth. Everything was great, Thomas was outstanding so was Ball, Swan and Cloke. Bring on the Cats, with that preasure we will beat them.

 

[TradeDraft]

[youtube]r9kCJzTMzJY[/youtube]

Here is the whole game. Cheers to whoever uploaded it on youtube

How did they get the Whole Game Up?

 

[TheLip]

I don't think we lacked intensity at all. We lacked some daring and belief to take a chance, so we were always chasing tail.

In the last we just had to open up and take a chance, then look what happened.

This! As I've said elsewhere our guys played like a team suffocating under the weight of expectation. Where we normally go with pure instinct you could clearly see players second guessing themselves. When a first option would have put huge pressure on the Hawks we didn't take it. Instead for 3 quarters our guys played "safe" footy and always seemed to be missing the opportunity to hurt the Hawks by taking a second or third option when the real moment had passed. If we do that against the cats we're as good as dead now!

 

[regpies]

I was at the game and remember the amount of missed tackles that could've been made or were just out of reach. In the 4th qtr we made all those tackles.

Also thought we weren't moving or giving many options to players coming out of the back half, very stagnant for the first 3 qtrs.

I thought Sidebottom had a good 4th qtr, good to see him get his hands on the ball.

 

[upnsmoke]

The number 1 and biggest thing for me: where the f*ck was our intensity for 3 quarters? I think it got to the 4th quarter and they realised, "shit, we might actually have to start trying", because we were flat as tacks for an hour and a half of football. That is just not acceptable.

I notice this since Round 24...

Pies tackles were often broken or not hard enough to impact the disposal, basically Hawks got the ball out before Pies got the tackle laid.
Last year and earlier this season, Pies tackle made sure the ball got kept to the player and prevented from spilling out to the open. Lesson = Harder and more effort to tackling, which is only brought by increased intensity.


Dawes fumbled a couple of goal or scoring chances by trying to handball through traffic, which lead to direct trunovers which lead to Hawks attack, he should of allowed the defender to tackle him down leading to a ball up, in which Pies have the in and under players to atleast have 50% chance to win the ball back.


Pies need to simply risk taking shots at the goals, when they have the space and time... go for it.... running a bit closer allowing the defender to get a tackle or a smother or take away space for a kick is worse off.... atleast a goal attempt leads to either a goal or a point, which allows the opposition to kick the ball in and in which case the Pies can establish the extra men around the kick in zones.... where forward press is vital.




I would also WANT to see Pies going for Hard bumps, Cats are willing to daze the Pies, so why not return the favour and rough them up... I know Leigh Brown is down with that, but everyone else needs to as well... Nice Guys finish last... or in this case get themselves knocked out first.



QUICK disposals from the middle clearances..... attack the footy and put pressure on their defenses by having that football approach the inside 50.

Cats TACTIC is bombard their forward 50, well.... Pies need to do this to make their defenses fall back, I think it will totally affect their tactic of attacking through the corridor....


but key is.... Play HARD or GO HOME... empty handed.

 

[Dansolo]

Said in the press conference (or was it on SEN). What he meant was using the player that's about 30m inside the boundary which we normally use to give ourselves a bit of width going up the field and to open up the zone patterns of the defense. But we played all wide and the zone just contained us in.

Definitely true. I know Beams had a quiet game but there were a few times where he was sitting by himself as we're coming out of the back pocket/flank, waving his arms above his head and alone, and the rebounding defender would look to Beams' right (boundary line side) and go to a 2-on-1 contest right on the boundary line. I haven't seen the replay to count how many times it happened but it felt like it was happening every other time we ran the ball out during the 1st and 3rd quarters. And yeah, every time it seemed to happen, Beams was about 20m in from the boundary line. We seemed to hug the line far more than usual on Friday night (and yes, I know hugging the boundary line is what we do! ). FWIW, Didak a full game, Fasolo as a sub, but what to do with Beams? I'm inclined to give him another full game - he just needs to follow Daisy's 1%-ers off the ball example.

 

[vjknight]

Just sat down and watched the whole thing through and I would make the following comments;

2. I never really think the bounce of the ball is all that important but the ball just never seemed to bounce the right way for our fellas it was always just going the Hawks way. Lost count of the number of times.

As for the bounce, I noticed it live and couldn't believe it. Normally when the ball bounces like that, its game over.

oh good i was thinking i was the only one. i said so in the post game thread. just could not believe the way the ball avoided us in the packs - little bounces & ricochets which refused to come to us and all seemed to go to mitchell, lewis & co. finally in the 4th qtr it changed and the game turned. it seemed a little like a milne GF1 whinge when i 1st posted

hoping to watch the whole game wednesday when the mrs goes out for the day. expecting to confirm my suspicions - all is good.

 

[TheLip]

oh good i was thinking i was the only one. i said so in the post game thread. just could not believe the way the ball avoided us in the packs - little bounces & ricochets which refused to come to us and all seemed to go to mitchell, lewis & co. finally in the 4th qtr it changed and the game turned. it seemed a little like a milne GF1 whinge when i 1st posted

hoping to watch the whole game wednesday when the mrs goes out for the day. expecting to confirm my suspicions - all is good.

I have to say I noticed the bad bounce thing during the game too and confirmed it when I watched the replay. It's one of those things that just happens in footy and always has. In last year's finals we had an incredibly good run with it but it seems this year the footy gods are not planning to be so kind.

 

[Raymond Rougeau]

Biggest observaiton was from 1-3 qtr's we would "just" not lay/ miss tackles and our pass off quick breaks with the ball would "just" get turned over or miss thier targets, (ie: they were all almost moments) they were excellent but make no mistake just about everything went right for them for about 90-100 mins out there!!! ... to claw back in and actally WIN under duress when its not your night is a really big acomplishment dont undervalue the worth of that....

 

[cleomenes]

Nailed it snoop.


The opposition/s are trying to play fast break footy against us. We need to ensure our half-back line doesn't get sucked into the swarm and just stays put creating a screen for the opposition if they want to pretty much massively flood their defenses to protect them and then try to run it out once they win it.

So we abandon the press?

 

[cleomenes]

I notice this since Round 24...

.


"Dawes fumbled a couple of goal or scoring chances by trying to handball through traffic, which lead to direct trunovers which lead to Hawks attack, he should of allowed the defender to tackle him down leading to a ball up, in which Pies have the in and under players to atleast have 50% chance to win the ball back."


Dawes does exactly the right thing. Scores are made from these attacking moves. Think of last year's finals. I was particularly impressed with the backhanded knock to Wellingham in the last quarter. It just missed, but would have led to a simple goal if it had reached him. Ball's winning goal came from the following stoppage. It is these moves that make Dawes such a valuable forward. Some won't work, but the successful ones are gamebreakers.