Opinion Our current pace look

[vinum coupe]

I want some help with this opinion. Some thoughts over the next few weeks maybe.

But I was messaging Veedubs during the game on the weekend and I said this.

"I saw a comment by one of the players last week that we have been working on movement from the contest. I have not seen anyone pick up on it. We are incredibly explosive.

Almost like we are front running ala blight days

I reckon that's what the whole north training experiment was about.

i.e. if we front run, will we get exposed out the back and how do we stop it?
Well that's my guess."


When I say front run I mean that it appears that 4 or so players are just taking off a hell of a lot earlier than usual from a ball up.
My thoughts are that this creates a secondary contest area on the ground.

i.e. We win it and just flick it to the pack of front runners.
Either their opponents are with them and we fight for it again as we stream forward or we are through any zone and we smash them.

And if it comes off you aren't going to need to win as many stoppages as previously.

It's a very early theory as I've only seen 1 game. Way too early really, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

It's why I thought we looked quick and it's what I'll be looking for this week.

 

[Perthmadcatter]

I noticed it a few times going into the forward line on Saturday, particularly with Kersten on the receiving end to kick goals. Will keep an eye out this weekend again.

 

[winty]

Wasn't just in Blight's day that we'd do stuff like that. Can remember several times in 2007 when we'd spot someone out streaming into the goal square unattended (usually Stokesy).

 

[Jon Douglas]

I will write again - I like leg speed in a team. I know that many say it is overated - but it still is an assett - that if used well and often - can hurt the opoosition.

Geelong has been a great team - and one full of talent and big bodies - skill and determination. But we have never been quick re leg speed. You can win Premierships without pace - however it can help win one.

Breaking the lines and disturbing/changing the structure of an opposition team can have the effect of cutting open an opposition's defensive structures designed not allow such quick ball movement into a forward line. We used to do it by hand - and seriously effectively.

Now you just cannot use quick hands and cut back thru the corridor all the time. Teams work out set ups to beat this tactic if overly used. Now you need break open a team by gut running, a one two play, quick handball and having a quick player break the lines and bouncing the ball.

If we add legspeed to the side we will enjoy another tactical advantage over most teams.

I do not expect to see us a lot quicker this year - as we get back veteran players - but we will have Varcoe back, THunt and one of Motlop or Smedts. All quick players. The rest are ok but not quick IMO. So not enough leg speed in the team of 2013 to really hurt teams consistently with pace. But when you add Murdoch (hopefully 2014) and then have both Smedts and Motlop in the 2014 team - you have 5 genuine fast players. If McCarthy makes it - then we will have pace to burn.

So I think we will become quite a quick team in the next few years. Not yet but we see some pretty fast combinations this season as we rotate players and injuries / suspensions occur.

 

[winty]

Hamling and Kersten were ranked pretty highly in sprints at their respective draft camps too if memory serves me correctly, and Blicavs is no slouch in the pace department either.

 

[you pick one]

No Hawkins thundering out of the goal square maybe just trying another game plan?

 

[Jon Douglas]

That is good to hear - Kersten and Hamling are a decent size but if they have relative pace given their height.

Vardy for his size seems quite quick - then you add Bundy, Duncan and Menzel - all not fast but quick enough. For leading, getting a jump at the ball, losing your opponent, getting to a contest, laying a tackle from behind, etc - all require some pace and real pace is a serious advantage.

If you have 5-6 quick players in the team, another 6 fairly quick players and your talls are relatively quick - once you come aout of the backline - any decent kicks should find a pacy player with enough space to be receiver who can run on and deliver into an open forward line.

That's the theory anyway. Whether you go thru the corridor or go via the flanks as long as there is sufficient space for a player to run into - fast players who like to take a bounce and can deliver by foot - will hurt you.

Every now and then one of these fast players will ctach an opposition ball carrier and get a turn over. More often they will harrass and take time and space away from the opposition ball carrier - maybe resulting in a more pressured pass or buys some time for the backline to structure up - and find any loose men.

I think as time goes by speed will become a strong assett to have as a footballer. It will never replace the skill and nouse of a natural footballer who maybe is a fair bit slower in pace. But if you could have everything in a football player having blistering pace would be on the list.

 

[BotsMaster]

Weren't we massive front runners in '08?

 

[The rabbi]

But when you add Murdoch (hopefully 2014)....

Murdoch will play most of season 2013 in the AFL.

 

[Partridge]

Good observation. I noticed Horlin-Smith particularly in the West Coast game getting the ball in a pack and handpassing it forward immediately. Almost in anticipation of the players you mentioned being there.

 

[Partridge]

Murdoch will play most of season 2013 in the AFL.

Love to agree. Going to be tough if everyone's fit though. Tons of competition.

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

"I saw a comment by one of the players last week that we have been working on movement from the contest. I have not seen anyone pick up on it. We are incredibly explosive.
.

I think the key words there are movement from the contest. Call it movement or spread we were very slow at this last season , particularly defensively.
Based on a very small sample we do look more explosive but I think we are doing it both ways , not just running forward with the hope we will win the ball. We seemed to have very good numbers around the ball and spread once the result was known either way.
There is some genuine pace there with guys like Varcoe, Motlop, Murdoch and Smedts around the ball and also with great decision makers like GHS , Bartel and Kelly moving the ball we are moving the ball quickly.
The other factor is the ball movement seems direct again with liberal use of the corridor and as we all know , that's the shortest way home.

 

[vinum coupe]

Good observation. I noticed Horlin-Smith particularly in the West Coast game getting the ball in a pack and handpassing it forward immediately. Almost in anticipation of the players you mentioned being there.

Interesting. We have a bunch of kids who are good by hand in heavy traffic.
Hmmm

 

[Jon Douglas]

Murdoch will play most of season 2013 in the AFL.

So Harry Taylor says as well. Let's hope so !

 

[vinum coupe]

And good input from you too Jon Douglas
Appreciate it.

But I still say a bunch of smart footballers can make the fastest team in the land look slow.

 

[TheJimmyCartel]

Good observation. I noticed Horlin-Smith particularly in the West Coast game getting the ball in a pack and handpassing it forward immediately. Almost in anticipation of the players you mentioned being there.

Yeah I noticed that too, quite often no look over the shoulder/head handballs knowing he had runners ahead of the ball. He did it several times extracting it from the pack, found someone in the clear more often than not also.

 

[bulletproof]

I actually thought this was a bump from 2007.

 

[bulletproof]

Murdoch will play most of season 2013 in the AFL.

Agreed, if he stays fit he will play all year. No way he will be playing seconds.

 

[Stan The Caddy]

No matter how fast any player is he'll never be able to out run the ball. Quick ball movement is the key and our mids are looking particularly sharp at this early stage of the year.

 

[Jon Douglas]

It is how quickly you can spread and give a better option to - when we win the ball. Now yes quick hands can do it - good kicking can do it. Having some leg speed around the packs means if we get a hard ball get and out to a player in some space and who has leg speed, they have a very good chance to break the opposition line.

Just another option in moving the ball quickly - that can ultimately get to one of our forwards leading out or at worst case - a one on one contest. Its also great to watch.

By adding leg speed to our team, not just for the sake of having more leg speed, you have another option to hurt the opposition. A good assett if you can get enough skilled, robust speedsters in the one team. And it seems to me, either by design or not, we will have a quicker team in the next two years - with an injection of quicker players into the team.

Now if these quicker players can hit a target by foot as well - then you have a serious advantage over your opposition. And I suspect we will have better kicking team in a few years time as well. We are building with Guthrie and Thurlow good kickers of the ball. Varcoe is pretty good, THunt also. Duncan is a very good kick and I suspect Bundy will be become a very good user of the ball as well. I read the Hyphen is also a good user of the ball. Murdoch has a long boot on him just not sure of his accuracy yet. He has potential though to add to our kicking efficiency.

So we are seemingly starting to build a team that has size, speed, talent and can kick well to position. Sure any team would aim to create such a team - but we could be on the verge of doing this right now - and arguably we will be the ahead of the rest if we can get a good run with injuries. Some of these younger players just need a good season in the AFL - and then anything could happen in September 2013.

 

[LifeSpan-Void]

Repackaging "Tsunami Football"?

 

[footscore]

But when you add Murdoch (hopefully 2014) and then have both Smedts and Motlop in the 2014 team - you have 5 genuine fast players. If McCarthy makes it - then we will have pace to burn.

Guthrie, Caddy, Motlop, Varcoe, Stringer, Smedts, Murdoch, Thurlow, McCarthy, Burbury, Christensen, Eardley, Blicavs are all quick players.
Each one of those boys have explosive speed either in short distances such as Guthrie & Bundy or over long distances.

This is why I marvel at Bartel, he can run but he's certainly not quick...watch how brilliant he is at reading where the to go on the field, Stringer, Murdoch's and Motlop's are running where you think the ball will go but lo and behold, the ball makes it's way into Jimmy's hands.

A work mate says Baldock was like that, so slow and gangly with his running pattern that his new teammates thought he was the St Kilda runner at training and not until they began doing the drills and competitive work did they realize who he was (true story)

 

[Pivo]

Repackaging "Tsunami Football"?

This...it also goes some way to explaining why guys like Varcoe and Motlop have been tapped on the shoulder to try and generate attack and line breaking out of defence.

If the midfield rolls the dice a bit the half back line moves in to mop up to try and prevent us getting opened up.

Bit risky as I think North tried this a bit last year and they leaked goals.

Looks great when it comes off but it is very much high risk-high reward.

Worth trying it though, particularly at the back of quarters when fatigue is setting in for both teams. Might snag a few 'cheapies' late.

 

[Pivo]

No Hawkins thundering out of the goal square maybe just trying another game plan?

That'll still exist, it is our get out clause.

 

[Partridge]

And good input from you too Jon Douglas
Appreciate it.

But I still say a bunch of smart footballers can make the fastest team in the land look slow.

We did just that for 5 years.