Our Game Plan needs to change

[4#Didak#4]

This is what our game plan should be.

Setup with Rocca and a smaller leading forward (Medhurst/Didak/Buckley?) deep in the forward line. Cloke to play true CHF & avoid going too deep in the forward line. Unless there is space to run back (a la Carey & Pagans Paddock). Have all other forwards push out to wings & flanks. Obviously the idea being to get Rocca 1 on 1 & Space for the smaller leading forward. If opposition wants to push numbers back the forwards up the ground need to run, bounce, handball their way in with Cloke a marking option on the way. If the ball is turned over inside 50 we can lock it in by having numbers in a zone for the first kick out.

Why this would work?
It plays to our strength not the opposition. Rocca can be given room to do what he does best with a high class smaller player needing to be accounted for next to him so there is no second man up against Rocca. A Didak, Buckley, Medhurst would be dangerous in their own right 1 on 1.

Would expect numbers to be dropped back but we can then use the strengths of guys like Thomas, Didak, Pendles, Lockyer, Lonie, Clarke, Shaw to run & carry the ball inside 50 with handball being the key. We do not handball enough, we kick too often resulting in contests we are outnumbered in & the ball is run out.

I do not expect the midfield/rucks to win in there any time soon. This is our #1 weakness, we do not have the players to fix this (Pendles will help big time) With extra numbers out of forward 50 we can use those numbers to stem the the tide when the ball is being pumped in so often along with getting back to fierce tackling & pressure, we can then hurt with running rebound off half back something Shaw & Clement are masters at. The more we get the ball in their hands the better. At the moment they have to be accountable to their man & cannot risk getting too far off them for fear of a turnover.

This setup will force the opposition to choose either let the ball go in to Rocca one on one or let Thomas & co run it in, either way we are dangerous without being too predictable.

At the moment we are predictable & our early strength of playing a one on one kicking game using the wings & flanks have been found out. Our kick to handball ratio is the lowest (i.e we kick a lot) in the league. Sides now know that they can force us to kick to positions (mainly CHF & around Rocca) where we will turn the ball over (as the footskills of a number of players is below par), they can then rebound & quickly & hurt us the other way. This started becoming apparent to me in the Dogs, Hawks & Dees games this year. Ever since the Geelong game every side has tried to exploit this & we have let them. Our only counter has beein Maxwell as another forward which has worked in limited circumstances but in the end just serves to crowd up the forward line.

We need to change to handpassing, running & using the corridor more. Buckley could be a key in implementing this by becoming the second forward but more importantly enforcing the game plan on field (almost a playing coach) as it wont work if everyone is not following it.

 

[hellfire]

Couldn't agree more. I say have Rusling and Rocca start from the square, Cloke as true CHF, with Didak and Leon pushing up from the flanks. Rusling on the lead with a paddock in front of him is deadly, Rocca 1 on 1 with his opponent is deadly. Didak and Davis pinpointing passes lace out to Rusling is deadly. Cloke bombing it to the square to a 1 out Rocca is deadly. It must happen.

 

[4#Didak#4]

Would consider Rusling as that second forward but, unsure of his ability at ground level. You need someone who is dangerous when the ball hits the ground.

 

[hellfire]

Would consider Rusling as that second forward but, unsure of his ability at ground level. You need someone who is dangerous when the ball hits the ground.

True. But would he ever need to get the ball at ground level? Nobody can match his pace on the lead. NOBODY. All he needs is good delivery from the likes of Didak, Leon, Thomas, Cloke, Pendlebury etc., and he will be unstoppable (save for a floating loose man in front of him ). If he works on his skills and ground level he will be a very very dangerous player.

 

[Frederlick]

True. But would he ever need to get the ball at ground level? Nobody can match his pace on the lead. NOBODY. All he needs is good delivery from the likes of Didak, Leon, Thomas, Cloke, Pendlebury etc., and he will be unstoppable (save for a floating loose man in front of him ). If he works on his skills and ground level he will be a very very dangerous player.

Agree, the fwd set up in itself is not the problem in itself, it is the delivery into the fwd line that contributes as well.

 

[HFF]

I would honestly like to see MM revert back to a 3-tall man forward line with 3 smalls. We have been playing well all year with just Rocca and Cloke as the main targets however when one or both of them are off song we seem to struggle to find other potential targets and matchwinners. Maxwell has tried hard all year as that 3rd tall defensive forward 50 option and has been consistently good, however i would like to see something like the Hawks or Cats setup.

Cats have Mooney, N. Ablett and Ottens as 3 tall targets.
Hawks have Buddy, Roughead and Boyle.

I think we should go in with Rocca, Cloke and one of Reid or Rusling to cause match up problems and stretch the opposition. Medhurst, Didak and Davis to be the smalls rotated through there. I dont think a 2 big man setup is enough to cause headaches for oppositions.

 

[Jabso]

Good post #4 DIdak but that is pretty much the way we do set up in our forward line. What I'd like to see is if someone peels of Rocca or Cloke to rebound or be a spare man, get someone like Maxwell or Medhurst to man up on him, forcing a mismatch and it means Rocca doesn't have to move away from a dangerous position.

 

[4#Didak#4]

Good post #4 DIdak but that is pretty much the way we do set up in our forward line. What I'd like to see is if someone peels of Rocca or Cloke to rebound or be a spare man, get someone like Maxwell or Medhurst to man up on him, forcing a mismatch and it means Rocca doesn't have to move away from a dangerous position.

We do setup like this to a degree, but Cloke & co start too deep in forward 50, which makes it easy for defenders to fill the gaps especially the way we deliver the ball. I want to see everyone clear right out.

If they drop guys back & we man them up they are still achieving their aim in crowding our forward line. Maxwell going forward worked well for Maxwell but not the team as Rocca then had an extra couple of guys in his area and he is our main target. Good defenders can make a split decision to go with their guy or go & help a teammate. We need to separate these defenders.

The key to it all is the way we bring the ball in. If they want to drop guys back into an open forward line we will have the numbers & the perfect type of players to run, carry & handball our way in. At the moment (other than Thomas) when we get to the wing or half forward (we rarely go up the guts) we will try to find a target by foot inside 50. This has got increasingly difficult when sides know thats what we are going to do every time. The only time it works is when we win the centre clearances which at the moment is not going very well. What the opposition do is man us up & get extra numbers back, it is then massively hard to find a target & we have to bomb away blindly.

 

[xxxWillxxx]

It doesn't matter whos where in the forward line of we can't kick it to them we can't win simple as that.