Opinion Our Game Plan

[maxy87]

To paraphrase Crackers Keenan on the Sportal 'Mondayitis' podcast:
" Did I not say to watch out for the Cats about 8 weeks ago? They're building and Scotty knows he has a lot of old race horses and you can't keep flogging them, otherwise they may fall apart"

To paraphrase Gary Lyon (I think it was him) on Triple M before the Essendon game:
" Mail is that Chris Scott has been flogging them all year on the track and ramped it up even harder on the Gold Coast to get the players in peak shape for the business end"..."The Essendon game was earmarked for when they would ease off the training load and start properly implementing the game plan that's more Geelong-like"

Somewhat contradictory in some parts but definitely some food for thought and explains the issues of pace, workrate, hardness at the contest earlier in the year.

While the older players were being managed the younger players were placed in positions of responsibility for substantial periods of time, which also can explain our erratic form in patches earlier in the year.

As I've mentioned before in another thread, the stats haven't been too bad. It just hasn't come together and it's hurt is. Take both Collingwood encounters, the Freo and the Sydney game as cases in point.

It's starting to come together now visibly, statistically and on the scoreboard

Strap yourselves in people

 

[Senatorguesty]

To paraphrase Crackers Keenan on the Sportal 'Mondayitis' podcast:
" Did I not say to watch out for the Cats about 8 weeks ago? They're building and Scotty knows he has a lot of old race horses and you can't keep flogging them, otherwise they may fall apart"

To paraphrase Gary Lyon (I think it was him) on Triple M before the Essendon game:
" Mail is that Chris Scott has been flogging them all year on the track and ramped it up even harder on the Gold Coast to get the players in peak shape for the business end"..."The Essendon game was earmarked for when they would ease off the training load and start properly implementing the game plan that's more Geelong-like"

Somewhat contradictory in some parts but definitely some food for thought and explains the issues of pace, workrate, hardness at the contest earlier in the year.

While the older players were being managed the younger players were placed in positions of responsibility for substantial periods of time, which also can explain our erratic form in patches earlier in the year.

As I've mentioned before in another thread, the stats haven't been too bad. It just hasn't come together and it's hurt is. Take both Collingwood encounters, the Freo and the Sydney game as cases in point.

It's starting to come together now visibly, statistically and on the scoreboard

Strap yourselves in people

The more I think about it and the more replays of games earlier in the year I watch the more I'm converted....
Your right about playing kids in more responsible positions, which might have been a 2 edged sword (albeit a positive sword of future awesomeness) wherein the senior guys, herein Called Gods of Football, have a bit of a rest early so they can freshen up while also giving the kids good experience in those positions.
Gee if its right, and we make a prelim (minimum) that surely would make Scotty a brilliant coach!
This side should not make the finals they tell us, gawn they tell us, too old too slow they tell us. What will we tell them back when we win the flag this year??

 

[maxy87]

The more I think about it and the more replays of games earlier in the year I watch the more I'm converted....
Your right about playing kids in more responsible positions, which might have been a 2 edged sword (albeit a positive sword of future awesomeness) wherein the senior guys, herein Called Gods of Football, have a bit of a rest early so they can freshen up while also giving the kids good experience in those positions.
Gee if its right, and we make a prelim (minimum) that surely would make Scotty a brilliant coach!
This side should not make the finals they tell us, gawn they tell us, too old too slow they tell us. What will we tell them back when we win the flag this year??

Yep like the way we set up in the middle against the Crows at AAMI earlier in the year. We had Stringer, T Hunt and Bundy in their against Danger, Sloaney and Thompson and set up very offensively which was just madness! I remember pointing that out to my old man sitting next to me. Hard to watch live as we got belted but those guys would've learnt a lot from that and it shows that Scott doesn't want them to take a backward step by playing dour, lock down stuff - you try and beat them one on one and if you don't, you would've learnt a lot or something to that effect..

If Scott plays the key engine room players in the guts 90-100% of the time you risk burning them out by Round 12 and you stifle the development of the youngsters.

It's a delicate balancing act and Scott had acquitted himself well.

Our MC is mostly ex Lions champions that know as well as anyone that flags aren't won in June and that champion teams can fall off a cliff without robust succession plans in place

 

[David the Cat]

The "too slow" catch-cry is a myth. We looked pretty sharp against the Hawks.

 

[maxy87]

The "too slow" catch-cry is a myth. We looked pretty sharp against the Hawks.

Because we're structuring up and moving ball much better (and quicker) by foot. Not to mention winning our fair share of the ball as well!

 

[Belisarius]

It was clear last night that Pods tended to lead up from the forward line outside 50.

Surely an attempt to isolate Hawkins one out more near goal.

It works ok with Walker at CHF - now we try it with Pods.

 

[OldStyle2007]

The too slow thing: we really did look too slow early and mid season - so what has changed? I don't reckon you can put it all on "training loads"

I think the team structure includes some young guys without necessarily the (current) skills, but they have pace and they are well drilled in tackling and running to the right spots

And we look so much better with Christensen on the ball instead of Chapman.

And in the same vein, Chapman is a much better as a forward who drifts up the ground into the midfield than vice versa

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

I'll reserve judgement on game plans and our realistic prospects of going deep into the finals until after our next few games.

If we play 4 quarters(or 8) like we did Friday night against Adelaide & hawforn we could quite possibly have 3 big scalps in a row and have the competition extremely worried.

But then we could get flogged the next two weeks & revert back to giving opposition huge starts.

Friday was certainly a positive step in the right direction though!!

 

[maxy87]

Pace is irrelevant if you can't win first use of the ball

 

[vealesy]

The too slow thing: we really did look too slow early and mid season - so what has changed? I don't reckon you can put it all on "training loads"

I think the team structure includes some young guys without necessarily the (current) skills, but they have pace and they are well drilled in tackling and running to the right spots

And we look so much better with Christensen on the ball instead of Chapman.

And in the same vein, Chapman is a much better as a forward who drifts up the ground into the midfield than vice versa

I think the training loads were a massive factor, but i completely agree in regards to chapman.

Surely hes enjoying kicking a few each week too. He was made for the deep forward line, im as confident in him marking and converting when one on one as anyone. Id say hes our most reliable goalkick, but hawkins just might have clinched that title!

Good thread, is there a lid to put somewhere?

 

[footscore]

The too slow thing: we really did look too slow early and mid season - so what has changed? I don't reckon you can put it all on "training loads"

foxing

needed to try something very different this year because if we approached the year like we finished it off last year, teams would have structured up beautifully against us and we'd be already buggered from playing good footy most of the season.
Scotty and his fitness staff most likely knew that the future needs to managed but monitoring the kilometers into the legs of the blokes 30+ was the most important factor in having any chance of going back2back.

The rotations all year have cost us 2, quite possibly 3 matches but the reward will be beneficial as the team will run out a matches far more effectively than sides like Sydney, Hawthorn, Adelaide etc who have made it their no.1 goal to make top 4 and by doing so....play their best football early, mid-year and then possibly resting up before finals starts, if they are secured of a top 4 spot.

Have read up on this stuff and it's pretty interesting, a lot of sports science is involved in monitoring training programs for all individuals, my oldman use to be a gym instructor and he's mentioned the weight lifters use to alter their diets and training techniques prior to a contest in order to look their very best.

 

[footscore]

I have no idea what their training schedules would be, there are probably others in here who would have a better gauge on it perhaps?
But my guess is they did the bulk of the weight lifting + marathon running preseason.
After rounds 5-8, possibly did another strenuous weight lifting session for a period of 2 to 3 weeks and then mid-year, focused entirely on the cardio, running, sprints etc for a good month and then tapered off only a couple weeks ago so they can now begin to run out games but have also ensured the core strength is at a premium level.

Obviously it would be hard to find out what their training schedules would implement as it's proven to be a recipe for success and opposition teams wouldn't mind finding out how we go about things either but they have been doing this for a good 4 or more years now and it seems to work well for all players.
We don't seem to suffer many soft-tissue injuries or other re-occurring injuries so whoever is in charge of monitoring the boys on a day to day basis.....certainly worth every penny they getting paid

 

[Belisarius]

I am not convinced we have worked out our best set up - especially forward.

Cannot see us taking both Pods and Walker into the same finals side.

So we are going to play both pretty much for the rest of the H&A and see what works best up forward before the finals.

So the exact game plan / structures have not been completely worked out IMO.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

I am not convinced we have worked out our best set up - especially forward.

Cannot see us taking both Pods and Walker into the same finals side.

So we are going to play both pretty much for the rest of the H&A and see what works best up forward before the finals.

So the exact game plan / structures have not been completely worked out IMO.

It may come down to a decision regarding Walker or Pods.

If Orren can continue to play the way he did on Friday, when West returns Walker may be the one to go, as we'll then have Pods and Hawk up forward and West and Orren as the ruckman, with West being able to go forward.

 

[ThatsjustDappa]

I am not convinced we have worked out our best set up - especially forward.

Cannot see us taking both Pods and Walker into the same finals side.

So we are going to play both pretty much for the rest of the H&A and see what works best up forward before the finals.

So the exact game plan / structures have not been completely worked out IMO.

Agreed. Been like that for a couple years though, whatever works in September I guess.

 

[David the Cat]

It may come down to a decision regarding Walker or Pods.

If Orren can continue to play the way he did on Friday, when West returns Walker may be the one to go, as we'll then have Pods and Hawk up forward and West and Orren as the ruckman, with West being able to go forward.

What a dilemma to have MD!!

Kudos to the MC for having the guts to blood young "unknowns" and risk games so we have more depth. Not saying we will win it this year, but the forward planning look exceptional.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

What a dilemma to have MD!!

Kudos to the MC for having the guts to blood young "unknowns" and risk games so we have more depth. Not saying we will win it this year, but the forward planning look exceptional.

It is Dave and to think that now you can add Vardy to the mix.

I wrote of big Orren earlier this season what he's been really good in a couple of games this season and could be the perfect foil for West to allow him to rest forward on occasions.

Just think where we could of been at present with Varcoe and Menzel in the team.

 

[meto]

I am not convinced we have worked out our best set up - especially forward.

Cannot see us taking both Pods and Walker into the same finals side.

So we are going to play both pretty much for the rest of the H&A and see what works best up forward before the finals.

So the exact game plan / structures have not been completely worked out IMO.

Think we got a taste of what works on Friday. Pods isolates the defensive talls and Walker provides options in ruck and forward chopout!

If we don't, Hawkins copes the Gibson type 3rd man up punch away and we get cained, forgoodnasake learn a lesson from Friday night, and cann that "small forward only" idea your always harrangging!
It's the power forwards that always win the close ones for you, especially finals.