Our Starts

[maxy87]

Good post. Can't wait to see what Hmac can provide should he get back to fitness and health. Will help structurally too. As solid as West is, I think he would be much better off not having to be accountable for the opposition no.1 rucks. And he can float around more then before (ala 2011) Going forward to provide a 3rd tall and back to stop gap. Aslo just coz Hmac is a better ruckman in an Ottens type of mold that should help clearances.

On the Veterans, they may also be given the kids ago to learn the trade. I mean think about it, Corey, Kelly, SJ and Bartel will be gone over the next few years then we would have a midfield that would consist of Selwood and some kids, not ideal, so if the Kids get a run early in games and the Seniors get the fresh legs after half time it could be the reason, so when the Veterans retire, then the kids can take over and have a seemless change so we don't bottom out. (remember 2015 plan)

Possibly clutching at straws but thought I would post it anyway.

No I think it has merit and in a way was what I was alluding to in a sense that the kids will learn as they go and will be given responsibilities while the older guys are managed

 

[CF]

This is not a new issue for the Cats in recent years. Neither is our poor performance at the centre clearances. Our poor start cost us the Elimination Final last season. It worries me a little to see this is still a problem for the side despite Chris Scott's assurances they are working on it. Whatever they are working on it's just not working. Certainly a decent ruckman will help with the stoppage work and maybe that's all we need. However like I said this has been going on for a few years now and they are still doing it in 2013.

 

[manboob]

One word: Ablett. He was the master extractor of both footballs and cash money paper.

 

[Partridge]

So why such bad clearance numbers when the others are in the guts with Selwood? I think that we need to be realistic about our other midfielders' capabilities at this stage. Promising as the younger guys are, they still have a way to go before they emulate the service that Corey and Kelly have provided over the years (though I thought Bundy was immense on Sunday). It also doesn't help when we don't get ruck ascendancy. These things will come together in time. Hopefully the return of Stevie Johnson to the midfield will help in the clearances area, too.

I think that summarises it perfectly.

I'd say Kelly is still good enough to play midfield 100% of the time, Corey in small bursts (once the game slows down), Chapman in very small bursts. Bartel I'm honestly not sure about. Problem is none are overly quick, and as I've said before when the pace of the game is fast they can't cover the ground quick enough against some opposition. The flip side is the younger guys have the speed, but don't yet have the nous or ball-winning ability (Selwood excluded of course). You'd hope another season for Duncan and Christensen and they can start pushing up into that category. Horlin-Smith and Caddy as well.

Add a very depleted ruck division (although I think that's not as important as above), it's no surprise we're not going as well. You can also see why Scott has to play the veterans, and at the same time he has to play enough kids to be ready when they're not there. Bloody hard thing to do, while being expected to win games as well.

 

[Partridge]

This is not a new issue for the Cats in recent years. Neither is our poor performance at the centre clearances. Our poor start cost us the Elimination Final last season. It worries me a little to see this is still a problem for the side despite Chris Scott's assurances they are working on it. Whatever they are working on it's just not working. Certainly a decent ruckman will help with the stoppage work and maybe that's all we need. However like I said this has been going on for a few years now and they are still doing it in 2013.

No doubt they're working on it. But there could be another reason - we're not quite as good as we think we are. The veterans collectively aren't the players they were (which is absolutely natural and to be expected), and the younger guys aren't yet as good. Add both factors together and it's not hard to see we've still got work to do.

 

[SleazySimon]

No doubt they're working on it. But there could be another reason - we're not quite as good as we think we are. The veterans collectively aren't the players they were (which is absolutely natural and to be expected), and the younger guys aren't yet as good. Add both factors together and it's not hard to see we've still got work to do.

That still doesn't explain why we were able to come back from 30 points down and 41 points down in both games and win.

 

[ousitgarn]

T Hunt isn't playing his usual tagging role/running through the midfield. With Guthrie and J Hunt both missing and Poodle staying mostly in the back line that is what is hurting us most (especially at stoppages around the ground). Ruck work has been solid and from the second halves it should be clear that our midfield can work well together and win clearances. The problem is the lack of defensive approach at clearances and especially early on in games, in some cases multiple opposition midfielders were allowed a clear run at the ball after the tap.

Also those saying we should be more realistic about our younger midfielders - Bundy was instrumental in the middle in the second half against North, Caddy played a good role as well and Duncan has shown in the past that he is a good clearance player. As someone else said, we can and did win clearances very effectively later on in the North game. It is a question of structure not so much as one of talent or youth vs veterans. The midfielders are used to having T Hunt as a defensive mid, not always at the centre bounce but at the very least at stoppages around the ground. I suspect the midfield takes a while to adjust to having to do some of the extra defensive work required that he would otherwise take care of.

 

[vinum coupe]

Re: Hunt.
He was playing midfield.

But he seems to have moved into a new rotation area.
One that could be called our running group.

It's great to have Varcoe and Motlop beginning a run from CHB together but there is no way they can do that all day. 50 inside 50's probably means 30 x 100 metre sprints.

So it seems they are rotating all of the quicker players through that area to provide chop out.
And usually it is 3 or 4 of them making that sprint up the guts together.

 

[maxy87]

T Hunt isn't playing his usual tagging role/running through the midfield. With Guthrie and J Hunt both missing and Poodle staying mostly in the back line that is what is hurting us most (especially at stoppages around the ground). Ruck work has been solid and from the second halves it should be clear that our midfield can work well together and win clearances. The problem is the lack of defensive approach at clearances and especially early on in games, in some cases multiple opposition midfielders were allowed a clear run at the ball after the tap.

Also those saying we should be more realistic about our younger midfielders - Bundy was instrumental in the middle in the second half against North, Caddy played a good role as well and Duncan has shown in the past that he is a good clearance player. As someone else said, we can and did win clearances very effectively later on in the North game. It is a question of structure not so much as one of talent or youth vs veterans. The midfielders are used to having T Hunt as a defensive mid, not always at the centre bounce but at the very least at stoppages around the ground. I suspect the midfield takes a while to adjust to having to do some of the extra defensive work required that he would otherwise take care of.

An interesting perspective - I agree in many parts but as a counter, T Hunt tagged Dangerfield last year at AAMI Stadium and did quite well, though we still got obliterated in the clearances.