A lot of talk about the deficiencies in our side and how we can possibly fix them for a shot at another flag. The sad truth is that we don't have a good ruckman waiting in the wings. We don't have a contested marking forward we can slot into the side to dominate finals and we don't have a contested ball winning bull (or three) at Box Hill who will improve our work around the stoppages. These are our weaknesses and while we must look to address them in the off season, there is no quick fix waiting at Box Hill for the remainder of this season. These are strengths of other sides but they are not strengths of ours.
I don't think we have the best side in the comp this year and we definitely have weaknesses that can be exploited but so does but every other side in this years' finals.
Our strengths are:
- Experience and composure under finals pressure
- Decision making and foot skills
- Pressure and forcing turnovers.
- Brilliant small forwards.
- Fast ball carriers in Smith, Hill and Hartung (if the latter two can produce good form)
- Clarkson
We need to play to those strengths. We should only play one ruckman and play an extra midfielder/runner. Set up to lose the ruck and set up defensively at stoppages - with Langford and Shiels in particular assigned to stopping opposition from getting clean breakaway clearances.
Defensive pressure is our biggest weapon. We score mostly from turnovers - partly because we struggle at clearances and partly because with a fast small forward line we rely on quick ball movement to score. Our defensive pressure has to be immense or we are no chance. Those who can't defend should not play (the only exceptions are Hill and Hartung who are important for other reasons).
We need to use our foot skills to spread the opposition and exhaust them. The rope-a-dope gameplan this year is no coincidence. It is exhausting to play against us when we get our possession game up and running. In fourth quarters our running trio of Smith, Hill and Hartung will be important. Whitecross and Shiels are very good runners too. I don't think Sydney, Geelong and Adelaide have the same elite runners. GWS does (they have elite everything, but they lack finals experience and will probably need to win twice interstate).
We must not bomb the ball forward. That's the number one thing that will cost us. Whether we just play a short forward line or throw one of Schoenmakers, Spangher or TOB forward to compete, this is going to be a weakness. We are not going to start clunking contested marks.
Ultimately I think we have done very well to be where we are with the list we have this year. I won't write off a side coached by Clarkson but there is no point looking for answers that aren't there. If we are to pull one out of the hat this year it won't be on the back of a rookie or journeyman forward/ruckman from Box Hill. It will be on the back of the strengths that have actually won us 16 games this year.
I don't think we have the best side in the comp this year and we definitely have weaknesses that can be exploited but so does but every other side in this years' finals.
Our strengths are:
- Experience and composure under finals pressure
- Decision making and foot skills
- Pressure and forcing turnovers.
- Brilliant small forwards.
- Fast ball carriers in Smith, Hill and Hartung (if the latter two can produce good form)
- Clarkson
We need to play to those strengths. We should only play one ruckman and play an extra midfielder/runner. Set up to lose the ruck and set up defensively at stoppages - with Langford and Shiels in particular assigned to stopping opposition from getting clean breakaway clearances.
Defensive pressure is our biggest weapon. We score mostly from turnovers - partly because we struggle at clearances and partly because with a fast small forward line we rely on quick ball movement to score. Our defensive pressure has to be immense or we are no chance. Those who can't defend should not play (the only exceptions are Hill and Hartung who are important for other reasons).
We need to use our foot skills to spread the opposition and exhaust them. The rope-a-dope gameplan this year is no coincidence. It is exhausting to play against us when we get our possession game up and running. In fourth quarters our running trio of Smith, Hill and Hartung will be important. Whitecross and Shiels are very good runners too. I don't think Sydney, Geelong and Adelaide have the same elite runners. GWS does (they have elite everything, but they lack finals experience and will probably need to win twice interstate).
We must not bomb the ball forward. That's the number one thing that will cost us. Whether we just play a short forward line or throw one of Schoenmakers, Spangher or TOB forward to compete, this is going to be a weakness. We are not going to start clunking contested marks.
Ultimately I think we have done very well to be where we are with the list we have this year. I won't write off a side coached by Clarkson but there is no point looking for answers that aren't there. If we are to pull one out of the hat this year it won't be on the back of a rookie or journeyman forward/ruckman from Box Hill. It will be on the back of the strengths that have actually won us 16 games this year.
