Analysis Pluck the Hawks...

[Gekko71]

Damien Hardwick did a real number on Hawthorn tonight - given we'll be playing the Hawks again in the finals, I'd really like to break-down how he did it.

Richmond denied the hawks their marking game brilliantly, then ran and hand-balled it out of congestion at stoppages all night. It really rattled the hawks and they had no counter. The first quarter was a revelation! Ten minutes in, the tigers had quadrupled the hawks possession count - they weren't scoring, but they controlled the tempo utterly.

This is the exact opposite of our run and gun style this season, but it utterly unraveled the hawks and kept them scoreless for the first quarter. I think this approach will work much better against the Hawks as it stops their flowing attacking play.

One thing I did notice was the Tiger's contested marking was superb all night, and without it, the plan would not have worked so well.

Can we reproduce this stifling, spoil and run approach while still using our transition-heavy game plan?

All thoughts welcome.

EDIT: sorry bout the typos - I'm writing this on a cheap android tablet... auto-correct and a lousy touch keyboard make for an annoying combination. ...never made that many typos in one post in my life!

 

[Purple Jesus]

Proof read pls.

 

[malpaso]

I wouldn't worry too much, I'm a believer that Lyon did not show what he wants to do down in Tassie.
Tigers played well but the Hawks looked down, Hodge looks injured.
It's been done before and said before, man up the Hawks targets and run your ass off to receive. I think there's a fair few players on the Hawks that will get gassed (Burgoyne, Mitchell, Hodge, Gibson, Frawley, Lake) if you run em hard in the first half.

 

[Banker]

Funny how the Hawks had 20 more tackles.

Looks like tackling pressure doesn't win games.

 

[im_a_lazy_sod]

What if Hawks drop out of top 4 and finish 5th. And Geelong finish 8th. And Geelong win. I would lol. But I doubt that will happen

 

[DMan 11]

Great observation Gekko71 .
I posted after our thrashing at the hands of hawthorn we simply can't persist with our rolling zone. It's useless against the Hawks footskills and we continually get shamed by clarko's troops trying it against them. Richmond went man on man, but also committed numbers to the contest, by hand balling out of congestion where they generally had superior numbers they get 'clean ball' and don't need to worry about setting up defense behind the play so much ( like we do) as they back their forwards and mids to win the cleaner forward thrusts.
I'm at the point of smashing my head on the desk watching freo zone off 3/4 meters away from hawthorn players all over the field and watching Hawks waltz the ball through transition all game long. Interesting to see if RTB tweaks the plan against Hawks next meeting

 

[salim malik]

Funny how the Hawks had 20 more tackles.

Looks like tackling pressure doesn't win games.

Its won 14 for us and a top 2 finish.Ross is the master. He has been able to deliver exactly what we wanted running into the finals,a chance to rest up in the run home and home finals without the travel.

 

[Proud SJW]

All I want is a prelim against the Hawks in Perth.
Don't win that, and all arguments are moot.

 

[malpaso]

Its won 14 for us and a top 2 finish.Ross is the master. He has been able to deliver exactly what we wanted running into the finals,a chance to rest up in the run home and home finals without the travel.

Yes, I firmly believe there is a method to the madness

 

[yoong]

Feels like the Rock Paper Scissors situation we had with Geelong and Hawks 2 years ago

 

[salim malik]

Yes, I firmly believe there is a method to the madness

Yep,we haven't shown our top hand for weeks.

 

[clogged]

Minimising the influence of both Smith and Hill was massive.

 

[Banker]

Its won 14 for us and a top 2 finish.Ross is the master. He has been able to deliver exactly what we wanted running into the finals,a chance to rest up in the run home and home finals without the travel.

Looks like you have returned, knew you would be back soon.

You do know Freo are ranked 12th in tackles this year, compared to been 3rd in 2013.

 

[Gekko71]

Funny how the Hawks had 20 more tackles.

Looks like tackling pressure doesn't win games.

The hawks tend to pressure the receiver downfield more than the ball carrier, its something we've added to our game this year I note, which explains our lower tackle counts.

I think the hawks were forced to tackle more - richmond would go the spoil really often and make the contest a ground-ball wrestle. It meant Hawthorn had to focus on the ball-handler as the Tigers were refusing to throw it on the boot or kick to a contest upfield. By handballing out the side of stoppages, their was no opportunity for the Hawks to intercept mark with their well-structured zone up field. The tigers found an open man by hand, then ran it out with lots of lateral movement- they would only kick when there was a clear option to kick to... A very impressive piece of strategy from Hardwick.

 

[Banker]

Yep,we haven't shown our top hand for weeks.

The skills last week were atrocious, we're out of form at the moment and its not Ross telling players to play bad.

 

[beetz]

Quick efficienct short kicks.

It's exactly what Richmond did Freo earlier this year.

Pressure was incredible tonight from Tigers as well.

 

[Banker]

The hawks tend to pressure the receiver downfield more than the ball carrier, its something we've added to our game this year I note, which explains our lower tackle counts.

I think the hawks were forced to tackle more - richmond would go the spoil really often and make the contest a ground-ball wrestle. It meant they had to focus on the ball handler as the Tigers were refusing to throw it on the boot or kick to a contest upfield. By handballing out the side of stoppages, their was no opportunity for the Hawks to intercept mark with their well-structured zone up field. The tigers found an open man by hand, then ran it out with lots of lateral movement- they would only kick when there was a clear option to kick to... A very impressive piece of strategy from Hardwick.

It reminds me of Barca game plan.

I think its the only way to beat the Hawks, as they're not used to not controlling the ball.

 

[Gekko71]

Watching Clarkson's post-match... The man is severely pissed off!!

 

[salim malik]

Looks like you have returned, knew you would be back soon.

You do know Freo are ranked 12th in tackles this year, compared to been 3rd in 2013.

You mentioned pressure which doesn't always equate to a tackle.Ross is the master at the perceived tackle,pressuring into turning the ball over.
You don't seem to like the way Ross coaches,fair enough ,its your opinion but you must admit that 2 losses ,top of the ladder with a top 2 finish in the bag is a pretty reasonable coaching effort.

 

[meima]

Its won 14 for us and a top 2 finish.Ross is the master. He has been able to deliver exactly what we wanted running into the finals,a chance to rest up in the run home and home finals without the travel.

Let's see how Weller perform this weekend,

It reminds me of Barca game plan.

I think its the only way to beat the Hawks, as they're not used to not controlling the ball.

But barca tweak their game plan this season learn to counter attack without the ball.

 

[rodney hoo]

Minimising the influence of both Smith and Hill was massive.

Thought Maric game was excellent, took 6/8 contested marks. Stopped their run at the rucks.

 

[Proud SJW]

Funny how the Hawks had 20 more tackles.

Looks like tackling pressure doesn't win games.

Of course it does. Pressure in general wins games.

You just need to make sure your tackling pressure results in turnovers and you scoring, rather than you being the one getting more tackles because the other mob always has the ball.
Don't confuse tackle count with tackling pressure.

 

[Banker]

You mentioned pressure which doesn't always equate to a tackle.Ross is the master at the perceived tackle,pressuring into turning the ball over.
You don't seem to like the way Ross coaches,fair enough ,its your opinion but you must admit that 2 losses ,top of the ladder with a top 2 finish in the bag is a pretty reasonable coaching effort.

Where have I said I don't like the way he coaches?

I just don't like how he has no plan B against the Hawks. My posts are more to the long term, particularly finals where the Hawks and possibly Richmond now rip apart our zones.

 

[se17enteen]

The key to Hawthorn's finals success over the years basically is that they don't travel and play all their finals at the MCG. That won't happen this year.

The last 7 years Hawthorn have played 16 Finals, all 15 at the MCG and 1 at Domain which they lost to Freo in 2010.

 

[Proud SJW]

Where have I said I don't like the way he coaches?

I just don't like how he has no plan B against the Hawks. My posts are more to the long term, particularly finals where the Hawks and possibly Richmond now rip apart our zones.

Playing them in a prelim in Perth sounds like a pretty damned good plan B to me.